Speaker of Parliament, Madam Halimah Yacob related an incident in her Facebook about one of her young residents. She said that the resident living in Marsiling recently lost her father through suicide. Her mother is suffering from mental illness.
Madam Yacob attended her father’s wake and found out that she needed help. She said that her team quickly got the young resident some immediate financial assistance. Her team also helped to move her and her mother into a shelter for a temporary period because her flat was infested with bed bugs. She asked her Town Council to help with the de-infestation of the flat.
She said that her Residents’ Committee members are also keeping close touch with the young resident to render whatever other help the family may need.
Madam Halimah said that this is not an isolated case and that her team “do such work quietly without much ado and without much fanfare because we believe that such help must come from the heart.” Madam Halimah further added that helping those in need was a routine for her and her team.
“I am not publishing her name nor am I putting up any pictures of her taken with me as I believe that she deserves respect and for her identity to be kept confidential,” Madam Halimah said.
And with that comment Madam Halimah replied to the secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), Dr Chee Soon Juan.
Dr Chee who is SDP’s candidate for the coming by-election in Bukit Batok single member constituency (smc) posted a picture of a resident in Bukit Batok smc, and amputee.
Dr Chee captioned the picture:
“If no rent, no money lah” she says, “government no help.” She mentioned she had once approached Halimah Yacob for assistance. “But talk, talk no help.”
The picture was one of several from his walkabout in the smc today (3 Apr).
Dr Chee further added that Mdm Veeramah is just one of the many residents living in poverty in Bukit Batok and throughout Singapore.
“I find it hard to accept that in a country that boasts of the most number billionaires and millionaires per capita, we still see such poverty in our midst. Help me get into Parliament to speak up for them, for us,” Dr Chee said.
The People’s Action Party (PAP)’s candidate for Bukit Batok smc, Mr Muralidharan Pillai, also went for his walkabout in the constituency today. Several pictures of his walkabout with PAP heavyweights were posted in the political party’s Facebook.
Mr Pillai’s walkabout today also received wide coverage in the mainstream media.
