1st World Aspirant, 3rd World Mentality - Edition 3

Literally littering

Rubbish is literally dumped indiscrimately by the residents somewhere in Taman Bukit Indah, Johor Bahru despite a signage being erected forbidding littering which comes with a heavy fine. Well, it looks like nobody is heeding the rule.

Who are to be blamed? The residents argued that the authorities have not been doing their jobs to regularly provide trucks to collect the rubbish from their homes and business premises. Many complained that the uncollected rubbish was left for days inviting flies and fouled the environment. Have you ever witness when the trucks squeeze out the 'juices' from the rubbish right in front of your premise? I recalled an old auntie who was my ex-neighbour resorting to bribing the rubbish collectors to prevent them from doing so in front of her home. Wow, another form of 'blackmailing' which may bring lucrative side income to these workers.

Is this the way to repay the God of Earth?

Most Chinese especially those who practise Taoism worship the God of Earth at home for protection of their family's well beings. The altars are placed on the ground at strategic locations in the house or business premise. The problem starts when the occupants move out leaving the abondoned altars behind. More often that not, these altars are removed or replaced when there is a change of occupants under a fresh tenancy. So, where do the unwanted altars go to? Well, I have seen many placed at the foot of trees along roads especially those in more secluded areas in various housing estates.

Frankly, I have no inkling of the proper way of disposing off these altars in accordance with the Taoism teaching but I think leaving them by the roadside under the trees is equivalent to abandoning the god when they are of no use, isn't it? Not only it is unsightly to do so, residents not limiting to our own race may be offended if these altars are left near to their homes. I'm sure there are certain practices which shall be observed on how these altars should be dealt with in cases of relocations which is not only environmentally-friendly but also respectful to the religion.

By the way, have you also notice that many altars especially those made of stainless steel are disappearing from the roadside? If you still haven't got a clue, please read on!

Iron stripper

During the days of escalating steel prices, anything having to do with metal, aluminium, stainless steel and copper are hot items inviting unwanted attention from iron strippers. Unoccupied buildings whether small or large are falling victims to these irresponsible groups who rip offs anything and everything that can be sold to scrap dealers.

Drain covers, mail box covers, doors to the rubbish compartments, frames to the aluminium window and sliding doors, eletrical cables, door/house gates, window grills and chain-linked fencing are stripped off from these vacant houses. Abandoned housing projects which would not be rehabilitated or left incomplete by failing developers, vacant houses neglected by the owners due to lack of tenants, houses subject to auctions by banks are easy preys and also becoming haunts of drug addicts and illegal immigrants, which is a nuisance and potential hazard to the safety of the residents nearby.

Failed shopping centre which were left uncompleted due to the lack of funds are also suffering the same fate such as this Kemayan City, a huge retail complex located along the way leading to the JB city as you drive from the north. Not only scavenges are hoping to make some small bucks, unpaid contractors are also trying to salvage their losses by retrieving back their goods which they had installed previously. See, even the wall tiles were ripped off from the facade of the building leaving the ugly 'scars' all over. Beside being an eye-soar, falling debris from the building also pose a danger to the passerby.