Former president Nathan urges more Singaporeans to volunteer
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Former president Nathan urges more Singaporeans to volunteer
Rahimah Rashith | Yahoo! Newsroom – Thu, May 16, 2013
“People need to feel compassion,” says former president of Singapore, SR Nathan.
“Problems will always be there. You can always throw money but that will not be the solution," he said as he urged more Singaporeans to give of their time and effort as volunteers to help those in need.
Speaking at a dialogue for the National Council of Social Service on Thursday at Biopolis, the 89-year-old former head-of-state said those involved in social services -- professionals and volunteers alike-- need to be involved for the right reasons.
“We are not in this business to get to be known, whether people know us or people do not know us, our mission is to save lives,” said the former president who's had a lifelong passion for social welfare.
Volunteers should not be driven by recognition but instead have the genuine willingness to help, he explained.
“Faith in what we do is very important. Sometimes you feel hopeless, you feel no hope at all,” he says. “In the things that we do, we carry our problems home, we don’t finish it at 5 o clock.”
Nathan knows all too well about hardship despair.
As a child, he had run away from home, slept hungry on the streets, faced the tragic death of his father and been kicked out of school twice.
His turning point came during World War II when he picked up an English-Japanese dictionary and became a translator and interpreter, eventually working for the top official in the Japanese civilian police.
“For the first time, I was told by somebody that I had a good head, and that encouraged me to learn Japanese.”
The resilient man was eventually able to turn his life around from depths of human despair to eventually to become President of Singapore, taking over former president Ong Teng Cheong on 1 September 1999.
As the longest serving president in Singapore, he stayed in the job for eight years until last September, when he stepped down to be replaced by Tony Tan.
Having gotten out of a bleak past, Nathan hopes more people participate in social services to help others see a brighter day as well.
That is the very reason why he inaugurated the annual President’s Challenge.
“One of the reasons I started the president’s challenge is not for the money but for the participation," he said. “I want to get people conscious about other people’s problems.” -
“Problems will always be there. You can always throw money but that will not be the solution," he said as he urged more Singaporeans to give of their time and effort as volunteers to help those in need.
Nathan, stop talking crap. To the poor money is the solution, to you you no need it. You give all your time and effort as volunteers to help those in need then others will follow suit. Don't just talk cock and sing songs. Tsk tsk tsk, still so unrepentent . Where have you spent all the money we pay you, Nathan?
The most useless president in Singapore.
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Nathan the traffic officer of the Japs.
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the people biggest problem seem to be the pap.. how?
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Originally posted by Clivebenss:
Nathan the traffic officer of the Japs.
u are so bad...but I like.
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We have aging population, jobless people, retriees. what they do some or most may need additional money and partime of paying jobs.
what volunteer?! its time to throw out the money so that we can have a win win situation. people stay employed even doing volunteering work, no such thing as free stuff.
why u no more president still tok so much rot.
last time if TJS and tankL never take part in presidential election, tan cheng bock already win be our president already!
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Originally posted by SJS6638:
“Problems will always be there. You can always throw money but that will not be the solution," he said as he urged more Singaporeans to give of their time and effort as volunteers to help those in need.
Nathan, stop talking crap. To the poor money is the solution, to you you no need it. You give all your time and effort as volunteers to help those in need then others will follow suit. Don't just talk cock and sing songs. Tsk tsk tsk, still so unrepentent . Where have you spent all the money we pay you, Nathan?
The most useless president in Singapore.
he was working for the kepemtai as translator during WW2 japanese occupation.like that also can be preident?
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Originally posted by Deacon Blue:
he was working for the kepemtai as translator during WW2 japanese occupation.like that also can be preident?
crony of the ................. rub shoulders - anything can happen
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Originally posted by SJS6638:
crony of the ................. rub shoulders - anything can happen
he volunteered to be kephentai translator.or did he got paid in pisangnotes for the deed?
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oredi doin it
here. in sgf.
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Ok.
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This jiak liao bee fat indian ex president better mind his own business and stop telling Singaporeans what to do.
If he so concern go do it in action to look after the needy to set example for singaporeans to follow. Don't just open his bloody mouth and talk without action.
BTW, nathan, we don't owe you anything to subject ourselves to listen or obey you. You are the one who owes so much to Singaporeans who feed you with millions.
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why dont the ministers and president and pm volunteer. without getting paid.
get those able older generation or retirees who can still move to help in social work, or some volunteering jobs. paid them please at least a wage or monthly salary so that they can still pay for their own daily expenses or personal bills on top of any CPG retiurement money they may be withdrawl every month.
what better way to help them stay active, employed, and circulate our money back within.
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Originally posted by Deacon Blue:
why dont the ministers and president and pm volunteer. without getting paid.
get those able older generation or retirees who can still move to help in social work, or some volunteering jobs. paid them please at least a wage or monthly salary so that they can still pay for their own daily expenses or personal bills on top of any CPG retiurement money they may be withdrawl every month.
what better way to help them stay active, employed, and circulate our money back within.
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We need to volunteer.
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to make more roti prata
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On one hand, they tell us that we need to pay them "peanuts" to serve the country in order to prevent them from corruption, on the other hand, they tell us that we must serve the country for free as volunteer. Look like there really 2 standard for the elites and lesser mortals.
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Wonder when he mentioned Singaporeans in this article, is he also referring to the MIW.
eh, nathan, you volunteer u will get special treatment from the charity organisation. Please, nathan, you set good example before you talk here. Go volunteer to do some manual work for them and then give them money. Talk is cheap, Nathan.
Put the money we pay you to good use, donate to the needy. You big , black, fat twit.