Topic 3: Money Can Buy Happiness

    “If money were the only criterion by which a child’s welfare can be gauged, then a baby bought for as much as RM40,000 on the black market would seem set for life. For money-rich but child-poor couples, it is a small price to pay to introduce a small life into their home. The cot is gilded, the blanket monogrammed, the college fund filled to the brim. All that’s wanting is a bun in the oven. And where there is a baby-for-sale racket, money can indeed buy happiness. And after all, why not?” (NST, March 3, 2013)'

            Provide at least two(2) premises or two (2) counter agreements for the statements based on your agreement.

Baby, a subject that portrays innocent, happiness and peacefulness but, there are some people that illegally having babies through buying them on the black market in order to pursuit their happiness on having a baby. Most of the buyers are money-rich but child-poor couples. From the statement of NST on March 3, 2013, it shows that through money, people can buy happiness. However, I disagree with the statement because money can’t buy everything especially tranquillity the lead to ultimate happiness.

 My first counter agreement of the statement is money is temporary. Nowadays, in this world especially our country are having economy crisis. For example, GST (Goods and Service Tax) that burdens most of the citizen in this country as it effects on the market price which clearly shows that money can be lost like the water flows. Then, raising a baby also could be costly. We need to continuously consider their needs such as food, education and cloths until they can find their needs independently and of course, it takes time. Hence, lots of money will be used along the process of raising a baby. What can I conclude for my first counter agreement is that the economy crisis which happens in our country lead to the high price market and high price market can make one savings are in loss. Surely with the temporary happiness of money that money-rich couples indulge can be disappeared right away if they are facing money crisis due to their high dependent on money. What will happen to the statement of “money can buy happiness”? Therefore, money can’t ensure ultimate happiness.

For my second counter argument is the child should stay with their biological family. From the statement of NST on March 3, 2013 that shows that couples can have babies through buying them at the black market certainly is not a good and not a right thing to agree with. A baby should be raised up by their actual family as the baby have their right on been rising up by their biological parents. They have their right to know their traits and backgrounds. What will happen to the babies once they have grown-up, knowing that they are just a “product” that bought from a black market? Surely they will be devastated. This strongly counter agreement of the statement that money can’t buy happiness. Furthermore, baby that bought from black market will facing lots of problems in their future such as for a baby girl, in Islam, they will need their exact father (same DNA) in other to get married. So, money can't buy happiness especially to the babies perhaps, will cause lots of problem to them.

To conclude, we need money to survive in this world but we must accept that money can’t buy everything including happiness in someone’s life. Money is temporary but, happiness is priceless. I end up this entry by a quote by Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan which stated “Quran teach us that success (also can be happiness) has nothing to do with poverty neither failure has nothing to do with richness”.