Let’s be fair to Wong Chen!

It looks as if the internal politicking and mud-slinging within PKR will not stop even after Nurul Izzah Anwar and team have won.

Is this part and parcel of the Puteri Reformasi’s (Reformasi Princess’) strategies and internal reforms to strengthen the party ahead of the coming general election?!

As a Subang Jaya constituent who has seen MPs and state assembly representatives come and go over the last 30 years, I am furious to hear people like the Subang PKR deputy chief insinuate that Subang MP Wong Chen is distant from the grassroots and does not heed the voice of the people. The deputy chief even called for Wong Chen to be dropped as a candidate in the next general election.

Now, Wong Chen is a grassroots person – we at the grassroots know that!

Unlike past MPs, including some from PKR, I found Wong Chen to be always contactable and reachable at any time of the day – and not just through his staff at his service centre. Many constituents even have his mobile phone number and communicate with him through WhatsApp and Facebook.

This is in sharp contrast to the ‘good’ old days when I could not even get past the PA to the then MP or state assembly member!

Wong Chen is honest, humble, hardworking and intelligent. As a resident and Rukun Tetangga chairperson, I find he always makes time to attend even the simplest events organised by residents’ associations and the Rukun Tetangga in his constituency – including regularly playing football with the local teams.

Often, he shows up in response to just a WhatsApp invitation. There is no protocol and no accompanying entourage to pay attention to. He mingles easily with everyone, with his ever-ready smile.

At every event, he gives an update on the latest policies and political issues.

And the multi-ethnic Subang Jaya residents always want to know more, throwing him challenging questions.

At one such event over a year ago, I publicly expressed my disappointment with the slow pace of reforms by the “unity government”.

He calmly explained to everyone present the constraints and obstacles faced at the federal level. He advised us to be patient as some reforms will take time for results to be seen.

Wong Chen started as an opposition MP with no constituency development funds from the federal government. Yet, he managed to set up his service centre quickly and was able to mobilise the constituents to support him with the resources he needed.

Many young people from Subang and elsewhere did internships at his service centre. They learnt so much from him about policymaking and politics.

Even during the Covid lockdown, Wong Chen came up with innovative and effective methods to quickly provide targeted aid, working mostly virtually.

In his early years as MP, he started a regular weekly online video forum where constituents could pose questions and get information and feedback on government policies. That was also political education. It was his way of enlightening constituents about the role of an MP as opposed to that of state assembly member.

Wong Chen and the state assembly member for Subang Jaya, Michelle Ng, have worked well as a team in addressing the concerns of their constituents. A long-awaited government health centre, which they had pushed for, is now in the initial stages of construction.

This is what participatory democracy looks like. Perhaps some PKR leaders need to be educated on this.

Wong Chen has practised transparency and accountability from early on. He has regularly published his financial report on the use of his constituency funds. How many MPs and state assembly members do that?

Indeed, Wong Chen has all the qualities we expect of an MP. Many of his constituents believe he deserves to be a cabinet minister.

We are aware of his contributions to the party, including during the early years when Pakatan Rakyat was in the opposition. As a backbencher now, he has additional parliamentary responsibilities in select committees.

The voters expect and demand that our MP represent the interests of his constituents foremost.

They do not expect him to indulge in narrow party politics designed to prop up some people in power, while urgent issues affecting the country are sidelined. We do not want sycophants and bootlickers!

Yes, Wong Chen expressed worry over the slow progress in achieving reforms. But he did not throw in the towel. Instead, he acknowledged that the backbenchers “must push the government harder”.

It is a fact that the “Madani” government has been slow to introduce key institutional reforms after almost three years in power, despite a supermajority in Parliament.

Has PKR become so sensitive (or is it insensitive) to feedback and reactions from the people and their representatives in Parliament?

Is this the new working definition of party discipline in PKR now – a party that used to boast about democracy and freedom of expression for its members?

Is it Wong Chen who has veered away from PKR’s struggle?

Or has the present party leadership veered away from the original goal of creating a just and democratic society, fighting corruption and protecting human rights?

Is the party president going to maintain an elegant silence while PKR implodes or even just loses its most competent and honest members?

Why should the rest of us be bothered? Because, like it or not, what happens in PKR will affect what happens in Malaysia – at least for now and in the near future, while it remains in power.