Selangor and Perak elected representatives are less responsive to messages sent through electronic means in 2016 compared with that two years ago, a test by the NGO, Kuasa, revealed.
Kuasa had on April 1-20 assumed the identity of a constituent and sent e-mails, Facebook messages and tweets to the 115 assemblypersons on different issues to respond to, and are assessed based on the speed of their response.
In Selangor, only 35 of the 56 assemblypersons responded within three days. However, the number rose to 47 assemblypersons when the window was widened to 10 days.
DAP did the best, with all representatives responding immediately except Ng Suee Lim (DAP-Sekinchan) who responded within 10 days.
A total 91 percent of PAS representatives responded eventually, ahead of PKR (71 percent).
Nine out of 12 Umno representatives replied, but only six did so immediately. Khalid Ibrahim (Independent-Port Klang) replied to the queries within 10 days.
Six Selangor representatives passed with flying colours:
Lee Kee Hiong (DAP-Kuala Kubu Baharu);
Tiew Way Keng (DAP-Anggerik);
Yeo Bee Yin (DAP-Damansara Utama);
Loh Chee Heng (DAP-Teluk Datok);
Mohd Shafie Ngah (PAS-Bangi); and
Hannah Yeoh (DAP-Subang Jaya)
Two failed miserably by not responding to any contact:
Shamsudin Lias (Umno-Sg Burong); and
Sulaiman Abdul Razak (Umno-Permatang)
“The seats are adjacent and together make up the parliamentary seat of Tanjung Karang, which has the lowest number of parliamentary voters in Selangor.
“The incumbent Noh Omar should be worried about how younger voters will judge obsolete communication cultures,” Kuasa chief executive Praba Ganesan said.
“Kuasa would like to thank Selangor for having instituted a special budget per constituency for communications officer, which is similar to what we proposed last year at RM2,500 per month.
“We would request for a similar allocation in Perak, in lieu of the weakening performance this year. It is a worthwhile expense.
“We believe that all people, in this case the people of Selangor, benefit from assemblypersons communicating effectively with their electorate,” Praba said in a statement.
In Perak, only six out of every 10 Perak representatives reverted to queries within 10 days, but only 47 percent responded immediately. This is a drop from 69 percent in 2015, Praba said.
Mixed bag
All but three DAP assemblypersons responded immediately, while PKR had a mixed bag of very responsive and very unresponsive representatives.
A total of 57 Umno assemblypersons in the silver state eventually responded after reminders.
“In fact, it becomes more depressing if the standards were raised to those responding immediately without needing reminders (nine assemblypersons or 30 percent),” Praba said.
The Perak assemblypersons who were most responsive are:
Tan Kar Hing (PKR-Simpang Pulai);
Wong May Ing (DAP-Pantai Remis);
Chua Yee Ling (PKR-Kuala Sepetang);
Howard Lee (DAP-Pinji);
Chang Lih Kang (PKR-Teja); and
Mohd Tarmizi Idris (BN-Kenering)
The Perak assemblypersons who never responded are:
Mohamad Daud Mohd Yusoff of Selama (BN-Selama);
Ahmad Hasbullah Alias (BN-Kubu Gajah);
Abdul Yunus bin Jamahri (PKR-Kuala Kurau); and
Kesavan Subramaniam (PKR-Hutan Melintang)
