Lack of safety awareness one of the main causes of major tragedies

PETALING JAYA: A lack of safety consciousness and public unwillingness to be aware of it are among the main causes of major accidents and tragedies in the country.

Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said he has been advocating the importance of safety for the last 10 years but very little heed has been paid to it.

He said one of the major problems in the country is the lack of a “maintenance culture”, which has a direct impact on safety.

“The poor maintenance culture in Malaysia gives rise to accidents and disasters. The safety culture in the country is very poor. The authorities and the public need to embrace safety and make it their priority.

“If the public are conscious about safety, they will take it upon themselves to ask questions about the safety of a location from the operator of the site,” he said when commenting on the Batang Kali tragedy, which has claimed the lives of 24 victims at press time.

Lee said campsite operators and others at holiday locations, especially those near hill slopes, should carry out a safety audit and pin a notice at a visible location before operating their businesses.

“It is just as worrying that many buildings in the country do not have a certificate of fitness or even a fire safety certificate. The big problem in this country is the authorities are reactive when it comes to safety, and not proactive at all. What happens when a building without a fire safety certificate catches fire? Only after lives are lost would the authorities act. But isn’t that too late for those who have lost their loved ones?”

Lee said safety must be on the minds of everyone, especially during the school holiday period when the monsoon season is also bearing down on the country.

While urging the authorities to close any location that could be disaster-prone, such as waterfalls or campsites near hills to avoid the loss of lives, he said the government cannot wait for disasters to happen before acting.

“It is high time the authorities start promoting the importance of safety. This will require a paradigm shift in thinking at all levels of government and the public. Many disasters are avoidable. It is the lack of enforcement that allows the operators of illegal holiday sites to continue their activities.”

Lee added that it was important for enforcement to be carried out fairly and justly, and called on the government to promote enforcement before another tragedy strikes.

Former civil servant and spokesperson for the G25 group of prominent Malays Datuk Noor Farida Mohd Ariffin said the tidak apa attitude among civil servants and the public is a major cause of concern as it is a cause of many tragedies in the country, adding that public safety projects take a long time to be carried out and implemented.

She pointed out that the flood mitigation project in the country has yet to be implemented.

“Corruption could be (one of the reasons) behind the lack of enforcement activities by the authorities. Sadly, they would only act once a tragedy occurs.

“Where is the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma)? They are well aware of the dangers the monsoon season poses. Why have they not carried out public safety programmes to warn the people about the dangers the monsoon can bring?”

Noor Farida said it was not too late to carry out a nationwide programme on the importance of safety, adding that the public needs to be made aware of the dangers that lurk at every location, such as campsites near hills or waterfalls, and stressed that the authorities should not wait until disaster strikes before acting.

“But the public also have a part to play. They too must think about safety, make it their priority and not rely solely on the government to protect them.

“One worrying factor is many buildings in the country do not have proper certificates, but continue to operate. So, why is this happening?”

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