Coffeshop Political Talk

A conversation in a typical coffee shop somewhere in Selangor, between a septuagenarian (an old man who is more than 70 years old), a middle aged man, and around three to four listeners.

Old Man:(While lighting up a cigar)....I feel so sad, youngsters nowadays are an ungrateful lot, we used to suffer during the colonial times, be it the Portuguese, Dutch, British or Japanese, we used to be slaves, all the countries wealth we're exploited by our masters, thank God, our forefathers fought for independence and now you people are ungrateful and trying to revolt...(most of the audience nodding in agreement)

Middle Aged Guy: (While lighting his cigarette and smiling)....Pakcik....among all those masters, who was the worst?:

Old man:(with a brighten up face) I will have to say the British was the worst...

Middle Aged Guy: Why do you think so?

Old Man: It was daylight robbery....they were basically raping our wealth?

Middle Aged Guy: Mmmmmhhhh...What was our wealth then? And if you don't mind, what was your occupation then?

Old Man: Well, you see Malaysia was well known for her rubber and Tin, I was working as a clerk in an estate, with a salary of RM65.00, I had 9 children, my wife was a typical housewife....

Middle Aged Guy: Sorry for asking, were you suffering then? How was you children brought up?

Old Man: (Now with almost ear to ear grin)....All my children are doing very well now, all of them are very successful holding steady jobs.

Middle Aged Guy:Were you in any kind of suffering..? if you don't mind...

Old Man: (with a slightly confused face) No...where are you heading young man...

Middle Aged Guy:Let me put it like this....people claim British were terrible Masters, they exploited whatever wealth we had, for the time being, I will agree to that, but they also built some wonderful infrastructures, like port, railway tracks, roads, on top of they also provided almost free education and health services,tolls were never heard off,....would you agree? You don't have to...if you feel slighted...And now, after 54 years of independence, with the new found wealth such oil and gas, Malaysia being a manufacturing hub etc, don't you think we should be far better off?You had a salary of RM65.00 in those days, with your wife being a typical housewife, but...you could cope with the hardship, why don't you enquire with your children, whether they could do the same with both husband and wife working and enjoy the same kind of life? Why do you think it is not happening? Why do you think the people are not enjoying the wealth of the nation? Why..?...Don't you agree that something is wrong somewhere and need to be corrected....Where did we go wrong?Why are we not better off?

Old Man: (staring at the middle aged man, looking more confused that ever...) Actually, honestly, young man, I do not have any answers to that...( he.bent forward and hugged the young man with teary eyes..)

Middle Aged Guy: (Looking towards the audience) Can any of you provide the answers? (Everybody shaking their head)

Now, I am asking the readers...the same question....can any of you provide the answers?

Ciao.....a.h.baharom