Friday, April 13, 2018

An opinion piece to The Singapore Government: Full time MPs in a better position to help the vulnerable : By: Raymond Anthony Fernando



It is troubling to read two newspaper reports of 29-year-old Muhammad Nurizam who was sentenced to 15 months’ jail last week for committing a host of offences including sexual crimes in the Tanjong Pagar area, “Serial offender jailed 15 months for theft, obscene acts, molestation”; April 11. 2018, The Straits Times and “Man jailed 15 months for theft and sex offences, The New Paper, April 11, 2018).


 

Criminal Legal Aid lawyer Mr Melvin Loh informed District Judge Mathew Joseph that Muhamad who had lower than average IQ, has a history of major depressive and exhibitionistic disorders.

 

In passing sentence, Judge Mathew Joseph displayed much empathy and called on the social welfare authorities to look into the repeat offender’s case.

 

It is a known fact that an ‘idle mind is a devil’s workshop’ and sadly, desperate times leads to people who lack support to resort to desperate measures.  Without key social support, lack of love and feeling isolated, I am not at all surprised that Mr Nurizam has to grapple with depression. More so when he was abandoned at a young age and had to sleep in the void decks.

 

This is the grave situation which many sufferers of mental illness struggle with every day of their lives. In addition, many lonely seniors are grappling with loneliness and their lives are in jeopardy.   

 

Thus, it is crucial that unflagging support comes from the community and government agencies.  We just cannot turn a blind eye to the vulnerable in our society. More so when the government leaders repeatedly give the assurance that they want to build an inclusive society where every citizen matters.

 

Perhaps it is time for our Members of Parliament (MPs) – both from the opposition wards and the ruling PAP party to go full time, rather than serve part-time. All MPs, including the Mayors and their grassroots leaders need to go on regular walkabouts to stay in touch with their constituents, to better understand ground sentiments. 

 

There are many elderly and sick residents and the mentally ill, who are unable, for one reason or the other, to attend the Meet-The Peoples’ sessions and those who are in a position to help must find it in their hearts to walk alongside them.

 

When the elected MPs are out of touch with the ground, more social problems will set in and this is happening – time and again.
Without my sounding superstitious, Friday 13 brought bad luck to me today. I went out to post office and forgot to turn off the fire on the cooker where I was cooking. Seems I am becoming very forgetful of late. The gas was on for two hours, and I’m sure my PUB bill will go up. My pots that I usually cook with had to be thrown away as it was badly burnt. (See sample of the picture I took). Fortunately, the Lord must have been watching over my home or my flat would have been burnt down.

It is just as troubling and a really sad state of affairs that my numerous cries for help has gone unnoticed.  And it is not that both my MP and Mayor are not aware of my grave situation.

 

 

Raymond Anthony Fernando

 

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