Help the paupers, please.

The Second Finance Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah had recently said, in Ipoh, that those earning less than RM3,000 per month will be helped to get through the rising cost of living.

This really baffles me a bit. In my small town of mine, namely Taiping, if one were to even mention that he was a RM2,000 per month earner he will get some respect. He should be a senior staff or something. For RM3,000 one could be a manager. From what I have seen most of the people in the private sector are getting monthly salaries of way below RM1,000. If people getting RM3,000 per month are taken as low wage earners, then the latter ones are surely paupers.

One day we may see the managers and the paupers queuing up together for some food stamps. I hope the government takes care of the paupers first. Me? I am a pauper, too!

A believer of all religions.

Hari Raya Puasa is just around the corner, most probably, on the 30^th of August, 2011, and I am sure my Muslim friends should be eagerly waiting for their great day. A day when they can openly consume food and drinks without looking over their shoulders for the Puasa enforcing authorities. 

Oh, no, this does not mean I am saying all my friends do not observe the Puasa obligation. There do exist a few whose stomachs seem to be unable to go without food. They don’t seem to have the will power to do as the religion of Islam asks them to do; to fast during the day for a month.

I am a great respecter of religions and their faiths and when I see hordes of Malays queuing up to buy breakfast and lunches at the kedai mamaks, I don’t know whether to be understanding or to give them a look of disapproval.

Seems like there is a great deal to be done by the Islamic authorities to convince these puasa-faulters to observe the requirement of Islam.