Fatal accident at Buangkok Green - Transport operators can make are safer

9^th March 2013

To: Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew

Dear Mr Lui,

Raymond Fernando’s letter to the press: Fatal accident at Buangkok Green  - Transport operators can make are safer

 

A 28-year-old woman was killed at Buangkok Green, outside IMH. She died from head injuries. I can just imagine the pain the family must be going through. I hope they are given full support by the Government and the mental care providers because grieving is difficult to cope with – more so when a woman in the prime of her life dies so tragically.

I wrote to IMH’s management a few years to improve services there on several issues:

(1) A taxi stand to enable the public & staff to have easier access to commute. It was implemented, thanks to the former CEO of IMH, Prof Kua Ee Hock.

(2) A covered walkway that stretches from the road entering IMH right to the doorstep of IMH so that everyone is sheltered from  the rain & the blazing hot sun. It’s implemented – thanks to Mr Leong Yew Meng, former CEO of IMH.  

Now I’m appealing for a proper bus service which all can benefit from.

We all have to look out for one another, and if things are not right, let’s make it right. That’s the community spirit which I hope the Government will continuously promote at all levels.

My sentiments /suggestions on how we can save lives are best expressed in my letter to the press. I would like to thank The New Paper who has been very supportive of the causes I feel so passionately about.

Letter to The New Paper:

Fatal accident at Buangkok Green  - Transport operators can make are safer

My letter to The New Paper on the above matter is published today, Saturday 9^th March 2013 on page 21

I refer to the report “Reducing deaths on the roads” (The New Paper, yesterday).

I am glad that the Government is taking steps to make our roads safer.

 

Those guilty of speeding and placing themselves and others at risks must feel the long arm of the law.

 

But more needs to be done to protect and save lives. 

Accidents such as the one in which a 28-year-old woman was killed at Buangkok Green, outside the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) can be prevented.

The number of patients seeking treatment at IMH has swelled over the years.  Family members also make trips to see their loved ones in the wards.  Healthcare workers work on shifts and need to make their way in and out of the hospital late at all hours.  I have also seen joggers at the IMH Park.

 

Our public transport operators can do their part as corporate citizens to reduce accidents at Buangkok Green by looping existing bus services through the IMH grounds to make it easier for people to reach the hospital safely. 

 

Most passengers alighting from a public bus now have to walk about 400 metres to reach IMH.

 

If the buses go right up to the hospital, patients, caregivers and staff will benefit and the area can be safer, with fewer pedestrians.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO  

 

Community spirit alive when an elderly citizen faints in bus

5th March 2013

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew

Cc: PM Lee: For info as well.

Dear Mr Lui,

At  around  2pm  yesterday - Monday 4^th March 2013 as I was travelling in Ang Mo Kio feeder bus 265, an elderly Chinese man suddenly fell down inside the bus while trying to make his way from the back of the bus to the front.  The bus had a sizeable crowd.  
 

Three of us - a Chinese lady in her 40s, an elderly Malay man and I tried to carry him up, but boy was he heavy. I guess when a person has fainted his body becomes soft and very heavy.  The old man was drooling and it was so pitiful seeing him in that state.
 

The SBS driver, an Indian, noticing the commotion, stopped the bus as it reached the bus interchange and seeing how we were struggling to carry the old man, moved quickly to the back of the bus, lifted him up; and with our help, managed to seat him down.  I was impressed with how the driver managed to lift him up. Obviously he was well trained by SBS.
 

The driver then made a distress call to the operation’s room at the interchange. Shortly afterward, a uniformed SBS Transit officer came up the bus. I asked the officer to ask him in Chinese the contact number of the elderly man’s family. The senior could not talk, but continued drooling. The officer decided to call for an ambulance, and commuters were asked to alight from the bus as this was an emergency.

 

I applaud the prompt action taken by the SBS driver because he might have just saved a life. Just as important was the community spirit that was very much alive during this incident. There were no barriers put up on race, language or religion. Help was given just like in the kampung days in the early years when everybody looked out for one another.  This is what I love to see. 
 

Let’s hope that the elderly citizen gets well soon.  He’s one of us – on this tiny island. And we will all get old and grey- one day.
 

We all need to be accompanied- whether coping with grief or in different passages of our lives.  And with a rapid ageing population, the community spirit needs to come alive - a programme which I hope the Singapore Government will continue to push for.

 

I would appreciate it if SBS Transit can be kept posted on the swift action taken by the SBS driver. He deserves to be commended as he was able to feel for any human being.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Raymond Anthony Fernando

From Transport Minister:

“Dear Mr Fernando,

 

Thank you for taking the time to write to share this incident with us and for the role that you played to help the elderly Chinese man when he fell. We need more commuters like you who are prepared to step forward and avail themselves when such incidents happen.

We will certainly keep SBS posted.”

 

Best wishes,

 

Lui Tuck Yew

6^th March 2013

 

 

From SBS Transit:

 

Dear Mr Fernando

We received your compliments of our Bus Captain through the Land Transport Authority. We are pleased to know that our Bus Captain had been alert to react swiftly to the situation and was able to manage it well. It is wonderful to know that he has demonstrated the excellent CARES training that he had received from us.

We shall be sure to commend our Bus Captain and to share his good deed with his peers so that they can emulate him. We also wish to thank you for your kindness towards the elderly gentleman and the help that you had rendered towards him. It is indeed heartening to see the community coming together to show concern for another person in need of aid.

Once again, we thank you for your compliment and we wish you a pleasant weekend ahead.

Yours sincerely
Pauline Tan
Head, Customer Relations
SBS Transit

7^th March 2013

 ==============================================================

 

Dear Mr Fernando

Compliment to a bus captain of Service 265

We are truly pleased to learn of your pleasant experience with the said bus captain while travelling on 4 March's afternoon. We have conveyed your compliment to the said bus captain and also commended him for his prompt action and assistance rendered. He was also encouraged to keep up the good work for excellent service . On the other hand, we have also encouraged other bus captains to follow the good example of him. We would like to thank you for your good efforts in sharing with us about your pleasant experience and such commendation will certainly spur our bus captains to perform even better. We also like to thank you and other fellow passengers for coming forward to assist the passenger in needs. Looking forward to your continued support. Yours sincerely Loo Ing Heng Customer Relations Manager SBS Transit Ltd 21st March 2013

 

Spare a thought for senior former NS men: Raymond's letter to TODAY Newspaper

It is encouraging to note that the Government is reviewing policies to help Singaporeans serving National Service (NS) feel more appreciated (“Those serving NS ‘should feel appreciated’”, Feb 16).

While it is helpful to fine-tune policies that will benefit the younger generation, we must never make our seniors feel that they are a forgotten lot.

Many of our seniors made significant contributions in protecting our shores when NS was first introduced in March 1967.

NS changed my life in that I have learnt many tools needed to succeed in life and even to build second careers.

I would like to offer a few suggestions on how the Government can accord recognition to our senior ex-NS men who have completed NS and reservist obligations.

First, it would be helpful if an annual cash payout can be given to this group, with half the amount going to their wives or parents/guardians. This payout will be helpful with the rising cost of living in Singapore.

Second, as many of these seniors will be grappling with medical issues that come with old age, periodic top-ups in their Medisave accounts will help defray rising medical costs.

Third, to build a cohesive society where everyone will stand up and fight for our nation, we have to ensure that our silver-haired ex-NS men feel a deep sense of belonging.

Sadly, today, once you hit 50, few employers are willing to hire you despite your wealth of experience. And many of our NS elders fall in this group.

The Government can help find employment for these men based on their qualifications and expertise. During my NS days, there was a Job Placement Centre at the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) that found jobs for NS men who completed their two-year training programme. A similar scheme with senior ex-NS men as its focus could be set up.

Finally, why not form a Veterans NS Club that will facilitate annual meet-ups and tea sessions? Selected club members can share their commitment to NS to recruits through motivational talks conducted by the Ministry of Defence.

This proposed club, where membership fees can be kept modest, will help build a strong camaraderie among all who take pride in keeping our shores safe and sound.

Raymond Anthony Fernando

Recognise enlightened employers who hire recovering psychiatric patients

I refer to last week’s letter “Address stigma of mental illness early on” by reader Kwan Jin Yao in MediaCorp’s TODAY newspaper, and fully agree with his views. 

People with a mental illness need the same understanding and support given to people with a physical illness.  A mental illness is no different-it is not an illness for which anyone should be blamed. 

Mental illnesses cause a great deal of suffering to those experiencing them, as well as their families and friends. Furthermore, these problems appear to be increasing. According to the World Health Organisation, depression will be one of the biggest health problems worldwide by the year 2020.

The social stigma attached to mental illness remains the biggest obstacle in getting sufferers of mental illness to come forward for treatment.  There are very few enlightened employers in Singapore who will hire recovering psychiatric patients, and unfortunately, many people do not declare that they have a mental illness for fear of being unable to secure that much-need job.  A job that can help pay for their medications and treatment.  A job that can help them reintegrate into society.  And most certainly, a job that gives them a sense of worthiness. 

If ex-convicts are given second chances, then why can’t recovering psychiatric patients be given the same opportunities to rebuild their lives?  We must create an environment where everyone has a place in society. Where everyone feels wanted.

I know of patients who hide in the toilet to take their medications because they are worried that if their colleagues or bosses find out that they are suffering from mental illness, they may either lose their jobs or their careers are frozen.

It will be helpful if there is an award system at a national level to recognise enlightened employers who are prepared to hire recovering psychiatric patients. 

As the late Mother Theresa once: “The biggest disease in the world today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but the feeling of being unwanted.”

Raymond Anthony Fernando

 

Human waste horror in Tao Payoh : Educate to remove stigma of mentally-ill

Read Raymond Anthony Fernando’s letter to the press today, Wed 2^nd Jan 2013 on page 19.

 

I refer to the report, “Human waste horror” (The New Paper, Dec 28).

A person who splashes human waste and paint on neighbours’ doors and surrounding areas is obviously not in the correct state of mind, and desperately needs help. 

In the past, because of lack of public education on mental illness, many people believed that when someone displays bizarre behaviour, they are either possessed by evil spirits or cursed by witchcraft.

Even today, some people unable to recognise the symptoms of mental illness still take those who behave abnormally to faith healers, mediums, magicians and bomohs.   As a result, treatment is delayed and the illness worsens.  

Some hide the mental sickness of their family members because they are in denial. 

This is partly caused by the stigma in our society that prevents us from accepting those with mental illnesses. 

We must address this.

People fear what they don’t understand.  This is why on-going public education on mental illness is necessary to overcome the misconceptions.  

Our mental health providers must educate the community and the family members to develop a positive attitude towards the mentally ill.

They need to be equipped with coping strategies and problem-solving techniques and see first-hand how many who have sought treatment recover. 

We need to inspire, motivate and encourage those struggling with the onslaught of mental illness to see the importance of treatment.

Members of the community, HDB, town councils, Community Development Councils and even Parliament must have training on basic mental health.   

The unsocial behaviour on the part of the woman who hurled buckets of faeces and urine of homes of four neighbours over five months, if left unchecked, will cause further stigmatisation of the mentally ill. 

This is unfair to patients who seek treatment and function normally – just like you and me.  

I believe laws should empower the authorities to impose mandatory treatment on those who are in dire need of psychiatric care. 

This is the practice in many well developed countries.

Let us manage mental illness before it manages us.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

 

 

 

 

 

The Michael Palmer – Laura Ong affair: Forgiveness will help build a better Singapore society

As I was reading the many reports in the media and comments on the internet about Michael Palmer and Laura Ong, I couldn't help but wonder why many in our society have become so unforgiving. 

The photograph of Palmer in Sunday’s New Paper (Sunday 16 December 2012) on the front page tore at my heartstrings.  For here was a man who has done so much for his residents, sacrificing family time so that he can bring hope to the needy and when one mistake is made, his whole career and personal life is damaged. It is really a sad state of affairs because you can do 101 good things, but the moment you make one wrong turn, all the 101 good deeds that you've done, is clean forgotten.

As human beings, we can never be perfect for to err is human. Only God is perfect.

 

It is evident to me that many of the high profile sex scandals involving top civil servants are those who are holding highly stressful jobs that demand long working hours.  And when such a scenario takes place, those who are lonely, stressed out and feel unloved can develop relationships with one another over a period of time.  

But we must never forget that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

An affair is directly proportional to one's spirituality.  When our spiritual foundation regardless of the faith we practice - Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism etc is weak, we become vulnerable into doing bad things.  Remember although God is watching all the time, so is the devil. The only difference is the devil works overtime - to tempt us into committing sin and doing ungodly things.

So let’s condemn the sin not the person committing the wrong act.  As the saying goes, “Don’t look down on a man unless you are willing to pick him up.”

As with any relationship, be it in an office setting or personal encounters, every happy successful partnership begins and ends with the same ingredient – the willingness to negotiate.  The willingness to forgive. 

This is why talks on marriages should be promoted at all levels - schools, government agencies, the CCs, etc.

Despite the numerous crimes and arthrocities committed against the South Africans, former South Africa President Nelson Mandela was able to forgive.  But before forgiveness could come about, Mandela wanted to know the truth so that he could work towards forgiveness and reconciliation.  That was the measure of the man!  And we can all learn from Mandela to build a better Singapore where forgiveness becomes second nature.

My Christmas wish for Michael Palmer and Laura Ong and their families is that you can come out of this episode stronger and more resilient as you struggle to rebuild your lives with the unflagging support from your family members whom I hope will stand by you through thick and thin.

Merry Christmas to one and all. God Bless!

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO   

 

Letter to The New Paper (TNP)- Govt should manage public transport

Raymond Anthony Fernando’s letter to The New Paper on the above matter is published today in TNP, page 27, Wed 12^th Dec 2012.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew has hinted that public transport fares may have to go up so that drivers can be given higher salaries. 

This is causing anxiety among those who are already worried sick over the cost of living.

SMRT makes millions of dollars in profits and its top executives are paid high salaries and bonuses.

The Government has often advised citizens to save for a rainy day.  Perhaps, if SMRT had done the same during the years of high profits, it may be able to pay its drivers more without raising fares.

Why should the public have to pay more instead?

Concerns about the rising transport costs may be one reason why some are reluctant to take up jobs far away from their homes.

Public transport needs to manage by the Government, like public health services.   

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO