Congratulation & keep up the good work.
He had set a high benchmark for the other councillors. Will they be able to match him? The most interesting to watch will be the performance of the businessmen that were appointed as councillors. Can they be better with their financial resources?
Star Online, Tuesday May 13, 2008
Going the extra mile to serve people
A PENANG municipal councillor is going the extra mile to serve the public by introducing a mobile service counter to ensure better accessibility for the public.
Tham Weng Fatt has chosen two locations – in a suburban market and a city centre cafe – for a start.
He said he would be stationed at his service counter, consisting of just a table and some chairs, at the Bayan Baru market from 9.30am to 11am on Sundays and at the Shanghai Dim Sum Cafe at Abu Siti Lane from 7pm to 9pm on Fridays.
At your service: Tham (standing) talking to customers at the cafe. “I set up a service counter at the Bayan Baru market during the last two Sundays and decided to have one in George Town following positive public response.
“I intend to provide the service at Paya Terubong, Seri Delima and Fettes Park as soon as possible if owners of coffee shops or supermarkets there are willing to offer their support,” Tham told a press conference at the Shanghai Dim Sum Cafe on Friday.
He said he had introduced the service for the convenience of the public because they could approach him after running their errands or eating out and save travelling time as well.
“I hope the assemblymen (of the constituencies where the service is provided) will not get me wrong.
“I am not overriding their duties but just reinventing the image of municipal councillors.
“They are people willing to take the initiative to serve the public,” he said.
Tham, who is also Penang DAP Action Team chief, said he received over 100 complaints daily during his first three days as a councillor last month.
“Before becoming a councillor, I handled 20 to 30 complaints a day but now I receive 60 to 80 complaints daily, mostly on rubbish collection, street lighting, potholes and clogged drains.
“I take every complaint seriously and reply to each one but some cases such as cutting of overgrown trees involve other authorities and cannot be resolved immediately,” he said.
Commenting on DAP’s suggestion made in June to add road signs in Penang in Chinese, Tham said he would propose the idea to the council once the party’s youth wing, Dapsy, had finalised its proposal on the matter.
8 comments:
H'ng,
Actually when politicians say they SERVE the people, what do they actually do? I personally have not needed nor acquired any SERVICE from any politicians, probably because I don't know how they can help me.
Except for cases that we read in the newspaper (Ah long problem, runaway spouse, money for operation, blackmail, etc) I really don't know what the elected reps do (or can do) from their service center. From what I know their services include certifying certs, advise on writing letters and to pull string for favours (which is corruption btw). Other than that, what other services can these service centers do? Can you please give some examples.
Fishhook:
Most politicians do all that you have mentioned and much more.
You are educated and will have less need for any service from the politicians.
Most of the people that come to see us for help are the senior citizens, the poor, the jobless, the less literate and some with mental problems.
Anything under the sun, at least I speak for the Tanjong Gerakan Activity Center. The least you can do is an advise.
For example , I am working on an extortion case, a neglected child case, senior citizen application for govt financial asst, and a school reading corner.
You will never need these kind of assistance.
Service centers members do not pull strings for corruption.
We do "pull strings" to solved problems and to achieve service goals.
Pakatan Rakyat bloggers and commentators after GE12 like to call Gerakan irrelevant. Most of them are arm-chair critics (not all).
Only, those that have seek our help know that we are relevant to them.
I will forever remember, how DAP leaders called us, "running dogs" during the ceramah just outside our center during the last GE12.
Luckily, the hot-bloodied were not there when they utters those words. That is why ceramah permit is necessary. In this case, the police did not do their job well, they should not allowed this choice of venue.
Most people do not know that Tanjong(the whole of Penang town) have been under DAP for 2 decades, It was only recently they opened their center. Two decades of buta gaji.
Luckily, the state seats were under BN so the ADUNs did the service. But,the important things such as development fundings are really Federal. Most Tanjongites, do not understand that the heart & pulse of PENANG is TANJONG.
As long as Tanjong is under opposition in relation to the Federal government whether BN or PR, funding is just only for sustainable projects.
Thanks H'ng for the explanation.
Like I said, not everyone in BN or DAP are bad so I don't like to generalise but rather be specific at selected people. I know several people who have used their influence in BN politics to do good without personal gain. Now perhaps I can add you to that list.
Good job. Keep it up.
Actually, the list is much longer.
I would said that nearly all Gerakan ex-YBs, may be all, are as clean as it is possible.
It is the NO.1 criteria to be a Gerakan election candidate. Any sign of impropriety, you will get a call.
That is Gerakan strength. Our conscience is clear. Even if Gerakan remain in the opposition, it would easily survive 2 generations.
Having said that, there are definitely political "patronages", all political parties have to do that, even the DAP.
DAP received quite a lot of funds from ordinary people last GE, but they also received huge sum from people that eventually they have to patronize.
If you ask people on the ground, they will tell who are those patrons.
People need good public services regardless which party.
To fishhook, you should try to server people before putting so many comments lah, no easy to serve public from Longkang to road , everything also need to take care, do vidit www.youtube.com/gerakanskudai than u will now how hard is that
Jason,
Serving people is a calling and a sacrifice. Not everyone wants to do it and some couldn't care less. And there are more than one way to serve the people.
I never said serving people by being a politician is not noble or will be easy. But then if you play your cards right and get to the top, you do get the great rewards like titles, positions, celebrity status, kickbacks (maybe not Gerakan), and of course the pay and allowance also not bad. Maybe you guys aspire to be that so you join political parties to serve people through it.
As for me, I'm not into that (not right now) so I don't join any political parties. I serve my community through small roles in low profile ways mostly through my church.
So PLEASE don't jump into conclusions and make sweeping statements about people as though you are the only ones who serve the people and Gerakan is the only way. Give people the benefit of the doubt. I didn't even kutuk you but you always kutuk me.
Indeed, Mr Tham Weng Fatt has been very hardworking, even before his appointment as the municipal councillor... NO QUESTION ASKS!
But, as for the rest of the councillors... SORRY, THEY HAVE YET TO APPEAR THEMSELVES TO BE DEDICATED, TO THE PUBLIC!
Newly appointed municipal councillors, please work hard!
NO TALK ON PAPERS, BUT PHYSICAL, PLEASE!
Yes, I strongly agree with asian-follow and Jason.
Pls correct me if im wrong, like fishhook said "serving the public is a sacrifice and not many ppl will do that". For my point of view, i think Gerakan still got a number of ppl willing to serve the public with good intention not like fishhook mention with "title, position and celebrity status".
So for my point of view, i think fishhook you should participate in any function that have the chance to serve the public in order to allow you to see the reality and the character of the leaders and members from party gerakan.
For my advise, fishhook pls don't simply said that the leader of Gerakan having the bad intention while serving the public, we need to repsect them instead of kutuk them. If you dare to said that then why don't you participateserve the public by yourself? It is good suggestion for you.
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