Serious MSF Has Failed Singaporeans

[ckmpd]

I had dinner with a friend, John, last night. He was happily relating a success story he had with Tan Chuan Jin, Minister of MSF.

John has an 80year old aunty, Ah Geok. She is single, stays in a 3rm HDB and has no children and no income. Ah Geok applied to MSF for social support but her application was rejected by the social worker.

Ah Geok's case was straight forward and John was surprised that it was rejected by MSF. John decided to write to TCJ. After TCJ intervened, Ah Geok's application was approved and now she receives help from MSF. John was elated and shared his successful story with me.

I didnt share John's joy. On the contrary, I was disturbed as I felt that MSF has failed Ah Geok and other Singaporeans big time. Ah Geok is single, 80years old without income. Isnt hers a simple and verifiable case? Why did the social worker and MSF reject her application? What if John didnt help her? How many Singaporeans who need help but were uncaringly rejected by MSF.

I told John that I didnt share his views and his elation. Why shd we have to write to the Minister for a straight forward case? Why didnt MSF empower its staff to help needy singaporeans? Do MSF staff feel it right to hinder rather than help needy singaporeans?

Since TCJ knows abt Ah Geok's case, did he bother to check how many of such cases had happened and needy singaporeans were rejected and make MSF more responsive to help rather than obstruct the poor?

MSF has so many Directors, Dy Directors, Senior Managers, Managers,etc..but when it comes to helping needy singaporeans, MSF fails miserably.

MSF proclaims:

1. Our mission and values are at the heart of everything we do at MSF.

2. To Nurture Strong Families, and A Caring Society

Is MSF's proclamation happening on the ground?? Or is MSF's job to save money at the expense of misery to poor and aged Singaporeans?

TCJ and his staff at MSF can disregard Ah Geok and the many other Ah Geoks who had their needy appications rejected. But will TCJ and MSF have peace and clear conscience?

 

[zhihau]

I'm sure the administrative staff followed the guidelines very closely when reviewing Ah Geok's case. Most likely those cases when they fall into a grey area and the staff simply decided not to err on the side of caution, rejected the application.

 

[ckmpd]

I'm sure the administrative staff followed the guidelines very closely when reviewing Ah Geok's case. Most likely those cases when they fall into a grey area and the staff simply decided not to err on the side of caution, rejected the application.

Obviously, it is easier for the MSF's social worker to reject rather than approve an application. This is a bad culture when staff are not motivated to serve as proclaimed by MSF's Vision and Mission statement. As I hv said , Ah Geok's case is simple and straightroward and if it was rejected, there is something very wrong with MSF's system. Why does it need the Minsiter to approve it without question only after John wrote to him?

Do you, like I, smell something is seriously wrong with MSF?

 

[zhihau]

Why does it need the Minsiter to approve it without question only after John wrote to him?

Sounds perfectly normal to any lowly administrative staff: any fault in Ah Geok's application is not my fault. Minister approve one :o:o:o

That's when the lowly administrative staffs aren't empowered to make judgements.

 

[ckmpd]

Sounds perfectly normal to any lowly administrative staff: any fault in Ah Geok's application is not my fault. Minister approve one :o:o:o

That's when the lowly administrative staffs aren't empowered to make judgements.

That's why MSF has failed miserably. The social workers who are dealing with the applicants are the best to approve applications when the facts are verifiable. Dont need to push the applications to higher authorities. It is sad that MSF's culture is to make life difficult for the poor. It seems that unless they know how to appeal, they poor will be rejected? Perhaps TCJ wants to feel great that and gain praise that he can intervene and approve rejected cases such as Ah Geok's. Is this what Singapore wants? TCJ managed to impress John but to me he has failed miserably as such routine matters shd be handled by social workers. If TCJ has time to meddle in small matters, he is micro managing and doesnt deserve his pay. We dont need a minister to do what he is doing

why is TCJ condoning a bad practice? why doesnt TCJ bother to right such a bad practice?

I think under LKY, many heads will roll. But alas, we we under the useless LHL that TCJ doesnt bother abt the wrongs in his Ministry but is happy to get credit by approving appeals by people like John. Does TCJ realise the damage he is doing at MSF?

 

[zhihau]

Try asking around to hear how poor folks try getting help from ComCare, equally humiliating I heard.

 

[ckmpd]

Try asking around to hear how poor folks try getting help from ComCare, equally humiliating I heard.

That's what i meant when I said MSF has failed miserably. They hinder rather than help the poor. The way MSF handles Singaporeans is contrary to its proclaimed Vision, Mission and Values.

MSF hindered rather than helped Ah Geok.


Shame on MSF, shame on TCJ, shame on pap.

This is how detached the pap, ministers are from the ground.

 

[ckmpd]

MSF seems to be a big bloated ministry which lacks compassion for the poor.

Why have so many departments and staff when it cant do its primary function to care for poor singaporeans?

 

[Leongsam]

Try asking around to hear how poor folks try getting help from ComCare, equally humiliating I heard.

If it isn't made to be a humiliating experience every Tom, Dick and Harry will be lining up to get help.

The government is right in making the experience as unpleasant as possible so as to weed out the majority of the fraudsters and freeloaders in society.

 

[ckmpd]

If it isn't made to be a humiliating experience every Tom, Dick and Harry will be lining up to get help.

The government is right in making the experience as unpleasant as possible so as to weed out the majority of the fraudsters and freeloaders in society.

Wrong...MSF has the resources to verify facts. Dont mistake incompetence with diligence

 

[Leongsam]

Wrong...MSF has the resources to verify facts. Dont mistake incompetence with diligence

Everybody has sob stories to tell. I've heard my fair share when I was doing financial counciling.

I have found that in the vast majority of cases those who claim to be in dire straits financially are blowing their money on vices such as smoking, gambling and alcohol. If they simply cut down on unnecessary expenditure they'd be fine.

 

[Force 136]

Million Dollar ministers do not know what it means to be poor in Singapore, neither Civil Servants with their 4 to 6 months bonuses......

Unless their is Change from the top, this country will remain a third world country as far as social welfare is concerned.....

 

[Gallego99]

If it isn't made to be a humiliating experience every Tom, Dick and Harry will be lining up to get help.

The government is right in making the experience as unpleasant as possible so as to weed out the majority of the fraudsters and freeloaders in society.

For fark sake Leong, she's 80 years old!!! Have a heart!

 

[po2wq]

... Why shd we have to write to the Minister for a straight forward case? Why didnt MSF empower its staff to help needy singaporeans? Do MSF staff feel it right to hinder rather than help needy singaporeans? ...

dey make so dat iz difficult 4 peasants 2 get it ...

n oso so dat mini stir can get 2 show his generosity, benevolence n kindness 2 peasants ...


peasants shud now make use of tis trick ... dun waste time @ msf, wayang a bit there den soot letta 2 mini stir ... bao jiak! ...

 

[Leongsam]

For fark sake Leong, she's 80 years old!!! Have a heart!

That's no excuse. My dad was still going to the office every day when he was that age. He carried on working till the age of 87 when he collapsed and died within 10 minutes.

My mum worked till she was 83 even though she couldn't walk anymore.

People nowadays use old age as an excuse to be lazy.

 

[johnny333]

Wrong...MSF has the resources to verify facts. Dont mistake incompetence with diligence

The gov't has become the famiLee's bureaucracy & unfortunately the "social workers" are nothing more than bureaucrats. They are there as gatekeepers to minimise spending the famiLee's money on Sporeans.

Never mind that it is the taxpayers money.

 

[Leongsam]

T

Never mind that it is the taxpayers money.

This is precisely why the MSF has to be extremely prudent in doling out funds as they have to safeguard the money which belongs to the people of Singapore.

In NZ the stupid government gives handouts to all and sundry who then squander it on booze and drugs. The agencies here couldn't give a shit who receives the money because it is not theirs to begin with. As a result the ever suffering taxpayers like myself face larger and larger tax bills every year.

 

[frenchbriefs]

That's no excuse. My dad was still going to the office every day when he was that age. He carried on working till the age of 87 when he collapsed and died within 10 minutes.

My mum worked till she was 83 even though she couldn't walk anymore.

People nowadays use old age as an excuse to be lazy.

leong sam let me know when ur 70 years old and decrepit,i will gladly ship u back to singapore via budget airline and give u a job as a cleaner at one of my kopitiams.

 

[frenchbriefs]

If it isn't made to be a humiliating experience every Tom, Dick and Harry will be lining up to get help.

The government is right in making the experience as unpleasant as possible so as to weed out the majority of the fraudsters and freeloaders in society.

but the government seems to have no problem with letting hordes of fts into the country flourish as fraudsters and freeloaders....especially the likes of yang yin who has been seen socializing with the high society of PAP elites.they even go as far as closing both eyes and not bothering to verify his phony company the reason for his being here in the first place.

 

[halsey02]

Ak Geok would have been born 1936, must have endorsed the PAP at 23 years of age in 1959, have stood & supported referendum to join Malaysia, would have witness the merger & de-merger & the start of Republic Of Singapore, would have retired in 1991 at age 55 years of age...& would have some CPF.... could have voted for PAP since 1959...

She should be happy that's how whom she had voted for & contributed to their success & earnings are treating her..no point, asking whom, this PIONEER voted for.....she got, what she asks for...why complain?