u/Fearless_Help_8231

A former child pop star-turned-yoga instructor scarred her vocal cords aboard a Singapore Airlines flight to Los Angeles when she “unknowingly swallowed a jagged wooden splinter” that broke away from a chicken satay skewer served with the in-flight meal and became lodged in her throat, according to a federal lawsuit reviewed by The Independent.
In her complaint, 44-year-old Briohny Smyth, who at the age of 13 had a platinum album in Thailand and now teaches yoga in L.A., claims the trapped fragment caused “immediate pain,” “violent coughing” and terrifying “choking sensations.”

The top post is about a social worker, and I see quite a few comments saying the job is underpaid or thanking them for their service.

That’s nice, but if you really think they deserve better pay, now that you know roughly what the rates are, you can also do something about it:

-Support them directly where appropriate. If someone openly runs a legitimate side hustle or small business, you can support them by buying their goods or services. Obviously, don’t put anyone in an awkward position by offering personal gifts.

-Write to the relevant ministry, agency or employer and tell them you think these workers should be paid more. For healthcare workers, write to MOH. For social workers, write to MSF, NCSS or the organisation employing them.

Will one email change everything? Probably not. But there’s strength in numbers. Why do you think the Maju Forest issue got so much traction?

So beyond just saying “jiayou” or “thank you for your service”, take five minutes to write in too.

Nah, I even drafted email templates and provided the email addresses to send them to, if you really think these workers are underpaid and deserve better pay.

Don’t just copy and paste blindly. Add one or two lines explaining why you personally think the work deserves better pay.

For healthcare workers
Email: MOH_QSM@moh.gov.sg
Subject: Feedback on healthcare workers’ pay and working conditions

Dear Ministry of Health,
I am writing as a member of the public to express my concern about the pay and working conditions of healthcare workers in Singapore.
Healthcare workers are frequently thanked for their service, especially during periods of crisis or high demand. However, appreciation should also be reflected in fair salaries, manageable workloads, adequate staffing, meaningful career progression and proper compensation for shift, weekend and overtime work.

I hope MOH can consider:

-Regularly reviewing salaries across nursing, allied health, medical social work, healthcare support and other frontline roles against inflation, workload and comparable occupations.

-Ensuring that salary increases reach workers directly and are not undermined by heavier workloads or staffing shortages.

-Reviewing shift, overtime, on-call and weekend allowances.

-Improving staffing levels and retention measures to reduce burnout.

-Publishing clearer information on salary progression, attrition and the outcomes of manpower reviews.

-A sustainable healthcare system depends not only on infrastructure and public appreciation, but also on whether the people delivering care feel fairly compensated and able to remain in the profession.

-I would appreciate it if MOH could explain what current or upcoming measures are being taken to review the salaries, workloads and retention of healthcare workers.

Thank you for considering this feedback.

Yours sincerely,
[Name]

For social workers
To: MSF_QSM@msf.gov.sg
CC: NCSS_QSM@ncss.gov.sg

Subject: Feedback on social workers’ pay and working conditions

Dear MSF and NCSS,

I am writing as a member of the public to ask that the pay and working conditions of social workers in Singapore be reviewed.

Social workers take on heavy workloads and emotionally demanding responsibilities, but many people feel that their salaries do not adequately reflect the importance and difficulty of their work.

Saying “thank you for your service” is not enough if social workers continue to feel underpaid, overworked or unable to remain in the sector.

I hope MSF and NCSS can review salaries, workloads, career progression and the funding available to social service agencies, so that social workers can be paid fairly.

I would appreciate it if you could share whether there are plans to further review their pay and working conditions.

Thank you for considering this feedback.

Yours sincerely,
[Name]