Continuing with our programme to reach out to our constituents, the Singapore Democrats held another one of our signature block parties on 13 Apr 12, this time at the Bukit Panjang estate.
A record number of nearly 30 residents showed up for the occasion interested in relating to us their concerns over matters that affected their lives. Some wanted to find out more above our healthcare plan having read newspaper reports.
Our members explained to them that the Government needed to undertake more of the national expenditure of healthcare and not pass the burden on to the people. Under our plan, a patient would have to spend no more than $2,000 is he/she had to undergo a major operation or treatment.
One Mr Goh related to us that he has been out of work for three years due to his heart problem. He had spent over $20,000 on surgery and hospitalisation. He is certified fit to work again but is unable to find work as most employers are wary about employing him because of his condition. Because of his medical bills, he is in a dire financial situation.
Mr Goh is a real-life example of what we have been talking about in our National Healthcare Plan. Someone like him would pay a maximum of $2,000 of his bill and no more. Depending on his income he would have been paying a few hundred dollars a year into the National Healthcare Investment Fund. This will be taken from his CPF. There will be no more Medisave.
This would ease tremendously the financial pressure patients like Mr Goh have to endure. As it is, the PAP passes the financial burden onto Singaporeans while it continues to stuff state coffers with hundreds of billions of dollars and jets of in luxury to foreign countries to buy banks and property.
Another resident was concerned with the ever-increasing amount of Minimum Sum that the Government withheld after retirement. Already life is so stressful with the high cost of living and the PAP is making it even tougher for the people by withholding our hard-earned CPF savings.
As before, the issue of foreign workers came up. The residents were concerned about being displaced by foreigners in their jobs. They told us what many Singaporeans have been saying, the immigration policy has allowed too many non Singaporeans into Singapore which has put pressure on the infrastructure.
Other matters that were raised were the higher taxi fares and flat prices. All in, it was clear that the cost of living in Singapore was a major concern of the residents.
Many urged us to continue to work in the constituency and contest there again in the next general elections. We assured our guests that we would return.
