English Column: Of smiles and frowns
Picture by Umar Mita
And so the 2013 budget is finally announced.
Much to the wait of many, the national budget managed to spread meaningful smiles on some parties, especially those who are at the receivers’ end – civil servants, middle income workers, students and not to mention bachelors with not so much money in their pockets (hehe).
While voices could also be heard echoing here and there, lamenting “there’s not much of anything for me” or “be ready, harga barang confirm naik punya”, the ‘budget from the rakyat for the rakyat’ as a local newspaper dub it today is still entertaining to study, and to an extent, quizzical.
I belong to that pack of crowd who smiled and frowned a lot when reading the new budget announced yesterday. Well I don’t know if that was the case as I happened to be reading it from Malaysiakini. The facts were presented as they are, in emotionless words, leaving me the freedom to interpret them they way I want it (well at least that is how I believe news reading should be done). Probably I would have been all-smiles and frown-free if I read them first from the local ‘mainstream’ newspapers. Who knows, right?
Cotton candies
The fact is, I smiled as I am due to be getting cotton candies from the government. I literally promised myself to join the beeline for the RM250 promised for bachelors with income below RM2000. I will also give a full-fledged dedication to secure my book voucher worth RM250 (wow, a RM50 raise!) and maybe some other perks promised for middle-income earners like me. You know, people who once in a while had to enjoy 2-minute noodles because they have to and not because they just want to? OK, that’s me (hmm…I wonder if I need to restock today) :p
Shish. Now, back to reality.
The fact is, despite the irreversible long smile I have been styling since yesterday, my forehead muscles are still aching, screaming “When are you going to stop frowning?”
God, I wish I have the answer to that question, a mantra if I would, to silence it forever. I frown to the fact that taxes on alcohol and tobacco are not to be raised while subsidy on sugar (worth 20 cents) is revoked. I also frown to the fact that youth aged 21 to 30 years old will get rebates for purchase of smart phones with 4G connectivity. Despite the temptation that is starting to boil and gurgle in my insides to scavenge the nearest iPhone store, I pause to reflect on how is that useful in clamping down the increasing national debt of a staggering RM502.4 billion. Woohoo!
Mind you, that’s RM502.4 followed by nine zeros…nine guys, nine!
This somehow makes me wonder if I’m living in a state of illusion, like I am Alice in Wonderland. This land I am living in surely is full of wonders…people say they have cars, when actually the banks own them. People claim they own houses, when actually the banks loaned them. People say they have a country, when actually it’s almost sold off, and nobody is telling them!
Talking about big money especially those with a lot of zeros can sometimes get you vertigo. I personally experienced this when visiting a neighbouring country early this year. The normal toilet pay-per-entrance fee of 20 cents seemed unreasonably cheap when you hear the old lady at the door says, “Lima ratus, pak!” and looking at your tubby wallet then kinda make you feel like a Robert Kuok in the making. 
Anyway, no matter how you look at it, and which part you belong to prior to the 2013 budget, always remember to activate your ‘all seeing eye’ when studying the facts and figures tabled for your eyes. Candies are sweet, yes, but too much taken just means another visit to the dentist. Say thanks (to men) and be grateful to Allah for giving you what you most rightly deserve.
The layman’s term
For me another layman in this blessed country, to plan a budget is to expand the wallet and fortress the pocket. Included under this umbrella is to give what is due to give, and to get what is due to get. And for me to put my trust on a person to plan my budget means the exact same purpose. As my accountant, giving me to spend what I should keep isn’t going to win you any merit. And disallowing me from getting what I deserve will naturally..hmm..double the effect.
Dr. Tariq Suwaidan, a Muslim Brotherhood scholar said,
“Muslims don’t cheat, and they don’t win by cheating. Assuming that you know a pilot got his flying licence by cheating, would you board the plane he flies?”
*Goosebumps*
Before I end, let us all reflect upon the call from Allah to seek the means, ways and avenues to get to Him. If the budget can be a means to win His love, then why not? (Eh, anybody saw any special allocation for Islamic education and social improvement next year?)
“O ye who believe! Do your duty to Allah, seek the means of approach unto Him, and strive with might and main in His cause: that ye may prosper.”
(al-Ma’idah : 32)
OK. Enough babbling. Now, where’s my budget again??
