Connect with us

Community

Restaurant lends a hand to Singaporeans in need such as being unemployed; from distributing meal packs to help with applying for gov’t assistance

Published

3 years ago

on

Mummy Yummy Singapore restaurant has seen a steady increase of requests for its meals assistance programme, most commonly from people who are unemployed and unable to find a suitable job, and from those who are unable to work due to sudden illness.

Singapore has not been spared the economic impact of the current global COVID-19 pandemic that has led to massive job losses and business closures that was brought about by necessary strict order and safe distancing measures.

In a labour market report released in September 2020 by the Ministry of Manpower, it was revealed retrenchment more than doubled to 8,130 in the second quarter of 2020 from the first quarter figure of 3,220. This brought the total number of retrenchments in the first half of 2020 to 11,350, said MOM on its report.

It also noted that the retrenchments in the second quarter of 2020 were now higher than the peak during the SARS period, but remained lower than the all-time high of the Global Financial Crisis.

In a post on its Facebook page on Monday (12 July), the vegetarian restaurant stated that it assesses each case with “in-depth investigations” and try their best to people overcome their most critical issues.

“Could be a listening ear, a job’s introduction or even support them with a small amount of cash daily just enough for them to stay strong and continue hanging in there,” the post read.

Beyond that, the restaurant also helps people with applying for government assistance.

The restaurant added: “We understand Mummy Yummy cannot be providing everything to them even if we want to due to over stretching our resources and keeping Mummy Yummy alive.

“So what we do is we always will refer genuine and urgent cases to our partners in local SSO or MSF for interviews to apply public assistances for them if they haven’t done that before with the necessary information so that the agencies can cross verify on their end and expedite the process for them.”

The restaurant went on to urge those who are having trouble with daily life and are feeling demoralised to walk to their nearest Social Security Officer (SSO) and request to speak with an officer.

“They will sit down and listen to you, it’s their job to do that,” the post stressed, urging people not to keep things to themselves or make their lives more difficult than it already is.

Mummy Yummy then added: “When all else failed, Mummy Yummy will be here for you to work something out and see how to tide you over until you can get out of your troubles.

“We have witnessed many fellow Singaporean stepping out and seek help. As long as you are still alive, there is still hope,” it urged.

The restaurant then thanked those who have been supporting its projects and initiatives over the years.

It also included details on how others may chip in as well if they wish to help, as well as a list of 32 of its sponsors so far, ranging from donations as small as S$25 to S$1200.

Jobs for Singaporeans?

Now, while many Singaporeans are facing pandemic-induced strife right now and are unable to secure employment, the question to ask is whether there are jobs available for them to take up in the first place.

Looking at the labour statistics for Singapore, the total number of employment passes (EPs) from 2005 to 2020 increased by about 112,000. In comparison, the number of local professionals, executives, and managers (PMEs) grew by over 380,000 in the same period.

This was revealed by Second Minister for Trade and Industry Dr Tan See Leng in Parliament on 6 July.

During parliament when asked if the growth of the local PME jobs were being filled by Singaporeans, Dr Tan noted the low citizen unemployment rate of about 3 per cent over the past 10 years. He also pointed out that 87 per cent of citizens were born in the country.

However, he also stressed that foreign banks and Infocomm companies that created jobs in Singapore would still need to hire foreign workers as the local talent pool is inadequate to fulfil all the needs, breadth and depth of these enterprises.

“The misconception is that if we say ‘no’ to the foreigners coming in… these jobs they would have taken would all go to Singaporeans… Today, even as we speak, we still have about 22,000 PME jobs that are not filled,” he said.

“Companies are desperate to fill these jobs. They would love to take in Singaporeans if they could.”

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
3 Comments
Subscribe
Notify of
3 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Community

Part of Marine Parade experiences flooding after water pipe damage

Flooding occurred in Marine Parade on Friday morning (4 October) after a water pipe was damaged during lift retrofitting works near Block 67 Marine Drive. MP Dr Tan See Leng confirmed repairs are ongoing, with no disruption to water supply. Road access was restored later in the day.

Published

23 hours ago

on

4 October 2024

By

SINGAPORE: On Friday (4 October), parts of Marine Parade, including Marine Drive and Still Road South, experienced flooding following the damage of a water pipe.

The incident occurred at approximately 11.40 am during lift retrofitting works at the pedestrian overhead bridge near Block 67 Marine Drive.

Videos shared on social media show floodwaters extending onto surrounding roads.

Dr Tan See Leng, Manpower Minister and also a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC, in a Facebook post confirmed that a damaged pipe led to water flowing onto Still Road South and nearby HDB blocks.

Dr Tan said the damaged water pipe has been isolated, and repairs are currently underway, with no disruption to water supply for local residents.

Staff at the Marine Parade Community Centre are in the process of restoring counter services, having previously faced difficulties accessing the area due to flooding.

Dr Tan noted that contractors from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are collaborating with the Marine Parade Town Council to clean the affected region, aiming to complete the cleanup by Friday evening.

In an update posted at 4.53 pm, Dr Tan announced that road access along Still Road South had resumed, expressing gratitude to PUB, the Marine Parade Town Council, and the dedicated workers for their swift action in clearing the area just in time for peak hour traffic.

Continue Reading

Community

WMP raises over S$1,600 in a day to help struggling family clear outstanding water bill

Workers Make Possible (WMP) raised over S$1,600 in a single day to assist a struggling family living in a rental flat. The family’s water supply was reduced due to an outstanding S$900 bill. The mother has been severely ill for months, unable to work, leaving her husband, who earns less than S$2,000 per month after CPF deductions, as the sole breadwinner.

Published

2 days ago

on

3 October 2024

By

SINGAPORE: A struggling family living in a rental flat had their water supply reduced on 1 October, as revealed in an Instagram post by the workers’ rights advocacy group, Workers Make Possible (WMP).

In an effort to ease the family’s burden, a fundraiser was launched. By the evening of 1 October, S$1,620 had been raised.

Of this amount, S$1,200 was transferred to the family to fully clear their outstanding water bill and address other urgent expenses.

The family, which had been accumulating water bill arrears for several months, was informed by SP Group that their water supply would only be fully restored if they paid S$450 upfront—half of their total outstanding bill of S$900.

According to WMP, the mother of the family has been severely ill for months, leading to her inability to work.

As a result, her husband, who earns less than S$2,000 per month after CPF deductions, is the sole breadwinner for the family, which includes young children.

With the rising cost of living in Singapore, the family has struggled to manage household expenses, leading to unpaid bills, WMP shared in the post.

After contacting SP Group, the mother was told the water supply would resume if half of the arrears were paid. However, she could not afford the required S$450.

This situation occurs amid rising water prices in Singapore.

The government raised the price of water by 20 cents per cubic metre this year, with an additional increase of 30 cents planned for next year.

WMP argued that despite government subsidies, many low-income families continue to struggle to cover their basic utility bills.

“Subsidies offered by the government don’t come anywhere close to alleviating the struggles of poor families in paying these bills. PUB earned about $286 million in 2021,” WMP challenged.

To support the family, Workers Make Possible organised a fundraiser via PayNow. In a 5:30 pm update on 1 October, WMP announced that S$1,620 had been raised.

Of this amount, S$1,200 was sent to the family to clear their water bill, while the remaining S$420 will be used to assist a young warehouse worker struggling with illness and rent payments, WMP clarified.

Continue Reading

Trending