COMMENT | Reward the unsung heroes of Batang Kali

COMMENT | It has been some three weeks since the landslide tragedy at the Father’s Organic Farm in Batang Kali.

Many of us who felt deeply for the victims and their loved ones followed the daily reports emerging from ground zero with great anxiety and pain as more victims were found in the hours and days that followed.

We can only imagine what the rescuers had to go through as bodies after bodies were dug out from the knee-deep muddy terrain.

Most of us would never be able to imagine ever digging out people who were buried alive. It’s really a task best left to the trained and compassionate souls – people whom we have the highest regard for.

For nine agonising days (Dec 16-24), we watched with bated breath the search and rescue (SAR) efforts and prayed in our hearts for more of the missing to survive the deadly landslide.

A total of 92 victims were involved in the landslide on Dec 16, 61 of whom survived. Among the deceased were 18 adults and 13 children, including a one-year-old baby.

On Christmas Eve, the body of the last victim, an 11-year-old boy was found, thus ending the SAR operation. The boy was the fourth member of the same family who lost their lives in the landslide.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, many of the affected families and friends of the victims would have moved on, no matter how difficult and painful it was. But there are also those who would be so affected by the tragedy in their own ways that they would probably be “scarred for life”.

It is understandable for family members of the victims to feel the pain and sorrow of their loss for a long while. However, there is a group that is also deeply involved and the impact of the Batang Kali tragedy will also be felt by them for a long time.

I am referring to members of the SAR team who soldiered on for nine long days. On Christmas Day, I was overwhelmed when viewing the video and seeing the dedication and commitment of the rescuers (and even their dogs) to duty.

They were prepared to risk life and limb, even when the chances of finding anyone alive were very slim. By Dec 19, three days after the landslide, it became clear that it was near impossible for any of the missing persons to survive.

But all the members of the SAR team, the police and army personnel involved in the rescue effort, were adamant to continue the search. None was giving up; all wanted to stay and soldier on.

These are the unsung heroes who are faceless and nameless but nonetheless, their selfless sacrifice and compassion for others will not be forgotten.

The SAR operation involved the cooperation of 250 personnel from five main agencies - the police, the armed forces, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART), and the Civil Defence Force.

Today, I wish to appeal to the government to give them a suitable reward. I believe our unsung heroes deserve some form of recognition from the government.

Can one of the ministers make a recommendation to the prime minister at the next cabinet meeting for this purpose? If there is already a plan by the government to reward the Batang Kali rescuers, well and good. But so far, I have not heard of any.

They put their lives at risk

Fittingly, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced immediate financial assistance for the victims of the landslide accident on the day (Dec 16) itself. That is the right thing to do.

But please do the other right thing as well. Consider a reward or recognition of some sort for all the members of the SAR team.

I would also suggest to the government to reward all those involved in working in disaster zones in future. I don’t think Bomba, SMART and other SAR personnel are paid very high salaries. We know only too well how little our policemen and soldiers earn.

We should accord these personnel who put their lives at risk in our service and the nation greater respect. We should ensure that they are properly compensated for their sacrifice and dedication to duty.

At this juncture, I couldn’t help but make this statement. Malaysians will certainly be happier if the perks and allowances of “underserving” politicians holding public office are slashed drastically, and that this money is given to deserving civil servants like the SAR personnel.

The tens of thousands in allowances given to elected representatives monthly will probably make them think the “windfall” is a licence for them to marry more wives and have more children.

I say, consider better remunerations for our SAR members, our cops and soldiers so that more of them could send their children for tertiary education. This call is also meant for other categories in the civil service whose salary scale is also considered on the lower side.

In conclusion, I’ve also noted that one of the frontline heroes, who were involved in the Batang Kali landslide SAR mission, died from a heart attack on Dec 28, four days after the completion of the SAR operation.

Abd Aziz Usoff was the Rawang Fire and Rescue Department station chief. He was 49 years old.

To start with, I hope the government has already given some assistance to the deceased’s family during their bereavement. More importantly, the late Aziz’s children should also be taken care of with assistance from the government.

From now on, let this be a culture of how the government should take care of those who sacrifice and give their all in really taking care of us as a people and nation.

FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is a veteran Sarawak editor and heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS). He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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