DEC 25 — ‘For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’
John 3:16
As we take time out from our
busy schedules to celebrate the birth of Christ, I would like to reflect
on the essence of Christmas and what it means to Christians who give
thanks for the gift of Christ from God our Father. The biblical
quotation above captures perfectly the message of Christmas — it is
about giving. Just as God gave his Son to us, we too, out of love for
our neighbours and friends, should think about, and practise giving to
our family and friends, and our brothers and sisters in this State, and
even in the country.
But what is it that we can give
to our fellow citizens? It is well-known that Sarawak is one of the
poorest states in Malaysia. Many of her citizens eke out an existence on
very little earnings per household. The rate of poverty in the state
has increased from 4.2 per cent in 2007 to 5.3 per cent in 2009; there
are 28,505 people registered as poor including 2993 classified as
hard-core poor. The government acknowledges that this figure is expected
to increase over the next few years. These are the official figures
from the authorities but due to the remoteness and inaccessibility of
the interior, for every person registered, there are many more who are
not.
In showing our love and
compassion for those people who are less fortunate than us, it is
commendable that we share what we have with them this Christmas season
by giving material goods, money and food to the poor and needy. God gave
us all in life without any conditions, and so should we give in the
same spirit of all-encompassing love for our fellow citizens. I truly
commend and applaud the kindness of Sarawakians who give generously each
year in cash and in kind, and in giving their time to visit the old,
the sick and the abandoned in homes during the festive season. Indeed
Christmas is a time when we find joy in giving.
Many of us make our yearly
donations and tell ourselves that we have paid our dues to society for
the year, and we hang up our donor hats until next Christmas rolls
along. Is this ‘giving’ in the true sense of the word as God gave to us?
It is not. A yearly charitable contribution, while noble and good, is
not sufficient to pull our less fortunate brothers and sisters out of
the morass of poverty in which they find themselves through no fault of
their own.
There is much more that the
people of this state and country need. Besides food, clothing and
shelter, we need to live in a society that is free and fair, to be
governed by people who put our interests first and make decisions that
are beneficial to the state, without fear or favour. We need a
government that is righteous, that will protect and help those who are
unable to help themselves, that will eschew corruption, nepotism and
cronyism. We need a government made up of people who will not plunder
our heritage and birthright to enrich themselves, while the poor are
made to suffer more as a result of the plunder. We need good governance.
We cannot turn a blind eye
anymore to the abuses of the current government and the resulting
impoverishment to the people affected. Many people in the cities and
towns who have stable jobs and earn a good wage have no appreciable
comprehension of the very real issues of survival faced by those living
in the rural areas. We are blessed in that our country is rich in
natural resources and we are free from natural disasters – unlike our
neighbouring countries such as Thailand and the Philippines, which have
been hit by massive flooding in the recent months. However, we must open
our eyes to the misdeeds of the very people to whom we entrust the
administration of the state. Our native brothers and sisters are losing
their livelihood while those in government and their cronies get richer
by the continuing rampant abuse of power. It is especially galling and
offensive that our downtrodden brothers and sisters are exhorted by
those who steal from them to be grateful for a government that ‘cares
for them’.
This Christmas season, I urge
everyone to reflect on the meaning of giving to those who need our help
the most. Thankfully, we are not called upon to give up our lives as
Christ did, but we can show our love and concern for our fellow citizens
by giving them the best chance of regaining their livelihood and to
improve the lot of those who are trapped in the vicious cycle of
poverty. We can give to them and indeed, to ourselves the opportunity of
change by exercising our right to vote in the coming General Elections
and by exercising our right prudently. This would be a gift of a
lifeline, not only for us today but also for the generations to come.
And the time for the giving is NOW! It is time for justice and
righteousness to prevail and we have the power to bring about the
change. It is my prayer that our Fair Land Sarawak will come into her
own and for her and her proud people to once again be free and to
prosper. I give thanks to God that He has blessed Sarawak with abundant
resources and that there are many who have a deep love for and a strong
connection with the land. Let us vote for a Government that will be a
Government FOR the people so that all Sarawakians may reap and enjoy
what rightfully belongs to all her citizens. In such a way, we can say
‘we have given’ in the spirit of Christmas. And in so giving, we will
all receive the gift of a new beginning for our beloved Sarawak.
I wish all Sarawakians and all
our friends both Christian and non-Christian throughout Malaysia and
around the world a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.
* Baru Bian is the State Liaison Chief for PKR Sarawak
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