Yes. We can always turn to the courts to settle anything, even
family problems. This is our modern society's way to solve moral
dilemmas - judgement from independent parties instead of
compromising the nation's pragmatic stand on welfarism.
I once knew of an a lady in her mid thirties. She was an A level
student, bright as anyone of you here but because her familly was
poor, she never made it to Uni.
She was young and pretty then, worked in an MNC, and spent most
of her time in that expatriate circle of middle aged and married
men. But in time, as she aged, her chances of getting married
was smaller, as well as her job opportunities when the MNC
relocated.
Her mother fell illed, took a chunk out of her CPF in medical
fees but died later, and then her aged father too fell ill and
senile. She sold her flat to pay for his medical fees and lived in
a rented flat.
She took on a sales job, the worse trade of our times as
employers paid her a small basic salary of only hundreds, but
expected her to earn from her commissions, which are often meagre
after deductions.
She could ill afford to pay for her living, let alone
maintenance medical fees and homecare for her father who needed
attention for his illness.
In his senility, he cried to social workers that he was not
taken care of and was advised to go to courts to demand her only
daughter pay for his maintenance, or go to jail if she fails to do
so.
It was in this state that i found that lady crying silently on
the river steps of Boat Quay one night.
Singapore is ruled by law. The law is blind and rightfully so.
It is across the board. But had family court become a harsh
alternative instead of compassionate rule?
Legislators and elected officials propose laws. They are human
too. But had they consider the human angle to sufferings of our
poor and disadvantage?
Is there any other
alternative than to force the law into 'grey' ground
cases?
Had we all grown so rich, we leave it to laws to enforce its own
brand of 'compassion' and use it as our moral ground to turn a
blind eye to others'' suffering?
There will always be the poor in every society. Singapore's
approach is to rely on family support first, then the community and
finally the state. If there are so many compassionate people in the
family and community, there is no need to go to the courts. But
precisely because there are instances when family members refuse to
do their part, the courts must step in. The courts will decide if
the daughter in your story is able to maintain her parent. If she
is not able to, there are welfare schemes available to help. For
those who absolutely have no means to maintain themselves, there
are public institutions who will take them in until their dying
days.
