BY JAMES WONG
PENDING assemblywoman Violet Yong is acutely aware of the challenges of being an opposition representative but is no less enthusiastic about improving the quality of life for the people in her constituency.
Towards this end she is determined to continue to bring development to the area.
New Sarawak Tribune: What is your vision for your constituency?
Violet: My vision for the Pending constituency is to see improvements in the obsolete infrastructure thereby improving the lives of our people.
Being an old constituency, many residential areas, manholes and drainage systems are in a dilapidated state.
Some areas haven’t even been upgraded to concrete drains, leading to serious flash floods.
Additionally, there is a pressing issue of squatters in Pending, particularly in the Sungai Apong area, which needs attention from the government.
That said, I hope the relevant agencies and the state government can upgrade the basic infrastructure to provide better living conditions for the residents and provide shelter for the squatters.
New Sarawak Tribune: What are the major challenges you face in Pending?
Violet: As an opposition leader, one of the main challenges I face is the lack of funding allocation for opposition parties, including funding for Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) projects and the Minor Rural Projects (MRP).
This limits my ability to assist the people in my constituency effectively.
As such, I hope the state government will allocate appropriate funding for opposition constituencies such as Pending, Padungan and Batu Lintang.
New Sarawak Tribune: What is your latest achievement in terms of development for your area?
Violet: I can say for certain that we are always there for our people, assisting our people is in integral part of our job and we are always just one call away.
One significant achievement in my constituency was the improvement on land policies.
Expired land leases can now be renewed at any time instead of having to wait until the last five years.
However, I lack funding to undertake major projects and showcase my achievements.
Nevertheless, we are always addressing issues brought to our attention by residents, and these are usually resolved through the appropriate authorities.
New Sarawak Tribune: Moving forward, what do you have planned for your area?
Violet: As an opposition party, it is challenging for us to plan without sufficient funding.
In terms of planning, it is primarily the role of the government, and as an opposition member, I am not involved in the planning process.
However, when people approach us for welfare assistance, we try to help by utilising funds from the member of parliament.
New Sarawak Tribune: What do you hope for your constituency?
Violet: Ultimately, my hope is to improve the quality of life for the people in my constituency by addressing issues such as flash floods, traffic congestion and the rising cost of living.
