Closed-eyes surveillance
I had a meeting at the KTMB Head office this morning and was running late for that appointment. My husband dropped me off at the back entrance unknowingly to the both of us. As is customary on seeing a guard house at the entrance, I approached with the expectation of being asked to leave my license or MyKad in exchange for a Visitor Pass.
The guard house was a concrete one with dark tinted glasses for windows (they are not governed by the JPJ ruling to maintain clear glasses, obviously, being a building and not vehicle). Visibility from where I was standing was poor so I peeped in to see if there was anyone inside. What I did see made me do a double take!
With his head resting on his crossed arms that were placed on the counter top, a guard slept comfortably, guarding the premises from any unwanted elements (guess the management hopes his snores would do just that). I knocked on my side of the counter-top – not too loudly for I didn’t want to startle him, polite of me! (He could be holding a loaded gun on his lap…of the metal exploding bullet type). When that didn’t produce any response, I knocked a tad louder and at the same time called out for him to excuse me. That did it.
However, if I had expected a look of guilt or even an apologetic one, I was disappointed. He looked up, yawned, stretched and rubbed his bleary eyes. Not a sound, not a look of embarassment. And blinking back sleep to try and keep him awake as he looked at this person who dared disturb his sleep. I had to ask him twice, directions to the department where my meeting was before he responded. And that was to tell me to walk over to the security counter at the lobby to get my visitor pass.
I passed by many employees in uniform who did not seemed bothered about me walking about on their premises with no official tag. Had my intentions been anything but good, and had I been carrying weapons or explosives in my bag, I would have succeeded in carrying out my mission.
Even at the security centre, they didn’t bother to check me up as I casually walked into their waiting area and sat down. I observed that visitors need only leave their license or MyKad behind in exchange for a Visitor Pass. And for group visitors, only 1 person need sign in. Neither are visitors asked to write anything more than their names and from where they are. Makes me wonder then, why the need for visitors to sign in.
But then that is how we Malaysians in general view matters related to security and safety. Very lightly. Seldom do we try to understand the issues and reasons behind why we have to perform certain tasks. Always it is because “we were told to do so”….until something bad happens and we start playing pool, hitting the blame from one end of the table to another until it falls into the holes at the corners, and stays there.
The guard house was a concrete one with dark tinted glasses for windows (they are not governed by the JPJ ruling to maintain clear glasses, obviously, being a building and not vehicle). Visibility from where I was standing was poor so I peeped in to see if there was anyone inside. What I did see made me do a double take!
With his head resting on his crossed arms that were placed on the counter top, a guard slept comfortably, guarding the premises from any unwanted elements (guess the management hopes his snores would do just that). I knocked on my side of the counter-top – not too loudly for I didn’t want to startle him, polite of me! (He could be holding a loaded gun on his lap…of the metal exploding bullet type). When that didn’t produce any response, I knocked a tad louder and at the same time called out for him to excuse me. That did it.
However, if I had expected a look of guilt or even an apologetic one, I was disappointed. He looked up, yawned, stretched and rubbed his bleary eyes. Not a sound, not a look of embarassment. And blinking back sleep to try and keep him awake as he looked at this person who dared disturb his sleep. I had to ask him twice, directions to the department where my meeting was before he responded. And that was to tell me to walk over to the security counter at the lobby to get my visitor pass.
I passed by many employees in uniform who did not seemed bothered about me walking about on their premises with no official tag. Had my intentions been anything but good, and had I been carrying weapons or explosives in my bag, I would have succeeded in carrying out my mission.
Even at the security centre, they didn’t bother to check me up as I casually walked into their waiting area and sat down. I observed that visitors need only leave their license or MyKad behind in exchange for a Visitor Pass. And for group visitors, only 1 person need sign in. Neither are visitors asked to write anything more than their names and from where they are. Makes me wonder then, why the need for visitors to sign in.
But then that is how we Malaysians in general view matters related to security and safety. Very lightly. Seldom do we try to understand the issues and reasons behind why we have to perform certain tasks. Always it is because “we were told to do so”….until something bad happens and we start playing pool, hitting the blame from one end of the table to another until it falls into the holes at the corners, and stays there.
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