Trades union man knows plight of the people

Shatiri (second from right) presenting bottled drinks sponsored by well-wishers to students during one of his visits to schools in the constituency.

SINCE winning the Kota Damansara state seat in the 14th general election, Shatiri Mansor has been busy visiting schools and mosques as well as meeting people in the constituency.

“I plan to visit the mosques and surau, numbering more than 50, throughout Ramadan and join them for either sahur (pre-dawn meals) or terawih prayers,” he said, adding that this had been his practice since his days as a Petaling Jaya city councillor.

“I prefer keeping things low profile and informal, by not informing anyone ahead of my arrival. This allows me to better interact with the people.

“We will eat and pray together. I usually bring along dates and water for the breaking of fast, in case no communal meals are served,” said Shatiri.

Similarly, he said teachers and students had been very welcoming during his visits to schools, which number about 20 in Kota Damansara.

“To my surprise, even primary school pupils understand the impact of the general election, which is a good thing.

“Meanwhile, the teachers are requesting for upgrades to school infrastructure. Previously, the funds that the schools received were prioritised for operations so there was not enough for infrastructure repairs,” he said.

Shatiri, 55, has been serving as Malaysian Trade Unions Congress (MTUC) exco member since 2016 and was appointed a Petaling Jaya councillor for two-and-a-half years.

He is married to Hilwa Abdul Rahman, who is helping him run his service centre.

They have four children aged between 20 and 25, and have been staying within the constituency for almost 30 years.

Shatiri’s immediate plans are to set up a public engagement group that will meet regularly to discuss and address issues affecting the community.

This group comprises community leaders from residents associations, joint management bodies, places of worship, non-governmental organisations and councillors. It will function similarly to a Residents Representative Council (MPP).

The first-term PKR assemblyman is also in the midst of hiring people to help run his service centre, besides familiarising himself with Selangor’s various programmes to ensure constituents are able to benefit from them.

“I want to implement the state programmes in a more transparent manner. I want people to understand that these are public funds and meant for those who genuinely need help.

“I hope to revamp the style of running programmes by going directly to the people, instead of practising cronyism or favouritism,” he added.

Shatiri also plans to implement his manifesto for Kota Damansara, covering aspects such as education, public security and infrastructure.

“For example, I hope to improve socio-economy by having an entrepreneur development programme for single parents, promote food trucks to overcome the problem of illegal traders, and to ensure the Selangor free tuition programme is utilised by students who need it.

“As I am more familiar with Petaling Jaya City Council’s programmes, I hope to introduce its initiatives such as the Petaling Jaya Neighbourhood Safety Team Programme offering an annual RM6,000 allocation for neighbourhood security incentives to areas under the Shah Alam City Council,” he said, explaining that the constituency falls under the administration of two local councils.

Shatiri welcomes both feedback and brickbats.

“When I meet supporters, I thank them for the trust given.

“To non-supporters, I urge them to give me a chance to perform. If they feel I am not doing my job, they can vote me out after five years.

“As the wakil rakyat, I promise to bring the people’s voice to the state assembly. But I need everyone’s cooperation as I cannot do it alone,” he said.