KUCHING: “Chong Chieng Jen’s challenge to me to step down as Padawan Municipal council (MPP) chairman is one big joke. He is like a little boy wanting to pick a fight of which I have absolutely no interest in as it will not benefit the people. I believe that as Chairman of the MPP and State Assemblyman, I am working towards making good the government’s promises to the people and to improve the lives of our people,” said Padawan Municipal Chairman, Lo Khere Chiang.
“To me, Chong is both a hot air balloon and an empty vessel that is making loud noises. Talk is cheap and setting me a deadline to quit my chairman post is utter nonsense.
No one in the world will clear their desks for an opposition party just because Chong says so. This sounds so insane and I do not know what was going through his head to even suggest such an outrageous idea. “I wake up every morning thinking of how to build more roads and bridges to make life better for our people.
Chong probably wakes up thinking how to form words with venomous and unrealistic remarks just to gain cheap political mileage,” said Lo who is also Batu Kitang State Assemblyman. Lo asked Chong to try to apply to SUPP for the chairman post, if he was so eager for the job. “I have been in the position for the past 7 years and in the first 5 years, my basic allowance was only RM3,800 . Now, it is RM4,800 and since I took office, I have never applied for an annual leave and I work 7 days a week. The workload is heavy but I carry it out the best as I can because it was entrusted to me.”
He recalled that on 6 January 2014 when he invited Chong who brought along the then Batu Kawa Assembly-lady Christina Chiew to the council to hear out what the traffic consultant had to say on the Mile 7 master plan. He was welcomed to suggest or propose any good ideas and the minutes recorded in the meeting clearly showed that he did not give any constructive suggestions.
“If Chong had submitted just one sensible solution, I would have given him credit where it was due. That was in 2014. Today, 4 years on, the man can only talk and he has not submitted any sensible proposals to me on the Mile 7 master plan either. “Chong is a three-term YB and MP and his salary is RM50,000 monthly. It seems that the way he is going about doing his job is to just to make loud and rude noises and seek cheap publicity,” he added.
“I say this to Chong again: If you think you have any constructive suggestions, then feel free to put up your proposal. If it is workable, then we may act on it and give you the credit. As a lawyer, you should very well know that you cannot tell the judge that he is not doing a good job and demand that you swap jobs with him. Even a small child could have told you that. “Talk is cheap.
I walk my talk, work extremely hard and I have the facts and figures to prove it and you have given me cause to show just how hard I work as MPP Chairman and my whole team in MPP has been working extremely hard for all these years. “Last year, we in MPP, implemented 225 projects costing a total of RM46 million for the council. It was the biggest allocation in MPP history and it is something we are proud of.
“The State Government has always tried to lighten the burden of the people by not increasing assessment rates and makes provision for the infrastructure needed via government grants allocated to MPP. Our task is to carry them out. “So far, there have been two phases of road works done to ease the traffic jams in Mile 7. As we enter Mile 7 from the main road of Jalan Penrissen, we pass Sam Hap Hin School and all the way to the traffic lights after the old shophouses. We have turned this into four lanes to accommodate the heavy traffic.
We have also improved the road from the kindergarten to Sam Hap Hin School. Existing traffic lights have also been upgraded and synchronised to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. A new set of traffic lights at the junction of Jalan Stakan is in the process of being set up once further synchronisation of these three traffic lights have been completed.
“I have said this before on a previous occasion and I appeal once again to the residents and the people patronising Mile 7 to play their role and to observe traffic rules at all times so as to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. Please do not double park or triple park as this will cause much traffic congestion on the roads,” Lo concluded.
