Connect with us

Community

Workers’ Party volunteer team acknowledges “oversight” of expiry date of chickens distributed during charity drive, says Secretary-General

Published

6 years ago

on

In a letter to the Editor dated 6 July, a reader named Kiat Tay has raised concerns regarding the distribution of expired fresh chicken drumsticks by volunteers from the Workers Party in Bedok.

Kiat Tay said that according to a friend of his who is a resident of Bedok, it was noted that the expiry date of the chicken had lapsed since a month ago. 

According to Kiat Tay’s account of his friend’s statement, the friend in question sought to verify whether or not he was the only resident who had received the expired chicken. 

It was found that the other neighbours, upon being asked, had checked the expiry date and concurred that they, too, have received the same batch of expired chicken.

Screenshot of the email from Kiat Tay illustrating his friend’s account of the situation.

He added that much of the bulk of the expired chicken was distributed to the residents of Block 556 and Block 557 at Bedok North. 

He concluded his letter by urging that the message to be spread “in case there are others who [have also] collected the spoilt chicken” who might not be aware that the chicken is no longer safe for consumption, and might subsequently fall ill as a result due to food poisoning.

Secretary-General of Workers’ Party (WP) and Chairman of the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council, Mr Pritam Singh has responded to queries regarding the letter, confirming that while the allegation made by Kiat Tay is not false, the complete picture of the incident is missing from Kiat Tay’s account.

In an email correspondence with The Online Citizen, Mr Singh said that the matter was brought up to him on 2 June by a WP member who was partaking in the distribution of foodstuffs to families in need in Marine Parade GRC for Hari Raya celebrations.

He stated that upon noticing that the batches of chicken intended for distribution had already passed their expiry date for a month, the party member’s team had promptly decided to alert “all [of] the recipients to dispose [of] the chicken”.

It was understood that the number of residents who were affected was approximately 20 people.

According to Mr Singh, he had made a query into “the oversight from the WP volunteers and coordinators in charge”.

He was informed that “some private donors from Waterview Condo[minium] had sponsored a food distribution event” on the same day as a “part of a charity drive for low-income residents in WP wards” and areas where the party had previously contested.

However, the expiry date of a total of 275 chickens that were distributed was overlooked. 

The recipients of the chicken, which included residents staying in Marine Parade, Fengshan, Kaki Bukit and Bedok South, were all contacted and informed to dispose of the chicken, according to Mr Singh.

He added that the volunteers had either called or visited the affected recipients, starting on the evening of 2 June and ending the rounds by late afternoon on 3 June.

In a bid to rectify the oversight, a new batch of fresh chicken was delivered to the affected recipients by the organisers of the charity event on 9 June.

Mr Singh concluded his response with an acknowledgement by the WP volunteer team involved in the distribution, who believed that they should have been more careful in terms of inspecting the expiry date of the batches of chicken prior to distributing them to the residents.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Community

WMP raises over S$1,600 in a day to help struggling family clear outstanding water bill

Workers Make Possible (WMP) raised over S$1,600 in a single day to assist a struggling family living in a rental flat. The family’s water supply was reduced due to an outstanding S$900 bill. The mother has been severely ill for months, unable to work, leaving her husband, who earns less than S$2,000 per month after CPF deductions, as the sole breadwinner.

Published

19 hours ago

on

3 October 2024

By

SINGAPORE: A struggling family living in a rental flat had their water supply reduced on 1 October, as revealed in an Instagram post by the workers’ rights advocacy group, Workers Make Possible (WMP).

In an effort to ease the family’s burden, a fundraiser was launched. By the evening of 1 October, S$1,620 had been raised.

Of this amount, S$1,200 was transferred to the family to fully clear their outstanding water bill and address other urgent expenses.

The family, which had been accumulating water bill arrears for several months, was informed by SP Group that their water supply would only be fully restored if they paid S$450 upfront—half of their total outstanding bill of S$900.

According to WMP, the mother of the family has been severely ill for months, leading to her inability to work.

As a result, her husband, who earns less than S$2,000 per month after CPF deductions, is the sole breadwinner for the family, which includes young children.

With the rising cost of living in Singapore, the family has struggled to manage household expenses, leading to unpaid bills, WMP shared in the post.

After contacting SP Group, the mother was told the water supply would resume if half of the arrears were paid. However, she could not afford the required S$450.

This situation occurs amid rising water prices in Singapore.

The government raised the price of water by 20 cents per cubic metre this year, with an additional increase of 30 cents planned for next year.

WMP argued that despite government subsidies, many low-income families continue to struggle to cover their basic utility bills.

“Subsidies offered by the government don’t come anywhere close to alleviating the struggles of poor families in paying these bills. PUB earned about $286 million in 2021,” WMP challenged.

To support the family, Workers Make Possible organised a fundraiser via PayNow. In a 5:30 pm update on 1 October, WMP announced that S$1,620 had been raised.

Of this amount, S$1,200 was sent to the family to clear their water bill, while the remaining S$420 will be used to assist a young warehouse worker struggling with illness and rent payments, WMP clarified.

Continue Reading

Community

Fire breaks out at HDB Hub in Toa Payoh

A fire broke out today (2 October) around noon in the Basement 3 bin centre of HDB Hub at Toa Payoh Lorong 6. The Singapore Civil Defence Force quickly extinguished the fire and is conducting investigations. The building has resumed full operations, but the public is advised to avoid the loading and unloading bay in Basement 3.

Published

2 days ago

on

2 October 2024

By

A fire broke out today (2 Ocrober), at approximately noon at HDB Hub, located at Toa Payoh Lorong 6.

According to a Facebook post on the official page of the Housing and Development Board (HDB), the fire originated in the Basement 3 bin centre of HDB Hub.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was promptly activated and has since extinguished the fire.

Investigations into the cause are currently underway, with SCDF remaining on-site.

In light of the disruption caused by the incident, HDB has informed customers that they may experience longer wait times for appointments.

“Our foremost consideration is the safety of our staff, customers, and members of the public at HDB Hub,” stated HDB, “We thank the public for their patience.”

Reports indicate that three fire engines, a rescue vehicle, and two ambulances were deployed to the scene, with at least 10 firemen present to manage the situation.

An announcement made at approximately 2.05 pm confirmed that the building has resumed full operations; however, the public is advised to avoid the loading and unloading bay in Basement 3.

HDB Hub, the headquarters of the housing board, is situated adjacent to Toa Payoh MRT station and features retail spaces alongside an indoor plaza and a 33-storey office tower.

Continue Reading

Trending