I am glad that the issue of football fans waiting for hours to buy tickets for the SEA Games match was highlighted. Not only did they wait for a long time, many ended up with nothing at all. On the other hand, it was reported that those who were well connected could easily get the tickets they wanted.

TMJ Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim had rightly pointed out that “football is nothing without the fans”. By all rights, priority should be given to the fans.

We accept that seats in the stadium are limited. But at least the organiser must make it convenient and orderly for fans to purchase the tickets. I am sure the presence of police personnel, the queuing system, and a sufficient number of counters to dispense tickets can easily be arranged and executed.

But as with all events in Malaysia, we are just good at pomp. When VVIPs are involved, everything will be arranged to the minutest detail, including special renovated toilets just in case the VVIPs concerned want to use them. When events involve ordinary folk, everything will be lackadaisical.

I can understand the frustration of football fans when they failed to get their tickets. But there are bigger frustrations that we face every day. I guess very few of us take notice of this.

Have you followed the queuing system at government hospitals? I think it applies only to Ah Beng, Muthu and Ahmad. The next time you see a VIP or a senior official queuing up like us, please let me know. What about seeking an appointment with a specialist? Sometimes I wonder if VIPs would face a long wait like the common folk.

What about jams and queues on our roads and tolled highways? We pay tolls to get into jams and we queue up to pay the toll charges. Who really is bothered with our predicaments when VVIPs have their outriders or drivers to rough out and free petrol to burn, too?

Then, what about people staying in low-cost flats? Who really is bothered with frequent water supply disruptions, uncollected garbage emitting foul odours, and lifts poorly maintained or not working?

We should have done better to dish out the football tickets. But for Malaysia, it is already part of our national ethos. If you are Ah Beng, Muthu or Ahmad, you wait, beg and suffer in silence. That is our fate.

Frankly, I am not whining anymore. But since we raised the football ticket issue, I thought it would be appropriate to remind all of us that there are bigger issues out there.

TK Chua is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.