Friday 2 October 2015

19 died everyday (Part 2)

It's actually a war zone out there on our streets.

An average of 19 deaths per day.

That's the official statistics

I was told that as per ca pita,  ours is the worst in this region.

But amazingly, we Malaysians seem so immune to news of fatal traffic accidents that only the most horrific of them ever registered in our consciousness.

Even with that, we were not really keen on doing something significant about it.

We made a bit of noise and that's about it.

Things remain the same on the road and the carnage continues.

We still drive very fast and take unnecessary risks.

Yes, I admit. I'm like most of you all are guilty of neglecting road safety issues.

We are more interested in other stupid things like quarrelling over whose ethnic group is superior than the others.

Or whether Khairy Jamaluddin or Lim Guan Eng is the sexiest politician in the country.

Or whether the 90-year-old Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad can run faster than the 62-year-old PM DS Najib Razak in a 100 meters sprint.

I have told myself that I need to change.

I hope you all can do the same.

My friend at the Transport Ministry told me that a vigourous road safety campaign will be carried out soon.

I hope it's going to be a success and manage to change the attitude of Malaysian motorists, unlike previous campaigns which fizzled out after just a while.

Here is a video which I think you all will appreciate and reflect upon,


 I am going to be very very careful whenever I'm riding my bike.

23 comments:

  1. "We are more interested in other stupid things like quarrelling over whose ethnic group is superior than the others." -

    I don't know about others, Annie. But I have one-track mind about people calling themselves Malaysians yet not respecting the Constitution of the country.

    The Constitution is the highest set of laws in the country. It's the Supeme Law. All other laws emanate from it. It's the backbone of the country. Without it, there is no country, no backbone, only like amoeba.

    If so-called Malaysians don't respect and live by the Constitution fully, they don't deserve to be or to call themselves Malaysians. I'm prepared to argue until the cock crows on this.

    No one is superior. But all must be really and truly Malaysians. Like Tan Sri Yuen who has just died. I wanted to say like Tengku A Rahman also. But I won't. His politics are bunkum as far as I'm concerned.

    And the Malays and the Bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak have a Special Position under Article 153. Nothing superior, too. Just that Special Position. And non-Malays questioning that Special Position invite counter-questioning the quid pro quo - their citizenship right and it's no good for anybody.

    I'll comment on the other aspects of your post after this. Sorry, couldn't let that statement quoted earlier let go without a response. No offence intended. Note that I'm the polite - and worse, apologetic - Malay saying that, when actually I don't have to say that, innit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It should be pointed out that those who don't respect the Constitution are generally the DAP and like-minded fellows. Many of them were out on the streets on Bersih 4.

      They didn't respect the law that was enacted in pursuit of the relevant Article of the Constitution - the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. Now the rally leaders are worried about being hauled to court and are instigating the public to question a court decision -

      Will we be hauled up next? Bersih 2.0 asks after appellate court 'U-turn' on ...
      Malay Mail Online - ‎14 minutes ago‎

      Bersih 2.0 urged Malaysians to question the 'U-turn' decision of the appellate court in overturning a previous ruling and effectively criminalising any rally organiser that fails to provide a 10-day notice ahead of an event.
      ----

      Instead of fighting in court, those fellows among whom are lawyers, are instigating the public.

      Delete
    2. Dear Anon 15:23,

      Agree with you there.

      I've consistently maintained well before that WE ALL (Malays / Non-Malays / Ori-Malays / Whaddaeverucallit) can Co-Exist in peace & harmony in M'sia.

      I know this 'coz I've seen it in the '80s to '90s. I've lived-it too.. It simply was awesome, I so swear.

      So yes, the late esteemed-TS YYL will remain a loss to the country; for having lived & discharged his vocation strictly without prejudice. I'd even go far to agreeing that late-TS YYL was a hero.

      Thus, I make sure my kids carry the same values/traits. For e.g., my eldest son still maintains his 'Macha-bros'. And these lads are fine; always according respect & siap salam-cium tangan lagi.. (Caught me tad off-guard I confess..) The last bit surely is No-Biggie but it attests to a lot.

      I won't affirm you're 'worse, apologetic..'. (Not sure about others.. ;-) but) I was brought up identifying the 'Malay-DNA' being polite, bertimbangrasa, banyak-sabar & a host of other Non-Confrontational virtues. In no small way, it does help that Islam strongly propagate these attributes.

      Certainly nothing spectacular or superior BUT All for the sake of living together..


      -Ghaz-

      Delete
    3. Maybe they do not know what constitutes a constitution?

      Delete

  2. Strict implementation of the law is the answer ,we had enough of campaign which had prove not effective all this years .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Weak gomen so many problems, street demonstrations so often that the Police have little time for strict traffic rules enforcement. Many people speak about corruption, too though I have not seen any Policeman being bribed or taking bribe.

      Got to get strong gomen in. If Najib goes and his replacement is a no-nonsense guy, got hope.

      Delete
  3. Good that you are going to be careful when riding your bike. Best of luck to you. Still, let me write these few pointers, based on my young days' bike riding experience:

    1. Rains, grease, oil patches on the road. Breaking would be very tricky then. The highways are generally ok but you are not on them all the time.

    2. Corners - the danger is when following the curvature of the road, so nice movement like the bike racers do. Problem is we might get carried away, the slightest loss of balance can be disaster. The safest is to take corners without the body movement that racers often do.

    3. At junctions, always assume the possibility of the odd one daredevil or unthinking bloke who tries to beat the traffic light. Remember: Not just trying to beat before the light turns green i.e when the light is still red, but also before the light turns red i.e rush at the final moments of the light still green and changing to amber.

    Again, best of luck riding your bike.

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  4. Khairy Jamaluddin or Lim Guan Eng sexy? Aiyyo, your standard that low arr, Annie?

    Hope you are not ever going to say Tengku Adnan or Hadi, hehe.

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  5. Take care of your bumpur too, ya Annie.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Worse in the region? even though trafficin Bangkok, Manila and Jakarta is much worse (not sure about regions outside the capitals in these countries).

    That IS BAD

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bikes are becoming bigger and bigger and some even cost more than twice that of a Proton Saga. There are Harley Davidsons that cost RM120,000.

    The bigger, the more expensive, the safer? More safety features? Naaaa, where got safety features, when it's only 2 wheels.

    Of course 4, 6 even more wheels are not necessarily safer. But at least no need to balance the bike and worry about men staring at your beautiful legs at traffic lights etc, hehe. Nobody ever stares? Goodness gracious!

    Yes, driving a bike requires more care than driving a car. Maybe the energy saving from reaching office earlier is neutralized by the the additional energy sapped having to be careful riding the bike. No? Well ......

    Btw, has Annie told us she has bought the bike? If she has, no need to torment her with comments on the pros and cons of bike riding after this.

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  8. Dah beli ke belum ni makcik?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Annie,
    "encore... kecuali !"

    "We are more interested in other stupid things like quarrelling over whose ethnic group is superior than the others".

    Disini Peranchis, baru-baru ini seorang bekas menteri Nadine Morano menyatakan bahawa "la France est un pays de race blanche/Peranchis adalah satu negara berbangsa putih/caucasian ! Jadi polemik satu Peranchis, keseluruhan rakyat katakan memang pun betul, para scientists pula dengan theory DNA in human origins, para politik Les Républicains kata dari segi moral tidak sepatutnya dilantangkan sebegitu dan dari pehak kerajaan aka sosialist pula samakan Nadine Morano dengan parti FN dan menyuruh Marine Le Pen mengajak si Nadine masuk-join kedalam partinya ! Dan sampai hari ini masih lagi panas dibahaskan. Satu bonus, keyakinan rakyat Peranchis terhadap Hollande hanya 16% dan PM mr Valls hanya 29%.

    Kacau bilau disini sebenarnya... sikit tersilap atau tersasul habis kena cuci dengan clorox.. !

    Jadinya Annie, elok kita bahas berbincang bersama meskipun didalam kelainan pendirian... dari memendam rasa terlalu lama nanti teruk padah jadinya.

    à plus.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Majority who died were Malay guys. So due to this, the Malay population will surely reduce, and will give impact to political votes. Guan eng didn't have to shoot the Malays who didn't agree with him, the motorcycle will help him. Since year 2000, I was severely disturbed with the death statistics. Those days, around 10 deaths per day. In a year, 3650 Malay guys will die. In 15 years, already 54750 died. That is if we take 10 per day and not 19. Those were all healthy young guys who could still contribute to the country. But they had to die such wasteful death. I always reminded my brothers not to ride motorcycle, bcoz no matter how careful you are, other bigger vehicles might not take you seriously. So we just see the Malay population slowly decreasing. Umno and Pas should take note of this.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Is it verified that "Majority who died were Malay guys"? Can you give links to the source(s) of that information please. I'm interested in relation to Mat Rempit-ism.

      Delete
    2. coz the ones who cant afford a car are mostly Malays thats why the statistics show Malays are the highest casualties.
      Cina kan kaya raya....the least that they use is honda or toyota

      Delete
  11. Hi Annie,
    I like this topic, i have been doing research on this matter since my university day back in 1989 - 2003. By the way, do me a favor by asking your friend at Transport Ministry what is the definition of transport. I doubt he/she could answer it precisely.
    The definition - Moving people or goods from point A to B, SAFELY.

    Being a transportant, kami diajar untuk mengutamakan keselamatan. Thats the main point - be SAFE

    Facts:-
    1. per capita, we are not only the worst in the region but among the highest in the world (top 10)
    2. more than 95% of the accident caused by human error
    3. Penunggang motosikal penyumbang terbesar kemalangan dan kematian
    4. The authorities (PDRM, RTD, SPAD- public transport) do not have the manpower to enforce the law effectively

    Actually the solution is there, but the government do not have the political will. How? This are my suggestions:-
    1. Those kena summon more than three times for selective offenses should have their vehicle sealed (sita), and the drivers or owners' license suspended for a limited time
    2. Those caught speeding on the highway during roadblock should have their vehicles compounded at the nearest police station
    3. Increase the age limit to apply for motorcycle license, preferably 19.
    4. Any vehicles with heavy and unauthorized modification especially with the engine should be confiscated (not fully enforce under current law)

    As i said earlier, the main caused of accident is human error, so it is up to us to decide how to make the changes. Kempen kerajaan hanya bersifat sementara, once the campaign ended or once we are on the road, we are at it again..... We choose and we decide our fate on the road. Not the government, not the politician, not anyone else but ourselves. It has been quite a long time i hear the term 'defensive driving'. Wonder if it is still applicable in Malaysia.

    Have a great weekend!

    mfazil

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Any statistics on deaths of motor cyclists in the age group 18-23? Reliable and verifiable statistics?

      Far too many problems in the country now that require so much Police attention that less is available for traffic rules enforcement. Reduce the illegal road demonstrations, more Policemen can be deployed to catch the traffic offenders.

      Alternatively, reduce the number of politicians, there'd be less illegal road demonstrations, hehe.

      Better still, reduce the number of lawyers in Bersih, there'd be less illegal road demos.

      Yet better still, have another Bar Council as an alternative to the existing one, then less ........... btw, whatever happened to the idea of having one that was mooted some time back?

      Delete
  12. How much of Mat Rempit-ism causes the very high accident rate in this country, I wonder.

    Mat Rempit-ism is a scourge in this country. But in recent times not much is heard about illegal racing. Have the Government provided them places to race each other to their hearts content? And kill a few in the process?

    Killing themselves in stadiums or places meant for them to race, I don't mind. So long as innocent people are not involved like on the streets.

    Mat Rempit-ism the cause of the huge imbalance in the ratio of male to female Malay doctors now? 3 male to 7 females. Or the males choose to go for astronaut and such courses? Would Malaysia ever have a space programme and send people to the moon? hehe

    ReplyDelete
  13. mfazil, I also like your comment because it came out at 00:00, hehe.

    Wish you'd tell me how to do it. So damn difficult to get to writing at that hour on a Friday night lah. Too much cakap cakap or ngobrol-ing (Jakarta lingo) at that hour. 1MDB and RM2.6 billion tak habis habis!

    Unless you are in Le Paris like our friend above - they are 6-7 hours after us, time zone wise. .

    ReplyDelete
  14. Have some consolation, guys - while we die on the roads in Malaysia, the Americans die at the hands of wild shootings.

    Obama got furious - in his usual non-confrontational manner, except when he got Osama Ben Laden whacked in Pakistan - asking for tight gun control in the country he led for the last 6-7 years..

    So many guns privately owned - there's a gun for every American man, woman and child right now, he declared. Yet no bloody American politician dares speak too much about it. Obama may dare say it because he cannot have a 3rd term as President under American law.

    The American Lobby for relaxed gun rules is damn strong - "for sport" they say. And looks like wild shooting of innocent people is on the rise there these days. Another 10 or so shot dead by one sakit kepala fellow yesterday.

    That British bloke Pierce Morgan, the replacement of the 25-year old Larry King Live programme on CNN, had his programme ceased not even 5 years - squeezed out by the US gun lobby because he kept saying "You people" should not have such a relaxed gun ownership rules or something like that.

    Between Malaysians dying on the roads and innocent lives lost by trigger-happy mad blokes, I'd choose the former.

    But, why the bloody hell do we have to choose between two or more evils? Cruel world, innit?

    Good night everybody.

    ReplyDelete
  15. A DAP Supporter from the City of Pomelos:

    6 years ago, I offered to donate Rm 30 million to UTAR for building student hostels under the same terms and conditions as I offered to Penang. However, the MCA leaders; who controlled UTAR owned all the land outside the university campus; rejected my offer because they did not want me to jeopardise their lucrative property development business. They are greedy and just want to take advantage of the poor students.

    I chose to donate to Penang because the record shows that DAP is managing Penang very well and I want to support DAP.

    Our initial design can accommodate about 2,200 students. In fact, the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said that the Government is willing to top up the project if my Rm 50 million is not enough.

    Preference will be given to poor students irrespective of race and religion, bearing in mind that about 80% of the 18,000 USM students are Malays. Currently USM can only provide accommodation for 1st year students.

    I have given all my children the best education that money can buy and I think they can find a good living without my money. As such, I want to help poor students complete their tertiary education. I personally believe that with a good education, they can earn enough to help their own families and other poor people. As I pointed out earlier, I have already given out over 300 scholarships to really poor students to complete their tertiary education. All my scholarship recipients are not required to pay me back the money I have spent on them. Instead, all they have to do is to promise me that they must not forget that I helped them when they were poor and they will have to help other poor people when they have money to spare.

    http://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/koonyewyinblog/

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete