Group: Reps mostly ignore emails and social media
Lawrence YongPublished: Apr 2, 2014 5:19 AM | Updated: Apr 2, 2014 6:27 AM
Over 95 percent of state assemblypersons of Perak and Selangor would not urgently answer people’s calls for help via email, Facebook and Twitter, and a new NGO, Kuasa, said this poses an accountability problem.
Over 95 percent of state assemblypersons of Perak and Selangor would not urgently answer people’s calls for help via email, Facebook and Twitter, and a new NGO, Kuasa, said this poses an accountability problem.
In a survey carried out last week, Kuasa found that only five reps out of 114 reps surveyed replied within three days to all emails, Facebook messages and tweets sent to them, asking for help.
Overall, Pakatan Rakyat reps fared better than BN reps, and Selangor reps generally replied to these made-up requests.
Only about one in four Perak reps replied to either email, Facebook or Twitter complaints sent, compared to two out of three, or 67 percent, of Selangor reps.
“In today’s day and age, it is an obligation to respond to the communication channels that you put out there,” Kuasa’s chief executive Praba Ganesan told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
Almost all the reps have emails, Facebook or Twitter accounts, he added.
He added that the survey showed that communication culture of politicians were just as bad as Malaysian bureaucrats, which is “not to deal with calls”.
“They need to change that attitude,” Praba said.
Not aligned to any political party, NGO Kuasa was formed with the agenda of making lawmakers stick to the promises made to their voters.
They will next issue an inaugural one-year report card on the Pakatan and BN government’s respective performances in Selangor and Perak, before May 5.
Honourable mention
Kuasa lauded Kuala Kubu Baru rep Lee Kee Hiong, who it said responded to all three channels on the same day and in two cases, within 15 minutes.
Others mentioned for Selangor were Hasbullah Ridzwan (Gombak Setia), Tiew Way Leng (Teratai), Ng Sze Han (Kinrara), Rajiv Rishyakaran (Bukit Gasing), and Lau Weng San (Kampung Tunku).
For Perak, those lauded were Howard Lee (Pasir Pinji), Zabri Abd Wahid (Trong), Ngeh Koo Kam (Sitiawan), and Chang Lih Kang (Teja).
Praba said that both menteris besar of Selangor and Perak did not respond, and the Kuasa team also had to experience a bit of runaround to get their direct emails.
Kuasa’s project director Logandran Balavijendran said that it hopes the survey will be carried out in other states and at the federal level, and it would also repeat the study every six months.
The results are published on mykuasa.org.
“We hope the state reps don’t only Turun Padang and jalan-jalan (campaign) during the elections,” Logandran said.
“The people want to know: Who do I hold responsible for my problems?”
Kuasa is now meeting Selangor and Perak government reps to get their answers by April 15, to queries on how much they have stuck to some 45 manifesto promises made by BN and Pakatan during the GE13 last May.
“We are not judging them but they give their own report cards,” said Praba.
Kuasa’s annual evaluation will be based on three criteria:
Self-evaluation by state governments (50 percent), appraisal by state opposition (20 percent) and promises to stakeholders (30 percent).
In a survey carried out last week, Kuasa found that only five reps out of 114 reps surveyed replied within three days to all emails, Facebook messages and tweets sent to them, asking for help.Overall, Pakatan Rakyat reps fared better than BN reps, and Selangor reps generally replied to these made-up requests.
Only about one in four Perak reps replied to either email, Facebook or Twitter complaints sent, compared to two out of three, or 67 percent, of Selangor reps.
“In today’s day and age, it is an obligation to respond to the communication channels that you put out there,” Kuasa’s chief executive Praba Ganesan told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
Almost all the reps have emails, Facebook or Twitter accounts, he added.
He added that the survey showed that communication culture of politicians were just as bad as Malaysian bureaucrats, which is “not to deal with calls”.
“They need to change that attitude,” Praba said.
Not aligned to any political party, NGO Kuasa was formed with the agenda of making lawmakers stick to the promises made to their voters.
They will next issue an inaugural one-year report card on the Pakatan and BN government’s respective performances in Selangor and Perak, before May 5.
Honourable mention
Kuasa lauded Kuala Kubu Baru rep Lee Kee Hiong, who it said responded to all three channels on the same day and in two cases, within 15 minutes.
Others mentioned for Selangor were Hasbullah Ridzwan (Gombak Setia), Tiew Way Leng (Teratai), Ng Sze Han (Kinrara), Rajiv Rishyakaran (Bukit Gasing), and Lau Weng San (Kampung Tunku).
For Perak, those lauded were Howard Lee (Pasir Pinji), Zabri Abd Wahid (Trong), Ngeh Koo Kam (Sitiawan), and Chang Lih Kang (Teja).
Praba said that both menteris besar of Selangor and Perak did not respond, and the Kuasa team also had to experience a bit of runaround to get their direct emails.
Kuasa’s project director Logandran Balavijendran said that it hopes the survey will be carried out in other states and at the federal level, and it would also repeat the study every six months.
The results are published on mykuasa.org.
“We hope the state reps don’t only Turun Padang and jalan-jalan (campaign) during the elections,” Logandran said.
“The people want to know: Who do I hold responsible for my problems?”
Kuasa is now meeting Selangor and Perak government reps to get their answers by April 15, to queries on how much they have stuck to some 45 manifesto promises made by BN and Pakatan during the GE13 last May.
“We are not judging them but they give their own report cards,” said Praba.
Kuasa’s annual evaluation will be based on three criteria:
Self-evaluation by state governments (50 percent), appraisal by state opposition (20 percent) and promises to stakeholders (30 percent).
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