JP/1/Btw

When strangers call for THR

As I was about to leave home one morning, a man wearing the uniform of a hansip (neighborhood security guard) approached me and said in a rather loud voice,"Hadiah Lebaran! Hadiah Lebaran! (Idul Fitri presents)" I had never seen him before. He was definitely not our regular hansip, so I ignored him.

The next day, the courier who had been delivering the monthly water bill in our area came and gave an envelope to my daughter. He also asked her, in a rather unpleasant voice, "Where is my THR."

And today, someone from the Paliya Water Company came to my house and told me that he was there to replace the meter. Why on earth did they have to replace the meter, which was only a couple of years old and was still rust-free? And why should it be done so close to the end of the Ramadhan? The answer became obvious when, out of the blue, this guy said to me, "Your neighbor has just given me a THR."

Oh yes, it is that time of the year again where people talk about Tunjangan Hari Raya (the Idul Fitri bonus), which is supposed to be given by an employer to their employees in appreciation of their contribution to the company's performance. Over the years, however, more has been expected of the bonus.

I admit, I'm not a practicing Muslim. But I'm aware of a Muslim's obligation to share his fortunes and blessings with the fakir (the poor) and the kaum duafa (the disadvantaged). And, year after year, I am careful to fulfill this obligation.

But when someone I don't know demands a THR from me, I still have difficulty accepting it. These people think that, because I at least have a house and a car, I am obliged to give them money or an equivalent.

As far as I'm concerned, to give or not to give a THR is my privilege, not my obligation. Why? Because most of these people are not the real kaum duafa. If they are struggling amid the current crisis, I should like to remind them that the crisis affects my family also.

But, what can I say? The mass media keeps its focus on the plight of the nation's poorest people. Stories on problems in the government's cash assistance scheme are run daily. Statements are aired from politicians, scholars and demonstrators, who use the poor to attack government policies. The media seems to have given the people justification for demanding THR from just about anybody -- by way of gentle reminder, as well as by brute force.

When will the media take on a different role? When will the news be spread that, while life gets crueler by the day, there are some who can say,"I may be poor, but I still have my dignity."

And it is not dignified to demand THR of total strangers.

But, as life gets more difficult and fewer people can hold their heads high, much more will be expected than what is strictly due. Brace yourselves, down the road I can see more and more people asking for THR, even when Idul Fitri is long past.