(Kuching, 3rd) Politicians are also ordinary people, and entering politics is to serve more people!
Statuperrin MP and Padungan State Assemblyman, as well as former President of the Rotary Club of South Kuching, Chong Chieng Jen, took the time for an online interview with Foo King Long, the general coordinator of the Castle Peak Rotary Club's 'Huayang' magazine, where he shared some of the 'unknown' aspects of being a politician, emphasizing that the original intention of entering politics aligns with the Rotary Club's advocacy of serving more people.
In the interview, Chong Chieng Jen stated that many people seem to have the impression that politicians are 'out of reach', but in reality, politicians are just like ordinary people, experiencing birth, aging, illness, and death, with the full range of human emotions.
He talked about a funny incident. Yesterday, he went to a clinic for a check-up and met a lady. She smiled and said 'Happy New Year' to him. Then, she asked a question that made him not know whether to laugh or cry: 'Do you also get sick?'
Chong Chieng Jen laughed, saying that the lady's question made him confused for a moment. It also reflects the stereotypical impression some people have of politicians.
Therefore, he hopes to use this opportunity to let everyone understand that politicians are not 'special creatures' placed high above, but ordinary people just like everyone else.
'Actually, we are just like everyone else, ordinary people. We have our interests and hobbies, like I enjoy playing ball, drinking with friends, and chatting. Occasionally, I'll also buy lottery tickets.'
At the same time, Chong Chieng Jen also admitted that as an MP and State Assemblyman, most of his time is spent serving the constituents.
When asked why he chose the political path, he pointed out that it might be largely related to his family background. His father, Chong Chieng Jen, was a politician himself and one of the founding elders of the Sarawak DAP. However, during his middle school days, he didn't have much interest in politics.
'At that time, when he opened the newspaper, it was more to read sports news, entertainment news, and follow the martial arts novels in the Chinese newspapers, like Jin Yong's 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes'; political news was just something he would skim through the headlines.'
He revealed that it was when DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang came to his father's house one day that rumors of him joining the DAP began, and it was even reported in the newspapers.
'At that time, he didn't particularly resist, because he grew up in a DAP family, so he didn't actively clarify the rumors. He just went with the flow, and that’s how he 'accidentally' embarked on the path of politics.'
As for how he joined the Rotary Club, Chong Chieng Jen said it was through the introduction of friends. At that time, he had just entered the workforce and hoped to meet more friends. After joining the Rotary Club, he met many like-minded people, and they participated in social service work together, which was very meaningful.
He revealed that at that time, the club's membership was not large, so he was quickly elected to serve as the president of the Rotary Club of South Kuching during 2004-2005.
Meanwhile, he was also elected as a Member of Parliament for Kuching City in 2004. Due to his tight schedule, he sometimes couldn't attend all the Rotary Club meetings.
But even so, he still tried his best to participate in Rotary Club activities and continued to contribute to society.