8/07/2006
a compassionate society
ELECTRIC NEWS
Woes of family of four Pack of instant noodles lasted them a day Dad is 68, disabled after a stroke & is now jobless Mum is 33, a cleaner earning $400 a month. They have 2 kids age 2 & 7 By Genevieve Jiang August 06, 2006
THEY are 35 years between this married couple. Retired bus driver Low Joo Siang, 68, is disabled and has little savings. Yet, his 33-year-old Filipino wife, Madam Gina Dulay, has stood by, cared for and supported him since he suffered a stroke six years ago. Her responsibilities are heavy. She is the family's sole breadwinner. She is also the sole caregiver to her husband and their two children, aged 7 and 2. Madam Dulay currently takes home about $400 a month as a part-time cleaner at Alexandra Hospital (AH).
'Mr Low suffered a stroke in Manila but came back for treatment so that he could use his medisave.' my summary to shorten the story.
His $10,000 bill was paid through Medisave. Mr Low's savings were running dry. They survived on his monthly CPF payout of about $290 a month. Dayan, a Primary 1 student at Gan Eng Seng Primary has to pay a subsidised fee of $50 for a schoolcare programme. Childcare for Diana also costs a subsidised rate of $50 a month. The family's budget is tight, but volunteers from the Lions Befrienders visit the family every week to lend an ear and provide monthly food rations worth $75.
Mr Low is among the 1,800 needy seniors served by the Befrienders islandwide. However, Mr Low doesn't qualify for financial help. A spokesman from the Central Community Development Council says it's because Mr Low's monthly CPF payout disqualifies him from any public assistance (PA). He gets $290 a month from the CPF. Also his wife is working and getting about $400 pm.
The above is posted at YPAP by leoman, and I have shortened it and only provided the gist of the story.
I believe the family needs serious help. But some may disagree. Some may say that it is not the govt's responsibility to help the people. Everyone must help themselves. I can empathise with them. God bless.
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17 comments:
Not to ridicule the above case, which is really very pathetic, I think the family below really deserve our help.
Father earning $1 mil a year. Mother also $1 mil. Son also $1 mil and daughter also $1 mil. But they have large mortgage bills to pay and many loans to service for all their properties across the globe.
Why they deserve to be helped? The reason is simple. They are slogging like mad and trying to create a wealth in the billions so that they can then give them away like Warren Buffett. Such lofty and ambitious dreams of philantrophy must be admired and help.
Shall we start a petition to raise fund or a charity show to help them realise their dreams?
••Groans-ville•• Another "hard-luck" story...
This blog is going to become the "clearing house" for hard-luck stories, and how all the shit in people's lives is always caused by someone else...
...like the individuals in question (the so-called "victims") had no hand in their destiny at all.
Bwaahhaha... continue to enjoy your myths and delusions folks! :-)
Everyone got a different approach towards life and social issues. It is very easy for the rich, successful and powerful to adopt your ruthless and lack of compassion approach. To hell with the weak and cripple, good riddance. It is their karma and they deserved what they are getting.
Even this is besides the point that I am driving at. The ordinary people who wish to give voluntarily good. If they don't also good.
But don't forget that we have a govt elected by the people with promises to look after the people. And for that they were given the power to extract whatever taxes they want from the people. What shall this money go to?
And don't forget the reserves of $200 billion! For what? And why the need to pump in $500 million to Comcare? Not to help the needy?
There is no need for compulsion to help deserving cases. It is not the duty of the ordinary people to help these people who 'deserved' to lead a dog's life for their inability and irresponsibility to manage their own lives. From a personal view, I find a guy of 57 years marrying a 21 year old girl is incompatible and worst, when he does not have the means and energy, to bring out two young lives who will be left to his young wife to look after. That is totally irresponsible. But people like these are quite shallow up there and would not think like you.
The help must come from the nation's wealth when there are extras to go around. Not that the country is poor. Better to spend on these pathetic people, they are lives, than on concrete useless structure or to win a few pieces of useless metal or plastic medals.
The people managing Comcare or social services must look at such cases more compassionately.
But the country can also adopt the principle of Darwinism and the way of nature. The weak has no right to live and shall perish. For people who call for better allocation of public money, at least some to these people, are not hypocrites. It is disgusting to see so much public money around and with needy people not getting them. Compassion is bad?
I am waiting to make my billions too. That is my money huh? I am talking about wasting public money in beautifying parks and shrubs or paying to make more Warren Buffetts when a little can do so much to desperate people.
The people were stupid enough to believe the govt will actually look after their interests one they have been returned to power. Politicians all over the world work on the same modus operandi. They promise the electorate the earth, the sun, the stars at the hustings but convenienetly forget everything once they're walking along the aisles of power. That's why I am an advocate of everyone looking after their own interests as opposed to hoping to be looked after by power-mad, money-grubbing politicians.
hi anonymous,
i must disagree with you on this. our politicians are never power grabbers or money grabbers. they even sacrificed for taking up public offices. they could earn more than what they are getting now if they are in the private sector.
they are actually underpaid. you better appreciate their sacrifices.
On the contrary redbean, this sacrifice argument is absolute baloney. Taking up public office should never be construed as a sacrifice instead it should be a calling. I have nothing to appreciate them for because I regard them as corrupt as those African dictators who plunder the national coffers to enrich themselves and their kin.
ok, ok, this one i don't dispute with you : )
it is a personal view and i also believe many people share your view.
By now you ought to know redbean, that if a human is "functioning properly" he is always looking after his own self-interest first.
This is why it is a really bad idea to let a small number of people hold all the power.
Before you cast those stones at people, dear redbean, ask yourself this: "If I were an African or Asian or Latin American dictator with all the power, will I use it to my own benefit or will I sacrifice my own interests for other peoples' interests?"
If you had any brains at all, and was so thick-skinned that you couldn't care less about wht "others" thought of you, you would use the power to maximize any advantage, and create as much "leverage" as you could, over people's lives.
Please don;t bluff us that you will be "a benevolent and wise" ruler. We know that's bullshit.
redbean, it becomes the truth when a majority of people believe it to be so. Ever heard of the saying that in politics, perception IS reality ?
Matilah,
From your selfish philosphy, you are absolutely right about human nature. Everyone works for his own selfish ends.
Would I be a benevolent and wise ruler? None issue. I am not a leader in the first place. I am just a cynic, a critic. That's the role that I am playing now. Everyone must play his role just like the generous or the selfish in society will be the selfish and the generous. And the leaders shall play their roles as leaders.
When leaders are good, the critics has nothing to say. When leaders are not so good, the critics should be there to say. Imagine when the leaders are not so good and the critics start to praise and congratulate the rulers.
And I do not claim that my critiques are always agreeable by anyone. We look at things from different angles.
i agree with you on perception, anonymous.
everything is perception and a subjective one. and no one is going to say whether it is right or wrong but only whether they agree or disagree with you.
redbean, this world cannot operate on subjectivity. there has to be some absolutes, one of which is corruption. Taking money from the national coffers either covertly or by disguising it as 'market salaries' is the same because in both cases, the people whose money it is are equally outraged and disgusted. There is no subjectivity about that.
you said "When leaders are good, the critics has nothing to say."
redbean, if you're referring to good political leaders, that's equivalent to referring to virgin prostitutes. In both cases, no such types exist.
redbean (Peace be Unto Him), firstly the "selfish philosophy" is not mine. It is simply human nature and many others have pointed this out. So, please, no credit for me!
It is true that we all look at the world differently. However that is a cop-out when it comes to certain principles. "Relitavism" and "Subjectivism" are very dangerous indeed, becasue then you can argue that "anything is ok" — even the forced sacrifice of another human being to the "ends" of the majority.
Anyway, from your posts I don't see you taking a relative stance. You only do so when your back is against the wall, and you can no longer defend your position.
The tenor of a typical redbean (Peace Be Unto Him) post is like this:
"The greedy selfish rich should be blah blah blah..."
Then someone like me responds and takes your premises and conclusions apart...
...and your subsequent response is:
"Everyone looks at the world differently. There is no right or wrong way".
Wah. I tell you. You ought to get into politics lah!
my dear matilah,
my position has been one of controversy, truth and untruth, but all relative. and i expect people to disagree with me.
in a discussion, no one can impose his/her views on anyone. because in social and political issues, it is always a matter of values and philosophy. what is right to someone can be wrong to another.
can i imposed my views on another person? hahaha. people at best can agree with me. if not they can disagree. nobody needs to accept what i say or be punished.
now with pbuh, i can speak with more wisdom from the high and mighty : )
Best regards from NY!
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