I was a public servant for 32 years in the Diplomatic and Administrative Service (PTD) portion of the public services. I opted out of service because of too much noticeable wrongdoing which became more obvious over time. Therefore, then-minister Rafidah Aziz advised me not to fight from within the public service. So I left willingly and voluntarily, after I was seconded to the National IT Council.

Given that specific policy context, allow me now to explain why I object to this celebration party organised by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) on March 4 at Taman Aman. The entire park was literally closed for all public users as they blocked off parking spaces and exercise spots for some kind of celebration. Not sure what it is but let me tell me what I think it is. I went later in the morning to take the photo above.

MBPJ is spending our public funds to celebrate some kind of “symbolic tree-planting”, I believe, as I did see some holes dug up last week and new unplanted trees parked inside them that morning. I also noticed some signs about some National Landscape Agenda.

My three objections

Taman Aman, the geography of our community green lung has been and is being abused, even as we speak, but the MBPJ council neither has eyes to see nor ears to hear. As a Kampung Tunku resident of 30 years, allow me therefore to make three objections on why I cannot personally celebrate, even symbolically, with you.

1. Taman Aman is not yet even registered and gazetted as a Green Lung which belongs to the people of PJ, especially of people like me who have paid assessment for almost 30 years. Its boundaries seem porous as smart partners appear to be able to ‘steal’ and develop sections as they can. Please see the picture below.

Therefore, your close one eye practise over such actions, with all your councillors seemingly colluding in the name that “it happened before our time”. These lands are part and parcel of our Green Lungs and they are stolen by connected individuals and used to make money for private pockets. I can only pray and hope that your officers are not part of this ‘theft’ agenda.

Please see the picture below and note that, we the Kampung Tunku and Taman Aman residents objected to such ‘theft or stealing’ of our Green Lung but your council allegedly chose to close one eye on this matter. Why? Why then celebrate a few token trees being planted?

2. Recently also, since the beginning of Jan 1, 2017, another private initiative has begun a guarded area programme. Again, I do not know what the real agenda is.

I therefore wrote to you objecting, but got no reply. I therefore went to meet the OCPD and team of three other police officers about why they would allow illegitimate Nepali guards to stop me on a public road in Selangor for which I pay road tax to drive and when I am en route to my home of 30 years?

The OCPD said it is not their policy or programme but one which you all have approved and they gave me a copy of your “so-called policy documents”, and the practice violates even your so-called internal policy document. Why should I celebrate with your ‘breaking of laws’?

3. On March 4, when I was walking before 6am I heard the reciting of verses and call to prayer from a surau inside some high-rise blocks. All in all, I already hear four legal mosques having calls to prayer as I walk, but this is only a surau and I object to some zealot deciding to take the laws and our culture into his own hands.

There are clear laws and procedures for the proper building and approval of mosques and they are planned to fit into the planned and approved structures of our building bylaws and planning approvals.

When these laws and our way of life are blatantly violated and we have a so-called Pakatan Harapan or ‘Coalition of Hope’ which also closes one eye to wrongdoing, what reason is there for such hope and for me to celebrate with you, Mr Mayor?...