JAN 4 — I really admire the incumbent London mayor Boris Johnson as well as his predecessor Ken Livingstone. Johnson is a Conservative and Livingstone from the Labour Party. While these two gentlemen embrace different political ideologies, they are both first-rate in competency and character.
When most cities in continental Europe were experiencing stagnation or even regression, the British capital was full of vibrancy and life, and was a model of urban renewal and artistic innovation thanks to the leadership of these two men.
That highly impressive and highly efficient Olympics in 2012 sent the city to the pinnacle of the world, and we just cannot not credit Livingstone and Johnson for their work.
Londoners would not forget that Johnson was then riding his bicycle to inspect the games sites, taking off his helmet to convene review meetings at every stadium he visited.
Today, Johnson is still cycling to his London office every day. He even tendered a public apology for being caught on camera once running a red light.
Similarly, Londoners would not forget Livingstone abandoning his car for the Tube in cutting back car traffic into the city.
Initially many people were against the restriction, but after seeing the mayor’s lead in taking public transport, they just had to accept convincingly. Today, London’s traffic woes have been dramatically relieved.
Both these two gentlemen have done superb jobs running a metropolis of eight million. They should have been entitled to Rolls-Royces or helicopters, given their contribution.
Now, back to Malaysia. Penang has a population of 1.6 million, barely a fifth of London’s. The infrastructure in Penang is not even up to the mark of a London borough.
The two mayors of London were crammed into the packed London trains with the rest of the city, inhaling the same exhaust fumes from tailpipes. That demonstrates a kind of sincerity in politics, a kind of humility. They are like the big brothers who would go along with the public. Not inaccesible nobles.
Indeed, the same was prevalent among the DAP veterans back in the past century. We saw many of them driving up and down the hills in second-hand cars. They were one with the underprivileged, and enjoyed good rapport with the masses.
That was how DAP built itself up to what it is today.
Now the chief minister’s luxurious sedan smells of genuine leather, the backseat spacious enough to have his legs fully stretched, not to mention the solid steadiness as the engine is revved up and the impenetrable soundproofing.
I doubt the occupants inside the vehicle could feel the woes and afflictions of people toiling under the hot sun or rain.
Ironically, this man used to brag that he would only travel economy class when taking a flight, and has hit out at the Terengganu state government for acquiring a few E-Class, the money for which could have been used instead to help the people in the state. Of course, he never fell short in many of his public speeches of hammering his opponents for squandering, extravagance, arrogance and deceit.
Today there are people defending him: Anything wrong with the S-Class?
Politicians’ hard work should not be rewarded with S-Class sedans. The rewards they deserve from the people are their approval and ballots, and this approval must be earned from pragmatic effort, not empty sweet talk.
While we can always say: since you love the RM600,000 super baby so much, you can always keep it to yourself, what is at stake is the integrity and reputation that have been built up brick by brick by his party over the decades.
Stop comparing with BN leaders and giving yourself excuses. You were voted in because Malaysians thought you were different from BN, and had high expectations of you. — Sin Chew Daily
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.
