PUBLIC SAFETY: We still have a maintenance malaise

MALAYSIA is a country which prides itself on the provision of first-world infrastructure but it has a third-world mentality in terms of the maintenance.

Incidences of collapsed new government buildings and stadiums and other defects are fresh in our minds. These are too serious to be ignored. Poor maintenance of public buildings and infrastructure leads to accidents and injuries. Public toilets that are not properly maintained cause the people inconvenience.

Poorly maintained children’s playgrounds can also result in accidents and injuries.

Potholes, the failure to prune trees that obstruct signs along roads not only cause inconvenience to motorists, but also affect road safety.

These unpleasant occurrences are a reflection of a Malaysian malaise manifested in inferior work, poor execution, inept management, poor maintenance and lack of ethics.

What is at stake is also the issue of safety and health at work.

It is time to curb this malaise.

Maintenance and service have never been the country’s forte.

We are good at providing state-of-the-art buildings and equipment but we have many shortcomings and weaknesses in maintaining them.

We must embrace the culture of regular maintenance.

Our prime minister has constantly spoken about his transformation programme.

However, we have yet to see transformation taking place when it comes to our nation’s maintenance culture by the public and private sectors.

Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, chairman, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Kuala Lumpur