MALAYSIANS are a giving bunch. They may not give way to you at the roundabout. They may skimp on one-ringgit parking fees and park illegally on the road. They may grab all the nugget on the buffet table before others have a chance to taste even one grain of sticky rice. But, if you are short of funds for a little-saving operation or you are poor you cannot afford to buy milk powder for your baby,caring Malaysians will put money in the hat for you.
You just have to flip through newspapers to find testimony to this virtuous fact.
''Boy seek funds for life-saving op," "Former singer short of funds for knee surgery" are some of the headlines splashed across our dailies. At the end of such articles, a contact number and a bank account number are listed so that well-wishers can bank in their contribution or call for more information on how they could help.
A couple of months later they will be follow up articles on how much funds had been collected, whether the operation had been successful or the homeless had been housed by politicians out of publicity.
Having the media highlight a deserving case is almost as good as striking lottery as the news would contribute generously. But all is not lost even if there is no media coverage. Cash strapped folks can raise funds on their own if their circle of friends and associate.
You just have to flip through newspapers to find testimony to this virtuous fact.
''Boy seek funds for life-saving op," "Former singer short of funds for knee surgery" are some of the headlines splashed across our dailies. At the end of such articles, a contact number and a bank account number are listed so that well-wishers can bank in their contribution or call for more information on how they could help.
A couple of months later they will be follow up articles on how much funds had been collected, whether the operation had been successful or the homeless had been housed by politicians out of publicity.
Having the media highlight a deserving case is almost as good as striking lottery as the news would contribute generously. But all is not lost even if there is no media coverage. Cash strapped folks can raise funds on their own if their circle of friends and associate.
to be continue...
