A TREE IN THE KITCHEN

Five lives were lost and fourteen bungalows were flattened in the recent landslide episode in Bukit Antarabangsa.

Fifteen years ago a condominium block of the Highland tower suffered the same fate killing 48 people and leaving permanent scars to hundreds.

What have we learnt from these two tragedies? Almost nothing!

It is true what Tun M said, we forget easily.

In our unsatiable lust for material gains in this temporary world we forget that we are created to take care of the Earth's equilibrium. We wantonly bend nature to meet this lust. Often times we overlook the consequences of our doings.

I remember a hill was shaven bald in a matter of days just to build the Governor's house on top of the hill. Why? Because of the valuable timber! What happened next? Just as I had warned and afraid of, there was a big mud-flood in the villages at the foot of the hill two three weeks after that.

Many scenic spots in the country have been and will be destroyed when majestic limestone hills were blatantly raped in the name of development or was it to increase the state's revenues?

Sensitive areas of Lojing, Cameron Highlands, etc were bulldozed to make way for high-valued crops. Laws and Guidelines are just pushed aside for the sake of money.

Meandering roads traversing beautiful forest were straightened in the pretext of reducing travelling time and road accidents. Valuable trees have to be felled in so doing.

There was this story that I think you all should read and think about it : I was visiting a professor's house in Athens, Georgia. The house was built right smack in the forest. A huge tree was left untouched and growing well in the kitchen!

"What if the branches were to break?" I asked him as I sipped the cold refreshing lemonade.

"I'll just repair the damages then!"

That was the kind of attitude that I wish all of us have towards mother nature. Respect them and tyhey will serve you in return.

Everything on Earth has its role. Hills and mountain are natural anchors and barriers - why unnecessarily raze them?

Swamps are our natural air-conditioners and reservoirs - why fill them?

Forest and jungles are habitats for flora and fauna, rich in unknown cures for many of our ailments - why destroy them?

Take time and listen to the cry of mother nature.