Hard Knock Life

Happy New Year! Once again we step into a brand new year 2008. Most of us have their own new year resolution. What ever you have it for 2008, good luck!. Looks like elections are just around the corner. Wonder what will happen on the election day or who will be in charge of running the govt frm 2008 onwards.

Every year we see changes in peoples life, its too bad isnt it for those who are not having the changes in life. Still the same wooden house, still the same old unorganised area and finally high-crime rated area thats where they live in. If we take alook certain places in prai and butterworth districts in Penang state, we still can see quite a number of places can be quoted "poverty area". Looking at the kids and youngsters at the area, it really recalls Jay-z's video clip on Hard Knock Life. Hopefully, the government have its own plan of devoloping at the same time place a small changes in their lives for the sake of election.


Here is a real scenario, One woman, Nagama (not her real name) has 11 children, husband is bed-ridden and they are illiterate. This is contrary to Samy Vellu’s view that “Today all Indians are educated and some doing very well.” Five of her children have no citizenship or birth certificates. They would be among the 20,000 ethnic Indians who have been denied their rights to identity and citizenship in Malaysia. The children cannot be admitted in schools or find employment because they do not have identity cards. She approached the MIC officials who took whatever papers she had and she never heard from them again. There is no one to open any legal avenues for her to pursue.

Another scenario, in a low-cost flat lives a woman whose husband has a chronic illness but works as an office boy. They have two daughters who are disabled. The building is not disabled friendly. They survive on a meagre diet of mainly plain rice with a colouring of curry. They receive no help from the government. They have received no help from the MIC. They have met with local party leaders and answered numerous questions but to no end. She is asked if she is a member of the party? No. They say they can only help party members.

They approached the welfare department and the first thing they asked was if she subscribed to Astro (Satellite TV Channel)? Yes. They were not entitled to welfare aid because they could afford to subscribe to Astro.

The Astro subscription was made by her sister for the sake of the disabled daughters, a gift. They are at a dead end. The daughters are 18 and 20 but look like mere children because they are stunted in growth. The older girl is smaller in size and suffers from epilepsy. The mother says she prays to god everyday that he would take her daughters while she is still alive so that she can give them a decent burial because nobody will ever marry them.

Jay-Z's HARD KNOCK LIFE