AS Federal Territories Minister Senator Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin approaches his 100 days in office, he spoke candidly of his experiences as the fifth FT Minister.

The relatively unknown corporate figure whose appointment surprised many shared some of his thoughts and visions with StarMetro and discussed his aspirations of turning Kuala Lumpur into a liveable city, his feelings when accused of being a sexist and how much he missed the simpler things in life.

StarMetro (SM): What do you like and dislike most about being the FT minister?

Raja Nong Chik (RNC): I like dealing with the rakyat but not the politics. All the problems – housing, squatters, hawkers and cleanliness – I enjoy helping to solve them, but not the politics. Politics cloud the real issue. In Kuala Lumpur , the opposition rules and everyone wants to gain political mileage. So, everything I do, it looks like I’m crediting the BN. I can’t help that and I am appointed by the BN government. But the opposition should look at the positive things we are doing for the people instead of nitpicking. We are not 100% perfect, but we are trying.

SM: Can you give examples of this nit picking?

RNC: In the case of relocating squatters to the public housing schemes (PPR), there are people who are happy and there are some who are unhappy. I have experienced this even before I was minister and I have seen people who initially refuse to move, but after they have done so, are happy with their new environment.

For instance, take the fire incident in Kg Kerinchi Bukit B, where some families lost their homes. We offered houses to the families but one person refused to move and even accused the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) of starting the fire. That is ridiculous! And it would not have happened if it were not for politics.

I don’t have any problems if there are people or NGOs who want to be heroes. But let’s work together and do something positive that benefits the community. One of the key elements in developing KL is to make it squatter-free by 2009. But it’s going to be impossible with all this politicking.

SM: Datuk, most of the squatters don’t want to move because they simply don’t trust the DBKL. No one can blame them since there have been cases of promises being made and not kept.

RNC: I do agree that some politicians have made promises in the past saying that some land was meant for new villages and as Indian reserves. But, we were not party to those promises – there is nothing in black and white.

However, I can promise that everyone will own a home one day because there are ample units available. In the case of Bukit B (Kerinchi), the land is private, but the squatters will be given an option to buy a unit in the future. We can promise a home, but we cannot guarantee the locality.

In the case of Kampung Pandan, the area is being re-developed and squatters will be allowed to return and buy a unit once the area is re-developed and the PPR units have been built. In Jinjang Selatan Tambahan, the land is an issue, but the residents, too, will have a chance to own their own units. We can guarantee them PPR units but not the land. This is my promise to them.

SM: Your walkabout with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in April highlighted loopholes in our public transport system. One solution was to upgrade the decaying Puduraya bus terminal at a cost of RM30mil. Critics see this as a waste of taxpayers money since its purely cosmetic and does nothing to ease congestion in the area.

RNC: An average of 50,000 people use the facilities at Puduraya daily. That’s 350,000 people a week and 1.5 million a month. This upgrade is necessary to provide comfort to the poorer half of KL. Also, we need to start encouraging people to start taking public transport when they come into the city.

Right now, 1.3 million vehicles come into the city daily. Out of that number, 70% are single occupant vehicles. We need to create a 70:30 modal split – with 70% opting to use public transport. But no matter what you do now to control congestion, it is not going to go away because there’s just too many cars coming into the city.

However, transport does not come under the FT Ministry and there are many agencies involved. We need a comprehensive transport plan for the Klang Valley and ideally one agency to deal with transportation. Clearly, a long-term solution is needed here.

The announcement by the Prime Minister that about 44,000 low-cost houses under the Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) will be offered for sale to existing tenants is a sign of this promise. But only those currently staying at the PPR will be offered a chance to buy the units.

SM: You talk of encouraging people to park and ride, yet when you launched the KL Traffic Dispersal Master Plan to ease congestion in KL Sentral and Brickfields, it was criticised as putting the cars first and people last.

RNC: There is some truth to that. I will not deny it. KL Sentral is developing fast and once the projects are completed we are talking about a population of 30,000 working in the area. We have to create access for cars to get in and out. The LRT and KTM lines are also there to cater to the community. I know some people are not happy about the plan, but we need to have those access roads and ramps.

SM: You recently visited the Putrajaya Monorail site. Are there plans to revive the project?

RNC: There have been requests for it but it is subject to financial constraints and it also depends on the economy recovering. There will be a need for it in the future, especially when Putarajaya develops further. As it is, there is a lack of parking space there. As I said earlier, we still want to encourage people to take public transport to work.

SM: What about Plaza Rakyat?

RNC: The project will be revived. The EPU is now finalising the new terms and conditions with the developer who has been given a grace period to decide whether they want to take up the offer. If not, we will terminate the contract and call for fresh bids. It is 37% ready and there are some changes to be made, but the base will be the same. This project must go on or else it would be a waste.

SM: There are so many abandoned projects in KL. Shouldn’t the contractors or developers be liable for it?

RNC: Future projects will take into account the needs of the rakyat rather than the developer. However, people still ask why we (the Government) can’t take immediate action against bad developers. It’s not that easy. They have rights, too, and can sue. And, if they win, we will be forced to compensate them.

SM: There have been calls by the Chinese and Indian community for a solution to the long-standing land problems for non-Muslim places of worship. What are your views on this?

RNC: We are currently formulating a policy on this. In fact, my deputy Datuk Saravanan is coming up with a formula to identify land that is suitable for places of worship like temples and churches depending on the area’s population needs. This does not necessarily mean providing land ownership but rather land reserves.

SM: Will we ever see a solution to the Sentul Crematorium issue?

RNC: I am not familiar with that issue, but we will try to come up with a win-win solution.

SM: It’s been three months since you were appointed FT minister, yet you have not met the Pakatan Rakyat MPs. Some say you are avoiding them. Is this true?

RNC: I have seen a couple of them, those who are willing to see me, that is. To me, the mayor sees them regularly but I have obliged those who have asked to see me. I don’t mind meeting them if there are certain issues they want to highlight but not in a big group – I try to avoid confrontations and politics.

SM: You had a run in with Titiwangsa MP Dr Lo’ Lo’ Ghazali two months ago and she accused you of being sexist. How do you feel about that?

RNC: I feel she capitalised on the issue. She complained that she, as the MP, had not been invited to that function. I defended the mayor and that was when I made the toilet statement… it was a joke, really!

However, she took offence and accused me of being sexist. I did call her later and apologised. I am human after all, and I was sorry for it. She accepted it (the apology), but later she used it to gain political mileage. She said I was not ikhlas (sincere). How does she know I was not ikhlas. Only God knows if I am ikhlas or not.

SM: How do you balance your work with family life?

RNC: I am still trying. Working long hours is not really a problem for me. All I need is six of hours of sleep a day though I am not yet used to the hectic pace of life. There are so many events that I get invited to that I have to pick and choose.

Especially for raykat-based events, but even then, I have to turn down so many.

SM: What do you miss most about life before being appointed as FT Minister?

RNC: The simple life. Hanging out at mamak stalls with my friends. I really miss that and I can’t do that any more.

SM: Do you enjoy sports… say football?

RNC: Not really. My son, Raja Hamzah, is a die-hard MU fan and I sometimes watch the matches with him. But I prefer golf and usually hang out at golf clubs with friends who have no business ties with me.

By BAVANI M
(Source: The Star)