A LARGE part of my past 15 years at StarMetro involved pacifying disgruntled residents engaged in land-use or public infrastructure disputes, and sitting through heated town halls and local council meetings.
It gave me a front-row seat to the unsettling nature of humanity and politics.
It taught me that although messages are indeed black and white in the press release, there are various shades of grey on the ground in reality.
But throughout my time at StarMetro, I also had the privilege to witness the pleasant side – communities coming together to foster unity or to stand up for what is rightfully theirs.
These were simple things like the right to have proper, working amenities in their neighbourhoods or being able to live in a conducive environment that they rightfully paid for through assessment taxes.
As a journalist I did my duty to tell stories about perennial issues affecting people and the community, without having high expectations that the problems would be resolved soon or at all.
But the consolation was always the comforting “thank you” messages from residents who showed their appreciation.
With that said, nothing is permanent in this world except death and taxes, and this will be my last Citycism column in StarMetro as I have moved to StarBiz.
The shift from covering state and municipal politics to corporate business may seem like a big pivot on the surface, but it isn’t.
Reporting on state government issues was often raw and highly personal as it directly affected people’s daily lives, be it assessment rates, infrastructure, zoning, integrity of local plans and state government or local council accountability.
In my work, I questioned authority, gave a voice to local concerns and looked closely at how power operated at the state level.
Now, the often dramatic grandstanding of state assemblies will make way for the polished, PR-curated and data-driven world of quarterly reports as well as Bursa Malaysia filings.
There will be underlying similarities as I embark on my new journey.
It will change from mayor versus councillor or the people, to chief executive officers versus shareholders.
Both arenas revolve around power, capital allocation, governance and public trust.
The personal challenge for me is trading statutory guidelines and state assembly standing orders for financial statements, market forces and regulatory filings.
Big business isn’t just about profit and loss numbers; corporate decisions shape infrastructure, employment, local economies and urban development just as much as local authorities do.
The biggest takeaway for me after all these years is complacency can be both a boon (comfort and stability) and bane (stifles growth).
I saw an opportunity to challenge myself to do something different for the foreseeable future.
I extend my sincere thanks to the readers, sources and community who have followed my writing in StarMetro over the years.
