KUCHING, Sept 27 — Dato Wee Hong Seng said he had lodged a police report over malicious statements recently made against him and his family.
The Kuching South Mayor said such an act served to protect his rights and call for an official investigation into the incident.
“A democratic society allows people to criticise policies and public services in a rational manner, and netizens ought to be held responsible for their remarks they make.
“Netizens can offer reasonable criticism, but they should avoid personal assaults and malicious smears,” he said during his Facebook live session ‘Shall WEE Talk’ on Saturday.
He said this in response to recent baseless allegations and inappropriate comments circulating online, including those involving his family.
Wee emphasised that public discussions should focus on ‘what has been done for the people’ and ‘how to serve the community sincerely’.
“This should be what mature politics is all about.”
According to him, the primary objective of the various events organised by the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) is to benefit the public.
He said none of these campaigns served as a platform for personal publicity.
Wee said he had been actively participating in and promoting various activities since he took over the mayorship, adding that MBKS had also extended its support.
He noted that some events were sponsored by the private sector or corporations as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
As such, he said the council would decide whether to support an event based on whether it would bring benefits to the community.
“Rather than scrutinising the organisers’ sources of funding or questioning if the event is meant for publicity, we focus primarily on whether the public will benefit from it,” he said.
Citing the series of ‘Madani Sales’ campaigns, the Mayor said MBKS’ main consideration was whether such initiatives would bring tangible benefits to the people.
“As the Mayor, I remain committed to serving all residents within MBKS’ jurisdictions and will support any events that deliver genuine benefits,” he said.
While acknowledging the existence of diverse opinions and the importance of reasonable criticism against the authorities, Wee said people should not simply assume that the council had utilised public resources for personal publicity.
Instead, he said they should strive to gain a better understanding of the actual circumstances.
“If people genuinely believe our initiatives are meaningless ‘white elephant’ projects, they are free to criticise. However, if an initiative truly benefits the people, I don’t think it should be criticised.
“As a civil servant, the priority is to fulfil one’s duties and serve the people through concrete actions, rather than wasting time on arguments or comparisons with others,” he said.
Pointing out that no administrative system was perfect, he said it mattered more for the authorities to focus on reviewing and rectifying mistakes while keeping the public informed of the direction of future development.
“The initiatives that are currently driven by MBKS are not meant for personal gain but undertaken for the sake of future generations,” he added. — The Borneo Post
* Editor’s note: MBKS is the Malay abbreviation for Majlis Bandaraya Kuching Selatan.
