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Putting the record straight

After watching the sketch shown in the International Evening last Saturday I felt astrong need to clarify a distorted picture presented by those responsible for the show. Hoping you will print this article for a better understanding of our cultural life in Malaysia. Here goes.

When one walks along the busy streets in any town in Malaysia, one can see many hawkers along the road side. The goods they sell are many and varied. It may be food, clothing, everyday necessities etc.

Why do we have so many hawkers in Malaysia?

Another reason of equal importance and in fact a cause of the first reason, is the control of over 60% of our country's economy by foreign investors namely, USA, Britain and Japan. On the surface Malaysia seems to be developing rapidly but underneath this is a picture of rural bankruptcy and urban poverty. The Government itself plays a part in encouraging foreigners to exploit the cheap labour.

One of the main reason is the unequal distribution of wealth in the country. About 70% of the common people are living below the poverty line. Hence, only a small proportion of the population is able to go for higher education and get good positions. This is especially true for rural areas. Most of them are forced to leave school before the six years free primary education, either through lack of money or the necessity to find a job to supplement the family's income. One of the ways of doing this is to start a small business of their own, i.e. hawking.

Rural bankruptcy is created when exodus of common rurals move to town in search of a better way of earning a living. The result is an abundance of labour unemployment and social dislocation—the creation of slums. In order to survive under small condition, people will turn their hands to anything and hawking is one of them

Generally there are two groups of hawkers. One group is 'Stationary', whereas the other is 'moving' in nature. Those who stay 'stationary' usually occupy a fixed stall which can be in a shop open air market, busy street or side street. The 'moving' hawkers are always on the move hawking under the burning sun and pouring rain in rainy days.

The income of the hawkers is very low and they live from day to day. The weather is an important factor to them. On rainy days they may not have any customers at all. This will affect that daily income. Some are able to earn enough to support a family but many are barely able to make ends meet. Most of them are in debt and have to rely on credit from shops. Due to sky rocketing inflation, the hawkers find their means of earning a living even harder. They have to pay more for their goods and consequently their profits are considerably lowered. The hawkers work very long hours. For one who sells foodstuffs, his day usually starts before dawn and he waits till late into the night.

For a 'moving' hawker, he faces the constant problem of being arrested if he stays at the same spot beyond a specified time limit. He usually has to move on just when his customers are beginning to arrive

Hawkers who have obtained the licences still have to pay extortion from the police and are confronted by gangsters who often demand 'protection money' from them. These are some of the problems confronting the hawkers in their daily mouth-to mouth living—earning enough to make ends meet today and start worrying about how to make ends meet tomorrow, not to mention of a week's time. They have have no time for other things—such as the root cause for their poverty and the way to solve it.

As intellectuals, are we right to regard them as ignorant and noisey rabble and adopt a non-care-a-less attitude. As intellectuals we must bear in mind that we have the responsibility to help and respect them. Remember that, we as students, have come overseas at the expense of our fellow countrymen. Ultimately we should help to unite them in the fight for justice and equality, not look down on them with contempt.