Dishonesty a scourge on our society
We have gone through our highs and lows during this COVID-19 crisis. One of the highs is the outpouring of the ‘Good Samaritan’ spirit to reach out and help those in need. Groups, organisations and individuals have given their time, money, food and possessions to bring relief to the needy.
Because of the adverse impact of COVID-19 there are people who cannot provide the basic necessities of life like food, shelter and water for their families. And there are those who were already in this state before COVID-19. This crisis has exacerbated their situation.
They are part of this needy category that require our help. One of the lows of this crisis is people who do not belong to this group, yet they seek help for basic necessities like food, etc.
One example was highlighted by the Ministry of Housing and Community Development, with regards to the Veilomani Food Bank assistance.
It reveals that while distributing food packs over the weekend, ministry officials found that a family applied for food assistance although it owns and operates a few taxis. There were other applicants who were already employed and financially capable of looking after themselves.
The ministry stresses that members of the public should be honest and provide the correct information, when applying for the Veilomani Food Bank assistance. Speaking on the importance of applicants giving the right and correct information, the Minister for Housing and Community Development, Premila Kumar, says it is rather unfortunate that some people are trying to beat the system, denying those who desperately need our assistance.
“The Veilomani Food Bank is here to assist those who genuinely need assistance and we can only do this well, if members of the public are honest and forthcoming,” she says.
The act of dishonesty is the manifestation of selfishness or greed. The perpetrators only think about themselves, never mind the others or the greater good. Their lack of conscience blinds their judgment. Love and compassion are not in their vocabulary.
These people are a drag on our society and should be taken to task. As a matter of principle, they are in the same boat as those MPs are in for allegedly falsifying their allowance claims forms, which the Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) is investigating.
Dishonesty at any level is seriously and morally wrong. If it is not addressed and left on its own, it could spread like cancer to a point it is difficult to deal with. It has a debilitating impact on our communities. It can destroy morale and stall progress.
Offenders need to realise that they are jeopardising and even denying assistance that should be going to those who really need it. Dishonesty reared its ugly head after Tropical Cyclone Winston when some people whose houses did not suffer any damage allegedly applied for housing relief assistance.
Dishonesty cases that have come before the courts indicate that we have a problem in our midst that should be addressed at various forums. What is not known is how much of it goes undetected. We must create public awareness that dishonesty is repugnant, unacceptable and soul destroying. We neither condone it nor tolerate it. In fact, we condemn it and we need to show there is zero tolerance on it. We cannot rely on the courts to fix it. It’s all our responsibility.