Affordable can mean in other form. Like taking 50yrs loan

try telling them protester who support drug trafficker   https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/activists-hold-vigils-protest-death-penalty-singapore-malaysian-118954642   https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61403692   https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65395390

SINGAPORE - As Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers arrested a woman at her home for abusing drugs, her three-year-old son stood by and watched. Seeing this, Station Inspector Nasrin (not his real name) wanted to make milk for the boy and asked his mother where she had kept the milk powder. She replied: “No more milk powder, can help me buy?” SI Nasrin, who cannot be named due to the covert nature of his work, asked if she had run out of it. The mother, who is in her 30s, said: “I’ve no money to buy milk powder, I used it on drugs.” A relative later dropped by with milk powder for the boy. Checks by The Straits Times on reported cases in 2024 showed CNB officers rescued at least 10 children during drug raids at residential units that year. This was more than the four children rescued during raids in 2023, based on reported cases. A total of 3,119 drug abusers were arrested in 2024, according to CNB’s annual statistics report released on Feb 12. New abusers totalled 966 in 2024, more than the 952 arrested in 2023. Speaking to ST in an exclusive interview on Feb 26, SI Nasrin said: “Drugs don’t only affect the people who abuse them. There are people who have never taken drugs but are suffering because their family members abused it.” The father of three girls aged eight to 13 added: “The ones who suffer most are the children. When they are exposed to drugs at such a young age, that leads to trauma and the mindset that taking drugs is normal.” In the case of the three-year-old boy, his mother, stepfather and their two friends were arrested while abusing drugs at home. SI Nasrin said: “As a father of three, I feel for this boy. He clearly lacked nutrition because his mother prioritised drugs over him.” In a separate case when CNB officers raided a Sengkang flat, they found a 14-year-old boy lying in bed with drug paraphernalia on his chest. Packets of methamphetamine were strewn beside him on the bed. SI Nasrin, who was part of the raid, recalled: “The worst part was his spectacles were held together by a rubber tube which was used to consume drugs. “When I asked him what happened to his spectacles, he said they broke, but he had no money to repair them. So he improvised.” In October 2024, the boy’s father, a recalcitrant drug abuser, was sentenced to six years and eight months’ jail after he gave his son methamphetamine from his own stash when the boy asked him for some. SI Nasrin said the father did this when he found out his son was cheated while trying to buy drugs. “Instead of reprimanding him, he offered him more drugs. The father said this was his way of protecting him,” he added. SI Nasrin’s colleague, Inspector Casey (not her real name), who was also at the interview, recalled an incident where CNB officers arrived at a hotel where a woman was found asleep after abusing drugs. Her three-year-old son had been crying, screaming and banging on the hotel room door as he had not been fed for hours. Hotel staff heard his cries, opened the door and found drugs in the room. There was also the case when CNB officers arrested a mother of five in her 20s at her home. The youngest child was a baby, and they were sharing a soft drink among themselves. Said Insp Casey: “The mother told me her children shared a bed. She also stashed her drugs in the same room her children slept in. The home was messy and dirty, and all the children seemed to have rashes.” The mother’s boyfriend, who came home during the raid, was also arrested for taking drugs. When the children’s parents or guardians get arrested, CNB would contact their next of kin to care for the children, Insp Casey added. If there are none, or if they are found to be unsuitable, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) would then be alerted. An MSF spokesman said it works with CNB and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that any vulnerable children whose parents are arrested for drug abuse will receive help. “Depending on the severity of the concerns, CNB officers may alert the social service offices, family service centres or the Child Protective Service (CPS) for assistance,” he said. The spokesman added that if the child cannot remain safe at home or if there are no other suitable guardians, CPS will place the child in alternative care such as foster care or a children’s home. CPS will also work with the family on when they are ready to safely care for the child. CPS will also ensure the child and the family receive counselling, therapy, and financial assistance if needed. Helplines All Addictions Helpline: 6-RECOVER (6-7326837) Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours) Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24 hours) / 9151-1767 (24 hours CareText via WhatsApp) Stressing the importance of working towards a drug-free society, SI Nasrin said: “When parents consume drugs in front of their children, they learn, and it could become a vicious circle.” Insp Casey added: “We see the conditions some of these children are living in, the neglect and the lack of care for them. It’s really horrible to the extent that cannot be imagined. “For so many of these children, their basic needs are not even cared for. Remember, when you take drugs, you can’t even take care of yourself, what more your children?”

in other news    

Serangoon vegetarian stall closes after coffee shop changes operator After more than 10 years, a vegetarian stall in Serangoon has closed down after its elderly owner said his rental had more than tripled. Shang De Vegetarian, located at 566 Serangoon Road, ended operations on Wednesday (26 Feb), reported Shin Min Daily News. Source: Google Maps Serangoon vegetarian stall closes as owner can’t afford S$3,000 rental 76-year-old stallholder Mr Leo told the paper that the coffee shop his stall was in had recently changed operators. As the premises are slated for renovation, he heard that his monthly rental would rise to about S$3,000. Source: Google Maps This is more than three times the S$930 he was paying per month.   Mr Leo said he can’t afford to pay that much as he runs only a small business and just makes enough to live on. Stallholder gets into dispute with previous operator The previous operator had instructed Mr Leo to cease operations on 26 Feb and restore the stall to its original state before Friday (28 Feb) so that the premises could be handed over to the new operators on that day. However, as he and his wife are elderly, they took a longer time to clear their stall and were still doing it late on Friday, he told Shin Min. Source: Shin Min Daily News This allegedly drew the ire of the previous operator, who hurried him and even swore at him, he claimed. The police were called to mediate, with Mr Leo saying that he’d already indicated that he would be done by 6pm as there was only one refrigerator to be picked up, adding: Stallholder claims previous operator refused to refund rent Mr Leo also alleged that the previous operator refused to refund him the two days’ rental he was owed as he moved out early. When the owner of the coffee shop learnt about this, he came down personally and paid him S$62 out of his own pocket, he said. He also advised him not to be angry.   Previous operator felt disrespected, spoke ‘inappropriately’ When interviewed by Shin Min, the previous operator, who declined to be named, said he’d merely gone to check on the stall as he noticed that it had not been cleared out yet. However, he was met with a dismissive “none of your business”, making him feel disrespected, he claimed. He admitted that he had spoken “inappropriately” but that was because he was anxious, he added. Source: Shin Min Daily News As for the two days’ rent, he claimed that the coffee shop owner hadn’t refunded him yet so he couldn’t refund the stallholders. Serangoon vegetarian stall plans to reopen after it closes On his next move, Mr Leo said he and his wife have no plans to retire despite their old age. As they’re still strong and young at heart, they will find a place to relocate, perhaps to a government hawker centre. This was confirmed by Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, who visited the couple at their stall on 25 Feb.   Source: @pritamsingh76 on Instagram He said the stallholder shared that they planned only “a short rest” of “one or two days” before starting again. Mr Leo said many customers had visited to bid them farewell on their last day of operations, which touched him. Mr Singh has been coming regularly since 2022, he added, expressing gratefulness for his support.