LETTER TO THE EDITOR.
Schoolgirl N.Dina Deve has become the first 1Malaysia tragedy. It was while attending a 1Malaysia camp organized by the South Kinta District Education Department that the eleven year-old drowned to her death when the suspension bridge she was on collapsed over Sungai Kampar.
If the investigation committee under the Director-General of Education discovers that the construction of the bridge had not fulfilled required specifications, or that safety procedures had not been adhered to in the use of the bridge at the time of the accident, or that supervision by teachers was inadequate, Malaysians will conclude that there are serious shortcomings in the way we manage our affairs— shortcomings that can lead to the loss of innocent lives. When such shortcomings express themselves over and over again through the decades, they undermine faith and trust in the institutions and individuals charged with the management of our society. It will reach a point when the public will refuse to believe any idea however worthwhile— such as 1Malaysia—put forward by the powers-that-be.
In this regard, the outrageous instances of financial mismanagement, misappropriation of public funds, and abuse of fiduciary responsibility, revealed year in and year out in the Auditor-General’s Annual Report— published on this occasion just before the Sungai Kampar accident—have once again incensed a lot of people who would want the authorities to take sterner action against the culprits. That this anger and disappointment cuts across ethnic lines, and that the demand for tougher punitive measures transcends religious boundaries, speak volumes for 1Malaysia. Indeed, the multi-ethnic, multi-religious desire for competent governance, efficient administration, and honest and upright men and women in important places both in the public and private sectors, is a noble emotion that will help build 1Malaysia.
It is the betrayal of such universal values and principles that will subvert 1Malaysia.
Dr. Chandra Muzaffar,
Chairman,
1Malaysia Board of Trustees.
28 October 2009.