10/20/2006
please don't make people beg for help
The man who jumped the MRT track was jobless for a few months. His wife was earning about $500. He left behind two sons age 13 and 15. Before he left, he probably had only $9 left and he gave it to his younger son to top up his EZ link card. That was the last gesture of a father to his son. And he told them to take care of their mother.
'last night, west coast GRC (boon lay) MP and grassroot leaders went to mr tan's funeral wake, and pass $1000 cheque to his family. MP said if the tan family had look for help from the grassroot organisations, the tradegy would have been avoided. she said actually govt provide a lot of assistance schemes for the people, but people are unwilling or don't know how to get help.'
I hope all MPs and the govt understand these words. Many people are unwilling to come forward to beg for help. Also many people may not know where to go for help. It is not an easy thing even for a desperate man to go knocking doors looking for help. It is thus better to reduce the cost of living instead than to keep raising the cost of essential goods services and expect people to come begging.
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9 comments:
I am very shocked to hear of Mr Tan's tragic death. He was obviously really desperate. I am also quite surprised that this has happened in a rich first world country like Singapore.
I am sure the $1000 donation from the local MP will be a great help. Perhaps someone should pass the hat round for a few dollars more.
i believe many have contributed.
i have written many times about the social slums in our society. and giving aid is not a solution if the system is unkind and hard on the less able.
The ruling elite only show token compassion when needless death surface. There are so many writings on the wall about ever esclating cost of living - as always this fall on deaf ear. The elite is only show figures that we are all not poor at all. The elite only intested in the survival of the richest - now we have even lay claim to have the highest paid ministers in the world in the recent Guiness World of Records. Even as we aim to lay claim to having the best IR in the world speaks volume - SG knows the price of everything by the value of nothing.
hi xrystalclear,
you see very clearly what the problem is. but in the other world it is all opportunities to make more millions.
there are many layers in our society. at the lower end it is a different story. and at the upper end it is always happy story. happy times are here.
The Worker's Party put it succinctly at a rally when they asked, " How can a minister drawing $100,000 a month understand the financial situation of a family with household income of $2,000?"
If the MP is sincere about helping the dead man's family, they should pass the hat among their $4,500 MP allowance crowd and come up with something more than the pathetic $1000 check. Talk about crocodile tears, this really takes the cake.
it is only a kind gesture. if every case the mp go to donate $1k from his own pocket, 30 cases a month will make him broke.
lets be kinder to the mps. they are doing their best trying to find and create more opportunities.
welcome to the blog, ashley.
we are not a rich poverty-free country afterall..the govt paint a beautiful picture..of our beautiful garden city..but there ARE poor families who need help but some are just being neglected
hi kim,
welcome to the blog.
in all societies there will be the downtrodden, the weak and the meek. but the strong, rich and powerful shall not behave in a way that becomes too condescending, telling people to come forward to beg for charity.
our system has failed if we have to set aside hundreds of millions so that our poorer cousins can queue up to beg for them. why can't these money be redirected in other ways to benefit the poore people without having them to beg?
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