MARCH 21 — Nothing could have prepared us for the nightmare scenario of the missing MH370.
On March 8, that changed forever. The trajectory of our news worthiness was catapulted to the top spot of the world’s news organisations. For once it is not about the US or Russia or China.
For once, it is a tiny country south of the equator that is in the crosshairs of the international media. A country that is no one’s enemy, largely peaceful save for its political fever that comes in waves like the tropical dengue fever that this writer has had the misfortunate to personally suffer from not once, but twice so far.
As Malaysians and the world struggle to make sense of what could have happened to MH370, as we gobble up every morsel of this possible theory — or that one — there is one thread that cannot be denied.
If the hijacking theory is proven right, it will show that no country is ‘off the table’ when it comes to those who have nefarious intent.
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia was catapulted to the top spot of the world news cycle when the Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane went missing. — Reuters pic
This singular reality will become a game changer in air and sea security of nations. It will shadow our lives for years to come — a chilling ‘new normal’ that is the stuff of nightmare scenarios that used to reside in the pages of science fiction and apocalyptic novels.
The storyline has become reality. The terror is real. There will be no neatly tied up endings. There may be no real answers…and even less sense in why someone would do something like this.
It almost feels like we’re in a twilight zone because nothing about this fits anything we have learned about hijackings since 9/11.
While we wait for a clearer picture to emerge, it is heartening to see Malaysians of all races and religions come together in this sea of sorrow to form an arc of hope.
To me, this coming together of Malaysians and the world to try and solve this mystery, is an important narrative for all of us going forward.
In our darkest hour, we are getting help from people from all over the world. Rich or poor countries, those with more sophisticated intelligence and those with less, people of differing faith and race, everyone is focused on finding the crew and passengers of MH370.
It has brought into sharp focus that we need others as much they need us. It is only by working together, bringing the best brains together, that we are likely to one day soon have the answers we so desperately need.
As for our lax security at entry, exit and transit points, we can either be defensive or we can pull the plug on incompetent people and weak systems. What we have allowed to happen for some time has made us a convenient transit area for the unforgivable — human and animal trafficking. This needs fixing and someone has to be willing to step on toes to get the job done.
We cannot keep going down the road of incompetence and negligence that threatens to derail our safety and security. The cocoon of complacency and the shrouded ‘transparency’ cannot continue to be the our standard operating procedure (SOP) as a nation.
The sense of superiority that has permeated our national consciousness for decades needs to be replaced by the reality that we need all decks on hand and that we must make space at all levels of governance for the best brains to get this country back on track.
Words like world-class country and world-class talent are increasingly sounding like broken records and tiresome political sound-bites without the substance to back it up.
Beyond that, the mystery of MH370 stunningly reveals that some in the corridors of power continue to operate in alternate reality where it’s business as usual.
Putrajaya announced it would be giving a briefing to Members of Parliament about the missing flight — but this is only for the ruling BN MP’s. Why? Because we are told, only the BN Backbenchers Club asked for it.
We are presumably sharing some of our most sensitive secrets with governments of other countries. Why deny the same information to the 89 Pakatan Rakyat MPs elected to office by 51 per cent of the electorate in 2013?
Does the government really want to tell the world that we trust foreign governments more than our opposition MPs?
In this darkest hour of our national crisis, this is incredulously insensitive and childish behaviour by the leadership.
That such people remain very much at the epicentre of our SOP as a nation remains a chilling thought.
* Faridah Hameed is the creator of the Language of Leadership for Women training series. Connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn or her website www.faridahhameed.com
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.
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