Newbie to politics braves the challenges

Tan exercising with the public at N9 Sg Ujong Walk. With her help, the area has received a new lease on life.

ALTHOUGH DAP’s Nicole Tan Lee Koon had little problems winning the Bukit Kepayang state seat during her election debut last May, fulfilling the responsibilities she was entrusted with would not be easy.

While Tan polled a massive 18,668 votes in beating Barisan Nasional’s Mak Kah Keong with a 14,924 vote majority in the constituency, which since 2008 had been an Opposition fortress, the real test for the lawyer will be meeting the demands and needs of her voters largely comprising urbanites.

Tan, however, remains fearless of any challenges ahead.

Relatively new to the political arena (she joined DAP in 2010), the 48-year-old who is now state Women, Family and Welfare Committee chairman, has held many posts in various organisations, including a four-year stint as president of the country’s second oldest club, the Royal Sungei Ujong Club in Seremban, Negri Sembilan.

It was at the club that a chance conversation in the gym with DAP founding member Dr Chen Man Hin, a fellow member, led to her foray into politics.

“As usual, I was complaining about the state of affairs to Dr Chen.

“He said if I wanted to make a difference, there was no use just complaining and coming up with brilliant points if I could not put them into action,” she said.

Soon after that, Dr Chen sent Tan an application form to join the DAP and she signed up.

“I started with the basics, carrying chairs and helping with the registration at meetings,” said Tan, who is also Wanita DAP national publicity secretary.

After making a winning debut in politics, Tan immediately jumped into the thick of things.

“My phone was ringing all the time with people asking me to repair broken drains and trim tree branches.

“In those early days after the election, I would despatch my own contractor to fix those problems. Now, I channel complaints to the right authorities and monitor the progress of the work,” she said.

Tan knows first-hand the importance of hard work and perseverance – values that she believes are necessary for success.

Tan talking to a special needs woman during one of her visits to a home.

“After my STPM, my late father suggested that I work at a bank. I wanted to be a lawyer but my parents couldn’t afford to send me to law school.

“But I insisted on doing law and I found this small centre along Jalan Ipoh that offered an external LLB programme with the University of London.

“My first year results impressed my dad and he found the money to send me to better colleges for my second and third years,” she said, adding that the years spent working on a variety of cases gave her invaluable experience which would come in handy in her current role.

Tan has big plans for her constituency and has spearheaded a beautification project that covers several streets in town.

The first to get a facelift were buildings along a trio of interconnecting streets – Jalan Murugesu, Jalan Dr Krishnan and Jalan Siow Loong Hin (Singapore Street).

With fresh paint that has brightened up shop facades, and the addition of murals, these once unassuming buildings are now part of N9 Sg Ujong Walk, a pedestrian-friendly (after 5.30pm) walk with a myriad of activities for the public during weekends.

“Under my portfolio, there are several programmes that have already been put in place.

“In the 2019 state budget, RM900,000 was approved to help single mothers earning less than RM2,000. These women will receive financial assistance of RM200 monthly.

“Another RM1.6mil was approved to fund programmes that empower women. These funds will be disbursed to NGOs who run programmes covering human rights, health, education, socio-economy and the environment,” she said.

Other initiatives include N9 BAS (Bantu Anak Sekolah), under which a monthly aid of RM50 per child is given out to needy students to cover the cost of their school bus fares.

As a female politician, she understands the need to address gender inequality in the workplace.

“In Negri Sembilan, we have 151 department heads, of whom only 34 are women. I believe it is the same everywhere.

“There is no lack of capable women but they often feel discouraged because there is no work-life balance. Once we put in place laws to facilitate women in the workplace such as introducing flexible hours, guaranteeing their jobs after maternity leave, and providing shared maternity leave, then more women will come forward,” she said.

Tan, who is the eldest of four girls, cited the example of her own sisters, who despite being engineers, chose to stay home to look after their children.

“We need to catch up. In Scandinavia, political parties impose a 50% quota for women in party leadership, which naturally leads to more women in government. Once there is a level playing field, we can then start to talk about justice and fairness,” said Tan.

Just 10 months into her new role, and with lots to do, Tan has her work cut out for her.