FREEDOM

Freedom to choose, to live the way we want, is the most basic needs of any person, regardless of our nationality, race, religion, creed, sex, age and color of skin. For most this is a given right, for some this comes as a luxury and for some other this is a fairy-tale.

Despite all of us being humans, we always tend to find and focus on the differences rather than the similarities that will bond us together.  The culture around us has shaped us to be always competitive as what evolution might suggest, “survival of the fittest.”

This culture of competing and getting ahead in the long run had formed groups of people who are different in nature and intentions.  These people who then form a different social class, a class rich in ‘material wealth’ and the power to purchase and demand for services as they want.

Maybe some of you would remember the TV series “Roots” that shown us on how one group of people, if given the chance, can abuse another group of people in any way they want. Differences in physical appearance are used as a justification to establish superiority against another. Most recent popular example on this would be “12 Years a Slave.”

Many of you might think, this was a long time ago, and we live in a more civilized and caring society now. We choose to focus on what we want and what affects us, rather than what is around but does not affect us negatively. This is how we try to be ‘happy’ in our pursuit for a ‘perfect’ life. This is also why we don’t realize or choose not to see inequalities and modern slaveries around us.

When a foreign housemaid is hired in Malaysia, in many cases she is expected to be available everyday without even a day of rest. She is expected to be awake before everyone else wakes up and go to sleep after everyone sleeps. Most of them do not even have their own proper space or room but rather sleeps on a tight corner or on the floor.  You might argue that they are having it better than what they can get in their home country. You are giving them job, food to eat, shelter and livelihood.

What will you feel if one day your boss says to you that you no longer have any leaves and you need to be available when he needs you? For that to happen, your boss says he will provide you an accommodation in the office or close to the office and all meals will be provided. He reduces your salary, since he is providing a living space and food and says that you can visit your family only when he allows you to do so or after 2 years.  

For any decent man or woman, he or she will ‘show the finger’ to the boss and leave rather than being slaved or reduced, in being a sub-human.

If this rule applies to you and this is how you think you should react, why do you then think your maid should not do the same if treated the same way?

Why do you then think you can own them as your ‘property’ justifying that you have paid for their services?

Do you think it is because you have a choice and they don’t?
Everyone needs to have freedom and who are you to rob this from them?