File 36 : Refrain from evil and mischief on the earth...

I am very disappointed after reading the statement made by the Works Minister in The Star dated 15th February 2009 [front page – Hillside projects to go on ~ We need lands for development]. What is happening to Malaysia? Where are all those open plains land? Does development means we have to build projects on hillside?

Landslides did not happen in Malaysia once or twice. And it is not one or two persons who died due to landslides. Landslides and Malaysia are like best friends. For the sake of development, we sacrifice Mother Nature. Highland Towers, Bukit Antarabangsa, what is next?

I’m sick.

I am not blaming the property owners for buying their houses on hillside or buying the hillside lands to build their houses. Yes, maybe they are ‘not too clever’ for buying their assets [or is it now a liability?] there. They can afford it and the government consented to it. Are they wrong? Will they build their houses there if the government does not approve the projects?

AP News after Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy, 6th December 2008 [searched in cbsnews.com] – “the Malaysia government will ban [Malay word: mengHARAMkan] all hillside projects…” But now? There is a Malay proverb which says, “Lembu berpegang pada tali, manusia berpegang pada janji” loosely translated as “Cows depend on rope [to move on] but humans depend on their promises.” Is it so? Oh… I forgot. It is just a mere statement. Not a promise. There is no legal obligation to follow what had been said earlier.

In Islam, the word “human” rooted from the word an-Nas which means “the forgotten”. It is to say that humans always forget many things. It is true. Allah has reminded all human beings to take care of Mother Nature, His earth, but yet, nothing is done on our part. The land is over developed especially the hillsides.

I hope that our leaders, especially those responsible for granting hillside projects, to remember what Allah has says in the Holy Quran in Surah Al-A’raaf [The Purgatory] verse 74 [7:74] :

Bismillah…



74: “And remember how He made you inheritors after the ‘Ad people and gave you habitations in the land: ye build for yourselves palaces and castles in [open] plains, and care out homes in the mountains; so bring to remembrance the benefits [ye have received] from Allah, and refrain from evil and mischief on the earth.

p/s: Just reminding before it is too late…