OPEN LETTER: Why political parties eventually fail

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OPEN LETTER TO THE SELANGOR STATE GOVERNMENT: Have I Become Your Enemy for Telling You the State Is Dirty?

Please share this with your colleagues in Selangor especially those who choose to bask in the limelight than knowing the real issues on the ground

It seems that in speaking the truth, I have crossed an invisible line. By pointing out the dirt, I have become your enemy. Not because I contest against you, not because I am a politician, but simply because I dared to say what many on the ground already see and feel.

1. Silencing Voices Instead of Listening

Character assassination happens, even those of us outside the political arena face it for raising concerns. Instead of acknowledging the realities on the ground, you choose to silence complaints. You would rather not hear the truth than confront how people perceive your performance as a state government.

2. Blocking Criticism, Ignoring Experience

Rather than engaging with constructive criticism, you block those who speak up. Even newly-elected representatives block my number, preferring not to hear complaints and solving them, than be given credit for it. 

This is especially disheartening when the voices you dismiss come from individuals with decades of activism—people who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with your party, helping it achieve what seemed impossible in its early years.

3. Forgetting the Struggles That Built Your Leaders

As a new batch of leaders, you seem to have forgotten the struggles of those who came before. The survival of your party was not achieved in isolation—it was carried by the support of ordinary people who believed in change and reforms. Without that foundation, you would not be where you are today. I am speaking on behalf of many activists who are now withdrawing their support for the PH government in Selangor, not because they do not get contracts but they are fed up with the poor performance of state leaders.

For you, moving up the political ladder is through two simple formula: make yourself popular within your party and carry out apple polishing instead of serving the people.

You have either lost your vision when you first joined politics, or you came into politics with a different motive — to enhance your status in society, bearing titles such as Datuk or Datuk Seri that others are more deserving of.

4. Losing the Spirit of Reform

Even as you inherit positions vacated by your predecessors, the enthusiasm for reform has faded. After years in power, Pakatan Harapan in Selangor has shifted into something unrecognisable—what many now call “BN 2.0.” The ideals that once inspired hope have been replaced by complacency.

5. Career Over Service

Your focus now seems less on serving the people and more on polishing your image. You climb the ladder of your career by surrounding yourself with voices that echo only praise. You ask others to speak well of you, and in doing so, you rise higher—but not with the people’s interests at heart. This is a sad state of Selangor that I see. The younger people who are more capable are not given the chance to rise, only those who are able to feed to your ego.

Closing Reflection

It makes me wonder if I have become your enemy simply because I am highlighting issues on the ground. The truth is uncomfortable, but it is necessary. If you continue to block, dismiss, and silence those who care enough to speak, you will not only lose the trust of the people—you will lose the very spirit of reform that once defined you.

For thr rest of my friends in Selangor, this much I have to say: Selangor is what we have all hoped it to become as in the case of Penang under the same coalition but is better run. Its first term as a state government, the state exco members were more service-oriented. I have often told the story of how the late Jeff Lee, managing director of Panasonic telling me, “For the first time, I had two state excos visiting my office!” 

The duo whom Lee was referring to were Elizabeth Wong and Teresa Kok. My response to Lee was: “Well, we voted for them. See what change they bring to the state government.” 

Many of these former leaders are now at the federal level, and the second and third echelon of leaders since Azmin Ali appear to have lost the determination to transform Selangor. 

Instead, the state continues to be one of the dirtiest states in the country despite the Sultan’s recent disappointments over the state of the state. 

These two blog posts show how some places continue to be dumping grounds despite ‘measures’ promised by Selangor State Exco, Ng Suee Lim.  

Rawang Integrated Industrial Estate

• Before Sultan’s reprimand: click here to view pictures 
• After Sultan’s reprimand: click here to view pictures

Wangsa Permai Phase Two

• Before Sultan’s reprimand: click here to view pictures. More pictures here and here.
• After Sultan’s reprimand: click here to view pictures. 

One thing in common between these two places is the local council: Majlis Perbandaran Selayang.

• One-way streets that created a mess: click  to view despite repeated calls. See here and here
• Problematic humps and Jalan Sehala 

In fact, it is already known to many except our state politicians that I have been monitoring MPS, DBKL and MBPJ (previously MPPJ) for nearly 30 years. 

MPPJ (now MBPJ) was still the best of the lot. Even DBKL has shown improvement but generally MPS, except for its landscape and of late its engineering department is improving.

My blog Surat Terbuka Kepada Menteri Besar Selangor was created initially to prove to the state leaders including members of parliament and state assemblymen that MPS needs an overhaul. 

I had to re-open the blog once again because of a failed effort to engage with the new YDP to resolve a simple issue with two problematic humps. 

Instead of only highlighting the failure of the local government, I found that even the state government, including its state exco was disengaged with the people of Selangor. When one of the DAP party leader arranged for two persons to meet me, only the State Assemblyman of Subang Jaya Michelle Ng met me; the state exco in charge of local government refused to come to the ground. 

The state leaders, our members of parliament and state assemblymen in my constituency failed to intervene with MPS’s failures to address the local issues. I fear for Selangor’s performance in the coming state election, as its most recent election nearly three years ago, Pakatan Harapan had lost its two-thirds majority under current Menteri Besar and state exco. 

This explains what we see today in the state of Selangor. What Harapan president and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should do is to replace the top echelon of leaders and replace with better and younger leaders in the waiting but, sadly, there are not many good state assemblymen who can lead the state for now. I hope the coalition will select only good candidates who are genuinely serving the people to contest in the coming state election is two years’ time, instead of putting the same old people on the pedestal.