Andrew Loh
Along Serangoon Road, her fragile frame bends as she reaches into the trash bin.
In Little India, the tiny woman with her hunched back draws nothing more than a few nonchalant passing stares.
She had earlier emerged from a crowd of pedestrians, clutching two plastic bags, one in each hand, containing unwanted soft drink cans. Perhaps fearing other scavengers like herself in the area, she quickens her steps towards the bin placed by the side of the road. As traffic rushes, she pauses. She lays the two bags on the ground. She peers into the trash and dips her hand into the green-coloured refuse container. As she does so, her face brushes against the top of the soiled bin.
She spends quite an amount of time going through the content looking for that one or two precious discard which she could sell for a few cents later. It is a warm afternoon and the nearby shopping malls are filled with foreign workers and shoppers. But no one pays the woman any mind.
A man walks up to the bin. He spits into it. He walks away. The woman continues rummaging.
She finds nothing. She picks up her bags, looks around for a bit, and limps away, disappearing into the crowd which she had emerged from.
Several minutes later, a man, about 50-plus, draws up to the same trash bin. He looks into it, dips his hand as the elderly woman had done earlier, but with more urgency. He finds nothing and hurries off.
He would later make a second attempt.
I understood the elderly woman’s fear of the presence of other scavengers.
*****
Shaw House (Lido theatre) is a glitzy place, where shoppers and cinema-goers abound, even late in the night.
“Hi Andrew. Kaixiong and I are near Lido and we saw this old lady who seems to be selling all that she has,” my friend Rachel Zeng said to me in a text message at about 10.30pm. “It’s so sad. We saw her earlier near the escalator and then she is now on the main walkway,” she said. “Don’t know what to do, so sending you a message in case you might want to come down to talk to her or something…”
Under the lights of Shaw House in Orchard’s shopping belt, Mdm Tan (not her real name) stands waiting. Her wares are displayed on two plastic bags on the ground. She is hoping to make a few sales from the tin of Milo, several packets of instant noodles, some canned food, a box of salt, packets of tissue papers, among other assorted goods.
“I am selling these to help pay for my living expenses,” she says to me in Chinese, referring to the three main items she has to pay for every month – her service and conservancy charges, utilities and the rental for her one-room flat. It all comes to about $50 to $70, she tells me. How much does she make from plying her products on the street, which she tells me she has been doing for the past one year? Mdm Tan doesn’t want to say. “It’s barely enough,” is all she would offer.
“I am almost 80,” she says in Teochew, as I noticed the fingers on both her hands. They are deformed from the arthritis which she suffers from, not unlike those in these pictures. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthritis ) “I’ve had this for years now,” she explains. “It’s painful whether there is rain or not,” she says when I asked if the weather made the pain worse. How does she manage to lug two full plastic bags of goods, which include canned food, to Orchard? “Slowly,” she smiles. “I take the bus.” Besides the obvious physical obstacles she has to overcome, she sometimes also has to contend with zealous health inspectors from the National Environment Agency (NEA). Relating several stories of her encounters to me, she was particularly annoyed with one. “Once, this tigu (health inspector) came up to me and warned me, ‘You have five minutes to pack your things and leave this place!’ I showed him my hands and told him, ‘Look at my fingers. How can I pack up in five minutes?’” Another instance saw an NEA officer threaten to confiscate her cans of condensed milk, which she had displayed for sale in the streets, if she didn’t pack up and leave. But by and large, Mdm Tan says most of the officers have been sympathetic towards her.
Her arthritic condition has made it almost impossible for her to find a job. “Who would want to hire someone so old and whose hands can no longer work?” she asks. “My hands are weak. I can’t even grasp things properly with them.” Her arthritis is also evident in her knees. She walks with a heavy limp. “When I go to the temple to pray,” she pauses and then says with a hint of sadness, “I can’t even kneel.”
She no longer sees the doctor for her condition as she cannot afford their fees. I ask about her previous job and if she has savings in her CPF. “I am almost 80. I couldn’t work since I was 50-plus because of my arthritis,” she tells me. “My CPF have all been withdrawn throughout the years since.”
As we spoke, a caucasian man approaches her for a pack of tissues. He pays her $2. A little while later, a young Singaporean girl too wants a pack of tissues. “Buy something from her,” I urge. “She’s just trying to make a living.” She declines but gave Mdm Tan $4 for the single pack.
Mdm Tan has never married and thus has no children. She devotes most of her time to visiting the Buddhist temple at Kim Yam Road, which is near her home. “We are all sinners when we come into this world,” her eyes sparkle when she speaks of her religion. “There are precepts we must follow in order to live a good life.” Her one fervent hope is that when her time arrives, she would be able to reunite with “those very nice people at the temple” who have gone before her.
It was almost midnight. Rachel suggests we buy her dinner as Mdm Tan has not eaten. I agree. The four of us then proceeded to a coffeeshop near where Mdm Tan lives.
“Have you approached your MP for help? I am sure you qualify for public assistance,” I said to her over dinner. “Yes, I have,” she replies, “but no use.” Mdm Tan told me that a letter was distributed to all the flats in her block, informing residents that they could apply for public assistance. “But when I asked a friend to explain the letter to me, I found that it was very hard to fulfill the criterias,” she said. One of the conditions for qualifying for assistance was that applicants should not be able to perform at least two of six daily activities, such as dressing or bathing or feeding oneself. The MCYS has since relaxed these criterias. I tell Mdm Tan about this. “No use. It’s the same,” she says. “I have to fill in so many forms and all. No, better not ask for money. It’s a hassle.”
As we walk her home to her flat at about 2am, Mdm Tan urges me to attend some of the sessions at the temple. “It’s very good. They also have it in English if you don’t understand Chinese,” she informs me. I told her I may drop in on one of them.
In the long corridor of the 14th floor of her block, we finally bade her goodnight, as she closes the door and gets some well-deserved rest.
Tomorrow, she repeats her routine.
———
*Special thanks to Rachel Zeng and Chong Kai Xiong.
Picture of Shaw House from Wikipedia.
Picture of Serangoon Plaza from Images of Singapore.
——–
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#42,
What Andrew has written, in my opinion, is not a propaganda piece to solicit anti-govt or anti-PAP stance.
He has merely highlighted a true fact that ALOT of us has seen in increasing numbers, i.e. the roaming of old folks collecting carton boxes, drink cans, and even food remains (yes ! I’ve personally seen this) on the streets.
Point is, if the govt or MCYS or CDC is indeed doing their job, million dollar salaries aside, then why are we seeing them in increasing numbers ?
“Point is, if the govt or MCYS or CDC is indeed doing their job, million dollar salaries aside, then why are we seeing them in increasing numbers ?”
Choose one : -
1st version Smart-aleck scholar may say “It has been there all along, it only gets reported or seen by you more now than before – your vision is weak. How didn’t you pay more attention.” A strategy of converting defense to offense.
2nd version Smart-aleck scholar may say “We are still better as compared with so many other countries” followed by rattling of some indexes and showing of presentation chart indicating those poor people coming from some third world countries” which completely put you so off-guard as you would have expected them to compare it with some first class european countries given their past talents of raising your expectation to the sky because of their famous trumpeting skill.
3rd version Smart-aleck scholar may say “They are probably foreigners positively correlating with the increasing number of foreigners who are the first to go in our pro-citizen programme in this depressing time.” Logics are just hard to debunk.
4th version Smart-aleck scholar may say “There many assistance programmes that we have available like SPUR, PSP, ESS, (more to be added in the future) etc, etc. We have CDC in various parts of our country who can assist you if you need any help.” Don’t say there are no help, it is visible for everyone to see. However, seeing an advert of chocolates does not mean you can take it out and eat it.
Again, then why are we seeing them in increasing numbers. Scratch, scratch. Last try ok. Fundamentally, the sickness is not our sickness. It is a global sickness and you have to wait until the US picks up. Better pray read hard that US picks up soon.
On the issue about helping with jobs and about MCYS or CDC, what additional things can they really do other than those existing private employment agencies, online job agencies, hard copy newspapers advertisements, existing personal referrals are currently doing.
I believe Andrew has written is true. I have saw many old folks are without helps and they have to survive by picking cans and cardboard.
The Older folks may have children but not all son or daughter can support them as the cost of living is so high in Singapore – Singapore is among the highest cost of living in Asia. They have their own family, own cost, their children, their HDB & etc to support & pay for. Of course, I am not saying they should ignor them but they have their limit too.
Sad to say, our retirement fund – the CPF, may not be enough for retirement in old age as most of our CPF is use to buy HDB flat. Like Mdm Tan, she has already used up her CPF due to sickness and old age. I wonder how to survive in Singapore if I just depend on the monthly paying for CPF (not sure how much but i think should not be more than $400).
I know some other countries support old folks when they retire at 62. e.g. a friend of mine is collecting retirement support from govt monthly approx. $2000.00 (husband & wife) and they are enjoying their life.
#53,
Yes, completely agree. I also think many of these old folks used to be samsui women, construction workers or bum-boats workers who contributed to the nation building of our country even before CPF was institutionalised.
I would not be suprised that many of them have in fact donated or funded the campaigns that put LKY in power in the 60s.
It is really tragic that their fate now lies in whatever they can picked from the streets for survival. With no CPF, they really have very little or in fact nothing to fall back on.
To me, all these MCYS/ CDC or whatever seemingly help agencies just only looked good and work for those who are literate, as they will be able to amplify the help they received and thus in turn render these agencies wonderful.
The illiterate & handicapped old folks just have very limited means to reach out to these agencies on their own, many of which find moving beyond the main door as difficult as us scaling mount everest.
The smart alecks in our govt can retort whatever they want, but IMO, the govt should really be more proactive in reaching out to them.
I mean, how many of us have actually heard or seen MPs visiting these old destitutes, other than during the obligatory CNY angpow handout sessions ?
#55,
Good story you related. Certainly touched my heart.
Let’s have more of these heart warming tales about our encounters with self-sacrificing heroes/ heroines here, pls.
We need the rc dogs & MPs to read this and know they are NOT doing enough to reach our helpless senior citizens.
The report on these poor old souls is so sad in our society but it’s positive. There must be some fault within the current system that need to be checked. It was also mentioned that the application proceedings maybe a hassle to the olds and the illiterate, but, the preconditions and the allowance provided when successful I felt, is simply not appropriated under the present situation.
From the application point of view, the system is likely to fail …( application hassle + rediculous precondition terms = Negativity.)
Since we are dealing with the destitute and the old people, I wish the application procedure could be as simple as possible. For the preconditions, it should be tailored simply according the ability of the applicants to support themselves by common sense which need not have to be bed ridden, or couldn’t walk etc.. etc., A genuine jobless person without those conditions also need to survive beside other expeniture.
Well, I thought the govering body should have already started cracking the case as they are paid for the job that was badly implemented and to quickly address the matter.
We could also conduct a parrallel exercise by tabling the same motion for construction discussions.
It is not necessary for those pro goverment sediment coming out to defend the system or criticize the reporter who merely want to convey the problem and suffering of these unfortunate people. They should contribute and participate constructively in this clear objective rather than finding faults.
Well done Andrew, you have already did a good job….to these people.
To 42 marcus on February 28th, 2009 12.26 am:
> If only she had met kind and understanding people who are capable of getting her permanent and tangible help.
Why are the “kind and understanding people” whose jobs are to help people like Mdm Tan not proactively reaching out to them/her? What ever happened to “Moving together”, “One Nation”, “Increased GST to help the poor”, CDC grassroots?
If you can answer the above “Why” honestly, you’d understand the responses to this article and why the common man would agree that the 3 (who did what they did out of kindness, it is not even their job to help) have done more good than the well-paid civil servants.
I heard about this. He went to apply for help when he is injured after an accident in the work and he can’t work for months. When they interviewed him, they told him that your son got this, your daughter got that… extra extra. Ask you children to help. He told them the children got a family to support, got bill to pay, got children for school & etc. Yes, they help but to a limit.
Even if he can get help from the agencies, the $360.00 per month can hardly survive. The $360.00 have to pay rental, electrical bill & etc. It such a pity that we live in the first world country, employ the finest people to run, our best PM but seem like to system is falling apart.
We, living in this fist World country, let do our part, be gerenous, patience, full of love and reaching out like Mdm Tan & others (if you can) so that this World can be a better place to live.
“Mdm Tan told me that a letter was distributed to all the flats in her block, informing residents that they could apply for public assistance. “But when I asked a friend to explain the letter to me, I found that it was very hard to fulfill the criterias,” she said. One of the conditions for qualifying for assistance was that applicants should not be able to perform at least two of six daily activities, such as dressing or bathing or feeding oneself. The MCYS has since relaxed these criterias.”
There’s no relaxation of such criteria because there wasn’t any to begin with, to qualify for Public Assistance Scheme(PA). PA qualification never included Activites of Daily Living (ADL) in the first place. Please get your facts right.
gyfr,
There were criterias and one of them was the requirement that an applicant should not be able to perform two of six daily activities. Anyone who’s been following the PA would know this.
But recently, and as I said in the article, these requirements were relaxed – and they no longer appears on the MCYS website. ( http://www.mcys.gov.sg/web/serv_E_PA.html )
I think you’re the one who needs to get your facts right.
59 and 60)
I think you can email to http://www.reach.gov.sg on issues like this and you will get an answer from an official source. Try it.
In order to apply, the applicant must bring along the following, according to the Central Singapore CDC website: http://www.centralsingaporecdc.org.sg/1171263884773.html
Please bring along the following documents:
Your identitiy card
Identity card(s) of family member(s) within the same household*
Birth certificate(s) of children * (below 15 years old)
Marriage/ Divorce certificate
Latest payslip(s)
CPF statement(s)
Bank account passbook(s) / statements
Medical appointment card(s)
HDB booklet (for rental flat)
Town Council booklet (service and conservancy charges)
Latest SP Services bill
Documents on assistance received from other organisations*
Any other relevant supporting documents eg. prison visiting card, outstanding payments owing to other organisations.
Hi Andrew,
My thinking is straightforward which I believe should be the way, not excluding what other brains can offer a better way to solve some apparent confusion which looks like we cant see the obvious –
Can anyone take a look at what the letter actually mentioned? Anyone can make a copy here ?
2ndly, if what the letter said is not easily understood by those who were intended to benefit from, then something is very very wrong, definitely.
Thirdy, my humble opinion subject to correction, there is no real need or urgency to check this check that because whatever you check on and check from – its only from one original source which is the most important, that is the author who decides who gets what of the assistance, not the channel of it.
Thanks for reading.
aiyoyo
my goodness! feel sad see this story…
not sure if the welfare group can look into such cases
(believe there could be more)
worry next time how this place will be like?
only $$$ people survive? how about commoners?
aiyoyo
#60 and #62 – i have been following the PA and there was never a need for fulfilling 2 out of 6 requirement. in the list that you provided in #62, nope, none suggest the need for that requirement either. :)
not sounding like a bigot here, but there are many old folks out there who rather live life independently and not accept any aids from any vwos, govts etc. they shout at social workers, volunteers (who forever insist that this group of people needs help) while there’s good intention to fight for more welfare, we shouldn’t impose a misguided sense of chivalry and righteouness on every old person. leave these old people alone with the dignity they need. if they need help, they will ask for it. :)
#66) gyfr on March 1st, 2009 10.27 pm
the lady in the article isn’t one of those old folks you are talking about. and from whom can she ask help from when there’s so much redtape involved?
While I agree with the #66 gyfr’s statement that “we shouldn’t impose a misguided sense of chivalry and righteouness on every old person”, I do not agree with his/her conclusion to “leave these old people alone”. IMHO, I think it’s fair to offer help. If the elderly should reject our offer, we can respect their wish to be left alone. While the “if they need help, they will ask for it” perspective may be acceptable if one is a non-related passer-by, IMHO, it is not acceptable for civil servants paid to run the Public Assistance scheme to adopt such an approach to their work.
Having been conned before, I have a policy of not giving cash to strangers, but offer food/services instead. For me, it is a basic way to filter out those who really need and want help from those who are just asking for easy money.
A few examples from my personal experience:
1. Just met one tonight. There was a healthy despondent-looking somewhat-elderly woman (looked like 50’s), sitting on the floor just outside KFC, with a plastic box containing coins in front of her. She looked askance at passers-by. Thus I offered her some snacks that I carried in my bag, but she refused. I do not know her reasons for refusal, but frankly I concluded that she doesn’t really need the food nor cash.
2. There was an elderly man (looked like 60’s) eyeing me as I was depositing some $ at an ATM one night. When I was done, he approached me to asked me for $2. I asked him what he wanted the $2 for, he said he wanted to buy some chicken rice since he has not eaten since morning. I told him that I will not give him the money but I will walk with him to buy the chicken rice. Along the way, he told me his sob-story that he has diabetes, his son quarrelled with him that morning because the son felt the financial strain and they could not afford his diabetes medical treatment. He left the house from morning after the quarrel, thus went without food or water since morning. I bought him the chicken rice with extra rice together with a cup of kopi-o as he requested. Although still sad about his family quarrel, he looked happy to have a listening ear and asked me to join him for dinner, but I had to leave.
3. One afternoon, there were 2 young boys (looked about 10 years-old) who approached me and asked for $10 to $30. I asked them what they wanted it for. They were stumped for an answer. Then they quickly walked away, giggling to each other. Then I saw them approaching other adult passers-by. I saw 1 person giving them $5 which they happily pocketed before moving on to their next target.
4. Late one night (almost midnight), there was a young couple (looked 20+ years-old) carrying an infant. They looked lost. The couple approached me asking for $20. I asked them what they wanted the money for. The man looked embarrassed and walked away. The woman told me that they quarrel with her parents-in-law whom they were staying with. Her parents-in-laws called her parents to complain about their quarrel with the young couple, and thus her parents refused to help them. The young couple left home after the family quarrel and had not eaten that entire day. They wanted the money to take a taxi to their friend’s home to get help. I told the woman that I will not give them any cash, but asked her to wait for me while I return home (just a block away) to get them some food as I was not carrying any cash with me. When I returned to the spot, they were gone. I walked around the area looking for them, because was quite worried about the infant on that smoky night (due to people burning offerings on this eve of the Hungry Ghost Festival). Anyway, I found them at some blocks away, still looking lost and looking for help. I offered them some food, took a cab with them to their friend’s neighbourhood (another hdb estate nearby) and took the same cab back home. The man was so hungry, he started eating in the taxi. The taxi driver thought that I knew the couple, ha ha ha!
As someone pointed out, how can we help on a long-term basis?
I was thinking that there could be a website which features each elderly, his/her story and specifies what he/she needs and wants. E.g. $3 daily lunch x 30 days, $150 outstanding utilities bill. Then the online system allows people to donate to a specific target recipient. The donation could be the full amount or a partial donation (e.g. $3 x 1 day, or $10 of $150 utilities bill). The online system would display how much (% of request) was collected and close the donations if target is met. Potential extra donors would be directed to other recipients. TOC or TWC2 or other volunteers could visit the recipient to verify their home/family situation. One possible side-benefit of the system is that by highlighting each case, it can be brought to the attention of the Public Assistant or CDC employees paid to help. If there are frauds, the Public Assistants or CDC employees can always feedback to the administrators of the system about why a specific recipient could/should not receive assistance. Would take quite some time to create such a system. Oh well, maybe it’ll become a reality someday.
alky, how do you know that the lady in the article isn’t one of those old folks i am talking about? and how do you know whether i really do know her or not? and as mentioned before, have you sought help before to know that there are so much redtape involved?
“we shouldn’t impose a misguided sense of chivalry and righteouness on every old person. leave these old people alone with the dignity they need. if they need help, they will ask for it.”
“alky, how do you know that the lady in the article isn’t one of those old folks i am talking about? and how do you know whether i really do know her or not? and as mentioned before, have you sought help before to know that there are so much redtape involved?”
Hey smart aleck, definitely we are not referring to those people who love to be alone with dignity even if they are poor. For any matter, there are such people and if they feel so, “we shouldn’t impose a misguided sense of chivalry and righteouness on” them. Anyway, who would want to waste time on such people if feel so dignified & rich when poor.
We make assumptions lah and it is not too wrong to assume that most poor people need and want help. If you have real needs to meet, dignity will bring that far.
Mind you, and to digress a little bit, do you think our multi-million super stars will feed dignified if you cut their salary by half, with the remaining sum still considered significant bit by any global standard.
Hey we are talking about our dear country with “no grand-standing” ministars and where most middle-aged people above 45 – 50 years have seen most and enough (reasonably consistent pattern) for them to form certain conclusion about how things are usually done here (perception).
It is only because of the present crisis that those mini-starts are beginning to buck up because a lot of past assumptions are no longer valid new era & in this trying time & have to be seriously relooked.
There’s another group of the elderly whom I sympathise with and respect. They are the elderly cleaners. They are not very visible but they are common here – men and women in their 70s and 80s, some of them bent and walking with difficulty, cleaning the malls, toilets, etc. Imagine, at their age, when even moving about is difficult, toiling 10/12 hours a day in a job even younger and more physically fit people find taxing. It cannot be that they work because they like it, or to pass the time, or for pocket money. And they definitely are not part of any syndicate. Giving them a couple of dollars “tip” for them to buy a drink is not a solution, but it is always accepted with gratitude.
Hi Hahaha, thanks for your comment. In fact I did not say that my beliefs should be the underlying work ethics of public servants (who handles social welfare etc.). Nevertheless, thanks for bringing out that point anyway.
In addition, you suggested for a database to be run by TOC and TWC2. However, TWC2’s main interest is in migrant workers while TOC’s main interest is in journalism. You cannot expect these two groups to have an effective and sustaining effort on that. I understand that some VWOs have been trying very hard to get such a system up (with varying degree of success or failures).
Anyway, I’m on most people’s side here, agreeing that more $$ should be spent on social welfare, especially on elderly. This would however require more than just basing a discourse revolving on cutting ministerial pay to pay for that. They simply won’t.
However, it would take those at the top of organizations such as VWOs, NCSS, MCYS whatever it is, to passionately fight for it. From what I see, many have lost the passion they had when they graduate as a social work graduate.
For onlookers like us, while it is up to you to make your own assumptions about any groups of people, (i.e. as stated, poor people would want you to help), i think it is better to recognize them as individuals with unique characters and needs. compassion is condescending.
To #72 gyfr on March 2nd, 2009 7.00 pm
Thanks for noting my point on that there is a difference between an individual adopting the “if they need help, they will ask for it” approach and if “public servants (who handles social welfare etc)” adopt the same attitude. The crux lies in the role played.
You are right about the different focus of TOC and TWC2. However, these are very passionate people, and they may have similarly passionate supporters with the right skills to create the system. I would think that TOC and TWC2 may be 2 pioneer groups to use such a system, given their very proactive approach to their societal roles. Not prescribing the how-to’s here, merely at ideation stage. Ideas, like children, takes time/consideration to develop. Of course, as you have pointed out, eventually there may be other VWOs who may join in if they find it useful. Personally I think that TWC2 is relevant group for the purpose. IMHO, the poor is not restricted by race, language, or nationality. E.g. there are migrant workers who need help after being abandoned by their agents/employers.
Again as you rightly pointed out, cutting ministerial pay and improving the social welfare net (amount and accessibility) are 2 separate matters. The reason many (including myself sometimes) would link the 2 together is because of the widening income gap and the perceived ineffectiveness of our civil servants (including MPs and ministers) paid to address social welfare issues. Our ministers’ stated position is that there are abundant welfare options which are under-utilised. They also claimed that it is the poor who refused to or did not seek help (e.g. after one family’s breadwinner committed suicide). In addition, there is their verbalised fear that increasing welfare would lead to Singaporean’s developing a crutch mentality, and cited the scarcity of resources as reasons for limited social support. Such public statements reinforce the public’s perception that the ministers (and possibly the civil servants involved in social welfare) do not understand the challenges faced by the poor in obtaining assistance. Only if the lion’s share of existing assistance available is successfully disbursed proactively to the qualifying recipients, would we know if the existing welfare is enough and/or accessible.
“It would take those at the top of organizations such as VWOs, NCSS, MCYS whatever it is, to passionately fight for it. From what I see, many have lost the passion they had when they graduate as a social work graduate.
I shall not comment on the above since I do not personally know many at such positions. All I can say is that it does not help that the PAP-led government has made it very clear from its repeated brush-off that it will not increase social welfare or create a social safety net.
i think it is better to recognize them as individuals with unique characters and needs.
Yup I agree to the above too. However IMHO, compassion is NOT condescending if one does not approach with the right attitude.
Oops, typo error. IMHO, compassion is NOT condescending if one approaches with the right attitude.
Ask the authorities to help and they said they rather help the companies so as to keep jobs. So the poor have to suffer in silence for the poverty life they have not chosen.
How many PAP MPs actually spoke up with passion and persistence
for the needy in parliament ? I can only recall Lily Neo. (1 out of 82 MPs)
Even then she received a prickly response from Vivian.
It is ‘nice’ and ‘dandy’ for the PM to mention about western spectacles and eastern spectacles to his audience, but S’poreans are aware that his PAP
have their own designed spectacles.
Everything the PAP see through their spectacles are clouded by $$ images.
This probably explains the lack of empathy for the needy, and even then,
they will try to measure empathy in dollars and cents !
“compassion is condescending.”
Aiyoh, you are so pathetic and you smell a lot.
Hey why not you try google the word compassion + some big names of our ministars. Not surprising, there are plenty of it.
Hi, i would like to say that you have done a great job, your article really moved me, I wil deinitely give her as much as within my limitations when i come acroos them but we cant help them for long, this is not a permanent solution.
Firstly I would say that Mr Lee Kuan Yew have done a great job into bringing Singapore to this standard as compare in the 70s. But nonetheless I feel that the priorties of the fund is a bit way off line.
We spent billions of dollars loaning to other countries and yet fellow singaporean doesn’t had the opportunities to get these money to survive. Basically just think, when will the other countries pay us back our money? the answer most likely will be we will never see that day and why? Because we are already died.
DONT REBUKE ME BY SAYING THERE IS A HELP CENTRE.
Singaporean comes first or other countries??????
Help centres???
You ask me or any other singaporean on the streets, the answer for most of us is “I DON”T KNOW” Help centre should publicise in the advertisement, just like our courtesy campaign or the NKF shows. The help centre doesn’t have enough manpower then employ more. DON’T TELL ME THAT THEY RUN OUT OF BUDGET. For the poor we can relax on the rules a bit using the discretion of the public. We can try using 10 members of public randomly chosen to vote for the outcome whether the application will be approved on the spot. Singaporeis an effiencient country approved on the spot may save another poor lady from being hungry for another day.
Use cigratte tax for the poor, it should be more than enough.
The tax of cigrattes are so high, USE THE MONEY TO SUPPORT THE POOR. You can ask any fellow singaporean smoker to pay the tax for the poor i believe that we will pay the tax more willingly. Anyway does anybody knows where the hell does the cigratte tax goes to? Don’t tell me it is to the customs office.
The criteria??
What 2 out of 6 criteria?? that’s bullshit…. Imagine that you are the old lady at the age above 70s and you are sick for the day. My question to you is you run out money and don’t have energy to even walk to the door, what do you think will happen to you??? “TAN SI LOR” (WAIT TO DIE LOR)
The paper work??
Senior citizen “bay hiau tak ang mo” (don’t know english) then what should they do? Not forgetting what becomes of singapore today is the sheer hardwork that the senior citizens have put in during their younger years.
Don’t kick our forefathers away when they are old and considered useless. Mr lee hseun long if i have not spelled wrongly, have annouced on tv last few days ago and says that due to our fast ageing society we must be prepared to work until 70s.,,Waaaaaaaaaaaaa piang oei !!!! i thought i could “jiak pa tan si” now come to think of it “jiak luck liao la”. Zzzzzzz! turn off! We can live in early retirement if the tax are lesser, the cost of living is lower than “PROBLEM SOLVED” haha!
$360 Enough?
I don’t think so. Pub bill per pax around $50. Rental around $70(i don’t know)
that goes up to $120. $240 divide into 30 days equals to $8 per day. It is barely enough. Not to mentioned if you are sick or kana terminal diesease. I really can’t imagine. The government have many campaigns before, why not all minister or high ranking officer to try living at $360 per month for a year, sad to say they confirm “bay tahan”
Before every election every candidates will tell us how good they are. Why not change the system to only poor men will vote and decide. they answer will be POOR PEOPLE’S PROBLEM SOLVED.
Conclusion is that the agency reponsible for taking care of the poor is not functioning well enough to keep a lookout for the poor.
HDB should be applauded for their recent lease back scheme (LBS) to help the poor and elderly in the small flats unlock the value of their asssets in order to help make ends meet.
That the LBS is a financial scheme however, the disclosures at the HDB’s website are surprsingly lacking. In the mini bonds issue, there were some assumptions made initially about the elderly and uneducated being savy enough to make their own financial decisions. As this LBS financial scheme is targetted at a similar group of elderly folks, i think HDB should have taken the trouble to make full and transparent disclosures about the scheme before letting the folks sign up.
The example from the hdb website mentioned abt a …3-room flat with a remaining lease of 70 years and a market value of $236,000. Under LBS, HDB will buy 40 years of the lease at $104,000, and provide a top-up of $10,000 in Government subsidy. From the $114,000, the elderly household will receive $5,000 upfront. This leaves $109,000 remaining to purchase an Immediate Annuity from CPFB that yields a monthly payout for life….
Based on the details in the example, i did this quick and simple calculation. A flat with a market value of $236,000 and remaining lease of 70 years, should have an annual lease value of $3,371 (ie $236,000 divided by 70) or a value of $134,800 when computed for 40 years of lease. In the absence of further explanations or details of the deal at the website, shouldnt hdb then be buying back the 40 years of the lease at $134,800 market value instead of at the (yet to be disclosed) 22% discount of $104,000?
I am puzzled that the pertinent disclosures and details were left out of the workings, I think these old and poor folks are entitled to fully understand what they are getting into before they sign up.
My heart boiled when i read this article. Didn’t Lee Hsien Loong said that no singaporeans will be left behind??? Why make applying for financial assistance difficult? Is that meant to deter those who really need the assistance.
I am really sorry, in my hurried comments above, I have made a blunder. Yes, I have made a mistake, the explanations and details are all there in the HDB’s FAQ section.
…the value for the tail end of the lease of the flat is not on a straight-line pro-rate basis of the market price of the flat.. The computation of the value of the lease is based on industry-accepted standards and practice in valuation. It is commonly recognised in valuation practice that the rate of depreciation of the property increases with its age…
I believe that the computations are justified and that the details will be explained to the subscribers of the scheme at the appropriate moment. My apologies to HDB for the unfair comments. They have indeed done a good job to come up with this LBS scheme.
After reading through the FAQs, I wish to share an observation about the scheme. The LBS is intended ONLY for flat owners who wish to “age-in-place” therefore they are disallowed from subletting their whole flat.
I feel that this policy is abit restrictive and out of place with the times. Since the scheme was mooted some years before, there had been robust public discussions about alternative retirement destinations. Ageing in place or not is now not a taboo issue as it was but a practical sign of the changing times.
In view of this trend, I recommend that the scheme be expanded to embrace those who have retired to the neighboring countries, whether out of necessity or for practical reasons, that they be allowed to sublet their whole flat and as well as to unlock the value of their assets in order to make ends meet.
Thanks for the great work, HDB!
I share the same sentiments as you.
I share the same sentiments as you. As we are facing an aging population, we might be more of this. Its really sad actually
this is like the saddest sorry ever..
=www.currypaper.tk
hi Andrew, could you please email & let me know where she lives? surely the family service centre or similar setup in her area could help her or at least apply PA on her behalf.
i’ll probably try to look for her when i go to orchard sometime this month. it’s so sad to see old folks like her and really, i wish those “tigus” get a taste of their own medicine for treating her this way! :’(
LBS is meant for people slightly before or my generation, whereby we do owe a flat. Those that the TOC highlighted are a different group of neglected and lonely elderly. They have been around since my time when I was around your age (of course, they weren’t that old as are now). Yes, majority of them were the Samsui women. They came from China, mostly not married, although some might have adopted or god-child/children. This group of elderly couldn’t afford to owe a flat, as they sent back all their earning back home to support their family and relatives, just keeping enough for food and shelter. Hence, when they retired, the govt provided them (and other elderly of similar suituation) rented flat at SGD25 at that time, which I’m sure it should be higher by now. There is social workers helping them but not in cash. Based on the description from TOC’s article of the old woman selling groceries, those are the free stuffs that are distributed to them on a weekly basis. I’m shocked that they are still being given the same stuffs after so many years. Some who have lost their mobility, there are social workers or volunteers that deliver meals to them everyday. I believe it is still on-going. Anyway, SGD300 plus might not be sufficient for most people in general, but it’s definitely good enough for them. They are very thriftly by nature – they live, eat and wear simply.
It’s true that some to them refuse charity, but with persistence, some welcome you into their flat. Some may still reject charity, however, they feel happy just having your company and chatting with them. Charity and kindness (in showing our appreciation for their contribution to the country and/or society) come in different forms.
Those assistance schemes you all talked about weren’t available during my time. It’s a common trait of people in that generation, and some even my generation, that we would say “aiyo, forget about it, so much hassles”. You might consider helping them to fill those forms and accompanying them to the respective department (if necessary).
Vivian Balakrishnan should go to Orchard and speak to this lady. She still peddles her goods there.
Andrew,
Thanks for this article…maybe you can follow a real case of what a person has to go through in order to get $360 a month assistance from the government. The type of forms they have to fill,the amount of time spent on Q and redtape…and possibly the interview and scrutiny they are subjected to before they can see $$$ in the mail from these so called “HELP” centre.
There is no welfare, or very little for the old and destitute. They are not on the agenda of MMLee. MMLee has other plans for Singaporeans. ‘Pinkie’ appears to be not well, since he is fighting with his cancer.
http://www.johnharding.com