Scrap Metal

It has happened. It has been reported. It has even been published. What is the action taken? Hey, the manace is "mushrooming".

Thanks and no thanks to the "easily available avenues" to sell the stolen scrap metals. If one just take a casual drive around Prai Industrial area, there are many missing manhole covers right in the middle of the roads, switchboards for street lightings without front and back panels/doors, railings for monsoon drains partially gone and anything that is metal or copper will not be spared. Why are these people so daring?

It has been published recently about how Sbg. Jaya area was stripped off the manhole covers in almost every available piece. Thus endangering the lives of the people moving around there. What is the action taken? The question remains unanswered as far as I know.

Let me tell you....firstly they have not been caught, none that I know or read from the media. Secondly, it is so easy to sell the stolen scraps! There are many of such scrap shops around. Thirdly, if one can buy the stolen scraps at a bargain price, why not.

The way I look at it, the fault lies in the hand of the authorities. These people are very bad in controlling and fast in issuing licenses. Poor management. Knowing very well of how the tidak apa attitude works within the authorities, the unscrupulous Malaysians are fast and good at exploiting the loopholes - always!

There is no concerted effort at all to control this business i.e. the issuing of licenses to the scrap dealers/shops, checking the source that these dealers buy, the scraps that they keep in their backyards, the stern penalty of breaking the law i.e. buying stolen items, etc. I would not like to think a stolen manhole cover is considered petty crime!

I would say, from my point of view, they the authorities have no clue in nabbing the "big time thieves" that got away so easily. Because they are considered petty - no way! Now, if it is not easy to track the thieves, can't they carry out spot-check on the scrap dealers? I'm of the opinion that these stolen scraps are sold immediately to the dealers to make fast money. My other question is - who is supposed to act on this issue, seriously? In the meantime, while the responsibility is still being questioned, more public properties will go missing or are being stolen day in day out.

The consequences, more lives are endangered each day and public funds being wasted in replacing the stolen ones. Malaysia boleh!