Taking Care Of The Elderly: Why Should We Do it- Part 3

But that's not all.

In fact the minibonds scandal is just a small microcosm of the general problem that we have in Singapore. As proven in the two videos in Part 1, there has been a general shortfall of what we are supposed to do for the elderly in Singapore.

In Asia, we have been told that we are, unlike those in other cultures in some other countries, we actually do respect our elders more; we do take care of our elders more; and in general, we do respect their opinions more, and carry out as such without complains.

In general, that is the truth. But sometimes, like in other culture in other countries, we, as humans, also fall short. We speak about all three, but we do not, at times, practice what we preach.

We all know that we will all grow old. In one way or another, as time passes, we ourselves will pass the batons to the younger generations. We will give that baton to that young baby 20 years down the line. And as such, once we age, we will not expect ourselves to perform the way we can now.

And because of this, its only natural that younger people will take care of the old, as with now where we take care of our parents when they retire, and when our parents took care of their own parents during their time. It means society has a moral obligation to the earlier and later generations, that we have a stake in each others life.

So, if we are to do that, then our actions must reflect that. But somehow along the line, as our own Singapore's Greatest Generation toiled in the early days of Singapore to make Singapore what is now, some of them, now old, have to toil selling tissue paper, collecting cardboards and cans for recycling, and generally begging on the streets so that they can earn $5 to $10 for 1 or 2 daily meals. To them, a plate of char kway teow or fishball noodles with coffee are a luxury.

And that's not all.

Even the better ones, the ones who can rent a HDB flat, often have to choose between the medicine, and the rent, and the food. And if they sacrifice food, they either often go very hungry, or have to wait for charity organisations' volunteers to ring them to give them rice, eggs and milk, and to cook for them. Sometimes they have to choose between the rent and medicine, and hence, they are forced to go out to collect cardboards to pay the rent and to pay for medicine.

And most likely than not, they usually don't.

Let's be honest here: when our elders, even those whom we don't know, are forced to choose between paying for the rent, or paying for food, it affects us even though she or he ain't our grandparents. A retired old man shouldn't be left to fend for himself even though he's now old.

I mean, I know my own grandparents, from both sides, were lucky enough to enjoy a retired lifestyle. My grandparents raised me, taught me certain values that I, as anyone else must have. They also fed me, and took care of me when my parents were away. And as such, they now enjoy retired life. Now my grandma cooks for my cousin, and my dad's sister- my aunt, and for her husband, my grandpa. She now goes to do community service as a retiree in a club for retirees. She enjoys the life she has, and knows how lucky her family, my family and herself are.

But not all elderly people share the same luck. I wish God would give them the same luck that my family has enjoyed as a middle class family. And in such I believe, taking care of the elderly is not just a responsibility; its a right. Its a moral obligation, by God, that we not only respect our elderly through words, but through actions as well.

That's why I don't believe that just because one family, like mine, is lucky, and healthy, we benefit, while others whom hadn't been lucky or healthy, will have no-one else to took to. That's not what our values are about. That's not a receipt for strong social cohesion. That's not we believe as "asian values". That's not we are as a people. It just go against what we believe as a value that says we have a stake in each others lives and in each other's success.

And that's not certainly rewarding the greatest generation for their hard work over the years.

We have to take care of them- and this means that the so-called "Ownership society" and "kiasuism" idea and culture has to be halted. If we are to be really a great country, that we have to seriously start taking care of our elderly, by means of action and not by empty words?

The question is: do we want to? Will the government play their role? Or are we destined to say but not do or do too little? We have time still, but we are running out of time.

And if we do nothing now, it will get worse for the rest of us, and especially our parents, whom most are baby boomers.