Ageism – age·ism: prejudice or discrimination against a particular age-group and especially the elderly -Definition from Merriam-Webster

During secondary school days, and especially later on in JI, we spent a part of our school life on compulsory voluntary work hours (notice the contradiction there). There were 2 particular volunteer work that I was a part of (in some way or another, since I was really suspended for one of them but organised it) that really stood out in my mind in many ways.

One was the aged care institution that looked extremely clinical, and therefore uncomfortable and the aged are left to… age. And the other was a religious-affiliated aged care home that preferred a “lessened” contact with the outside world for it’s inhabitants. I never got to find out why they preferred less communication, but looking back now, perhaps these people had some debilitating disease that often gets stared at out in the community.

There’s another story related to all this that I have mentioned before but I will gloss over it again. My dad was a part of the local government’s housing development board as a site supervisor (or something similar) for about 30 years when he was “asked” to “transfer” to the privatised sector for a retrenchment payout package. He would be on a contract that was supposed to be renewed annually. When he was about.. 56? He lost his job, the only one he had knew since he was 18.

My story is not unique, as the recent election has brought to light the plight of many people’s parents who has lost their jobs and never got another job again. I guess my dad got lucky (in a way) because of his varied connections in life, and finally found himself a job to feel useful in 3 years after losing his first. Considering his long service to the government, he never learnt how to write a resume, has barely manageable written English and has never went through a job interview in his life. Never mind that he hasn’t got more than a high school education, which was quite a long time ago.

In our society, at least for my dad’s generation, having a stable job and a family is the equivalent of one’s self worth. However, in our society, we have also grown leaps and bounds in terms of wealth, education and everything else that comes with those 2. Ours has become a very strictly meritocratic society, where the younger generation benefits in that we have got better education than our parents and our grandparents.

In this particular society too, the sense of making use of young people’s energy, ability to retain information, their education and ability to adapt quickly is every employer’s dream. When we are so competitive, ageism grows and festers.

Having lived in Australia since 2003, I am constantly amazed by the different attitudes they have towards the “more experienced” people. It’s not really age related, but where a person has garnered their experience and what they have experience, that counts. So, when I look back at Singapore, I feel a little sad for my father.

Considering our Asian values of respecting our elders and their life experience, the contrast in the employer’s methods of hiring cannot be more stark. I know of employers who prefer to hire people under 40 years of age, who openly asks the candidates “what can you really do?” when the applicants are over 40 and obviously old enough to be any of the interviewers’ parents – with sarcasm.

I know employers who prefer to hand PR out to foreigners, who are younger than the Singaporean applicants, because they just represent a longer “shelf life” as an employee.

At the same time, then I turn to Australia and, very generally speaking, I find that older people are hired for their experience. Head hunted, even, for their experience and knowledge. Their pay exceeds that of new graduates (beat that in Singapore!) despite their lack of certifications in comparison – BECAUSE of that sheer amount of working knowledge they carry on their shoulders.

In nursing homes here, I have seen, via my interactions with my residents, their abilities to still intelligently debate and discuss current affairs. I know someone who was 90 years old, and attempting to learn new languages because “it’s interesting”. I know someone who is 80 and, while “semi retired”, is still the go-to legal knowledge for the government – as well as the person who wrote and has been amending the OH&S laws. AND he gets paid for that work.

I have walked into rooms filled with scientific research, computers (YES THEY USE COMPUTERS!!!) with links and files of various sort of information – written by them!, healthy discussions of history, economics, science and politics, complete with the ability to “agree to disagree” quite gracefully. I have been humbled and I have been awed.

And then I talk to my dad over the phone, marvel at the amount of knowledge he has, and feel despondent for him sometimes as his depression seeps into our conversations. In a country where our Senior Minister (about to be ex) is 80 plus and contributing significantly to the state of affairs in our country, it is quite scary how ageism factors into our society.

So, when Lee Kuan Yew mentioned in the recently election how “the younger generation does not remember from whence we came, that is expected. But I do, and those amongst you who are older than 50 will remember”, I found it incredibly insulting on many levels.

there are many above 50 who has lost their jobs in the recent economic downturns, and even prior to that, due to that age in one way or another. In fact, those who are older than 50 were the first few to go in the public service, after being dangled the “retrenchment package” – and who have the hardest time to find new jobs.

At the same time, considering the type of education we had, considering how we were brought up by the same people who “remembered (PAP) struggles”, I find it insulting too that one would think that the younger generation do not know nor remember of PAP’s struggles. We are not stupid nor insipid. we know, we understand – but do you really know OUR struggles NOW?

For a government that grew and nurtured a society to reject and despised their elders’ work and life experience, you have no right to ask anything of the over 50s, who have been worked and then abandoned, ignored and replaced with foreigners. If we really needed the extra hands from outside of Singapore, that is all well and good. However, we have a pool of abled minds who are being neglected and ignore, who have so much to offer….

In this day and age, I do not know nor understand why ageism is such a huge factor in Singapore. I can only hope that with us, the supposedly arrogant “younger generation”, and those who come after us, that this will all change. Age is not a barrier, nor is it meant to be a stopping point for anyone.

Those people in the aged care facilities, they needn’t be isolated from the rest of the world nor be left alone. Alot of our elderly are quite knowledgable and can contribute to our society in one way or another. Yet, not enough people look after the elderly in Singapore or speak up for them. They were someone’s daughter, uncle, auntie, sister, brother – but now, they might not have anyone.

There are enough people over the age of 50 who can teach and show us “young’uns” the way, in terms of work ethics (which can be incredibly shocking!), their working knowledge – everything. Even their own urban myths should all be compiled together at some point, before we really “lose touch with our roots”.