Global State

The headline screams another terrorist attack. It is no longer a scene from a movie we just watched but a real life scenario. The global state of terror is no longer a problem of the Middle East nor is it a problem in Africa solely. It has become a global issue.

The unspeakable acts we hear, read and watched on the news used to be what we would get in the movies. But, it has become real. The latest terror acts in Pakistan, Belgium, Turkey, Indonesia and France has shocked the world. Acts of barbaric proportions include women and children.

It has also desecrated religious holy sites regardless of religion. Brothers against brothers; sisters against sisters; man and women against each other; and nations against nations. Are we nearing the end of the world?

It is also a scary thought of what had happened to Egypt Air lately. A man was able to walk in with a fake bomb belt and hijacked a plane to Cyprus. All this was because of his unrequited love. It is no longer funny when we have to now live in fear of terror.

That brings us to the point of security. How safe are our airports? I have been flying often and have seen how secure airports have been. Most security personnel do not take the procedures seriously. They really should.

With terror in our midst, care should be done to ensure items like baby carriages and canes are thoroughly checked. At times I see these not checked properly. Scanning is good, but there is a need for manual checks as well. Being random is no longer an option. Compulsory checks are.

It is sad that today, religion is being used by politicians and terror groups to prove their cause and need to cause harm and deaths. I cannot remember finding any religion which promotes the maiming or causing hurt or death of another human being. I still believe that these people misinterpret religion and used it for evil.

A terrorist act is a terrorist act. It is not confined to any religion but the psychiatric fallacy of a human being. How can you justify blowing up a playground filled with children in Pakistan or an airport check in counter in Belgium? How can you justify the allowing of kidnapping to happen in the waters of Sabah?

The waters off Sabah are the most notorious areas now due to the restive region of Southern Philippines. Kidnappings have occurred 7 times in the last 3 years in the waters surrounding Sabah. Of which, 4 were in 2014 alone. Last year, a blatant kidnapping was conducted on Malaysian soil in Sandakan, where eventually a Sarawakian was beheaded by the terrorist group.

We feel insecure now in Sabah when trade is restricted. It feels insecure when all the security we have is not able to stem such kidnappings. Just recently in the 7th incident, 4 Sarawakians from a tugboat were kidnapped at gunpoint. Tourism has been affected. Sabah is just recovering from the devastating earthquake in 2015. These incidents are creating more fear. Tourism is dearly affected even more.

It does not help when globally; Malaysia is unable to get a US visa waiver program to date. News mentioned that Malaysia needs to comply with a few more security requirements. Malaysia still has a 3.34% percent visa rejection rate as reported. The US requires a ceiling of 3% percent rejection rate. The Malaysian government is confident that by year end, this can be done.

It does not help when we hear news of terror suspects being Malaysians. It does not help when we hear news of travel advisories against or cautioned travels to Malaysia.

Terror knows no bounds. We must be stead fast in protecting our borders. I know some people have frowned upon being fingerprinted in Singapore. But this is normal. I do not blame Singapore for doing so. It is a normal procedure. In Malaysia, we fingerprint non-citizens at borders. I do not see a point of contention.

The huge influx of foreign workers and migrants are possible routes for terror. Whilst it is wrong to blanket a perception onto those who are genuine and honestly seeking out a better chance at life, one cannot also just assume that everyone is so. A single fruit can spoil a whole bunch.

Terror is something we must all fight against. It is the single most devastating nature which erodes trust and breeds distrust. Feeling secure now is no longer a given. We have to work towards it. Times have changed so much. It is no longer an isolated problem, but a global one.

This must start at home. It must start with the upholding of just laws. When the corrupt and the powerful become selfish, you would get terror. Terror is fed by the corrupt. Money remains the root of all evil they used to say.

It is sad that our world we live in now is in such a state. We cannot run from it in life till the day we pass on. The first step to a solution is to acknowledge that terrorism is now a global issue. Border controls and checks on new citizens must be made. This is especially true in Sabah. The RCI or Royal Commission of Inquiry on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah has shown an alarming situation. A contentious point is the infamous Project IC.

It is time that care is taken when processing migrants and immigrants. This has far reaching consequences on the way the social and economic fabric of the country is being led.

The last thing you want is to have an uncontrollable situation of identifying the legitimacy. It is already known that foreigners now form the bulk of kopitiams, construction, retail and wholesale especially in Kuala Lumpur. It is slowly creeping into Selangor.

They have come here to make an honest living. That is not the problem. The problem is the proper identification and the removal of corruption. If needed, there should be an ease to the process of identification.

Again, terror has made us fear more. Regardless of being a citizen or not, terror would affect us if we are too lax with the set guidelines. Being selfish and the need to corrupt others or ourselves is not the answer.

It is time to be vigilant. The world is no longer as safe as we thought it to be. We must stem terror out of our lives. Its starts with you and me.

#Selangor #Malaysia #SubangJaya