Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan Jin wrote a post on January 26, 2019 about a man, known as Mr L, found sleeping in the staircase landing.

L was a familiar sight for Tan, who saw him at events, taking videos and photos.

Tan also remembered L passing him some tissue when he was perspiring heavily.

L was spotted sleeping in the staircase landing, partly because it was cooler there, and because of a hoarding problem he had, he faced difficulty entering his house.

According to Tan, L also refused to check himself into hospital, despite him suffering from cancer.

"He threatened to jump if we send him back to hospital. He also doesn’t want medical staff to see him."

Not, as Tan clarifies in the post, due to financial inability, but more due to a certain sense of pride and dignity.

"I have to add this here because already some of you are speculating that it’s because of medical costs! Firstly we know him so if it is the case, we would have helped! Secondly he is on financial assistance and if they don’t have funds or medisave it’s all paid for. No one and I repeat no one is turned away from medical help because they don’t have money."

Tan expanded on just how tough it was to get him the help he so obviously needed.

"A number of us know him but even we find it difficult to get him to respond to help. There is a stubborn sense of pride and dignity that he maintains. He prefers to spend his last days here. We may find it uncomfortable because his house smells, filled with all manner of barang barang etc. But it’s home. His circumstances inconveniences his neighbours, but they continue to help him."

Conundrum

Herein lies an inherent conundrum — how do you help one who refuses it?

"I can imagine netizens going to town when an image like this surfaces. He is one of many that we try to outreach to. We make headway with some. While others, we just have to respect their choices and be there for them in simple ways. There are deeper stories behind every image."

And sometimes the only thing to do is respect the choices that someone has made, regardless of how strongly we wish for another outcome.

"We’d keep trying. He has a few months left. We should just make it comfortable for him. We work with Cheng Hong Welfare in our community so arrangements have been made when he passes on. Even then, he asks for it to be low key and quiet. That’s the man that he is."

Unfortunately, L did not have a few more months left.

On the morning of February 4, he was admitted to hospital, and died on the same day.

"RIP Mr L. He is no longer in pain. ??

Admitted to hospital this morning. He was worried that he won’t make it through the new year. He just passed away."

L didn't make it to the new year, and this is by all means a truly tragic story, but Tan's initial post does give some insight as to how even though we can't possibly help everyone, there is still a need to try.

"The more volunteers we have, the more we can outreach to. But as I’ve found in almost all my engagements, audiences go on passionately about the poor, the old, on inequality...but precious few raise their hands when I ask how many put in time to help those they so eloquently championed for just a few minutes prior. Do come forward and try? It makes a difference."

Here is his full post.

Image collated from Tan Chuan Jin's post