Yoursay: Don't blame Kok for cock-ups by BN gov't

YOURSAY | 'Kok probably did not expect to be thrust into the eye of the storm…'

Teresa Kok heckled when visiting site of Taman Desa condo construction mishap

JB King: Why are the residents blaming Primary Industries Minister and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok for the mistakes of her predecessors?

What is the basis for blaming her for decisions taken before Pakatan Harapan was voted into government in 2018?

Lion King: Indeed, why blame Kok for the current situation? The project was approved by the BN government and MCA was part of the ruling coalition at the time.

I See You: Kok should stop harping on her failure to stop the development project in the past when she was in the opposition.

Now that she is with the ruling coalition and the cabinet, she should focus on acting quickly and decisively to fix the bad situation concerning The Address development project.

MCA also seems to conveniently forget that it is equally responsible for allowing the project to be approved during its watch when BN was in power.

Apalah: This is a golden opportunity for Kok to do something for Taman Desa folks, which is in her Seputeh constituency.

Since this is a major issue of a collapse of a building under construction, she should get the help of Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad to order the Kuala Lumpur mayor to issue an indefinite stop-work order and order an investigation on not just the collapse, but on the entire project itself.

Then, the Taman Desa folks and the public can see and hear transparently the issues regarding this project and put in their recommendations for Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to act upon. That’s what the people want.

NNFC: The Address condominium project in Taman Desa and its developer should be put through thorough scrutiny to ensure that both meet the standards required for building such developments.

Quigonbond: As vocal residents’ representative Khong KY is alleged to be a former DAP Seputeh branch member, he probably has an axe to grind with Kok.

What Kok can do to counter the residents’ criticism is to point out which residents’ committees she has been meeting and talking to, and explain her interaction and recommendations to DBKL to show she continues to care about the overcrowding in Taman Desa and the building collapse issues.

The Seputeh constituency is very big. Since Kok won in the parliamentary constituency comfortably in the last general election, the words and action of a section of Taman at Desa residents won’t be enough to oust her in GE15.

It will be her performance as a minister and her action in the cabinet with her fellow DAP ministers that will determine her future.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has done her no favours with his recent spat with India, which has placed Kok in a difficult position to boost the export of palm oil, which is under her ministry’s portfolio.

JW: I don't get it. Why are people like Taman Desa residents Khong and Valerie Low only seem to be making a big fuss after the building collapse?

There is also the mentality among a certain section of the public that DAP representatives are expected to do everything and solve all the problems in the country right now. Even right the wrongs of the MCA when it was in the ruling government.

The residents cited in the report failed to point out that the problems with the development project had started when BN was still in power.

Their anger at DAP and Harapan seems misplaced as it was the previous administration that gave approval to the project in the first place.

Cogito Ergo Sum: Harapan should state it clearly that this project received the green light from the BN regime. Why should Harapan be left holding the problem and become the punching bag of the public?

Tell the people in no uncertain terms that the previous government is to blame for this shambolic project. Is that so difficult?

Clever Voter: Kok probably did not expect to be thrust into the eye of the storm following the collapse of the unfinished building.

But residents in the area are sore with the decision to approve the controversial condo project, and they probably could not care less which government gave the go-ahead. To them, as in the case with the rest of the country, the authorities are the same.

The authorities, and this includes the government, should be seen as one serving the public, provide empathy and be there when they are needed.

Kok needs no reminder regarding the underlying feelings of her voters, and she should be reminded, together with her DAP mates, that if the current feelings of her residents are translated into votes, all of them will be thrown out in three years’ time.

Anonymous 770241447347646: Why turn an incident of the collapse of a section of a building into a political fight? As far as the collapse is concerned, it is a straightforward issue.

The collapse can be either due to the laying of a higher floor without the concrete holding it underneath having dried or some other technical or structural reasons which the engineers can discover.

So, let us get down to the bottom of the real cause of the collapse. Those responsible must be taken to task.

As for the politician not doing her job or attending to her constituents, it will be decided at GE15.

The opposition and those with their own agenda are now trying to milk this issue for their own personal or political agenda.

Anonymous_cdb4fb5d: Instead of heckling Kok and playing politics, the Taman Desa residents should take advantage of the building collapse to urge the authorities to look into several hard-hitting questions.

The land originally belonged to Tenaga Nasional (TNB) and was only designated as a green lung for the area. So, why did TNB sell the land to a private developer?

Why did the land office allow the utility land to be converted to residential land? Why didn’t the DBKL and the then Federal Territories minister oppose this project?

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