You’re meant to make resolutions on New Year’s Eve for the new year. Last New Year’s Eve, I made the resolution that I would not make any resolutions any more, at least, not in public.
At the very least, though, I will make it a point not to forget Boxing Day, even if at the moment, I am feeling shitty about being an armchair aid-giver, and sitting here now still, doing what some may say is merely dissing local bigwigs for not doing enough. But as some say, at least they’re doing something.
ComfortDelgro, the transport giant, has very commendable employees and drivers who have donated $50,000 to the Red Cross fund, OCBC has ‘raised $487,000’; Hong Leong Foundation has ‘donated $200,000’ and will direct all proceeds from their purchase of Russel Wong’s exhibition’s opening night to the Red Cross fund.
And, ‘for SembCorp Environmental Management, it had valuable contacts with those in the karang guni trade. And so it mobilised its network of karang gunis to go house to house in HDB estates to collect clothes for the survivors. Quek Keng Kwang, General Manager, SembVISY Recycling MRF, said, “Most of them willingly donate all the clothing which have been collected and this is their hard earned money everyday.”‘
There are a lot of people and corporations who have helped, or tried to help, even if they’ve been a complete moron and donated a pair of high heel shoes (I read this somewhere but I can’t find the link). But as I was telling LMD, who was so alarmed at the sudden and uncharacteristic ‘righteous anger’ on this blog that she thought someone with a conscience had hacked into my Blogger account, I am not about to pat these people on the back and say well-done, especially when they can do a whole lot more. What some of these giant local corporations (quasi-corporations included) are doing right now is akin to someone witnessing a person getting seriously hurt in a car accident and then merely leaving a packet of tissue paper for the victim.
But New Year’s Eve is New Year’s Eve, and don’t let anyone begrudge you for going out and having a good time. Life has to go on, even in a disaster zone. But whatever you do, don’t forget Boxing Day 2004, raise awareness whenever you can.
P.S. Sim Mong Hoo, not only are your products ugly, your people are still flogging your iPod killer, while the iPod’s people have taken down the Christmas trimmings. (From atypical Singaporean)
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