What are we, chopped liver?

There will be a third operator of homeless shelters, following Lakeside Family Centre and New Hope Community Service, to help put a roof over the heads of the homeless. This comes as "part of a bigger backdrop: A rising number of homeless folk being picked up by welfare officers since 2007", says this Today article.

In the first three months this year, 10 families were picked up at beaches, parks and void decks, according to MCYS data released to MediaCorp. This is the same number as all of 2008. Last year, the authorities picked up 17 families for the entire 12 months, compared to four families in 2007.

As for homeless individuals, the 51 picked up between January and March is "on par with the number picked up in 2009 by quarters", MCYS said. In the whole of last year, 217 individuals were picked up, compared to 121 in 2007.

When queried on homeless figures for the first quarter, an MCYS spokesperson said: "Media publicity has created greater community awareness of this issue, resulting in more calls to the ComCare Call hotline to assist such families."

In spite of the vehement protests of Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, his ministry have been receiving more requests to help the homeless. They have the statistics to show the rising trend of those who are deprived of a place to stay. The opening of a third homeless shelter tells us that the situation is worsening, and that more needs to be done to help these Singaporeans.

The most amusing part, however, is that last paragraph I excerpted. Media publicity? Did they mean the "irresponsible websites" and Al Jazeera English that so drew Dr Balakrishnan's ire? The bloggers who kept harping on this issue and not giving them a day's peace? I guess all of this negative publicity is useful after all, compared to the stenography tightrope that their precious mainstream press have to walk.

Am I claiming credit? No; the likes of Samiah and Eddie still does not have a place to stay, and many families still need that help to break the vicious cycle they are entrenched in. What I am saying is the things we do in our personal capacities as volunteers, as bloggers, are a strong, positive-sum game that can change things for the better. And that there is still a long way to go just to get this government to admit the problems that have struck us as unmissable, but we will not stop bringing this up no matter how uncomfortable it makes people feel in their protected cocoon of Singaporean success. Letters like this encourage us to do no less.

Not being treated like chopped liver by the establishment is a bonus, but treat us as chopped liver at your own peril.