MPM Appears To Be A Product Of MCA

ARCHIVES 2009

By admin-s On Jun 8, 2009

The Head of MCA Youth Movement, Thye Soon Yi, said in the newspaper that if I wished to participate in activities organized by MCA, I should first consider joining the MCA party.

By Er Teck Hwa (Ahli Parlimen Bakri)

On 1 JUNE 2009, the Muar Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Muar (MPM) organized a public awareness campaign with the theme, "Removal and Destruction of General Advertisements That Have No Approved Authorized Permits", with the assistance of the police in Taman Orkid. I came to know about this campaign through the news reports found in the local Chinese newspapers and, after which, I made a decision to attend this campaign movement. But the campaign organizers were in an uproar and were at a loss as to how to treat me accordingly regarding my attendance at this campaign event. The newspaper statement was not released by me but written by newspaper reporters.

On that particular day, the Chairman of the MPM, YDP Haji Ab.Wahab Bin Ridwan was still not present at the appointed time at the mentioned campaign. I had contacted him and he replied that he had just only then thought of attending the campaign event. Before the telephone conversation ended, many members of the public witnessed that En.Haji Ab.Wahab was already seen in the vicinity of Taman Orkid. This situation revealed that he was such a responsible person and is highly effective in carrying out his official duties. If he does not possess such attributes, he could not have appeared in Taman Orkid in only a few seconds, because knowing full well his residence is in Jalan Daud.

En.Haji Ab.Wahab finally reached the location which had been fixed. After that, he only said a few words in front of those who attended and left the place in a hurry. At the same time, all the reporters were given to understand that the place of the campaign event had been changed to the Bentayan Food Court. Because of this, I also decided to proceed to the new place for this campaign, together with other reporters.

After his visit to Bentayan Food Court for about one hour, he went again to the original venue of the campaign, that is, Taman Orkid Rukun Tetangga Center. I also decided to follow him there. In spite of this, my presence at the Taman Orkid Rukun Tetangga Centre was prevented by members of the MPM, Halen Fong Soh Lan and Chua Teck Boon. Both these MMC councillors said that the entry of a Member of Parliament to the place of campaign event must have the permission of the Taman Orkid Rukun Tetangga planning organization authority. Failing this, a Member of Parliament cannot gain admittance to this venue of campaign organization. After a discussion with them, they still did not allow me to enter this venue of campaign event.

A local chinese newspaper columnist commented that many local residents are not "used" to the appearance of a Member of Parliament who hails from an opposition party in Muar after 8th MARCH 2008 where it has been the stronghold of Barisan Nasional for the last two decades. This phenomenon, especially any phenomenon which is not good, can be rectified. Phenomena, such as autocratic government, local council election based on racial quota and other misguided ilks must be corrected. The problem today is, why is it that government officers who are involved are still following the same old ways of governance and, are not prepared to effect change in the direction of democratic governmental systems one year after 8th MARCH 2008?

Two days later, the Head of MCA Youth Movement, Thye Soon Yi, who said in the newspaper that if I wished to participate in activities organized by MCA, I should first consider joining the MCA party. He also said that I should not observe activities organized by MCA, aimed at communicatiing with the public. My action and presence is not the responsibility of a Member of Parliament.

I wish to inform En.Thye Soon Yi that he is definitely wrong from the point of good governance. We are now not discussing the problem of MPM in the democratic government procedure, which elect members of local government through local public election. We wish to focus on the problem of MPM members being elected from the MCA party and, the general public is deprived of the right to participate in this democratic process. If this fact is true, the MCA believes that MPM is a product of MCA and,as such, official activities that are organized are prohibited from being observed by a Member of Parliament. He used the word, "observed" and, observing in silence or, in silence from the side-lines, or from behind, is certainly not the responsibility of a Member of Parliament.

When preventing me from entering the organizational campaign venue by a member of MPM councillors, Halen Fong Soh Lan who is from MCA, said that I could not be permitted to enter the venue of this campaiagn if I did not have permission from the said Rukun Tetangga Chairman. If I enter a private residence without permission, I can be arrested by the owner of the residence for intruding. Nevertheless, a Rukun Tetangga center is owned by the country and, the cost of expenses in borne by the general public. Anyone can give excuses why a people's representative who is duly elected should obtain permission before entering a public place? Does the Rukun Tetangga centre Chairman have higher authority to overwrite MPM? If a Member of Parliament is not allowed to enter a public place, how could an ordinary member of the public do likewise ?

Like one system and procedure of the country's government, official activities should be organized by the government. The Barisan Nasional as the ruling party also said that whoever wishes to participate in activities organized by them must first join their party. How can the national governmental processes be conducted if the concept of a political party is that it is the government and it does not make any difference between politics and government? Why should not this irrational concept be eradicated?

Pada 1 Jun 2009, Majlis Perbandaran Muar (MPM) telah menganjurkan kempen kesedaran yang bertajuk penghapusan iklan yang tidak mempunyai permit bersama bantuan daripada pihak polis di Taman Orkid. Saya mengetahui kempen ini melalui laporan berita surat khabar dan mengambil keputusan untuk menghadiri kempen tersebut. Tetapi, pihak penganjur bersikap huru-hara dan bersalah atas kehadiran saya ke kempen tersebut. Pernyataan ini bukan dikeluarkan oleh saya tetapi dikeluarkan oleh para wartawan.

Pada hari tersebut, Yang Di Pertua MPM Haji Ab. Wahab bin Ridwan masih tidak menghadiri diri ke kempen tersebut pada masa yang telah ditetapkan. Saya menghubungi beliau dan diberikan jawapan bahawa beliau baru-baru ingin menghadiri diri ke kempen tersebut. Sebelum panggilan telefon diputuskan, terdapat orang ramai menyaksikan beliau sudah berada di persekitaran Taman Orkid. Keadaan ini dapat menunjukkan beliau merupakan seorang yang mempunyai tanggungjawab dan berkesanan dalam tugas yang diberikan. Jika beliau tidak mempunyai sikap-sikap tersebut, beliau tidak mungkin muncul di Taman Orkid dalam masa beberapa saat sahaja kerana tempat tinggal beliau berada di Jalan Daud.

Beliau akhirnya tiba di lokasi yang telah ditetapkan. Selepas itu, beliau hanya mengucapkan sepatah dua perkataan di depan para hadirin dan meninggal tempat tersebut dengan segera. Pada masa yang sama, para wartawan telah mendapati tempat penganjuran telah ditukar ke Pusat Makan Bentayan. Oleh itu, saya pun mengambil keputusan untuk menghadiri diri ke tempat penganjuran yang baru bersama-sama para wartawan.

Selepas lawatan beliau di Pusat Makan Bentayan selama satu jam, beliau telah menghadiri semula ke tempat penganjuran yang asal iaitu Pusat Rukun Tetangga Taman Orkid. Saya juga mengambil keputusan untuk mengikuti langkah yang telah diambil. Namun, kehadiran saya di Pusat tersebut telah dihalang oleh anggota MPM Halen Fong Soh Lan dan Chua Teck Boon. telah mengatakan bahawa kemasukan ahli parlimen ke tempat penganjuran perlu mendapat kebenaran daripada pihak penganjur rancangan rukun tetangga. Jika tidak, ahli parlimen tidak boleh masuk ke tempat penganjuran tersebut. Selepas perbincangan dengan mereka, mereka masih tidak boleh membenarkan saya masuk ke tempat penganjuran tersebut.

Surat khabar pernah melaporkan bahawa ramai orang tidak dapat membiasakan diri dalam fenomena selepas sunami politic pada 8hb Mac 2008 dimana kemunculan seorang ahli parlimen yang berasal dari parti pembangkang dalam daerah Muar yang merupakan kubu kuat BN selama ini. Perubahan ini amatlah penting terutamanya terhadap fenomena yang tidak baik. Fenomena seperti pemerintahan autokrasi, pilihan raya tempatan yang berasaskan kuota kaum dan sebagainya seharusnya dibetulkan. Masalah pada hari ini ialah kenapa pegawai-pegawai yang terlibat masih mengikut cara pemerintahan yang sama dan tidak ingin melakukan perubahan mengikut sistem pemerintahan demokrasi selepas 1 tahun dari 8hb Mac 2008.

Dua hari kemudian, ketua pergerakan pemuda MCA Thye Soon Yi mengatakan bahawa jika saya ingin menyertai aktiviti yang dianjurkan oleh MCA, saya patut berfikir dulu untuk menyertai parti MCA. Beliau juga berkata bahawa jangan menonton aktiviti yang dianjurkan oleh MCA yang bertujuan berkomunikasi dengan orang ramai, beliau berkata perbuatan ini bukan tanggungjawab seseorang ahli parlimen.

Saya ingin memberitahu kepada En. Thye Soon Yi bahawa beliau telah bersalah dari segi teori. Sekarang kita bukan membincangkan tentang masalah MPM dalam prosedur pemerintahan demokrasi yang memilih anggota pemerintahan melalui pilihan raya tempatan. Kita ingin berfokus kepada permasalahan anggota MPM dipilih dari ahli parti MCA dan orang ramai tidak mempunyai hak untuk mengambil bahagian dalam bidang ini. Jika kenyataan ini benar, MCA mempercayai bahawa MPM merupakan harta benda MCA dan aktiviti-aktiviti rasmi yang dianjurkan mengharamkan tontonan dari ahli parlimen. Beliau menggunakan perkataan “menonton” dan perbuatan menonton secara diam-diam atau secara diam-diam dari tepi atau belakang juga bukan tanggungjawab seseorang ahli parlimen.

Semasa menghalang saya dari memasuki tempat penganjuran oleh anggota MPM Halen Fong Soh Lan yang juga ketua whip MCA. Beliau mengatakan bahawa saya tidak dibenarkan memasuki tempat penganjuran sekiranya tidak mendapat kebenaran daripada pihak penganjur rancangan Rukun Tetangga. Jika hari ini saya memasuki tempat tinggal orang ramai tanpa kebenaran, saya boleh ditangkap oleh pemilik tempat tinggal tersebut. Tetapi, pusat Rukun Tetangga dimiliki oleh negara dan perbelanjaan ditanggung oleh rakyat. Sesiapa boleh memberikan sebab atas wakil rakyat yang telah dipilih sepatutnya mendapat kebenaran sebelum memasuki tempat awam. Adakah pusat Rukun Tetangga lebih berkuasa berbanding dengan MPM? Jika seseorang ahli parlimen tidak dibenarkan memasuki tempat awam, bagaimanakah dengan orang ramai?

Sebagai satu sistem dan prosedur pemerintahan negara, aktiviti-aktiviti rasmi semestinya dianjurkan oleh pihak pemerintah. Parti BN sebagai parti pemerintah pula mengatakan sesiapa yang ingin menyertai aktiviti yang dianjurkan oleh mereka perlu menyertai parti mereka dulu. Macam mana proses pemerintahan negara boleh dilaksanakan sekiranya tanggapan parti politik ialah kerajaan dan tidak mempunyai perbezaan antara politik dan pemerintahan tidak dihapuskan?