Tan Chuan-Jin reminds Singaporeans to help those who fall through govt’s ‘social safety net’
Posted by temasektimes on August 6, 2012
Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin has reminded Singaporeans to help those who are struggling to survive and have fallen through the government’s ‘social safety net.’
Speaking at an annual charity event of Darul Arqam, the Muslim Converts’ Association of Singapore, Mr Tan said there are many assistance schemes in Singapore’s social safety net, but it may be more important to catch people before they fall.
“That’s where, as a community, I’d suggest sometimes be a bit more ‘kay poh’ (nosy). When you talk to people, you actually find out a lot of things which we may not realise. Sometimes by talking to them, you realise they’re struggling. Then you can step in to help, earlier,” said Mr Tan.
Unlike other First World countries, Singapore does not have a comprehensive social safety net to help its citizens who are expected to work for as long as they can till they drop dead and die.
Though Singaporeans have the highest saving rates in the world, most of their life savings are locked away in their CPF accounts which they are unable to utilize.
THE TEMASEK TIMES 
pohsan said
I agree with Tan CJ’s brilliant suggestion!
And the most effective way to help those sporeans who fall through the govt’s safety net is to convince these sporeans the PAP has failed them big time and thus do not deserve their votes.
tanhoo said
Oh shits. Setting the grounds to implement their failed forced annuity scam again?
Or increase GST to help seal the cracks? Fark.
SkinFT said
lol so damn funny. instead of state helping the needy, he advocates the common people helping each other out. then why do we need you for? draw millions of dollars?
singapore is really a unique place to stay but not die. 😀
Even PRC protects her people through complex employment laws and so much that companies are starting to leave PRC for good or limit their production there.
Singapore……KEE CHIU. LOL.
Cher said
We have another acting minister, play acting again. Why can’t the government provide free medical services to old folks, 60 and above. We are worst off than poorer countries like China, Malaysia, Thailand, etc…………… Hongkong Macau. Shame to the country full of lousy ministers, collecting obscene salary?
FedUpSingaporean said
you’re positively right…
Leopards unchanged said
Why are senior citizens who earn up to 1k a month still required to pay 10% towards Medisave when they hv barely enuff to pay for higher medical fees, and transport esp when many are barely mobile and need taxi transport to go to work? Why can’t govt subsidise to give free MRT/bus transport and medical to help them in their twilight years and to free them from hving to contribute to Medisave in light of their past contributions to society? Can’t govt release more CPF to them being their own money anyway than release a mere pittance of some $300 a month as presently or less for quite a few of them to be reduced to beggars? Can most children support their elderly parents when they (the children) are themselves bogged down with earning their bare living in an insecure job environment as common working ppl esp if they hv a family, unlike the well-heeled famiLEEs and their cronies?
Tan Chuan Jin shd bear in mind and empathise with the hardships of the common ppl b4 he opens his big mouth to ‘advise’ us to empathise with ourselves!
G said
While this is going on, 4BILLION is pledged to the IMF. Glamorous on the outside, rotting on the inside.
dog of the dogs said
I would like to remind him to use the monies spending on FTs winning medels to help these poors. Medals cannot solve hunger.
ngpy said
At least the Acting Minister is fully aware that Many Fellow Citizens have fall through the Government Social Safety Net, but opinion suggest it is not they fall through, it is delibrately to let slip through to their close knitted friends or relations and of course to own satisfaction first. Reasons I said to reoganized and reshuffles and to make changes to what is not right is in the correct directions.
A G Young said
Mr. Tan, how can we help them when we can hardly help ourselves. .
enough said
what safety net, there is none
he must be halucinnating
so now it seems it is our responsibility
getting paid obscenely and now he tells us that it is our job to help him
pigs are always robbing the poor to pay the rich
in bad times they cut cpf contribution, everytime, and yet ministers pay remain the same
isnt this robbing the poor, as the poor need cpf for retirement
increase of busfare, water rates, erp charges, hdb prices, electricity ,is all an example of robbing the poor to sustain
the millions being paid to the pigministers
i say what i think only... said
screw up the citizens then tell other citizens to clean up the gov ass. we are very willing to help fellow citizens but the shit splurt out by gov is too thick and smelly, there is a limit to what we can do… consider cleaning up your shit abit yourself
Victor said
Another wayang to win votes? Really match up to his appointme, ACTING MINISTER. If these people didnt know the ground situation, why are we paying them millions for?
Must admit, first class acting, MR. ACTING MINISTER!!!
Lim said
Why don’t kaypoh at utilities providers and ask them why “over the past eight years, electricity rates have increased by about 75 per cent” (Town council spokesman on why S&C going up so much)? How are the poor going to cope?
Bao Ching Tian said
If the government doesn’t want to help the poor, does it expect common people to help them? How much can the average Singaporean help out when he has his own family and dependents to support?
Singapuraboi said
Chan Chun Sing why r u using the pronoun ‘you’? May we ask why? Are u not Singaporean urself and aren’t our ministers Singaporeans too? U guys make millions a year and u r telling Singaporeans who have no jobs or living in fear of losing our livelihood to FTs to help the poor? U must be joking! Pls stop talking, u r making more mistakes and creating irrevocable damage for ur party.
Singapuraboi said
Oops I gaffed I meant Tan Chuan Jin.
P Koh said
Take the $4 billion and help those who are really in desperation and sustain them long enough to find a solution where they
can continue living a simple and meaningful existence in Singapore. A retirement village with basic necessities for those who are waiting for the twillight years to extinguish would at least give them some dignity to go away once and for all in a peaceful and non-depressive manner.