The news
item mentioned that the Cabinet has approved a utility installation
guideline system to do away with the practise of 'cut and cover,'
said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Wira Chor Chee
Heung. I won't be exactly jumping for joy after reading the news but
would prefer to see the system go into action. The reality may not be
the same as the plan.
We always have plans,
grandiose even but when it comes to the nitty-gritty of
implementation and maintenance, we fall far short of the target. The
minister said the system would be applied for all development areas
or new towns to standardise installation and maintenance of
utilities. Only development areas or new towns? What happens to
non-development areas and old towns?
I guess there are plans
that is still being perused and scrutinised by the planning
authorities so that any utility installation in old areas will adhere
to the same standards. Poor old towns, neglected and given low
priority whereas if there is already a guideline on the proper
maintenance of existing systems, I'm fairly confident that the sight
of the common cut and cover patchwork would be a thing of the past.
There is definitely poor coordination between the contractors and the
authorities whenever a system needs to be upgraded.
Usually we can observe a
team of workers digging a stretch of road at night and see the
patchwork in the morning. That patch gets weathered down quite fast
in our climate if the cover up job is not done properly. The public
will lodge a report with the authorities when they see that a
particular spot needs to be resurfaced properly and another team of
workers will be sent to do the necessary. Unfortunately, as soon as
the job is done, we will see another team digging again for another
utility concern. So the momentum is maintained. I guess that is our
forte, maintaining a culture of digging and repairing.
Image from rosenblumtv
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