My Papa said that Malaysia is the safest country in the world. In this time and age, I do not think there is a “safest” place in the world anymore. Even my favourite hideout is a potential death trap. If it is not terrorist suicide bombers threatening world dominions that one has to worry about; closer to home, there are psychotic criminals, untreatable illnesses and freak accidents. Perhaps some causes of death are the force majeure clauses in our contract of life with God, but some, some could have been prevented.
The horrific events: The Murder of Canny Ong, struck a chord with me. Following its’ trial progress the last couple of days, a rather disturbing picture has thus far been painted by the Prosecutors. How is it so that a kidnapping literally in ‘broad daylight’ could have been executed in a country that is supposed to be ‘safe’? How is it that there were opportunities for citizens of our good country to save a young woman and the opportunities were overlooked? The young missus fate had not been sealed even as she sat in her Proton Tiara with her captor; she still had a chance; our citizens had sealed her fate. This goes to prove how social values are degenerating. What use is a country famed for Cyberjaya and Petronas Twin Towers; for its’ impressive technology when it is at the expense of social values?
What happened to good old neighbourliness, ‘kaks and bangs’ greetings, friendliness on the streets and general ‘KAYPONESS’? The Malaysia I grew up in? I see it disappearing as I grow up and Malaysia moves towards Vision 2020. If this is what Vision 2020 is going to be, a country so caught up in the rat race of becoming the bigger and better that socialising, helpfulness, willingness to get involved, outside a working environment is lost and forgotten; it is not part of a vision I want to share. I would not be proud to say I am Malaysian if that is what the country is trading up. It is not the Malaysia I grew up in and certainly not the one I want to return to.
Does this also reflect the inattentiveness of our police force? Of all the professions in the world, are they not the ones supposed to be upholding the law, PREVENTING crimes? Sure I have overlooked the fact that our police force in Malaysia have been known (and I can personally attest to it) for rasuah and political control. BUT, this time, this case, a reasonable bystander would have, and they did suspect something, and what more a police encounter? POLICEMEN. HELLO? Why are the bells not ringing? Should they have not been trained to be more sensitive than the average Ahmad on the street to be on the lookout for ‘weird’ or ‘stranger circumstances’? An abandoned chase, an abandoned intent to capture; all because they ‘could not see the car registration number’. Maybe as people, more so as the people who call themselves our ‘protectors’ should stop sitting on the backsides and receive bribes but be more attentive to their position as men of honour before the concepts of trust and safety they afford is lost.
The concept of Malaysia BOLEH, let’s not make it a parody of what it really means. We are a nation, I believe, a nation that can learn from this; that can and will redirect its course back on track with social values and moral turpitudes at its forefront (and this means more than making the children of the nation sit through 11 years of Pendidikan Moral classes) simply because we were brought up that way and least we forget for we are Malaysians.