Let me cut to the chase. I have been living in KL all my life, but in recent weeks I increasingly find that all this while, I have been ‘hidden’ from the truth of what really defines KL. I remain unsure whether this was intentional or otherwise. Coming from a middle class background, I never had to endure much hardship here at home. Housing, food, transportation was never an issue. 

In fact, the only hardship I ever confronted thus far in life was during my studies overseas. At one period of time, I worked as a cleaner sold nasi lemak to other students but if I am being honest, that was necessary to fund my lifestyle, not something borne out of necessity. 

The truth I mentioned earlier is that the urban residents in Malaysia is faced with a hard time. I had visited Kondo Rakyat in Lembah Pantai some weeks back and I am appalled at the conditions of living. The building was in need of a new coat of paint a decade ago. There was rubbish everywhere. In fact, in Kerinchi there is one housing area that has no rooms. Can you imagine that?. In the heart of KL, where the cream of KL go to their favourite haunts such as Bangsar Village and Bangsar Shopping Centre to shop for their imported beers, Malaysian families living in an apartment with no rooms?. 

I also met Malaysians living in squatters; wait for it – next to the majestic Telekom building, opposite the back entrance of another gint GLC, Tenaga Nasional Berhad. Right next to the main road that connects Bangsar-ians to the Federal Highway and other award winning building like Mid Valley. I had the opportunity to go into their houses and was greeted with kids running barefoot in their “backyard” filled to the brim with rubbish that must have been off the rubbish collection route for at least a year or two. One of them was sprayed by a king cobra….

Parking is a separate issue for another entry but don’t take my word for it, take a drive to ‘Bangsar South’ at night (when everybody is home) and you will see what I mean. How can they afford cars? why…how else would they go to work? public transport? they will be fired in a week for coming in late. 

There are also no recreational space to speak of. It might seem trivial but it creates an uneven playing field. Urban poverty and unacceptable living conditions is widening the gap. This will give rise to social issues that is beginning to creep up on us at an alarming rate. 

It is not a lost cause. Not by any means. I sense the Government of the day have accepted that the urban vote is crucial in the next elections. Take Lembah Pantai as an example, thousands attend Universiti Malaya but only a handful are voters in Lembah Pantai. The rest go back to their kampungs to vote. Greeted with sights like these on a daily basis, what do you think they tell people back home? 

UMNO Youth have also created the Sekretariat Hal Ehwal Bandar (SHEB) to address urban issues. It is a timely move, but time is what we don’t have. With my eyes wide open now, I firmly believe it is imperative we win the hearts and minds of the urban voters within two years. Its time to score the golden goal in the last 5 minutes of extra time. 

The rakyat don’t want to hear excuses, reasons, who did what and who didn’t do what, they just want someone to take care of business. Housing is just the tip of the iceberg…employment opportunities, business opportunities, public transport, preservation of green lungs, local council’s public service delivery, these are deal breakers. 

But more than votes, above politics, it is time for people as “blessed” as me to give something back. Let’s lead the way.. You know who you are….