GMS's touching story about his family

[manokie]

I am born in a poor family of 10. My parents have to feed and send 8 children to school. I am proud to say that my parents have given all they have to provide these 8 children the best education that each could achieve and that include sending 1 to polytechnic, 2 to local universities and 1 overseas.

They could only do that by becoming illegal hawkers. There is nothing shameful to admit that I was also an illegal hawker since I was 5 years old, helping my parents to mend our temporary "stall" or going around the flats to sell their lasi lemak, ottah kwei and bee hoon. I am the youngest and thus I have to help out in the morning before I go to school. I spent most of my holidays hawking these food "illegally". If there is anything PAP or ISD want to dig, this is the ONLY DIRT they could find about me, a young illegal hawker at the age of 5 till 11.

My parents have to wake up 3am in the morning to prepare all the food for sales to the morning working crowd.They have made a name for themselves in the neighbourhood for selling the delicious nasi lemak and dumplings. Pre-orders for dumplings during the festive season were in the tens and hundreds. Well, I did receive orders from my fellow Primary School classmates quite frequently as well. They still remember my parents' nasi lemak and will mention it each and every time without fail when we have our occasional reunions!

Beside helping out the sales, which trained me to be very quick in mental Maths calculation (yeah, that's why I scored full marks for my Maths in Primary school!), I have to help out with the carry of bags of chili and endure the strong smell of belachan when they prepare the chili for the nasi lemak. All 10 of us have to squeeze in a small two-room rental flat with only 1 bedroom.

Life was tough but enjoyable though. I enjoyed every minute of it, especially going up that 20 storey high flats to shout out "Ottah, Ottah kwei, Nasi Lemak!" Even the avoidance of the "dee gu" (law enforce officers from NEA) was just like hide and seek or playing catching for me.

My parents have tried to apply for hawker license many times but failed. They were not granted the license or any hawker stall at the market. But for survival sake, they have no choice but to become illegal hawkers to bring 8 children up and provide them with all the education they could get. If they haven't done that, there might be another 8 delinquent youngsters on the streets and eventually add on to the social problems of Singapore!

It was all pure hard work and determination of earning enough money to raise 8 children with proper education that make them carry on with that label "illegal hawkers". To me, I am proud of my parents for their dedication to us, their children. "Illegal hawkers"? Who cares! When the system fails to provide the adequate means for the family to survive, then we will have to find our own ways to survive.

Nobody wants to break the law unnecessarily. I do not view my parents as "law breakers" but rather survivors of the system on the fringe. They did not choose to cheat, rob or become criminals but just "illegal hawkers" to earn a living for all of us. When the survival of the family is at stake, you will have to find ways to fight the lesser evil of the law.

http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/























:(:(:(:(



I commiserate with this old man
Did GMS just finish Secondary School and did not go to Poly or Uni?

 

[halsey02]

Had GMS family volunteered for RC work, like one of my ex-neighbour did, not only his mother could get a hawker licence to sell vegeatrian food, got pirority to choose a new flat of their choice..of course no money was involved...only guan xi...are you a memnber?

Another I know, also RC volunteer, another neighbourhood resident, got a choice of flat in Sembawang...

I can go on....& on....all you need to do is join RC, CCC...whatever, be a member...and members have their privileges...

 

[manokie]

Had GMS family volunteered for RC work, like one of my ex-neighbour did, not only his mother could get a hawker licence to sell vegeatrian food, got pirority to choose a new flat of their choice..of course no money was involved...only guan xi...are you a memnber?

Another I know, also RC volunteer, another neighbourhood resident, got a choice of flat in Sembawang...

I can go on....& on....all you need to do is join RC, CCC...whatever, be a member...and members have their privileges...

Didn't know about this kind of "guan xi"

Is it like joining the CCP in China?

 

[halsey02]

Didn't know about this kind of "guan xi"

Is it like joining the CCP in China?

Something like that, here they call themselves comrades also...the RC members are also spies, they report your deeds to the central committee, who will haul you up for 're-education classes' for the motherland....make you hang the flag, say the pledge & sing MAJULAH sinGAPURA...

 

[saratogas]

Everyone want privileges! That's why it's good to know more of the upper class people. To get things moving- faster way to solve problem. But if gms family would have join RC back then... He would have been a PAP guy... Not an Opposition already.

 

[giggity_shit]

Something like that, here they call themselves comrades also...the RC members are also spies, they report your deeds to the central committee, who will haul you up for 're-education classes' for the motherland....make you hang the flag, say the pledge & sing MAJULAH sinGAPURA...

I've heard about RC people addressing themselves as comrades. An unfortunately term to use if you ask me.

Rather than having the people's interests at heart, they are more aligned to the ruling party and the serfdom of the rest.

 

[halsey02]

I've heard about RC people addressing themselves as comrades. An unfortunately term to use if you ask me.

Rather than having the people's interests at heart, they are more aligned to the ruling party and the serfdom of the rest.

Talking about the RC members make me sick, go read the RC member list in your prectint & you will notices some RC members do not even live in your area or even in your constituency.

Two such Filipino names were on my RC list, not even staying in the housing estate.

You do not see or hear them, only when there is some events of functions & very busy hustling for the elections, so are they part of a political party? or serving the people???

 

[manokie]

Talking about the RC members make me sick, go read the RC member list in your prectint & you will notices some RC members do not even live in your area or even in your constituency.

Two such Filipino names were on my RC list, not even staying in the housing estate.

You do not see or hear them, only when there is some events of functions & very busy hustling for the elections, so are they part of a political party? or serving the people???

LOL

They just want to contribute and help the sinkies!

 

[aangsc]

Actually, don't find the story that touching lah. My family also go thru' the shit. I also have responsibility from tender age of 6yrs old. My dad, a growth up man even dropped tear when relating that hard time, where we need to borrow rice from relative!!! I remember on many occasion, my mum was caught by the enforcement officer because no license , we have no money to pay, so all items kana taken and release later in the afternoon. Those day, one orange shared by 4 in a family - that is a true sharing spirit of older days !