Don't think that I am making a mountain out of a molehill, and wasting time and energy here.  In case you can not appreciate my anger and frustration, I must remind you we were in a state of 'emergency'. And I checked the dictionary, emergency means "serious situation needing prompt attention." Moreover, we don't have too much time on hand as we are on our way to catch a flight and my friend's business can not wait.

Sin or not, it is only human to curse. We went on and tried to find another rest place. Finally we ended up in an office-like complex and found a toilet that works.  My brother was with us; sensing my anger was subsiding, he shrugged a matter-of-factly, adding, "It is nothing strange. In fact it is 'as usual'. You would be surprised if you find anything that works." Gently, trying to console me, he went on about the locks in the brand new toilets in the KLCC that can't lock."  Recently, this subject came up again in a conversation with a young journalist, he was surprised that this, "what else can you expect", should work me all up.
 
 

Outwit the vandals
Once a visitor complained to a tourist officer about public telephones in Malaysia that do not work. The officer apologized in his frustration, "the citizens in this country lacks civic mindedness."  The visitor asked him, " Many countries have the same problem. But if your public phones kept breaking up, why don't you think of building ones that can't be tampered with. Put on your thinking caps, surely there are designs that can be built that can discourage vandalism. " Indeed, it is hard to equate smart people with not so smart machines.  It is even more difficult to imagine a people to be worldclass where you see below-earth-class maintenance standards everywhere!
 
 

Isn't everyone responsible?
For some time I have been wondering how come Malaysians can put up with such nonsense, how come people can stay quiet about such intolerable experience, they can still do nothing and pretend this has nothing to do with them. No one wants to speak out, either criticize or persuade whoever is concerned.  "What can I do, I am only one person", seem to be the common frustration.  I raised my point with the journalist, "How can we tolerate this." He is so cynical, "that is the way things are, that is the way it is being managed." He wasn't explicit, but the insinuation is, "it is the leadership that are to be blamed."
 
 

Standard cannot be compromised
Yes, the leadership must take part of the blame. Their fault is that they are not tough and serious minded enough to insist on discipline and standards.  Their problem is they tolerate such inefficiency and sloppiness.  But the central issue here is not just the leadership it is also us.  Do we care enough?  Do we care that we extract efficiency and service out of these huge investments in public infrastructure?  Don't forget these facilities are built with OUR money, and we partly pay the salaries of the people working there.   Don't you think everyone of us have to take some responsibility for this state of affairs.

As consumers and users, if we just throw our hands up in the air and curse, and get on with our own life, nothing will change.  If we insist that a certain minimum standard of service from public utilities and do our part to police them, anything will improve in this country.  Remember public toilets are the most notorious and our most ugliest public face, if we can't even do such a visible and small task well, Malaysia Boleh can only remain an empty slogan.  I guess if we are tough and demanding enough to keep raising our voice, perhaps adding on to persuasion, may be we can shame people into doing the right things!  No matter, keep pointing out mistakes and sloppiness whenever we see them!
 
 

Moment of truth
A friend once told me the story of a very demanding leader in our neighboring country, who many of us respected and even revered. "Everyday he makes sure his driver checked the car phone, as an indispensable routine.  The driver once complained to him about being too picky and demanding, "why all these work, afterall you hardly use the phone," he told him.  The leader's replied, "that is exactly the reason why you must make sure the phone works. Because I seldom use the phone, when I need to use it, there must be something very important, and hence it MUST work. Your job is to make sure at such a moment; the phone mustn't fail me."
 
 

Malaysia Cemerlang
This seriousness minded attitude towards the task is the pre-condition for becoming a worldclass people and nation. Malaysia Boleh means nothing to visitors to this country if what they have is negative experience here. I kept thinking about Malaysians having to move on, from Malaysia Boleh to Malaysian Cemerlang.  That age of "boleh" building and self-esteem reaffirmation is over. We need to get to the point of "cemerlang," and to do that we must begin by making sure that we can discipline ourselves, insist on and deliver high standards.

Remember, when tourist and foreigners come visit Malaysia, what make up their most important experience is their encounter of Malaysian efficiency and service. Being nice people and friendly people with the tallest building in the world means little if our basic facilities do not work at tip-top conditions. What makes up an overall visitor's experience of Malaysian-ness is a world class efficiency culture -- making sure everything works.

And by the way, stop pointing your finger at others; ask yourself - have you done your share to make sure they work? Ask yourself have you ever taken five minutes to explain to the public facility attendant the importance of their work in making up this total experience. Report fault once you encounter, and do not give up until you see rectification.  Don't complain, only action will help improve the state of things.