By Sulyn Chong
IT may not be her first rodeo as a state assemblyman, but it is her first journey as the representative of the people of Seri Serdang.
In the 2018 state elections, Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud won the state seat under the Pakatan Harapan ticket through Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) and will be holding on to it until the upcoming state election slated for June this year.
Previously, she represented Kota Raja, Selangor, but made way for Amanah’s president Mohamad Sabu to contest there.
Seri Serdang is a Selangor state constituency created in 2003, located under the Puchong parliamentary district.
According to Dr Siti Mariah, when she first stepped into the constituency, she was shocked by its untidy appearance and disorganised infrastructure.
“I used to call Puchong Permai ‘yang tak permai’ (not picturesque) because the place was very serabut (disorganised), with too many illegal buildings and illegal stalls by the roadside which made the place very congested.
“It may be an unfamiliar place to me because it was my first time contesting there but I was determined to change all of it for the better,” she said.
After five years of hard work, the constituency has seen upgrades and improvements that has become a testament to Dr Siti Mariah’s dedication to her mission.
“There are now areas which we call ‘uptowns’, a proper medan selera (food court) and even a dataran!
“Not only that, we have cleared some of the roads by removing the illegal stalls and enlarged them for better traffic flow,” she said with pride.
However, not everyone is happy with the work Dr Siti Mariah has done because change is uncomfortable and she understands it very well.
“It is part and parcel of the job. Not everyone will be happy when their comforts are taken away. It is unavoidable but we make sure to always find a solution to whatever changes we make,” she said.
Aside from enhancing the look of the place, Dr Siti Mariah’s most challenging work yet was to ensure land ownership issues among the people of Seri Serdang were resolved.
However, it encountered setbacks for about two years due to the many movement control orders.
“It was not easy to get to the people or the relevant departments then because of all the restrictions. It took me some time to raise the issue with the Selangor State Executive Council. We had to take measurements, exhibit the results, listen to grievances and everything,” she explained.
At the end of the day, no matter what the issue, Dr Siti Mariah chooses to believe in making things right and not leaving liability behind.
“You should always do things right from the start and maintain that so the next person would not have to clean your mess.
“Also, be inclusive when solving problems. Listen to all parties involved to try and find a win-win solution for everyone. Commitment to the job at hand is very important because, without it, nothing gets finished,” she advised.
This article first appeared in the Selangor Journal monthly March edition, published on March 6, 2023.
