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An Amah Richer Than Average Citizen
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan - That Indonesian maid who earns $220 a month is far richer than the average Bruneian, she said.

How come? I ask.

Simple, she replied.

The speaker was a young, sophisticated, local professional. Like so many in her status and education, the current social issues that Brunei now faces had obviously been very much in her mind.

Clearly, she noticed my surprise. It was hard to believe what she was saying.

"Yes, that's plain to see," she continued. "The amah is far better off. She has no money worries."

"You see, a local Director General or a senior manager may earn about $10,000 a month. And that is a lot of money, I agree," explained the young lady.

"But then, he will have five luxury cars in his garage and perhaps three children studying in Britain, and a mortgage on his $1 million house to meet. Don't forget the credit card bills that had piled up during the last shopping during the holiday the previous month."

"Considering all that, he is a poor man in real terms because there are so many expenses he has to deal with. And his bank balance is appalling. In fact he is continuously in the red and hard put to make ends meet each month.

"So what is he really worth?

"But compare him with the Indonesian amah, for example, however low her social status may be.

"Out of her meager salary, she sends half of it home. The rest, after meeting her limited personal expenses, she saves and her bank balance has swelled to a tidy sum after these five years she had been working in Brunei.

"And she has cash in the bank and she doesn't owe any money to any one and she is happy.

"So don't you think that she is richer in many ways than the harassed high powered executive she has been working for, all these years?" asked my lady friend.

That set me thinking. I never thought it that way at all.

I began to ask myself, are Bruneians tending to become all show and little substance? Why would anyone want five luxury cars in his garage? Look at the cost and bother of keeping them in running order.

Why all these expense on frequent foreign, holidays? Just to keep up with the neighbour? Do you really need half the things you buy? Are we the victims of extreme consumerism? Sadly, that is the way we seem to be going.

Why have we become a nation of show-offs? Is there something lacking in our character?

These thoughts were crossing my mind as I listened to this lady.

"What we need is a set of values. We must get rid of our inferiority complex which compels us to be ostentatious," she suggested.

"In real fact, Bruneians tend to behave in a modest way. We are a very gentle people. We do not like to be pushy or fond of boasting," she commented.

"But we often attempt to submerge our sense of inferiority or malu by displaying the expensive cars we buy, which we can hardly afford, so that our neighbour will be impressed."

"How then can we grow up and-be convinced that material things will not make us a better man or woman?

"The worth of a man is his education, knowledge, character and achievement," she ventured to suggest.

"We Bruneians are perhaps some of the most likeable people you could ever meet. We are polite and humble generally.

"But how do we take advantage of these intrinsic characteristics and come out shining?"

She fell silent for a while and then rose to go, saying goodnight.

Well, that was some lady.

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