“Singapore may be a very wealthy country but there are too many poor people in our country,” wrote Ambassador-at-large and academic Tommy Koh in a Facebook post on Thursday (Dec 8).
Prof Koh wrote that he found it shocking that one-third of Singapore Management University students are in financial need, while 40 per cent of the students at LaSalle College of the Arts are in the same situation, the representatives from the institutions told them. “These are shocking numbers but this is what inequality looks like,” he said.
Prof Koh was writing about an education fund to help needy students in Singapore where he is actively involved, the Tan Chay Bing Education Fund.
“Tan Chay Bing was the oldest son of the legendary philanthropist, Tan Kah Kee. Mrs Tan Chay Bing was a very close family friend. In her will, she created an education fund in the name of her late husband,” he wrote, adding that it is he and DJ Tan, the son of Mr and Mrs Tan, who decide on the disbursement of the income from the fund.
“Yesterday we met with our two fund managers to find out how much income we have earned for this year. We then met with the representatives of the various institutions.”
According to the Government’s latest report, the Gini Coefficient in Singapore, before transfers, is 0.44. The bottom line is this: Singapore may be a very wealthy country but there are too many poor people in our country.”
Commenters on his post not only thanked him for the points he raised, but also for the work he does with the education fund.
Others affirmed what Prof Koh wrote. 
/TISG