Singapore: The Ah Beng Poem

I do not know who wrote this tongue-in-cheek poem about life in Singapore. I think it is very creative and appeal to our sense of humour in Malaysia as well.

Let us appreciate the realities of an Ah Beng in Singapore and his trials and tribulations as he live daily in this small island state.

      REFLECTION OF A TYPICAL SINGAPOREAN

  I am Ong Ah Tee living in Kampong Chai Chee
  Life used to be simple and HAPPY
  I worked hard in my STUDIES
  I learned A-B-C, and everything from 1, 2, and 3.
  Primary school was quite easy I passed PSLE

  Then I went to SECONDARY
  The subjects include HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY
  Physics, Biology and CHEMISTRY
  After O levels I went to JC

  They said you live in Singapore very LUCKY
  This is a small humid tropical COUNTRY
  Surrounded by unknown potential ENEMIES
  Boys turned 18 must go to ARMY for the tour of duty
  After that we may continue our Studies
  The girls can just sit back, relax, and watch TV
  They come to this world only to "lim kopi, kway jit chee
  No one lives on free meals or depends on CHARITY
  I want to take up IT, but I had no money to go to University or Poly
  So I went to work at FACTORY
  Working hard to earn a little lousy SALARY
  After CPF and INCOME TAX, I have just enough money to buy ROTI and
  ride in MRT.

  My bosses show me no SYMPATHY
  Mumbling over my shoulder daily: "HURRY, HURRY and HURRY !"
  Accusing me of always trying to get MC
  But my sickness was due to over stretch OT
  Going home after midnight by TAXI
  And they pay me only bus fee

  My colleague likes me because of my honesty and can easily bully
  They said I don't know how to carry.
  I Park-Tor and became STEADY
  Finally had to MARRY
  Because gahment gave baby bonus MONEY
  I lost money holding Wedding Dinner PARTY
  Cheeky friends donating only cheap PANTY
  After marriage, nothing was EASY
  In one year, I became DADDY
  I can't support my family and our BABY
  Being tied down for life to repay 2 rooms HDB and rising monthly
  utilities to PUB
  My bank account has NO MONEY
  POSB balance is almost EMPTY
  DBS wants to charge me EXTRA FEE
  Insisting that "Nothing is FREE!"
  So I moonlight as KARANG GUNI
  Many times I want to jump MRT
  But that is not EASY
  My wife cries: "Who is going to support me and our BABY?"
  So I can't MATI

  I went to seek assistance from the MP
  His reply was simple and easy
  "Vote for me, vote for me, vote for me".
  He never tells me any convincing Policy.

  How to help the poor with more GST?

  Why I cannot have pay increase but they can have increase?
  Before, my MP said "Vote for me, we give you sweeties".
  Now, they want to increase salary, because "You voted me"..
  They claim they made good economy for our country.
  They benchmark themselves using GDP.
  They said, "To get the best man, you have to pay high fee"
  otherwise, they will join MNC. / /
  And all your 'char bor' become maids in other COUNTRY.

  Next will be the GST.
  My boss say "no" to increase in salary,
  It's really make me worry.
  Our Health Ministry said let GP set their consultation fee.
  If the GP charges high fee, don't let them see.
  No money, how can healthy
  If fall sick, can only mati
  In hospital, can afford Class C.
  I don't mind all nurses are aunty,
  But only one doctor to see
  No money for operation, I Tan Si.

Very nice poem full of inter-languages. Did you enjoy it. I did.

Jesus: Still He Walked

This is one passionate poem we should all read about our Lord.

He could hear the crowds screaming "crucify" "crucify"...
He could hear the hatred in their voices,
These were his chosen people.
He loved them,
And they were going to crucify him.
He was beaten, bleeding and weakened... his heart was broken,
But still He walked.


He could see the crowd as he came from the palace.
He knew each of the faces so well.
He had created them.
He knew every smile, laugh, and shed tear,
But now they were contorted with rage and anger...his heart broke,
But still He walked.


Was he scared?
You and I would have been
So his humanness would have mandated that he was. He felt alone.
His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed him.
He searched the crowd for a loving face and he saw very few.
Then he turned his eyes to the only one that mattered
And he knew that he would never be alone.
He looked back at the crowd, at the people who were spitting
At him, throwing rocks at him and mocking him and he knew
That because of him, they would never be alone.
So for them, He walked.


The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through
The crowd. The sounds of his cries echoed even louder,
The cheers of the crowd, as his hands and feet
Were nailed to the cross, intensified with each blow.
Loudest of all was the still small voice inside his
Heart that whispered "I am with you, my son",
And God's heart broke.
He had let his son walk.


Jesus could have asked God to end his suffering,
But instead he asked God to forgive.
Not to forgive him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting him.
As he hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death,
He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd,
But also, the face of every person yet to be,
And his heart filled with love.
As his body was dying, his heart was alive.
Alive with the limitless, unconditional love he feels for each of us.
That is why He walked.


When I forget how much My God loves me,
I remember his walk.
When I wonder if I can be forgiven,
I remember his walk.
When I need reminded of how to live like Christ,
I think of his walk.
And to show him how much I love him,
I wake up each morning, turn my eyes to him,
And I walk.

The Vocabulary of Mr. Nobody

To help those who are weak in vocabulary, I have attempted to give some of my own interpretation of some of the words used in this simple nursery rhyme of a poem.

Mr. Nobody
(Author Unknown)

I know a funny little man, [‘funny’ means ‘strange, odd or ‘not usual’]
As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done [‘mischief’ means ‘prank, or ‘cheeky and naughty things’]
In everybody's house!
There's no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked [‘crack’ means ‘to chip or break’]
By Mr. Nobody.

`Tis he who always tears our books, [‘tis’ means ‘It is’]
Who leaves the door ajar, [ ‘ ajar’ means ‘a door half closed’]
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
And scatters pins afar; [ ‘scatters’ means ‘ to throw about’]
That squeaking door will always squeak, [ ‘ squeak’ means ‘to create a noise’]
For, prithee, don't you see, [ ‘prithee’ means ‘for goodness sake’]
We leave the oiling to be done
By Mr. Nobody.

The finger marked upon the door
By none of us are made;
We never leave the blind unclosed, [ ‘blind’ means ‘a window screen’]
To let the curtains fade. [‘fade’ means ‘to lose colour’]
The ink we never spill; the boots
That lying round you. See
Are not our boots-they all belong
To Mr. Nobody.

A Warriors's Lament

Marzuki Ali's short poem is a nostalgic walk down memory lane. In the poem, he reflects to the time when he was able bodied, fighting for independence and sacrificing his youth for the ideals of nationhood.

He has given the better part of his life for independence and is now wheel-chair bound. He is old as he symbolizes in the title of his poem," A fighter's Lines". He could possibly be reflecting on the lines on his old brazen face. He lacks the energy he once possessed though his spirit to fight on remains strong. But times have changed. Even with independence, the poet could not see any satisfaction of his ideals. He finds no joy in the attainment of nationhood. He felt robbed of the fruits of his struggle.

The current challenges facing his nation are difficult to overcome. There is deceit everywhere these days. It disturbs him but he is powerless to do anything about it.The social ill continues to spread and corrupt.

The younger generation may be misled and could be indoctrinated to accept the modern ills of corruption,the greedy pursuit of materialism and the falsehood of politicians out for short-term gains.Unless the younger generation are brave,educated,imbued with a sense of national pride, open minded and worldly wise,it would be difficult for them to fight the powers that be.

Let us read the poem.

A Fighter's Lines

I am old and worn
and have lost all my strength
sufferings
and the history of the fight for independence
have forced sacrifices
that know no name
or life

From the wheelchair of the rest of my days
I, body and energy crushed
see and cannot do much
these times are too big a challenge
for the remnants of my crippled years
the net of deceit spread everywhere
disturbs me.

In the name of justice
Wake up and form ranks sons of our ancestor
Be brave
A erect a wall of people
Stand up heirs of our freedom

I have no more voice
It is you now who should speak!

This is a disturbing poem. It has a sad tone and readers will feel melancholic just reading the lines of the free-verse poem. There is a sense of powerlessness. As he extols the younger generation to continue with his struggle for justice against the modern forms of evils, we sympathized with the poet that his sacrifice could have been in vain, if there is no follow through on his resolve.