… As far as the pagoda is concerned, despite it is situated a long way from town and in remote area, I have been to this pagoda four times already – first in 1993, again in 1996, 2008 and now 2009 … Aside form the pagoda of Samraong, there are eight other achievements, according to HE Kang Hieng, Governor of Kompong Speu … They include water reservoir, which is supplying water not only for the pagoda use but also for people living around, … Throughout the country, and this makes me so happy, among 1000 pagodas, there are about at least 800 water reservoirs …
On top of information provided, the pagoda is an important one among others in the country, especially efforts made by Samdech Preah Dharma Likhet Luos Lai, with the help of HE Sim Vanna, who organized a Katina collecting sum of money for the sake of constructing various infrastructural needs … Because I am one of the students of Samdech Preah Dharma Likhet Luos Lai, I have, according to discussion among his students, decided that two Buddhist temples built in his residential pagoda in Phnom Penh at Sansam Kosal and the other at Van Raingsi here in Kompong Speu …
Having been elected by the people, CPP officials and I myself never consider us to be bosses but faithful and gentle servants of the people, except I have to act in law enforcement, who make efforts to keep social order and maintain social harmony, conduct free and fair elections in a liberal democratic, free from violence atmosphere last July 2008 … These achievements have been possible thanks to constant and continuing efforts made by HE Sai Chhum, former Governor of Kompong Speu and currently Vice President of the National Assembly, and HE Hem Khan, former Governor and currently member of Parliament … Perhaps by 2013, HE Kang Hieng also will have to become a parliamentarian as he is going to be older for the job …
Together with the above dignitaries, my late mother and my wife made various contributions for the development of the province both in terms of Buddhism and social harmony … When my mother was alive, a lot had she done to the people in Kom Pong Speu, take for example the pagoda of Kdai Lovea. My father has taken the role of continuing her help to Buddhist society in the area …
… I have directed two main projects – One is the project of development of western part of Phnom Penh, which includes districts of Samraong Torng, Chbar Mon, Kong Pisey of Kompong Speu province in connection with the district of Dangkao of Phnom Penh, and districts of Ang Snuol, Kandal Stoeung of Kandal and the district of Bati of Takeo, and the other is the project of development for Kompong Speu or northern part of Phnom Penh, which includes the district of Oral, Thpong and Udong of Kompong Speu and the districts of Kompong Tralach of Kompong Chhnang and Punnhealeu of Kandal …
Various achievements have been put into use while many others are under construction ranging from the water gates of Ta Vai, Korpeu Trom, reservoir of Anlong Jrei and Prambei Mom irrigation system … These are for the benefit of the people in this area and we need time, in addition to money, to get a good job done … As of today, HE Kang Hieng, the Governor told me there has yet any factory to close down in face of world financial crisis and economic downturn … Cambodia as a whole suffers the impact less than other countries because most of our workers have got their land waiting for them if they do not have job in factories … Unlike in industrial countries where workers have hard time when factories close as they do not have fall-back mechanism …
Having said so does not mean I wish to turn our people to work in the field but because there is less demand from countries placing orders to our products, as they are in serious shortage of money or jobs as well, they lessen their demands, the result of which affects a great deal to our production line and exports … What I have said just now is not for Kampong Speu province alone but for all of the workers and factories in Cambodia …
I have made leaders of ASEAN laughing when I said it was like a goat died and fell on the elephant’s feet when there was this Asian financial crisis, but now it is the elephant that fell over the goat … I wish the economies of Europe, the United States of America, China, Japan, Republic of Korea … to recover and reemerge so that economies in the region will get better … I urge our people to make efforts in producing food as no matter what happens I wish they have food for consumption … Some economic studies have predicted some countries to achieve not only less, but suffer negative growth … However, please pay attention to actual happening and not to predicted figures …■
