It was terrifying to read of the sudden tragic death of Ethos Consulting's Dr Liew Boon Hong who was in his car when it was crushed by a falling steel beam near a construction site. It is indeed a great loss not just to his family but for the nation as well.

It was even more terrifying to read that many developers and contractors have a cavalier attitude towards safety. They hardly take any safety measures to prevent fatal accidents like this.

It is frightening to think there more of these death traps around the city waiting to strike us at anytime. It is a matter of just when and who would be the next victim. For every one Liew, there are so many others, especially workers at these construction sites who are critically or fatally injured daily. These incidents are settled without much publicity.

The main cause of these accidents is the 'tidak apa' and selfish attitude of contractors, developers and the enforcement authorities. Regrettably this 'tidak apa' attitude is now fast becoming a national policy. Sadly, the families of these victims are made to accept these so-called accidents as acts of fate which are beyond our control.

There appears to be general trend today where basic safety standards and quality are compromised for quick monetary gains. The loopholes in the laws are cleverly exploited for reaping maximum profit. To these perpetrators, human lives do not carry much value and any loss can be compensated in monetary terms. Furthermore, 'Mr Fate', comes in to lend a helping hand when asked.

The government should enforce the laws more effectively without fear or favour. The only criteria for the government should be the safety and welfare of the rakyat to whom their ultimate responsibility should lie. This national 'tidak apa' policy must be curbed immediately if the nation is to progress on.