Forum: Both financial security, sense of belonging are needed in old age

I refer to the letter “Stronger safety nets needed for low-income seniors” (Aug 26). The writer’s story of her 65-year-old uncle is not isolated, and the gaps she identifies are real. But there also needs to be a deeper understanding of what makes old age dignified and purposeful – one that policy alone cannot provide.

My grandmother came to Singapore from Kelantan in 1966 with no formal education, no bank account and no Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings. She never held a paid job here. By the metrics that dominate today’s conversation about ageing – financial security, employability, CPF adequacy – she had none of the prerequisites for a good old age.

And yet, she raised three grandchildren while their parents worked. She knew each of our characters intimately. To me, prone to anxiety even as a child, she would say: “Let your heart be steady.” Those words are still with me today.

She outlived her son – my father – and died in 2013 aged 98 having given back to her family far more than could be counted in any currency. She was not bored or purposeless. She was needed, known and loved – by a family that understood her presence as a gift, not a burden.

The state can and must provide a financial floor. But the sense of belonging, of still mattering, the experience of being seen as a custodian of wisdom rather than a liability – these cannot be legislated.

They come from families, religious and community groups, and neighbours who choose to organise their lives around older people.

As Singapore ages rapidly, it needs both: Better safety nets, and communities that know how to honour those within them.

Wee Shiou Liang