AUGUST 5 — The world has just calmed down from the World Cup fever and unexpectedly, a series of horrible disasters follows. Three plane incidents, a war and a massive explosion, one after another, disasters have claimed thousands of lives and the July of 2014 had actually bade us farewell in such a tragic and unbearable way!
In just seven days, a total of 464 people were killed in three major civil flight crashes. The world is in deep sorrow. We pray for the deceased to rest in peace while comforting the living to stay strong.
Unexpectedly, a series of powerful gas blasts killed at least 28 people and injured up to 292 on August 1 in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The cause of the explosions is still being investigated.
Also in July, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been caught in an intractable impasse. With its strong military, Israel had repeatedly launched air strikes against Hamas in Gaza. Even refugee camps and UN-run schools were not spared in the brutal war. More than a thousand of lives have been claimed by gunfire and 20 per cent of them are children. Could justice be actually served?
Peace does not come with August. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues, while a massive explosion ripped through a Taiwanese-owned factory in Kunshan, eastern China, killing 68 people and injuring nearly 200 on August 2.
Could the tragedies and misfortune continue in August?
There is another thing troubling the world in August – the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in western Africa has gone out of control. It has so far killed 729 people in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, while having a high risk of spreading to other countries. The Ebola mortality can reach 50 per cent and even up to 90 per cent. Humans can make all kinds of weapons to destroy the world, but why not cure to save it?
Let’s shift the focus back to Malaysia.
Two aviation incidents have shocked the people and put the country in grief. In the face of the national crises, the people’s nerve of patriotism was touched. Unfortunately, the political turmoil in Selangor, as well as the continuous hudud law controversy have again caught the people in the realm of confusion amidst the war of words between the ruling and alternative coalitions.
In southern Peninsula, the Vehicle Entry Permit fees and toll rate hikes by both Singapore and Malaysia seem to have staged a war of tolls, causing people’s discontentment and even sparked a protest by factory bus drivers who stopped their vehicles metres away from the entrance of the Sultan Iskandar Customs and Immigration Checkpoint (CIQ) building. It is indeed a thorny problem!
Life is unpredictable and things change. We can still go through it and face it strongly after wiping off the tears. It is what we learned in July. We dare not to hope for too many good things in August, but we still hope that everyone can stay calm and strong, and cherish every day!
This article was first published here.
*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
