John, 64 years old
I’m John, 64 this year. I stayed here for almost 2 years after my divorce. My previous flat went to my wife, I got a little bit of money. A little bit but not much because of my children’s education. And then I moved here. Because if you want to stay in any 3-room 4-room flat, now I rent from them it is gonna cost you at least $2000. Huh. So it is not easy for people who are retired to be living in a 3- 4-room flat ... if they don’t have income.
“How do you find living here?”
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I got nothing to complain. I’ve got everything here. There’s no better thing that I can do so I got to accept it.
“What are some of your greatest worries you face currently?”
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My greatest worry… is because my cpf was stolen by the government. Ya when I turn uh 60. A lot of people in Singapore are disappointed. Especially the old. ... This is the forms they sent me and told me “go, go, go and fill up this, after that then i can give you 30%”. When I took the forms to my doctor he laughed at me. Because I didn’t read decently. No doctor will sign it for me when they see me in this condition. You have to be in bed, totally reliable on other people or totally incapacitated, or maybe lose both your legs or something like that so you cannot work. And it cost me $15 to go from Tampines to Serangoon where my doctor is, and $15 back. Cost me $30 to go and throw the papers back at them. I said “don’t you bloody hell read what you are giving me?”. When I emailed them, they said “We are looking into your enquiry and will reply you as soon as possible”. He says within 3 working days or something like that. I waited and tell them “your 3 working days is now 7 or 6 working days already, when you reply?” So this is the way they want to do business huh? You get what i mean? I’ve lost a million of dollars in stock market before, I know, ok, how it is to lose money, but it is money from my pocket, but I don’t blame anybody for it. But this is taken from me. By force. That I cannot tahan (withstand).
“According to the CPF policy, they will give you some sum every month. They didn’t give you?”
Well they offered me $400 a month, but to date I have not gone to collect my monthly payment from there because I want this resolved, on principle. I’m supposed to fill up a form or what, which I have not bothered. I don’t care. Not to say I don’t need the money you know? I need the $400, it is so important to me. But on principle until I sort this out, I cannot accept. So have to cut down you know? I mean what is $400 that they are offering in Singapore these days? My rental here, my handphone here, my internet charge here … already more money already. Huh.
“You mentioned that CPF referred you to SSO right? How was the process like?”
Ya. I went up and down 3 months to the office and back, all kinds of documents they want this and that, my bank account details, daughters’ IC these that everything they want. I give them la. I have it all in writing with proper seal and chop, they took it from me. Few weeks later, they denied my application.
“What was SSO supposed to give you?”
It was very that one la. They said your daughter working this that you know and then in the end after seeing my bank account, even after my statutory, he actually told me “erm ya ok, but we can’t give you much you know? And not for too long also”. I said okay fine then tell me what you can do, how you can help? $300 also ok”. I had to list down all my expenses and all that. You know, I’m not that kind of person who will go and approach for help.
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“They didn’t specify anything in details?”
No totally nothing but officially in writing was in denial. This is the time I needed my money most, because I used up a lot of money on my kids’ education, almost $600 - $700,000. Then my settlement also, I gave a lot to my wife. Don’t you think that I need my bloody CPF to go forward? Hmm? Can you imagine cash from your bank is stolen 20 over thousand? To your card. So you ask me about my health? I’m glad I’m still alive, because I got a very strong mind.
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“Previously you mentioned that you were sacked from your job because of your health?”
Ya, I have a letter somewhere because I did not turn up. It’s true because sometimes I can’t even get out of bed to go to the toilet. So of course I went to take MC la.
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“When was the last time you stopped working?”
Couple of months ago. I can show you my workforce, they have been paying money into my CPF and various courses that I have done to the workforce. I have done about 8 courses since 2015. 7 or 8 you know. I got all kinds of certificates, no bloody use to me. And they’re saying give the old jobs listed. I have done all the process payments, restaurants whatever it is. I was chosen to study cooking at curry house in Casuarina in Upper Thomson. What they promised me to get if I go for that course and all that, my stall as a senior would be subsidized by the government. That’s what I understood. So I say okay, since he is one of the top roti prata man in singapore, cost $4,000 but i only have to pay $400 with the subsidy. But when I come back they said “we’ll give you a stall, but on MARKET value.” what for? why do i want to pay market value for your stall? I wasted 2.5, 3 months. Is that fair to me?
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“Was it written in black and white or was that a verbal kind of agreement?”
At first it was there understood that we would get subsidies and all that. That was in writing, but how much subsidy they didn’t say. So I’ve done all the things, you understand? I’ve done much more than most seniors do. Hmm. But now I can’t really work, I can work la. I can sit down do computer work but I’m not very well versed with the computer so what the hell for you know? But without the incentive and want to do something, but your mind is not there, you are not doing your work properly then your employer comes and screws you.
“What is your medical condition?”
My spine, i got 2 problems. One is the nerve there giving problem which is shifted, the other one is a bone problem that i had when i was a school boy, i was an athlete. Since then, it was aggravated now, so if I twist wrongly it will affect me already. But I could still manage to work actively but recently last 2, 3 years ever since they take away and treated me like this, i let my health go. You understand not? Like the guy sitting there i told you, bo sim (gave up on life) what. For my high blood all that, yes, I’m on medication. I also got knee problem. It goes out of joint. So you want to do an honest work, say work in a casino as a coffee boy or this or that, you know how much you got to walk anot? 10 hours you know and only 45 minutes break. No mercy one. And the supervisor, if they (we) are a bit careless then they scold them in front of everybody. How can? And you cannot do anything. That’s the way they treat the elderly. At least la, you want to make elderly work, be reasonable. We all don’t mind working. Then put it down there, as employer, every time there is an elderly 60 or 65 and over, maximum working hours, 8 hours, and increase the salary. You see they are getting over $6, $6.50 an hour. Make it $8, $8.50 an hour. Make it worth their while. $60 over a day, I also work what. Whether I got my back problem or what, 8 hours I can still tahan (bearable), but 12 hours, and don’t forget your travelling time up and down. When are you going to sleep at our age? Huh? I’m trying to work and all that like I told you I got all the qualification. I have gone to work at the rendezvous hotel and buffet, MINDS in the casino there as the buffet, breakfast, this and that. I work as a dishwasher in a Fort hotel, a Japanese restaurants in airport. I work all over the bloody place. Not because I don’t want to work but I have to give up.
“Are there any voluntary welfare organizations that come by to help?”
There are two ladies, come from some organizations, and they want to start an exercise for old people centre downstairs in December. Are you interested uh? I said I’ll support you la, give you my name and number but I won’t go uh. Haha it’s not for me la that kind of activity. I mean go ahead and try la, obviously somebody is taking out money for that what, otherwise where the money come from? And what an idea. Do you think old people will go down and exercise. Obviously there is a reason why they’re doing this, because there are a lot of elderlies who are sick. Like I’ve said, the first thing is want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, have to exercise, clean mind, no more pressure. You tell that makcik (aunty) la, after coming back from casino working 10 hours, come down for exercise, you think what she will tell you? She will give you a slap haha.
Oh they also have this free haircut every 2 months or something like that, you see the notice outside. I mean there are people who will spend their time and do something. There are good people in Singapore. I can see that these people are going around, a lot of notices, free haircuts and all that. To me, go ahead and do it if you all got money, but don’t take it from the people haha. To me, when you are dealing with things like this, the government should take a bigger part. Don’t depend on people. They are always depending on people’s goodness of heart to provide money for the poor people or for whatever it is. Shouldn’t be like that.
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“What are some of the changes you would like to see in your life?”
Give me my CPF money! That will solve all my unhappiness. Let me live my ripe old age. You see if they have given me my CPF, I would have probably gone for the course for food.
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*names have been modified for anonymity purposes