Camerons Tea, Anyone?

The last week has been a very active one. At work, there seems to be so much to do, and never enough time to get things done. Despite having loads of tender related work to do, I had to be out of office for two days, to attend a work-related conference, held for the first time in KL. As soon as that ended, it was off to Cameron Highlands for a workshop held for Pemuda MIC and Putera MIC leaders. I guess balancing work and politics is something that I am going to have to master. It is definitely not easy, as my job requires a lot of travelling.

'Bengkel Anjakan Paradigma Kepimpinan Pemuda MIC' turned out to be an experience to be cherished. The ideas and opinions put forward were truly constructive, and the entire event was conducted professionally. I have attended many a seminar and workshop that are held just for the sake of holding one. But this time, one could sense that the leaders were truly keen to listen to what the other state, bureau and Putera leaders had to say. I left Camerons with two things. First, I made many new friends, friends who are determined to do their part for the community. Second, I found a rejuvenated sense of hope and pride in being a part of the young leaders of the MIC. Hope, because I know that things are really being put in place for Pemuda MIC to bounce back stronger than ever. Pride because I am a part of this dedicated team.

On our way back from Camerons, we stopped at a roadside stall selling fresh farm produce. As some of us were still wearing our MIC uniforms, the stall owner smiled, pointed to the logo on our shirt, and told us "If not for YB Devamani (MIC-BN MP for Cameron Highlands, Deputy Minister) my son would be a drug addict today. He has helped my family so much. I will never forget his help. He helped my son overcome his problem, got him into a college and today my son is an engineer."

It is the small things like this that motivates one to carry on and serve the community in whatever way we can, at a time when just about everyone seems to have forgotten all the things the MIC has done. One can't help feeling a sense of pride when a party leader is spoken about with so much affection by the people who elected him as their representative. YB Devamani, my former teacher, is definitely one of the more spirited leaders in the MIC, and his energy and enthusiasm is not only motivating, it is addictive.

Camerons aside, with my new appointment as the Putera Chief of Selangor, in addition to my National posts, I will be shouldering a fair bit of new responsibilities. It will be a lot of work, but I will definitely give it all that I have. I know I have a good team with me, and together, we will rebuild Putera MIC Selangor and return it to the shining state that it once was. In the meantime, I welcome suggestions from all, on what kind of things they would like to see from Putera MIC Selangor. Talk to me, give me ideas, tell me what you want, and in return, I will work hard for you.