Opposition politician slams system that forces elderly Singaporeans to 'work till they drop' - Singapore News

SINGAPORE: Concerns over the treatment of low-income seniors in Singapore have resurfaced after an elderly amputee was killed while he was out collecting recyclables.

Red Dot United (RDU) member Harish Mohanadas shone a spotlight on the case as he criticised what he described as a system that forces vulnerable elderly Singaporeans to continue working despite serious health issues and financial hardship.

In a Facebook post, Mr Mohanadas said he, Emily Woo, and the RDU West team had spent time speaking to residents living in rental units in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC. He said many of the residents they met were elderly Singaporeans coping with health problems and limited income.

Among the stories shared during the visit, Mr Mohanadas said one in particular left a deep impression on him, that of a 68-year-old taxi driver who is bankrupt and still struggling to work despite chronic pain following spine surgery.

According to Mr Mohanadas, the man underwent surgery about a year ago but was unable to rest long enough to recover properly because he needed to return to work. He said the resident continues to drive part-time despite ongoing pain from sitting for extended periods, and wears a bandage on his lower back that offers little relief.

Mr Mohanadas added that the man told him he needed to continue working in order to pay taxi rental fees as well as rent for his HDB flat. He said the resident’s HDB rent had recently increased from $59 to $99, and the man feared it could rise further to $165 if his income increased slightly.

“I did not understand this. Really, I don’t,” Mr Mohanadas wrote, “What kind of a system expects a 68-year-old man to work till he drops?”

The opposition politician linked the taxi driver’s situation to the recent death of a 69-year-old amputee near Blk 647B Senja Close. The elderly man had reportedly died after being struck by a garbage truck while collecting recyclables near a rubbish collection point.

Referring to reports that the man was often seen collecting cans and bottles in the area while moving around in a wheelchair after losing his right leg, Mr Mohanadas questioned whether poverty was the deeper cause behind the tragedy.

“When I read that news, I remember thinking: was it the garbage truck that killed him, or was it poverty?” he wrote.

“Poverty that meant he had to work, and work collecting rubbish, at the age of almost 70. Don’t tell me he was collecting recyclables ‘just to exercise’.”

He was referring to a controversial comment former ruling party politician Tan Chuan-Jin had made in 2015, when he implied that some senior citizens who collect cardboard do it as a form of exercise.

Mr Mohanadas argued that many elderly Singaporeans from older generations had spent their lives working during periods when wages were lower and social support schemes were less extensive than they are today.

“These are not people who coasted,” he wrote, They are the generation that worked when wages were low, CPF was thin, and there was no Workfare or Progressive Wage to top up their incomes.”

He added that while Singapore today has the cost structure of a wealthy country, support systems for low-income seniors remain inadequate.

“Food, utilities, medical bills, and basic necessities are priced like a rich country,” he said, “Their protection is still designed like we are a poorer one.”

Mr Mohanadas also used the post to highlight proposals from Red Dot United’s Shadow Budget 2026. He said the party had proposed monthly payouts of at least $500 for the poorest 30 per cent of seniors, and $700 for seniors above the age of 80 living in small flats with little CPF savings remaining.

He argued that stronger support would allow elderly Singaporeans to continue working only if they genuinely wished to do so, rather than out of necessity.

“That way, they could work if they wanted to – really to exercise, or to pass time – but not because the system requires them to break their bodies as a sacrifice to keep the wheels churning,” he wrote.

Netizens responding to his post agreed with the need for greater support for struggling seniors. One commenter said, “Yeah its a sad state of affairs when so many of such cases fly under the radar or rather off the radar of our government. The policies and plans we have in place definitely lack the compassion and humanity required to serve those truly in need.”

He also suggested that the Government consider lifting up those in dire straits with more payouts instead of launching schemes like the CDC voucher scheme to ensure that no Singaporean is left behind.

Another commenter quipped, “Those who have not experienced poverty can never imagine the plight of the poor.”

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