We spent a cool RM20 million for a Malaysian to hitch a ride in a Russian space taxi. Our space hero is busy running a sea-food restaurant.
Despite a lot of hot air about success achieved in eradicating poverty, precious little is done to alleviate the sufferings of the hardcore poor. Is it because some corrupt scoundrels siphoned off the money, from the fund set up to help the hardcore poor?
What a long way RM20 million would have gone to help the poor ones depicted above.
This is the case of Zainon, 39, a widow, who supported her two children by washing dishes at a restaurant until she was bedridden with AIDS. Zainon’s son, Mohd Pilus Ayub, 13, dropped out of school to take over his mother’s job at the restaurant and earns RM15 a day. Social Welfare Aid of RM160 cannot even meet a fraction of her medical expenses. Zainon’s mother, 70, Che Som, said, “Sometimes I even have to beg for food from our neighbours as we simply have nothing to eat.”
Did someone say that ours is a caring society?
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AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
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- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
