DATELINE MBPJ HEADQUARTERS, PETALING JAYA:
SWORN IN AT LAST! Sworn in at last! Sworn in at last!
This probably is also sweet music to the ears of many of YOU out there who have been anxiously waiting - and watching - to see take place at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) since the whole of last week - as far as local councillors are concerned.
Well that vision finally came to pass this afternoon at approximately 3 O'clock.
Dato Roslan bin Sakiman, Mayor of MBPJ, launched the ceremony by first observing the vow himself - a formal bit of speech that took only a minute to read.
Then, the rest of the 24-councillors in the house, followed suit.
Everyone was present this time unlike in the previous two swearing-in ceremonies after Pakatan took over Selangor.
In our first installment two years ago, Michael Soon was absent as he was overseas.
Last year, councillors were sworn-in at various stages.
Yours Truly in that horrid year was sworn in a month later after there reportedly was some hesitancy by some quarters over my reinstatement.
That ugly situation fortunately turned out to be not so bad after all when I was sworn in eventually.
As it turned out, I was the only councillor who had a private swearing-in ceremony in the Datuk Bandar's office that was witnessed by a dozen or more councillors.
The swearing-in session today took about 40 minutes in length.
Although it was kind of a ho-hum affair sitting through a ceremony where each one of us had to walk over to the podium in front of the mayor and read our bit, before signing it afterwards, the significance of what was happening kept us together.
I was sworn in at approximately 3.35pm. In my case, I didn't need to move anywhere as everything was brought towards me.
I was blessed with the privilege of shaking the hands and greeting each councillor immediately after their respective swearing-ins. This was because I was seated next to the entrance to the podium where everyone had to pass by me to get to it and back to their seats.
Unlike in my first experience two years ago, this time on my third year, I knew exactly what to expect. I also knew full-well what a councillor has in store for him/her, too.
There are five new faces in the new team. They all seemed pretty friendly and eager to get on with their tasks.
However, I couldn't help feeling a little concerned for them.
I recall my very first year in the council. There was a lot of learning and feeling my way around first to do before I was able to do my job effectively.
And it didn't take until a good 12-months before I fully got the hang of things.
And I guess, this will be the same for all the new boys too. As a more senior councillor, I would be more than happy to help them out as would my other colleagues, I'm sure.
I must, however, express my total surprise by one of our state assemblyman's recent remark in the newspapers calling to limit the term of councillors.
His argument was apparently so that more people from the "grassroots" can have a chance to be councillors.
Was the good Adun serious?
A suggestion like that makes me question if he does at all understand what we as local councillors have to go through in order to do our jobs effectively.
I frankly can think of nothing worse or disastrous than treating the councillors' post like a musical chair.
God forbid should anyone treat it as if it was like a joy ride of some sort in a circus or an airplane!
As former MBPJ councillor Michael Soon commented in his blog, it's not about quantity BUT ALL ABOUT QUALITY.
Speaking of Mike by the way, he had my highest respect for turning up at today's event even though his name was "dropped" from the list.
Mike was a great sport, blending in perfectly with all of us and rekindling the great feeling of old times.
At our table after the proceedings, Datuk Roslan confirmed that there would be a proper farewell for all the ex councillors whose contributions the mayor valued. This will be conducted by MBPJ before the fasting month.
But the afternoon wasn't without controversy. There was also even a mystery.
At the table, the councillors regretted that a woman councillor who had apparently turned down the post at the last minute had not been replaced by another woman in view of gender sensitivity.
As for the mystery factor, the removal of a councillor who represented Parti Socialist Malaysia (PSM) left a big gap as to the party's legitimate equal representation in the council.
Before I left the MBPJ headquarters, I made a quick dash to the office of Sharipah Marhaini, the head of planning in MBPJ.
As a key player and partner with me to the changes that have happened for the disabled in Petaling Jaya since 2008, we quickly set up a meeting on Tuesday.
Our focus: to chart the way forward for the handicapped and the elderly in the next one-and-the-half years.
For more news, keep it right here guys!
aNt's aNgle
PET+BLOGSPOT
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