The crooked bridge project cancellation will not be the last of embarrassments. Why? Because, except for the wise PM who had the wisdom to see reality and facts and act even at a late stage , a number of other leaders are still justiying the merits of the project.
'We are legally right', 'If I had still been in power, the bridge would have been built and the Singaporeans would not have been able to do anything about it', etc, etc..
What saddens me more is that some of us, the commoners, appear to have bought the trash being spewed by such leaders and have joined them in Singapore bashing. These letters attribute the cancellation of the crooked bridge mainly, if not completely, to Singapore's stand.
We do not appear to have learnt from this episode on the need to look at ourselves first - the need for proper study, consultation, planning and strategy before embarking on anything of strategic and economic importance to the country.
Singapore-bashing will not help us and will not prevent the emergence of new 'crooked bridges', 'Augustas', 'Protons, 'MASs', 'Perwaja Steels', 'Bakuns', and many more. The day we learn to look at ourselves and recognise our mistakes and take action (including shutting up some big mouths and firing those who blundered), that's the day we can be fairly sure not to encounter another 'crooked bridge' episode.
'Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it'. From what I read in the Malaysian press and the Internet, I am afraid that we are going to prove the great philosopher George Santayana right again.