Today, we are facing a very critical situation. We are having drought, our water resources are depleting and we seem to have to put up with the haze phenomenon frequently.

I believe there are two main reasons why we are facing an environment crisis here. They are due to our economics of greed and politics of power.

Economics based on greed is void of moral and ethical values and of common sense thinking.
An economy based on greed is not just about having the biggest profit by lowering cost but also destroying anything in its way.

The lack of water catchment areas in our country today to support our daily consumption is very much due to our sense of greed and arrogance in dealing with Mother Nature. Why do you think our dams are getting drier by the day? We are driven by greed and it is this same greed that is 'killing' us today.

As for the politics of power, that is a little tricky. After all, it is politics. In this aspect, we need to ask questions like does indiscriminate development translate into less votes, do we have enough knowledge and manpower for enforcement, are the laws being enforced without fear or favour etc.

Our politicians and political machinery have been used to support and give impetus to our economy based on greed. The politics of power is not used to build but to destroy instead.

The politics of power has been fueling our economy to such an extent that massive projects can go ahead without having to comply with specific environmental laws. Just look at our Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam in Shah Alam.

Today, we are paying the price for all the indiscriminate development. Dams are getting dry, droughts are getting longer by the year, the weather is blazing hot while the haze is no longer a stranger.

We are pushing the limits and if we carry like this, an environmental crisis will occur is in the near future. Then it will be too late for any apologies or for any attempt to try and repair the damage.