The front page of ST highlighted the plight of Yazit Saleh, a 42 year old general worker with an $800 monthly income. He lives in a rental flat with his wife and 3 little children. I am lost for words.
How is he going to cope with the high cost of living here? Rental, transportation to work, food and clothing! And how much worse would his financial situation be when the children start to go to school?
No amount of financial assistance can help Yazit if the cost of living keeps running away. This is not a case of eating in hawker stall, foodcourt or restaurant. I can’t imagine how tough life is for them and the children growing up. Simply unbelieveable!
Best for Mr. Saleh to emigrate to Malaysia and live happily ever after living off the land, planting his own food, fishing in the river and tending some goats.
ReplyDeleteHe will definitely be happier there than in this pressure cooker island.
Just a suggestion.
Hi Quitter, welcome to the blog.
ReplyDeleteWith this kind of income, even for one person is extremely tough to get by. They must also learn to help themselves.
I know some people will hate me when I say this but my logic compel me to say it. That is, if you earn $800 per month why have 3kids????
ReplyDeleteI also want to have 3. But after carefully considering the cost of bring them up and providing for them, I ended up with only two.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very heavy responsibility to bring life into this world and to provide them with at least a decent life and a fair chance to live better.
That is why we are told to have more children.
ReplyDeleteSo we will become helpless and hopeless and no threat to the elites.
And our poor starving children can become slaves to the next generation of elites.
I am also earning S$800 but I am working extra hours ,sometimes work 24 hours and eat snake only 2 hours,with different towkay some more.
ReplyDeleteI am not seeking sympathy from anyone but my message is that complaining or seeking attention is useless.
You dun need to be rich in order to have many kids.Let them hang around without any clothing if you cannot afford to buy clothing for them.I use to be naked running about when I was a boy.If I am unable to produce a dozen,I will humbly admit that I am useless,and not claim that it is because of the standard of living dun allow me.We are doom if we think in this way.
Those with low income,go and work longer hour.I am also a poor man.
We must have positive attitude.
The children's huge toy vehicle looks like it costs $800.
ReplyDeleteAnd the young wife is a full time tai tai.
Don't know whether to laugh,cry,be sad,happy or angry.
BBC has a report on "Are Singapore's poor better off?" since PM has said that Singapore poors are better off than poors in other countries including USA:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16920951
Singapore is also the 9th most expensive city in the world and is 46% more expensive than New York city. Sydney and Melbourne are 7th and 8th most expensive but there is minimum wage ($2000+ per person) policy in Australia to avoid poverty.
You Singaporean to judge.
Did you see the pic of the family in St today?
ReplyDeleteNo wonder the gov said that the poor here lives better in most other countries.
The ingenuity to survive on a few hundred dollars is amazing.
ReplyDeleteCan't understand why people almost cry when the salary of $50k or $100k a month is frighteningly too little to maintain their lifestyle.
redbean is a motherfucking asshole.
ReplyDeleteHe's treating NAMED and IDENTIFIED persons like experiments and/ or exhibits at a zoo.
So much for his so-called "compassion".
Shame on you redbean!
Matilah, don't be an ass. The two families and their details, including photographs, are front page news and reported and reprinted on two days.
ReplyDeleteI am sensitive to people's plight and would not put a name or face unnecessary to gain mileage or readership unless it is already common knowledge. I only stated a little of the info available from the media.
Get your facts right, you shit. Don't scold you also cannot.
Ok I accept your explanation.
ReplyDeleteYou're off the hook...but I'm watching you ;-)
Redbean had to explain and justify.
ReplyDeleteHow about the Newspapers? They cannot be faulted?
I was never in the hook.
ReplyDeleteBecoming parents and having no time with them because of work to cope up with expenditure is a typical sin of Singaporeans.
ReplyDeleteWhen one is not able to care for ones child(ren), please avoid making them to suffer in Sin.