By Sherilyn Pang
BUKIT Lanjan is the third largest constituency in the country, spanning across areas such as Bandar Sri Damansara, Kepong, Sungai Buloh and Selayang. With a population of 300,000 residents and some 70,000 voters, its state assemblyman since 2008, Elizabeth Wong, aims to build an empowered population and at the same time, help residents achieve better living standards.
Selangor Journal (SJ): What is the main industry in your constituency?
Elizabeth Wong (EW): Bukit Lanjan’s main industries are the manufacturing and services sectors. The manufacturing activities are heavily focused in the Kepong Industrial Park (KIP) and in Desa Aman, Sungai Buloh, both of which are export-reliant. Whereas, the service industry comprises commercial and retail businesses around Bandar Sri Damansara and Kepong that continue to drive the economy of the area, thus contributing extensively to the state’s gross domestic product.
SJ: What is the main attraction in your area?
EW: Bukit Lanjan is known as a shopping haven with the presence of the Ikano Power Centre, Ikea and The Curve. Before the redelineation in 2018, One Utama shopping mall was under Bukit Lanjan, but now no longer. However, the bustling shopping activities of the nearby area still brings excitement to Bukit Lanjan. Additionally, modern apartments and residences fill the area and are popular among the working-class community.
Areas like Damansara Perdana bring a youthful and energetic crowd to the area. Today, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is also under my constituency. It has huge tourism potential and since I have a good working relationship with FRIM, I hope we can work on making FRIM an attraction for greater recreational activities as well as a tourist product.
SJ: What are the concerns raised by your constituents and how do you address them?
EW: Concerns vary from drainage issues and floods, to people who need help in terms of welfare aid. While on the other spectrum, we have people who are concerned about the state of the country’s political situation, human rights and racial issues. There is a whole variety of issues that people come to us for.
But, primarily people want us to address poverty and education issues and they want us to try and help as many people as possible. It has been very interesting because Bukit Lanjan is highly diverse with working-class constituents from the low-income group and affluent communities who face different challenges but sometimes, we are limited in a way that some issues are out of our jurisdiction. And so, infringing on the work of the local council can be quite problematic.
However, there are a few urgent things to address currently, such as resolving the traffic issues in Wangsa Permai and Sierramas.
These two projects need a flyover and a bridge, respectively, but due to insufficient funds, we may require assistance from the Selangor government to get them off the ground. Also, more flood mitigation projects are needed in Kampung Desa Aman, Sungai Buloh, and additionally, we need to have more recreational spaces for people. Due to Covid-19, it is crucial to have green and wide spaces for people to move and exercise.
There are under-utilised green spaces, some of which are found in awkward corners. We are keen to work with the local council to provide better landscaping for these places and make them safer and more pleasant for people to use.
Also, I would like to stress the urgency of having old pipes, especially those in Selayang Jaya and Selayang Utama, replaced. These pipes are so old they have been breaking down so often and affecting the residents there. I am also fundraising to put solar panels at some low-cost flats to power up the open areas as they have not had lights in their corridors and stairwells for more than 10 years because they cannot afford the exorbitant electricity bills.
SJ: What are your achievements so far in your constituency?
EW: We managed to build an LRT station near Kampung Sg Kayu Ara (which was at that time, under my constituency) as well as get the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to build multipurpose halls for residents to use for all kinds of constructive activities. These are physical accomplishments. There are also accomplishments that are unquantifiable such as helping many families get through hard times and developing the youth.
Sometimes, we don’t think that the little bit we do to help means anything, but to them, it is a significant gesture. We are here to, hopefully, change the system, make the system work better for the people and to make sure that people have a place in Malaysia, a place in Selangor, they can call home. I think that is my personal ambition or something that I want to work towards.
SJ: What are some of your problem-solving methods?
EW: I listen to opinions from all corners, from experts, my peers and residents and I read up as much as I can. Hopefully, whatever we propose is actually a solution for the people.
This article first appeared in the Selangor Journal monthly April edition, published on March 29, 2021.
