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22 October 2010

Why are there poor people in Malaysia, still? (Serious stuff, don't read if you are not into politics)

Hi! I live in rural area with very much exposure to urban life. How is that so? Okay, I live in Kampung Mak Chili, I went to a secondary school which is just 3 minute drive from my house. The school is in the town/city. What is Chukai exactly? In Malay, Bandar Kemaman la. But I live in Kampung Mak Chili. Every month, my family will go to Kuantan at least once. I went to KL many times just for fun. So I see lots of different things. Remember my background that I come from a relatively middle income family in a kampung. 

My father is a barber for the last 25 years, I guess. He has a bungalow, three cars and four children. If you come to my house, you will not stop eating because there is so much food. If you don't believe me, ask my friend Aiman and Haziq who went to my house before. Why am I telling you this? Let's consider a barber's income. Unlike in large cities like KL, customers only have to pay RM7 for my father's service. Let's say he has 20 customers per day, that will make RM140 per day. For 25 days of work, he will get RM 2500 per month. Is that enough to pay for shop rent, his bungalow, three cars and food to make his children fat fat and gebu gebu?

Or is my father receiving help from the Government to feed me? Oh no! What else that he does for living? Is he in some kind of Program Kemiskinan Rakyat or something? Will the Government help our family who live in bungalow like this? But my father is only a barber.

If you can answer that question, you will answer the question above: why there are still poor people in Malaysia. If I ask you, who are these poor people? Are they Ah Chong or the Lingam who sells The Star in front of Pejabat Persekutuan? Are they Mak Limahs, Pak Longs and Awangs? Yes!

Well, let's say Awang is a poor guy. What makes him different from my father? Okay, I give him the lowest paid job (RM 400), 10 children, no bungalow and bla bla bla.. Does he receive any help from the government? Of course he does! What does he do? How is his children performing in school? What does he do to make more money? Is he comfortable with his current situation?

Wow, it looks like barber is a high-income job heh? No! 

My father works from 9 am until 7 pm. 10 hours? Yeah! In Ramadhan, due to many requests, continue until 10 pm. Will he get only 20 customers per day in that 10 hours? He keep the record of all his daily income in a book, and surprisingly a barber IS a high-income job  IF you do it well. Which barber works for 10 hours a day? My father. 

So, who are these poor people actually. Are they barbers? Are they farmers? Are they construction workers?

My father can be very poor too if he wants, isn't it? He could not have worked until late night. My answer to those questions is Malay's lazy attitude plus with lack of thinking. 

My father is extremely hardworking. My father innovates with his barber shop; you will not just get haircut, those lazy uncle can put henna on their hair plus with other stuffs..who say men don't like to be pampered. You want extra, you pay la..That's how a business grow..For future income, he has his children as his asset, so he puts lots lots of effort and money to our education. 

Why Malays still poor? They keep complaining. When they don't know what else to complain, they blame the Government like the Kerajaan suppose to give beras to them everyday. I know one uncle from Siam who came here with nothing. He doesn't know how to read. He was extremely poor, and he has very large families. Well, fast forward, he still can't read but for sure he has lots of money enough for him to enjoy sometimes. How he did it? He worked all day long, from morning till night. Yeah, I know this because he's the one who keeps my yard clean and the grass to be cut very month. He work till night! It's not just for my house, for other houses as well. 

When we see people work so hard, we give them more money, isn't it? 

But if you look at most Malays who are poor, I'm not blaming them for being poor, BUT when you help yourself, others will help you. Macam pakcik tu, kita tengok dia rajin macam entah ape, so kita pun bagi dia duit lebih. Ni tak, kerja contractor Melayu datang kerja pukul 10, makan pagi sembang kedai kopi dulu, pastu wat kerje. TAK SAMPAI SETENGAH JAM, HISAP ROKOK SEBATANG. Mana boleh jadi kaya..


Kesimpulannya, buat la projek basmi kemiskinan macam mana pun, kalau diri sendiri tak jadi rajin and ada the right attitude, tak jadi. Takkan orang nak tunggu kita kaya baru nak buat 100-storey tower untuk kita beli? We are not a welfare nation.




5 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. I love this article. what makes you different is penyampaian berhemat. dalam dunia ini semua orang pandai (or atleast tunjuk pandai). its a good thing untuk kita tunjuk pandai walaupun tidak, supaya kita tidak dihina, dipijak, diperbodohkan. simple say; dihormati.

    Pembaziran itu apa definisinya? Membazir itu terjadi kalau tidak mampu tetapi mahu juga benda itu sampai menjejaskan benda lain. Dalam kes ini, PNB memang mampu. Sebagaimana Arab Saudi mampu untuk membina bangunan/menara jam yang bakal jadi menara tertinggi di dunia yang terletak di hadapan Masjidil Haram itu. Adakah itu membazir? Tuhan murka? Dunia sudah mahu kiamat? Cakaplah sendiri pada kerajaan Arab Saudi. Ingin saya ingatkan, kita yang melihat ini ialah sebodoh-bodoh. Jangan ambil mudah dengan memandang sinis perancangan-perancangan mereka ini. Jika mereka di pihak antagonis, nescaya Tuhan menurunkan bala pada mereka. Tuhan tidak akan mengubah sesuatu kaum melainkan kaum itu sendiri mengubahnya. Tuhan tidak akan menguji melainkan apa yang diuji itu tahan ujian.

    What I'm trying to say is, i see this project as a positive issue. kalau nak kira yang kurang sana kurang sini tu, memanglah berjela-jela list nya. tetapi ini ialah perancangan masa depan dalam konteks kemajuan. kemajuan menghadapi kepesatan dunia. kebaikan bukan 5, 10 tahun. untuk 20-30 tahun dan kemudiannya.

    Yang bercakap berdegar-degar ini percayalah, kalau tak lagi 10-20 tahun, nanti masa bercucu cicit dia guna juga apa yang dia proteskan itu. Impossible juga kalau nak fikir takkan lah seramai-ramai warga yang menggunakan KLCC, Sepang, KLIA, Putrajaya itu dahulunya orang-orang yang membangkang pembinaan dan pelaksanaannya. Takkanlah.. kan? Yang menggunakan ini semua sudah pasti mereka yang benar-benar menyokong transformasi Negara. Paling-paling pun, jenis wait and see.

    Ayah saya seorang petani. kami hidup di bandar. Nak kata susah tidak, nak kata senang pula memang perasan. Saya dibesarkan untuk hidup dengan hati yang bersih. Mengeji jangan, bersyukur banyakkan. Alhamdulillah, this is where I live.

    Manusia ada dua jenis. kedua-dua jenis ini tidak bodoh. boleh jadi pandai juga. yang pertama, suka mengambil cabaran dan menghadapi risiko. satu lagi, yang intai dari tingkap melihat yang pertama itu terngesot-ngesot, luka-luka menghadapi cabaran sambil berkata 'aku dah cakap dahh'.

    Bukan semua orang mempunyai kelebihan 'membaca' masa depan dalam 20, 30 tahun mendatang. Tapi semua orang perasan mereka mempunyai 'kelebihan' membaca masa depan dalam 5, 10 tahun mendatang.

    Keep on writing, because I need someone like you to do so. Im craving for penulisan penuh hemat melahirkan pendapat. terima kasih.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Eireen! Salam! I really appreciate your comment. It wraps up my whole point.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love this article. what makes you different is penyampaian berhemat. dalam dunia ini semua orang pandai (or atleast tunjuk pandai). its a good thing untuk kita tunjuk pandai walaupun tidak, supaya kita tidak dihina, dipijak, diperbodohkan. simple say; dihormati.

    Pembaziran itu apa definisinya? Membazir itu terjadi kalau tidak mampu tetapi mahu juga benda itu sampai menjejaskan benda lain. Dalam kes ini, PNB memang mampu. Sebagaimana Arab Saudi mampu untuk membina bangunan/menara jam yang bakal jadi menara tertinggi di dunia yang terletak di hadapan Masjidil Haram itu. Adakah itu membazir? Tuhan murka? Dunia sudah mahu kiamat? Cakaplah sendiri pada kerajaan Arab Saudi. Ingin saya ingatkan, kita yang melihat ini ialah sebodoh-bodoh. Jangan ambil mudah dengan memandang sinis perancangan-perancangan mereka ini. Jika mereka di pihak antagonis, nescaya Tuhan menurunkan bala pada mereka. Tuhan tidak akan mengubah sesuatu kaum melainkan kaum itu sendiri mengubahnya. Tuhan tidak akan menguji melainkan apa yang diuji itu tahan ujian.

    What I'm trying to say is, i see this project as a positive issue. kalau nak kira yang kurang sana kurang sini tu, memanglah berjela-jela list nya. tetapi ini ialah perancangan masa depan dalam konteks kemajuan. kemajuan menghadapi kepesatan dunia. kebaikan bukan 5, 10 tahun. untuk 20-30 tahun dan kemudiannya.

    Yang bercakap berdegar-degar ini percayalah, kalau tak lagi 10-20 tahun, nanti masa bercucu cicit dia guna juga apa yang dia proteskan itu. Impossible juga kalau nak fikir takkan lah seramai-ramai warga yang menggunakan KLCC, Sepang, KLIA, Putrajaya itu dahulunya orang-orang yang membangkang pembinaan dan pelaksanaannya. Takkanlah.. kan? Yang menggunakan ini semua sudah pasti mereka yang benar-benar menyokong transformasi Negara. Paling-paling pun, jenis wait and see.

    Ayah saya seorang petani. kami hidup di bandar. Nak kata susah tidak, nak kata senang pula memang perasan. Saya dibesarkan untuk hidup dengan hati yang bersih. Mengeji jangan, bersyukur banyakkan. Alhamdulillah, this is where I live.

    Manusia ada dua jenis. kedua-dua jenis ini tidak bodoh. boleh jadi pandai juga. yang pertama, suka mengambil cabaran dan menghadapi risiko. satu lagi, yang intai dari tingkap melihat yang pertama itu terngesot-ngesot, luka-luka menghadapi cabaran sambil berkata 'aku dah cakap dahh'.

    Bukan semua orang mempunyai kelebihan 'membaca' masa depan dalam 20, 30 tahun mendatang. Tapi semua orang perasan mereka mempunyai 'kelebihan' membaca masa depan dalam 5, 10 tahun mendatang.

    Keep on writing, because I need someone like you to do so. Im craving for penulisan penuh hemat melahirkan pendapat. terima kasih.

    ReplyDelete

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