Unemployed NUS graduate decides to become “Karung guni†man
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Unemployed NUS graduate decides to become “Karung guni” man
An engineer who was retrenched in 2007 had to resort to scavenging for rubbish to make a living and support his family of 7.
53-year-old Mr Koh is an engineering graduate from NUS with honours. After working for some years, he finally landed himself a top job in a big company in 1993. Subsequently, he worked there for the next 14 years till 2007 when he was laid off. Although the company wrote him a good testimonial, it wasn’t easy for him to find another job. After he was laid off, there was a change in his outlook and he began to centre his life around his family more than his work.
He has 4 daughters, ages from 5 to 9. His mother lives with him. Together with his wife and himself, he has to support a family of 7. So, why did Mr Koh decide to get into rag and bone (“karung guni”) business after he was laid off? As jobs were hard to come by especially for people at his age, he said that he wanted to get into eco-friendly business.
“Some of the thrown-away electrical appliances only have minor problems. It’s a waste to see them being thrown away. After I repair them and clean them up, they are as good as new.”
In fact, the fridge, kettle, fan, etc in his house were all salvaged from the rubbish dumps. He has been picking rubbish for the last 3 years. Every morning, he will get up before the sun is up. Wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, he will be the first to go to the dump sites to look for good items to pick.
“I
start work at 5am every morning. I will go to the rubbish chutes and
HDB corridors to look for discarded items. I have to often endure cold
stares from some of the residents.”He recounted that sometimes, some people who saw him pushing a cart of discarded items would immediately cover their noses and avoid him. Others would throw sarcastic remarks at him.
“They thought I’m an illiterate who goes around picking disused items. I’m a university graduate!”
As to how much Mr Koh is earning from his rag and bone trade, he declined to say. He only said that he makes enough to support his family.
Before Mr Koh was retrenched, he disclosed that he was making $8,000 a month with bonus up to 5 months. He said that few months before he was being laid off, he whistle-blew on certain procedures in the company for being not proper. He felt that this might be the reason he was laid off.
“On the day I was laid off, it was raining and only 1 person from the company came out to see me off. It was pretty gloomy.”
Mr Koh recounted another incident. On one of the mornings, he was pushing his cart of loaded “junks” in a HDB estate at Toh Guan Rd. He stepped away to get his bike for a moment. When he returned, the whole cart and “junks” disappeared. At the time, there was a Bangla cleaner around. Mr Koh saw the Bangla cleaner came out from the utility room. The Bangla denied seeing his cart. When Mr Koh wanted to enter the utility room to check, the Bangla told him there was no key. So, Mr Koh had no choice but to call the police. The police came and asked to see the supervisor. The supervisor came and opened the door to the utility room. Mr Koh’s “missing” cart together with the items were found inside the room.
The supervisor after questioning the Bangla cleaner, took out $100 and gave it to Mr Koh, hoping that Mr Koh would let things rest. Mr Koh said, “After being busy for one whole morning, I was insulted by this. I feel very frustrated.”
Source: Temasek Review.
What is the point of having a NUS degree when u are over 40 yrs in Singapore.
Your co can anytime replace u with a cheaper, better and faster foreigner.
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he should go be a cab driver it beats being a karung guni man right?
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Taxi driver isn't eco-friendly.
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Summary
1) study so much no use one...
2) good testimonial no use one
3) work hard for company when u are 20s or 30s till u start ur family late no use one
4) listen to government have more chlidren no use one
5) they can and will retrench u anytime they like no matter how much u contribute to the company previously
6) bangla also earn more money to throw at u..
7) imagine how much CPF money he have after so many yrs but no use also......
Conclusion.....think b4 u vote and Good Luck!!!
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I find it very hard to believe. Surely he can lecture in poly or ite? Experience counts a lot in engineering. If cannot, then find a job abroad. Plenty of positions available for engineers.
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Originally posted by Rock^Star:
I find it very hard to believe. Surely he can lecture in poly or ite? Experience counts a lot in engineering. If cannot, then find a job abroad. Plenty of positions available for engineers.
in life, alot of things very hard to believe but it happens... like alot of atrocities, do nothing wrong but the government kill your whole family also have (eg. in north korea or iraq previously) -
He is 53 so he was born in 1958. He must have attended NUS in 1975. So in 1975 was NUS a high standard university yet ? By the time he graduated he was 1977.
In 1977 was NUS a high standard university ?
In Singapore, once people hit their mid 40s, their job marketable value declines. No company wants to hire a mid 40s much less a person in his 50s.
Feel sorry for the man. Hope everything goes well for him. Should send the ingrate Bangla back home to where he belong, for stealing the citizen's hardwork.
Better, cheaper and faster brings with it dishonest banglas, cheating banglas and suffering to the honest hardworking singaporeans.
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pity.
he could be a lecturer in uni since he has honours
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guys guys
what is wrong with being a graduate rag and bone man?
its a decent living and own boss
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There are so many better jobs that he can do.
Like taxi driver, insurance and property agent, security guard etc.
With his qualification and experience, he can easily apply for a security supervisor which even though have to work 12 hours a day, he can earn 2k+ a month
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yay wonder why.
he knows and can write and can draw well right?
alot of things he can do
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Originally posted by Summer hill:
pity.
he could be a lecturer in uni since he has honours
Jiani... things are not as simple as how it look like in the surface.
You're still young and eager to look things from the society, and I'm very gald you're in this forum.
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Originally posted by Darkness_hacker99:
Jiani... things are not as simple as how it look like in the surface. You're still young and eager to look things from the society, and I'm very gald you're in this forum.
You mean summer hill is the Jiani who got banned many times and come back with new nicks?
How you know?
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Originally posted by c2-01:
You mean summer hill is the Jiani who got banned many times and come back with new nicks?
How you know?
Because you're new here
She's now Homework Forum Moderator
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Originally posted by c2-01:
You mean summer hill is the Jiani who got banned many times and come back with new nicks?
How you know?
oh, i once said i was jiani in the chatbox
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Its only a matter of time before summer hill gets banned again
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Originally posted by c2-01:
There are so many better jobs that he can do.
Like taxi driver, insurance and property agent, security guard etc.
With his qualification and experience, he can easily apply for a security supervisor which even though have to work 12 hours a day, he can earn 2k+ a month
he no like to drive
he no like to do sales
security guard need to see ppl face
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I think can support family can already. Garang Guni also like some eco warrior mah..help to reduce wastage and to save the world~
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Originally posted by Ah Gong:
guys guys
what is wrong with being a graduate rag and bone man?
its a decent living and own boss
Tat's the problem nowadays...Have u encountered cases of parents telling their child "If you dun study hard, u will end up like the cleaner at (insert-placename)"??
Honestly I believe in mantaining a balance of different levels of educated population... What would happen if 80% of us have degrees? Are we all expected to be managers or high post? If all of us are managers, who is going to be the clerks???
Besides, I agree with u... Being a rag and bone man is nthing wrong... They do not rob or cause bodily harm to other ppl...
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Originally posted by c2-01:
Its only a matter of time before summer hill gets banned again
With me around, she'll never get ban again.
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Originally posted by ^Acid^ aka s|aO^eH~:
Tat's the problem nowadays...Have u encountered cases of parents telling their child "If you dun study hard, u will end up like the cleaner at (insert-placename)"??
Honestly I believe in mantaining a balance of different levels of educated population... What would happen if 80% of us have degrees? Are we all expected to be managers or high post? If all of us are managers, who is going to be the clerks???
Besides, I agree with u... Being a rag and bone man is nthing wrong... They do not rob or cause bodily harm to other ppl...
In fact, I am quite open to become a cleaner of my estate. Can contribute to help keep my estate clean, this one is also contribute back to the society. -
Originally posted by Darkness_hacker99:
With me around, she'll never get ban again.
why so?