Talking of Vision 2020 as envisioned by our country leaders that requires to move the masses to achieve a developed nation standard by 2020, somehow gives me a slight blurry vision, if current or present situations of our nation are to be taken into consideration. Why? Simple, all ingredients needed (basics)for nationhood building still not firmly rooted. This may cause growing up to be a matured country by that age be a little stunted. Comparatively, we can liken a nation growth as a `person's growth' along his/her path to be an outstanding individual or a mediocre member among the best or least rank higher than a certain acceptable standard. In fact, even Singapore had refused to call herself as first world country because the inhabitants are still far cry below mark to have the kind of mental maturity to be a first class nation albeit having strings of A class infrastructures or top notched management resources at her disposal.
Just go around any neighbourhood in Malaysia, (Taman), most of it will not have an efficient transport system. If we were to benchmark Singapore, every housing area are connected to a main station via a feeder service bus providers that connect public to a main station, thence to series of other network of transport the public wish to take, like MRT, cabs and buses. Effective transport management and an efficient system. If you look at our system of transport, wow, to just to get from one place to another is such a hassle and tiring phenomena unless a family owns their own vehicle/mobile. We lack a feeder system to a localised satellite transport network that will encourage public to leave their own vehicle at home. Even in Japan, a director of a company takes public transport to work. Why we can't do that here?!
So much so everyone is jumping into the conclusion blaming the road congestion due to increased vehicles as main reason of poor transport. We resort to do more road networks that doesn't contribute to elevating or solving the basic issues.I am not being pessimistic nor scorning here, but these are real problems viewed from a grassroots level. Basic things that every common people do feel and be frustrated as to why local authorities unable to to solve simple issues yet we are talking about higher goals that escalate many social problems, spending billions of dollars ringgit unwisely in the name of development.
Look at housing area for the low income groups. So congested, dirty, not to a standard. Just built for the sake of building., no proper maintenance, no control and haphazard management housing system.If any problem arises, then only talk and discuss about it. These are old fashioned way of problem solving. Instead of having clear plan as how low cost housing area to be built with quality way of life to citizens of country, we just try to do patch work.
It amuses me when I saw a billboard erected at all strategic location along roadways comparing price items or gas from different ASEAN countries. Are our people that low in their mental capabilities? Come on, its just a an insult to or common sense. We need to compare with those items that need to be bench marked as how we are comparing in terms of governance, deliverance, management, technical aspects of proper housekeeping a neighborhood. If we look at most housing area, rubbish are strewn all over the place. To add to this many foreign workers to become a source of litter bugs everywhere. Look the area of Desa Cemerlang, Ulu Tiram, Johor Bahru, for example, you can just be horrified the way the rubbish are being thrown out at the alleys of shop houses, factory lots. No control, even they are scoot free to do as they please without any real punishment.
In Singapore, there are plain cloth undercover preventive officers who will `catch' litter bugs and issue ``summon tickets' that are subjected to attend court and pay fines or jail sentences for repeat offenders. I still remember in my childhood, each area of housing or government quarters, there will be a person (usually old lady or man) who will cleanup the surrounding areas and keep the locality tidy and neat. the long grown grasses (lalangs) will be trimmed at kept neat. Simple surroundings, yet so refreshing a view! I missed that kind of environment!! Now, we have to pay for it if wanted to go to a place where things are well kept and beautifully managed.(The memorial parks are excellent place nevertheless-ha-ha!!)
Gone are the days where we have high civic mindedness. The ever non stop pursue of material desires left us ``uncaring'' towards each other. We used to be so loving and taking care each other regardless of race and religion. Now this high pursuit of wanting to be rich at all cost caused us to drift apart and be antagonistic. I used to call neighbours father as `ayah', stay at their home during weekends, etc and vice verse. We as kids grace all open houses as a group of mixed races children and attend every house we could to collect ``extra money'' during major festivals. Where is that spirit gone now? Who changed that character of our society?
Such a rich nation with all resources, we're struggling move forward. We have the capability, all natural resources, people, rich and religiously inclined as compared to say people in countries like Japan, yet we're are still way behind though we know we are much better than we thought off. The reason I could think off is the big ``A'' in ``attitude'' and nothing to do with culture. We all from a good and excellent culture of various ethnics, just the right attitude is not there! To the Japanese, his work is God! They do the best to their `God'a.k.a work, naturally, their results are always for the highest goodness.
We built everything big and high to match others and proud off but we fail to built right attitude amongst our citizens. We allow mediocrity to creep in in every aspect of life. Solving problem via `money' or ``goodies'', short-cutting or circumventing to make work easier rather than taking the correct and right way in problem solving for long lasting positive effects. My list goes on and on...
Well, I concede, I don't have many solution for all, but I know very well that a nation progress depends on good leaders. Progressive, far sighted, fair,just, see and treat all as equal. Any man of God will always be doing the right thing! Errors a minor hiccups, self correction will be done and move on achieving common goals of his/her people.
Lets hope for a new dawn. My wishes are many that we could cherish one day in near future be a truly a nation of First World standard. Till then I can only pray hard and do whatever I can to help and be part of that grand vision!
