As millions across the Indian Ocean, within the South Asian perimeter, try to re-coup and recuperate following massive losses of human lives and properties caused by the Dec 26 tsunami, it must not be forgotten that the damage could have been minimised, if not for the incompetence and lack of insight of governments in those affected countries.

Leave alone Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar or Thailand, one should question the insight of our own leaders for their failure to pre-empt such tragedies and implement measures long ago to provide an effective damage control mechanism.

Over the years, Malaysian leaders have been busy utilising the country's funds to build twin towers, skyscrapers, mega highways and bridges, golf courses and flying all over the world for trade and cultural missions.

Nevertheless, they conveniently neglected their duties to provide basic protection to Malaysians at home.

Malaysian leaders, including the prime minister, deputy prime minister and chief ministers, have told us that they did not foresee the tsunami.

Malaysia, they have repeatedly told us for years, is fortunate not to be located in the "ring of fire" that encompasses the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Sulawesi and Java, and Philippine isles.

However, the Boxing Day tragic episode, which turned part of coastal areas along the northern corridor of the peninsular into a water world, has defied the myth. It is now confirmed that our country is part of the ring, albeit as a bordering fragile land.

If the "ring of fire" were to cough, Malaysia will sneeze. Occasional tremors felt in Malaysia during earthquakes in neighbouring countries were clear indications of tragedies to come.

Unprepared

However, the country's leaders and people were not prepared. Malaysian leaders, as usual, were quick to blame nature for the damages suffered by innocent people, even though scrutiny will disclose that the government has neglected its duties to implement any pre-emptive measures to safeguard properties and protect life when a tsunami sweeps to our shore.

Just to prove the point of government's negligence, Penang and Kedah were the two Malaysian states to suffer the most, in terms of loss of lives and damage to properties, from the wrath of tsunami.

Our present prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi hails from Penang while his predecessor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is a Kedahan.

To add insult to injury, the tourist belt from between Tanjung Tokong and Teluk Bahang, a stretch badly hit by the tsunami, comes under Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon's Tanjung Bunga state constituency.

Locals will remember that the damaged Tanjung Tokong stretch had housed at least 20 illegal food outlets before the fatal visit of tsunami.

The killer wave has completely flushed out the entire area, something which the local municipality should have done a long time ago.

If the local authority had done its job, the eatery operators would not have lost their livelihood today. The illegal eateries have mushroomed along the Tanjung Tokong stretch for years as if in a show of defiance to the local authority, thanks to the strength of local Umno leaders.

It needed nature's fury to displace the shops. The government today had to answer several pressing questions.

Why no alert system?

When the government could embark on so many mega projects over the years, why did it not set up a tsunami alert system?

The technology is there, but it was not utilised. After the tragedy, the government plans to use Japanese expertise to set up such an alert system. Why only now?

Why were no pre-emptive projects carried out along the coastal areas? Despite round-the-clock surveillance - both aerial and sea - by our security agencies along the coastal areas, why didn't anyone notice that a tsunami was rushing violently to our northern shore?

Even if they did, why weren't the locals, especially the picnickers, alerted?

When management of international resorts along the Penang beaches could alert their guests, how did the authorities fail to do so?

The government owes the public an explanation. We were fortunate that the tsunami only lasted a few minutes. One can bet that half of Penang island would have submerged into a water world if the killer wave had lasted for 30 minutes.

Perhaps nature's fury was to remind us of our negligence and fragility.

Well, it is time for our leaders, local and national, to stand up and be counted in the wake of the worst natural disaster ever to happen to the country.

They must stop shirking their responsibility and immediately embark on a comprehensive plan to implement measures to protect lives and safeguard properties in the face of such disasters. Another one of which could just be around the corner.

Otherwise, they should step down and let others do the job.

Athi Veeranggan is malaysiakini's stringer based in Penang.