Following complaints by public, police investigates 88-year-old cardboard collector

Social activist Gilbert Goh and his supporters run an ‘Adopt-an-elderly-cardboard-collector’ programme for senior citizens plying the rag-and-bone trade. Mr Goh reported today that an 88-year-old woman in his programme was interrogated by the police last Friday (20 May) for collecting cardboard in the Boon Keng area.
Mr Goh shared a picture of a man in his Facebook, who he claimed was the son of the elderly cardboard collector talking to the police. According to Mr Goh, the man assists his mother regularly collecting cardboard.
“When we checked with her why she was interrogated by the police for about 15 minutes, she said someone filed a complaint against her for collecting cardboard at her advanced age,” Mr Goh said.
The old woman was advised by the police to seek help from the Ministry of Social and Family Development if she needed social assistance.
In his post Mr Goh urged members of the public not to file complaints against elderly cardboard collectors as he fears that it may jeopardise their livelihood.
“So far, cardboard collectors do not need licensing unlike the tissue paper sellers,” he said.