As Singapore is set to shift out of the Circuit Breaker in a few days, Workers’ Party (WP) Secretary-General Pritam Singh has reflected on a few initiatives begun by fellow WP members during the period most of Singapore was confined at home. “Some Singaporeans are the doers of deeds,” he wrote. “Other Singaporeans choose opposition politics to fight for a better tomorrow. Some Singaporeans do both.”
Mr Pritam on Monday (May 25) took to Facebook to reflect on the circuit breaker. “For some of us, the COVID-19 circuit-breaker was a time spent getting used to working from home,” he wrote. “For many Singaporeans however, being essential workers, they worked as per normal while others made difficult adjustments to keep their income stream alive.” Mr Pritam then shared a few short stories which showcased the creativity and kindness exhibited by some of his fellow party members, who came up with initiatives to help those in need during the circuit breaker.
https://www.facebook.com/pritam.eunos/posts/3152676971421261
First up, was education entrepreneur, Yee Jenn Jong, who is a resident and a volunteer in Marine Parade GRC. Mr Yee, who is a certified volunteer at an essential service provider, has cooked and delivered food to those in need, and has done so ever since the circuit breaker commenced. “He volunteered to distribute food every single day since the day the circuit-breaker started,” wrote Mr Pritam, adding that “JJ (Mr Yee) now helps to distribute in excess of 300 packets of food in several locations in the constituency to low-income earners and those who need some tiding over.”
Next up was long-time WP member Ng Swee Bee, who began the “Art for SG Migrant Workers campaign,” which has been live for over a month and has transitioned from being a personal project of Ms Ng to being an initiative headed by a cohesive team. Through art, the campaign provides anyone in need of support–from migrant workers to anyone from the general public–with artwork. “Swee Bee’s team is currently sourcing for funds to secure art care-packs for our migrant friends,” wrote Mr Pritam. “In between, (she) also helped Aljunied-Hougang Town Council staff with crowd management at a market in Aljunied GRC, patiently advising and helping senior folks.”
Last but not the least was former WP candidate in Marine Parade GRC Dylan Ng Foo Eng, who partnered with another organisation in order to help provide low-income families with the necessary equipment for Home Based Learning (HBL). In preparation for the circuit breaker measure, the organisation provided about 400 families with second-hand computers. “Dylan dropped laptops off, amongst other areas in Singapore, to families living in the northeast (Sengkang/Punggol) at Compassvale, Edgedale Plains and Fernvale Lodge, and further afield in Bukit Batok and Clementi,” wrote Mr Pritam.
He shared these simple yet impactful stories to showcase how WP members have found a way to bring change even during such a trying time–in their own unique ways.