Facebook user Meng Shuen Koh shared a heart-wrenching story about an old woman that he met on the MRT.
He said that an old woman asked him how to go to Sentosa from Bedok, he duly told her that she needs to ride to Outram Park to change trains. Worried that she would lose her way, Koh accompanied her to Outram Park as a courtesy.
Hourly pay of $5
During the journey, he found out that she was in fact on her way to Sentosa to look for work. She lives in Sembawang and works as a cleaner and dishwasher, earning $5 per hour, and is going to Sentosa because her friend told her that they are paying $10 per hour to wash dishes.
That day, she worked 4 hours and only made $20. After minusing her travel expenses, she’d have about $16 left.
Son died in NS accident, was never compensated
Koh then asked if she has any children who are taking care of her, to which she replied that her husband died a long time ago, and her only son also allegedly died during a “heli-rappeling” exercise with the Commandos many years ago, to which she said that the government would compensate her for her son’s death with a payout of $300 every month, but she added: “Until now where got? One cent also I never receive from them. (sic)”
The old woman said that if she doesn’t work, she will starve to death.
She added: “eat lunch, eat dinner already $5, already one hour of work gone. Left $15, sometimes don’t eat better I think. (sic)”
Had 4 major surgeries, sold her house to pay fees
She also revealed to Koh that she is 82 years old and has had 4 major heart surgeries, each one costing her about $40,000. Koh asked her how she could afford the exorbitant fees, she told him that she had to sell her house to afford the fees.
Koh wrote: “She sold her house. To not die.”
Minimum wage
Koh also added that despite the woman’s age and how screwed she is by the system, she still wants to work more. Instead of complaining to her boss that she is paid too little, she just asks to be allowed to work more.
He questioned Singapore’s minimum wage model, or rather, the lack of it, saying that nobody should be working menial labour for $5 an hour.
He also revealed that his first part time job 10 years ago, he was paid $5.50 an hour at Subway and lamented about how 10 years later (today) there are still people being paid $5 an hour.
He summed up his post, writing: “No public servant deserves to be paid $1M/year.”