Friday, November 16, 2007

Belum Shocker & Shocker Broom


Strange isn't it? - completed in 2004 and still unoccupied till Nov 2007.
Something is very fishy. Could be the Toman fish, or maybe the expensive Kelah!

An interesting opinion from The Star, Friday November 16, 2007

A familiar chain of reactions

PARDON the pun but I was appalled when I read your headline shocker “Belum shocker” (The Star, Nov 15).

Again, it shows how short our memory is when it comes to safety. Skirt the issue and remain in denial if we want, but stupidity is the order of the day.

Do we need another tragedy ala Highland Towers to knock sense into the powers-that-be? What’s the use of remedial measures when the obvious signs of imminent danger appear and with tragedy rearing its ugly head?

The statements made by various quarters in the aftermath smack of our typical Malaysian way of handling a disaster – the ACA will be called in to probe, the contractor/s responsible will be hauled up, the services of a consultant will be secured to investigate the cause of the collapse, ad nauseam.

This chain of reactions is all too familiar to us. This vicious cycle clearly haunts us, and every now and then when a tragedy of such magnitude happens, we will hear the baying for blood.
The fatal bus crash in Perak not too long ago, and the more recent ferry disaster of Pulau Tioman certainly ring loud. The sure things emerging from investigations into such tragedies are the blatant disregard for enforcement and the failure to adhere to regulations and specifications.
Next thing we know, we spend more resources to set up a panel of inquiry.
How many more Belum shockers, Highland Towers collapses, bus crashes, ferry tragedies do we need before we really do something?

I dread to think of what it entails in terms of resources to find out the cause of this collapse. One pertinent question begs to be answered – was there adequate survey and research conducted to ascertain the suitability of the site?

While we are here tightening our purses with the recent rise in price of several essential goods and bracing for further fuel and toll increases, we see RM4.5mil being swept away (again, pun intended).

We are told to live within our means while we struggle to manage our purse-strings on our retarded salaries. But, the cries from the masses are often muffled by irresponsible authorities that do not realise that a stroke of their pen could mean the end of some lives.

We can count our blessings that we suffered no casualties in Belum.
But, really, we need to go back to the drawing board, examine our own conscience and wield the proverbial stick, if necessary, to ensure no corners are cut, no regulations flouted and, in one fell swoop, weed out the corrupted.



Kudos to Selangor Mentri Besar with his latest move to ensure that under-performers are appropriately “rewarded”.

There will be dissatisfaction by some due to the social connotation of shame and humiliation, but we need not fear if we live by our conscience and do not shortchange anyone in our dealings with them.

CAROL LEI,
Kuala Lumpur.
MALAYSIA BOLEH!

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