When fun fair ends up a sorrow, traumatising ordeal

SHAH ALAM - Fun fairs always have their own charms.

The beautiful, flashy lights decorating the machines and sky-high Ferris Wheel which can be spotted from miles away will surely call up our inner child to come out and play.

Aside from the lighting and machinery, of course, there are also the lively crowd and fun booths with rubber ducks or gigantic teddy bears offered to its patrons in games that are based on luck.

However, just like what our old folks said, too much laughter may just end with tears.

Just two days back, Malaysians were shocked by the news that a woman and two children were injured after they plummeted from a fun fair ride in Puncak Alam while the ride was still in motion.

Good samaritans immediately lend helping hands to ensure that the victims were taken care of while they waited for the authorities and the victims were rushed to a hospital for treatment.

Videos and photos of the incident quickly made their rounds on social media, with netizens expressing their horror at what had happened.

Fortunately, the victims were discharged just a day after being admitted to the hospital, which showed that the victims did not sustain severe injuries.

Yet, such an ordeal could have a traumatising effect on the victims, especially the 11-year-old child.

Family of the victims expressed their disappointment towards the organisers of the fun fair who were negligent in handling their equipment and said that the issue was not supposed to happen because it involved the safety and lives of those visiting the fun fair.

Speaking of safety, it was also unveiled that the fun fair had operated without licence.

How is this possible?

Doesn’t the life of the patrons matter compared to profits?

How can the organisers be so negligent?

This is not even the first case that involved fun fairs in Malaysia.

Just last year, a 39-year-old man died and another was seriously injured after falling off a Ferris Wheel ride at a funfair in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

Following the mishap, the Selangor state government warns that any theme park still operating without local authority approval must be ceased immediately.

State Local Government, Public Transport and New Village Development Committee chairman Ng Sze Han said that the state government warned operators and site owners not to hold theme park activities without obtaining the local authorities’ approval since it involved the safety of the public.

He said that actions had been taken by the Kuala Selangor Municipal Council (MPKS), including imposing a compound and confiscating the fun fair.

MPKS director Rahilah Rahmat said the organisers had previously submitted applications for the entertainment activity license several times but their applications were found to be incomplete and rejected.

If the application had been rejected, why would organisers continue to operate when they do not have the proper approval from local authorities?

Is there an element of corruption? Are the laws in place not stringent enough?

There is nothing wrong with organising entertainment acivities but there needs to be strict measures taken when it comes to such fun fairs or theme parks so that it would safeguard the visitors.

We do not want any more fatalities like what happened in 2021.