When the government says it has to be wise in its spending and decide judiciously on projects that will benefit the people, what happens when the same government appears so lavish in throwing money on a project that is redundant?

One case in point is the recent announcement that yet another team of Malaysians is all excited and keen to conquer the world's highest and most difficult mountain to scale, the 8, 848m tall Mount Everest. And for that, the Youth and Sports Ministry, without even a second thought, has decided to sponsor the 'mission' at a whopping RM1.4 million.

Now, this latest team to eye Mount Everest is not the first, and from the way the Mount Everest frenzy has caught on with Malaysians, will not be the last. The ever-imposing picturesque mountain has been conquered countless times, not just by the able bodied but also by the disabled, with the most recent climber being a New Zealander who is a double amputee.

In Malaysia's case, while this latest team's zeal to propaganda the 'Malaysia Boleh' spirit is appreciated, is there no other way through which they can make their contribution? Why go out and take on a feat which is no longer a challenge to the nation, as it has been performed several times before? One reason could be because of the typical Malaysian habit of rewarding feats achieved.

In 1999, an unknown Azhar Mansor became the first Malaysian to sail solo past Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America. And the country bestowed upon him the title 'Datuk'.

In 2003, Malik Mydin set a record as the first Malaysian to swim across the English Channel. Yes, yet again another 'Malaysia Boleh' stunt. His reward - a 'Datuk' title.

A corruption

As if this were not troubling enough, the basis of such 'rewards' were also skewed. When the first Malaysian team comprising M. Magendran and N. Mohandas reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 23, 1997, in what way were they 'rewarded' by the country? Did a Datukship come their way? No.

On July 17, 2004, a second-year medical student at Cambridge, United Kingdom, Lennard Lee swam across the English Channel. While he was not the first Malaysian to do so, Lee's record was better than Malik's. Plus the fact that Lee also raised funds for charity. Did the Malaysian government reward him too? No, they did not.

The practice of reward for achievements is no less a corruption, where those who take on challenging feats do so in the interest of gaining some sort of reward - not for the sake of taking on the challenge itself. Corrupting their motives and morale is the fault of the government which paradoxically, is trying to weed out Malaysia's deep-rooted and chronic problem with corruption.

To the Youth and Sports Minister, Azalina Othman Said, one must pose this question - on what basis did her ministry decide to fork out tax payers money to sponsor this latest scale? While the climbers are surely to benefit in more ways than one upon their return should they complete their climb, just how will the people in general benefit?

Mind you, the ministry had in 2004 funded two Universiti Teknologi Mara students who climbed Everest at an expense of RM1.5 million. And this year, Azalina yet again has very generously forked out RM1.4 million for the same mission. It seems that so long as Malaysians are all too willing to conquer Mount Everest, the Youth and Sports Ministry will all too willing to finance them.

All this at the expense of other projects that the ministry can fund but chooses not to because of its 'selective' approach. This ever ready practice of sponsoring Mount Everest missions needs to be stopped. Azalina should instead look back at old files and see which unsung heroes have not been honoured and think of doing justice to them.

Students in crime

Azalina should also encourage corporations to come forward and sponsor feats which will see Malaysia occupying a pride of place at the global front. It is not for the government to lavishly spend millions after millions and that too for missions that have become superfluous.

The massive amount that is doled out can be used to promote other up-coming sports like ice hockey which is fast becoming a favorite with youngsters. Other more deserving ways in which the money can be used is to create sports facilities in rural areas for the benefit of the people there.

It is saddening that the government, in its gullibility, seeks no second opinion as to whether it should fund certain events or not. The continuous move to fund Mount Everest climbers is a misplaced priority by the youth and sports Ministry and must be stopped once and for all.

Azalina should instead be concerned to note that on an average 120 school going children are arrested for criminal activities every month. In 2004, 1, 500 students were arrested for their involvement in crime.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohd Bakri Omar, last year said that about 200 cases of students in crime were reported every month mostly involving drug abuse, fighting and gangsterism. In 2003, there were 2, 562 crime cases involving students.

Mohd Bakri said the involvement of students in crime over the past three years was worrying. Does is it worry Azalina too?

JJ RAY started her career with a mainstream publication. A non-conformist, she soon saw the barriers that went up whenever, through her writing, she tried to make the world a home for one and all.