Singapore — Chee Soon Juan invited two marginalised groups of people in Singapore to dine at his café; cardboard collectors and poor elderly people.

In a Facebook post on Friday (Aug 13), Dr Chee wrote: “Rather than indulge in self-glorifying parades and making grandiloquent rally speeches, society should commemorate our independence by lifting up the poorest among us”.

He noted that for years he had always spoken against a system that did not pay much attention to the weak and vulnerable.

“Well, now I have an opportunity to do something about it, albeit in a small way. I’m inviting them for lunch at our café”, he wrote. The Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Dr Chee called for anyone who knew cardboard collectors or poor elderly people to make arrangements to bring them over to the café.

Dr Chee also said that while many people have indicated that they would like to donate funds for such an event, “Orange & Teal will sponsor the occasion”.

“We established a place to have the richest and the poorest among us dine in style and comfort – and have that great conversation. Won’t you come over?” Dr Chee wrote.

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Last month, a kind Samaritan looking to pay it forward ordered food at Dr Chee Soon Juan’s café and asked that it be given to cleaners.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jul 27), Dr Chee wrote that the woman, Ning, called Orange & Teal and paid S$150 for meals.

“That was her way of paying-it-forward. She explained that this would help F&B outlets at this time while also providing a nice lunch for our low-wage workers”, Dr Chee wrote. /TISG