A callous Malaysian government lost its nerve, cordoned off the areas where the tsunami struck in Penang, Langkawi, Kedah on Boxing Day, prevented aid reaching these areas, and took pride in its incompetence and arrogance.

The immediate reaction was of rats deserting a sinking ship. No one took responsibility and did not allow anyone else to do so either. Government agencies and departments which should have rushed in automatically did not, since they were not ordered to.

It would have been worse if private groups and individuals, on their own, had not rallied to prevent a greater tragedy. The beachboys in Batu Ferringhi, Penang, moved into action when told by friends and relatives by mobile phones of the havoc wreaked in Langkawi, and ensured that people, including those staying in the fully-booked hotels, stayed away.

The disaster would have been worse if not for these unsung heroes. It was private bodies and organisations that responded first. The government agencies and bodies were inert or offered conflicting advice. To avert the tragedy was the last thing on their minds.

The government cannot help because it is poor, said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. But not so poor to buy immediately, as he announced earlier, a tsunami-detection system from Japan that, if the past is any guide, would be useless the moment it is commissioned. An impressive network of systems exists to cope with any disaster, but it ceases to function when and where it is most wanted. Each is well-equipped but badly maintained and of no conceivable use when disaster strikes.