NOT TOO SMART - Too little help, too late, with too many journalists and cameramen!
Padang, was devastated by a powerful earthquake on Wednesday 30th September 2009. The undersea earthquake that hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra had an epicentre only 50 kilometres away from the city, which is the largest in West Sumatra.
The Special Malaysian Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) reportedly began work at the ravaged Mariani International Hotel and Jakarta Hotel in earthquake hit Padang only on Sunday 4th October 2009.
The 25-member team, it was reported, was sure that no more victims were trapped beneath the rubble of the collapsed Mariani International Hotel located on Jalan Bundo Kandung, Padang .
Subsequently they then began scouring the ruined remains of Jakarta Hotel to determine if there were still any victims there.
The SMART team arrived on Saturday 3rd October 2009, together with a medical team made up of 31 personnel from the armed forces, the Health Ministry and the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.
Accompanied by 22 journalists, photographers and TV cameramen, the SMART team evidently pitched tents at a clearing beside the collapsed Selasih Hospital, to be used as their operation centre.
Is this a sincere attempt to help, or just a show for the media circus?
A rescue team of 25 + medical team of 31 = 56 personnel, surely doesn't need a group of 22 Malaysian media folks as hangers-on.
22 more rescuers and medical workers would have been far more useful.
UPDATE:
PADANG: International rescuers are planning to end their operations searching for survivors of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit West Sumatra province of Indonesia last week, as the first 75 hours-limit to finding disaster survivors passed.
According to a report by China's Xinhua news agency, United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) official J. Seen said on Monday 5th October 2009, that international rescuers would officially end their operation after a local government announcement later the same day (Monday).
Trahimur omnes laudis studio
We are all led on by our eagerness for praise
Palmam qui meruit ferat
Let him who has earned it bear the reward
Quidvis Recte Factum Quamvis Humile Praeclarum
Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble
