Desmond Lee praised for joining volunteers to clean cluttered flat in Boon Lay

SINGAPORE: Netizens have praised Minister for Education and Member of Parliament for West Coast–Jurong West GRC Desmond Lee for lending a hand in cleaning up a cluttered flat in Boon Lay that had been filled to the brim with garbage and waste.

The clean-up operation, which took place on 26 October, was organised by local charity organisation Helping Joy.

The Singapore-registered Institution of Public Character (IPC) charity, founded in 2012, supports more than 500 vulnerable individuals, including elderly persons, low-income families, and people with physical or mental challenges who live in cluttered or unhealthy environments and require help to restore their homes to a safe and healthy condition.

A home overrun by clutter

Photos shared on Helping Joy’s Facebook page showed the three-room flat filled with plastic bottles, garbage bags, and unopened food packets lining the floors and hallways.

The flat was so heavily cluttered that there was barely any space to move. Volunteers were required to wear N95 masks, long sleeves, and protective boots due to the unhygienic conditions.

In addition to piles of waste, incense ash and human excrement were reportedly scattered throughout the unit, posing serious health and safety hazards, according to 8World News.

A Boon Lay grassroots volunteer told 8World News that Helping Joy was alerted to the situation by the homeowner’s daughter.

The homeowner, a man suffering from chronic knee and ankle pain, had limited mobility, with swelling in his leg making it difficult for him to perform household chores.

As a result, he struggled to clean and dispose of rubbish, leading to the accumulation of waste over time.

A 10-hour effort

According to 8World News, the operation lasted around 10 hours, beginning at 9am and concluding at 6pm.

Volunteers worked in teams, first clearing out the garbage by filling black trash bags and transporting them downstairs.

Once the flat was cleared, another team cleaned the floors, repainted the walls, and furnished the home with donated items.

Photos shared by Helping Joy showed Lee working alongside volunteers to restore the flat to a liveable condition.

Netizens commend Desmond Lee for his hands-on effort

On Reddit, many netizens commended Lee for personally taking part in the clean-up.

“Credit where credit’s due. At least he doesn’t wayang and actually gets on the ground,” one user said.

Several commenters, whose parents live in Boon Lay, noted that this was not the first time Lee had directly engaged with residents. “He’s here all the time, engaging and helping residents — not just during the election period,” one wrote.

Others from his previous constituency echoed similar sentiments, saying Lee does not seek publicity for his efforts.

“Back then, when he was in my constituency, he didn’t want a big event to present bursary awards. He wanted to hold a kayaking activity for the recipients and present them there, quietly,” one user recalled.

Another Redditor remarked that Lee’s consistent community presence was one of the reasons for his electoral success. “This is why he won in West Coast. He’s the hard carry for his team — not just a monitor lizard,” they said.

Even users typically critical of the government expressed appreciation for Lee’s sincerity.

“Politics aside, it’s important to have people who get their hands dirty and go to the ground, who sweat it out and consistently show up. It’s important to have people like that in government,” one user commented.