CONSTITUENCY NEWSLETTER - Wong Chen · the continued sell-down of Malaysian government bonds by foreign institutions in Q1, from 35% holdings to 25%. The big hope of mega Chinese

CONSTITUENCYNEWSLETTER

Issue #9, July 2017

Wong Chen | Member of Parliament for Kelana Jaya

First parliamentary session of 2017 | Welfare month | SS19 free medical camp INVOKE Kelana Jaya phone bank sessions | P104 “Wonder Woman” movie

fundraiser | Staff and interns

1

Pusat Khidmat P104 Kelana Jaya Newsletter Issue #9

TÊTE-À-TÊTE:A FOREWORD FROM WONG CHEN

My dear constituents of Kelana Jaya, We have come to the mid-year of 2017 and this is my ninth newsletter to you. My team and I will continue to produce a newsletter every six months to update you on our works and services.

Parliamentary Duties

I am very happy to report that I had a fruitful and successful Parliament session from 6th March to 6th April 2017. After four years of refurbishment, the main Dewan Rakyat hall was finally completed in time for the March sitting. As for the seating arrangement, I have been given a good visible seat in the middle of the Opposition block. As usual, I diligently attended every Parliamentary sitting, spending an average of 10 hours a day there. I also took part in the historic 3.00 a.m. session when UMNO-BN engineered the debating hours to enable Hadi Awang to speak on the 355 motion. For the last sitting, I delivered key speeches on the Supplementary

Supply (2016) Bill 2017, the Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill 2016 the Self-Employment Social Security Bill 2017, the Tourism Tax Bill 2017, Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017, and the Strategic Trade (Amendment) Bill 2017. A notable change for me personally is the fact that in the last sitting, I gained some goodwill and respect from several senior BN Members of Parliament (MPs) from Sabah and Sarawak. As I mature as a Parliamentarian, I am learning the importance of setting aside political animosity when in Parliament. I have taken a new approach of openly sharing points and positions on these bills with any MP who truly cares about public policy making. This is personally very fulfilling for me. I have been extremely pessimistic in the last three years about the lethargic lawmaking process in Malaysia. I want to see a Parliament that treats these bills with respect, to be logically and vigorously debated; not just blind rubber-stamping of

2


legislations. Meeting MPs from both sides who care enough to put some effort into the bills gives me hope that all is not lost in our beloved nation.

However, there is one clear narrative emerging from this current slew of bills: the federal government is facing a massive cash-flow crunch. This austerity is forcing all ministries to pursue deep cuts. This austerity has also seen a more aggressive tax-collection campaign. This cash-flow crunch can actually be averted if the Government focuses on combating corruption and wastage, something that will never happen as long as MO1 is in charge.

Economic Issues

The state of the Malaysian economy in Q1 2017 is good compared to YOY 2016. The Ringgit has settled from plunging further down; however, it has yet to show any signs of real recovery. Capital spending has picked up robustly. On the negative side, inflation has also gone up. The overall big macro data is encouraging but analysts are divided if these good numbers in Q1 are

sustainable into Q2 and Q3. As such, we can only make a better call sometime in September 2017 when the Q2 numbers are published. The accepted wisdom is that the macro numbers will take about six months to a year before they are felt by the people on the ground. While the macro numbers are rosy, things on the ground are still grim. We all have had a quiet CNY and an equally quiet Hari Raya. Shops and restaurants in our office neighbourhood have closed in the first six months of the year, despite having a spanking new LRT station in the immediate vicinity. Even no-frills mamak shops are complaining of a 10% drop in customers and a 10% increase in operational costs.

On the national front, the 1MDB scandal continues to haunt MO1 and his wife with the latest DoJ report. This haunting in fact hurts our overall economy as the rest of the world now sees the country as being completely paralysed by corruption and impunity. As long as the authorities continue to be in denial and refuse to take action on 1MDB, we can expect the international community to continue

3


to shun us. This is clearly evidenced by the continued sell-down of Malaysian government bonds by foreign institutions in Q1, from 35% holdings to 25%. The big hope of mega Chinese investments to pump prime the Malaysian economy in 2017 seems to have deflated somewhat. The TRX land project saw a very public termination of terms with a Chinese GLC. The imposition of capital controls by China on its own companies has also severely dampened the Chinese-led housing projects in Johor. The only bright spot seems to be the signing of the Geely-Proton deal, but on closer inspection, it is clear now that Proton was basically gifted to Geely, and Geely now has the enormous task of reviving the fortunes of Proton. Political Issues

The biggest issue to dominate the domestic political scene in the last six months continues to be Hadi Awang’s so-called “hudud bill.” The bill was read and partly debated by Hadi Awang with the support of BN on 6th

April 2017. This event basically sealed the growing friendship and trust between Hadi Awang and Najib Razak. In April, BN seemed almost ready to call for a snap election in September 2017, secured by a three-cornered fight scenario. However, that mood has somewhat changed with uncertainties on political support levels in the last two months. INVOKE Malaysia has consistently published surveys to show that even in a three-cornered scenario, there is no clear winner for GE14. INVOKE also noted the dwindling support levels for PAS. In an April survey conducted on FELDA areas, INVOKE showed that UMNO is also losing support in its “fixed deposit” seats. Coupled with a public quarrel at FGV, Najib is now not likely to call a snap election in September 2017. The smart money is now on a March 2018 election. On a personal front, my office continues to be very supportive of the efforts of INVOKE and urge all to join and support them. INVOKE is a non-partisan political volunteerism movement. Please do visit their site at www.invokemalaysia.org and get involved.

4


Community Front

In the first six months of this year, I attended 67 community programmes. I want to thank both my ADUNs, YB Hannah Yeoh and YB Nik Nazmi, all the councilors, JKP members, and community leaders for their hard work and enthusiasm in organising programmes in Kelana Jaya. My office is unfortunately currently embroiled in a quarrel with the Selangor government on an audit that was supposedly conducted on my office spending in March 2016. My office only received the report in February 2017, eleven months later. We objected to both the process of the audit , which we deem was done without due process, as well as the findings, which we refuted as baseless. The Selangor government then proceeded to stonewall my office for three-and-a-half months, despite my office issuing four letters to them. Having given them a final 14-day notice to reply to my letters (which the Selangor government yet again failed to respond to), we then disclosed via Facebook our objections to the audit.

After the disclosure, we finally got a response: the Selangor government has recently taken steps that have resulted in our inability to continue our Bulan Kebajikan welfare programme for the poor. We will continue to engage the Selangor Government to resolve the matter and keep you updated on developments. We intend to continue the practice of full transparency and accountability in all that we do, including this ongoing issue with the Selangor government. Lastly, I am aware of the many challenges ahead for the 2nd half of 2017. My officers, interns, and I will take these challenges in good stride and deal with them with sincerity and integrity. We will continue to fight for your rights and to push for greater discourse on public policy. In short, we will continue to put in all our efforts to make Malaysia a better and fairer place for all. Yours sincerely,

5


MARCH/APRIL 2017 PARLIAMENTARY SESSIONS UPDATE

GENERAL UPDATES

The March/April 2017 parliamentary session started out well enough—bills were assigned to different MPs to debate on, with Kelana Jaya originally tasked with researching the Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill 2016 and Stamp (Amendment) Bill 2016. While the latter was later withdrawn, YB Wong Chen went on to deliver a key speech on the former, and participated in debates on other bills, including the Supplementary Supply (2016) Bill 2017.

Most notable for this sitting was the Sexual Offences against Children Bill 2017, a long overdue law that promises to protect children from sexual predators; for the first time in a long while, politicians from both sides of the divide united to support the passing of the bill.

However, as the session winded down to its final days, parliamentarians suddenly found themselves bombarded with nine bills, bringing an astounding total of 12 bills to be debated within the last two days of Parliament. The second-last day of the session dragged on to 5.00 a.m. in order to accommodate the RUU 355 motion, a new record for the Dewan Rakyat. Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, it did not end there. On the final day of the Parliament, bleary-eyed MPs were confronted with the motion to debate the amendments to RUU 355, implying that the slew of laws earlier was merely tabled to exhaust MPs into submission.

So is this how democracy ends, not with a bang but with a whimper?

6


THE RUU 355 “DEBATE”

“Tak berani! Tak berani!”

“Takut! Takut!”

“Kuasa disalahgunakan!”

“Dewan Rakyat apa macam ini?! Apa ini?! Memang hari PAS dengan UMNO je lah hari ini! Islam ke macam ni?! Tak beri kita berhujah?!”

These shouts from outraged Opposition MPs marked the end of the March/April 2017 parliamentary sitting. Having stated that he “[didn’t] want to be a bloody fool,” Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin used his power as Speaker to defer debate on Hadi Awang’s

Hadi Awang’s contentious Private Member’s Bill , aka RUU 355, to the next sitting.

After Hadi tabled RUU355 at noon, Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS) was allowed to speak for 1.5 hours. He extolled the virtues of the proposed bill and paused only for interjections from UMNO MPs supporting his speech.

In reply to PAS, Pakatan Harapan MPs had coordinated for Rafizi Ramli (PKR) to speak first , then Mujahid Yusof Rawa (AMANAH) and Gobind Singh Deo (DAP).

But there was no such debate; only shouts of outrage.

“I cannot express in words how unfair the whole proceeding was. If UMNO and PAS are so adamant that this 355 is good for the country, why are they so afraid to even debate us?”—YB Wong Chen

7


COMMUN ITY PROJECTS AND UPDATESIN AND ABOUT KELANA JAYA

THE SS19 FREE MEDICAL CAMP 2017

The office had its annual free medical camp on the 5th of March 2017, a little earlier than usual, and this time, it was at the SS19 low-cost flats.

The camp, organised in collaboration with Medical Outreach PJ and YB Hannah Yeoh’s office, provided free medical consultations and medication to the urban poor of Subang Jaya.

Thanks to our cooperative, efficient volunteers, the camp served 142 residents, most of whom were children. A shout out of appreciation to Medical Outreach PJ, the doctors, the pharmacists, the medical volunteers, P104 and N31 staff and volunteers as well as the SS19/7A Rukun Tetangga for your hard work!

8


JUNE 2017 WELFARE MONTH

As per custom, our office ran our welfare programme in June 2017 to provide financial assistance to the hardcore poor of Kelana Jaya. Last year, 792 applicants came through our doors, most of whom reside in Desa Mentari, Kg. Lindungan, and Desaria.

Unfortunately, due to unavoidable circumstances, our office was forced to suspend the programme this year.

As of the suspension date, we completed interviews of 361 applications. The breakdown of the data is as below.

Breakdown of applications according to category

Medical(25.21%)

Others(20.22%)

Elderly(13.85%)

Single parents(20.78%)

OKU(19.94%)

9


OFFICE EVENTS AND UPDATESOF PUSAT KHIDMAT PARLIMEN KELANA JAYA

INVOKE: KELANA JAYA PHONE BANKING SESSIONS

Every Thursday evening, the office runs a phone banking session in collaboration with INVOKE Malaysia. With the help from our enthusiastic volunteers, the sessions aim to recruit more volunteers for INVOKE and

encourage people to vote in the next general election.

To all our volunteers, you are beyond inspiring. Thank you for reminding us that there is good worth fighting for.

10


“WONDER WOMAN” MOVIE FUNDRAISER

For P104, it is tradition to hold two movie fundraisers a year, all in the name of keeping our service centre in continuous operation. To appease our inner comic book enthusiast, we chose to watch “Wonder Woman” on the 2nd of June 2017 at Golden Screen Cinemas, 1 Utama.

As with every fundraiser, the support we received was incredible beyond words, culminating in a total of RM19,700 raised from the ticket sales and donations. 98 seats were also allocated for the underprivileged, most

of whom have never had a real cinema experience, with the help of two nonprofit organisations, Malaysian Care and Community Transformation Initiative. Each and every one of these seats were sponsored by our kind-hearted supporters.

We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to everyone who helped us make our fundraiser a success. Your unwavering support humbles us and we promise to continue to serve the nation to the best of our abilities.

11


THE INTERNSOF PUSAT KHIDMAT PARLIMEN KELANA JAYA

SEAN TAN

My time as an intern with YB Wong Chen was insightful and meaningful. It was a very interesting experience being able to observe and be involved in the work of a parliamentarian. I was able to see first-hand and be involved in the process of drafting policy as well as scrutinise laws tabled by the government.

Aside from learning about how an MP is involved in the process of national politics, it was also eye-opening to see how an MP can positively impact everyday lives of ordinary people in his constituency through various welfare programs aimed at supporting the urban poor. While I was there the office was involved in raising funds for individuals in need, and collecting donated computers for Sister Stella which she needed for teaching children in her community.

MEGAN KWAI

I vividly remembered my first day as an intern - it was in Parliament.

I was nearly late and I had a Milo stain on my pristine white blouse. Everything was a blur. All I remembered was being so taken-aback at seeing a herd of Bambi’s just chilling within the compounds of Parliament. It was at the same time perplexing and astonishing. But the fun did not stop there; my internship experience was indeed a colourful one! I got to cosplay, show off my amateurish dancing moves on Facebook Live, and catch a chicken.

Besides all the fun and games, this internship was really valuable to me for it did impact me in ways I never thought possible. The journey that everyone takes here is itself … magical.

MELISSA DARSHIN I

The experience I have gained from my time with Wong Chen’s office has been nothing short of an invaluable one. I particularly enjoyed serving in the community events that were held. I even got an opportunity to draft a business plan for a community tuition centre in Desa Mentari. In terms of policy, I was able to research on areas of free education and income inequality (if you are ever interested in the idea of free education or even labour rights—I recommend the documentary ‘Where to Invade Next’). The office atmosphere was very warm and welcoming, something I missed the most after I had finished my 3 month internship! All in all, I am grateful for the opportunity to experience and learn new things.

12


JOEL LIM

I first came into P104 in January by accident, but as Master Oogway from ‘Kung Fu Panda’ once said, “There are no accidents”.

I was mostly there to help out with video work and was given the freedom to come up with ideas as well as help out Tania for the Monday Night Chat streams, before it switched to the pre-recorded format. Interning at P104 also helped me see the current state of politics at the highest level. YB Wong Chen is also an easy going person, that’s always willing to answer any questions you may have.

CALVIN TAN

“It’s going to take time.”

“What is?”

“Changing the whole nation, that is,” he said rather cryptically. Why is he telling us this? I thought as I fidgeted in my seat.

“I am telling you this because I changed my way of thinking. I used to treat interns like any other boss—little more than office help. Nowadays I actually try to train them,” he sighed. “Train them in what?” “I told you it’s going to take time. That’s why I am teaching you interns how to think critically—what do you think those policy papers are for? I tell you what it means to be a politician, what the government is doing because I want to change your perspective. The young people are the catalyst for change in this nation, and I put my hope in them. It’s not going to happen overnight and it never will. “No, I am not some starry-eyed idealist. I am just trying to do my part and move on.”

ALYSSA YEO

Wong Chen’s internship program has given me the opportunity to experience a different reality scope that was inaccessible before. It has taken me on a personal tour of the political sphere in Malaysia, and in turn I have amassed great and valuable knowledge to carry with me for the rest of my life.

With the chance to hone my research and policy-writing skills, I was able to produce a paper about an issue I felt strongly about: women’s reproductive rights under the guidance of extremely capable personnel who assumed the role of mentor for the duration of the internship. This immeasurable exposure is certainly a rarity few experience, thus I thank the office for giving me this privilege.

13


DAVID LEONG RETNA

My time at YB Wong Chen's office has been magnificent. Within these two months, I have had the honour of visiting Parliament, meeting the country's leaders, and of course, serving our fellow brothers and sisters of Malaysia in the Kelana Jaya constituency. The brief spell that I enjoyed at the office was definitely one of the best periods in my life, and I owe it all to YB Wong and his staff, Nadirah, Tania and Abigail. Not only have I understood the responsibilities a politician bears, I now am also able to see the education, experience and hardwork that one has to put in or obtain in order to be good one. Thank you for educating me, making me grow in maturity and for allowing me to journey alongside you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything.

ALYSSA CHUA

Interning at YB Wong Chen’s office was the perfect way to end my gap year. From going to parliament to participating in community work around Kelana Jaya, I experienced so much more than I’d anticipated. I was also given the opportunity to write a policy paper on a topic of my choice. After I finally settled on the subject of women participation in Malaysian politics, YB Wong Chen and his staff were helpful every step of the way. Most of all, my time here has given me a greater appreciation for my country and the good people who have sacrificed so much to make it a better place. Thank you for all that you do and for all that you’ve taught me these past two months.

LEE SHIN HUI

My month-long internship at YB Wong Chen’s office was truly rewarding, as I gained not only immense insight into the convoluted world of Malaysian politics but was also able to directly contribute to it. Indeed, days at parliament were by far my favourite- researching bills, attending briefings and even discussing issues with parliamentarians. Meanwhile, days at the office consisted of a plethora of tasks. From visiting constituents and writing letters, to bringing my own sex education policy paper to fruition. Not to mention, the intensely thought-provoking chats Wong Chen has with the interns concerning our social, economic and political milieu.

I could never have chosen a better place to do my first internship and am very thankful to everyone in the office for making it such a fulfilling experience.


Want to learn about the Malaysian Parliamentary process?

Curious to know what your Member of Parliament does?

JOIN US FOR AN INTERNSHIP

Depending on your skill set, you can help us with policy research,

community service, or both.

Please send us your CV and a 500-word letter to

[email protected].

15


THE STAFFOF PUSAT KHIDMAT PARLIMEN KELANA JAYA

ABIGAIL N IMBALKER

Abigail is a graduate from the University of Reading before pursuing her Masters in International Law at the International Islamic University. She first joined the office as a curious intern, before being offered the position of Operations Officer.

As Operations Officer, Abigail has handled various welfare andcitizenship cases. She has also researched on the TPPA and contributed to the Opposition Leader's parliamentary speech on the Child (Amendment) Bill 2015.

Abigail is currently the office’s broadway musical star and interior designer.

NADIRAH SHARIF

Nadirah is a Cardiff University Law School alumna and a graduate of the Malaysian Certificate in Legal Practice. She firstmet YB Wong Chen and his team while volunteering at a medical camp. Intrigued, she joined the office as an intern before accepting the position of Research Officer.

Nadirah conducts legal research on the bills andmotions tabled in Parliament. She also manages the day-to-day administration and finance of Pusat Khidmat P104 Kelana Jaya.

Nadirah is the office’s resident graphic designer and illustrator.

TAN IA LOKE

A Physics and Political Science & International Relations graduate from the University of Western Australia, Tania swamagainst the brain-drain tide to serve Malaysia. She interned with YB Wong Chen in early 2016 before joining them as Research Officer.

Tania was one of the key contributors to the Opposition’s Alternative Budget 2017 and now works closely with INVOKE Malaysia’s Centre for Policy Initiatives.

Beyond desktop research, which she does standing up, Tania is also in charge of photography and videography of the office.

16


FACES AND PLACES:RECENT EVENTS IN PICTURES

From left to right, top to bottom:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Visiting the USJ 7 Ramadhan bazaar with YB Hannah Yeoh’s office.

Celebrating Dato’ Nor Hisham’s retirement as the MPSJ President.

Abigail commiting arson preparing to boil the milk during the PJS 10 Ponggal celebration.

Soaking in the positive energy at Block 3 Desa Mentari’s annual sporting event.

Breaking fast with Subang Jaya community leaders at Masjid Al-Falah USJ 9.

On-site welfare interview with a Desa Mentari resident.

17



7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Officiating the USJ 5 garden community.

Participating in ‘INVOKE: A Guide to Rebuilding Our Nation (Vol. 1)’ policy launch.

P104 interns receiving a pep talk from YB Rafizi Ramli.

At the Chinese New Year Jom Shopping Programme with YB Hannah Yeoh.

Pedal go-karting during the ‘School’s Out, Get Active’ event at Subang Parade.

Facilitating a meeting between the resentatives of the Rachel Siew Suet Li Trust Fund and the

Deputy Minister of Health about funding of the Morquio Syndrome treatment.

18



13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

At the KRT Gabungan Desa Mentari’s Karnival Mega Keselamatan with Dr Fahmi Ngah.

Speaking at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies with Shaun Kua of INVOKE.

At Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s 12th national congress.

A choir performing during the Wesak celebration at the Subang Jaya Buddhist Association.

With the team behind the success of INVOKE’s fundraising dinner on the 15th of April.

Meeting with the Sungai Wey police department with YB Nik Nazmi to discuss safety issues at

Desa Mentari.

19



19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

Joining residents for the Gotong Royong event at Taman Desaria.

INVOKE preparing for Parlimen Rakyat to debate the Amendment to Act 355.

Receiving the Johns Hopkins University delegation at Parliament with YB Dr Ong Kian Ming.

Office mascot Sir Percival the cactus having a photoshoot for Chinese New Year.

Preparing for a special Monday Night Chat with Wong Chen: Episode 14.

Honouring all MPSJ councillors and JKP members’ hard work and celebrating YB Hannah

Yeoh‘s birthday.


WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?

Raise various national issues on your behalf | Represent Kelana Jaya on policies and laws | Update residents on all

national issues

Support application for medical aid and welfare payments | Apply for medical exemptions | Connect with welfare and

medical NGOs

Support applications for blue ICs and issue letters of enquiries | Follow up with

JPN and immigration

Liaise with INVOKE Malaysia, a volunteer- based NGO | Conduct phone banking, canvassing, and other campaign

activities

We serve all residents in the Parliamentary constituency of Kelana Jaya which includes: USJ | PJS 5 - 10 | Taman Glenmarie

Kelana Jaya | SS5, SS7, SS8, and SS9

For enquiries:Email: [email protected]

Tel: 03-5613 7918Address: 113B (2nd floor), Jalan SS14/1 47510, Subang Jaya, Selangor

VOLUNTEERISM

CITIZ

ENSHIP ISSUES

COMMUN ITY IS

SUES

PARLIAMENTARY IS

SUES

Wong Chen Kelana Jaya Constituency Newsletter is published by Pusat Khidmat P104 Kelana Jaya Ahli Parlimen Kelana Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Wong Chen Kelana Jaya Constituency Newsletter is an unregulated product. Information in the newsletter is for general information and is not intended to be relied upon by individual readers in making or not making specific personal, business, and/or investment decisions. Should you wish to cite, reproduce or adapt any content in any manner, please seek our prior written permission.

Enquiries:

Email: [email protected]: 03-5613 7918

Fax: 03-5613 7919Address: 113B (2nd floor),

Jalan SS14/1, 47510 Subang Jaya,Selangor, Malaysia

Wong ChenKelana Jaya

Newsletter #8: July 2017Editor: Wong Chen

Contributors: Nadirah Sharif,Tania Loke, Koh Wyhow

Front cover and staff pictures: Joel Lim

Documents

CONSTITUENCY NEWSLETTER - Wong Chen · the continued sell-down of Malaysian government bonds by foreign institutions in Q1, from 35% holdings to 25%. The big hope of mega Chinese