This is really insensitive in status conscious Singapore isn't it? They should just drop or replace the words "Lower Income". What an excellent way for the PAP to make sure that as few people as possible turn up. What an insincere effort to help the lower income. And please don't tell me you were afraid that many who could afford to pay for their own haircut show up. There are so many ways to do this better. One way is to pay in advance.
I hate giving old things to people although I don't mind receiving second hands. When I give away a used good, I apologize to the person that it is not new. That is respecting that person at least as much as yourself.
PAP Tampines branch you have a long way to go. You have no blinking idea what is like to be held back and suffer because you can't make ends meet. Neither do I know what it is like to be poor but I approach these people with humility and always alert that I might missed something and be quick to apologize. If you do not know how to put these people in the right place play it safe, well and right by considering them better than yourselves first. That is the practical meaning of being a servant leader.
Update: 10:35 pm
Sigh! Even our school principals know to quietly arrange help for their pupils in financial distress in order that they might not lose "face".
Update: 11:00 pm
This is my guess. The PAP branch wants to show it cares for the lower income more than they actually care for this segment in Tampines North. Don't get me wrong, they are not callous and they do care for the poor. However they care far more about looking good by looking after the low income. In other words they were making use of the poor to build their PAP brand. I don't care if their objective aren't purely and completely noble. That is difficult for anyone of us to achieve but I this is beyond the pale. Just like school principals once did not care to publicly identify the financially needy among the pupils to receive aid. I am glad those bad old days are over in our schools.
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