Singapore elderly poor

[johnny333]

I know many people who owned properties but lost their properties. Owning land is an old age concept of storing wealth.

LKY knew about this & that's why Spore has the land aquisition act to forcibly take land from you.
So some of the unhappy people in Spore were not stupid but are poor because the PAP stole from them.

 

[DuYunQi]

Just as all have posted here.. I have seen too many elderly working in menial jobs.
It doesn't really equate to my logic.. let me explain.
When you are young, you should be (baring no illness or injury) fit and can lift heavy objects and do the hard labour.

But when you have passed 60 or 70.. when bones, joints and health (maybe) are not that strong anymore.. doing lifting of heavy objects is not an ideal job. Have you all seen how these elderly workers carry the big pails, either filled with plates, bowls or cutlery.. or pails of water? It's not light.. especially for these elderly folks.

In countries that I have traveled to, including Thailan, Indonesia, PRC.. I have not SEEN elderly cleaners.. maybe I did not look into office buildings.. but at the food joints.. cleaners were young people.

Now, I'm not trying to say that elderly should be deprived these jobs.. if they need the income and these are the only work they can find.. it's definitely not their fault. But why does the govt allow business owners to like "exploit" these elderly folks?

I keep hearing that filial piety is what the govt wants sg people to have.. then why the increase of hursing homes.. and trying to build them in HDB heartlands? Isn't that like encouraging ppl to put their old folks into these homes?

Take a look around you.. some of these elderly can't even stand straignt.. I saw one at promenade MRT station.. can't tell if he or she.. but the spine was slanted and bent forward at the waist.. yet had to carry a pail of water to mop the station's floors. If this is the possible future for me or anyone I know... who later on need income but can only find such jobs.. then YES.. I welcmoe a quick death before I suffer more.

Every time I see these elderly workers, I feel sadness build up inside of me.. and I suddenly am also glad that my 婆婆 didn't end up like this.. but she passed on at around 80.. it's a mixture of feelings.. and I am torn.. but ultimately sadness overwhelms as I feel that these workers are the one who are actually being exploitated.

 

[Kohliantye]

Singapore has the means to take care of these legion of elderly workers.

The very sight of these near centurions working day and night with bent bodies and unsteady gaits has surprised many tourists and pained many locals.

Many of these tourists have asked why these elderly folks are doing menial jobs at such an age and are surprised that the State doesn't offer these folks any form of welfare.

Just because some old people can work and travel the world beyond 80 years does not mean that the rest of their cohorts can too. It so happen that those fortunate ones that are able to are the lucky ones.

There is a world of a difference between the "fortunate" elderly and those unfortunate and forgotten ones who toil day in and day out just to be able to buy the cheapest breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every Singaporeans know about the actual situation.

There are many kind folks among Singaporeans who feel sorry for these class of people and even offer them money and other neccessities. That is not enough and the responsiblities lies with the government which collects hefty taxes from the people, not forgetting the revenue from GST, monetary fines, airport taxes, COE, road taxes, ERP, hospitals, postal services, PSA and many many more.

Infact a friend of mine from Australia was so amused when he saw the REVENUE HOUSE at Newton and said out loudly, "Goodness Gracious Mate, What a silly name to choose". It reminded him of the cartoon character Uncle Scrooge and the Money Bin.

I wasn't amused and stood with my head down. My mind went back to George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM......

 

[Tension68]

Singapore has the means to take care of these legion of elderly workers.

The very sight of these near centurions working day and night with bent bodies and unsteady gaits has surprised many tourists and pained many locals.

Many of these tourists have asked why these elderly folks are doing menial jobs at such an age and are surprised that the State doesn't offer these folks any form of welfare..

bro, my fren from Belgium and from Japan also asked y lao ah pek and lao ah mm haf to do such jobs.. sad hor?

but the saddest, i feel, is tat the young sg ppl dun mind at all.. i saw students, teens, even working adults asking the ah peks n ah mms to clear their tables at food courts and kopitiam and hawker centres wor.

One time, a student use tissue wipe seat and throw it in the bowl that a ah mm was clearing.. haiz.. i tot i saw tears well up in ah mm's eyes..

piang.. now i olso feel sad.. govt dun care for them, young ones dun gif a dam.. no wonder they siam the young and gather amongst themselves. Ga Gee Lang gar hor cham siong, ga hor keng..

bro DYQ.. u la.. make me olso feel depressed liao.

 

[Kohliantye]

This irresponsible youngsters that you spoke of do not realise that there will be a day when they too will become like those poor old souls.

Their memories will wander to those younger days when they "bullied" such old folks.

They will cry aloud in the wilderness but their cries will not be heard by anyone, let alone the government that has all along been having a deaf ear to the cries of these generation.

"They shall reap what they soweth"

 

[Cosmo]

They will cry aloud in the wilderness but their cries will not be heard by anyone, let alone the government that has all along been having a deaf ear to the cries of these generation.

"They shall reap what they soweth"

You mean they deserve this treatment because they did likewise to those who were around them in the past? And you believe in karma. How do you know this is karma at work?

 

[Tension68]

You mean they deserve this treatment because they did likewise to those who were around them in the past? And you believe in karma. How do you know this is karma at work?

Who say anything abt karma ah?
they do things now.. cos they young and naive and duno how to think..
so.. later on.. if govt dun change cos these young naive so blur just seesuah cross pappies
later when they old.. who gona hire them? Got degree olso ask u go be cleaner ar!
moral of the story, dun burn ur time when young at discos/pub/karaoke/watever..
look around and also outside of sg.. if dun think anything wrong.. den deserve to kena kick around by pappies liao.

 

[moolightaffairs]

I have seen and talk to a 90 over years old cleaner working at the Hawker Center !

u wont get to see old people at hawker centre collecting utensils and cutleries anymore. its too bad for our reputation. many tourists saw it and start asking why? even China immigrants asking why sg no retirement scheme for old people??? they told me they got 五金or 四金 at the age of 50 in China.

so now the in thing is to clear the table after u finish your food in hawker centres. gov said "be gracious, ok???" NEA stop contractors from using old staff and cut down on manpower too. but still collect the same amount or higher from stall owners for collecting utensils. :*:

 

[Tension68]

To add to bro moonlightaffairs

even foreigners dun wan to work as cleaners liao.. they demanding for better pay and wan better jobs too

business owners might still want to "tap" the elderly.. but it is not a very good thing for ppl from other countries to see.

Sg wan first in many things.. good things.. not this kind of image or publicity la
so now.. i think hor.. our elderly who got to feed themselves and can't even do cleaner at hawker center.. maybe later food court olso kena.. may haf to find other means for survival in pricy sinkieland

 

[DuYunQi]

bro DYQ.. u la.. make me olso feel depressed liao.

.. I didn't do anything.. why blame me?

And, if it is true that pappies want to rid the public scene of elderly workers, then you are right to say that this group will be deprived of a source of income.

I will open my eyes to see what other ways business owners, sub-contractors and middle-people would want to exploit this group of ppl who may need the mearge earnings they get to pass a day at a time.