The current economic crisis has hit us most where it hurts, our pocket. When we go back home today, many of us who are not blessed with an iron rice bowl, worries if we were to receive the dreaded call in the morning from our bosses telling us not to come to work the following day and to take an extended no pay leave. We also wonder if we were to come to work the next day to find that the office doors leading to our office were suddenly locked unceremoniously with a just a piece of paper pasted on the door serving as a notice informing us that the company is closed till further notice. The only sign of activity is a security guard standing outside the locked door telling us to go back home. This may not be a possible occurrence a few years back but is now a definite possibility in the current economic downturn. Every industries are affected. From sales to manufacturing, from service to banking. All of us are not sheltered by possibility of retrenchment as company downsized or just seized to operate.
Singapore has enjoyed several years of stable growth since independence. Even during the 1997 economic crises which hits Asia and the SARS outbreak thereafter, Singapore has never truly been hit by an economic downturn which hit us at such a scale. As we all look towards our able government hoping that they will steer us clear from recession, I cannot help but wonder what of the poorest of poor that is amongst us. Let us faced it, Singapore maybe a 1st world country and a highly industrialised one, but we still have a small percentage living amongst us that scrapes through the day from the donation and alms of others. The only difference between Singapore and our neighbours is that our poor are not that visible.
When I travelled in our neighbouring countries, the poor are a highly visible lots, begging for the mercy of others on the streets, going from cars to cars and tables to tables asking for scraps of food or small change, in Singapore however, we can hardly see just activities here. But does that mean we are without any?
In spite of the blanket of gloom which has grown to enshroud the current economic climate, most of us are not doing that badly, despite the downturn. Many of us still have our jobs. Many still have our paychecks at the end of every month. Singaporeans are still going for holidays and spending during festive seasons, so it is not all bad news for us.
However do we start to stinge in giving? Singaporeans may be known to be snobbish lots and been accused of being inconsiderate to her neighbours in more than one occasions, but one thing that we are never known to be are 'stingy lots'. I made this observation when I was at the bus terminal waiting for my friend. An old Chinese auntie made her living by selling tissue papers to passerbys. A passerby, in long sleeve and pants approached her and bought her tissue papers which were sold at a dollar for five packers. The gentleman paid her $5 dollars, took a packet of tissue and walked off without even waiting for his change. A few minutes later, another lady came by gave her $2 dollars and walked off without even taking any tissue paper.
I supposed in this dire time, I am glad to know that Singaporeans are not tightening their purse when it comes to giving. We may cut back on our other expenses and enjoyment, but we still do not forget the needs of others who are worst off than us. For those of us who are in the able, the current hardship that we are facing is but a temporary situation that will be with us for a year or two hopefully, we still can afford all the simple luxury in life, but for those that are not, such as the tissue paper auntie, their hardship is with them long before us and will be with them long after.
I applaud those that are able to give up a few dollars for others who need it more than they do. And I hope more of us will not tighten our purse just because the economy is bleak.
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