Merdeka Celebrations at LangatJaya

Getting organized for Merdeka

D-Day: 30 August, residents of Taman Langat Jaya are geared up for a semi-spontaneous Merdeka celebration, as it is the culmination of the annual community sports day.

The event is going to be held on the field adjacent to the community hall in Taman Langat Jaya. The spirit of Merdeka is already apparent among the residents as cars are being decorated with mini Malaysian flags. We have had lots of help with our preparations. In fact, the Kuala Langat Local District Council has graciously provided us with tents, p.a system and technical assistance; not forgetting the 9 hampers of goodies for winners of the community sports events.

Parlimentarian, Y.B Tuan Abdullah Sani Bin Abdul Hamid will be gracing the event, which will start at the stroke of midnight with declarations of MERDEKA! Malaysian flags will be distributed to the children of the area as well as bags of sweets. The decorations are already underway as the excitement builds up.

More pictures of the preparations will be posted in due time.

Drains...longkangs...call it what you will.

Drains are a major concern in my work. When friends ask me, 'What's the most frequent complaint you attend to?'. You've guessed it...drains! Clogged drains upset people to the extent that they ring me up at 2 am to disturb my peaceful slumber.

However, clogged drains lead to problems like dengue and pollution. It is common for fallen leaves to cause clogging in drains. Stagnant water provides a great breeding ground for mosquitoes. Councils provide regular drain cleaning services on a monthly basis. Contractors are hired to ensure the cleanliness of drains. It becomes my job to monitor the level of service provided by these contractors.

Some of the drain problems I face in my area are:-

• Delays in carrying out drain cleaning jobs by contractors




• Improper disposal of rubbish removed from the drains by contractors




• Illegal modifications by home owners who cover their drains with concrete slabs, making cleaning of drains impossible




• Dumping of waste into drains (I had the shock of my life once, when I found a 3 seater sofa lodged firmly inside a monsoon drain!)




• Plants and vegetation which shed leaves into drains and distrup the flow of water

I have had plenty of "Gotong Royongs" to deal with these problems. The response is usually lukewarm at best. Most of residents feel the council is solely responsible for the upkeep of their drains, which is true to a certain extent. However, residents play a vital role in keeping their drains clean; responsible management of household waste and proper clearing of fallen leaves from their gradens help alleviate problems.

Most drains have a long life span unless there is a severe case of soil erosion which destroys drains. Service roads in a residential area can't cope with heavy vechiles like lorries or trailers, as this causes drains and roads to sink and collapse. Although councils regularly spend money on the maintenance of drains but now, as contruction materials become more expensive, repair costs have escalated.

If you have problems as those discussed above do forward your complaints to the local councilor of your area. In addition to this, complaints should be accompanied with photographs.

Merdeka at Taman Langat Jaya

Merdeka... Merdeka...Merdeka
The enterprising women of Taman Langat Jaya are excited about the plans for Merdeka. Well, they are planning to celebrate it their style.

Taman Langat Jaya is a community in the Kuala Langat Council Area about 5 km outside Banting town. The community is made up of mostly lower income earners, despite this fact, it is one of the most active communities in Kuala Langat.

The women in this community are eager to commemorate Merdeka with a community sports event. They have been busy trying to organize all the events and prizes as well as garner support. They have provided me with a detailed list of gifts they would like me to sponsor. I am also very excited on their behalf.

They plan to invite the local Member of Parliment Y.B Abbdullah Sani who loves to grace events organized by local communities. He has graciously agreed to officiate the event at 11.00 pm on 30th August 2009.

There will be a count down as well as singing of the national anthem and the distribution of sweets and flags to the school children in the area.

More news and photos will be available of the event.

It has been quite a while since I last set about writing in my blog about council work. Since then, I have been re-appointed for a second term. I have resolved to better myself in terms of delivery of service and implementation of more educational opportunities for residents about their rights in my zone.

Commonly, there are 24 councilors in each council. My council is the Kuala Langat District Council.I happen to be incharge of Zone 11. My area roughly covers Taman Seri (Telok Datok), Taman Langat Jaya, Taman Manggis Jaya 1 & 2, Bandar Mahkota, Bandar Sungai Manggis and Sungai Sedu. There are roughly 20,000 people in this area.

I generally, work in areas which are the council's operational areas. What does an operational area mean? Well, residential and commercial areas which have municipal services: garbage collection, grass trimming services and drain cleaning services and much more.

I am also responsible for ensuring that the council regulations and by laws are adhered to. This would cover a wide range of concerns from dengue prevention, welfare, cleanliness, illegal factories relocation and residents' complaints about services rendered by the council.

This is as much as I can condense without sounding a tad bit dull. Please read more about my plans for your areas. Your feedback is greatly appreacited. Do write to janarthani10@gmail.com or contact Kuala Langat District Council at 03-3187 2825 for more information.

A Project is Born...

A brief and momentous meeting with a group of residents in Taman Langat Jaya. One of the areas which come under my supervision. The meeting was attended by 6 enthusiastic people. As usual, the lone woman and the rest were men. It was on the front porch of the leader's house, Panir. He has shown lots of patience and relentless perseverance. He is committed to creating CHANGE in his community.

After the success of the "Gotong Royong" in January 2009. He has shown renewed vigor to tackle more daunting tasks. Lots to be done in the area. What is special about the place is the people. What are they like?
A typical lower income group with the accompanying social problems. Nevertheless, they have character.

Interestingly, there is this fledgling dance group made up of dynamic young boys. They have their version of exciting dances. "Silambattam" is one which incorporates a traditional Indian self defence technique with rhythmic movements. Needless to say, I was impressed by their agility and dance skills.

So, what is in the making as the next project? Well, I call it "Project Revive the Balai". Well in actual fact, it is more about giving it a total makeover!!!! Getting Nate Berkus for the job would be the ultimate fantasy, but so much for wishful thinking. I have a very basic idea. I want to create a community hall which is available to all, more like a hub for community activities but with a lot more focus on kids' activities.

Will be updating soon with the game plans.....