69 year old Singapore lady commits suicide due to financial
distress
A 69 year old Singapore lady by the name of Li Mei Xiang
committed suicide yesterday by jumping from the 13th level of her
flat. The reason behind her suicide is believed financial
distress.
She had been living in a 3-room HDB flat together with
her husband and son before her death.
Her husband, a retired taxi-driver was diagnosed with colon
cancer last year November and is currently undergoing treatment.
Her 30 year old son has been unemployed for the last three
months.
Madam Li used to work as a cleaner, but stopped work recently as
a result of poor health.
Cases like such are not uncommon in Singapore. Lianhe Wanbao
reported a 74 year old elderly lady who jumped from her flat a few
months ago due to worries about her medical expenses.
There is a common saying among Singaporeans – “One can afford to
die, but not fall sick in Singapore.”
Though the government claimed that public healthcare is “heavily
subsidized” in Singapore, some Singaporeans still find it
expensive.
A major or chronic illness can easily wipe out one’s savings.
The Ministry of Health is considering increasing the Medisave
contributions of Singaporeans.
Singaporeans are finding it harder to retire in Singapore in the
face of rising cost of living. The ruling party has exhorted
Singaporeans to work for as long as possible to support
themselves.
While Singapore is the second richest nation in Asia after Japan
and its two sovereign wealth funds can afford to lose billions of
dollars in failed overseas investments, Singaporeans enjoy few
social welfare benefits compared to other developed nations.
News source: Shin Min Daily
Pityness aside, this type of social issue happen everywhere in the
world, ours is consider very less...even japan USA koreans also got
old folks jumps and commit suicide. Sometime, old peoples die is
not because of money, there are many other issues....no dun just
take a toothpick and compare with the bunch of chopstick ya.
