Death of a drunkard......

Yesterday afternoon, I had a late lunch at a nearby Indian restaurant. Moving carefully along the slanted and horrendously dangerous steps of the office to the safety of the ground floor can be quite daunting too. Nevertheless, I must proclaimed that I am alive and well, thank you very much despite the not-so-friendly wooden staircase at the office. Never mind, it is an old wooden structure building with many facelifts to cream its so-called beauty. Been at it for the past 20 years and climbing the staircase every morning seemed to be the gauge for me to see if I still welcome the challenge to walk those steps each day. I guess, for the time being, whether I like it or not, I would still have to climb them. 

But that wasn’t the point I wanted to make. The point was that there is a slumped, dirtied and alcohol reeked smell middle aged man at the doorway that hindered the doorway out of my office. Looking at this man, he was most probably in his late 40s and he had two pack of meals at his sides as he laid down on his stomach. However, he was so wasted with alcohol that he was virtually incorrigible to what had been said to him or what he said to anyone for that matter. He was clothed in a striped red and black striped t-shirt and jeans. So, I took the next best alternative that is to speak to the man and asked him to move to his side so as to not scare the women and children folk.  He was somehow oblivious to where he was or what he was doing when I woke him up. Not rowdy nor violent, the man just sat up but looked groggy. After a while, the man simply slumped back on the cold hard five foot way near our office door making it very difficult for the ladies in the office who are afraid of such people. Believe me, we have had to deal with such people before. Not wanting to make it difficult for the man, I left him to be on his own as I moved on for lunch.

After coming back for lunch, the drunkard man was at where he was and I noted that he was still sleeping on the hard floor while the elderly car park attendant near my office told me that we, meaning our office guys, should call the police to look into this fella. Before walking up the staircase, I had checked out the man and noted that he was still very much alive but still smell a bit. Going up the stairs, I was thinking, “ Why should we call the police? The car park uncle could do it himself, right?” left the thought as it was. Usually, drunkards and street people who sauntered at our office door usually would be gone in a day or two as the alcohol effects wore off. As the day wore on, it was soon time to leave work and go home. Again, at about 6.10pm yesterday, I had visually checked on the drunkard man and I was checking him out by sight if he was okay. I noted that his body rise up and down in a steady fashioned. “Phew! He is still alive!” was what went through my mind. Thinking nothing of it, I left for home but not before making a stop to get some things done.

This morning, as I arrived at the office, I noted that the man was nowhere to be found. “Perhaps this one is different. He must have awakened and moved away”  was what I had in mind today. Imagine my surprise when at about noon time just now, the elderly car park attendant came to the office to exclaim that the drunkard that was at the door since Monday morning was dead upon arrival at the hospital.  He went on to exclaim loudly that we should have called the police and so on. He just rambled on as I pondered that he too could have played his part by rousing up this man and asking him to seek treatment or help. Instead, like many of us, he heaped scornful remarks, unwanted remarks and did not give a second glance at that man that day. We all did that, for the record......

Isn’t it ironic that we are all guilty of such things each day? The poor, the destitute, the drunkard and the dirty don’t even warrant a single glance from us. We are guilt of neglect, you and I included. I felt sad just now and don’t give the bulls that “we will always have the poor among us and so on” or "how man can we save and so on" sermon on this. The fact remained that my colleagues, passer-by , general public and I did nothing to help this person. Even I just made sure he was still breathing but did not even lend or extend a helping hand. Instead, we labelled him the undesired people in our society and just let him be as we moved about to do what we do each day.

Yeah, I am critical of myself too as I took a good hard swipe at myself at this incident. A man died because we did not care enough and a great shame to whatever we have learnt all these years. I guess, when you are down and out and downtrodden, no one gives a two hoots about you, huh? This is what that had happened to our society today. The more advance we are in technology and in our fields, we had loosened and lost our sense of humanly empathy and sympathy for others. We had become mechanical, methodically robotic and ruthless in our daily dealings with people. Maybe, this is what the world is all about. Maybe, this is just the ramblings of an old man like me, the young may say. But verily I say to you that one day, the proud and cocky young would grow old too and suffer the same actions and reactions. One forgets that one’s youth remains only for a short period of time before the unstoppable aging process starts and creeps in. Thereby, compassion, humbleness and respect are the values of life we should nurture.

I am saddened that no one cares enough for the poor, the derelict, the homeless and the unfortunate at times like this. It is like “every man for himself” mentality and all the religious teachings on human values just got flushed down the drain. I am ashamed today. I really am, believe me. I really am ashamed today for my inaction. I am usually not like that and I felt so ashamed beyond words as I also questioned myself on how I have moved that far away from the values I cherished so much.

Yeah, I am affected by the death of this so-call insignificant death episode of this drunkard because I did not care enough to see him be alive today. Mind you, this is someone’s son, father, husband, brother, uncle and even friend. Where have all they gone? I often wonder….. I often wonder......

Where are they? 98 days and counting....

This morning, church service was certainly different to me as far as I was concerned. Firstly , I was moved to the core of my being with a great sermon from Prof.Dr.Maniam who was the keynote speaker of the day. He not only challenged my thoughts and my heart today in fact he challenged the very core of my own personal walk and faith with GOD. No need to make police report just because he put his life in the hands of Jesus Christ, the true and living GOD while he inspired me to want this GOD,ok? I must say that what he preached was the core essence of my faith and the faith of millions around the world. A simple message of good, love and the ways of GOD. I was inspired and encouraged in so many ways. Earlier , on Saturday morning, SLing, SYuen and myself had attended a seminar from Prof Dr.Maniam on "Handling Stress and Distress". I appreciated the insights he had given to the attendees that morning. 

Coming back to Sunday morning events, then came the turn of Sister Susanna Liew, the wife of the abducted servant of GOD, Pastor Raymond Koh to speak a few words. When she shared her experience of what they family had gone through, I swear that there wasn't any dry eyes among the congregation that Sunday morning. It was heart wrenching and sad to hear her speak of the abduction and events that had been ongoing without any updated news nor feedback from the authorities. It is the deafening silence from the authorities that many questions were raised about the abduction itself. The abduction was done professionally with 3 SUVs, 2 cars and 2 motorcycles. I often wonder that with our Malaysian advance  IT technology and super corridors and whatever house corridors, is it not possible to identify the abductors? I must admit that I have seen the abduction so many times that I often wonder who these professionals were. I must admit that it certainly raises a lot of questions especially the use of SUVs and the whole modus operandi of the abduction that took less that 60 seconds. Small frame man in the built of Pastor Raymond Koh required 15 professional abductors to do the job? 

I am most glad that despite of all these questions, Sis. Susanna took the positives from this abduction whereby candlelight vigils held all over the country had helped unite the Christian community, unite the general pubic in seeking answers for such atrocious act of abduction and the solidarity of the NGOs on this matter were solid too. 

Tonight, as my family and I attended the candle light vigil at our church, CCC Melaka, I could not help feeling proud of my fellow Malaysians that had turned up for such a cause. I am proud too for doing my part and support this candle vigil. About 60 to 70 people attended the candle light vigil tonight but boy, we sang our hearts out when we sang " Sejahtera Malaysia" because we love our country , Malaysia but we hate the atrocities that are being thrown to the Malaysians as though we are some uneducated fools and need to digest every bit of untruth that had been hurled to us.

Tonight, we stand against all forms of intimidation to people professing their faith and to be able to practise our faith freely without fear and intimidation. Tonight, we stand against such blatant lack of protection and security for the people in Malaysia especially men and women of GOD. Tonight , we stand against all forms of suppression of information and the right to update the families and victims of such cases. Tonight , we stand against the lackadaisical efforts to allocated resources to bring these abductors and culprits to justice. 

Tonight, as I stood in line with my brothers and sisters on the road, I noted that there was SB personnel monitoring our activities. There is no animosity towards this personnel as he was just doing his job and in fact, some of us took pictures with him as we stood in our candle light vigil tonight. I often wonder how the authorities could get such information of our candle vigil so fast and yet could not use these same resources and technology to track down and locate Pastor Raymond Koh and the rest of the people who had mysteriously disappear over the years? It often makes you wonder if the same treatment is given if some Datuks, YBs or self made or self proclaimed Datuks are missing. Hmmmnnnnn....I am being cynical, ain't I ? Well, I can't help it. I even joked with my wife that if I am missing next for what I write, just remember that someone else before me had suffered the same fate. I guess, I will be having "nasi kari" next, huh? I can safely tell you that you need not fear when you stand on the truth of your faith. Sure, persecution would come , unfairness would be uncurtailed but standing on the truth of your faith gives you the assurance and the peace of GOD. 

I often wondered too that if the hostages taken by the bloody pirates and moronic abductors in Semporna and the parts of Tawau and Sandakan could be freed and found, could not the same intelligence and technology be used to help locate Pastor Raymond and the rest of the missing people like Pastor Joshua & Ruth Hilmi and activist, Sdr. Amri Che Mat? I am sure the families of Pastor Joshua Hilmi, Ruth Hilmi and Amri Che Mat were as anxious and felt helpless like Sis. Susanna and the family. Afterall, their waiting days had been much longer than that of Sis.Susanna. BTW, if ever the authorities are going to spin any obnoxious hogwash lies about the life of Pastor Raymond and what he does for the community, please remember that he helped the community when these people had been turned down flatly by their own community and every community for that matter. For your information , Pastor Raymond and his family provided  Harapan Komuniti for the HIV community, the core poor,  single mothers including giving hope to prisoners to start over with in their lives. Yes, do not spin lies about this man of God just to justify as usual. Afterall, the rot does start from the very top! Just do your work, locate and free the man! Use all the satellites, China made parabola dishes or even telecommunication 1001 towers to help locate these missing people. That would be most helpful relief for the affected families.  

It has been 98 days and counting since Pastor Raymond Koh had been abducted. 98 days of anxiety, pain , suffering and mental anguish for the family of Pastor Raymond Koh. Praise God for churches, NGOs and well wishers for helping the family to cope mentally, physically , emotionally and spiritually. It is never easy when one goes through that uncertain news of a loved one. I pray that Sis. Susanna and daughter, Elizabeth would be strengthened in courage, faith and spirit by the small gesture and part played by our church , CCC Melaka today.  Let us not kid ourselves as I say that persecution is right at our doorstep. It will come and it will happen. We need to steadfastly hold unto our faith and walk that faith when it mattered most and be willing to lend a supportive hand to our fellow brothers and sisters including all Malaysian from all walks of life and faith.  

I often wondered who else is going to be missing next. I do sympathized with their families and the unthinkable anguish one has to go through this ordeal. So, please, spare a thought for Pastor Raymond and the rest of the people that had been abducted. Please pray for their safety and a safe return to their families. We can all stand in unity and in faith for the safe return of these people. 

Remember, I am often reminded of this quote : Evil triumphs every time when the silent or good does nothing!