Tan Chuan-jin praises volunteers who helped elderly woman clear house filled with cockroaches

Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-jin took to Facebook to praise the hard work of volunteers who took on the massive task of clearing an old woman's flat filled with cockroaches and rubbish.

The speaker shared photos of the dire living conditions and a video was also posted on Facebook, showing rubbish piled on the floor and hundreds of thousands of cockroach droppings and eggs, not to mention the cockroaches themselves crawling around.

The volunteer who shared the video described the smell from the flat as "unbearable".

(Story continues after video)

Speaker Tan Chuan-jin wrote on Sep 30:

"As many of us go about our activities on the weekend, there are those who help our residents get their lives in order. Madam X has issues with cleanliness. We have been assisting her. Repeatedly.

"Unfortunately, we have folks who sometimes drop by independently to help and pass comments about a lack of help and ask how could Singaporeans live in such squalor. Things aren't ever so straightforward.

"The question we need to ask is why some of them live in such abject conditions while their neighbours don't.

"Almost always, there are mental health issues involved. Sometimes, some individuals have poor consciousness of hygiene and lack discipline to clean up their own place. Some have physical mobility issues that impede the good maintenance of their home.

"And guess what, she has children. But the question is why don't they do anything? It is sometimes tough for our volunteers to understand why we are doing what we are doing while the family stand on one side."

He ended the post thanking the volunteers and agencies who spent their Saturday clearing and cleaning Madam X's home.