This is a report from the Today newspaper on 30 April 2010. Note that the report carries no name of the author.
Note TOC’s remarks after the article.
SINGAPORE – Even as Al Jazeera stands by its report on homelessness in Singapore, which it feels is factually correct because the couple interviewed were “locked out of the system of state support because of bureaucratic regulation”, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) blasted the channel again for saying that the couple’s profits made from previous home sales were not relevant to its story.
The ministry also suggested Al Jazeera may be guilty of unprofessional conduct, as the woman who was videotaped had now told the MCYS she was not aware her statements were for reporting.
She had thought she was speaking to volunteers offering to help her.
On Tuesday, MCYS Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told Parliament the man had made a profit of $224,000 from the sales of several subsidised Housing and Development Board flats, while the woman had been receiving financial assistance since last July.
The couple also refused an offer to move to sheltered housing, said Dr Balakrishnan.
Yesterday, Al Jazeera English executive producer Marcus Cheek said: “The real point of (the) story was to illustrate how the safety net in Singapore sometimes fails to catch those who have fallen on hard times – whatever their background – because of the rules governing access to assistance.”
When contacted, Dr Bala-krishnan’s press secretary, Ms Ho Moon Shin, dismissed Al Jazeera’s claims as “illogical”.
Despite the profits from the sales, she pointed out that the couple continued to receive financial and social assistance from the Government and voluntary welfare organisations.
“On the contrary, this episode illustrates an accessible, flexible and responsive safety net for Singaporeans,” Ms Ho added.
Mr Cheek said yesterday the MCYS was invited twice to respond to the claims made in the report, but declined Al Jazeera’s request for an interview.
“Nevertheless, our reporter did include a previous statement from Dr Balakrishnan defending the Singaporean Government’s approach to the problem of homelessness and we would like to renew our invitation to Dr Balakrishnan to appear on the channel to discuss this issue,” he added.
Ms Ho, however, countered that the MCYS was “also very concerned” that the woman had claimed she was not aware Al Jazeera had recorded her statement for broadcasting.
“She was under the mistaken impression that these were volunteers offering to help her.
“If this is indeed the case, then Al Jazeera also stands guilty of abusing the trust of the interviewee and unprofessional conduct,” Ms Ho said.
The Government, she added, is committed to ensuring that every Singaporean has proper housing and will continue to provide appropriate assistance.
“Our approach is based on the time-tested values of hard work, thrift, self-reliance, family responsibility and community support for those in need,” Ms Ho said.
“The result has been high growth, low unemployment, high savings and the highest home-ownership rates in the world.”
**When contacted by TOC, Samiah said she has neither met with nor received any calls or visits from officials from MCYS to date.
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‘’ No child in S’pore will be left without a home, says Dr Balakrishnan ‘’
http://app.reach.gov.sg/reach/YourSay/YourDiscussionCorner/tabid/117/ptid/414/page/1/totrecs/15/threadid/3206/forumtype/posts/Default.aspx
“………..if you were a poor person, anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place where you will have a roof over your head, ……..”
http://zh.sgforums.com/forums/10/topics/394784?page=1
“………..if you were a poor person, anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place where you will have a roof over your head, ……..”
* Walls are available separately.
Sunking deeper and deeper into the quicksand…
Very soon we will hear the sacred words :
LETS MOVE ON ! ha hah ha
Tents in the parks also have roofs.
BUT THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED ALSO.
AS THE MCYS MINISTER, DR. VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN,
YOU SHOULD NOT PULL A STUNT LIKE THIS.
Dr. Vivian, you make MCYS lose credibility.
“If you were a poor person, anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place ………, where you will have food on the table. Even if you can’t afford it, we will have meals delivered to you.”
http://zh.sgforums.com/forums/10/topics/394784?page=1
“If you were a poor person, anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place ………, where you will have food on the table. Even if you can’t afford it, we will have meals delivered to you.”
Did today really print this without checking if MCYS actually talked to the woman concerned? ie they just parroted the ministry’s claim?
I’m not surprised the journalist didn’t want to put his/her name to it.. it’s embarrassing even for an MSM “journalist”
And notice the qualifiers in this sentence:
“The ministry also SUGGESTED Al Jazeera MAY be guilty of unprofessional conduct..”
It’s like they don’t even believe what they’re printing.. just desperately flinging mud in the hope some will stick…
Funny, if it wasn’t so sad.
MCYS on firefighting and damage-control mode. Still no sign of compassion and humility.
Typically high IQ but very low EQ.
Giving more and more ammo for many “irresponsible” websites to tear their logic apart.
If only MCYS accepted to be interviewed in the first place ….
If Samiah had not been contacted by MCYS, how can they conclude that she was not aware her statements were for reporting?
It’s obviously clear who’s the one lying.
Its an honest mistake, lets move on~ lol
Oh and I dont really like how they keep mentioning profits profits profits,
whatever amount of ‘profits’ made by us commoners from selling our HDB flats are almost 100% ploughed back into buying the next flat, be it bigger(everything) or smaller(part of it, but I doubt what’s left is substantial)
And lastly, the problem of the couple remains so stop all the rebutting nonsense and solve the problem, you are paid almost $3million a year to do your job so do it. **** it.
Dr. Bala was a school champion debater. Why is he afraid to debate this matter in public and let them be the judge.
Now MCYS claims that, that lady Samiah, said it was not for reporting.
Poor Samiah must be really pissed off with such who ha..
All she wants is a danm rental flat and not all this shitty talk.
I don’t recall anyone ever interviewing the couple after Al-Jaz’s report. Only Family Service Centre people came to take note of the couple’s particulars. So maybe that was why Mdm Samiah thought she was getting help.
Most of the info. was from the relevant organisations like CDC and HDB and MCYS, and was submitted to MCYS officials.
That was why I read with disbelief about what Vivian said on TV and knew the facts was misrepresented.
So either Vivian knew about the misrepresentation or the MCYS bootlicker decided to submit an erroneous report to him so that the bootlicker can look good.
IMO, I think, Vivian received the full unadulterated report, and requested the MCYS bootlicker to change the report to make it look like MCYS has done everything it could to help the couple, and Vivian won’t end up looking so bad.
We will sen meals to your home! Almost re-assuring but not quite there yet.
If you got no home for the homeless, WHERE DO YOU SEND THE MEALS TO? I hope not mistakenly to the Mandai zoo where different species are kept of non-political imprisonment.
Poor couple. MCYS and Al Jazeera + TOC are “quarreling” other over the homeless issue in Singapore. The 2 couple still stay in their tent. Nobody from MCYS bothered to approach them and offer help.
Look, help the couple first, argue later.
I used to volunteer to deliver meals to the 1-room flat occupants living on welfare as part of a church welfare program. The occupants tell me after paying off rental to HDB and ever increasing utilities, they only have enough money left from welfare to buy 1 meal a day. If we did not deliver meals to them, they would eat Kong Guan biscuits or Maggie mee. Even the Maggie Mee and Biscuits are donated from welfare organisations and not from the govt. This was before the infamous parliament debate where VB shot Lily Neo down about increasing a measly $30 more to the montly hand out.
I completely lost my respect for VB after this incident. How can a man who thinks that $30 more a month will ‘spoil’ the poor even when they are not getting enough to eat? And now he says that food will be delivered to teh poor? definitely! By the welfare organisations and religious groups but definitely not the govt or MCYS under him. I find his claims in parliament shameless and disgusting.
to put in bluentLEE..our prince the prime minister want you all to get married..build your owned hdb lovenest..buy your dream bmw @ $313/month
and without a doubt copulate and bear 2 or 3 babies…so easy yet you peasants complaint and whined liked hell
dr balekampond GURANTEED meals will be sent to you home as lon as you are not sleepin in a tent in sembawan park..shortleggs minister gurateed your hdb lovenest is very very affortable…
and limsiasuayed tell you peeps you all sured hav many many zeros in your cpf funds…
so what are you peasants actualLEE doin? well besides makin endMEETs holdin 2 jobs with your parents in the market cleanin up hawkers centres table…
I dont believe a word he says anymore, after the bar top dancing argument by him. He thinks we are nuts or what???