Daily Lessons from Life 08 February 2010

"Tainted milk powder turning up in China again - Mon, Feb 08, 2010 AFP

BEIJING - China is hunting for nearly 100 tonnes of tainted milk powder that was supposed to have been destroyed after a 2008 scandal over the deaths of six babies, state media said on Monday.

Dairy products containing the industrial chemical melamine have been turning up again in stores in China, more than a year after the authorities had declared the threat from tainted milk over."

It is a sad situation. Was I shocked about this? Well, not really as China is a very big country and local conditions can be not fully controlled by the central authority as NOT ALL officials or people involved in executing an order or punishment by the lawful authority are as committed or impartial as those from the 'far away' central!!

Lessons for me are:

1. at least some righteous people are reporting this situation, and that the authorities are hunting for the tainted milk power and the people are KNOWINGLY continued to poison innocent people with this toxic product!;

2. when the culprits are captured, there will be a fair trial and then a severe punishment must be meted out if they are found guilty as charged. It has gone beyond 'ignorant of the threat or risk' with this crime as the tainted milk power was CLEARLY declared poisonous and to be destroyed!! No excuse can be tolerated. It is murder with intent when the culprits produced and sold the products made from these ingredients!!;

3. publicized the case and the punishment sentenced by the court when it is in progress and upon conclusion. To ensure that the laws are obeyed across such a vast nation, firmness in executing the orders or penalties must be exerted. Actions speak louder than words. When people who believed that this cannot happened to them witnessed the final outcome of the culprits, they may be frighthen to abstain from trying their luck, or better still, they realized that this is a stupid thing to do when it clearly endangered the life of people who will be consuming products made from these poisonous ingredients, and voluntarily stop such practices.

The journey to eradicate unscrupulous 'business people' who are willing to risk the health and life of the innocent consumers for profit is a long and winding one. It is like the long march where each step forward will bring the nation a step closer to the ultimate goal of creating a responsible business culture - voluntarily or by sheer force of law enforcement!