A friend voiced out her concern that her 'this particular student' had been absent from class for a month now.
The student's family, as I was told yesterday, is living in a camp along West Coast beach.
I can sense her anxiety.
I'm concerned too, about a friend, Anne*, who's 13 year-old son had not been attending school for a year now.
I pleaded her not to move to JB - at least not before leaving behind her Singaporeanism in Singapore.
But to her, the 3 year agreement she and her husband signed to rent out her whole flat will create a fortune of a lifetime.
The husband will commute between the 2 countries to work.
Her son will be attending JB local school.
I had not visit them since they moved to JB, although they are nearer to me now than before.
In the end, the 3 of them all stayed home.
Aini* called me last month asking for help - looking for accomodation.
What more can I do?
I've known Singaporeanism only too well.
I did point out to her that nowadays, there's many Singaporeans (who do not mind about flats conditions), who put up at Larkin flats.
Then, there's another caller, Salima*, looking for her sister, Zainon*, whom she lost all contact since the day Zainon left my house.
Yes, when I heard the news that the sister, Zainon, was renting out her flat in Aljunied and staying in JB, I asked around, in Singapore and JB, to find her wherabout.
It took me about a week or so, searching around JB town before my husband and I could locate her staying in one of the hostel in Larkin Perdana.
It was Hari Raya week - The least I could do at that time, was to put her up at my place, thinking of her convenience of receiving relatives and friends during the festive season.
We went for house-hunting during her month long stay with us.
But when housing expectations could not be lowered (mind you, rental only) and standards need to be met, I washed my hands - Lest these people think I'm earning commission.
I declined her request for a room rental although I did ask her prolonging her stay since there's more than space for her in the house.
She moved out, nevertheless.
For now, Aini's family is staying around Nong Chik area and Zainon disappeared for good.
Then, there's this elderly childless couple who had sold their Singapore flat and had been renting a private condo in JB for the last 10 years.
The husband, prone to asthma attack, is very sickly now and is frequenting Tan Tock Seng Hospital even when it's 2am.
A visit to local hospital is a no-no as their finance is fast depleting.
Then, 2 days ago, I was speechless as a 74 year-old neighbour, an elderly grandmother, whom, Maya*, a Singaporean, had asked to look after and stay in her (Maya's) house for the last 20 years or so, was so adamant of asking RM10,000 compensation for looking after the (Maya's) house.Maya is known for her generosity in stocking more than enough food for the elderly grandmother and giving her monthly pocket-money.
If, only these Singaporeans will be more words-friendly than money-friendly with their JB neighbours, then they will not be treading an alien, isolated, lonely and miserable Malay Malaysian land where being equally Malay does not equate what is in the mind.
The student's family, as I was told yesterday, is living in a camp along West Coast beach.
I can sense her anxiety.
I'm concerned too, about a friend, Anne*, who's 13 year-old son had not been attending school for a year now.
I pleaded her not to move to JB - at least not before leaving behind her Singaporeanism in Singapore.
But to her, the 3 year agreement she and her husband signed to rent out her whole flat will create a fortune of a lifetime.
The husband will commute between the 2 countries to work.
Her son will be attending JB local school.
I had not visit them since they moved to JB, although they are nearer to me now than before.
In the end, the 3 of them all stayed home.
******
Aini* called me last month asking for help - looking for accomodation.
What more can I do?
I've known Singaporeanism only too well.
I did point out to her that nowadays, there's many Singaporeans (who do not mind about flats conditions), who put up at Larkin flats.
Then, there's another caller, Salima*, looking for her sister, Zainon*, whom she lost all contact since the day Zainon left my house.
Yes, when I heard the news that the sister, Zainon, was renting out her flat in Aljunied and staying in JB, I asked around, in Singapore and JB, to find her wherabout.
It took me about a week or so, searching around JB town before my husband and I could locate her staying in one of the hostel in Larkin Perdana.
It was Hari Raya week - The least I could do at that time, was to put her up at my place, thinking of her convenience of receiving relatives and friends during the festive season.
We went for house-hunting during her month long stay with us.
But when housing expectations could not be lowered (mind you, rental only) and standards need to be met, I washed my hands - Lest these people think I'm earning commission.
I declined her request for a room rental although I did ask her prolonging her stay since there's more than space for her in the house.
She moved out, nevertheless.
For now, Aini's family is staying around Nong Chik area and Zainon disappeared for good.
******
Then, there's this elderly childless couple who had sold their Singapore flat and had been renting a private condo in JB for the last 10 years.
The husband, prone to asthma attack, is very sickly now and is frequenting Tan Tock Seng Hospital even when it's 2am.
A visit to local hospital is a no-no as their finance is fast depleting.
******
Then, 2 days ago, I was speechless as a 74 year-old neighbour, an elderly grandmother, whom, Maya*, a Singaporean, had asked to look after and stay in her (Maya's) house for the last 20 years or so, was so adamant of asking RM10,000 compensation for looking after the (Maya's) house.
If, only these Singaporeans will be more words-friendly than money-friendly with their JB neighbours, then they will not be treading an alien, isolated, lonely and miserable Malay Malaysian land where being equally Malay does not equate what is in the mind.
4 comments:
you can take a sporean out of singapore, but u cannot take the spore out of the sporean. stupid sporeans think their money (bukan banyak pun) and airs are so great when they cross the border.
It pains to know cross-border schoolchildren wake up at 4 to reach school before 7.30am and at 3pm still waiting at CIQ JB for transportation home.
Kesian..I'm sorry to hear stories about such families..must be so mentally stressful and depressing for the whole family.
As for attitude orang2 Singapore, well..ehem!
Datin Dear,
Most of these parents do not deserve our 'kesian'. Their 'want' top the families' 'needs'.
They are the few 'stupid' (borrowing Reme's word) Malay parents who dimmed the children's future thus placing them in a very vulnerable position.
You hand them aids, they thought it's our responsibilities to help them - And they say they never have enough even when entertainment sets dominate their living rooms.
The children receive daily pocket allowance (primary school used to be S$1.50/day - not sure now).
Self-help bodies help with children's school fees and tuition.
School representatives occasionally drop-by their homes to bring awareness to parents the importance of education - To me, these parents need to be schooled too, learning how to be appreciative with the environment they are in.
They compromise and trade their children's future with the current high rooms and houses rental in S'pore.
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