Let's help, not harm, our vulnerable!

It happened again.

MSF has found another case of video posting of vulnerable persons without seeking proper help for them from the right agencies and intruding on their privacy without their knowledge.

Instead of being helped, vulnerable persons get harmed. Don’t lah.

#Appeal By Denise

A. POST BY MSF Minister Masagos :

“You may have come across a Facebook post, about a member of public’s encounter on the train with an elderly woman who works as a cleaner. The elderly woman was quoted as saying that she was seeking additional employment to earn a living.

Our Social Service Office (SSO) colleagues have identified the elderly woman, Mdm L. She is staying in a five-room flat with her son’s family. The family has a domestic helper. Her son provides her with food and shelter but she works to supplement her other expenses. Our SSO colleagues visited her yesterday to see if she needed any help and how we can lend support.

Our records show that Mdm L is a permanent resident, and she has not applied for citizenship in the past. Prior to the COVID-19 circuit breaker, Mdm L received a monthly gross salary of about $1,300 (excluding CPF) from her employer. Due to reduced business volume, her employer had arranged for her and other full-time employees to work part-time as a way to retain staff. She is currently paid $675 for working part-time in 4-hour shifts (or about $6.50/hr). We understand from her employer that when business improves, they will review and reinstate the cleaners’ part-time employment to full-time.

To mitigate the impact of Mdm L’s wage loss during this difficult period, MSF is assessing her eligibility for the COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG), which provides monthly payouts of $500 - $800.

As a non-citizen, she does not qualify for Silver Support or Workfare. However, she receives benefits like the Solidarity Payment that are also extended to PRs. In addition, we will support her in other ways. Grassroots organisations will support her with $120 food vouchers monthly for the next six months. We are also arranging for her to get some help for her medical expenses.

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has verified that Mdm L’s elder son, a regular warrant officer, died during a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) freefall training session in South Africa, in May 2009. Full compensation was paid out to his family. MINDEF and the SAF extend their deepest condolences to the family.

Building an inclusive and a caring society is a collective effort. We appreciate the effort of members of the public in reaching out to those who seem to be in need. However, posting and sharing their circumstances on social media may lead to further distress for these vulnerable groups of people and their families. Such posts may not correctly reflect the circumstances of vulnerable groups of people, who may be elderly, or may not share all the details accurately because of the stressors they are facing.

We encourage members of the public to please link them up directly with us through our SSOs or any Family Service Centre. In the case of Mdm L, she indicated she was unaware of being photographed or that her comments and photo would be shared in public on social media.

ComCare hotline: 1800-222-0000
SSO locator: www.msf.gov.sg/ssolocator
Family Service Centre locator: www.msf.gov.sg/fsclocator

B. UPDATE BY Speaker Tan Chuan Jin :
“(Just corresponded with some of the folks who helped to locate the lady and who had spoken to her)

Lady is distraught by all the attention the post has brought to her. The manager at the hawker stall there has stopped any further contact with her.

She fed back that ever since the post went up she has been harassed at home by people who have been flocking to where she is staying.

Am encouraging folks to stop going to her place of work or approaching her and her family. They are in distress. “

See post - https://www.facebook.com/MSFSingapore/posts/3498717873494639?_tn_=K-R