WE have lived in Malaysia for nine years and have a great affection and affinity for the country and its people.

It is our hope to eventually retire here to enjoy the diverse culture, the culinary delights, the beautiful scenery and warm weather that Malaysia has to offer. Unfortunately, there is still a great deal of apathy with regard to health and safety issues.

Last weekend, we decided to have a holiday on Lang Tengah island, off the coast of Terengganu.

When we arrived at Merang jetty, there was the normal hustle and bustle as people waited to board boats to the various resorts on the island.

We are familiar with the East Coast islands, having spent many a memorable stay on most of them. Regrettably, the jetty facilities and the quality of the boats that ferry passengers to the islands leave much to be desired. This particular trip was no exception.

At the jetty, my companion and I both needed to use the toilet facilities. Our expectations were not high, having sampled many rural outlets over the years.

However, the toilets at the jetty were some of the worst we had experienced in Malaysia.

Then, at the jetty itself we had to navigate our way past planks laid over holes and rotten floorboards.

We eventually boarded the boat that was to take us to Lang Tengah. There was a pile of poor quality “safety vests” on the deck that passengers had to sort out for themselves.

It was not mandatory to wear a vest; nor were any safety instructions issued by the “crew” (one old man and a young boy), who incidentally did not bother wearing safety vests.

About 20 minutes into the journey, one of the two engines of the ferry started to splutter. Black smoke spewed out from the stern of the boat and the hatch over the engine housing.

Unperturbed, the “pilot” of the boat proceeded to lift the hatch and peer down at the engine as smoke continued to pour out.

Not until the engine caught fire did he finally switch off the power. With no fire extinguishers on board, he finally found an old can and wandered off to the stern of the boat to fill it with sea water to douse the flames.

After a half-dozen trips, the fire was extinguished and the boatload of frightened passengers who had been effectively imprisoned behind the engine hatch were able to “escape” to the deck of the boat.

All the passengers, including ourselves, were eventually rescued by two boats despatched from the island resort. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

It is a poor reflection on Malaysia and, in particular, the tourist industry that basic health and safety standards are ignored.

While many foreign travellers would not wish for Malaysia to lose its unique character and charm, the least that should be expected is adherence to basic safety and hygiene standards.

We hope this letter will serve as a wake-up call to the authorities to make a concerted effort to upgrade facilities and ensure that those responsible, who flagrantly disregard basic rules and regulations, are punished.

Please make an effort now to ensure the success of Visit Terengganu Year 2008.

Source: NST – May 16, 2008