Untrue but true, unreal but real, unbelievable but check for yourself

Posted by Wonderboyz on April 16, 2003 at 17:08:01:

Ahem,
Saram O Vacuum..., I wish to share with you this particularly unusual story that I heard from a friend of mine.
At this moment, I do not know, how much is true, how much is real and how much to believe.
But the story goes like this:
In a deepest, sadest part of a land inhabited by sad people lives childrens, boys and girls,
who through communal, social, cultural prejudice are for all intent and purposes, sort of considered lepers ..unwanted, despise,
to be avoided, and all the things that makes human, humane or in some cases inhumane..
Yes,in a corner of beautiful Sarawak lives a group of unfortunate people, in a plot of land that history forgot, families, very much helpless,
or more like couldn,t help themselves. This is a community of people, whose KK is physically handicap, who JKKK are all handicap, whose children are also handicapped,
although they have eyes, good ears, good brain (I presume), yet this community is really existing in a state of
semi-existence.
They used to earn their living by growing vegetable and selling them to passer by and visitors. BUT this is very hard work for most of them old folks, why?
Well cos' most do not have functional hands, feet and legs. But they struggle hard for a living.
They sold vegetable, but not many people are willing to buy from them, for they rather buy at higher prices from supermaket, rather than getting their children
scare of buying veg. from a sort of "zombee -non-zombee", "man - not man", "women - not women".
For it is surely a horrowing experience for children to see people with half of their face gone, part of their hands missing, parts of their legs missing, some no ear, some no nose,
their fingers and toes deform.
Believe it or not, Jabbers, you probably have no idea about it.
The story seems out of this world, yet it is 110% true, and it is right here with us. Not far from Kusing, apparently.
So where is it?
Well, the people live in the village of "New Hope" or "New Light", along Borneo Height Rd.
These are lepers families, my friends, and the village is a leper colony.
When I heard this story, I was very surprise and sadden, because, although I have heard about this village, I
have never visited it.
The sad part of the story is that this village is in a very bad state. The compound is overgrown with tall grasses.
Why NOT? Surely, we cannot expect people with no hand and legs to cut grass, do we? Their vegetable plot is now neglected, so
I am told! The saddest part is that the children in this village do NOT go to school. One reason is that their parent simply cannot earn the money for their bus-fare, I am told
yet, I understand that they do have a "pub" or something like that, where these unfortunate people congregate to wash down their
sorrow (I suppose). The second reason, why the children didn,t go to school, may have something to do with "social acceptance". The third reason is that their parents need them to help
at home, to do things that they cannot do for themselve, as well as earning money to survive.
I am saddened to report to you that, lately, these children, of about 12 years old (most are apparently girls), are hanging around
at the road-side shop, eating kropok etc, with their glossy lip-stick enhanced lip, while mixing around with
contract workers who gravitate there for drinks, tit-bits after 4.30pm. What seems to transpire, it that, these children, evidently, go out for a ride with these people, somewhere, for
a period of time. Worst news.... many of these 12 years old girls are pregnant. What is their future?
To date I have not been able to, nor yet willing to go there to see for myself, the going-ons there, perhaps
deep in my heart, I would prefer to make-belief that such thing does not exist.
I wonder whether any other Jabbers, know more about this sad village!
I am wondering whether, Jabbers as a small group can do a little for these people. Perhaps, you, like me, may prefer not the know about it!
However, I do promise to myself, that one of these day, I may ronda there, preferably with groups of friends, to see for myself, for it is difficult to believe in things that
the eyes has not seen.

Just to be provocative a bit, how about JNP at that Kampong?
Are we ready for a quantum leap in our mindset? BUT friend, personally,
I am rather scare. I mean, how do I react to man and women, with half of their face gone, opening beer can with a wire loop attached to their fleshless jaw!
What about those young girls? Will the heart break? Will there be suddenyl too much onions in the air, to irrate the eyes. I really don,t know!

In any case, what can we do about it? Even all the way to high places and the Astana?

If this story is true, we should be ashame. At least I personally should! Because, there is apparently nothing I can do about it,
at least by myself.
Situation like this make me wonder whether to contract
workers are, in their own twisted logic, "helping" these unfortunate.
Over to you Jabbers for comment!