JOHOR BARU: MCA Youth’s Ong Chee Siang (pic) has been appointed Johor Mentri Besar’s special officer for Chinese affairs.
The role would mean that his priority would be to strengthen communication between the Chinese community and the state government, he said.
“Previously, I was focused on serving the local community in Tangkak, but I will now be reaching out to communities across Johor in my new role.
“I will try to meet as many Chinese communities and non-governmental organisations statewide as possible to better understand their concerns,” said Ong, who is MCA Youth’s national education consultative committee chairman.
He said Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi had given him a clear message that the state government wanted to foster closer ties with the Chinese community and better understand their aspirations and hopes for Johor’s development.
Ong said his role would not be limited to handling complaints, but would also involve communicating the state government’s development plans, assistance and initiatives to the community.
“This includes initiatives such as Bantuan Kasih Johor, so that more people in the community understand what assistance they are eligible for.
“I also want the community to learn about the state government’s plans under the Johor Economic Transformation Plan, particularly the development planned beyond southern Johor,” he said.
Ong, 36, said his educational background in banking and finance had helped him gain a better grasp in understanding financial matters and engaging with different stakeholders.
He was appointed to the post last Wednesday.
Ong took over the position from Chua Jian Boon, who won the Layang-Layang state seat in the Johor election in July and was subsequently appointed deputy chairman of the state unity, heritage and culture committee.
Ong said Chua had shared ideas and experiences to help him understand the role better.
NGOs and Chinese communities with issues and complaints could get in touch with him at 017-233 6878.
