72 year old granny has been working as a cleaner with husband at foodcourt for 3 years
Posted by temasektimes on June 5, 2012
The 72 year old granny who was punched by a 40 year old woman for being too ‘slow’ in clearing her plates has been working at the Level 4 foodcourt in Tampines Mall together with her husband for three years.
According to media reports, she has three sons. Her husband was present when she was hit by the woman, but was too far away to help her.
She suffered some bruises on her left temple and had seen a doctor. A police report has since been lodged.
The incident sparked a massive outcry in cyberspace with many netizens condemning the woman for using violence on the granny.
There are also some who questioned why the granny still has to work at her age.
Some responses on Facebook:
“Why is this 72 years old still working? She should be at home enjoying her retirement with her family. All thanks to the screwed up policies and held back of our CPF monies.” – Cecilia Joven
“Instead of being angry at the cause of an abusive action, what can our dear government do to help the elderly cope with their daily expenses? “ – Iris How Li Lin
“Every morning. I saw those very old grannies pushing loads of cupboards, all waiting at a open car park for the garang guni man. I really pity them.” – Lee Wai Kit
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72 year old granny punched by 40 year old woman in foodcourt for being too slow in clearing plates
THE TEMASEK TIMES 
denzuko1 said
Was she punched by that giant mutation in that picture?
Singaporean Native. said
Senior Citizens are supposed to retire and rest and recuperate during their golden years. They have contributed enough to this country as it is.
The government only allows a yearly $400 cap on medisafe and medishield. That is why Senior citizens like these have to work. They do not have enough money to cover their medical expense.
The government taking care of its people? NO.
People’s Action Party here for the Singapore Natives? NO.
People’s Action Party wanting a higher GDP? YES
People’s Action Party wanting a higher GDP at the cost of Singaporean Natives? YES.
People, you have a choice. People Power stronger then the government. Hougang is an example.
Choose Wisely. People’s Action Party is clearly not doing a good job. Lets Stand together and make a difference in our nation and the way we live.
Majulah Singapura.
jaded said
well said… hit the nail on the head
Rustle said
Of course government has a role to play in helping to look after old people. But the other equally important question is: Does this old woman not have children? Why are her children not taking care of her?
Every now and then on my way home from work I meet this old lady who looks also in her 70s and she would shake her head and mumble to herself and having children was useless.
Where is filial piety?
Rustle said
“mumble to herself that having children was useless”
Wicked Brain said
Frankly, if her children have a choice, do you think they will allow their parents to work at this age?
Guess her children are also struggling to make ends meet.
Char_Azn said
For those complaining about CPF being hold up with the government..
1)Her gen is the one shot take all CPF money out meaning she already spent them all.
2)If the government had implemented the give money over 20 years during that Ah Mah’s time, she would still have a monthly stipend right now
While I sympathize with her plight, pple should sit down and think, this is exactly why our policies have been modified. To prevent this from happening to the current batch of working adults having to work at the old age of 70
stressfree45 said
2nd that!! if something is not done right, not brought up, tt is gg to be how we will live in future…..the contributions the old folks had given in the past, is it how the govt prioritise the issue of tom dick n harry FTs?
Singapore Researcher said
fury
spotlessleopard said
It is time to vote out the cruel PAP….It is the FUNDAMENTAL DUTY of the Government to look after its senior citizens…afterall these senior citizens were the ones who paid taxes whether direct or indirect their whole lives and were the real people who built modern singaporer with the blood sweat and tears…yet the Shamless PAP Leaders continue to make them eke out a living doing humiliating work for a pittance…Shame on the PAP.
Green Apple said
Government help? HELP WAT? All the money are being invested to bring PRCs to the country, sponsor their studies………Help wat??
papsmear said
Her children where? Run away liao?
Viv said
It’s sad for such a prosperous nation like Singapore where you still can find senior citizen in their 70’s and higher still working to earn miserable low wage income to support themselves. The government doesnt do anything to assist them in times of their needs and yet increases the CPF withdrawal age. Some of the senior citizen are not able to enjoy what they have worked. Singaporean are living such a suppressed lifestyle. With the declining birthrate and the increase of senior citizen – Singapore government need to step up in the welfare programme for senior citizen instead of concentrating on importing more foreigners to make up for the declining population.
Singapore Native is Really Naive said
@Singaporean Native.
The government, be whoever it is in power, is not your mother. Nobody owns you a living.
Plan, so that you can take care of yourself.
Blaming everything on the government just makes you look naive and childish.
*fingers pointing*
Now stop stomping your feet and go into the round room and face the wall at the corner!
*kick butt*
Singaporean Native. said
If you look around dear sir,
More then 220,000 jobs were created last year. And 70% of the jobs were given to foreigners. Lets say this old lady does have kids. And her children are finding it hard to support themselves and their mother. I’ve seen many low income families finding it hard to survive.
You say don’t blame the government. But everything around you has and can be linked the the government. Our leaders say vote for progress. They paint a beautiful picture of a wonderful economy where people are getting more and more prosperous. But the fact is that Singapore faces one of the largest income gaps in the world, at an astounding 9.7.
You can say that we should not blame the government. But isn’t the economy controlled by political factors as well? I frame the problem to you good sir, you say we shouldn’t blame the government because they down owe us a living. In fact they do. We pay them income taxes, ERP, GST and other taxes to the government.
Why we pay the government? In my case, I want a better living environment for all my fellow Singaporeans. I pay the government in hope of progress and security for all my countrymen. Do you see any progress good sir? You somehow fail to see the bigger picture.
Do lay off the *actions*. Its makes you look childish.
Cheers.
Rayban said
Halo! The govt has a duty to take care of it’s people, just like your mother take care of you, unless your mother abandoned you when you were still sucking your thumb??
Singapore Native is Really Naive said
Good for you. Please continue sucking your thumb.
DaWolf said
Don’t think she has a choice. I was actually quite surprise people didn’t straight away jump in here and blame the 3 children for not taking care of her and still allowing her to work. In times like this I think even her 3 children are struggling to make ends meet so the old couple don’t really have a choice. Things have really gone from bad to worse. I miss the old times when we had responsible MPs earning reasonable salaries and policies tailored to cater to the people of Singapore.
Now? I just want to leave this country ASAP but like a lot of other fellow Singaporeans, do not have the resource to. Year after year I can only complain and complain but now I realize I have a choice. This choice comes to me every 4-5 years and that is the right to vote for the party I believe best serves the needs of me and my family. For those people who are still stuck on the fence, think for the future of your children. Your vote today affects your next generation. Vote wisely come 2016.
Singaporean Native. said
DaWolf,
would you want to be known as a ‘foreigner’ in another country? They will be as annoy with you as we are to foreigners in our land.
Stay and fight for your rights.
Rayban said
Well said! We will vote opposition until we overthrow this useless govt. Period!
Viv said
Singapore’s high GDP does not help most of the people that live there, either the middle and working class native Singaporeans or the immigrants from Communist China or Philippines that are not economically bright enough to see that higher pay does not mean higher quality of life if the cost of living is so insanely high. It is disposable income that matters, not raw income!
In most parts of the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia even a working class person earning in the lower 25% percentile of income can own a landed freehold property, a car (or often two!) and with a little self discipline and not making dumb life decisions can have nice retirement. In these type of countries, if you do not have a nice life it is because you are lazy or stupid. In Singapore even hard working people who do the right things can end up on the street collecting cardboard! Sure it is difficult to landfill enough space so everyone can have a decent house (I am talking about with a little yard and offstreet parking – not a HDB chicken coop that you have 99 year lease and not real ownership rights over), but the COE, ERP and not allowing competitive priced retailers like Walmart, Kmart and the Dollar Tree makes it impossible for us ‘regular’ people to find low priced consumer goods, buy inexpensive second hand cars (I learned true mobility is soooo important!) and in short have a decent life.
Add to that my non-Singaporean husband would probably go to jail if he lived in Singapore. He has no fear of the government and politically correct nonsense, he thinks many if not all professional politicians are hypocrite con-artists and crooks and is not shy about it, just the other day he told his co-worker that President Obama is communist tool and should be deported back to Kenya! And he works for the government!
Governments in real democracies are not afraid of people being critical of leaders or speaking their mind as long as they are not being violent about it. The crazies and kooks are just ignored and when people have legitimate complaints either the government responds or gets changed – governments are like diapers because politicians are alway full of sh*t. And as Freedom House has stated there is no peaceful way for Singaporeans to change their own government, so do not waste your time and life, vote with your feet!
goodgirl said
Assault cases can be tricky. I think they are classified under magistrate complaints. Police won’t make arrests. They will just take down names and particulars. Victims of assault have to lodge a magistrate complaint and take the initiative to level charges against the attacker. Attacker might just be fined and made to apologize and pay for your medical bills. Your wounded pride is worthless.
Char_Azn said
For those complaining about CPF being hold up with the government..
1)Her gen is the one shot take all CPF money out meaning she already spent them all.
2)If the government had implemented the give money over 20 years during that Ah Mah’s time, she would still have a monthly stipend right now
While I sympathize with her plight, pple should sit down and think, this is exactly why our policies have been modified. To prevent this from happening to the current batch of working adults having to work at the old age of 70
Overseas Sg said
In Australia she is entitled to aged pension
http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/payments/age_eligible.htm
invictus said
please find out who is this idiotic woman that goes punching old folks. Publish her picture and shame her in public. Then make sure she spends some reflective time in the slammer !
Ron said
Sad. I know a Malaysian Chinese woman who is now travelling around the world… yes around the world… with the old pension she gets from the Australian government plus some savings from her career. And she is only in her mid-60s. And she has a pension for life from the government after retiring.
Shame on Spore. It is driving the elderly to their graves by forcing them to work well past their physical limits. One size fits all. All must slog till they drop dead unless they have saved enough money or were lucky enough to be rich. Yes, we fall back on the tired argument that the tax rate has to be low, we cannot afford to be like those decadent Western countries, etc. But those countries have enjoyed a higher standard of living all these decades too, better than Spore. Even with their higher taxes.
One thing for sure, they do not pay their Ministers those high salaries as in Singapore.
Singapour said
I think we shouldn’t assume that just because ppl are old they work because they don’t have a choice. I know a few old people who work so that they have something to do and not just sit around the whole day, Plus it provides them with more money to spend on small trips or some treats for themselves. I also encourage my parents to work if physically they are able to as it is healthier for their bodies.
transneptunal said
shame on you the government of singapore. your old folks still have to work to survive. your cpf policy needs to change. we need more opposition in the next election so that our voice and hopefully the current cpf policy can be change. older singaporeans need to withdraw the full balance of our cpf money.
No Can Do said
With so much of citizens’ money locked away in CPF, most of us except for the elites hv barely enough to go by, with kids and maid levy/pay, high PUB bills going higher each year, higher transport charges also higher each year, how to support our elderly? And when our elderly work, they need to set aside 10% of their meagre pay for medisave regardless that they need to pay for higher medical fees, taxi fares if they’re arthritic and find it next to impossible to go by bus or mrt, but does the PAP govt care? Worse, a working elderly has to pay 10% of his/her meagre pay to medisave even when they hv medisave that satisfies the requisite minimum sum set by the govt.. What for, when they’re in the twilight years with only a few more years left? Can’t the govt let them reap the fruits of their decades of labour than to insist on taking away 10% of their pay, ostensibly for medisave but in reality, simply ‘cos our PAPie ruling clique wants to hv monies in the CPF to support their monstrous ministerial pay? Is this socially conscionable, to borrow a quote from Prof Tommy Koh???
Geo said
I am of the opinion there is a tremendous “UNequal” distribution of the Nation’s resources and wealth…….we have so much in GIC and Temasek and getting even more form their investments…..but the lower social bottom portion of Singaporean somehow are forgotten in the nation building and planning. Professor Lim Chong Yah has came up with a much talk about idea, great idea but ????……..Our Ministers with “out of this world” salaries……(of course to be fair some do deserve it, but many don’t…..unproven); has no “solutions” for this old age problem……even medical costs at polyclinics and Govenment hospitals are crazily priced……many good drugs are NON standard and UNsubsidisied for Singaporean….would you believe it?
Another double standard……..Our Ministers told the private and public sectors to hire more “older” workers above 50s, 60s……..what the PAP doing? ……..getting younger and younger ministers and MPs?……..
We should be looking at the older ones…..who had make it…..and get them to contribute to society in their last lap before they leave this world….RE-Tyre……and run on leaving an heritage in their names……eh?
Geo
Daft Peasants said
Loong & Party: Ooi, lao eh…..you all want to die, die faster hor…..we will not support hor…..faster die so that to make space for my dear Foreign Talents hor…….Why? No money huh? Go work lah……don’t expect me to give you money……you see my father ah neh lao liao still working leh…..retired ki lan…… No money then move to JB la……
Ah Lao: …………
* STILL GOT 60.1% THINKS THEY ARE EXCELLANT!!!! *
Kk said
I don’t think this lady ever made any cpf contribution? Did she choose to be working to pass time or did she ever seek help? If nv, blame who? I have know of elderly who still wants to work despite having enough to spend..
Kk said
Just to add on. Just wondering: if the old lady had been working there for 3 years, did anyone who came across the old lady walked up to ask why is she still working? And in our walks of life, have anyone ever walk up to any elderly and ask them why are they still working?
Why hasn’t anyone question the ugly behavior of the man who punch the old lady? Are Singpaoreans getting more ungracious?
What if the old lady was punched while getting up the bus? Blame the government for not have security on the bus?
Singaporean said
Just came back from kopitiam IMM, I encounter a rude cleaner who shout at me and my gf LAI LAI LAI want us to get out of her way. Conclusion is that some of them really deserve a tight slap. She must thank god that I am kind, if other people l think she may die on the spot.
Wendy said
Surely the elderly can work if they want do. If not, they can get quite bored doing nothing at home. At her age, it is very difficult to find other work. I knows this as my 70 yrs old mum works as a cleaner. Despite us children pleading with her not to, she insists on doing it to pass time and interact with colleagues n friends at her workplace.