Cameron Highlands: The blame game starts

On Nov 5, mud flood and landslides in Cameron Highlands claimed five lives – one a teenager and others were foreign workers.

The five were 13-year-old R. Tunesh, Indonesian farm workers Suwalis, 40, Yunita, 41, Anipan, 48, and a Nepali vegetable farm worker Md. Yousuf Miya, 66.

Following the incident, 203 people from 47 families in Kampung Baru and Bertam Valley had to be evacuated.

Ever since the news broke out, the blame game began.

The government said it will weed out the illegal immigrants involved in illegal land clearing and illegal farming, drawing the ire of non-governmental organization Tenaganita.

Its director Aegile Fernandez said blaming the workers “illogical, ill-conceived, xenophobic” and does not address the root of the problem.

Rampant corrupt practices in the enforcement agencies were also said to have been the reason why there were so many illegal land clearing and farming allowed to operate.

Things were made worse when reports of surat kuning, or letter from the Palace, were said to be issued to those who want to clear or develop land.

The Pahang palace had since distanced itself from the issue, preferring the state government to handle the matter.

Then, yesterday, the Pahang Ruler, Sultan Ahmad Shah had openly admonished Cameron Highlands MP, Datuk Seri G. Palanivel for his inaction in handling the situation in his constituency.

“What has he done? Nothing… The people suffer mentally and physically when such incidents happen. The people voted him in but is this how he repays them?” the Ruler had said.

“I am embarrassed over this incident. Tell your minister to give importance to his constituency and do something about this quickly. I am serious about this,” he added.

Following the royal rebuke, others started pointing fingers at Palanivel and calls for his resignation came, even from within his party, the MIC, which he leads.

More are expected to jump on the bandwagon, placing the blame squarely on Palanivel who is also the Natural Resources and Environment Minister, as he would make an easy target.

But if we are going in that direction, then it is only fair that the state Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob should also be held responsible. After all, he has been the state MB since taking over from Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob in 1999.

In Malaysia, the culture of owning up, taking responsibility, apologising and going to the extent of even resigning, is still new.

We prefer to blame it on the person next to us, subordinates, foreigners, poor roads and last but not least, God – for the rains, among others.

Sadly, all these blame games and calls for resignation, will soon end, the moment we face another tragedy or issue.

Malaysians seem to have a very poor memory - we turn to another issue almost immediately, forgetting all about the one on hand when something new happens. And this gives the authorities especially politicians an easy way out – wait for things to settle down and then the people will forget.

Take the issue of bus crashes in the country for an example.

Following the Aug 21 bus tragedy last year which claimed 37 lives, an independent advisory panel to the transport minister came up with 51 recommendations.

One of the recommendations was that double-decker buses should not be used as they were not suitable for long distance or hilly roads as they would be unstable.

It has been nine months since the report came out, but nothing has changed. The recommendations stay as recommendation and the report is something the authorities would visit when another tragedy occurs.

Let’s not make the mistake this time with Cameron Highlands.