The reported deaths and the 80,000 people directly affected by the massive floods in several states and especially in Johor is a sad episode that closes the chapter on Year 2006. The total loss to properties and businesses could easily stretch into millions of ringgit. It also brings to the fore several concerns that the political masters must now have the humility to address and with commitment and not rhetoric.

Firstly, the looting in the midst of this national tragedy is not only 'unacceptable' but 'also could not be forgiven' as pointed out by the chairman of the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee Mohd Najib Razak. But it also exposes a serious weakness in our midst for which the authorities should be held responsible.

Why were security measures not activated at the very start of the crisis to prevent such sporadic crimes in the face of a national disaster? Surely, a national level disaster management body would have in its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) security and vigilance as a priority.

Further, all the common sense signs on the ground level and the warnings from the weather department would have been simple enough a guide for the authorities to estimate the growing seriousness of the problem and to dispatch the much needed security to the affected areas to prevent such looting.

Looting in the midst of a disaster is not something that is out of the extraordinary. We read about it and watch on television how looters get cracking in other countries under similar disasters. So why were our relevant authorities not cognisant of this potential problem which obviously gave criminals a field day?

Hence the authorities and or bodies responsible for security also cannot 'be forgiven'. Heads must roll and the leadership must hold them accountable if we are to see any significant improvement in the future.

Secondly, although, the authorities and the relevant bodies eventually rolled into action after thousands were stranded on roof-tops and with seven deaths, it is also most unfortunate that our uniformed men and rescue means were not on standby with adequate support at the earliest signs of danger.

It is very disappointing to learn from news reports that the flood victims had to pay to flee from the face of danger. This is most horrible and reflects how seriously bankrupt our nation's social capital is.

Instead of blaming only the mercenaries who were cashing in, authorities should also take the brunt of the blame. An absence of vigilance and enforcement best explains the profiteering exploitation.

Thirdly, the floods also have surfaced other muck. The fact that the men from the Segamat Fire and Rescue Services station numbered only five with only one rescue boat as they tried to evacuate thousands and worked for over forty-eight hours before help arrived is most unacceptable. It calls for an independent commission to get to the bottom of things.

What use is it to boast to the world that we have a national-level disaster management and relief body under non-other than the number two man of the country, when such bodies cannot be activated at the earliest indication of disasters. Mind you, this is not an earthquake that takes us by surprise at an unearthly hour of darkness. It was about rising water levels with incessant rainfall over days.

In the past, we as a nation have always done right by dispatching various relief aid and help to other nations. But in our own homeland, we are not prepared to rescue our own citizens from harm's way. Despite spending billions of tax payers' money for huge infrastructure projects, we do not even have boats to rescue victims of floods.

Fourthly, what is the mechanism in place in our civil service that activates a collaborative action process in the face of impending disasters? Is the system so very much notched with political dichtomy that the police, armed forces and the fire and rescue department cannot activate coordinated and effective means to address disaster relief efforts in real time?

It is most worrisome of what this flood havoc has exposed. It is time for the government to mean business and no one should hide behind excuses for the gross failure. It is not only what you do after the damage has been done that matters. More important is how best you can respond in facing a disaster. Better still is if we can even act before the disaster takes its worst toll on citizens' lives and properties. Therein lies the defining benchmarks of national will and capability.