International Journal of
eISSN: 2576-4454
Submit manuscript...
Mini Review Volume 10 Issue 2
Remembering Sungai Buloh: Public safety, regulatory amnesia, and why prevention must precede celebration
Chee Kong Yap
Received: February 25, 2026 | Published: March 10, 2026
Citation: Yap CK. Remembering Sungai Buloh: Public safety, regulatory amnesia, and why prevention must precede celebration. Int J Hydro. 2026;10(2):42-46. DOI: 10.15406/ijh.2026.10.00425
Abstract
Public safety disasters are rarely sudden or unforeseeable. They are more often the cumulative outcome of prolonged regulatory neglect, weakened enforcement, institutional amnesia (forgetfulness), and the gradual normalization of risk within society. This reflective narrative revisits the 1991 Sungai Buloh fireworks disaster in Malaysia and places it alongside contemporary observations of increasingly prevalent roadside fireworks stalls during festive seasons. Drawing on personal daily encounters, disaster sociology, risk perception research, and governance literature, this narrative paper argues that prevention is not merely a technical or administrative option but a moral and civic obligation. The fading of collective memory surrounding the Sungai Buloh tragedy illustrates how societies become vulnerable when past disasters lose their guiding influence on present decisionmaking. Sustained prevention, precautionary governance, and ethical accountability are therefore essential to ensuring that celebration never overrides public safety.
Keywords: public safety, disaster memory, risk governance, fireworks regulation, prevention ethics
©2026 Yap. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.