Tarian Sewang – a dance of welcome; our children and a facilitator sportingly joined in the fun

HEAVY rain ushered in the morning of Aug 25, 2012 but it failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the young participants of SABM’s Rural-Urban Exchange Programme. They came early to the Rumah for the day trip to the Orang Asli settlement at Sungei Bil, Slim River in Perak, their first RUEP 2012 venture into a rural area.

Our hope was that the excursion would help awaken our urban children, even the few from disadvantaged homes, to the fact that glaring disparities exist in the standard of living of Anak-anak Bangsa Malaysia in current times. And perhaps they would come away from that experience recognising how much they themselves had and what those in unfortunate circumstances lacked.

Weeks earlier, four RUEP facilitators had visited the settlement to meet Cikgu Nora, an amazing lady with immense capabilities and a strong conviction that education was the key to freeing her people from the cycle of poverty.

Nora adeptly finalized a program for our RUEP children. She also drew up a budget that covered resources required for children’s activities, meals and refreshments, and also the handicrafts her team of helpers would make for our impending visit. Nora was assured that RUEP would bear all expenses incurred, including the rental of canopies needed as shield against rain.

In the days leading up to the trip, parents of RUEP participants, well-wishers, RUEP facilitators and volunteers bought, as well as sourced from contacts they had, foodstuff and other items that had been identified as necessities at the settlement.

By Farida Jivamala Ibrahim

Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM) and National Human Rights Society (HAKAM) unveiled at their media conference on 14 August at Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall a document that offers for our society possibly the most durable passage out of abject poverty and marginalization: The Draft Social Inclusion Act (SIA 2012). (Click on highlighted link to download.)

In their media statement highlighting the need for such an Act, SABM and HAKAM pointed out that the vision to achieve a just, equitable and inclusive society as enshrined in the Rukunegara proclaimed on 31st August 1970 had yet to be realized, almost 42 years on.

HAKAM’s Malik Imtiaz Sarwar stressed that today almost 40% of Anak Bangsa Malaysia are still trapped in the inter-generational cycle of poverty and inequality. “Give power to marginalized society,” he called. “Give them the means to help themselves.”

Malik Imtiaz said the urgent need is to focus on long-term solutions to bring about a socially just and more inclusive society and not temporary measures like “handouts and 1-shirt fits all prescriptions which are but temporary and will not lift our people from the societal quagmire.”