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What does it mean to be poor in Singapore

winnipegjets

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Nicholas wants to shield his extended family from the shame of him being poor in Singapore.

He wants a fictitious name used and pictures that do not show his face.

The former freelance tutor, 51, tells The New Paper on Sunday: "I have siblings, nephews and nieces here, and I don't want to shame them."

Nicholas did not start out poor.

He had a job that paid $2,500 a month and was a strapping man until he took ill suddenly in 2008.

"My potassium level had fallen really low a couple of times that year, and I had to be warded and given potassium chloride from a drip.

"The pain was excruciating," he recalls.

It was then that Nicholas was diagnosed with diabetes, a condition that had gone undetected for two years.

By the time it was discovered, he had already suffered nerve damage.

The chronic disease that cost him his sense of touch also took away his confidence to teach and face the world.

"No one would give me, a sick man, a job. My self-confidence and emotions took a tumble," he says.

"The condition got worse and I lost the use of my left hand. I've no feeling in my hands - I can't retrieve coins from my trouser pockets because I can't feel them."

Getting up from a chair or the toilet seat is a long-drawn-out process.

STRUGGLE

"It takes me 10 to 20 minutes every morning when I go to the toilet because I struggle to get up. The pain I encounter every day cripples me, both physically and mentally," Nicholas says.

He could not work because of his condition, and it took a toll on his mental well-being. He is also now no longer on speaking terms with his family. Without support, Nicholas became depressed.

"I tried applying for a rental flat, and the Housing Board officer advised me to approach the CDC (Community Development Council).

"I guess I ticked all the boxes because I got on Public Assistance without any hitches," he says.

Nicholas says that out of the $450 he receives a month, he has a little more than $200 left after paying all his bills.

"It is still a struggle. I've to make sure I spend only between $7 and $8 a day to survive," he says.

"Every morning, Willing Hearts delivers food packs. I usually have that for lunch - sometimes for both lunch and dinner. I add water to make the food into porridge for dinner," he adds.

Willing Hearts operates a soup kitchen that cooks and distributes about 4,500 meals to the needy every day.

Fully run by volunteers, its beneficiaries include the elderly, people with disabilities, low-income families, children from single-parent families as well as migrant workers here.

Nicholas says his Medisave ran out in 2013 and he now depends on help from both Changi General Hospital and the CDC for his medical expenses.

Every day is a struggle for Nicholas.

When asked what he fears most, he says: "Tomorrow."

----

Mr Willie Yeo, 65, is wheelchair-bound and needs financial and medical help.

But his poor elderly neighbours are his priority.

"Whenever my friends, who remember me, take me out for a scrumptious meal at a grand restaurant, I would tar pau (pack in Hokkien) food back for my neighbours," he says.

It is no wonder that he earned the nickname "Robin Hood" among his neighbours at the rental flats in North Bridge Road.

Mr Yeo, a divorcee who lives alone, says he lost his job because of his many health problems.

"The bank foreclosed my flat in Yishun, and I was forced to sell it. I made only $15,000 from the sale, which went to paying back money I had borrowed," he says.

"I used to be a roving salesman more than 10 years ago, selling beads for making jewellery.

ILLNESSES

"I would lug between 20 and 30kg of beads from one place to another and travelling only by public transport," he says.

He believes that was the cause of his degenerative wear and tear of his right ankle, which resulted in metal pieces being attached to his right foot.

Mr Yeo has a litany of other problems.

"I have diabetes and hypertension, and I suffer from fatty liver. I also have asthma and testicular cancer.

"I recently underwent radiation treatment for prostate cancer. I go to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for a check-up twice a month. That's why the nurses all know me well," he says with a chuckle.

He is also recovering from a fractured right shoulder - believed to be due to osteoporosis - and suffers from pain in his knees.

While his medication is covered by Medifund and the hospital's endowment fund, Mr Yeo is no longer on Public Assistance since he started collecting his Central Provident Fund in 2013 after he turned 62.

"So I withdraw $540 each month, and I sell tissue paper to earn another $300 to supplement my income," he says.

Some people have rebuked him for selling tissue paper and that has depressed Mr Yeo.

"I hope people understand that we didn't ask to be sick and to be thrown suddenly into poverty.

"Who doesn't want to be healthy and earn a proper living?

"Perhaps that's why I throw myself into helping my neighbours out. I feel happy when I see them happy," he says.

---

He was once a cook - and a good one too, he says.

Then the 54-year-old, who wants to be known only as Mr Lee, suffered a heart attack and stroke six years ago.

He says he lost his job, his family and a roof over his head.

The bachelor was living with his mother in her flat in the east of Singapore, but he felt like a burden as he was jobless and sick, so he left.

"I felt that I was a disappointment to her. If I were not living there, it would be out of sight, out of mind," he says, tears welling in his eyes.

Homeless for the last three years, Mr Lee has been sleeping in parks and sometimes at an uncle's place.

"He recently suffered from a stroke, so by staying over, I can help to keep an eye on things," he adds.

Mr Lee gets his meals from charity Willing Hearts, which runs a soup kitchen.

PHYSIOTHERAPY

"Previously I went to a Chinese temple in Geylang for vegetarian food. Many homeless people I've met take their meals there.

"But I developed gout and have to stay away from bean-based food, so I stopped going to the temple," he says.

For his daily hygiene, Mr Lee says he goes to a public pool for his showers.

"I don't go in free of charge. I use the voucher given out by the Government for SG50. I also swim once in a while as a form of physiotherapy.

"I am hoping to get back my health so that I will be able to look for a job," he says.

He told The New Paper on Sunday that his Public Assistance fund of $400 a month "will dry up by the end of the month".

"I can't simply wait around for handout," he says.

He was advised to claim insurance as he suffered his heart attack while still working, "but I don't want to, because that would mean if I win, then I cannot seek help from any government agencies any longer".

He does not have a clue how much money he can claim from his insurance.

Mr Lee hopes to return to cooking for a hawker stall, even though the stress may be too much for his heart to take.

"I am working on getting healthy because that is the only skill I know, but I am worried no one will hire a sick man," he says.

"Then again, tomorrow is another day," he adds in a chirpy voice before riding off on his bicycle, with his worldly possession contained in the basket behind him.

About the study

To design solutions for the poor and get low-income Singaporeans to help lead the study, the researchers formed an advisory committee made up of 10 men and women from low-income communities.

The Centre for Culture-Centred Approach to Research and Evaluation then launched an online campaign to raise awareness on poverty here.

Research assistant Naomi Tan says: "This is where we argue that the community members, in this case the low-income, are in the best position to identify and define the problems they face and the corresponding solutions that would actually be impactful and relevant to them."

What does it mean to be poor

The study found:

Low-income Singaporeans either live in interim or public rental housing. Some are homeless.

They have a monthly household income of $1,500 or less. Some are on Public Assistance, which ranges from $450 to $1,180 each month and has a set of eligibility criteria.

They are unable to afford healthcare as they do not have enough savings or do not earn enough.

Some of the elderly, despite having children, are struggling to get by.

They suffer from food insecurity, so they eat cheap but non-nutritious food.

They cut down on the number of hot meals a day, worry if there is enough food in the house and are choosing to not spend their limited cash on healthier foods

Challenges faced by the poor

Although the resources to help are available, the poor do not know how to get information on what they are eligible for or how to get to the relevant agencies.

Another significant hurdle is the submission of an application that is according to the requirements set out by the agencies.

Many from the low-income group find the stringent conditions tedious and frustrating.

Stigma and alienation from relatives and the community at large hinder the poor from seeking the help needed.

The Government has set up safety nets, such as Medifund, for low-income individuals who face health problems.

Despite these efforts, they still cannot afford healthcare due to insufficient savings or a low wage.
 

lifeafter41

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Waiting for JohnTan and Sam Leong to criticize these people for being lazy.

Onset of diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, etc, does not just spring up suddenly, it is most likely due to unhealthy lifestyle and lack of excercise that brought on these problems
Now at 51 but fell ill at year 2008, which means he was only 43......

Now at 54 but suffered heart attack 6 years ago means he was only 48.......

Nevertheless, only in their early 50s already got so much problem.....and it's going to get worse as they grow older.......

In Singapore, if you are rich and in good health, that's the best
If you are poor but in good health, not too bad....
If you are rich, but sick and not too healthy, still not too bad, as you still got money and your kids will still take care of you....
But if you are poor and sickly........then good luck.....
 

jw5

Moderator
Moderator
Loyal
It means that you have to buy 4D instead of going to the casinoes. :wink:
 

jw5

Moderator
Moderator
Loyal
It means that you eat your 3 meals at hawker centres instead of restaurants. :wink:
 

frenchbriefs

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
these people are not poor after they fall sick,get retrenched or hit reitrement,they were already poor before that and one paycheck from being broke.im amazed that some people worked their whole lives and have nothing to show for it,lets not talk about extreme outliers like the cleaner auntie who made $800 a month and managed to save $400,000 over a lifetime.even saving just 10 percent of his paycheck and investing it in the S&P 500 would have been so beneficial.

it seems like the biggest taboo in Singapore is being poor,not being a rapist or molester.the minute a disaster befalls u and u fall into destitution,u become an outcast and leper to relatives and family,the government and society turn their backs on you....any resemblance of cordiality before that are lost.i saw a video on youtube once of a homeless man who was once a multimillionaire businessman,showed photos of his past life,videos of his company's advertisements.after the company went belly up,wife divorced him and took the kids,now he lives in a park in a trailer has medical problems and depends on the kindness of strangers.
 

eatshitndie

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
i'm poor in sg but i'm happy so long as i have my kopi, kaya, kueh, kurry, keropok, ktv and korean drama.

forget to add kway and kpkb for sinkie uncles.
 
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Papsmearer

Alfrescian (InfP) - Comp
Generous Asset
Onset of diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, etc, does not just spring up suddenly, it is most likely due to unhealthy lifestyle and lack of excercise that brought on these problems
Now at 51 but fell ill at year 2008, which means he was only 43......

Now at 54 but suffered heart attack 6 years ago means he was only 48.......

Nevertheless, only in their early 50s already got so much problem.....and it's going to get worse as they grow older.......

In Singapore, if you are rich and in good health, that's the best
If you are poor but in good health, not too bad....
If you are rich, but sick and not too healthy, still not too bad, as you still got money and your kids will still take care of you....
But if you are poor and sickly........then good luck.....

One of the benefits that all males who have served NS should be free lifetime medical treatment. I can tell you many of these NSmen suffered long term issues during their time in NS. The dust in Area D for example is so fine, and pink in colour and is very toxic. How many NSmen breathed it in? What about hearing damage from those in arty units. etc. Chee should push for this as his election platform.
 

johnny333

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
It means that you eat your 3 meals at hawker centres instead of restaurants. :wink:


If you only eat at the hawker centres then you will end up will all kinds of health problems.
Just look at the high levels of diabetes & cancers.
 

jw5

Moderator
Moderator
Loyal
It means that you and your wife have to walk, take the bus or mrt instead of driving one car each. :wink:
 

The_Hypocrite

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
I cant believe it....poor people on welfare n going for radiation etc? Wat bullshit is this? If one is poor n got critical illness its time to punch ic n move on to the next life n not hanging around n bringing misery to themselves n others...enforced euthanasia n culling is needed to reduce thr poor not more hand outs which is nothing more than a bottomless pit
 

Leongsam

High Order Twit / Low SES subject
Admin
Asset
These stories all reflect the result of a poor gene pool making poor choices. The death of these people will be no loss whatsoever to Singapore society. Life goes on.
 

GoldenDragon

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
I recently came across an article which reported that more than 1 in 10 families are regarded as 'poor' in Singapore. Isn't this strange? More than 1 means what? Can't they be more specific with the data they have? Or are they hiding critical facts as usual?

Someone who has access told me that out of 10 families here, 3 families can be considered poor. In a developed country, this must be mind-boggling.

A respected economist, once linked to our government, is known to have stated that spending less than 1% of our gdp/gnp (my apologies as i have never read economics) is the panacea to solving a huge chunk of the poverty situation facing us today. I am shocked the government ignored his suggestion. Btw, he can be considered Tharman's equal.
 

yellowarse

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
A respected economist, once linked to our government, is known to have stated that spending less than 1% of our gdp/gnp (my apologies as i have never read economics) is the panacea to solving a huge chunk of the poverty situation facing us today. I am shocked the government ignored his suggestion. Btw, he can be considered Tharman's equal.

Yeoh Lam Keong, who also heaped praise on the SDP healthcare and housing policies.

The ADEQUACY of Govt spending on social protection and social security, especially for the poor and underprivileged is surely as, if not more important than how progressive it is for the middle class.

Concretely, for eg, WIS is a great scheme ; it helps low income workers without disincentivising work, is very progressive but at an average payout of $150-200 per month ( largely in CPF) it is sadly inadequate. How much is adequate? Given current living costs $500 to 600 per month and largely in cash. How much more would it cost us? Roughly $1 Bn pa or 0.3% of GDP pa. Similarly the Silver Support scheme is another great new scheme that needs to be trebled to really make a difference. Additional cost? $700-800mn pa or 0.2% of GDP.

Between these 2 reforms we would largely eliminate much of the absolute poverty and hardship we currently still see in spite of a decade of insufficient policy action to ameliorate it in a way we can well afford. Is the government taking poverty " very seriously" or seriously enough? Then what are we waiting for? I leave you to make that judgement yourself.
 

Leongsam

High Order Twit / Low SES subject
Admin
Asset
I recently came across an article which reported that more than 1 in 10 families are regarded as 'poor' in Singapore. Isn't this strange? More than 1 means what? Can't they be more specific with the data they have? Or are they hiding critical facts as usual?

Someone who has access told me that out of 10 families here, 3 families can be considered poor. In a developed country, this must be mind-boggling.

A respected economist, once linked to our government, is known to have stated that spending less than 1% of our gdp/gnp (my apologies as i have never read economics) is the panacea to solving a huge chunk of the poverty situation facing us today. I am shocked the government ignored his suggestion. Btw, he can be considered Tharman's equal.

The definition of "poor" in Singapore means that they can't afford an iPhone6s
 

JohnTan

Alfrescian (InfP)
Generous Asset
Waiting for JohnTan and Sam Leong to criticize these people for being lazy.

I criticize them for not taking care of their health, for sacrificing their health for money. It's a stupid thing to do, which I see in many people, including my serfs. As much as I want to exploit them, they are worth more to me healthy than sick. It costs me time and money to train new staff, even if they are foreign and cheaper.

I usually make my staff fuck off from the office by 630pm.
 

GoldenDragon

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Yeoh Lam Keong, who also heaped praise on the SDP healthcare and housing policies.

The ADEQUACY of Govt spending on social protection and social security, especially for the poor and underprivileged is surely as, if not more important than how progressive it is for the middle class.

Concretely, for eg, WIS is a great scheme ; it helps low income workers without disincentivising work, is very progressive but at an average payout of $150-200 per month ( largely in CPF) it is sadly inadequate. How much is adequate? Given current living costs $500 to 600 per month and largely in cash. How much more would it cost us? Roughly $1 Bn pa or 0.3% of GDP pa. Similarly the Silver Support scheme is another great new scheme that needs to be trebled to really make a difference. Additional cost? $700-800mn pa or 0.2% of GDP.

Between these 2 reforms we would largely eliminate much of the absolute poverty and hardship we currently still see in spite of a decade of insufficient policy action to ameliorate it in a way we can well afford. Is the government taking poverty " very seriously" or seriously enough? Then what are we waiting for? I leave you to make that judgement yourself.

spot on! hope you won't be accused of being my clone with your swift reply. good day mate!
 

frenchbriefs

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
I recently came across an article which reported that more than 1 in 10 families are regarded as 'poor' in Singapore. Isn't this strange? More than 1 means what? Can't they be more specific with the data they have? Or are they hiding critical facts as usual?

Someone who has access told me that out of 10 families here, 3 families can be considered poor. In a developed country, this must be mind-boggling.

A respected economist, once linked to our government, is known to have stated that spending less than 1% of our gdp/gnp (my apologies as i have never read economics) is the panacea to solving a huge chunk of the poverty situation facing us today. I am shocked the government ignored his suggestion. Btw, he can be considered Tharman's equal.

I thought our government is extremely stingy for spending less than 2%of our gdp on welfare,u mean we are not even at that level???does the PAP know that countries like australia and europe spend nearly 20 percent of GDP on welfare?and super socialist welfare countries like norway and scandinavian spend nearly 40 percent of GDP on welfare?even the more conservative asian countries like japan and korea spend like 13 percent gdp on welfare.

singapore's gini coefficient is at a staggering 0.43.......countries like norway and denmark also have extremely high gini coefficients but after taxation and welfare and government transfers of wealth,their gini goes from 0.50 to 0.25 a reduction in wealth inequality by nearly 50 percent!!!!
 
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shittypore

Alfrescian
Loyal
I recently came across an article which reported that more than 1 in 10 families are regarded as 'poor' in Singapore. Isn't this strange? More than 1 means what? Can't they be more specific with the data they have? Or are they hiding critical facts as usual?

Someone who has access told me that out of 10 families here, 3 families can be considered poor. In a developed country, this must be mind-boggling.

A respected economist, once linked to our government, is known to have stated that spending less than 1% of our gdp/gnp (my apologies as i have never read economics) is the panacea to solving a huge chunk of the poverty situation facing us today. I am shocked the government ignored his suggestion. Btw, he can be considered Tharman's equal.

Do you consider tos earning 1k a mth POOR? yet they can afford to BUY a 3 rm pigeon hole according to our Ministars. So, where do line start being poor in Stinkiepore, lets hope PAP can let us noe.
 
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