By Rock P. Nathum
17th October 2020
Ever so often we see Newspapers advertisements being taken out to announce or congratulate an individual for the award of a Datukship.
Full pages are often devoted to this cause, although I believe the monies spent on these full page announcements will do better if given to an orphanage, an old folks home or to other worthy charities to celebrate such an honour, but that s hardly the case.
I personally had a friend an ex working colleague who was awarded a Datukship, he subsequently absconded to Sri Lanka and when I happened to chance upon him in Bangalore in 2004 he told me he was in Sri Lanka making Mosquito coils.
While my friend is not the only one I know of many more, who have Datukships not because of what they did but for other reasons.
Why he got his Datukship baffles me, he was not the type for community service of any kind and while I congratulated him for that feat, I was wondering onwhat merited such an honour.
His Royal Highness the Sultan of Johor once put it very aptly, "you throw a stone and it wIll land on Datuk."
In my opinion the award of the Datukship must be given with a citation detailing the merits on which the person is awarded a Datukship and if possible should be relayed on the media.
The Citation should be read out before the award so people are aware of what merited such an award.
I am not saying all Datuk's do not deserve their Datukships, many do for their service to country and for putting national interests before self.
Among them I know Teachers, Doctors, Soldiers, Policemen, members of the armed forces, we see very few Nurses, in fact I can hardly recall even one, our current front liners from all levels must be singled out for titles such as these, we see national sports persons receiving such awards but these people and the members of our Police Force and Soldiers should aslo be singled out fro such awards, when compared with many who have been bestowed titles these people are more worthy of such titles.
My Nasi Lemak Man is one, I chose to nominate, he sells out his Nasi Lemak daily come rain or shine and many of the people from the poorer strata of our society depend on him fr their breeakfast and even lunch as some of them take it along with them to be had at lunch time, he charges a price that is within the reach of the poor.
His Nasi Lemak has quality, the Nasi Lemak biasa is only RM1.20 he also sells Nasi Lemak Sotong, Udang and Ayam all at very reasonable prices all below RM2 and a generous portion of rice, sufficient for a healthy breakfast.s
Another Nasi Lemak man in the vicinity sells at night, his Nasi Lemak Biasa is only RM1 although the rice is less then the earlier man I nominated he too makes it possible for people to have a meal small though it be.
My Nasi Lemak Man is sold out by 11.00 a.m and he is sold out day in, day out, anybody else in his position who sells out every day would have hiked the price of his Nasi Lemak, he hasn't.
Whilst doing a modest business he serves the community, for just opposite where he lives are people who will even fall among the abject poor of the country, they live above shop houses many from East Malaysia, some whom I have personally see scavenging from the rubbish heap for old Mattresses, Pillows and even clothing that is their state, and I am sure it's people like my Nasi Lemak Man who make the difference in their lives.
People like my Nasi Lemak man requires recognition, it is they who really make a difference in the lives of poor people, the roadside grass cutter, the small lorry driver and his attendant, the men behind the rubbish lorry, the sanitary workers, the odd job workers, the ice cream man, and more and yet these people do not even get as much as a thank you from the authorities.
I'll tell you what they get instead, they get hounded by enforcement authorities for license which is almost impossible to get and the hurdles they have to cross to get their act properly authorised gives them no choice but to raise their prices to make ends meet.
I know two girls who had opened a stall to sell the normal plain "Breakfast Mee" the type that is plain with bean sporuts and some curry to pour on top which is optional. The Breakfast mee was Cheap too and nice and healthy for Breakfast, these two girls sold along the main road fronting Taman Rakyat in Klang, they were forced out by enforcement personnel they told me, on the last day they sold there and yet there are many who sell along this stretch even during these Covid times.
These people are poor and they know what being poor is, they sell their stuff, food at very reasonable prices, not junk food but everyday food, and why have they to be forced out or be made to pay fees and other monies, they can hardly make ends meet for themselves whilst actually serving thee community and forcing them to pay for license and permits is just adding costs.
Let them be, guide them, provide assistance to them instead of taxing them, and allow them to provide the service to those to whom even the normal coffee shop is a luxury.
How many roadside Nasi lemak men, the machick selling goreng pisang, the Appam man who have actually had a place in society been awarded a Datukship? I am yet to hear of one, receiving it whilst he was in that state as a roadside Nasi Lemak vendor.
Is it because these men will not fit into our society?
Then again who is "Our Society" the High nosed, the Corrupt, the Power Grabbers, the Wicked and those who can even kill and get away with it?
Let us become real, let us recognize the real people in our society, those that really make a difference with their service to the less fortunate.
With their titles they become worthy examples for all to follow.
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