There has been an uproar over what Teresa Kok ate in detention, and also what detainees at immigration centres are fed.

I personally think there is too much unbalanced opinion coming from those who are privileged enough to afford snacks, breakfast, lunch and/or dinner at hotels, restaurants, and cafes. These should stop to count their blessings and donate towards helping the poor and needy instead of paying mere lip service.

Let us take a look at what many disadvantaged Malaysians - the rural and urban poor and the jobless - can afford to eat. In case I be accused of exaggeration, let me first make clear that as I am unemployed, I can truthfully relate my plight, in regard to cuisine.

Let us be reminded of the sacrifices of our forefathers, the older generations of Malay villagers, Chinese immigrants and Indian estate workers who used to survive on rice and cheap salted fish, rice and soy sauce and rice and gravy.

We often read about poor families who can hardly afford anything more than watered down porridge for their babies, children and themselves. Some even go hungry. Some families survive on a mere RM100 to 200 per month for food.

Those who can afford simple fare eat food like plain white bread, instant noodles, roti canai and kuih for breakfast, which usually costs less than RM1 per person. Those who can afford an extra 20 sen buy nasi lemak, which nowadays comes in a much reduced portion of rice, no nuts, no anchovies, one-sixth to one-quarter slice of boiled egg, some sambal and sometimes one very tiny slice of cucumber.

For lunch, it is either the same as breakfast plus plain water. Some go for rice and only one serving of the following: stir-fried vegetable/plain curry/gravy/sambal/one cheap fish/one egg (yes! – egg)/fried chicken neck/ fried liver/gizzard/one piece tauhu and a pinch of nuts/anchovies.

If these are cooked at home, they usually cost less than RM1 per head. If bought, the shops will charge between RM1.50 to RM2.50, plus a free drink of plain tap water if you are lucky, or the water might cost from 20 to 40 sen.

Dinner is often the same as lunch.

Many unemployed, including me, some poor old folks survive on nasi lemak, instant noodles, and a selection of the same food described above. I personally try to swallow my food without water or gravy just to save the extra cost.

Coming to pets, I think one of the local newspapers over-exaggerated the daily figure of RM8 for mongrels and non-pedigree cats. Go to any supermarket and you will find packets of dog food costing, if you work the figures out, anything from RM5 to RM6 per kg, and an average mongrel can survive on 200g daily.

I would like to urge those who can afford to do so to visit the SPCA and PAWS and donate towards a daily meal of rice and chicken neck for the unfortunate animals there.

And to all the decent folks out there, please be a bit unselfish and realise that a mere monthly sacrifice of even one packet of cigarettes, one cup of Starbucks coffee or anything costing between RM5 and RM10, if donated to a charity for the poor, old, orphans, and animals can actually do a lot to save many lives and alleviate much suffering.