Dear The Real Singapore,
I came across the following notice in my lift at Spottiswoode Park a few days ago. It pertains to a health screening on Sat 12 Jul 2014 for senior residents of Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru. There are 2 different prices of $2 and $28. To qualify for the concessionary price of $2, applicants must fulfil 3 criteria:
1. they must be Singaporeans & Permanent Residents;
2. they must be residents of Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru; and
3. they must be Passion Card members aged 50 and above.
Now I understand the 2 criteria of citizenship/PR and residence for the concessionary rate but why the need to be PA members? Disturbed, I emailed my MP Ms Indranee Rajah, who got the Constituency Director of Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru Kho Lil Lian to reply that PA would usually charge different rates for members and non-members to encourage people to join them.
Now my question is: is PA not funded by tax payer monies? If so, where is the justice and inclusiveness in asking senior citizens who are not members of PA to pay 14 times the concessionary rate for health screening? Is this how we build a society based on justice and equality?
Vernon Voon (Mr)
TRS Contributor