The Hakka Lady sings for Malaysians

Huang Hong-ying, the Chinese diva specialize in singing Hakka songs

The mostly 4,000 strong Hakka audiences were mesmerized with the Hakka songs belted out by Chinese diva Huang Hong-ying who performed at the Hakka Cultural event in Seri Kembangan recently.

At 49, Huang still at her best during the performance in Seri Kembangan recently

Huang a.k.a the "Hakka Lady" was part of the Hui Zhou city's 17 members cultural group who visited Malaysia recently. Huang shared that Hakka folksongs are the natural voices of the Hakka folks which developed from the daily chores performed by the ordinary folks. Huang was taught the art of singing Hakka folksongs since young by her mother. One of the more popular albums she produced was “Hakka Moi”.  She had performed in various countries in Asia, Europe and Northern America and will continue to promote Hakka folksongs as a flourishing art form. She also sings in Cantonese and Mandarin. Some of her admirers even claimed she is better than the late Teresa Teng.

Cai Ming-Er was happy with the reception given by Malaysian audiences
 

Hui Zhou is situated in Guangdong province in China. The Hakka dialect is widely spoken in Hui Zhou just as in Seri Kembangan. The group also performs in Kuantan and Kota Kinabalu.

Ean Yong, assemblyman for Seri Kembangan who hosted the event

The cultural group performances were under the auspices of the office of Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah and zone 21 - 24 Residents Committee (JKP) of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council.

Part of the 4,000 crowd thronging the open stage event

The cultural performance was held on an open air stage constructed at the end of Jalan SK 6/1 in Seri Kembangan where many cultural events have been held in the last three years. Residents started trooping in as early as 6.30 in the evening. The event started with performances by local groups which include middle aged ladies performing some dance moves with agility and stamina that can put some younger ones to shame.

MPSJ councillor Tai Cheng Heng presenting a souvenir to Cai Ming-Er, flanked by Ean Yong, Teo Nie Ching and other dignitaries

Present during the event were Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, Serdang Member of Parliament Teo Nie Ching and MPSJ councillors Ng Sze Han, Tai Cheng heng, Chong Hoon Ming and Loka Ng Sai Kai. Also present was deputy director-general of Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Bureau of Huiyang District, Hui Zhou City Cai Min-Er and Ling Lifang, who is vice chairman of Returned Overseas Chinese Union of Huiyang District, Hui Zhou City. - Loka SK Ng

New Public Crematorium in Puchong

More than three years ago Buddhists residing around Subang Jaya, Puchong and Serdang submitted proposal to the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) Local Draft Plan to build a crematorium to cater to the needs of Buddhists and Hindus who opted for cremation after their death.

The attendees during the ceremony

This morning a ground breaking ceremony was held at the location where the crematorium will be built. The proposed crematorium is located  at Batu 14 Puchong within a tract of land which is between a Hindu and Chinese cemetery. Those who attended the ceremony include Selangor State Exco members Ronnie Liu Thian Khiew and Dr. Xavier Jayakumar, Puchong MP Gobind Singh, Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh, MPSJ acting president Abdullah Marjunid and councillors, representatives from Buddhist and Hindu organizations and other local community leaders.

The Buddhist representatives at the ground breaking ceremony

Representatives from the Buddhist community present were chairman of Selangor Buddhist Development Committee and MPSJ councillor Loka Ng Sai Kai; Putra Heights Buddhist Society president Chua Teck Seong; Fo Guang Malaysia advisor Seow Chye Hiap and representatives from Serdang Buddhist Association.

Selangor Exco Ronnie Liu performed the ground breaking at the site of  the crematorium

The public crematorium costing RM1.2 million with one incinerator will be built by MPSJ and expected to be ready end of the year. Ronnie Liu, the Selangor Exco responsible for local government in his speech pledged a grant of RM100,000 to enable MPSJ to fit the crematorium with two incinerators rather than one. Each incinerator costs about RM400,000 and MPSJ need to source the balance RM300,000 for the second incinerator.

Chua Teck Seong on behalf of the Buddhist community thank the state government for building the much needed crematorium facility.- Loka SK Ng

From activist to policymaker

In early 2008 a group of leaders from Buddhist centres in Serdang, Seri Kembangan, Kinrara and Subang Jaya/USJ responded positively to my call to work together to look into the MPSJ Draft Local Plan 2020. After studying and analysing the MPSJ Draft Local Plan we managed to come out with the necessary counter proposals in respect  to the Plan. The most critical issue for the Buddhist community and other non-muslims religion was the lack of land allocated to build their respective places of worship.

In June 2009, we participated in the public hearing called by the authorities to present our views and suggestions on the MPSJ Draft Local Plan. Taking a leaf from our experience on responding to the MPSJ Draft Local Plan, we also widen our study on other draft local plans in other local authorities. So far we had also attended and given our views on behalf of  Buddhist centres all over Selangor during Draft Local Plan public hearings held by Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya, Majlis Daerah Hulu Selangor, Majlis Perbandaran Selayang and Majlis Perbandaran Kajang. We are still waiting to be invited to attend public hearing of another two local councils.

In March 2008, the PKR-DAP-PAS alliance was elected by the people during the general election to set up the new government for the State of Selangor. The new state government subsequently decided to allocate some councillor seats in the local councils to non governmental organisations (NGO) and professionals. The Buddhist community took the initiative to submit some names to the state government for consideration to be appointed as local councillors. But then, as far as we know none of the Buddhist leaders was appointed but it did not stop us from continuing working closely with the state government on issues related to the non-muslims particularly the Buddhist community.

As an pro-active gesture to involved the people in the policy making process on issues related to the non-muslims community, the Pakatan Rakyat state government then re-structured and changed the name of the "Jawatankuasa Rumah Ibadat bukan Islam Negeri Selangor" to become the Jawatankuasa Hal Ehwal Selain Islam Negeri Selangor. Some policies changes were implemented in regards to the working and structure of this committee. Firstly the committee is now co-chaired by three State Excos while non-Muslims NGO leaders were invited to sit in the committee. Previously the State Secretary chairs the committee and no non-Muslims NGO representatives were involved in the meeting. Meetings were conducted more regularly, ie every two months in comparison to irregular meetings previously which sometimes only held once a year.

As I has been invited to the meeting since its inception, I can notice the change and seriousness of the State Excos in ensuring issues related to non-muslims community are addressed promptly and justly.We speak our mind out during these meetings but always with decorum and respect to all.  

The recent called of duty in the apppointment as councillor of the Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya is an honour and also a surprise to me. I am not sure if this is a signal from the state government's to recognize the Buddhist community's role towards developing a better Selangor for all. But for all who called this sunshine state our home, more than ever, we hoped the state government will do better in time to come.

The Buddhist community usually do not seek the attention of the state or federal governments either through the open forum or confrontational approaches. This community just prefers the consultative approach but it is sad and disappointing when the powers-that-be mistakenly read this soft approach as a sign that this community does not need the ears and support of the government.

Change is part and parcel for every living and non-living beings. For more than 20 years, religious and youth activism has been part of my learning process since my days as a undergraduate in Universiti Kebangsaan Malasyia. In all these years of community service, many issues related to the Buddhist community, youth development, international networking, HIV/AIDS and some other local community issues were addressed, especially when I was the then vice president of the Malaysian Youth Council and secretary general of the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia. My involvement with the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth (WFBY) as deputy president and now advisor to the Bangkok-based international  youth organisation provided me the opportunity to enhanced international youth networking and promote friendship amongst the young people and world Buddhist leaders.

And now by virtue being appointed as a local councillor, I am now shouldering the responsiblities as a policy maker in a local authority. Although I had been involved in government level policy making process during my stint as a national youth leader, but being a councillor will be a different ball game altogether. The years spend involving in organising and attending programs, meetings, workshops and conferences in government related bodies such as the National Youth Consultative Council, Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (National Service) and Ministry of Youth and Sports are experiences that I hoped will come in handy when playing my role as a local councillor.

Although I has been advised by someone that being a councillor is similiar to what I has been doing all these years as a community leader; ie planning, advocating, assisting and serving the people, I will still continue to pray that the Triple Gem will be my guide always so that my role as a local councillor will bring positive change to those who seek for it. Namo Buddhaya. Nama Dhammaya. Namo Sanghaya. - Loka

 

Julie Tan of Loka Mitta Buddhist Fellowship; David Tan and Chua Teck Seong of Putra Heights Buddhist Society. My Dhamma friends who came to support me during the oath taking ceremony. Bro. Seow CH(not in pic) advisor of FoKuang Malaysia was also there.

The new faces in the MPSJ Council having a chit-chat with the council president Dato' Adnan.

L-R:  Loka, Edward, Dato' Adnan, Noor, Azizan, Jaberi

Photo courtesy of SJ Echo.

Local Councillors - Are we taken as Fools?

The list of appointed local councillors in Selangor has been published in the local newspaper even though it was not officially announced yet. The question that people starts to raise now is whether those councillors that were appointed are really based on their NGO affiliation as claimed.

Some of the councillors representing the NGOs category are suspected to be nominees of the political parties in Pakatan Rakyat. Not many councillors were appointed from the representatives of residents associations although they represented a main chunk of the stake holders.

What really happened in the selection process? Is PR following the BN policy of appointing their own members as councillors albeit camouflaged as NGOs representatives? Is there a hidden agenda to appoint only their own members, supporters or sympathisers of PR as local councillors? If that is true, then it is not only a slap in the face for those who believes PR is different from BN but it is far more worse than BN because the people has been taken as fools! At least BN did not make any promises to appoint NGOs representatives as councillors.

Local Councillor, Anyone?

Hey, the Pakatan Rakyat coalition state governments are looking for prospective candidates to be appointed councillors in the local governments (Majlis Perbandaran/Bandaraya)

Do you want to offer yourself as a Local Councillor in your respective Majlis Perbandaran/Bandaraya?
Are you interested in making decisions and influencing what happens in your town/city?
Do you think you could represent the people of your area?

Read on to see if you or someone else can fit into this job as a councillor.


The role/s of a councillor
The main role of a councillor is to represent their area and the people who live there. Councillors help make decisions about the way local services are provided, and how the council tax and government grants are spent.

A councillor:
provides a voice for and help to all members of the community
makes decisions on behalf of residents
contributes to council policy and strategy
has responsibility for scrutiny (checking and monitoring what the council does)
has regulatory duties (making sure laws are kept to, e.g. planning and licensing)
is a community leader

What does a councillor do for us?
holds service clinics, where local people can ask for help or advice
follows up on issues raised at these service clinics
represents the community within the council and to other organisations
develops links with all parts of the community
supports local partnerships and organisations
campaigns on local issues

Scrutiny
To review council policies and activities. Scrutiny takes in a varied range of activities. These are:
Review and development of the council's policies
Make policy and budget proposals to the council
Review of proposed executive decisions
Call in or review of decisions before they are implemented
Performance monitoring and review

Regulatory Powers
All councils have various committees which councillors sits in as a member.
planning permission
Finance
licensing
Tender
etc

Community Leadership
Councillors take a comprehensive view of the needs and priorities of local areas and lead in the work that is needed to meet these needs. This often takes place in partnership with other organisations and councillors may:-
be involved with other voluntary organisations
participate in joint working with other local authorities
serve on a range of regional, health or local partnership groups.

Are councillors paid?
They do not get salaries or wages (they are not employees of the council), but are entitled to allowances, which are designed to partly recompensate them for the costs they face in carrying out their public duties.

What is the difference between a councillor and a council officer?
A councillor is an appointed, unpaid representative, who usually belongs to a political party. An officer is a non-political paid employee of a council. Elected councillors provide the policies which officers then put into practice.

What is the difference between a local councillor and an ADUN/MP?
The job of a Member of Parliament (MP) is to represent the people of his or her constituency (area) in the Dewan Rakyat. Your MP is there to help you with all matters for which Parliament or central government is responsible.

The job of a Assemblyman/woman (Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri-ADUN) is to represent the people of his or her constituency (area) in the State Assembly. Your ADUN is there to help you with all matters for which State Assembly or State government is responsible.

Local councillors in Malaysia is currently appointed by the state government to sit in the local Council. For instance, Selangor State Government which is currently controlled by the new coalition Pakatan Rakyat comprising PKR-DAP-PAS appoints all the members in the local councils in the state.

A councillor makes decisions affecting the wider council area (eg. MPSJ/MBPJ/MBSA) and acts as a focus and leader for the local community.They are responsible for making decisions on behalf of the local community about local services, such as land use, refuse collection, licensing, parks and leisure facilities, recycling, social housing, planning and development control, cemeteries and crematorium, car parking, food hygiene and environmental protection.