I caught up with renowned social activist Lee Lam Thye in Lucky Garden, Bangsar, recently to discuss a host of community service issues.
Over lunch, we both agreed that apathy, a blatant disregard of the law and a lack of basic civic-mindedness are worrying trends in Malaysia.
“Looking at the state of civic consciousness in the country today. I can ascertain that there is apathy among large sections of the community,” Lee said.
He said everyone has a civic responsibility to highlight improvements needed to the many public amenities. These need to be brought to the attention of the local authority concerned.
“On many occasions, I have seen many public amenities in a deplorable state like broken five-foot ways or missing covers for public drains,” he said. These are repairs that the city council should carry out in the interest of public safety, he added.
I have made numerous complaints to Kuala Lumpur City Hall regarding broken tiles on public walkways and other issues affecting Bangsar and other parts of KL. City hall should be commended for immediately attending to these matters.
I have also made many complaints on a host of issues to other local authorities all over the country.
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The former KL Bandar and Bukit Bintang MP says many people are “just apathetic and do not want to bother, when they could have exercised their civic responsibility to report such problems to the authority concerned for action”.
Motorcyclists ignore traffic laws
Lee is spot on! He believes respect for the law is on the decline. This is especially evident when motorcyclists beat traffic lights.
“Every day, many motorcyclists such as the food delivery riders are not observing traffic signals, behaving as if no action can be taken against them.”
I concur with the veteran social activist. I too have nearly been hit by food delivery riders at the traffic lights when I am about to cross the road in front of McDonald’s and Maybank in Bangsar Baru.
Indifference to the rule of law and a disrespect for the laws, regulations and by-laws have caused serious societal concerns in Malaysia.
Perhaps it could even lead to the weakening of social stability in the country.
“Those who park in no-parking areas in congested roads also do not bother because they are prepared to be ‘summoned’. They know they will be able to wait for the ‘discount’ for settling their summons issued by the enforcement authority,” the veteran social activist said.
It is revolting to observe the many cars making illegal U-turns daily at the traffic lights in front of Maybank in Bangsar Baru and at Lorong Maarof 3, Bangsar Park.
Loss of trust and social disorder
Disregard for observing the law erodes public confidence in Malaysia’ institutions. This happens because it can lead people to think that the legal system is ineffective.
Taking no notice of the law can lead to a breakdown of social order. This eventually makes it difficult for societies to function.
This lack of concern and disregard for the law can diminish the integrity of the institutions responsible for upholding it. This makes it harder for them to address complex challenges.
Injustice, inequality and safety risks
When the law is not enforced fairly to everyone, it worsens existing inequalities. It creates a situation where law-abiding people are treated unfairly.
Violating safety laws, like those protecting workers, can lead to dangerous situations with potentially fatal consequences.
Addressing these flaws requires a multifaceted approach, including:
- Encouraging civic education to help people understand the significance of the law and its role for the good of the public
- Reforming the legal system so that it is fairer and more consistent, with effective mechanisms to hold those who violate the law accountable
- Connecting communities with law enforcement agencies and providing continually evolving guidelines to ensure laws and regulations reflect the people’s needs
- Recognising and focusing on the factors contributing to apathy and disregard for the law
- Ensuring that leaders at all levels display a sense of responsibility so that laws, rules and regulations are adhered to
- Making civics a mandatory subject in schools, to stress the importance of laws that promote cleaner streets, road safety and respect for public property
Lee has not mellowed with age, even though he will be an octogenarian in a couple of years. He continues to express his concerns on behalf of the people, despite his advancing age.
One thing is certain – partisan politics no longer interests him. He prefers to focus completely on social issues and pens his thoughts regularly in the local press. It looks as if we are going to hear often from this energetic ex-MP for quite some time.
Lee and I agreed to meet over lunch again in the near future to discuss matters of mutual interest. Kudos to this legendary social activist for being such a public-spirited citizen.
Besides Lee, the only person I know who is such a public-spirited citizen is Mohd Fahmil Kamal of Alam Flora. Fahmil does a tremendous job serving the residents of Bangsar. Just inform him about a problem and he solves it within a few hours. Sometimes, he is so proactive that, on his instructions, Alam Flora staff undertake tasks which are outside their remit.
How I wish we had more people in Malaysia like Lee and Fahmil! Malaysia would be a much better place today if we had more public-spirited people like them. They have proven that no task is too difficult for an individual as long as it benefits society – a rare trait these days.
I draw my inspiration from these stalwarts whenever I carry out my community service.
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
