THE poor maintenance and disrepair of public buildings, infrastructure and amenities is exasperating. With the exception of certain buildings, Malaysia's monuments have been crumbling. Here are examples: Dataran Klang underwent a RM2.5 million refurbishment in 2021, but its maintenance was forgotten. Uprooted trees in Kuala Lumpur continue to be endemic. Some falling trees have killed people, but this hasn't stirred the authorities into doing a better job to prune them.
Also, the poor upkeep of government complexes, hospitals, shoplots, markets, schools and public parks is glaring. In Kapung Bundung in Tamparuli, Sabah, a rusty suspension bridge is about to collapse. The local council hasn't done much to fix it.
However, Merdeka Stadium, once neglected, was given a makeover and lovingly restored to its original 1957 glory, a tribute to its political history. The stadium and its adjacent cousin, Stadium Negara, are the exceptions. Malaysian maintenance culture is usually knee-jerk, triggering action only after the authorities respond to complaints and tragedies.
Why the disheartening culture? Oftentimes, it's down to ineffectual and disorganised inventory systems and checks.
For example, a local council contractor was required to clean drains three times a month, except that the timetable is ignored, worsened when the manager is unaware of its cleaning schedule. Sometimes, the lapse is due to design quirks that make maintenance tricky, arising from unsuitable equipment, components and design specifications.
Since most neglected amenities are government owned and funded, bad maintenance is compounded by a meagre budget allocation for something as simple as hiring cleaners to do their jobs properly.
Realistically, Malaysians fall into a shining category of event launch warriors, excelling in their promotion, campaign and celebration. Once concluded, preserving the environment, saving energy and water, and separating refuse into recyclables and perishables are consigned to psychological storage, only to be rehashed for the next celebratory cause.