Malaysian government waits for disasters
January 31st, 2008 by quaintdoodlesIm no expert on politics. neither am i someone who’s indifferent towards the things that are happening around me. i observe, i read, i listen.
if it bugs me, i speak.
as of now, the thing that bugs me the MOST is the complacency of our Malaysian government in dealing with the current important and significant issues. instead, their focus is on building the widest, biggest, tallest, smartest, quickest, and might i add, most expensive, money-wasting projects that wont benefit anyone in the near future.
Here are some of the areas in which the government has chosen to "biarlah saja (sampai orang mati)":
Bukit Tinggi Quakes
There have been reports of several earthquakes happening in Bukit Tinggi, Pahang. Earthquakes!?… yes, earthquakes. These have been reported in the news and also newspapers…Malaysia actually has a faultline which has been dormant for the past 1.6 million years.
after several rare tremors at the end of 2007, the Meteorological Services Department has "assured" the rakyat that there is "no cause for concern" because these quakes are "rare and minor". however, it was recently reported in The Star that between 30 Nov 2007 and 14 Jan 2008, there were 13 minor earthquakes measuring 2.5 to 3.4 on the Richter scale" (23 Jan 2008, Nation).
and still, the Department insists that there is no reason to worry.
i may not be a pro at earthquakes, but simple common sense tells me that a "dormant" faultline which suddenly has 13 minor earthquakes within 1.5 months is something serious we should look at!!
has the government informed the public of what should be done in the event of an earthquake?
has the government directed the schools and hospitals of the necessary earthquake drills to be performed?
has the government made any effort at all to protect the rakyat in view of any impending disaster which may arise should the pressure at the so-called dormant faultline be increased?
i believe nothing has been done…except to tell the rakyat that we should go on with our simple lives…biarlah saja…until the disaster actually happens…then only will the "remedies" be given by the government, in the form of "tabung tragedi gempa bumi".
Mersing Ferry Tragedy
The 13 Oct 2007 tragedy is a representation of how the country is run - impressive laws and regulations, pathetic enforcement.
Regulation: Ship licence must be renewed annually.
Reality: Seagull’s licence had already expired in March 2006.
Regulation: To transport more than 12 passengers, the vessel needs to apply for a passenger cert.
Reality: Seagull’s passenger cert had expired since March 2005.
Express Bus Tragedies
Nobody needs an introduction to the many accidents involving express buses that have claimed many innocent lives.
Up till today, the rakyat still wonders the same thing - how in the world can express bus operators continue their businesses when their vehicles are faulty and do not possess the valid licences, plus their bus drivers have a string of traffic offences under their name?
shouldnt they have their permits revoked? shouldnt the drivers be suspended from driving? shouldnt the vehicles have failed the routine inspections?
Again, everything is left ignored, until a crisis strikes and then they offer compensation and the politicians visit the victims in the hospital, and the Prime Minister wants the case to be "investigated immediately".
Kampung Living
In Malaysia, the whole world is a kampung.
You can drive your car, wind down the window and litter. A passing policeman will stare at you.
You can find many "dilarang membuang sampah" signs…and right beneath them, you will find heaps of colourful rubbish. A passing policeman doesnt even notice them.
You can travel on your motorcycle, and your whole family can come along - wife, son, daughter and luggage bag. A passing policeman will wave and smile warmly.
You can sell DVDs in front of the kopitiam, which is right across the street from the police station. i wont say what a passing policeman will do.
You can dump plastic wastes in the drains and rivers. You can throw rubbish along the beaches. You can have open burning. You can smoke in non-smoking areas. You can chop down as many trees as you want. in other words, you can go ahead and kill the environment.
Ignore the traffic regulations, as long as you have spare cash and an influential emblem on your vehicle, you’re okaylah…policeman also break the rules what. Morever, if you get a fine, dont worry. wait until "discount period".
Build a house wherever you want, however big you want, whenever you want (before or after you obtain permit doesnt matter). again, spare cash makes all the difference. alternatively, you can say a simple apology and you’ll be forgiven because many others are also building wherever they want, however big they want…you get the picture…
Basically, if you plan to live a long life in Malaysia, have a kampung mentality.
In time to come, i’ll be showing my children the biggest, tallest, widest, longest, canggih-est, fastest buildings and infrastructures.
And they’ll be asking me, "then how come we are still a third-world country ah?"
