MARCH 6 — Deputy minister of science, technology and innovation Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah shot to international stardom overnight with his sit-in protest on a pothole along Jalan Bukit Berlian in Bukit Rambai. Of course, this is nothing to celebrate.
Potholes on the roads will endanger the lives of road users and the local authorities should have repaired them as soon as possible. Unfortunately even after our deputy minister had filed a complaint, the authorities were still unmoved, forcing him to stage a sit-in to register his frustration.
The news instantly drew international attention probably because such a minor issue had weirdly warranted the intervention by a deputy minister. To make things worse, the deputy minister had to stage a sit-in protest common among members of NGOs and opposition parties in order to send his message across.
Sure enough this ridiculous news would not skip the attention of the global media who look at it with much amusement at the embarrassment of our fellow countrymen.
Users of Jalan Bukit Berlian are luckier, as the problem has drawn the instant attention of the authorities who have promised to fix the problem in days, after the deputy minister posted the picture of him sitting in a pothole on his Facebook account. But, what about the tens of thousands of other potholes littered all around the country?
Malaysian motorists are well familiar with potholes because we are bound to hit one no matter how careful we drive or how alert we are trying to skirt them. Potholes have become a norm in Malaysian driving.
A recent study by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) shows that potholes are among the major factors causing accidents among motorcyclists. Despite the fact that the authorities are well aware of the seriousness of this issue, potholes are still very much existent all around us.
Unrepaired potholes reflect the inefficiency on the part of the local governments. The presence of potholes is by no means a major issue of national importance but one that affects the day-to-day lives of local residents. The local authorities or property owners should have got the problem fixed immediately for the safety of motorists. Unfortunately, such a problem is often overlooked or dismissed as immaterial. Because of this, our elected reps have to double up as local government officials, checking the drains and paving potholed roads.
Our elected reps and cabinet members have their own share of work to do and should focus on major issues affecting the country or their respective constituencies instead of worrying about monsoon drains and potholes.
The government must have a set of mechanisms to ensure that relevant agencies carry out their job duties conscientiously for the safety and overall well-being of the public so that elected reps and cabinet members can put their time and effort on more crucial things they are supposed to be responsible for.
A pothole must not be fixed only after a deputy minister has staged a sit-in. Our YB may not have the time and energy to inspect every of the tens of thousands of potholes littered all around our cities and towns. — Sin Chew Daily
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
