Comments and Opinions

Tsunami alert on track

Comment 1 : The violent earthquake of the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra late on Monday night created a panic in Thailand and other countries around the Indian Ocean rim. It was a grim reminder that tsunamis, one of the world’s most devastating natural disasters, could strike at any time.

Comment 2 : The successful early warning system and subsequent evacuation were a good exercise, allowing us to evaluate our preparedness to respond to disasters.

Final suggestion: Above all, the costly lessons learned on Dec, 26 should convince the government that managing our country’s preparedness to deal with disaster should be left to professionals. Professionals who are free to exercise their judgement without fear of favour , or intervention from politicians.