Entri ini saya tulis di dalam blog pertama saya di blogdrive.com. Pada masa itu bahasa huru-hara dan amat rojak sekali (sekarang pun sama juga tapi ada baik sediikitlah, huhu...). Saya fikir akan tutup blog itu. Tapi saya mahu simpan entri yang ini.
Jan 10, 2007
I cried for Daniel last night. I don't even know how he looked like or which school he went to. But Daniel is now with his Maker. It was Daniel's choice. All he wanted was to go to school. He couldn't pay his school fees because his parents (they were separated) couldn't afford it. When he asked his grandmother for money she told him to quit school and find work.
Do you know how old was Daniel? He was just 12 years old with so many hopes and dreams for his future. He wanted so much to sit for his Primary Six Exams. But he couldn't find his way out of this desperation so he chose the only way he thought he knew how. He hanged and killed himself.
I screamed in my heart, "Daniel! I could have given you the money! Why didn't you ask me?!"
Daniel did not come from North Korea or some war-torn country in Africa. He came from our neighborhood, our own beloved Malaysia. And Daniel's story is not unique. There are so many under-privileged people out there who can barely make ends meet. I know of parents who have to beg the teachers to allow them to pay weeks after the registration day because they just don't have enough money. They have too many school-going children. And let's not get started on the buku pinjaman SPBT. You have to produce all sorts of documents to prove your small salary in order to be eligible. Some parents do not have pay slips if they work by the hour or on contract basis. And they will have problems getting the book loans.
My heart is still crying for Daniel. How many other Daniels are out there?
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