So much for leading a healthy lifestyle. how can what i consume matter when i cant even inhale clean (not fresh, just clean) air .
the haze (oh, what a euphmism!), or rather the pollution level in this country has risen to dangerous levels. we cant see beyond 100metres and everyone has been cautioned to try and remain indoors.
in the workplace, those in charge of health and safety are handing out surgical masks like they do the twice daily postal delivery.
we have the fires in sumatera, indonesia to blame , not us. we know because the meterological department tells us: unless our neighbours sort out their open fires, the malaysians will continue to suffer.
no mention of malaysian companies embarking on production in indonesia of course. no, none of that please, we're blameless, we're kosher. no we're even better than that, we're halal.
rain would help, but we have none. no winds either, the forces of nature are probably spent - having exerted themselves in blowing up a hurricane for emily and flash floods in mumbai. and so for now, they remain on leave, uncontactable even via email until october.
october is a long time from now. in the meantime, questions are being raised. is the state doing enough, if at all anything, about this dire situation. citizens mandate and appoint their representatives to power so that they can ensure their health and welfare concerns are being tended to. its a sad state of affairs when the air you breathe is capable of causing you damage. perhaps the appeal is galvanised on the wrong basis. press, stop talking about it in trite health terms. lets discuss in in a more important angle, i.e. business. cost implications. the amount lost in terms of reduction in productivity, the hours taken off in being sick or tending to those affected. declining numbers in tourism. conferences and meetings cancelled. presented in a balance sheet, profit and loss columns, the issues may be seen in a different light. proper daytime light even. who is to say.
ah but fear not, mall rats, building activities will continue. after all those working on the construction site are hardy, they are used to living in harsh conditions. what are minute particles, however poisonous they may be compared to vapours from asbestos. life in squalour. heavy concrete and 20 hour jobs. we cant live with one less shopping venue, hotel, phallic building. how will the others know we're an emerging economy? and where would we source those LVs?
yes..why worry for them, those migrant workers. they're better off here toiling in the haze (at least its not the scorching sun) than they are in their countries where all they do is worry about the tigers and that flood that will wash away their land towards the bay of bengal.
yawn. enough about them. its all about us isnt it? yes, us who are ensconsed in our airconditioned offices, who move around in our single occupied car towards the airconditioned home with the telly blaring, the fridges on high and the water heater on constant.
the others dont count. let us concentrate on us. we know what we have to do. the emails circulating tells us so. avoid the outdoors. whistle blow on open burnings near you. go out and purchase thy surgical masks and ventolins.
moral of the story:
(or in this case there are two)
1. monitor the shares of pharmaceutical companies (this is NOT investment advice by the way)
2. pray that bill clinton does NOT visit this land for now, or at least until the end of october. things could get seriously ugly. he'd be mobbed by the malaysian population; everyone here is dead keen desperate to learn the tricks on how not to inhale.
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