Sorry lah... I'm a bit busy. Next time, okay?

Panglima's log 31 Jan 2005

todays blog will be my bitching session. i shall not claim im a good fella nor an examplar citizen. just an average man that wants to make a tiny difference in the world he is living in. so, whats the bitch?

i know many people. acquantance you may call them. or colleagues. or former school/college mates. i call some of them friends. during the past 4 weeks i have been campaigning for people to help provide relief for the tsunami victims - both local and abroad. my campaign mostly fell on deaf ears. biasa la tu. the common excuse, "busy la this time.. next time lah". yeah right, as if theres going to be another disaster. to which i am quite sure these people will be busy again. another excuse that i heard recently was, "kalau buat tak ikhlas tak guna juga." classic! kalau betul2 busy tak pe la. jangan la kasi excuse yang menginsult intelligence. alahai... i wonder if the next time they ask for favor from me, should i give them the same answer? rasa tak ikhlas tak payah la tolong kan?

and then theres this species that drops by for an hour or so at the relief corrdination centres watching others work, only to proudly hail later that they did so much for the disaster victims. hogwash! ada juga yang cuma jadi pemerhati. ish ish ish...

but some of these same people have also been complaining about the lack courtesy and sensitivity among malaysians! my point, easier to talk than to walk the walk.

when i was at a few of donations collection centres, i witnessed a sizeable amount of rags and junks donated. oh youve seen some of them in the papers and other web sites. torn clothes, soiled under garments, trophies, plaques and photo frames. disgusting!!!

and then there are those who donated a measly amount (compared to their income and what they spent on entertainment and other vices) and very proud of it. their excuse, "sikit tak apa asalkan ikhlas." ive seen poorer people given more to the cause and i think its because they have been true hardship and know that a small amount wont help much. if you want to give, give an amount that matters. if you can afford 2 boxes of cigarette a day, why not sacrifice the value of one box and donate it to charity. everyday. i figure, if your pay check is rm 3000 a month, what's rm50-200 to charity if you can spend more on entertainment. an average person probably spent much more for mamak teh tarik. if you are still on a tight budget as those who supports a large family then it is understood.

we in kl so far has been fortunate not to have been at the center of the disaster. maybe that what makes some of us so numb to the suffering and need of others.

simultaneously, i take this opportunity to thank and praise those who have sincerely contributed whether in time, kind or cash to the disaster victims. you guys did it selflessly. its easy to identify these people - you see them more than once, and they are always doing something. thank you. hope to see you again.

selamat hari wilayah.