PETALING JAYA – Forums with elected representatives typically cover bread-and-butter issues, traffic woes, living standards and nowadays, flood mitigation efforts.
But in a twist at a forum held at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) last night, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh and Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung were asked what kind of support they would like to receive from their constituents.
Yeoh said people in the Segambut constituency have been active in community engagement, but added that she welcomed senior citizens to volunteer.
“When I think about community engagement and structure, I do not have much to ask of Segambut locals as they are well-organised.
“I (also) get senior citizens to serve as volunteers. It is important because working adults have no time to serve their community, so we encourage seniors to be active in resident’s associations.
“When you reach this age, you are more patient and will give advice that the youth may not often think of,” said the youth and sports minister who is now in her second term as Segambut MP.
She then gave an example of how a local retiree who served as a volunteer was able to provide guidance to a young couple who came to her constituency office seeking help.
Yeoh said her team of constituency workers also values partnerships with local non-governmental organisations, such as residents’ associations and local corporations.
She said one area of cooperation could be to support government schools by giving free meals during lockdowns, and monitoring whether school children receive sufficient nutrition.
Yeoh also encouraged youths to take on internships with her so they can better understand people’s behaviour and sharpen their interpersonal skills.
“The youth should experience internships. I have them handling customer service calls, so they can learn to understand the mindset of the people on the other end, and also maintain conversations in a proper manner,” said Yeoh, who is from DAP.
Similarly, Lee said that his team for the Petaling Jaya constituency also welcomed volunteers to facilitate efforts in improving public transportation and infrastructure, creating jobs via technical and vocational training, and building a better community in Petaling Jaya.
“I have formed a Petaling Jaya volunteer group, and I welcome folks to sign up and be part of the change,” he said.
“Together, we should monitor our public infrastructure, parks, drains, and roads, and ensure that they are effective,” he added.
Lee urged his constituents to adopt the view of living in Petaling Jaya as living with “extended families”.
“I suggest the young and not-so-young imagine that you are starting your second life, which is to have extended family members,” the PKR politician and first-time MP said.
“Participating in public life will enable you to have that, and also an extended network,” said the former two-term Semambu assemblyman.
Yeoh and Lee had been invited by DUMC for a previous forum to speak as candidates before the 15th general election in November. The second forum last night was a follow-up to that where they spoke in their capacities as parliamentarians having won the seats they contested.
Forum attendees also asked the MPs about national issues, such as statelessness and political instability.
Yeoh said that the relevant ministries are looking into the issue of statelessness and equal citizenship.
She added that while there were no guarantees a government would serve a full term, she said her cabinet discussions have been peaceful and the ministers are fulfilling their duties,
To a question suggested for a Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Batang Kali landslide by a couple who had lost their child in the tragedy, Yeoh said she would discuss the matter at the cabinet. She later spoke to the couple privately after the forum. – The Vibes, January 18, 2023
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