 |
| (Top) Amalina (Below), president of Brunei Youth Association presenting donations to some of the needy children in Brunei. (Above) One of the heads of an underprivileged family receiving donations from BYA and Muslimah 'Prihatin' group. Picture: BT/Koo Jin Shen |
Self was browsing through Brunei Times online paper today, when I encounter an editorial piece about a local NGO called Believe Youth Association (BYA). This NGO had been making strides in trying to tackle poverty issue within the sultanate. For the past few days, BYA had been busily making rounds especially within Brunei Muara district in helping unfortunate individuals and families. BYA had been donating cash up to organic garden kits.
From me, well done BYA!
However, I wish to point out that such efforts made by BYA or any other NGO's will not be sustainable in the long run. Furthermore, there is a danger that we unintentionally create a culture of "receiving" from these unfortunate individuals and families. Please do not get me wrong. I fully support any efforts to eliminate poverty in Brunei. At the same time I also believes that there are much better ways to eliminate poverty.
By now, you should have a good idea on my standing about monetary issues. If not, please take some time to read my previous postings on this blog.
As a monetarily sovereign nation, Brunei have the privilege to do the following:
- Provide public jobs to every willing, ready and able citizens and permanent residents at a minimum wage set out by the government.
- Give salary to all schoolchildren within the sultanate for attending schooling.
It is my observations that these unfortunate people have a common fundamental problem, which is Acquisition Ability (AA) - people's ability to acquire what they want. I sincerely believes that the government have the means and capabilities to address the AA issue. By addressing the AA issue, we are giving these unfortunate people a much better fighting chance to lift themselves out of the poverty trap.
As I had mentioned many times before, our government can afford to provide public jobs to all her citizens and permanent residents and also giving salary to all schoolchildren without breaking the government coffers. In fact, our government can afford to pay any services being rendered even with the oil and gas or all her overseas investments failed. It does not stop the government from functioning by a single cent!!
Think about it....
