True-blue journalists in this country will probably tell you that they started their journalism career writing ‘longkang’ (drain) stories.
That means writing about clogged drains in neighbourhoods that contribute to bigger issues like flash floods and the rise in dengue cases.
It is often viewed as a rite of passage, before the reporter “graduates” to bigger assignments, like covering the prime minister, or a major trial.
Clogged, dirty, polluted and even broken drains – chances are, most journalists worth his or her salt, would have probably written about these issues more than once, in the span of their careers.
And some, if not all, continue to write about this problem to this very day, as the issue does not seem to want to go away.
You can pass the buck to almost anyone when it comes to dirty drains – irresponsible people of all ages and from all walks of life, developers, and cleaners, to local councils who appear to have exhausted all means of trying to solve the problem.
The sad truth is, the condition of our drains is horrible, and in some places, are getting from bad to worse.
Clogged drains and stagnant water do not just cause a stench, but become breeding grounds for mosquitoes (read: dengue). This will in turn, lead to bigger problems, not just for the local communities, but also our healthcare system.
Polluted water flowing into the rivers will then become the bane of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, the Environment and Water Ministry, state governments, and their many agencies.
And then, there are those who seem to have no compunction about throwing their waste in drains, be it leftover curry, cooking oil, cement, or even furniture.
“Ain’t my problem” and “Let someone else clean it up” seem to be the way some people think. And they then wonder why flash floods occur whenever there’s a downpour.
Billions of ringgit have been spent on our drains nationwide – from building more of them, to widening them, and keeping them clean. While the lack of civic consciousness is apparent, one cannot help but wonder if there will come a time when clogged and smelly drains will be a thing of the past.
True, this is not something peculiar to Malaysia. It is a global problem.
What is the point of clearing a badly blocked drain when there is no shift in attitude and the way people think?
I suppose, just like a Ferris wheel, the problem, for now at least, will continue to linger.
This nagging issue is also a reflection of our education system – from what we learn at home to what we are taught within the confines of the four walls of a classroom.
If educating our people on the basic, fundamental need to be clean is an insurmountable task, we can forget about creating a progressive Malaysia built on economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, and social re-engineering, as per the 12th Malaysia Plan.
