KEBUN BUNGA state assemblyman Jason Ong Khan Lee (pix) sees himself as a crime fighter of sorts.
Criminal activities within his constituency are on the rise. To address the problem, he is using his allocation to install security cameras and to organise crime-prevention programmes for residents.
But crime is just one of a long list of problems he faces.
To an outsider, Kebun Bunga, nestled between Penang Hill and the Botanic Gardens, would sound like an ideal middle-class neighbourhood.
But the reality is entirely different. This district within the constituency include Fettes Park, Hong Seng Estate, Botanic Gardens, Quarry Drive, Jalan Batu Gantong and Rifle Range.
Most of the residents in these areas are from low-middle income families, some have moved here from Kedah and Perak, as well as migrant workers.
Ong’s main task now is to find ways to raise the standard of living in the area.
“Rifle Range is one of the oldest low-cost housing areas in the country, and poverty and crime are daily challenges we face here.”
He said the high density of the population has also put a strain on public amenities in Rifle Range and Hong Seng Estate and he hopes to address the issue over time.
“My immediate objective is to beautify the rough neighbourhoods in Rifle Range and Hong Seng Estate.”
Part of his plan is to transform the Botanic Gardens by cultivating a species of Sakura trees that blossom early in the year. This, he said, would attract tourists.
He has also launched an outreach programme to identify low-income families and is seeking cooperation from private companies to provide part-time jobs to housewives to help supplement their income and to learn new skills.
Ong said his service centre is also struggling to deal with senior citizens and the disabled who have been left to fend for themselves.
“There are no more places for seniors citizens in old folk homes nor places for disabled in special care homes,” he said.
“For instance, there is a case of a disabled man who died just a week after his primary caregiver, who was his mother, died.”
Ong said Malaysia should adopt China’s strategy in its poverty eradication programme based not on income level but on access to education, housing, healthy diet, healthcare and jobs.
Another area that needs improvement is the drainage system, to put a stop to the frequent flash floods that lead to landslides.
“It is time for Kebun Bunga to emerge as one of the better constituencies in Penang. To do that, we need to raise the standard of living,” he said.
But Ong concedes that he has a daunting task ahead.
