This May is the season of disasters. A tropical storm hit Myanmar on 2 May. Dead bodies are everywhere and the catastrophe may have caused the 100,000 deaths.

Another alarming disaster on 12 May occurred in Sichuan, and claimed over 10,000 lives. The people turn their compassion and attention to the China which just gone through snowstorm during the last Spring Festival.

The Myanmar cyclone and the Sichuan earthquake are considered as screaming catastrophes. Their difference is, in the face of the current disaster, the Myanmar junta ignored the people's suffering, and flatly rejected foreign aid. However, it cannot launch rescue operatiosn effectively and quickly, in which it has further worsened the situation. Meanwhile, the China government openly welcomed international relief and promptly launched a comprehensive relief work.

After the incident, China Premier Wen Jiabao went to disaster areas quickly and directed the rescue operations. Premier Wen walked in mud in the rain and visited injured children. When he saw two trapped children were rescued, he cried. He also took the risk to climb up broken walls to shout to the children trapped in the rubble: “I am grandfather Wen Jiabao. Children, you must hold on. You will be saved!”

We are deeply comforted by such a loving Premier when we are praying for the earthquake victims.

I think of the unconcern of the U.S. President George W. Bush.

The United States southern port city New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina in 29 Aug 2005. It is the most serious disaster in U.S. history, where thousands of people lost their lives. Incredibly, when the people were in great danger, the United States top leader George Bush and his group of senior officials were still happy holidaying and shopping. He hastily ended his vacation only when he received fierce public criticisms and went to inspect the disaster areas. The media described this incident as “a disgrace to the United States”.

Let's look at Malaysia now. Two years ago, Johor experienced the most serious flood. When majority of the victims were helpless and were waiting for rescue, many of our officials and ministers were leisurely having their vacation abroad. Even though our leaders went to the disaster areas to send his condolences, but they only looked “shocked” at the disaster relief centres.

Natural disasters often reflect the reality of man-made calamities as well as the hypocrisy of the politicians. Natural disasters are terrible, but man-made disasters are particularly terror! (By LIM MUN FAH/ Translated by LEE MEI NYEE/ Sin Chew Daily)