FOR MRS. Sarah (not her real name), the start of this year has brought a long-awaited sense of relief and a reason for good cheer.
Not long ago, she was suffering from overwhelming caregiving responsibilities and a household situation that had reached its breaking point.
Living in a cramped three-room flat, she served as the tireless lynchpin for an eight-person household. Her days were spent caring for her elderly parents, her husband and four children. Her husband suffers from chronic illness, and two of her children have special needs.
To top it off, she is also the sole breadwinner for the family, having to manage all these caregiving demands on a salary of less than $1,500 a month. The physical and financial pressure was immense.
“She is with her elderly parents and her four children in a three-room flat. And her husband, there’s eight of them in one household,” said MP Diana Pang (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC) in an exclusive interview with Petir. “So it gets tight in that space.”
Eventually, Mrs Sarah took a leap of faith.
Despite friends telling her that the PAP’s Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) were of no use, and that she would waste her time, “go there, no point”, she sought help from Ms Pang at her regular MPS last year.
What followed was a swift and coordinated mobilization of support.
MP Diana Pang and the PAP Geylang Serai branch WeCare team, comprising more than 10 volunteers, rallied around Mrs Sarah. Having slowly gained her trust, the volunteers gradually got to understand the full scope of her family’s struggles.
The team then moved with urgency to stabilize her situation.
A speedy process
The most critical priority was securing a new rental flat to alleviate the overcrowding. While such a process typically takes a year or more due to limited supply, MP Pang and her volunteers worked tirelessly to highlight the family’s urgent needs to authorities.
Within just three months, the Housing Development Board (HDB) was able to provide a new home, a rental flat in nearby Marine Parade. Her parents could continue staying in their three-room flat, and Mrs Sarah’s family would finally have enough space to thrive.
“Normally, they say people have to wait for one year, two years,” said Mrs Sarah. “But for me, three months like that okay!”
“It was super fast!” volunteer Eugene Heng told Petir. “The HDB also saw that there was a real need here, so they prioritised her.”
The support did not end with a change of address.
To make Mrs Sarah’s new accommodations feel like home, MP Pang and her team went the literal extra mile, sourcing furniture from companies who had inventory to spare after renovations.
This team combed the whole of Singapore, going to Woodlands for a sturdy cabinet, to Yishun for a sofa, and then again to Tampines for a wardrobe. The volunteers also secured a suite of ongoing interim support, including food assistance, caregiving help, and book vouchers for her school-going son.
Mrs Sarah’s parents now drop by regularly to take care of their grandchildren while she works.
The family’s burdens have been lessened, their bond remains strong, and that is a source of pride for MP Pang and her team.
Diana Pang: ‘We will walk hand in hand with you.’
MP Pang has continued to follow-up with Mrs Sarah. She organised a delivery of more household goods to Mrs Sarah during the holiday season, visiting her in her new flat.
Now that their family life has been stabilised, Ms Pang is helping Mrs Sarah climb up the career ladder. She has been introducing Mrs Sarah to the possibility of upskilling.
Like many Singaporeans aged 40 and above, Mrs Sarah can make use of the $4,000 SkillsFuture credits top-up that was announced in 2024, to develop new certifications and skills.
“It’s not just by saying ‘Oh, I’ll help you!’. We are an Action Party; we are people of action,” said Ms Pang. “And that’s what my volunteers are all about. They serve people passionately, and my residents feel the difference.”
Helping Mrs Sarah is a natural extension of the causes that MP Pang has been championing both inside and out of Parliament. These include improving the lives of caregivers, women and seniors. Prior to being elected as an MP, Ms Pang co-founded the Healthy Women, Healthier Families programme.
“People ask: ‘Why keep going back, week after week, for more than 20 years [of service to residents]?’ My answer is always the same. It is the residents; it is the people,” said MP Pang in her maiden Parliamentary speech this year (25 Sept). “Each story, each struggle, each glimmer of hope reminded me why service matters.”
MP Pang and her team are also in close contact with MP Goh Pei Ming and his team in Marine Parade about Mrs Sarah’s situation.
“The WeCare @Marine Parade and others will rally together and uplift Mrs [Sarah] and her family,” said Marine Parade Branch Secretary Yusof Lateef. “Even if not all issues can be resolved overnight, in stages and phases we will assist her to overcome them.”
Reflecting on her darkest moments, Mrs. Sarah expressed her thoughts for the team that stood by her.
“She’s the one, the MP who gave me encouragement, gave me support,” she shared, noting that the care began the very day she started her journey with the team.
“My residents will not have to walk a difficult journey by themselves,” emphasised MP Pang.
“I want my constituents out there to know that you are not alone in your journey. We will walk hand in hand with you.”
If you would like to volunteer with PAP Geylang Serai branch, or find out more, click here.
If you would like to volunteer with PAP Marine Parade branch, or find out more, click here.
