Provide more Free Recreational venues to Citizens
I refer to your front page report “Young & Sick Malaysian”dated Tuesday 11th.October 2005.It is alarming to note that more than five million young Malaysians could become victims of diabetes,hypertension,heart ailments and stroke next year.Even more alarming is the fact that 8.4million young men and women are physically inactive,not indulging in any form of physical exercise.
Many experts have time and again given all the advice needed to avoid these diseases.Doctors,physicians,dieticians,beauticians and even politicians have repeatedly advised us on healthy lifestyle.Numerous campaigns costing millions of the taxpayers’ money have been organised throughout the country to educate and create awareness among the people on healthy living.We have seen ministers and top civil servants leading large contigens in aerobics exercises on television, all atired in expensive sports gear.Despite all these, the incidence of ill-health is rapidly increasing by the day.
One very important factor in reducing the icidence of these illnesses is exercise.All our leaders encourage us to do exercise,so do our teachers in schools.Huge stadiums and halls are built to host international games but there are hardly any fields and playgrounds available freely to us and especially our youngsters.Open fields,jogging tracts,river banks,beaches,hills even padi fields and plantations are replaced with highrise buildings,houses,condominiums, beautification projects and highways.I am sure the existing number of buildings and those being further built far out number the actual requirement of the Malaysian population.At the rate we are going soon the whole country will be a concrete jungle with hardly any space for recreation and exercise. But we still continue to preach the good values of exercise.
Whatever fields are available are decorated and fenced up and charged for their use.Schools fields and sporting facilities are locked up in the evenings and even their own students are barred from using them.Even available football fields,which were used free of charge before, are replaced with the fasionable futsol pitches that are charged exorbitant rates for use.I myself,over the last ten years, have seen football fields,beaches and padi fields all gone,replaced with buildings and highways.Now we are forced to jog on the roads with the motor cars and bikes.
Yes,we need devolopment but not at the expence ot the health of the citizens.It is useless to have a fully built up country but sick and unhealthy citizens.We just need open fields and courts for our young men and women to pass their time in a healthy way.By doing this we not only can produce sportsman and sportswomen but a healthy population as well.
Unwanted activities like lepak which leads to drug abuse,gansterism,smoking,gambling and immoral activities can also be reduced drastically.The government has the moral and legal duty to provide our young men and women freely accessible recreational areas so that they can play and interact with one another for a healthy future.
Dr.Chris Anthony
