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Thursday, November 08, 2007

Do you make sens?

There is no spelling error. It is meant to be spelt as such, 'sens'.

Sens? What's that? Animal? Vegetable? Rock?

I'm sure most of us know what sens are. Most of us have sens. Most of us make sens. Some have and make more sens than others.

Sens is a manglish term of the word cents - the plural of sen. Sen is the smallest currency denomination in our country. That perfect circle gold coin featuring a hibiscus on one side and a 'rebana' on the other. A 100 pieces of that sen makes a ringgit.

Ahah! Now that I've mentioned it, perhaps it is beginning to make more sense. Most of us are more familiar with ringgits than with sens. Perhaps, most of us appreciate ringgits more than just those loose sens.

The value of sens is less appreciated these days. The days when we can buy loads of goodies with just some sens in our pocket have long gone, and never heard of these days. My own children would favour 'duit biru', 'duit hijau' or 'duit merah' over 'duit circle warna gold'.

Does that mean saving sens do not make sense any longer?

Just as most of us have some sens, and make some sens, there are also equally plenty out there who don't have any sen at all and who could not make any sen at all. And while all those loose sens can't buy us that much goodies anymore these days, those same loose sens can still be of great value to a lot of other people in so many different ways.

Each of those sens can save lives. Each of those sens can support some children's education. Each of those sens can feed some children. Each of those sens can help buy equipment for the disabled. Each of those sens can help build mosques or suraus.

Now sit up straight and read carefully what Ibu is about to write next. Don't slouch.

Next time when you go shopping, pay for your goods and receive those sens as loose change, don't straight away sulk and show face to the cashiers. Save those sour face for yourself when you look into the mirror - if you like those sour look that is. If you don't like keeping those sens in your purse or wallet because they make your Coach or Gucci or Ferragamo or Bonia wallets protrude like a drunkard belly, then by all means don't keep them in your purse or wallet. I don't mean throw them away! Simply slip those sens into the clear boxes that have been placed at your utmost convenience in front of your very naked eyes at the cashier counters.

At Tesco - it's for Charity of the Year, Makna Cancer Research Fund. Your sens save lifes!
At Jusco- it's for With All Our Hearts Foundation. Siti will beacon her smile back at you :)
At C4 - it's for K9 Society ( I think ... I don't shop there. Hehe...... )
At Ali Maju Restaurant - it's for a surau somewhere ... ( tak ingat la, sorry!) hey... some outlets even offer you senaskah surah yaasin in exchange for the loose sens you drop in the box.

If you don't shop at any of the retailers or dine at Mamak restaurants, but surely have some sens stashed somewhere and feel like you can spare some multiples of sens - hey! Good for you! Read Pi Bani's stories on how those sens can help buy some milk and rice, educate some children and restore roofs over some heads.

For the frequent travellers & flyers, remember most money changers don't accept loose changes to be exchanged for desired currencies. Why bother worrying about your pocket sagging and jingling with coins? Perhaps for a change, drop those small change of sens equivalent into the UNICEF envelope handed to you either by the sweet smelling stewardess or the hotel's ever-so-polite front desk assistants. Even if "Tipping Is Not Encouraged" signpost stares squarely into your eyes, you know those multiple loose sens equivalent would bring a smile to the doorman and the hotel limo chauffeur.

And I know you know there are many other options where you can let go of these sens to benefit others in need - the choice is yours.

The first series of choices to make is to commit to gainfully loose those sens.

That single sen from all of us can make a whole lot of difference in the lives of others.

It all begins with just one sen. Don't hesitate to depart with your loose sens.

Make sense with your sens!

8 comments:

Pak Idrus said...

Ibu, It has been my habit to collect the sen, sometime scattered on the pavement or roadsides. I pick it up and keep it. It is money and it has value. Without that one sen you could not make a Million, 999,999.999 is still in hundreds thousand remember. Only with that one sen you can say it is Million.

All goods and services has increases and yet they spend millions on a space travel. How naive. Well, that is our country that we love. If not careful it is the recipe of doom.

Have a nice day.

Anonymous said...

salam pagi jumaat.. ibu

IBU said...

Salam Pak Idrus,

Thank you for dropping by. Yes it did cross my mind while writing the entry, pasal duit ke angkasa tu. Even if we want to explain to kids about how far the moon is from the earth, we give the analogy of laying a dollar note end to end to reach the moon - which takes millions or billions or trillions of the dollar notes! And that must be about the same amount our tax ringgit is being spent for the space mission.

And down on earth, we still have children & patients suffering without enough fund for food, education or medical treatment.

IBU said...

Yg Insaf,

Thanks for dropping by. C u around?

Unknown said...

Salam Bu,
You are right. Sens save lifes. At the college, I can see the golden rounded thingy lying helplessly under peoples bed, and nobody ever care. One day, I took a coin box from MAKNA to the room(my room actually) and everyone try to find the coins under their bed. That is good; they are up to save lifes. But then again, it is quite funny to think that they know where the coins are and prefer to just merely 'stare' at them!
Good day Bu!

Pi Bani said...

Ibu,
Thanks for the link. Memang kebanyakan kita, especially budak-budak tak heran pun kalau coins bersepah sana-sini. Macam no value pulak. But it is oh so precious to those in need.... bila kumpul semua banyak jadinya tu!

Btw, insyaAllah TABH and wife going for Haj this December.

Eddie Putera said...

sens..sense..senseh..sengeh..adeii pening kelapa saya baca posting ni.. tapi yes, you make sense actually, the 1 sens can make some dfference in someone's life

Anonymous said...

haha..
i love the last quote, though!

salam ziarah, ibu..
take care..