Recently, a video of an elderly man with mobility issues in Yishun went viral.
The clip showed the man dragging himself on the pavement. 2 passersby also came to his aid when he attempted to board a taxi.
Having seen the clip, Minister K Shanmugam, who’s also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Nee Soon GRC, responded with the context behind the elderly man’s struggles.
He revealed that the man is apparently well-known in the Chong Pang community and that organisations have provided him with welfare assistance on various occasions, which include providing him with a wheelchair.
However, the senior apparently prefers not to use the mobility aid. Volunteers’ attempts at persuading him also proved futile.
In a Facebook post shared on Friday (14 Dec) morning, Minister Shanmugam shared some context behind the viral video clip in Yishun.
According to Mr Shanmugam, the elderly man, known as Mr Lee, has been receiving help from organisations since 2015.
Apart from community aid, volunteer organisations also provided him with support for essentials.
Well aware of his mobility issues, the organisations apparently banded together to purchase a wheelchair for him using the senior mobility fund.
However, Minister Shanmugam shared that Mr Lee prefers not to use the wheelchair.
Instead, he apparently insisted on using the wooden board with wheels even when volunteers persuaded him otherwise.
Mr Shanmugam also revealed that a neighbour had allegedly built the wooden board with wheels for Mr Lee to move around at home. However, it seems that’s his preference outdoors as well.
From the volunteers’ interactions, the man has been assessed to be someone who “knows his mind” and is “independent.
Ending the post, Minister Shanmugam thanked everyone for the feedback and said they will continue supporting Mr Lee and his family.
Sometimes, it can be extremely diffuclt to change the mind of an elderly person.
As they’ve stuck to the same habits for years, any attempt at changing them will unsurprisingly be met with considerable resistance.
Nonetheless, it’s heartening to know that the organisations will continue providing help to the elderly man.
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Featured image adapted from Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Road on Facebook & Facebook.
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