'Find ways to honour seniors' Goh Chok Tong
Chok Tong said, "It is timely for us to reflect on how to adapt and adjust to this 'silver tsunami'. How we should relate to the elderly, leverage on their talents and life experiences and honour them for their contributions." He also commented about the trend for children to abandon their parents in nursing homes. He warned that how we treat our old today will set the tone for how we will be treated when our time comes. Yes, what kind of society are we?
Compare what Chok Tong said and what Boon Wan has suggested, building cheaper nursing homes in JB and neighbouring countries, we get a different measure of the speakers. What Chok Tong said is like what the Chinese saying, 'ren jiang de hua', or the human lingo. Saying things that reflect human values or being human.
There is nothing wrong with Boon Wan's idea. Those are very practical, reasonable, cost effective measures for people who have money not enough. But such things can be done, discreetly, and not spoken with a loud hailer. The things that Chok Tong said above will be received quite kindly and agreeable to most people. In Boon Wan's case, ouch, it hits the raw nerve of humanity, of emotions and feelings. These are the attributes that make human beans human. Devoid of them, down playing them, will turn us closer to being inhuman, inanimate. Use and throw away mentality.
Now, would there be criticism or anger to what Chok Tong has said? They will be, depending on which angle one is looking at it. Some may split hairs, question his intent and interest. But generally, these are things that politicians should be saying, national leaders should be saying.
after ah cow taught peasants to dump old parents in JB becos of cheaper cost, ah tong came out to say this.
Chok Tong said, "It is timely for us to reflect on how to adapt and adjust to this 'silver tsunami'. How we should relate to the elderly, leverage on their talents and life experiences and honour them for their contributions." He also commented about the trend for children to abandon their parents in nursing homes. He warned that how we treat our old today will set the tone for how we will be treated when our time comes. Yes, what kind of society are we?
Compare what Chok Tong said and what Boon Wan has suggested, building cheaper nursing homes in JB and neighbouring countries, we get a different measure of the speakers. What Chok Tong said is like what the Chinese saying, 'ren jiang de hua', or the human lingo. Saying things that reflect human values or being human.
There is nothing wrong with Boon Wan's idea. Those are very practical, reasonable, cost effective measures for people who have money not enough. But such things can be done, discreetly, and not spoken with a loud hailer. The things that Chok Tong said above will be received quite kindly and agreeable to most people. In Boon Wan's case, ouch, it hits the raw nerve of humanity, of emotions and feelings. These are the attributes that make human beans human. Devoid of them, down playing them, will turn us closer to being inhuman, inanimate. Use and throw away mentality.
Now, would there be criticism or anger to what Chok Tong has said? They will be, depending on which angle one is looking at it. Some may split hairs, question his intent and interest. But generally, these are things that politicians should be saying, national leaders should be saying.
after ah cow taught peasants to dump old parents in JB becos of cheaper cost, ah tong came out to say this.
