Singapore's Silver Tsunami

[TracyTan866]

Abt 10% of SG's population are above 65. By 2030, more than 20% of Singaporeans will be above 65. This silver tsunami will hit Singapore hard. But what has the PAP done to mitigate this problem? It had appointed LBH as Minister in charge of aged affairs in 2006. He achieved nothing despite being paid more than 5 times Obama's salary. The pay is small issue but it aggravates Singaporeans' frustration with the pap. The deeper loss is that the pap lost 5 years of achieving nothing for the elderly from 2006 to 2011. This is a tragedy.

The implications of the silver tsunami are very serious.

1. How to care for these Singaporeans who sacrificed and toiled for Singapore throughout their productive years? Retirement villages, more nursing homes? More VWOs?
2. Who to care for them? Can the government wash their hands off and legislate that the children take care of them...Easy to legislate, but care is an emotive issue.
3. Why bother abt the elderly? many pap members dont see the elderly issue as an important item now because they are focused on growing the GDP and chasing after their bonuses..but important this elderly issue is.
4. When shd the government step in to help those elderly who cant help themselves?
5. What can the govt, community and family do to help the elderly?

This is a political hot potato the pap cant wish away. The pap has wasted many years.. What has the pap and LBH done since 2006? We dont see the elderly better off in 2012 as compared to 2000!!

Will the SG Silver tsunami be the same as housing, transport, healthcare which were neglected until they overwhelmed Singapore and Singaporeans? Can we afford to neglect this issue? Can we afford not to do anything now?

 

[erection2015]

hey TT....did you watch the movie ' soylent Green '?

That would be the ideal ' final ' solution to the silver tsunami problem. :p

 

[TracyTan866]

hey TT....did you watch the movie ' soylent Green '?

That would be the ideal ' final ' solution to the silver tsunami problem. :p

I hope the next govt that takes over from the pap doesnt have to resort to such drastic actions

 

[erection2015]

i dont reckon they would or dare do this sort of thing.

Seriously though i think you are correct in your assessment that the govt has merely paid lip service to this matter.

They have been more about GDP, productivity etc etc and paid scant attention to these type of non-profit issues.

Didnt they try to shunt part of this

problem away by telling us to go to the old folks home in JB and fade into oblivion over there?


Tsk tsk ...they should address this before i get there .....which is not too far down the road. :(

I hope the next govt that takes over from the pap doesnt have to resort to such drastic actions

 

[Nice-Gook]

A good thread.I hope to see more such thread from you.

Incidentally,just returned from up north and met co incidentally two Malay men above 65.One gave me an excellent massage.Was impressed by his physique and strength at this age.And engaged me in a political conversation in English.Found out he worked for his foreign ministry and now retired and drawing pension.All his children were born overseas and educated there too.9 of them (wow)...all professionals.Told me all his salaries life long was never touched and is a nett savings in Malaysia Says he picked up this art of massage from his granny and practices it now for pleasure.

The other drove a taxi.And ex army officer with a rank of major.Said his pension is about 2300 ringgit.Told me he has to pull strings to get a taxi license since such are reserved for army men of other rank.But drives taxi to get away from looking after grandchildren and meet people of all walks of life.

These men were talking to me and passing on their life experiences.And mind you a pension of 2k in Malaysia is a fortune not to mention they only pay a token of 1 ringgit for A class medical care and surgery---if not available in their state of residence than KL.Such free medical care in extended to all the members of their immediate family as well.

The point being all these Malaysian retirees are not only pensionable and happy and also extending themselves by meeting young people spreading their worldly wisdom.Contrast this with the status quo of our elderly.

Many are picking old cardboard and aluminum cans for a living.In fact,even in this there is a strong competition......Or pass time by just sitting and staring blankly.Many of our old folks can't even afford the so called subsidized hospitalization.Even by C class standard,our elderly still need a couple of thousands in cash to be admitted in our hospitals.I know of some who rather die than be admitted to a hospital.

Meanwhile,as a solution the SOB Lim Swee Say chucks our elderly to jobs like cleaners and security guards....and gets 24 months bonuses for such cruel and heartless schemes.What effectively he had done is pushing our elderly to manual jobs without any pride--for 12 hours a day for 6 days a week,including Sat and Sundays.They die quicker because in security guard jobs of 12 hours a day without sitting and proper food; not to mention hardly any time for medical care is is almost a certain death sentence.

I don't know how our PAP ministers and their families can sleep in peace while our elderly are in such a state of suffering.I understand from my grandma Chinese of their generation never begs.Today just walk down from Outram MRT to say Temple Street,there are at least 7 elderly begging for alms and this is LKY constituency!:(.....and yet this old coot has the audacity to utter that there are no beggars in Singapore.Because LKY hardly attends to his constituency ,as I understand,in the last 30 years.Some one should take him around as a tourist to his own constituency.

I think had we stayed with Malaysia,at least our elderly would have got a better deal.We followed LKY to our ruin.

 

[TracyTan866]

i dont reckon they would or dare do this sort of thing.

Seriously though i think you are correct in your assessment that the govt has merely paid lip service to this matter.

They have been more about GDP, productivity etc etc and paid scant attention to these type of non-profit issues.

Didnt they try to shunt part of this

problem away by telling us to go to the old folks home in JB and fade into oblivion over there?


Tsk tsk ...they should address this before i get there .....which is not too far down the road. :(

Ignoring this ageing issue will bring severe consequences..sending aged singaporeans away is PAP's solution but it spells of moral bankruptcy which will have long term implications on Singapreans attitude towards their country.

NS guys will rationalise..."why shd I serve NSF and be a NSman during my peak years, only to be discarded by my country in my sunset years?". This is a valid rationalisation which the SG govt has to reconcile.

 

[TracyTan866]

A good thread.I hope to see more such thread from you.

Incidentally,just returned from up north and met co incidentally two Malay men above 65.One gave me an excellent massage.Was impressed by his physique and strength at this age.And engaged me in a political conversation in English.Found out he worked for his foreign ministry and now retired and drawing pension.All his children were born overseas and educated there too.9 of them (wow)...all professionals.Told me all his salaries life long was never touched and is a nett savings in Malaysia Says he picked up this art of massage from his granny and practices it now for pleasure.

The other drove a taxi.And ex army officer with a rank of major.Said his pension is about 2300 ringgit.Told me he has to pull strings to get a taxi license since such are reserved for army men of other rank.But drives taxi to get away from looking after grandchildren and meet people of all walks of life.

These men were talking to me and passing on their life experiences.And mind you a pension of 2k in Malaysia is a fortune not to mention they only pay a token of 1 ringgit for A class medical care and surgery---if not available in their state of residence than KL.Such free medical care in extended to all the members of their immediate family as well.

The point being all these Malaysian retirees are not only pensionable and happy and also extending themselves by meeting young people spreading their worldly wisdom.Contrast this with the status quo of our elderly.

Many are picking old cardboard and aluminum cans for a living.In fact,even in this there is a strong competition......Or pass time by just sitting and staring blankly.Many of our old folks can't even afford the so called subsidized hospitalization.Even by C class standard,our elderly still need a couple of thousands in cash to be admitted in our hospitals.I know of some who rather die than be admitted to a hospital.

Meanwhile,as a solution the SOB Lim Swee Say chucks our elderly to jobs like cleaners and security guards....and gets 24 months bonuses for such cruel and heartless schemes.What effectively he had done is pushing our elderly to manual jobs without any pride--for 12 hours a day for 6 days a week,including Sat and Sundays.They die quicker because in security guard jobs of 12 hours a day without sitting and proper food; not to mention hardly any time for medical care is is almost a certain death sentence.

I don't know how our PAP ministers and their families can sleep in peace while our elderly are in such a state of suffering.I understand from my grandma Chinese of their generation never begs.Today just walk down from Outram MRT to say Temple Street,there are at least 7 elderly begging for alms and this is LKY constituency!:(.....and yet this old coot has the audacity to utter that there are no beggars in Singapore.Because LKY hardly attends to his constituency ,as I understand,in the last 30 years.Some one should take him around as a tourist to his own constituency.

I think had we stayed with Malaysia,at least our elderly would have got a better deal.We followed LKY to our ruin.

Thank you for your sharing. This issue has been tugging at many Singaporean hearts.

The pap cant just squeeze taxes and levies from Singaporeans..Such "privilege" comes with moral responsibilities to take care of them when they are old. Is the pap taxing Singaporeans when they are productive and taking care of them when they are aged? the pap cant have the cake and eat it

 

[TracyTan866]

A good thread.I hope to see more such thread from you.

Incidentally,just returned from up north and met co incidentally two Malay men above 65.One gave me an excellent massage.Was impressed by his physique and strength at this age.And engaged me in a political conversation in English.Found out he worked for his foreign ministry and now retired and drawing pension.All his children were born overseas and educated there too.9 of them (wow)...all professionals.Told me all his salaries life long was never touched and is a nett savings in Malaysia Says he picked up this art of massage from his granny and practices it now for pleasure.

The other drove a taxi.And ex army officer with a rank of major.Said his pension is about 2300 ringgit.Told me he has to pull strings to get a taxi license since such are reserved for army men of other rank.But drives taxi to get away from looking after grandchildren and meet people of all walks of life.

These men were talking to me and passing on their life experiences.And mind you a pension of 2k in Malaysia is a fortune not to mention they only pay a token of 1 ringgit for A class medical care and surgery---if not available in their state of residence than KL.Such free medical care in extended to all the members of their immediate family as well.

The point being all these Malaysian retirees are not only pensionable and happy and also extending themselves by meeting young people spreading their worldly wisdom.Contrast this with the status quo of our elderly.

Many are picking old cardboard and aluminum cans for a living.In fact,even in this there is a strong competition......Or pass time by just sitting and staring blankly.Many of our old folks can't even afford the so called subsidized hospitalization.Even by C class standard,our elderly still need a couple of thousands in cash to be admitted in our hospitals.I know of some who rather die than be admitted to a hospital.

Meanwhile,as a solution the SOB Lim Swee Say chucks our elderly to jobs like cleaners and security guards....and gets 24 months bonuses for such cruel and heartless schemes.What effectively he had done is pushing our elderly to manual jobs without any pride--for 12 hours a day for 6 days a week,including Sat and Sundays.They die quicker because in security guard jobs of 12 hours a day without sitting and proper food; not to mention hardly any time for medical care is is almost a certain death sentence.

I don't know how our PAP ministers and their families can sleep in peace while our elderly are in such a state of suffering.I understand from my grandma Chinese of their generation never begs.Today just walk down from Outram MRT to say Temple Street,there are at least 7 elderly begging for alms and this is LKY constituency!:(.....and yet this old coot has the audacity to utter that there are no beggars in Singapore.Because LKY hardly attends to his constituency ,as I understand,in the last 30 years.Some one should take him around as a tourist to his own constituency.

I think had we stayed with Malaysia,at least our elderly would have got a better deal.We followed LKY to our ruin.

Unlike other countries, Singaporeans are squeezed by the pap when they are young but are neglected and thrown away to Malaysia and nearby countries when they are old

 

[TracyTan866]

The point being all these Malaysian retirees are not only pensionable and happy and also extending themselves by meeting young people spreading their worldly wisdom.Contrast this with the status quo of our elderly.

Many are picking old cardboard and aluminum cans for a living.In fact,even in this there is a strong competition......Or pass time by just sitting and staring blankly.Many of our old folks can't even afford the so called subsidized hospitalization.Even by C class standard,our elderly still need a couple of thousands in cash to be admitted in our hospitals.I know of some who rather die than be admitted to a hospital.

Meanwhile,as a solution the SOB Lim Swee Say chucks our elderly to jobs like cleaners and security guards....and gets 24 months bonuses for such cruel and heartless schemes.What effectively he had done is pushing our elderly to manual jobs without any pride--for 12 hours a day for 6 days a week,including Sat and Sundays.They die quicker because in security guard jobs of 12 hours a day without sitting and proper food; not to mention hardly any time for medical care is is almost a certain death sentence.

.

The PAP treats Singaporeans like prostitutes. When Singaporeans are young and fresh, the pap wants us and enjoys our services and contributions. But when Singaporeans are old, the pap discards us like old prostitutes. How tragic to be a Singaporean!!

 

[TracyTan866]

I don't know how our PAP ministers and their families can sleep in peace while our elderly are in such a state of suffering.I understand from my grandma Chinese of their generation never begs.Today just walk down from Outram MRT to say Temple Street,there are at least 7 elderly begging for alms and this is LKY constituency!:(.....and yet this old coot has the audacity to utter that there are no beggars in Singapore.Because LKY hardly attends to his constituency ,as I understand,in the last 30 years.Some one should take him around as a tourist to his own constituency.

.

Do PAP Ministers have conscience? Even animals know how to take care of their own kind

 

[Nice-Gook]

Do PAP Ministers have conscience? Even animals know how to take care of their own kind

I started this thread as below some 3 years ago.I am not ashamed that I cried as a man.

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?25038-Scene-that-BROKE-my-HEART

"Was in this Koiptiam in an upmarket mall.A dignified Chinese elderly lady was walking around with a bowl of plain rice.She looked at me and my plate of finished meal.Next to my table were foreign career ladies,Some ah nehs and some Peony tucking happily and chatting away.The elderly lady looked around holding her bowl of plain rice and crossed my table to the one behind where some local couple were eating.All she wanted was some sauce poured into her plain rice.The local couple obliged.I was helpless unable to put some food into her bowl as I had finished mine.

I sat there feeling guilty.I walked around looking for her.There she was sitting in a corner table tucking her plain rice all by herself.I walked passed her and slipped some cash into her hand.She grabbed it as if she had not seen cash for a long time.I could not bear to see her in the eye and walked briskly away.Neither she uttered a word.

This is the sate Leegime had turned sinkie into.Foreigners eating whereas local starving.While this gahman gamble billions away and claims it as another honest mistake."
​

 

[TracyTan866]

I started this thread as below some 3 years ago.I am not ashamed that I cried as a man.

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?25038-Scene-that-BROKE-my-HEART

"Was in this Koiptiam in an upmarket mall.A dignified Chinese elderly lady was walking around with a bowl of plain rice.She looked at me and my plate of finished meal.Next to my table were foreign career ladies,Some ah nehs and some Peony tucking happily and chatting away.The elderly lady looked around holding her bowl of plain rice and crossed my table to the one behind where some local couple were eating.All she wanted was some sauce poured into her plain rice.The local couple obliged.I was helpless unable to put some food into her bowl as I had finished mine.

I sat there feeling guilty.I walked around looking for her.There she was sitting in a corner table tucking her plain rice all by herself.I walked passed her and slipped some cash into her hand.She grabbed it as if she had not seen cash for a long time.I could not bear to see her in the eye and walked briskly away.Neither she uttered a word.

This is the sate Leegime had turned sinkie into.Foreigners eating whereas local starving.While this gahman gamble billions away and claims it as another honest mistake."
​

truly sad....

 

[erection2015]

the process has already begun. The swell is getting bigger and you can see this from the signals sent in May 2011. If they dont address the EQ issues, the Party will know about it the next time round.
But i think they didnt get to be where they are by being stupid.They just thought that the citizens are ' ballsless' as Tonychat always puts it.
But now i think their opinion of us is changing. You can see some small positive changes and attempts at damage control .

Ignoring this ageing issue will bring severe consequences..sending aged singaporeans away is PAP's solution but it spells of moral bankruptcy which will have long term implications on Singapreans attitude towards their country.

NS guys will rationalise..."why shd I serve NSF and be a NSman during my peak years, only to be discarded by my country in my sunset years?". This is a valid rationalisation which the SG govt has to reconcile.

 

[Windsor]

I started this thread as below some 3 years ago.I am not ashamed that I cried as a man.

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?25038-Scene-that-BROKE-my-HEART

​

Thanks for sharing as it tugs at my heartstrings. I have not come across many such stories but I am sure it is happening now.:( I do observe many old folks and their activities in Singapore which IMO is sad and something I do not wish for myself. I hope those approaching their old age are making positive plans otherwise they will regret it. Do not depend on the government as they might fail you, better to do what you can now.

 

[TracyTan866]

the process has already begun. The swell is getting bigger and you can see this from the signals sent in May 2011. If they dont address the EQ issues, the Party will know about it the next time round.
But i think they didnt get to be where they are by being stupid.They just thought that the citizens are ' ballsless' as Tonychat always puts it.
But now i think their opinion of us is changing. You can see some small positive changes and attempts at damage control .

Yes, the frustration of Singaporeans is getting wider and deeper. This proliferation of anger against the pap is not good for SG. I see that the pap is trying to manage the damage LHL's leadership has done over the last few years. But it is a little too little and a little too late. The pap must accelerate the damage mgmt process and ameliorate its care of Singaporeans programme.

CCS has an unenviable task as Minister, MCYS. But I heard good things abt him and hopefully he can turn the tide for the PAP. Many have given up hope on LHL...not because he is very uncaring, but he lacks the intellect to anticipate problems and have innovative solutions.

Let's see what CCS can do. He is our hope for now

 

[TracyTan866]

Thanks for sharing as it tugs at my heartstrings. I have not come across many such stories but I am sure it is happening now.:( I do observe many old folks and their activities in Singapore which IMO is sad and something I do not wish for myself. I hope those approaching their old age are making positive plans otherwise they will regret it. Do not depend on the government as they might fail you, better to do what you can now.

Thanks for a caring heart. Many people here are speaking out because they have first hand experiences visiting the poor, the sick, the needy, the aged..They are unlike the keyboard warriors who talk from head knowledge. you know who these keynoard warriors who have no ground knowledge are. there lies the difference in the approaches to how they see a problem..

Many poor are due to circumstances beyond their control. Unlike what the pap likes to paint them, many with problems did get into such situations because of their own doing.

 

[Getloud]

Ignoring this ageing issue will bring severe consequences..sending aged singaporeans away is PAP's solution but it spells of moral bankruptcy which will have long term implications on Singapreans attitude towards their country.

NS guys will rationalise..."why shd I serve NSF and be a NSman during my peak years, only to be discarded by my country in my sunset years?". This is a valid rationalisation which the SG govt has to reconcile.

Long term implications has already set in years ago. Why you do think more and more Singaporeans want to emigrate?
The young ones are too 'soft' to compete with FT.
Adults being discriminate by Gov and employers.
Elderly have no safety net after retirement, whether is by force or not.

 

[TracyTan866]

Long term implications has already set in years ago. Why you do think more and more Singaporeans want to emigrate?
The young ones are too 'soft' to compete with FT.
Adults being discriminate by Gov and employers.
Elderly have no safety net after retirement, whether is by force or not.

True..but we have not seem the total implications yet..those who migrate are those with foresight and have the means to..there are many Singaporeans who live from hand to mouth now and cant see beyond tomorrow or those who have no choice to migrate.

A govt is not to just take care of the rich, take care of the capable, take care of businesses which the pap is doing.

A govt is to also take care of the poor, the sick, the needy, the aged..whether it likes or not..and this is where the pap is not doing.

Singaporeans must compel the pap to do its job properly and that is to care for all Singaporeans regardless of race , language or religion...for the immediate and also for the future.

Where and what have the pap fallen short?

 

[TracyTan866]

Elderly have no safety net after retirement, whether is by force or not.

The worst is yet to come. With high cost of living, high hdb prices, high medical cost and low wages, many Singaporeans now will have no saving when they reach 65yrs.

The effect of pap's present expensive housing policy and high cost health care policy will confine many singaporeans to a future of poverty. More Singaporeans will need financial assistance in future.

 

[Nice-Gook]

the process has already begun. The swell is getting bigger and you can see this from the signals sent in May 2011. If they dont address the EQ issues, the Party will know about it the next time round.
But i think they didnt get to be where they are by being stupid.They just thought that the citizens are ' ballsless' as Tonychat always puts it.
But now i think their opinion of us is changing. You can see some small positive changes and attempts at damage control .

You are grossly underestimating the evil mind set of PAP.Just think,how PAP controlled us for the past 50 years!....a feat even our colonists realized that they cannot control nor the Malaysians would rather have us cut off as an inflicted arm with gangrene.

Remember Sinkie was a political hot potato with teaming racists,communality and communists---not to mention our secret society legacy that lorded over Singapore.Only Japanese ,with their cruelty of cutting an arm and leg for theft roped in the unruly lot that Singapore was.This is what LKY must have learnt from the Japanese as their 'translator'.As LKY himself had said that Chinese must be ruled with an iron fist.

Francis Seow as an ex insider has a pretty good idea of how LKY regime works.PAP is simply buying time.No election is going to bring about any change.Have we not waited for the past 50 years; election after election?When are we going to realize that unless PAP is thoroughly purged ,they will survive by waging psychological wars......this whole idea of flooding Singapore with foreigners is precisely that.Don't you think that PAP knows better that foreigners are actually destroying Sinkies and are not adding any values to our lives?

The British did that to the Malays and the Dutch to the Indonesians.They deny the native jobs,education and any commercial advantage by flooding it with cheap foreigners from China and India.(that's us lah).....and the used foreigners as their middleman in their trade to the detriment of the natives..While the native sultans held on to as rulers only in name only.History in now repeating itself.

This is where I see the logic of Dr.Chee that to capture power through the election route is a pipe dream.What's happening in Egypt is proof of that.That even when the dictator is over thrown dictatorship refuses to go.Because the dictator had corrupted every level of administration---armed forced in the case of Egypt.And civil service and judiciary including armed forces in our case.Even if LKY dies tomorrow,his people in his inner circle will continue his legacy.

Boy,are we in real shit.