Home » Posts tagged with "poor"
Posts tagged with "poor"
Sunny passes away – from political party member to homelessness
Jul. 28 | TOC just got news that Sunny passed away yesterday. Since this story was published, Sunny had found shelter in a Home for the Aged. His family cannot be traced to claim his body. TOC is enquiring how we may claim the body and give him a proper funeral....
Poor? Government “will deliver meals to you”
Mar. 28 | By Andrew Loh This article is updated with the video of the minister’s remarks. (Please see below). Read also: Vivian Balakrishnan – Wannabe tough guy’s fall from grace on TOC Facebook. At a forum organised by REACH, the government’s...
SERS flats to be rented out to foreigners again – this time in Bedok
Feb. 4 | Andrew Loh / Leong Sze Hian / Special thanks to Lynn Lee “If everybody jumps onto this safety net, whether they deserve to or they don’t, that safety net is going to break. … They could easily afford a studio apartment or a small resale flat....
HDB’s inflexible policies will result in more homeless S’poreans
Feb. 3 | Andrew Loh / Leong Sze Hian / Picture from Wikimedia ‘There’s no question that our policies are designed for the good of the people. While there may be certain parts of the policies that are not favourable, overall, I think these policies...
The behaviour of little Lee Kuan Yews
Feb. 1 | Andrew Loh / Pictures by Joshua Chiang After The Online Citizen broke the story of homeless people camping out at Sembawang Park, all hell seemed to have broken loose. The authorities which, with all their resources could have helped these homeless...
Needy waits 2 years under HDB’s Public Rental Scheme
Jan. 20 | Lisa Li I refer to Ms Kee Lay Cheng’s letter ‘Priority given to truly needy’ in the TODAY paper (13 Jan 2010) in reply to Mr Leong Sze Hian. According to Ms Kee, who is the Deputy Director (Land Administration) Housing and Development Board, “HDB...
Homeless in the parks – a symptom of flawed housing policies?
Jan. 18 | Andrew Loh When the National Parks Board (NParks) relaxed camping rules in December 2004, it cited the popularity of the activity among Singaporeans as a reason. Campers would no longer be required to obtain camping permits. “With the relaxation...
HDB flats – a precious resource for foreign workers?
Jan. 1 | The following is a letter from Mr Leong Sze Hian to the Today newspaper. It was published on Today Online on 31 Dec 2009. I REFER to “Asset that keeps growing” (Dec 30) and reports that two Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks in Toa...
Remembering those who helped build our nation
Dec. 23 | In this holiday season of Christmas, we remember the less fortunate, particularly the elderly. Film by Martyn See. Rated NC16 by the Board of Film Censors. “Nation Builders”
MM Lee confirms PM Lee’s fears in 2006
Oct. 22 | Andrew Loh Straits Times, 2009. Picture from Singapore Mind (click to enlarge) In 2006, after the General Elections, PM Lee Hsien Loong warned that Singapore society would be “destroyed” if S’poreans were divided between the haves...
Changing lives through football
Oct. 15 | Announcement: The Reform Party is continuing its programme of weekly walkabouts today (16th Oct 2009). The Walkabout will start from 7.30pm at Little India MRT Station NE 7 along Buffalo road towards Serangoon road to make a short stop over at Tekka Market....
Singapore’s loan sharking problem
Aug. 20 | You shouldn’t criminalize people who have no choice but to turn to the loan sharks to buy food and clothes for their families. Ravi Philemon, interview with Asia Sentinel
Where’s the compassion in our “fine city”?
Aug. 20 | Leong Sze Hian I refer to the article “Jailed for living in illegal tent” (ST, Aug 18). It reported: “Homeless and unemployed, Noor Mohammad Yassin Ismail pitched a canvas tent at East Coast Park in May, 2007, and lived there for almost a month...
NMP Viswa Sadasivan: “Let us take a chance on our people, on ourselves.”
Aug. 19 | Nominated Member of Parliament, Mr Viswa Sadasivan, made his maiden Parliamentary speech in yesterday’s sitting of the House. He moved a Parliamentary motion in which he urged: “ “That this House reaffirms its commitment to the nation building...
Rise of loan sharks sparks wave of violent crime in Singapore
Aug. 12 | By Ben Bland from The Telegraph: The number of people arrested for loan shark activities and harassment doubled to more than 417 in the first half of 2009, with more than 9,000 reported cases of loan shark lending or intimidation reported to the Singapore...
“Based on justice and equality”
Aug. 7 | Andrew Loh When I was tasked to write about this line of our National Pledge, “… based on justice and equality”, it set me thinking. What should I write about, given that instances of the lack of justice and equality abound in Singapore. Many...
“We, the citizens of Singapore”
Aug. 4 | Annoncement: We apologise for the accessibility problems you have been facing the last two days or so. We’ve had problems with our servers. Do visit our Facebook page for updates if this should happen again. As National Day approaches, our writers...
The unknown side of Singapore
Aug. 2 | Rockerchick takes her camera round S’pore and “found many impoverished people.”
More people apply but less people get help?
May. 31 | Leong Sze Hian I refer to the article “NTUC speeds up aid to workers” (ST, May 31). It says; “The labour movement is moving speedily to help 194,000 members affected by the recession this year with $23.2 million worth of cash, vouchers...
Why there is no subsidy for the poor….
May. 25 | The CEO of SMRT goes to work in a Mercedes. She deserves it because the profits of SMRT has doubled in the past few years. Even as the economic crisis put thousands of Singaporeans out of the job, the SMRT’s latest quarter results show another...
Time for the government to re-look “no-welfare state” policy
May. 25 | Tan Kin Lian / Columnist For many decades, the Singapore Government has adopted a policy of a “no welfare state”. They have extolled on the population the risk of a welfare mentality – people get lazy and expect a good life without putting in the...
Overcoming fear and misinformation – give us our dignity!
May. 22 | Next on TOC: About 3 weeks after 16 activists were arrested in May, 1987, the man accused of being the mastermind – Tan Wah Piow – published a book to refute the government’s allegations. That’s next on TOC. Stay tuned! Ravi Philemon “We...
Help the homeless in Singapore!
May. 11 | Help the homeless in Singapore! New Hope Community Services, a voluntary welfare organisation which provides shelter to men-in-crisis and displaced families, is organising a fundraising concert ‘Multi Racial Charity Ride’ on 16 May 2009, Saturday,...
Labour Day – remembering the most vulnerable
May. 1 | Announcement: The Online Citizen will bring you “live” updates from Suntec City tomorrow of the AWARE Extraordinary General Meeting. “Live” updates will begin from 12 noon. Stay tuned to TOC! As Labour Day draws to a close, we end our week’s...
The man at Waterloo Street
Apr. 30 | Andrew Loh There he sits – in the warm afternoon. All alone by himself, in the courtyard at Waterloo Street. He is surrounded by several plastic bags of belongings, a cardboard which he sits on and one more which he uses to shield himself from the...
“I am good at what I do”
Apr. 29 | Koh Yi Na / With contribution from Teng Jingwei Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On these three days, Mr Loh Hak Seet, 75, sits at the junction of Orchard Road and Bideford Road from morning to night, playing his harmonica as shoppers hurry across...
Sleepless in Singapore
Apr. 29 | The country is ill-equipped to cope with a possible rise in homelessness In February this year, the grim reality of the economic downturn in the United States was dramatically brought home to Americans by the Oprah Winfrey Show when it highlighted a “tent-city”...
“一天过一天，平平安安就好.”
Apr. 28 | Deborah Choo The title of this essay, in English, means: “Take each day as it comes, as long as everyone is safe.” They are the words of a fortune teller in Chinatown. I call him Uncle Fortune. A man in his seventies, Uncle Fortune sets up his...
Borrowing from loansharks – criminalising without providing real choice
Apr. 28 | Ravi Philemon “Yes, I have borrowed from Ah Long”, admits Rezal (not his real name). “But I had no other choice! My wife lost her job in the factory and now earns about $400 as a part-time dish-washer; and we cannot survive just on my pay of...
A key maker and his dying trade
Apr. 27 | TOC’s Special Focus Week: As Labour Day approaches on May 1st, TOC honours our elderly and senior citizens and brings you stories of them who make a living on the streets of Singapore. Deborah Choo A bunch of keys jingle amisdt the lazy afternoon...
Gentle under the warmth of the sun
Apr. 26 | TOC’s Special Focus Week: As Labour Day approaches on May 1st, TOC honours our elderly and senior citizens and brings you stories of them who make a living on the streets of Singapore. Andrew Loh / Deborah Choo South Bridge Road. The old man parks...
Microfinance: is it the answer?
Apr. 21 | Low Hansiong / New York, United States In the vein of my last article on public service, I would like to expand on one method of actually bringing about poverty reduction. Microcredit has been around for the past 10 to 15 years. it was first formally...
“They gave me an umbrella and a teddy bear.”
Apr. 9 | The following is an update to the earlier story of Mr Wong Tai Phong titled, “A victim of bureaucratic red tape and inflexible policies.” Andrew Loh “Luckily you didn’t come yesterday,” Mr Wong says to me as I enter his house. “Why?” I ask....
A victim of bureaucratic red tape and inflexible policies
Apr. 8 | Andrew Loh / Deborah Choo Mr Wong Tai Phong was a secret society member in his younger days. “I was one of the Bugis Street terrors”, he tells us in his home. I can see why. He is burly, and speaks in a rather brusque manner. As a gang member,...
“In everything you do, you must be sincere.”
Apr. 7 | Note: This article on cobbler Uncle Kwok is a prelude to the articles we will be featuring as part of our tentatively titled, “Wisdom From The Streets”, series in a week or two on TOC. Deborah Choo There he is, smoking, pleasurably and placidly....
Reaching the needy? More publicity needed
Mar. 30 | Leong Sze Hian The media recently reported that those seeking financial assistance at the five Community Development Councils (CDCs) have increased by about 40 per cent. Comcare also dished out financial assistance to about 24,000 needy families,...
Growing income gap threatens social fabric
Dec. 29 | Ravi Philemon / Writer Forty years ago, there was a very different Singapore. Singapore was a third world country with a GNP per capita of less than US$320. The city’s population was then growing rapidly, unemployment was rising at over 13 per cent...
Mother Machine
Dec. 19 | KJ A few days ago there was a Straits Times story about a family with four kids. (“Just enough to live on, yet they feel lucky”, December 12) It’s a regular feature that seeks public donations for the paper’s school pocket money fund. An altruistic...
TOC at Hong Lim Park on Saturday – Social Justice and Fairness
Dec. 5 | Update: A group of volunteers (unaffiliated to TOC) will be at Speakers’ Corner to collect signatures for the petition to call for Mr Tan Kin Lian to stand for elections. Do go down to Speakers’ Corner if you want to sign the petition. TOC’s...
Letter to TOC (Updated)
Nov. 24 | Two-party systemnot good? I refer to the article on The Straits Times, Change must come to PAP (16 Nov 2008). While the PAP should be commended for their pro-activeness in implementing and evolving their party to be relevant to the electorate, I would...
Don’t chuck elderly away to old folks home
Nov. 21 | *Please take part in the poll below (poll section on TOC) on whether you would support the call made by Mr Goh Meng Seng, for Mr Tan Kin Lian to contest in the elections. Serville Zervant I was watching a Tamil documentary about an elderly Indian man...
The glory (or not) of money
Nov. 21 | If Mdm Lim takes no glory collecting the $330, do ministers take glory in collecting their millions? Feed Me To The Fish
NTUC FairPrice seeks used textbooks for needy
Nov. 13 | Andrew Loh / Deputy Editor Supermarket chain, NTUC FairPrice, is asking for donations of used primary and secondary school textbooks from Singaporeans. In a press release, FairPrice said the aim is “to relieve the financial burden of needy families...
Rethinking welfare
Nov. 4 | Fang Shihan / Guest Writer Most Singaporeans are probably familiar with the term ‘welfare’ as one of the main explanations for indolence. Time and again, we have heard stories about alcoholic bums queuing outside welfare offices in New York, social...
Chasing that elusive Singapore Dream
Oct. 14 | Ravi Philemon / Writer Peter faces difficult choices. Peter, who is a diabetic with a heart condition, barely makes enough money to pay the rent on the 3-Room HDB house that he is renting from a friend of his son, pay for transportation costs and to put...
Flawed statement of an opposition politician
Sep. 23 | Ravi Philemon / Writer After the 10-minute demonstration against maid abuse by a not-for-profit group, Singapore People’s Party chairman Sin Kek Tong was asked for his comments on the necessity for protests and he responded, “Maybe one day, if...
Beyond managing homelessness
Sep. 17 | Ravi Philemon “Meet Singapore’s Nomad Families”, a recent Sunday Times article welcomes the average Singaporean. Homelessness is a major issue in all large cities. The numbers of homeless people worldwide have grown steadily in recent years. A recent...
National Day Rally – some questions
Aug. 20 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist The Prime Minister spoke about several issues in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday. I would like to focus on three of them – vehicle-related revenue, contributions to the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF) and...
Seeing stars: Uniquely S’pore – Equality
Aug. 12 | Leong Sze Hian / Senior Writer Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that most bond breakers come from more affluent families. I refer to media reports about the break-down of scholarship awardees who stay in HDB and private property. I would like to...
