As I type this post, heavy hearted, tired and emotional. People always say the Singapore government takes care of us well, on a certain level yes I do have to agree. But as of 2020 I lost faith as I felt my country leaders turned their back on me when I needed them the most.
And all who know me will know a little bit of my background. But let me spell it out to all of you once again and I wish that this message will reach all the relevant bodies and department so you all will realize that being able bodied, being young DOES NOT CERTAINLY MEAN I cannot be homeless so where are the leaders when I needed help the most?
My dad pass away 21 years ago when I was just 5 years old, stabbed right in front of my eyes. Do you realize the horror? Because I still do, up till today I still remember how it feels. After my dad passed away, my mother was incarcerated when I was at the age of 12. Because I have nobody left, I was sent to live with my aunt which I suffered abuse under and no, the government of the social services did not saved me. I ran away from home to escape the pain, only to be look upon like a juvenile and put into a home for 3 years until my mother was released.
Fast forward, my mother was incarcerated again when I was 19/20 years old? I wrote in to Khaw Boon Wan on the
9th January 2015 when I was 20 years old, explaining my situation etc and asking for help to rent a 1 room rental flat from HDB (please see attached)
27th January 2015 – I received an email reply from HDB. Giving me the reason that I am not eligible for the HDB rental flat because I am earning $1800 before CPF and because my mother and brother is incarcerated (See attached again)
3rd February 2015 – I replied to the HDB email and boom…. She just stopped replying and responding.
Okay, up till this point I would like to stress. Please do your math, $1800 – CPF = $1440 take home. With rental fees, necessities and all in a month I am barely left with anything every month end. If I have parental support out here without my mother and brother being incarcerated, you think I would still appeal for a HDB flat? And you still used that as an excuse to turn me down?
6th November 2015 – I wrote in to Lee Hsien Long.
Alot of asking of documents from HDB which I promptly submitted, all the way until 2016 Chinese new year and suddenly no more news yet again from HDB. I didn’t give up.
28th March 2016 – I wrote into HDB rental department again, appealing for yet just a 1 room rental flat. And at the same time, I wrote in to Teo Ho Pin email seeking help and for him to assist what he can do.
But still over the 1 year plus, no help rendered and I was still constantly renting a room by myself. So you mean that I’m not considered no family support and other housing options?
So I got attached with my husband in 2016 and move in with him. Got married, had 2 kids but suffered violence and his infidelity because I didn’t dare to move out. It was no longer just about me, it’s ME AND MY KIDS. I took years to convince myself for a better future for me and my kids, I had to be strong. I was working with Feiyue and all they did was to tell me they can refer me to homes / shelters, but hello? I AM HOMELESS, I did not break the law. All I wanted and needed is a home to call my own, a roof over my child head so they never have to worry about what tomorrow will bring. Is it that hard?
Do you have kids? Or does it look like I was the one who asked my family to be incarcerated?
Fast forward again, I moved out of my husband house on the 1st November 2019. Up till date I wrote to Muralli once only to have him call my social worker from feiyue saying that there is NOTHING he can do much as HDB rules are rules. So again you mean, bringing 2 child moving houses to houses is healthy? Or staying in a home is healthy for my kids to grow up in? I am just a normal citizen, a mother, someone’s daughter and all I wanted was to apply for a 2 room rental flat to tide me over from now till my divorce is finalized so I can then apply for a house with my kids after the final judgement.
Yesterday 11th February 2020,
I was kicked out of my rented place. Nowhere to go. And all feiyue did was ask me to bring my kids to a home in Serangoon because THAT’S THE ONLY place that can take me in. Mind you, my kids school are in Tradehub 21, I work in Henderson. How early do you expect my kids to wake up so I have sufficient time to send them to Tradehub for school then go to work, how late do you expect my kids to sleep after I end work at 6pm and I travel to pick them then head back to Serangoon? And when I prob further, my social worker still can tell me “If you move into the Serangoon one, then that’ll be where you’ll be staying for until HDB gets back again or you rent from the open market. But I think we should work towards the open market cause the chances are slim as you are earning $2000 and the max cap for HDB is $1500. And you’re not officially divorce yet.”
You mean $2000 – CPF = $1600 take home for 3 PEOPLE is enough plus rental from open market? Have you all ever wondered if all of you leaders have lent a helping hand from the first place I wouldn’t have been lost and helpless for yesterday, not knowing where to go or what tomorrow will bring? All I wanted was a rental flat so my salary can still be sufficient for me and my kids. You all built rental flats only to turn down me and my kids because I am earning $2000? Because YOU THINK that I can afford rental from the open market? BECAUSE I am not divorced yet. BECAUSE I do not have the deed of separation yet. Then from now until my divorce takes place and judgement come, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OF ME AND MY KIDS? Sleep at swimming complex? Move from houses to houses?
As a mother, it pains me because I am unsure of my decision to leave a abusive marriage is better or to stay and tolerate but at least my kids have a roof over their head is better. I do not ask you to feed my kids for me, I take the responsibility for it. BUT NOT HAVING FAMILY, NOT HAVING A HOME IS NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR throughout my growing up years even up till date.
Now you know why there’s so many women who suffered a bad marriage but live with it till they die? Not because they are weak, but because they are weary and unsure. The government bodies portray a colourful rainbow, promises a bed of roses only to turn down a single mother with 2 kids pushing them to stay in homes instead of just renting her a 2 room flat 🤗
So thank you, thank you for making me give up on hope and faith. Thank you for the days of traumatized and helplessness. Thank you for making me failed as a mother. Thank you for making me doubt my decision to leave a failed marriage. Thank you for all the times you turned me away and all the empty promises.
I hope any of you sees this post and realize how you left a young teenager back then and now a single mother of 2 boys to fend for herself or to sleep on the streets.