An Endorsement to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Remarks on Precluding Miss Cambodia from National Arena
By: Vicheka Lay
Very recently, Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen stated: “As long as I remain as prime minister, a Miss Cambodian contest will only be permitted until the poverty rate drops to 15 percent or GDP (gross domestic product) per capita reaches $1,000 a year from the current $448.” I do and heartfelt endorse such the patriotic stance. To me, I name this quote: “patriotic quote of Prime Minister Hun Sen for September 2006.” And this quote is the first reason that makes me support his premiership.
Regardless of his many scandals alleged from Cambodia and other countries, his stance on precluding Miss Cambodia contest would save government more time and resources, and transferring these saves to bring faster and more desirable developments to Cambodia.
Like Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen, I have never seen any use from Miss Cambodia’s beauty contest. A huge portion of the population are living on less than one US dollar per day, so why Cambodia need to spend for Miss Cambodia? Of course, even in the world’s richest country, there are also gaps between the rich and the poor, but the huge gaps are not acceptable. Having such the beauty contest would boost the gaps between the rich and the poor.
I cannot stance seeing huge parts of Cambodian population living with less than one dollar per day, surviving in slums and even the most basic daily physiological needs and facility are not met; whereas a very few young girls, with government supports, compete in indulging with cosmetics, travel abroad, craze with daily unnecessary luxury. Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen is right and absolutely right in balancing the rich and the poor within his administration first, before we go on to compete on the international stage, Cambodian people shall be at the heart of Samdech’s every decision.
“Satisfying the majority first”, to me, is one of the most valid democracy theories, and what the prime minister is doing is to more validate this theory. And I also appreciate another of this quote: “There is no need to show a Miss Cambodia at the international arena. The Angkor Wat temple should be a better choice.”
Samdech Prime Minister, I hope what you said will become a reality.
Phnom Penh, September 11, 2006, 8:15 P.M.
Lay Vicheka is a translator for the most celebrated translation agency in the Kingdom of Cambodia, Pyramid Translation Co.Ltd.. He is now hoding other two professions: freelance writer for Search Newspaper; focusing on social issues and students’ issues and Media Liaison Officer for Asia’s first free on-line IELTS consultation website. Lay Vicheka is the expert author for ezine and prolific article contributor to other websites around the world such as articlecity, 365 articles, spiderden, talesofasia, etc (Just google him). He is also a volunteer Cambodian-newspapers columnist (Rasmey Kampuchea and Kampuchea Thmey). Lay Vicheka has great experience in law and politics, as he used to be legal and English-language assistant to a Cambodian member of parliament, migration experience (home-based business) and in writing. He is also member of a New York-based research company. Posting address: 221H Street 93, Tuol Sangke quarter, Russey Keo district, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel: 855 11 268 445, vichekalay@yahoo.com