KUCHING, March 30: Treat all including the needy with dignity and respect.
This is the message which social activist Datuk Seri Ang Lai Soon is sharing with Sarawakians at this time when Easter is approaching.
“At Easter we talk of faith and sufferings, and we reflect on these especially the plight of the poor, the destitute and the homeless, the terminally ill, the very sick and the most vulnerable.
“Every single human, whether born the poorest of the poor, the weakest of the weak, or incapacitated by serious illness, is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect,” said Ang in a statement today.
He held that human dignity is not relative to social status, financial standing, nor to physical or intellectual abilities.
Instead, every person warrants respect and his or her dignity must not be allowed to be impugned by misfortune, illness, or vulnerability.
“It is fundamentally wrong, unethical, and immoral, to treat any human, whoever the person may be, without taking into account his or her right to be treated with dignity and respect .
“It is the duty of each and every one of us to uphold the fundamental principle of upholding human dignity at all times and in all situations,” said Ang.
He stressed that treatment of the poor, the sick, the terminally ill, and the vulnerable without upholding their dignity is to be abhorred and is without prevarication unacceptable in any circumstance.
Pointing out that the Charter of the United Nations recognises the dignity and the basic right of a person by incorporating it in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Ang stressed that all men are born equal in the eyes of the Creator.
“We all must show kindness, compassion and empathy, all human attributes. Our hearts are warm and capable giving love in abundance in this difficult world,” said Ang. — DayakDaily
