Breaking News:
TOC has learned that Mr Balldev Naidu has been extradited to the United States. Mr Balldev, who is also a member of the Reform Party, is wanted by the US govt for alleged terrorist involvement. TOC understands that he was extradited last Friday. We will have a report on this soon.
There is this show on Channel 8 called Life Transformers in which they send pretty MediaCorp actresses to visit poor families with disabled children.
Transcripts taken from Singapore Mind’s blog.
“I’ve applied with the govt before. It always comes to nothing.” – Mother
“Where do you go to apply” – Christopher Lee
“The fourth floor of HDB inToa Payoh. I don’t understand much English. I only know it is the welfare department. Sometimes, they reject my applications. We go to them because we need help. Otherwise, why bother going to them or subject ourselves to humiliation? I wished I didn’t have to go there. They can be so rude. ” – Mother
“In what way?” – Actress..
“They keep telling you to work. Its okay if I can find a job. But I may not find one that allows me to look after my children. We go to them only because we need help. They shouldn’t say ‘Look for a job. Don’t always expect help’ - Mother
“How did you reply” – Actress
“I kept quiet. Just weep. What else?” – Mother.
Related posts:
- Singaporean extradited to the US on terrorism charges
- Reform Party hopeful that Balldev will be fully exonerated
- Parents suing their children?
MIW= Demons= Period=End Of Discussion
Humans=Yang. Demons=Ying.
Humans cannot co-exist in Ying!
Return environment to Yang again.
Get rid of these blood sucking demons=Period!
16) stan on December 23rd, 2009 3.53 pm
They can rent the FT HDB flats at discounted rates. Why can’t they do so with this family…
******************************
ARE U SURE???!!!! SINCE WHEN???!!!!
post the link here if any, i am going to write in to the forum!
who the hell these FTs are? subsidy means state paying. state paying means WE pay!
As I understand only Singaporean can rent subsidized HDB flat.
@152
They already have no money, and cant afford to rent. If they sell their HDB now, what would happen to their children?
It is indeed appalling to note that our governent constantly adopt the idealogy that the poor have only themselves to blame for not working hard enough. It must be understood that THOSE in power have a certain responsibility to those who lose out in the capitalistic race, be it due to defects or what have you. I firmly believe that present leaders are not doing enough for the disadvantaged in Singapore.
However, having failed in this aspect does not make our leaders greedy or corrupt or bad. One might question their supposed lost monies and the likes, but they did provide us with a high standard of living that enabled many of us to think of post-material wants.
What has truly happened, i opined, is that the present leadership has stagnated, due mainly to the lack of credible opponents. A lack of geniune debates in parliament has resulted in the wrong assumption of people’s needs on the ground. No longer do the constituencies identify with their leaders. An opposition is needed to keep the incumbants in check, but that is simply not happening – resulting in the stagnation. The NMPs do provide an alternative voice, but are too weak to make any substantial change.
What then can be done? i do believe the PAP is still the best party, as compared to the other parties we have in Singapore, to lead this country. however, they need a rude wake-up call, in the form of losing a few seats in parliament, this to reintroduce what the legislature is supposed to do – that of debating policies, only then can the views of the people be heard. And unless the opposition show more unity and credibility, instead of infighting and internal insurrection; my heart will want a different party to lead the country, but my head still tells me otherwise.
For anyone that is having illusions about our money minded PAP politicans, let me give one example.
Mr Wee Siew Kim has been an elected Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ang Mo Kio GRC since October 2001. Currently, he is Adviser to Jalan Kayu GROs.
Today, he is the Deputy CEO of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) overseeing the Aerospace and Marine sectors. Concurrently, he is the President of Defence Business of ST Engineering.
Mr Wee also chairs the Estate Improvement Committee, in addition to the Business Liaison Committee.
Does anyone knows how much he is earning a year holding multiple business and political posts? He is only one example of a businessman cum politician.
Does anyone have an illusion he is earning less than 5mil a year with 6-12 bonuses from the gov and the ST companies?
Assuming he is earning just a puny 5mil a year (even though we all know he earns in excess of 10m), so let us see,
There is 365 days in a year, and 5mil/365 = 13 690 per day. (Yes in a matter of days, he earns what most would earn in a single year. If he is the chairman of GIC, he would be earning tens of millions in a single year)
There are 24 hrs in a day, 13 690/24 = 570 every hour. (He earns 570 an hour when he took a nap).
Every minute, he would earn close to 10 dollar. (Yes, he do earn that much even if he goes to the wc).
The question is, why do we give billions of the taxpayers money to them when the money is suppose to help the poor? Arent they rich enough? Arent they corrupted enough that they are appointed as directors, CEO etc for various posts? Why up their pay further and the excuse is , they will go to the private sector if u do not up their pay? They wont, because as politicians, they are appointed luxurious, multiple posts.
The real question is, how do they find the time to serve the people? Where do we find them? You know, most MP do not even show up for the meet the people session Zzzzz.
Why cant they give one hour of their pay away to help the people? Even if you take away 6 months of their pay away to serve the hundreds and thousands of poor, they still have more than enough. And it is only one MP. There are 80+ MP and thousands of high paying civil servants! They are so flithy rich! And yes, they claimed they are paid peanuts.
Whilst I do empathised with the plight of this family, especially when the father is an acquaintance of my dad, and certainly agree that it would indeed have been a humiliating experience for the mother, if the event had taken place. But, I would like to remind readers that, there are always two sides to a coin and a fair comment should only be made when ALL facts relating to the situation have been presented.
It was stated in the interview that the mother went to the fourth floor of HDB in Toa Payoh to seek help but it was not mentioned specifically the help she was seeking for and whether she had indeed spoken to the HDB officer. As she is illiterate, she had assumed that was a welfare department she went to and she was sure she spoke to HDB officers.
Level 4 of the HDB Hub is actually a training centre. Could she have offered her problems to the wrong person and invited insensitive remarks?
It was not mentioned the nature of the welfare assistance she is seeking. Could she have requested for deferment of rental payment but was mistaken for seeking welfare assistance since she does not understand English and may not effectively convey across what she is seeking nor effectively explain to the officer(s) her family’s situation?
I do not have answers to any of the above.
But I am aware, by making sloppy comments about the administration of our Government without ascertaining the facts only leave much to desire and ineffectual in addressing the immediate concern of this family i.e. to solve their housing issue and other pressing needs.
And MEDIACORP will certainly agree with me that the purpose of producing this reality show is to highlight the plights of these needy and helpless and solicit CONSTRUCTIVE feedbacks from the public to solve their pressing issues and never intended as a platform to stir up political satire.
29) FaceTheFact on December 23rd, 2009 5.58 pm
Did I hear wrongly that the mother said her elder son salary is $75/mth while his transportation costed him $120/mth?
Anyway, it is always very sad on seeing this.
****
It’s true. My brother used to work in the same place as the elder son. He was earning $75/month while the tpt cost us $120/month. Because of this, my dad took him out and made him stayed at home for 5 years.
Result of this action?
Due to lack of society support, my brother lost his sanity and hurt himself by banging his head on the wall out of frustration. We have to live with his condition because of my dad’s action.
Do not see all situation liketh half-empty glass. The interaction with others did my brother well even though we were topping up the extra $45 and he earned CPF as well and has a little medisave but the most important thing was he was able to relate well to people then.
Ying Rui,
as the program is a MediaCorp production, the onus should be on them to prove that the events protrayed are not manupulated to “making sloppy comments about the administration of our Government without ascertaining the facts”.
Whatever is said by Ying Rui @157, it does not hide the fact that Singapore’s welfare system does not measure up to 1st world status.
An ex-Singaporean who immigrated to Canada was discovered by her family doctor that she is visually impaired. She suffered from “tunnel version”. She can only see straight. All the years that she was working in Singapore, she was ridiculed as careless and clumsy. Nobody realized she was visually disabled.
Now in Canada, she is certified as “legally blind” and entitled to special care and treatment. Healthcare workers went to her place of work and home to check out the environment to make sure that the surrounding did not post any potential danger to her.
As for the case of the poor family featured by MediaCorp, the two special needs brothers would have been well taken care of by the welfare system in Canada and each be given a S$1,500 per month living assistance allowance. Please refer to the testimony by another ex-Singaporean in comment #67.
Critics will labelled the Canada system as stupid and wasteful. Being kind and caring show the integrity of a country which is why Canada with less than 1% of the world’s population contribute 10% of the world peacekeeping force. Is that also stupid and wasteful or taking millions for yourselves a better way of showing your true character?
#160, Wing Lee you said it all. There is a vast different to a person’s character to show compassion to the destitute, under-privleged or handicapped, than a person who has no human heart at all.
This reflection of life shows the MIW enriching their life with the citziens sweat and blood but will not bate an eyelid for even the most deserving case of poverty.
The first world status of Singapore belongs only to PAP and all their cronies. The true blue citizens ( those without any means of support will die a ‘death happier’ than living a life in hell.) That will be their only choice. But thank God! many ordinary good hearts will be their saviour.
DO WE STILL WANT A GOVERNMENT OF HEARTLESS MILLION PAID PAP
MEN WHO SQUANDERED AWAY BILLIONS OF THE CITIZENS’ TAX MONEY WHO
CANNOT LOOK AFTER ALL THE DESERVING POOR, PENNILESS OLD FOLKS
TO LIVE IN SIMPLE DIGNITY?/ GO STAY IN J. BARU OLD FOLKS HOME said khaw boon wan.
The truely poor, all are in dire need of the milk of human kindness and compassion. DO OUR PAP GOVERNMENT HAVE IT? $20 is too much for the people on the dole and was debated in parliament with Vivian B. dropped a bombshell. Is that what we want the young and insensitive ’smart alec’ to lead us?? Totally void of human touch!!
I refer to the comment made by “159) mice is nice on December 29th, 2009 3.05 am”.
Allow me to clarify my stand, the objective of the MEDIACORP production was to solicit constructive feedbacks from the public to solve the immediate issues of the family. It is definitely not that perogative of the producters to ascertain if the chain of events did actually happen.
I am seeking the understanding of the readers of The OnlineCitizen to provide tangible aids (i.e. if you know of any job that suits the mother, please pass it on) instead of passing sweeping remarks about the Government and stir up unnecessary emotions which I do not see it being constructive in addressing this family’s immediate needs.
If you do not agree with me, please convince the readers with tangible examples how the sweeping comments made regarding the Government has helped to IMPROVE the life of this family.
Wing Lee Cheong & leesjuanpat, i share your opinions in the 2 posts above.
this is the second season of Life Transformers, with Season 1 being the most watched non-Drama series on Channel 8 in 2008.
There were about 13 episiodes of that in the first seaon and likely another 13 episodes in this current one.
That makes 26 needy, extremely sad families that have fallen through the cracks.
Add to that, the English language version of Life transformers, called Renovaid on Channel 5 and you have about 40 families already highlighted.
This is not including the countless case studies you see in the charity shows that Mediacorp produces, plus 2 seasons of another Channel 8 series called Buzzing Cashier, and you have a case against how little has been done to help the poor in singapoer.
Yes, it can be quite sad, #165, to know of the statistics but I would prefer to see it as a crack in the current system in effectively reaching out to the needy and therefore, a pressing need for the Government to ensure the gap is stitched up so that lesser would fall through the crack.
YING RUI
post #162 on December 29th, 2009 3.19 pm
somehow i beg to differ, when programs are aired, the broadcaster has to ensure that the programs do not distort the situation. if that happens, it will not meet its objective to solicit constructive feedback to help “solve the immediate issues of the family”.
when credibility is found wanting, it does more harm than help such families. this article is a result of people who chance upon the TV program, i do not see why netizens should be held responsible for “passing sweeping remarks about the Government and stir up unnecessary emotions”. no such TV program, no article online, & no negative comments on govt agencies. also, is there such a thing as “unnecessary emotions”? figuratively speaking you are “barking up the wrong tree”.
perhaps the program serves to highlight the plight of the forgotten “few” in the relentless march of progress, all the swanky new buildings that dominate the skyline. as a (governing) system that oversees the masses, when the numbers seem to indicate that the numbers of people in society are falling through the cracks. the responsibility rests on those who are ultimately tasked to do just that. individuals going about helping people 1-by-1, the ideal way to deal with issues that are deeper is to find the source. most individuals do not have the financial capabilities, know-how, so on to much about it.
if the govt is listening, they have to be willing to REACH the people near the bottom, if not at the bottom already, get a good feel of the situation, then think of solution/s that will reverse such a trend. the sweeping comments that does not sound pleasant to some ears are but a result of the disconnect between the people who are left on their own when help is needed (but do not recieve it) and the ruling elites who are far removed from the challenges that the people face.
yes, i do not agree with your views in your posts above, but knowing people as they are, however imperfect, a system to help must be seen to do so while filtering out people who will find loopholes to exploit it.
Its simple really. Take the 10 Million dollars to be given to those damn communist and give it to those in need. we have about 27K of poor as defined by the govt, since the govt can count them, obviously they know who they are.
oddly that works out to be about $370 as well.
certainly not enough. how about entry tax into singapore. just like those casinos.
1000 or 10000 initial tax to those communist. ya that will help since we have like hundred of thousands of fifth columns in singapore.
obviously we cannot do that to those workers who work on our constructions, but 1000 or 10000 tax on those who take white collar jobs. I say hell yes.
To be blunt…
All the PAP followers and supporters who continue to ridicule the non-elite folks are basically desperately trying to maintain their current amount of excess monies, positions and benefits since they have the so called “mandate” supposely voted democratically via election [& we know it is all BS skew to their advantages...dun believe, dig deeper and all is there to see].
This so called PAP government of singapore is more interested in keeping the status quo to fatten themselves up obscenly more and more at the expense of local singaporeans.
Yup to quote from animal farm : “All animals are equal but some are more equal then others!”.
No HUMANE DECENCY at all. How one can still sleep when one is taking so much when one do so little is sick. One only deserve the amount one makes from one’s own toil and efforts….not sit back and collect on the hard work and sacrifices of others….a government is paid (via direct/indirect taxes) by the people…and the people expects the monies to be used properly…not for gambling or enriching one selves…you work for the people, not the people work for you….and you still believe the peoples of singapore really vote for you every election.
Only the ignorant, the blind and yes the evil ones can believe and made this to be so.
You are not decent human beings. As long as you continue this, future generatoins [including yours too] can only look forward to a bleak future…you may be able to avoid the bleak future using all the misgotten blood monies from singaporeans… but in the end mortality will stare at you and death itself will still take you into its grasp.
At your dying bed, instead of knowing you have done good and live a full life…you will realise you have done actual evil.
Sad.
Is there a fund for helping those people? just asking.