Monday, June 9, 2014

Saigon Vs Selangor

It is sound like football game but it is not. It may sound biased but it is about reality. I've been staying in Petaling Jaya for about more than 9 years and Petaling Jaya is one of the district in Selangor while Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) is a part of Vietnam. It is not about comparison but  it just my point of view being in 2 cities.
Petaling Jaya has been developed since 1990's and still growing rapidly with a lot more development of residential as well as business commercial area. It has become the 2nd business commercial attraction after Kuala Lumpur. Petaling Jaya has developed earlier than Cyberjaya but yet Cyberjaya has been the focus of the government to become the Malaysia's silicon valley. However, Petaling Jaya has more attraction to become more successful than Cyberjaya when the government change its MSC status policy. I am proud to see it's growth yet a bit disappointing with the authorities and the community itself.
They didn't seems proud to be a part of Petaling Jaya development. Why I said that is because I observed that many facilities are not been taken care off, rubbish all over the places even at the commercial or business spots like Mutiara Damansara and Damansara Perdana. The business owner did really what's in front of their shop. Even if there is pile of rubbish in front of their shop, they did not really bother to clean them up.
 Every Saturday morning, when I'm sending my daughter to her Kumon class, I used to see rat carcass on the road and the crow were happily eating the carcass and pieces of its flesh were spread all over places. Wasn't it disgusting to you? For me it was so disgusting. Day time its hard for me to see the cleaner staff cleaning the road side or even the pavement of the shop lots. What I observed are rubbish left in front of the shop, roadside as well as the pavement at the commercial area. It is hardly to see a man or a women in a uniform sweeping the road or pavement. Once a while I saw the landscape man do his job and leave behind leaves and whatever he cut from the tree.
Vietnam is growing, developing and well known as a poor country by many Malaysian. Here in Saigon, people live in a very simple and basic life. I like that actually.  The business and traffic jammed maybe worst than Petaling Jaya, but I'm impressed with the business owner who keep clean their premises all the time and you can see the cleaner, I believed the cleaner appointed by the authorities, keep clean the road side and the area most of the time non stop. Even the small business operator like hawkers will ensure the place surrounding their business area are always clean. It may not very clean but when you observed you can see what I mean. But one thing that many Malaysian not comfortable with, may the urine smell. This is because that they still have many undeveloped place and bushes as well as very less public toilet found here in Saigon. That's may one of the reason they urinated wherever whenever they feel required ..he..he..
Well for me its all about attitude. I believed most people in Petaling Jaya are now high standard, and thought they should not do cleaning and care about cleanliness as they thought only low standard or poor people are supposed to do the cleaning. While here in Saigon, they thought they are all the same and cleaning is everybody's responsibility. To keep their place clean is a part of their duty to upgrade and to show people they are developing.

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