Recently I came across a report in one of our national dailies which noted that more than five million young Malaysians could become victims of diabetes, hypertension, heart ailments and strokes next year. Even more alarming was the fact that 8.4 million young men and women are physically inactive, not indulging in any form of physical exercise.

Many experts have time and again given all the advice needed to avoid these diseases. Doctors, physicians, dieticians, beauticians and even politicians have repeatedly advised us on a healthy lifestyle. Numerous campaigns costing millions of the taxpayers' money have been organised throughout the country to educate and create awareness among the people on healthy living.

We have seen ministers and top civil servants leading large contingents in aerobics exercises on television, all attired in expensive sports gear. Despite all these, the incidence of ill-health is rapidly increasing by the day.

One very important factor in reducing the incidence of these illnesses is exercise. All our leaders encourage us to do exercise, so do our teachers in schools. Huge stadiums and halls are built to host international games but there are hardly any fields and playgrounds available freely to us and especially our youngsters.

Open fields, jogging tracts, riverbanks, beaches, hills even padi fields and plantations are replaced with high-rise buildings, houses, condominiums, beautification projects and highways. I am sure the existing number of buildings and those being further built far outnumber the actual requirements of the Malaysian population.

At the rate we are going, soon the whole country will be a concrete jungle with hardly any space for recreation and exercise. But we still continue to preach the good values of exercise. And we are forced to jog on the roads with the motorcars and bikes.

Yes, we need development but not at the expense of the health of the citizens. It is useless to have a fully built-up country but sick and unhealthy citizens. We just need open fields and sports courts for our young men and women to pass their time in a healthy way. By doing this, we not only can produce sportsman and sportswomen but a healthy population as well.

Unwanted activities like 'lepak' which leads to drug abuse, gangsterism, smoking, gambling and immoral activities can also be reduced drastically. The government has the moral and legal duty to provide our young men and women with freely accessible recreational areas so that they can play and interact with one another for a healthy future.