Blogger lauds the other side of prime minister
2010/04/12
SRI AMAN: When Desmond Jerukan received an email inviting him to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's tea party at Sri Perdana in Putrajaya on March 13, he thought somebody was playing a joke on him.
However, when the 41-year-old writer of the blog "Nadai Nama Nama" received a second email inviting him to the function, he realised it was not a prank.
"Before the event took place, I was nervous and I didn't know what to do, although the event organiser did inform me about the dress code.
"The only thing I managed to do shortly after arriving in Kuala Lumpur from Kuching was to buy a cheap necktie at Parkson in Sungei Wang Plaza," he said.
As he is working here, the blogger had to drive for two hours to Kuching before boarding a flight to Kuala Lumpur.
Desmond, an administrative officer in the Sri Aman Resident's Office, said he would remember the trip for the rest of his life as he never imagined he would one day be sitting next to the prime minister at a tea party.
To him, the tea party was an enriching experience, especially since he is usually only able to see the prime minister during official functions in Sarawak.
"I find him (Najib) to be really sincere in getting to know his online friends. For example, when his officer called him through his handphone, Najib's immediate reply was that he was in the midst of an important function and he asked to be rung back later," said Desmond.
Even after the function, he repeatedly told his bodyguards to allow his online friends to meet and mingle with him.
He said Najib even commented on the Black Eyed Peas song I've Got a Feeling that was played during the tea party, saying that the number set the right mood.
Desmond said the prime minister had his own unique way of breaking the ice.
In his blog, he wrote: "The prime minister and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, were very casual. His friendliness also caught everyone off guard. He broke the ice with me by talking about my camera. He quipped: "My, my, you have a serious-looking camera there.
"And so it started with camera talk and I have to thank my Nikon D5000 for being a saviour."
With that ice-breaking gesture, Desmond said the rest was history as he, together with other online friends, talked about many issues which Najib listened to most attentively and patiently.
"The only thing that I could not talk about at that time was Liverpool because I am a big fan of the club, but the prime minister supports Manchester United."
Desmond, who has a degree in Applied Science from Universiti Sains Malaysia and corporate master's in business administration from Ohio University, United States, said the high tea event marked a new era for the country's current leadership.
"So far, no elected representatives have opened up their lines of communication.
"Najib has created a blog, and dabbled in Facebook, YouTube and a website that is constantly updated with the latest information."
As such, he said, the prime minister had taken the initiative to be more accessible to the people by using the latest technology and at the same time, listen to their grouses.
Desmond said the Najib administration had reached a new level in the "walk the talk" concept where he would try to solve the problems based on the feedback received online.
"For example, based on my own experience, through the 1Malaysia blog and the Prime Minister's Department website in May last year, I reported the risks faced by parents, teachers and students when crossing the suspension bridge at Nanga Klassen Sri Aman as the cables are in danger of being disconnected from the bridge.
"Several weeks later, villagers at Nanga Klassen told me they saw several four-wheel-drive vehicles from the State Development Office of the Prime Minister's Department there.
"We were shown a letter from the Implementation Coordination Unit of the department for the construction of a RM400,000 semi-concrete bridge at Nanga Klassen."
Desmond said the suspension bridge was the only way to Sekolah Rendah Nanga Klassem and although the elected representatives had tried their best to get financial support from the relevant agencies, their bid failed to get any attention due to bureaucratic problems and financial constraints.
"I am monitoring the progress of the project and this proved that the prime minister's website has made it easier and faster to channel development funds to those who urgently need it."
He said the prime minister had illustrated the power of the Internet in disseminating and getting information and he had taken action in the interest of the targeted groups.
This, Desmond added, should be emulated by other leaders.
The blogger also called for more of Najib's walkabouts in rural areas as not many villagers had the opportunity to meet and shake hands with the prime minister.
He hoped an event such as the tea party with the prime minister would not be the last as it could be used as an alternative medium to listen to various problems from the grassroots.
"The best thing during the event was that Najib and his online friends were willing to exchange ideas for the sake of the nation." -- Bernama
Monday, April 12, 2010
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