Salleh Abi Hosni

Born in a family of six, youngest out of four siblings, who the breadwinner is a lecturer married to a teacher, many would say that the child was born with silver spoon in my mouth. Well, they were quite wrong actually. As a son of a thrifty father, material desires never get me overwhelmed. Yearning for luxury would be considered as inferior thoughts in my sanctified mind. Although it is a bit though, his economic policy shows us how much 1 cent value.

His economic policy is not harsh at all. Never in his life had he let any of us starving for days. My shoes is a prominent witness, giving it had to bear a burden of 82kg every day. Maybe less, who knows anyway. However, the new millennium in 2000 gave a new dawn for my family’s new economic policy. The father of a handsome guy began his vision which he had always dreamt of – balik kampong. Yes, that is his dream and he began to make it a reality. Well, if balik kampong is as simple as buying bus ticket to our hometown, it is nothing to be scared of. Balik kampong in our accent means to move back to our hometown and serve our own people. And that is his intention.

He is going to build a house, on a piece of paddy land in Kuala Terengganu, inherited from his father (my grandfather of course). Soils were then pouring into the paddy field, house plans were drafted, decided and then sent to his friends to be sketch for real. His brother in law is a newly appointed contractor. Lorries were rolling in those small village road unloading cements, bricks, concretes, steels, sands, and other building materials.

How do these affect us? The new policy! The whole family budget was put to finance the house. Large sum of his and his wife’s savings, were put to finance the construction. The Tabung Haji, the EPF, the KWSP, the gratuity money and any other sources were then allocated to finance to construction. Our house budget had a little bit of reformation. The spending on things considered to be unnecessary is then prohibited. Everybody had to cut their budget for the sake of the family. Back then, I felt like the Japanese during the World War II. The construction finished around 2004 without any loan made. The only remain is the owner and his family, who refuse to move yet, in pursuing his career for another two years after retirement, as he need a job to finance his children. His savings had run out due to his project.

In April 2007, during the youngest and admirable charming son of the family having MC for seven weeks due to his fractured fibula, they officially moved to their new home, leaving the nostalgic Kuantan. Nevertheless, the new economic policy hasn’t change back since that. The budgets were even reduced from time to time. It is all due to the wise leadership of Pak Lah, where fuel hike was executed for a few time, the worst would be after the 12th general election, where the fuel price had gone up for 80 cents. This had caused him to revise his expenditures.

Back then, his youngest and pious son is very keen of surfing the internet, causing the bills to rise. Installing broadband is not a clever solution as after his handsome son pursues his study, he would be only living with his wife who does not even know how to use Internet Explorer just like him. He later came with the solution that left his sweet son remained speechless after being informed - THE INTERNET SERVICE IN HOUSE WAS TERMINATED.

Today, here in a small crowded cybercafé full of the loudness of these uncivilised monkeys playing games while shouting to each other, his pious and incredibly good-looking son are sitting in front of PC05, posting a new entry in his blog for fools to read.

This sweet and charming guy never gave up hope praying for any of his nearby neighbours to install a wide ranged Wi-Fi in their house. He too, just like his father, would implement the same economic policy if he will ever raise a family, and swear that his children will never easily get what they want. He will adore the way of his father, whom he loves and respects so much.

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