By Ashwin Kumar
HEADING the Selangor Environment, Green Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Consumer Affairs Committee portfolio, Hee Loy Sian is the incumbent Selangor State Legislative Assemblyman for Kajang.
He was among the seven new faces in the state legislative line-up following the last General Election.
Post elections, Hee vowed that he would take on two main issues in Kajang, the flood problem and traffic congestion.
Selangor Journal (SJ): What is the main industry in your constituency?
Hee Loy Sian (HLS): Kajang is a learning and education hub. We have established educational institutions here, namely Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, University of Kuala Lumpur, Tunku Abdul Rahman University, Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur and Open University. These higher education institutes open up opportunities for the locals to contribute to the economy via the F&B industry. We have a total of 70,000 voters in Kajang and it is the third biggest constituency in Selangor. I also see the potential for Kajang to grow as a residential hub, considering the availability of land there.
SJ: What are some of the concerns that are regularly raised by your constituents and how do you plan to address them?
HLS: The people in my constituency always raise issues concerning traffic and odour pollution. With regards to traffic, the roads are particularly congested during the morning and evening rush hours. I also always come across complaints relating to odour pollution by residents living near rubber plantations. This happens when errant factory owners dump their industrial waste near the residential areas. I am trying my best to solve these issues in Kajang.
SJ: What is the main attraction in your constituency?
HLS: I would say Kajang’s main attractions are Bandar Mahkota Cheras and Kajang Old Town. The Kajang Old Town is where most of the pre-war shophouses and historical buildings are located. Of course, Kajang is famous for its satay but my constituency has more to offer than satay. Foods such as spicy pepper soup and Hong Kong-style chee cheong fun are also famous here. One of our landmarks is Kajang Stadium and Kajang Jamek Mosque, which were built in the 1970s. Apart from being home to three MRT1 stations (Sungai Jernih, Stadium Kajang and Kajang), Kajang is also linked to several highways such as the Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK), the Kajang-Seremban Highway (LEKAS) and the North-South Expressway.
SJ: What are some of your achievements in the constituency?
HLS: Previously, the people in Kajang were frustrated by flash floods that happened frequently, particularly those which resulted in material and financial losses. The floods sparked fear among the local folk. The roads in Kajang, especially in Sungai Long and Bandar Mahkota Cheras, were not planned well before they were built. They are too narrow and this caused the floods. But my councillors and I worked very hard to overcome this. It was a challenging period for me and my team. I also realised that people in Kajang are slowly adapting to using public transportation. This was one of my biggest challenges too, educating the people on the benefits of using public transport.
SJ: Can you share with us some of your problem-solving methods?
HLS: According to my schedule, I will normally meet my voters every Wednesday from 8pm to 10pm at our headquarters. However, the days of strictly following the schedule are gone because I now make sure that I help my voters whenever the need arises. Some of them will Whatsapp me directly and some would want to meet me via appointments. At the end of the day, they voted for me and I am answerable to them at all times.
