The news: Online Petition for Nian Ning
It is heart-breaking and frustrating to yet again see this happening. Interstate express bus crashes have become such a mainstay news in the Malaysian media, that it feels indifferent to read of another crash occurring at the highway which took XX lives.
But how does it feel when someone of your age group from similar background coming from the same place is killed in a crash on the same route in the similar vehicle you so often take?
It feels like it could have been YOU on the bus that had crashed.
I'm talking about the 25th January Slim River bus crash which robbed Lee Nian Ning (and Mohd Zailani and Pang Boon Eng) of her (their) life (lives).
According to the news, Nian Ning took a bus from Penang to KL to visit her friends. Absolutely what every youth who are studying/working overseas and back in Malaysia for holidays will do. Vacation is one time to catch up with good ol' friends. Something I would do too.
So she jolly took one of the many express buses serving the North-South highway to the waiting arms of her friends in KL. To their dismay, she never made it there. And why is that? Because the driver with 13-road summons under his belt, who do not have the right to steer the passenger-filled carriage, divided his attention between SMS-ing and speeding on a rainy highway. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that such reckless driving will only end one way: in death. The driver was said to have lost control, the bus overturned an incredulous THREE times before hitting the road divider, flinging out its passengers, killing 3 in the process. Sadly, Nian Ning was one of the 3.
What was especially unbelievable was that the authorities are irresponsive over the tragedy and the damned bus company is neither apologizing for the glaring fault on their part nor showing remorse to the loss of lives they had caused.
What was appalling was that the driver had 13-summons and still driving a passenger vehicle AFTER the Transportation Ministry did a so-called thorough clean-up operation to weed out such unqualified drivers. Did someone say 'corruption'?
What was infuriating was that the damned bus company did NOTHING to clean up its act after regulations were 'refreshed' following another high profile bus crash last year. Did someone say 'tidak-apalah'?
What was terrifying was that I had so frequently taken buses from this damned company to travel home for my holidays.
What was heart-breaking was that Nian Ning's parents had their treasure snatched away from them because of ONE person's irresponsibility. Imagine the reunion dinner they were excitedly anticipating with their daughter who flew back from overseas had turned into a memorial. Imagine their hopes to see their daughter graduating as a brilliant doctor will never come true. Imagine the sorrows of losing your love, your young. Imagine the pain of losing your child in such a cruel way. I can't imagine.
All it took was an irresponsible driver and a corrupted transportation enforcement to snuff out the promising future of a vibrant youth. Wait, let me correct myself.
To snuff out the promising FUTURES of our vibrant YOUTHS.
Please, (government of) Malaysia. When are you going to gather your act?
What does it take for you to start taking this matter seriously?
How many more youths (no, Malaysians) must die before the people who shouldn't be driving are stopped from taking the wheels of the express buses?
How many bus crashes are you waiting before you remove the irresponsible services of the bus companies?
Are the lives of 'ordinary' Malaysians not valuable? (My, I'm sure the situation would be so blown off the top should the one who died in the crash is the child of some top brass)
I cry for the loss of Nian Ning in the Slim River crash that should never happened.
I cry for the loss of all bus express crash victims who never saw their justice served.
I cry for the loss of compassion in the Malaysian government over the value of Malaysian lives.
I cry for the loss of integrity in the people who are entrusted to make our journey home a safe one.
Tell me, how am I supposed to tell people I'm proud being a Malaysian? It's such an embarrassment.
In memory of Nian Ning, and all victims whose justice was never served.
Thank you to friends of Nian Ning who started the petition for endorsing a change.
Visit their website at Bus Crash No More.
Let us each do a little, with hopes of bringing a change to the system that had so long robbed the lives of our loved ones.
～みはる～
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