When nurturing of basic values like character building is shunted in favour of super memory skills.

When subjects like Bible Knowledge is scrapped due to economic futility.

When the leaders at the helm demonstrated that they will not serve the nation, serve the people with a salary that is vastly superlative to that of even the President of the United States.

When the leaders themselves plot to put the old geezers who are no longer of economic value where they belong; out of the country which they had helped to build up for the most part of their lives.

Then you would get sad cases like this, when educated people like lawyers, will remove the old and useless from their own homes. Never mind, it’s their own father.

Loyalty to country? Inclusive society? What is the economic viability? What’s the bottom line?

Earn as much moolah as you can and get out of the country as soon as you can. Before you get exported out. The land is simply too costly here.

TODAY
A home is not home
Ansley Ngansley

WHEN his two children spoke of sending him to an old folks’ home after his
vision waned in July, retiree Peter Chan (not his real name) tried getting a
job, thinking it would make them change their minds.

But the 69-year-old — who was then living alone in a rented room — could
not even fill up application forms correctly because of his poor vision.

His two children — a son and daughter in their 40s — said they were busy
and could not take care of him.

Afraid that he might hurt himself if he lived alone in his condition, his
children left him at the Geylang East Home for the Aged in Aljunied Crescent two
months ago.

Defeated and disappointed with his children, Mr Chan, who is divorced, took
some time to get used to living there. The home has 34 residents, 24 of whom
were found sleeping in the streets by social workers.

“I already felt lonely living outside on my own. I thought this was worse,”
the quiet, bespectacled man told Today in Mandarin. “But what can I do? I have
to accept my fate.”

Since then, Mr Chan has made friends at the home and spends his time
playing games and singing karaoke. He looks forward to Tuesdays, when he meets
his former schoolmates from Chung Cheng High School for lunch and tea.

Despite this, Mr Chan still has problems understanding why his son — a
lawyer living with his wife, two young children and mother-in-law — could not
take him into his semi-detached home.

He is also sore that his children pay the home $500 a month and do not give
him an allowance.

Said Mr Chan: “They said they will only give me money after I have drawn
out all my CPF savings.”

But the former civil servant said he does not need the money and would be
happier if his children just realised that all he wants is more time with them.

“Whenever I call them to find out how they are, they tell me they are busy
— then hang up quickly,” said Mr Chan. “Money and work are not everything.
Family ties are more important.”