"The spirit of 'make the boss look good' is alive and well ... but in this case, the boss is the voter :)"
This was posted on my FB by Khia Teck, a comment to a commentary by Mr Brown on MP visits that I linked on my FB. Alot of wisdom there and a good reminder! Made sure my team was aware of this in my last few block visits.
Reception was warm and I enjoyed meeting our residents, and to have a sense of their background and concerns. What a wide range of people one gets to meet! Was in the home of this 70+ year old gentleman who very articulately shared his views about the challenges the new leadership will face. Animatedly, he went through how it was difficult to assess the quality of candidates. Just because they appear good doesn't mean that they can deliver, whether ruling party or opposition. There was a need to provide clarity and direction and not just seek views alone as it is impossible to assimilate the many ideas. A 15 minutes of passionate sharing from this retired engineer. Respect...
I asked a young couple if they were planning to have another child. "Sure, but you know, cost of living very high so if the Government can give more incentives, rebates etc, we'd sure have more kids!" Ummm. Ok, Will see what other ideas we have in our seemingly uphill task to increase our birthrate! We all know that this is one issue that is deeply personal and cannot be forced. But the stark realities of numbers stare you in the face...an ageing population, a situation that many face today, Japan being a prime example, is not a trivial matter. We better figure out what to do...and I believe it is also very much to do with the climate and society that we build that will determine if people do have more kids or not.
There were also a few residents who were very angry with the lift upgrading as it blocked their view and airflow. Most of the people welcomed it but those affected negatively, understandably wanted solutions. Not easy as a newbie on the ground to suddenly be confronted this way, but I have learnt to listen and to see what solutions we have for them. And even if no solutions, to ensure we close the loop.
An older gentleman had a few nights ago at the MPS pressed relentlessly for more frequent buses at Ubi area, to introduce new buses and he also told us where the routes should go. I know we have gotten the buses to increase the frequency and they have. Is there more room to adjust? Where is the balance between viability of individual routes and the global optimisation (which may include sub-optimised local routes) approach? Need to learn more about the mechanics of this. I certainly have encountered crowded MRTs and buses when I go to town...but my solution is to have a book to keep myself occupied! But no joke to do it everyday I am sure.
But there were also many gems..."I am so happy with the cleanliness of this block" A few unsolicited kudos from Blk 10 in Chai Chee for the Town Council. Great job! I think praises and appreciation, which we often are quite reluctant to dish out, can go a long way for the cleaners and ah sohs who do the work to feel that their efforts are recognised and appreciated. And you know what? I suspect if the word gets to them, they will be motivated to keep at it. Several gave useful suggestions on how to improve the physical environment because of the many elderly in the area..."there should be a ramp here", "we should have sheltered pathways there"...Very good to see this strong sense of community spirit. Many shared that they got along well with their neighbours. Let's continue to see how to further this...
Need to think of more ways to integrate our residents with the range of activities going on. Not everyone is in when we come round and not everyone participates in activities. So one could end up not seeing your MP at all! Not that they necessarily want to of course! :)
Its been great thus far...thanks to all the supporting staff who helped pave the way gently and to note down the concerns and suggestions to follow up on. And thanks to our residents for their warmth and support!
