Here's one thing no parent should ever have to experience: being kicked out of their own home by their very own flesh and blood — a home they themselves had given to him or her (their son or daughter) in the first place.

And yet, this happened to a pair of parents in Singapore — a sad story recounted by Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah.

Lee meets her residents in meet-the-people sessions every Monday evening, and it's likely she felt sufficiently moved and compelled to share this unfortunate incident, perhaps as a lesson.

Resident's account of being kicked out by her son

In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, Lee said one of her residents and her husband had sold their flat to their son, but did not take any cash from their son as they wanted to help him.

Unfortunately, their son now wants them to move out of the house, as he needs a room for his soon-to-come baby and confinement lady.

The arrival of the baby also seems to be an excuse — Lee related that he apparently refused even to let them sleep in the hall.

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What next for the poor parents?

Lee advised the parents that they can file a Maintenance Order.

She said she understands that while many parents are reluctant to do this, it is not a matter of last resort as the officers will first attempt to reconcile them.

What is a maintenance order?

The Maintenance of Parents Act, the first piece of legislation in Singapore that was initiated by a Nominated Member of Parliament, allows Singapore residents aged 60 and above who are unable to provide for themselves to claim maintenance from their children capable of supporting them, but are not doing so.

Parents can claim maintenance in the form of monthly allowance or a lump-sum payment.

Over the years, amendments have been made to the Act to help family members resolve maintenance disputes amicably. For instance, the Act will prioritise reconciliation over legal action.

The number of cases that went to the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents (CMP) to seek maintenance from their children has decreased over the years, down from 257 in 2013 and 303 in 2012, but stabilised in the low 200s. 

Lessons for all to learn

The more important lesson for all is — how should we react to cases like this?

1. We could ask the government to do more:

But do we really want a "nanny state" government to interfere even more in our personal affairs?

2. We could curse the darkness.

As opposed to lighting a candle?

3. Or we could just settle.

We can settle that life has always been like this in Singapore.

How we react to Singapore's practical problems individually may seem small, but these are arguably significant in contributing to who we are as a people, and how inclusive we are as a society.

Let's hope our younger generation can possess the healthy restlessness not to just share these problems online, but to solve them offline.

You can read Lee's post in full here:

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Top photo by and courtesy of Jamie Chan.