Sunday 6 September 2020

7.2 million people live in the Klang Valley and Air Selangor is the sole provider

By yesterday evening (Saturday 5 September) this was just about all we had left of our water supply.



The black container is almost half-full plus another half-bucket. 


We also had a bucket of water in the kitchen for drinking water and washing-up plus a laundry-basin full in the bathroom.  The spouse and Ash, since late Thursday, had carried about eight buckets of water upstairs for toiletry use.

Prior to this at about 11 am on the same day, our nephew Shah delivered these.



Most of the supermarkets had run out of bottled water.  He was at Great Eastern Mall when he saw a big stock of bottled water.  I cannot guess how many he bought, but enough to supply his parents and sister, Pak Ngah and Mak Ngah and his family of five.

Bless you Shah and thank you for your kindness and generosity.  




When this sturdy young man and Water Boy came to our house yesterday, I recall that 1981 photograph of us in the Boon Lay flat.  That cheeky grin is still with you today.


I tried to understand why the Klang Valley was brought down to its knees when we were deprived of our right to water in the richest and most developed State in the Peninsula.  This answers it all.


 The Victims are on the left and the Perpetrators are on the right.


I remember reading this poem/proverb when I was in Secondary School and I now find it very apt for understanding and explaining why things get botched up the way they do.  All  it takes to do a task properly is to plan and prepare ahead and to keep on eye on the details.

 

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.

For want of a shoe the horse was lost.

For want of a horse the rider was lost.

For want of a rider the message was lost.

For want of a message the battle was lost.

For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.


Today, looking on at the political jiggery-pokery that's going on in Malaysia,  I thought I'd take liberties and commit poetic licence by re-jigging the poem to fit this country which,  after the premiership of Tun Razak,  has been led by the likes of people akin to the "Emperor's New Clothes".

The missing crucial ingredient in this Tanah Pusaka is not a nail or any other tool.  It is lacking integrity, an element sadly deficient in a nation which boasts  so many highways, cars, universities, mosques, churches, temples, schools, people with PhDs, tycoons, CEOs, international bankers, mega-billionaires (both men and women) AND a Parliament!

Here's my take.


For want of integrity the direction was lost.

For want of direction the probity was lost.

For want of probity the leadership was lost.

For want of leadership the morality was lost.

For want of morality the cause was lost.

For want of a cause the Tanah Air was lost.

And all for the want of integrity.


To add salt to the cut, the authorities and the media - in referring to the areas affected -constantly mention the number as being 1.2 million consumer accounts.



How disingenuous!  We who live in Klang Valley are not just an accountant's digit.  For every consumer account there would be an average of at least five human beings living with that account holder.  Multiply 1.2 million by 5 or 6  or 7 !!  How well they camouflage and massage the figures -  no integrity

Malaysia Boleh and Malaysia Baru has transmogrified into Malaysia Boh Liau and Malaysia Ilek.

Have a glorious Malaysia Day from all the residents of Klang Valley.



 




1 comment:

Zelda Supreme said...

It reminds me of two lines in A Samad Said's the dead crow.

This land is so rich
Why should we suffer like this?

This water disruption is the cherry on top of decades of corruption and incompetence.

With the billions of tax dollars plundered by our self-serving politicians and their cronies, we could have easily become as developed as Japan, Australia or Singapore. Instead we celebrate 2020 as a developing country and with widespread water supply disruption.

Corruption in our law enforcement agencies has allowed these illegal factories to mushroom at the source of our water supply and now the chickens have come home to roost.

Where is the leadership? Or are they only interested in plundering the system and keeping their positions.

As they do so, they divide the ikan bilis like us using race and religion.