A Nation of Whiners?

I think Malaysians, by and large, have become a bunch of whiners, constantly complaining and seemingly dissatisfied with everything and everyone. Some, in fact, are truly out-and-out ingrates to whom gratitude holds no meaning.

We bitch about our government and knock our leaders, wibble about our laws and regulations, crap our jobs and piss our pay, grumble about our public amenities and bemoan our standard of living.

It is truly beyond my ken that we chunter and whinge at the slightest discomfort, as though it is our God-given right to live life unimpeded and unhindered by problems and obstacles, and to have everything delivered to us on a silver platter.

We detest the overwhelming presence of foreign labour in our country, yet we abhor menial work. We think sweeping the supermarket floor and cleaning the public toilet is beneath us.

We feel crowded out when the children of our maids share hospital beds and classrooms with our own children as though the right to health and education is ours and ours alone.

But we certainly have no qualms about working those very same maids to the bone for a pittance so we can have a clean house and evenings out without having to worry about the kids' well-being.

We look down on these aliens so used to hardscrabble life, coming to our shores out of necessity not choice, conveniently forgetting that they are here cleaning our domestic mess and our kids' arses because they need to put food on their family table.

We think we are better and smarter than them in so many ways. We treat them as social discards, the harijans of our nation. Do you know what I think? I think we suck. Big time.

It is sad that far too many of us no longer have a single charitable bone in our body. We have sacrificed our human decency in pursuit of worldly wealth.

It's about time we take stock of our lives, spare a thought or two for the less fortunate, and count our blessings.