Steven Sim

This Saturday, 24 May 08, I’ll be accompanying Chong Eng, Lydia, Michael Tan and the Yang Dipertua of Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai (with his guys) to tour the public markets in Bkt. Mertajam. We’ll start from Berapit Market at 8 a.m. Most of the market facilities were not well-maintained nor well-managed.

Take for example the Kg. Baru Market; all these years it was built, there were no thorough cleanup of its drainage and sewage system. Due to years of builtup of clogging, the meat market was flooded with water earlier this month. And the water flowed out from the sewage on the road. The stench was unbearable.

I got a call on 30 April, so I went to the market on 1st of May taking advantage of the public holidays that I don’t have to go to my office. I straight away called to the contractor to send their workers to clean up the drainage system so that the water can flow again. And I was glad it was done in matters of a few hours. I went back to check late that night and was satisfied that the water resided…

But the next day, folks from the market called me again and complained that the problem was reoccuring. I was in Office in KOMTAR, so I called the contractor and local council to look into it. Problem solved again that day, but by the evening, another call…

I decided that it was enough. On that Saturday, a team of us, including Chong Eng went down to the market. We demanded immediate and a thorough action to solve the sewage issue. They brought in the water tank, they brought in the sewage folks, they brought in a team of staff and it was hell of a cleaning that day, massive cleanup of solid waste accumulated in the drainage and sewage system for the many years the market was there. We gave warning to the contractors to do their jobs diligently or face the music.

It was a happy ending for the Kg. Baru Market. I mean, there are still a few jobs to be done here and there, but their main problems were solved within three days.

Now to the other markets. We are not superheroes, but we’ll deliver our promises to the Rakyat…

JR has to fetch my parents and sister to the airport on Saturday because I will be working throughout the day…They’ll be flying to Taiwan for a week. I can’t send them off, but they fully understood my situation. I am not a superhero, but I’ve got a commission.