AUG 27 — There are three arguments about the recent Genting Highlands bus tragedy.
Firstly, the bus brakes failed, the driver was unable to control the speed and, thus, it plunged into the ravine.
Secondly, the driver went mad after being dangerously overtaken by a car and, thus, started to chase the car. Eventually, the bus lost control and plunged into the ravine.
Thirdly, the brake system was not functioning well and the driver’s mood was disrupted after having a dispute with a car driver. The bus lost control when it reached a sloping corner, the distracted driver missed the buffer zone and the steep bend intensified the momentum. The three concurrent forces have denied any possibilities of reversing the tragedy.
So far, no one can tell which argument is more accurate. We can only get glimpses of the situation at that time based on the scattered memory of the survivors.
Indeed, the people have made many complaints and accusations, including overloading, lax supervision and not making it compulsory to fasten safety belts. The bus operator, as well as related government departments, has been severely condemned.
These accusations are undeniable. However, it is easy to blame these external factors but it is not easy to rectify these complex and varied causes. It is even quite impossible to eliminate them.
In fact, it is ourselves that can be changed, are able to change and are easy to change.
A scene flashed in my head: everything was frozen when the bus was plunging into the ravine, as if someone had pressed the pause button on a remote control.
And it was rewound to a second, a minute and an hour before the accident.
An hour ago, the driver noticed that the brake was not functioning well and immediately cancelled the bus service.
A minute ago, when the bus almost collided with a car that dangerously overtook it, the bus driver took a deep breath and instead of yelling at the car driver, he tried to calm down and told himself: “Don’t get angry, it’s OK as nothing worse happened.”
A second ago, the moment before the bus lost control, the driver acted decisively when he saw the buffer zone and turned the wheel, everyone was safe.
“Attitude” explains all. And every decision counts.
I encountered a similar situation last week.
I moved forward at a normal and legitimate speed when the traffic light turned green.
When I reached a junction, a speeding car suddenly appeared on my left and when it almost hit my car, I slammed on the brakes and the car sped off in front of me.
Before I was able to calm down from the shock, the car driver spat curses while making a vulgar finger gesture at me.
He was the one who violated the traffic rules and drove dangerously but still insulted others with foul language and vulgar finger gestures. Who wouldn’t get angry in the face of such bullying and provocative acts?
I honked and flashed my car lights, stepped on the petrol pedal and chased him. I spat back at him and made a vulgar finger gesture.
To be honest, the thought did really flash in my head. However, I changed my attitude within a minute and put off my anger with a bucket of cold water in my heart.
It is true that the law was on my side. But the road is relentless and road bullies are barbaric. Is it worthwhile to put myself at risk?
He was a road bully and might also be a criminal. If I had chased him, I might have to face a parang or gun.
So what even if I was right and got the world’s sympathy?
The world is a dangerous place! That is what I told myself. And then I slowed down, and let the car pull away arrogantly.
At least, I saved my life, as well as that of my family members’.
Meanwhile, more than 800 gang members were detained and five suspected gangsters were shot dead in the police’s Ops Cantas Khas. It seems to have suppressed the gangs’ arrogance.
No, the words “RIP” and “Gang 04” were sprayed on the walls of a number of public places and even police stations.
Subsequently, the funerals seemed to be a kind of declaration. Gang members, with passion greater than mourning, paraded in the streets with banners bearing the Gang 04 logo.
As Winston Churchill said: “It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Have you ever watched any Indian gangster movies?
Bollywood movies, based in Northern India, are the mainstream and have spread to the whole India, as well as the world.
However, other movie centres such as Gujarat in the northwest of India, West Bengal in the east and Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the south have their own movie industry and they portray their cultures in their own languages.
Most Malaysian Indians are from Tamil Nadu while gangster movies from Tamil Nadu differ greatly from Bollywood gangster movies.
Bollywood crime movies generally show that the police are good while criminals are bad. Fighting crimes is always the major theme.
Gangster movies from Tamil Nadu, however, always show bad guys in the police while the outlaws are tragic heroes, who are forced to commit crimes to help the poor.
I have watched a Tamil Nadu movie adapted from a true story. A decent woman was captured and made wife of the head of a syndicate and eventually, she led the gang to fight the government.
Her gang was annihilated and she was arrested. After her release, she joined politics and was elected. Eventually, she became a leader loved by many people.
Under the caste system, the people of Tamil Nadu have long been discriminated and suppressed and this has led to their doughty personality and unique culture.
Committing crimes is actually a means to rebel against society, and criminal behaviour is seen as saying no to oppression. It blurs the boundary between criminals and heroes.
Today, the Malaysian Indian community is facing a serious crime problem. It is, of course, directly related to education and the economy. At the same time, the inherited tragic and fatalistic culture is actually playing a far-reaching role, too.
The tragic song of the Tamil Nadu continues and the crime culture is not likely to vanish so easily. The world is still a very dangerous place. — mysinchew.com
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.
