Many live on retirement funds if they have it
or on past savings or with their children’s help. Some give home tuition or
drive a taxi.
ONE of
the things I noticed as the process of ageing deepened in recent years was that
strangers would start a conversation with me not in English or even Mandarin –
but dialect.
The
trend became more pronounced as wrinkles multiplied and the body weakened.
When I
was younger, most people would use English on me. Now, dialect is the norm
probably on the assumption that the pre-War generation can’t speak English.
Actually
it was not without basis. Few of my contemporaries did better than a secondary
education. Most had not gone past primary school and grew old with it.
Recently,
a foreign friend asked me: “How does a retiree in Singapore cope with living in
one of the world’s most expensive cities?
“When
you’re retired, no money comes in, but money goes out every day,” he clarified,
so how does the elderly without an income grapple with Singapore’s high cost of
living?
The
short answer is that collectively we are not doing too badly, coming from
Asia’s second richest city. Living standards are relatively high. But
individually things are different – in many cases, anyway.
Many
live on retirement funds if they have it or on past savings or with their
children’s help. Few of my friends give home tuition or drive a taxi.
The
well-to-do are driven around, eat at five-star restaurants and go on annual
holidays, sustained by flourishing businesses or property rentals.
A
former banker said a retiree’s welfare depended on how long he lived beyond
retirement.
“The
first few years would be less of a problem, but the trouble would come when he
lives long after leaving his job, say 15 or 29 years,” he added. The funds
would run out.
Affordability,
however, is only one factor. Struggling with modernity and new technology can
be more of a headache.
Once, I
watched an old gentleman on a wheelchair repeatedly explaining in Hokkien, the
only language he knew, to a hospital receptionist what his problems were.
But the
lady, like many youngsters, could speak only English and Mandarin. She had to
recruit an older nurse who helped with the dialect.
Then, a
new problem ensued. He did not know how to sign his name on a form. The girl
whipped out a thumbprint pad. Problem solved!
This is
not uncommon. I have seen young doctors unable to communicate with elderly
patients because they could not speak dialects. Translators were needed.
Ironic,
isn’t it? Chinese Singaporeans unable to talk to each other in this modern
city.
On
another occasion, an old patient struggled for some five minutes to pull out a
paper cup for a drink of water until a younger person helped him out.
To the
old generation, new-tech life is often brain-wracking – the higher the
technology, the bigger the problem.
Healthcare
in Singapore – first-class in quality – costs a bomb. Last month, I spent 16
days in hospital related to failed kidneys and a weak heart.
The
bill was a whopping S$5,100 (RM12,400) – subsidised rate. I am told that half
of Singapore’s retirees, who total some 288,000, suffer from some form of
chronic sickness.
But
life for us isn’t always bad. For one thing, we get discounts in fees paid for
a number of things ranging from public transport to watching a movie, from
visits to the zoo and to several resorts.
And in
the 2012 Budget announced last month, the authorities drew up more benefits for
senior citizens.
During
years of travelling in trains, I have not encountered too many occasions when
younger people, including Bangladeshis, did not give up their seats for me.
Some of
my elderly friends have not enjoyed the same level of graciousness, insisting
that this is an exception rather than the norm. From my experiences, I have to
disagree.
Last
week, when I was struggling with a chair at a restaurant, a young man sitting
nearby came over to help.
Such
interactions from the young are crucial in making our lives a lot more bearable
as we move around this densely over-crowded island.
Courtesy
has still some way to go, but a government study last week found that young
Singaporeans under 30 – or Gen Y – appeared to have become more gracious.
The bad
news is that welfarism is a dirty word here, although in recent times the
authorities have introduced changes to help the poorer and senior citizens.
But
this affluent city, which enjoys worldwide reputation for its rapid
development, still has one black mark.
To me
the biggest failure is that too many elderly people are cleaning tables at food
courts or washing public toilets instead of playing with their grandchildren at
home.
In
worse cases, they collect used cardboards for sale or sleep in street corners.
Retirement
age is 65 and the government has said it wants to raise it to 69.
But, an
extensive practice of bosses replacing workers once they reach 50 with younger,
cheaper people – particularly foreigners – has made retirement age a bit
redundant.
Many Singaporeans
believe that the government should use the city’s huge reserves to take care of
the older generation which had contributed much to build this country.
Some
have appealed for a minimum wage structure, which is vehemently rejected.
“Instead
of investing them in foreign ventures we use the reserves to provide
S$200-S$300 (RM488-RM730) a month to every citizen once they reach retirement
age,” suggested a reader.
That is
unlikely to happen.
SEAH
CHIANG NEE
The
Star
Business & Investment Opportunities
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