This was how it was in the past...
WHEN people think of the word 'minister,' they often envision a VIP being chauffeured in a convoy of police outriders and other official vehicles.
This was in the past. But ever since, ministers are no longer entitled to police outriders.
Correct Meaning
Truth is, the word 'minister' originates from the Greek word, 'δουλος’. In short, a minister is a 'servant.'
Hence, to minister to a sick person means to serve and look after her, according to her needs until she is fully recovered and well again.
There is no room for ministers to be aloof, or refusing to respond to the ordinary citizens. During the last Pakatan Harapan 22-month stint, this was the type of complaints I heard against certain ministers.
These people forget that it is the people who placed them there; once elected, they become arrogant, thinking that their success is because of their own abilities.
Two Types of Characters
In dealing with ministers, there are basically two types of characters that I have come across. I will use examples of people in the past as illustrations:
(a) Humble, and people-friendly. I can name a number of them. The late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub is an example of this. When an issue is brought to his attention, he would take it up to solve it.
Another such person is Dr Fong Chan Onn. Although retired, when I sent him an email to help a religious organisation with hefty summons for failing to pay SOCSO for its staff, without hesitation, Dr Fong replied to say he would bring the matter up with then Minister of Human Resources, Datuk Sri Richard Riot anak Jaem. The matter was solved within just two weeks.
Former Minister of Works Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof was informed about the problems of a junction faced by residents in Subang Jaya.
Surprisingly, Fadillah asked for the phone number of DAP state assemblyman, Michelle Ng. It was probably a Sunday night, when the Subang Jaya lawmaker from the 'Opposition' received a phone call from a full-fledged minister from the government side on how to solve the problem. To me, this is the most noble thing undertaken by a government minister. Read this blogpost this blogpost.
Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, former Minister of Foreign Affairs must also be credited in this case. He assisted in bringing home a mother-and son who were banned from leaving China.
(b) The aloof, `I don't know you' characters. Contrary to Anifah, I also informed Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, the Foreign Minister during the 22-month stint of Pakatan Harapan under then Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
By then, I had known Saifuddin for at least 4-5 years, having invited him as a guest-of-honour for a function when he was still deputy minister of higher education. Back then, he was nobody in the cabinet, but his WhatsApp responses were quite fast.
But sadly, when being made a full minister, he changed. While trying to help a friend's sister whose husband, a carpenter from Penang who died in Thailand, I sent Saifuddin a number of messages urging him to help with the case. Two of the deceased sons were already in Bangkok, and found themselves helpless, while trying to repatriate their father's body back to Malaysia.
I also told Saifuddin that I had tried to make numerous calls to the Malaysian High Commission's office in Bangkok but no one picked up the call. Instead of assisting with the case, Saifuddin just played dumb and ignored my plea. Saifuddin is such a contrast to Anifah.
It was only later that I realised the Indera Kota MP was more interested in the transition of power, with him being part of the Sheraton Move.
Current Cabinet
I can go on to talk about the current cabinet ministers, some who are there not to serve the people, but after their own agenda.
One day, I shall write about it one by one but for now, I hope they realise their role as ministers is to solve people's problems. They should know who they are.
While I can understand that they cannot respond to everyone's complaint, at the very least, when problem is brought to their attention, they should not do the TP swing (a new term coined for golf) and ignore the complaint.
When the problem is not solved, it eventually becomes a sore point for the people against the Madani government. Regardless of their party positions, such ministers should not be allowed to continue on when there is a reshuffling of the cabinet.
With the number of people reporting to these ministers, all paid for by our taxpayers' money, there is no reason why as ministers, they cannot instruct their assistants or special officers to look into the complaints.
A Wonderful Example to Emulate
In a number of other countries, the trend is moving towards a more caring brand of politicians. There are enough examples of politicians well-liked by the people who show that they are servants (ministers) of the people.
I want to end by quoting the example of former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah whom I still admire to this very day.
On one occasion, when former minister of education, Dr Maszlee Malik continued to ignore complaints raised to his attention about issues faced by school children, I had no choice but to write to Kak Wan. Note: the problems had been raised with the Director-General of Education and a meeting was also held with then deputy minister, Teo Nie Ching but the problem persisted.
Instead of responding to my email, Kak Wan instructed her special officer to contact me, who managed to solve the problem that Maszlee did not bother to solve on behalf of the complainants.
On a second occasion, when Anwar became the Prime Minister and Kak Wan disappeared into the background, I sent her a message about a retired couple whose income was badly affected by the Covid pandemic. The couple was after all living within her constituency.
They did not have much in their EPF, but throughout their entire life, after leaving a life of drug addiction, they worked on other drug addicts to kick the habit. The husband died of cancer.
Although there was silence, I was pleasantly surprised that Kak Wan forwarded me a brief report about the case. She did not have to say a word but shortly after, with the help of her special officer, the case was solved, and the surviving widow has since been receiving her subsistence of RM350 every month from the Department of Social Welfare.
This is a beautiful example of what a good minister is like, compared to those who are aloof. If ministers are unable to solve the problems faced by the people, they might as well not be given the privilege to lead an entire ministry. Period.
Also read this: https://come-to-senses.blogspot.com/2024/07/positive-or-negative-reports.html
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