November 20, 2009 by admin
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Written by our Correspondent
A 70 year-old breast cancer patient has chosen to end her life
by leaping to her death from a HDB flat.
Madam Chen Baozhu used to sell prawn noodles with her husband Mr
Yan Qingji in Geylang. They live together with a son who suffers
from cerebral palsy.
Due to their ill-health, they have to stop working and depend on
public assistance from the government to support themselves. Mr Yan
had a stroke three months ago and is still recuperating.
According to her nephew, Madam Chen was worried her medical
bills may impose a financial burden on the family.
Mr Yan has been sent to a old folks’ home and his son to a
nursing home. There is nobody else in the family to take care of
them.
As recipients of public assistance, both Mr Yan and Madam Chen
would have received a monthly allowance of $330 from the state and
they do not have to pay for their medical bills at government
clinics and hospitals.
Singapore’s aging population is a perennial headache for the
government which is exacerbated by the declining birth rates.
The government has encouraged Singaporeans to work as long as
they can. Retirement age is extended to 62 and eventually to
67.
Immigration is also encouraged as a means to increasing the
flagging population. 36 per cent of Singapore’s population now
consists of foreigners.
There are few social welfare benefits for Singapore citizens.
CPF, which is originally intended as a pension fund is now deemed
inadequate to meet the retirement needs of Singaporeans.
Singapore’s cash-rich government has so far refrained from
expanding the social safety net out of fear that it will lead to a
crutch mentality among the populace.
“Welfare” is a taboo in Singapore officialdom which has
consistently exhorted Singaporeans to be self-reliant.
Singapore’s income gap has widened considerably in the last
decade. It is the second highest among the thirty most developed
economies after Hong Kong whose result was skewed by the
extraordinarily large numbers of billionaires.
MM Lee Kuan Yew brushed aside the widening income gap as an
issue of concern during a recent forum saying that it “does not
matter” for long as the government continues to create jobs for
Singaporeans.
News source: Lianhe Wanbao, 19 November
2009
