APRIL 4 — In Malaysia, we often assume danger is out of sight — that as long as infrastructure looks intact, it’s all under control. Until it isn’t.

On the second day of Hari Raya, that assumption went up in flames. A gas pipeline in Putra Heights exploded.

Over a hundred people were injured. Dozens of homes were damaged. A peaceful suburb turned into a disaster zone in seconds.

Investigations are ongoing. Early reports suggest excavation work may have been carried out near a fenced-off pipeline. There’s dashcam footage.

Contractors are being questioned. But this isn’t just about a single contractor or a single street — it’s about how we manage risk in plain sight and how dangerously normalised that risk has become.

We’ve normalised a culture of post-mortem governance — where enforcement only kicks in after something explodes, floods, or fails.

Having guidelines isn’t the problem. Making sure they’re followed — consistently, visibly, and without shortcuts — is where we keep falling short.

This isn’t a problem of policy. It’s a problem of execution. Of oversight that’s too easily outsourced, diluted, or ignored. And let’s be honest — “it could have been worse” is not a recovery plan. It’s a warning we shouldn’t still need.

Beyond the structural damage, we must confront what comes next: the public health aftermath. Smoke inhalation and heat exposure don’t just disappear.

Symptoms can emerge hours or days later — breathlessness, fatigue, confusion. Children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or heart conditions are especially at risk.

We need follow-up clinics, not just fire trucks. Multilingual health alerts, not just press statements. Mobile mental health support for those who fled their homes in fear.

Emergency response doesn’t end when the fire is out — it ends when people are safe, physically and mentally.

And yet, even as systems faltered, society held firm. A Hindu temple became a treatment centre. A mosque opened its doors to anyone in need.

Volunteers arrived with food, blankets, and care. No race boxes, no religious conditions — just help, as it should be.

This is the Malaysia that emerges when no one is performing, when the cameras are still packing up. And it stands in direct contrast to those who spend their careers stoking division in the name of religion or race. Take notes: This is what faith looks like when it grows up.

To the victims — who should’ve been enjoying open houses, not sleeping in evacuation centres — we owe more than compensation. We owe action.

To the first responders — your discipline and speed kept this from becoming a national tragedy. Thank you.

And to the rest of us — we can’t afford to treat safety like an afterthought anymore.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maaf zahir dan batin. When the ground gives way, let’s not just rebuild structures — but standards.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist