Wee: I’m not about being popular

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Mayor to restructure Council, introduces people-centric policies

 

Wee wants Kuching South City Council to be more people-centric.

THE mayor’s office on the fourth floor of Kuching South City Council (MBKS) building at Jalan Padungan looks newly-renovated – and so it should be with a new man at the helm.

It has been about three months since Dato Wee Hong Seng was appointed to the post and we had set up an interview to gain some insight into his plans for the council and the city.

As we waited for him at the rather unassuming visitors’ lounge area near his secretaries, we noticed a map of Old Kuching on the wall and while studying it, we recognised many landmarks like the Padang Sentral, the Central Police Station, the General Post Office, and the Kuching Division Mosque depicted on the sepia canvass.

We also saw old buildings that were no longer there such as Sylvia Cinema (now Yayasan Sarawak building at Jalan Masjid), and the row of shops that once housed the famous Supersonic Restaurant next to the police station.

And the more we stared at it, the more it dawned upon us that we might just be the last generation who had seen the Kuching Waterfront back when it was still a riverbank lined with wooden jetties and huts selling kopra (dried coconuts), rubber and, depending on the season, piles of rambutan, langsat and durian.

“Hello, there. Could you wait for five minutes,” the mayor’s voice suddenly rang out as he stepped out of his office to greet us. I have one urgent thing that I need to attend to.”

We were his last appointment for the day and it was already half an hour past the appointed time (4 pm) but we assured the mayor we were in no rush as he attended to an elderly Chinese man who did not have an appointment.

The man and Wee spoke in Hokkien and based on the few words that we caught such as water, house, in front, behind, years and land, we deduced the man was complaining about some drainage problem which has been affecting his house for years. He then took out a flash-drive and gave it to the mayor’s assistant, who then connected it to the USB slot of her desktop.

The conversation continued but by then the man was more animated and he had some photos to help explain his complaint to the mayor.

“Usually, I receive them – we would find out (what their problems are), then we do our best to help, or at least explain if we’re unable to find solutions,” said Wee as he led us into his office.

Wee helps out during a clean-up exercise at Taman Riverview in Bintawak.

Serving the people

We then asked if he thought it was impractical to meet people without an appointment or attend to just one person with individual problems when there were many others, possibly from the same neighbourhood, who had been struggling with different issues.

“Why not,” he answered as he poured coffee and served us.

“You’re the people’s mayor, not the other way around. After all, he (the Chinese man who came earlier) was prepared – he had everything inside that flash-drive.

“When people come to you to complain about something, they really want you to listen. They may have been experiencing such problems for many years, but nobody listens.”

Wee said it was not unusual for his assistant to notify him suddenly that someone had gone to the office to see him.

“Imagine that person coming to see you but couldn’t and had to go home disappointed. For me, if they’re here, then go and see them ‘lah’ – it wouldn’t take too long, just five to 10 minutes.

“Who are we to judge who is important and who is not? When you’re in a position of authority, and people want to throw (their grievances) at you, then let them ‘lah’.

“Bad or good, they’re from your (MBKS) areas. People would not just come to see you and take pictures. They must have some problems they need to voice out.”

Wee also believed these impromptu meetings indicated whether or not MBKS was effective in carrying out its services.

“So now we are coming up with a guideline whereby we must dispose of all documentation (regarding response to grievances/complaints) within 30 days. Of course, this still needs some fine-tuning.”

Wee hosts the Hokkien Chinese New Year celebration at his residence every year.

Focus on restructuring

Wee, 57, was sworn in as Kuching South Mayor on Sept 3 this year, taking over from Datuk James Chan who took office on June 4, 2008.

Wee was previously one of nine commission members of Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), a post he held for about seven years.

Besides, he has been the chairman of India Street Pedestrian Mall Committee for the past 15 years and very active in the tourism industry on top of that, having served as the Sarawak Tourism Federation president and BIMP-EAGA Equator Asia head of the Malaysia chapter.

With such credentials, it wouldn’t have been any surprise to see him become the Mayor of Kuching South although his reaction to this was a sinccint “not exactly.”

“Even with me coming from DBKU, here in MBKS is a totally different environment. Previously, I was just an advisor. Now, as a mayor, I make the call.”

His first call upon entering MBKS was to look at restructuring. In this respect, Wee acknowledged everybody had his or her style of doing things and with things being how they had been for many years, he understood the need for adjustments not just for the council but him as well.

“Suddenly, you come in and you see why are there so many things you need. Does that mean somebody’s not doing well? No, that’s totally different.”

Wee said where his mayorship was concerned, he had inherited ‘the good and the bad’.

“The way to do this is for us to have a new management – those technical or professional resources that we lack must be filled. I’m not here to rock the boat. I want to see things moving in the right direction.

“It has nothing to do with popularity. If you can do the right thing and you’re popular, that’s good, but there are times when you become unpopular because you are doing the right thing.”

He pointed out that he needed to let people “see and absorb the effect” of what was being implemented.

Wee joining Kuching swimmers after the prize-giving ceremony for the Tan Sri Dr Wong Soon Kai Inter-Club 2019 Championships in Sibu.

People-centric aspiration

One of the focus areas is staff overtime on weekends.

The mayor has observed ‘what is good and not good about it’.

“We mustn’t look at it as money being spent but rather as a situation where our staff don’t have enough time for their families, relaxation, or socialising. Why must they work during weekends? If it’s due to insufficient staff, by all means, engage more.

“Some people talk about integrity, some talk about professionalism. As far as I’m concerned, you claim what you should claim. Everybody has that entitlement on the basis of his or her contribution. This is not financial control. I want my staff to have rest and more time for their families – even for  themselves. We want to be more people-centric,” he explained.

On plans for the council going forward, Wee stressed the delivery of services the people were entitled to.

“We’re the third-tier government, the frontliners. We must not only serve the people, but also ensure the taxpayers’ money is spent well.

“My mayorship is for a two-year term. The question of whether I would continue to serve after that is not on my list. Let me do something with these two years. If for just two years, then two years ‘lah’ – you shouldn’t be talking about five years when you may not even reach there,” he said.