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

Demand for temple land

During the public hearing on the MPSJ Draft Local Plan last month, the Buddhist community requested for 39 plots of land to be allocated for the building of Buddhist temples. For many Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, include those elected officials and local council officers, it may come as a shock that a religious group ask for "so many" plots of religious land.

It may looks like the Buddhists are very demanding but on the contrary it was the opposite. Basing on the Ministry of Housing and Local Government guidelines which stated that a plot of land for the building of a place of worship shall be allocated to every 2,600 adherents of the respective non-Muslim religion.

Based on the official census and projections by the state government there are about 220,000 Buddhists within the MPSJ administrative areas. Translate this figure in tandem to the guidelines for land for places of worship, the Buddhists community should be asking for 85 plots of land!

Another matter that might arise is the question whether the Buddhist community are capable of managing this number of religious land if the state government agrees to allocate it. No one will really know for sure what will happen next but one thing is definitely very clear. If not enough land are allocated, the Buddhist community will be facing the lack of space for the devotees in 20 to 30 years down the road.

Once the Local Plan has been gazetted and not enough land for temples was allocated because the Buddhist did not asked for it, the community will be left out in the cold in the local land development. It is better to demand for it now rather than not having enough space to cater to future needs of the people. If we don't ask for it now, our next generation might not have any land to ask. - Loka

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.