Floods

Dear Editor

The recent floods that devastated parts of Peninsular Malaysia is but another warning to us of our wanton disregard for the environment. Our infamous "tidak apa" attitude has now brought blood onto our hands. Be it the lackadaisical attitude towards enforcing hillside development, destruction of our forests and mangrove, excessive development, our seeming penchant for indiscriminate littering, the list just goes on.

What we are suffering now are years of neglect and utter disregard for our own well-being. While many would vehemently complain on social media about the condition of our waterways, blocked drainage, poor enforcement, many  more would not bat an eyelid indulging in littering and indiscriminate dumping. Many more regard cleaning the drains in their front or backyard as the work of the local authorities. And what do we get in return? Flooding.

We have corporate citizens that think nothing of removing great swathes of land from their flora and fauna in the name of development. Hills and highlands are indiscriminately cut just so that more and more concrete jungle may be built. Many more would think nothing of poisoning our waterways with their wayward actions, yet these same groups will turn blue in the face when faced with water cuts, water shortages impacting their operations.

So now here we are again facing floods, landslides, yet a new Covid variant, many more deaths from our own action and inaction. When will we learn? When will we get it that we need to pay serious attention towards our environment, our climate? When will we have citizens that are proud to live in a pristine environment and surrounding? When will we have true and fair enforcement that places integrity and quality of their work above all else? Until that happens please expect for these floods, landslides, pandemics to continue.