EVEN MY TOES ARE LAUGHING! In the event of World War III, could UMNO-BN cope?

There is increasing news on the world-wide web and broadcast mediums on reports from the West about an imminent possibility of World war III breaking out. Snowden’s sell out of top secrets to the Russians and his current refuge in Moscow is a much touted worry too.

The advancement of Kremlin in the “heart of the West” – eastern Ukraine, in recent times, has already sent a fever across Europe. How will the super-powers respond and react to this predicament that is gripping the developed world is yet to be seen in the months and years ahead.

Will the world escape this eventuality as it did successfully, during the unfolding Cold War?

Perhaps Malaysians will say, “Aiyaa, why you so busy body ah? Worry about yourself mah. Malaysia is so far away lah.”

But the world is certainly nervously taking stock of Valdimir Putin’s advances and military strategies. And in all likelihood Western leaders and their governments are taking measures to stockpile resources for their own battle advantage and citizens’ needs.

Meanwhile we in Malaysia continue to remain entrenched and too preoccupied with our own political party turf battles built around the fortress of religion and race propaganda. Do we even see the critical importance of what is brewing beyond and what we tend to claim as "far, far away from our own shores"?

The questions that we need to pose to our leaders and the current government is what are the measures being drawn up to ensure that Malaysians do not adversely suffer from an imploding world war? These are questions that every Malaysian should also take ownership over.

Let us not dismiss these as being paranoid.

Is Malaysia prepared in any way at all?

What is the Ministry of Agriculture’s plan to increase and improve crop cultivation? What are the plans in place to ensure livestock supplies?

How is the government going to teach urbanites on how to optimize their own cash crop and daily vegetable supplies, using their tiny plots of home gardens and open spaces in their townships?

Mind you, merely telling people through mouthpiece news organs will not do the trick. Campaigns are usleless until and when there is a political will to make a clear diffrence, as we are talking about attitudinal shifts and knowledge transfers here.

What is the agenda in place to increase our own rice cultivation in view of the current practice of increasing stockpiles of grains in foreign based granaries and making quick buks on re-selling under monopolies?

What is the Ministry of Education’s plan to prepare students adequately on crop cultivation and livestock breeding? Or would it also be shelved under the argument that “we are not going to speculate on world wars lah”?

And how about our Ministry of Health? What are the plans to ensure an adequate supply of medicines in the eventuality of a war situation?

And mind you, only now - after all these years of denials, we are admitting about an increasing trend of communicable diseases in the country. Some of these diseases like tuberculosis and malaria that were well taken off the red-alert past the Second World War, are here right in our midst in these peace times.

What would be the eventuality should a war break out? Are we being paranoid in even asking these questions relating to our basic right to be free from communicable diseases?

And of course what about defence and our capacity to ensure territorial security? Even in these peaceful times we withness armed 'mosquito' rebels giving locals a hard time.

Will Umno-BN repeat their MH370 crisis-mismanagement debacle

And learning from the on-going missing MH370, we understnd that our existing arms purchased at huge dividends and kickbacks, are ineffective. So what is the country's plan to inmprove and ensure SAR reliability and safety for its 30 million population?

The last time Malaysians were tested was during World War II and under the Japanese and Communist advancement. But that generation of people have almost all passed on. The current aging generation only has memories of stories from their parents about the untold sufferings, tortures and above all the closely knit Malay-Chinese-Indian citizens who supported each other as they survived under duress of starvation, pain, death.

It is about time that our Prime Minister Najib addressed the nation so that we are assured of the future and of our collective responsibilities and capabilities in the event that World war III does take root.

Pray, we are not caught with our pants down and have to run helter skelter begging for humanitarian aid from other nations. Or shall we just scorn at this Letter and say “do not speculate”? - MAILBAG