MALAYSIANS tend to take certain things for granted. We let the                                                                                        
garbage pile up when the City Council misses their regular                                                                                            
rounds. We fail to respond to cries for help. We neglect to                                                                                           
report child abuse.                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
The result is that society has become less caring, less                                                                                               
compassionate and less human. Our moral and ethical values                                                                                            
have lost their meaning for us. We have even abandoned our                                                                                            
traditional way of life.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
We can achieve development and at the same time preserve our                                                                                          
values and culture. We must ensure a state of balanced                                                                                                
development.  Essentially, we need to monitor such                                                                                                    
developments so that they will not have a negative impact on                                                                                          
our values and culture.                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
As parents and adults, we can make our children more aware of                                                                                         
our environment.                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
We should observe a certain attitude towards our surroundings.                                                                                        
Our values and culture must be preserved at all costs. As                                                                                             
members of society, our duty is to ensure that our quality of                                                                                         
life is not destroyed by uncontrolled development.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
One way to ensure that a balanced development can take place                                                                                          
with minimum damage to our way of life is for the Government                                                                                          
to prepare the people both mentally and psychologically.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
This can be done by emphasising the social and economic                                                                                               
benefits of development. The Government must proceed with                                                                                             
caution to ensure that family and religious values are                                                                                                
preserved in the process.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
It must note that development cannot be measured in terms of                                                                                          
economics only. Being about people, it therefore touches our                                                                                          
everyday lives, our culture and our freedom. As it affects our                                                                                        
health, our education, progress and the preservation of our                                                                                           
environment, the Government will need to pursue a development                                                                                         
programme with a human face.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
The following development approaches will assist in ensuring                                                                                          
that our values and culture are not sacrificed for the sake of                                                                                        
development:                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
Strategic management issues:                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
There are two parts to this operation-the strategic                                                                                                   
formulation and the implementation phases. Both should                                                                                                
influence the strategic planning process.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
In the first phase, attention will have to be given to                                                                                                
defining the project mission. The setting of clear objectives                                                                                         
and the determina tion of project direction are also important                                                                                        
issues to be considered.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
The environment in which the project is going to be executed                                                                                          
will have to be examined in terms of the social, political,                                                                                           
economic, security and technological implications.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
In the implementation phase, the following procedures will                                                                                            
have to be observed-initiation of actions as planned, review                                                                                          
of programme against the objectives set, and preparing                                                                                                
contingency plans in anticipation of changes that will occur.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Environmental impact assessment (EIA):                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
Procedures and guidelines have been introduced by the                                                                                                 
Government to ensure that the environment is protected when                                                                                           
projects are implemented.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
The EIA functions as a post-construction monitoring system.                                                                                           
Periodic checks that are mandatory will ensure that projects                                                                                          
do not destroy the environment.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
Basically, the main features of the EIA are: to maintain a                                                                                            
healthy and clean environment, to ensure that the. quality of                                                                                         
the environment is consistent with the needs of the                                                                                                   
population, to allow normal human activities to take place                                                                                            
unhindered, to achieve a balance in the social and economic                                                                                           
needs of the people to emphasise prevention through                                                                                                   
conservation, to incorporate an environmental dimension in                                                                                            
project planning and implementation; to promote greater                                                                                               
co-operation and co-ordination among the various agencies; and                                                                                        
finally, to ensure that standards for quality of life are                                                                                             
maintained.                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Failure to follow them will make us victims of our own                                                                                                
economic success. It will also mean that we have neglected to                                                                                         
undertake long term planning to reduce environmental problems                                                                                         
that affect our quality of life.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
The development cycle:                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
In the development cycle, the three elements of economic                                                                                              
success, environmental degradation and quality of life must                                                                                           
co-exist together.  We must ensure that no single element                                                                                             
becomes dominant. This is what balanced development should                                                                                            
mean.                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
At the same time, whenever a problem arises action must be                                                                                            
taken to resolve it immediately.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
The destruction of the environment will have to be controlled                                                                                         
to preserve the ecology. The Government and the people must                                                                                           
not compromise on the need to observe environmental standards.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
For example, whenever golf courses are being planned, as soon                                                                                         
as the land is levelled, forests cleared and chemicals used,                                                                                          
the process of environmental degradation must be monitored.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Intrastructure projects: It is gratifying to note, however,                                                                                           
that the Government is always expressing its concern on the                                                                                           
need to ensure better living standards, improved financial                                                                                            
capacity and a life with a better sense of direction whenever                                                                                         
it wants to undertake a major development project.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
This was the feeling voiced by a government official regarding                                                                                        
the Pergau Project, for instance. However, it was not made                                                                                            
clear what steps were being taken to ascertain that this                                                                                              
development would not change the way of life of the people and                                                                                        
that the land surrounding the project would not be finally                                                                                            
destroyed.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
It is worrying to note that what was being envisaged is that                                                                                          
the people will not need to return to their old lifestyle.                                                                                            
Instead in this case the Government intends to introduce other                                                                                        
economic activities.                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
According to the official, it is intended that a road link be                                                                                         
built in order to connect the site of the project to other                                                                                            
bigger towns in the state, thus opening up the place to                                                                                               
visitors. Additionally, the area will be turned into a free                                                                                           
trade zone.                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
It is hoped that the development will be a catalyst for                                                                                               
numerous economic spin-offs. Unfortunately, no mention has                                                                                            
been made of measures to be implemented to ensure a better                                                                                            
livelihood for the people and how the environmental changes                                                                                           
are going to be met. A lot of thinking will have to precede                                                                                           
the above development.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
In the case of the environmental impact of the proposed new                                                                                           
Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the Government has assured                                                                                        
the people that it will ensure a proper EIA study be done                                                                                             
before the project can proceed in order to avoid costly                                                                                               
mistakes to both people and terrain.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
Through these examples and illustrations it will become clear                                                                                         
that the Government is serious in reducing destructive and                                                                                            
undesirable aspects of development projects on the people.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
With proper planning and execution, these projects will in the                                                                                        
long run benefit the environment and the people. The ultimate                                                                                         
objective is to show that the Government cares, as echoed in                                                                                          
the remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister when he said that the                                                                                        
concept of development must be holistic:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
"Development cannot be one dimensional or reduced to purely                                                                                      
economic components. It must follow from our vision of life                                                                                           
and society that encompasses the life of the intellect and the                                                                                        
appreciation of cultural expression."