[The CHARADE goes on in Malaysia] WHEN Ferdinand Marcos ruled the Philippines with an iron fist, few things could go wrong, and when it did, the solution was drastic. Some crooked traders had caused an artificial shortage of sugar and prices started spiralling because demand outweighed supply. Marcos called for a meeting at his office to discuss the issue and to find a solution. Just shoot one or two traders who are hoarding and the sugar will find its way to the shelves in the shops, someone at the meeting remarked, apparently in jest. Veteran journalist Gerry Delilkhan, one of the founding editors of the now-defunct Asia Magazine, who worked extensively in Asia recalled that the next morning, three traders were found dead – shot in the head. As expected, there was no shortage of any commodity thereafter. At a gathering of journalists in Colombo last year, Delilkhan was quick to add that it could have been merely coincidental and may not have been a presidential order. No one would go to such extremes but there are times when necessity demands that people are held accountable for their actions or inaction. Last week, for the fourth time in three years, the ultra-modern Serdang Hospital was in the headlines for the wrong reason. Several ceiling slabs collapsed at the intensive care unit for newborn babies, but no injuries were reported. On Sept 30, the maternity ward ceiling collapsed, and before that three nurses and a medical officer were injured when the ceiling came down at the Emergency Department on Aug 13, 2012. The first collapse happened on Jan 30, 2011, at the main lobby, but no one was hurt. To date, we have not heard of the reasons for the collapse or any form of action against those responsible for these incidents. Instead, we are told that there have been structural defects and remedial measures are taking place. But at whose expense? The taxpayer continues to pay for the shoddy, slip-shod manner in which public amenities are built and as usual, the abang-adik disease starts spreading like the plague. People in authority quickly retreat into their cocoon; those who are responsible use extra-strong plaster to seal their lips; and muscled-men prevent journalists from getting near the scene of the incident. The word accountability is dead in our administrative system – not exactly buried and entombed in concrete. It is resurrected and used extensively when elections approach, after which it returns to its grave. It is no use barking at the health minister. Although the hospital is under his purview, the construction was commissioned by the Public Works Department whose responsibility it is to ensure that the work was done in accordance with the plans and specifications. A day after the collapse of the ceiling slabs at the hospital on Sept 30, Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof told Parliament that the government may take the contractor who built the hospital to court if the company is found responsible for the collapse. This is utter bunkum. This is the simplest answer to pull wool over peoples eyes. Almost seven weeks after the incident, the silence continues to be deafening. Who was the supervising engineer? And shouldnt he be taken to task for not ensuring quality work? A structure like the iconic Sultan Abdul Samad building in the heart of Kuala Lumpur was built more than 100 years ago and has withstood wear and tear after all these years. With modern technology and more durable materials, why are we continuing to have such debacles? The answer lies in the administrations lack of will and determination to hold organisations and its leaders responsible and accountable. We continue to ignore lapses giving the idea that such practices will be condoned. We continue to protect the guilty parties in line with the so-called Asian values of being able to forgive and forget. We continue to pamper errant contractors giving the idea that they will never be punished for not being able to deliver or when sub-standard end-products are delivered. This is the malaise that has found a permanent and deep-rooted place in the administrative system. It continues to infect and contaminate our society with all kinds of pestilence. And yet, no one in authority has the gall and guts to stand up and say: Enough is enough. So, the charade continues as we, taxpayers, continue to dig deeper into our pockets to pay for faults, blunders, bungles and gaffes of the administrators. When will it stop and when will the word accountability be given its due respect? All right-thinking Malaysians wait with bated breath for the answer. The Sundaily Full article: malaysia-chronicle/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=189242:the-charade-goes-on-in-malaysia&Itemid=2#ixzz2l4YE1rP9 Follow us: @MsiaChronicle on Twitter
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 06:59:48 +0000
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