TR EMERITUS

The research found that some people said local jobs were hard to come by. (17 Jun) - Open Society Foundations, set up by US billionaire George Soros, spent a year talking to residents of Higher Blackley, Greater Manchester for the research. It found they felt disempowered and disillusioned after years of mass immigration. Last year Left-wing think-tank Demos, said Census data showed ethnic minorities are becoming less integrated in England and Wales. It found 4.6 million ethnic minority citizens – about 45 per cent of the total black and Asian population – now live in areas where whites are the minority, compared to 25 per cent 10 years ago. The proportion of non-whites in Higher Blackley is now 15 per cent. Locals said jobs were hard to come by, and TV shows such as Benefits Street did not help by presenting the white working class as lazy scroungers. Amina Lone, report co-author, said: “This research reveals a complex set of influences impacting people’s lives in Higher Blackley. “Society cannot afford to leave communities like this behind.” Source: www.express.co.uk/news/uk/482907/White-working-class-left-behind  Read More →

(Photo: FAP Facebook page) When 76 year-old Ms Rene Yap brought up her financial woes at Mr Hri Kumar’s forum for Thompson-Toa Payoh residents about the Central Provident Fund, she had requested for Mr Hri Kumar’s help with “getting her money back”, or rather what she felt was due to her in her CPF account. She might not have realised that it has started a cyber-lynching effort against her. “That’s all I want. Give me back my money,” she said. “CPF, give me back my money. And make it as soon as possible. Because (at) 76, I won’t be able to live (long). I got to ask… God to make me live 50 years to get my RA (Retirement Account) back. So will you please?” At the end of the forum, Mr Hri Kumar reportedly told The Sunday Times: “This is a resident who has an issue. I spoke with her personally after the dialogue and I’ll be doing my best to assist her. She’s a resident in one of the landed estates in Thomson.” Unfortunately, this indication of where Ms Yap could be living might have led some online sleuths to “uncover” her residential address, in a bid to discredit her need for her CPF reserves. In an image post titled “Feeling sorry for her? She stays in a bigger house than you”, Fabrications About the PAP (FAP), a Facebook page known for its support of the ruling People’s Action Party, published a picture of the front of Ms Yap’s home, including the street name of the property. “Auntie chose not to withdraw her CPF at 55,” the post charged. “Auntie has been receiving monthly payouts; auntie is well to do. Auntie asked for some flexibility on her remaining CPF, but now used as a political tool by irresponsible opposition…” The post incited many to accuse her of making a sham of her poverty, alluding that Ms Yap could have sold her house to support herself instead of asking for the return of the money in her retirement account. Others, however, agreed that her money should be returned to her. At time of publishing, the post garnered more than 220 shares and more than 556 comments. FAP did not indicate whether MS Yap owns or rents the pictured property, only that she stays there. Nevertheless, the post by FAP could be a breach of personal privacy, and there are many necessary questions pertaining the revelation. Why was it even relevant for Mr Hri Kumar to mention that Ms Yap stays in a landed property, and has it caused unnecessary lynching behaviour by selected members of the online community? Would FAP bear the responsibility for hate crime committed against the building and its occupants? How did FAP come to know about Ms Yap’s address? Did anyone among Mr Kumar’s grassroots leaders reveal her address to members of FAP? Or did members of FAP stalk Ms Yap to her home following the forum? Will Mr Kumar conduct an investigation to find out? Does Mr Hri Kumar support such a posting by known supporters of the PAP? TOC has posed some of these questions to Mr Hri Kumar. At time of publishing, Mr Hri Kumar has not replied. We will include his replies once we receive them. TOC sought Mr Hri Kumar’s view on this issue, not only because the incident happened during his forum, but also because Mr Hri Kumar has spoken out previously against the hateful conduct online. “There are many instances online where people snap photographs of others in public spaces for the purpose of subjecting them to online ridicule and scorn,” he had said. “The question is whether we as a society find this acceptable, and if not, whether the Government should step in.” It is not clear if Mr Hri Kumar’s statement was meant to cover potential breaches in personal privacy as well. * Article first appeared in The Online Citizen.  Read More →

TRE reader Jasmine Tan complained about bad service she encountered when her mother was sent by ambulance to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) in late May. You may read about what transpired and the back-and-forth communications between her and the hospital here: Feedback on bad service at TTSH Feedback on bad service at TTSH – Part 2 Happily, the episode has ended well, at least for Jasmine as she has been contacted by a social worker who has given her the advice she was seeking. Ms Tan's last email to TTSH: Dear Ms Ong, I am agreeable to this arrangement but pls let such screw ups be the last as we the people should not be made to pay for this government's mistakes or mismanagement. Yours faithfully, was in reply to an email from TTSH Quality Service Manager, Gwendolyn Ong, on 13 June: Dear Ms Tan, I note that Senior Social Work Assistant Ms Kum Huiting spoke with you previously, and she provided you with the necessary advice on financial assistance. I also understand that you shared with her some of your concerns on Medisave coverage of ED bill. I have checked this with our Business Office, and I wish to highlight that TTSH ED bill can be incorporated with AH bill to tap on Medisave coverage. Kindly advise if you would like to go ahead with this arrangement to merge the two bills. Please let me know if I can clarify further. Thank you Ms Tan. Hope to hear from you soon. Yours sincerely Gwendolyn ONG (Ms.) For Quality Service Manager While this case may have ended relatively well, questions were raised by Ms Tan which highlighted some organizational shortfalls facing the medical services. Ms Tan observed that there was confusion among the hospital staff in the dissemination of information to patients and their families. A more serious complaint was that there appeared to be poor or no coordination between the hospital staff and the predominantly foreign doctors. Compassion for ill patients was absent as the hospital seemed to be run like a business entity. Payments are usually asked for in advance with or without Medisave or insurance coverage. Patients are transferred to other hospitals without the courtesy of their families being informed because of bed shortages (which is the subject of another heated public debate). It seems that unless customers "bang table", complain officially about poor service to a relevant authority and copy the letters of complaint to social media, as in Ms Tan's case, most cases would be dismissed peremptorily and the grouses simply ignored - perhaps with the excuse, "We have so many sick people and so few doctors, nurses and beds." In an industry based on healing the sick, where is the compassion? Most importantly of all, what is the Minister of Health going to do to improve our healthcare services, including and especially the service aspect?  Read More →