Hey, committee members ... my tap is leaking!

Dear Residents,

Today, I would like to relate to you a story which had happened this morning.

This morning, my wife went to do her usual shopping at the shops nearby. The moment she stepped out of our house, she heard someone crying out to her from behind. It was our neighbour’s wife. She managed to catch up with my wife and while trying to catch her breath asked my wife if I am a committee member, to which she replied “yes”.

The lady immediately started to complain to her about the stray dogs that were roaming around the playground. She said, “as a committee member, your husband should do something about it”.

My wife replied politely that the only thing to do was to complain to MPSJ and hope that they will do something about it. The lady was lamenting the fact that the dogs were a nuisance and a potential danger to women, children and old folks. My wife said she will inform me and they then parted ways.

I was about to leave the house for my office when she came home. She then told me about our neighbour’s wife complaint and what she suggested I, as a committee member, should do. I was fuming mad when I heard it.

Indeed, the lady was lucky she did not meet me personally and told me about the stray dog problem! She would have gotten an earful from me!!

Such are the apathy that we have in our neighbourhood. This lady (by the way, they live in a renovated house with a few cars but do not pay subscription because they are "retired" people) had the gall to complain to us about such problems and expect us to solve it!

I mean, is that our job? Really?

So what if we are committee members? Are we suppose to look into every single problem there is? I did not volunteer as a Committee member to run errands or to take care of everyone's problems. I mean, why can’t she complain to the MPSJ herself?

Take up the responsibility and stop passing the buck if you feel strongly about something.

No. Instead, such people with such apathy take the easy way out. They expect the Committee members to solve all the problems for them. We are all working people like everyone else and have families and commitments (including financials) to take care of. We do not get a salary for being a Committee member.

I am so disappointed with such people. When will they learn to help themselves? When will they, for a moment, think of others? We live in a community where we have to lend a helping hand to each other not isolate and expect others to do “pick up our rubbish”!

I am sure we are not short of such people in our area. I have a good mind to expose them in this blog but because I would like to show some respect for them, I will not. For now, anyway! I hope this lady will read this article and hopefully get my message.

Look lady, I am not here to do everything for you and I speak on behalf of all the Committee members. If situation is such that you can help yourself, please just do so. Don’t wait for us to solve all your problems. Be fair! And pay up your share of the security that you enjoy. Don't be a free loader to your neighbours.

Jeffrey Khoo
Advisor
11 Trees @ USJ