LETTER | Thus far, I have been expressing understanding to give more time for the government to get its acts together given the long neglect and challenges faced. However, my patience is running thinner by the day.

I am talking about daily vital services like water and electricity, not national debts, corruption, or digital and AI development. 

I have written numerous letters expressing concerns about the contamination of our water resources. Why must it happen so regularly? Do we need to wait for someone to die first?

We treat our water catchment areas so casually. We only know about the contamination after it has happened.

With the high population concentration in the Klang Valley, there must be at least some form of preventive or monitoring work to ensure that raw water is kept away from pollutants.

Why do we hardly hear of raw water supplied to Singapore being contaminated? Does Singapore take care of the water catchment areas in Johor? I hope someone in the know will explain to us.

May I also ask how were the previous pollution cases resolved? Did the polluters go to prison?

For goodness sake, if we are talking about low-hanging fruits, what else is more relevant than keeping our vital services efficient and effective?

If we cannot supply clean water, manage waste disposal, control pollution, and keep the environment clean, let us not talk about whether our schools should accept donations from breweries. It just sounds so nonsensical to me. 

Water is a constrained resource given the increased population and deforestation. If we cannot prudently manage it, someday we shall all pay a heavy price for it.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.