The Vagabond

There is this man, very frequently, during the day time, will use bus stops along  Woodlands Avenue 7 at Blk 825, Blk 853, and across over to Bus Stop Blk 888 for his meal and sleeping time.

For the past 4 months, early this year; I have observed how he survived himself; he would pick-up throw away foods and half emptied bottles from the dust bin for his meal and drink. For one instance, while my wife was waiting for Svc 913, she saw him picking up a moulded bread to eat; he will tear away, the portion of the bread that already been moulded before eating it. He also pick-up passenger’s thrown away undone cigarette to smoke, to get some “high”.

Whenever, he is using a particular bus stop to rest, he will carry with him several bags of things. He will sleep on the entire cemented seat.  Because, he did not bath (I suspected), to avoid his bodily stench; passengers waiting at the Bus Stops were stand at a distant from him.

For as long as I have started to observe him; he has been wearing the same old and worn out shirt and short pants. There may be a thousand of residence have encountered with this man; however, I have no idea, whether anyone, have informed the proper authority to take some humanitarian action to assist this man.

I am sad to know of this man plight (however, whether it is “real” or “wayang”, I do not know and I did not investigate further, sorry lah just too exhausted at time to kayboh); Nevertheless, I am bit shocked and surprised to see such incident happening at my neighbourhood or backyard.

So in June this year (3 months before GE2015); I tak boleh tahan anymore; I wrote an e-mail to our Woodlands MP for help. MP promptly shared my e-mail with MSF. Soon after, I got an email from MSF that, the leg ground work has been mobilized to contact this man and talk to him to understand his “plight”. MSF staff will be at the said bus stops to investigate and interview him.

Happy to inform that, for the last 2 weeks of June 2015, I did not see this man anymore at the said mentioned bus stops; and I assume, those MSF folks may have got everything in control.

To the MSF staff, I thank You and hopefully, as our country, Singapura, progresses and via the Ministry of MSF, no man is left behind.

Thank You.