'I needed to shout for these people'
~ Dr Lily Neo (Jalan Besar GRC)
Dr Lily Neo was speaking up for low-income families who are not eligible for Public Assistance because one or both of the parents are working.
"The cleaners, the hawker assistants who, despite the Government's mantra of helping citizens help themselves, are so down and out they have no way of helping themselves"
'They see the rich, and they see Singapore progressing,' said Dr Neo. 'But then they say, look at me, what chance do I have?'"
"Halfway through the marathon parliamentary session, Dr Lily Neo (Jalan Besar GRC) suddenly waved a piece of paper frantically at the Speaker, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, like a latecomer flagging a departing bus.
When she got no response, she stood up, walked to the rostrum and stopped the Speaker from moving on to the next question."
"She had asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, a three-point question.
One, whether his Ministry is monitoring how lower-income Singaporeans are being affected by inflation and the stagnation of wages.
Two, whether the available assistance is lessening their difficulties.
And three, whether there will be other measures to ensure that no one falls through the cracks.
In her reply, Minister of State Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, who was standing in for Dr Balakrishnan, listed the different assistance schemes available, and cited examples of families which benefit from the schemes.
Then, before she knew it... 'Question 8!'
The Speaker had signalled the House to move on to the next question, tabled by Dr Lam Pin Min (Ang Mo Kio GRC).
In the row above her, Dr Lam was already rising to acknowledge the Speaker.
That was when Dr Neo lost her cool."
Read More:
http://www.asiaone.com/Just+Woman/News/Women+In+The+News/Story/A1Story20080828-84642.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------The lack of assistance for the people who fall through the cracks has been around for a long time and it is made worse by the current high inflationary environment which is not likely to ease in the near future.
I see more & more grannies collecting empty cans out of rubbish bins just to earn the mere few cents & i wonder why they need to do that when the Singapore government is rich.
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