Kurt Phoon Kai Feng | The Monarch Ranger
Phoebe Lim (left) being lauded the caring commuter award along with Ms. Ang Bee Ping (right). Image Credit: The Straits Times
SINGAPORE - On May 25 2022, Republic Polytechnic’s student Ms. Phoebe Lim witnessed a man, in his seventies, at Sengkang MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) station, having difficulty walking. Upon seeing the incident, Ms. Phoebe Lim immediately stepped forward to help - supporting the man with the help of a fellow commuter. The Singaporean student got the help of a station staff, requested a wheelchair to allow the man to sit down and have a moment’s respite, and helped him get to the nearest bus interchange at Coral Edge.
As if that was not enough, Ms. Phoebe Lim even went out of her way to send the man to the bus station nearest to his home. Noting the man had not eaten in a few days, Phoebe immediately fished out a couple of dollars and went to the nearest eatery to get the old man some food.
Fearing the man could potentially hurt himself while returning home, Phoebe offered to see the man home. To her dismay, Ms. Lim realized it was impossible to do so, since she was not able to support the his weight. Not wanting the take the risk of having the man see himself home, she realized a third-party needed to be involved. Serendipitously, as an ex Greendale-Secondary student, Ms. Lim decided to get the help of her secondary school year head, who coincidentally, is also called Ms. Lim (Ms. Kerry Lim). As Greendale Secondary School is located just a stone’s throw away from her location, Phoebe decided to give Ms. Kerry Lim a call, requesting for her help.
Ms. Kerry Lim is known as the teacher that maintains good relationships with her students well after their graduation. Ms. Kerry describes Phoebe as a well-natured girl who never pestered her and is hardworking and diligent - to the point that she can be seen revising and doing her work late into the afternoon, long after the end of school hours. With that in mind, Ms. Kerry knew that the situation had to be serious because Phoebe would only contact her as a last resort since she would never cause unnecessary trouble for her teachers and classmates. With that in mind, Ms. Kerry rushed to the scene to help the man. Ms. Kerry also happened to be a physical education teacher, which worked out well for the man because she was able to better support him and send him back home.
Two days after the event, the nineteen-year-old was afraid the man might have fallen and injured himself, so she went back to his house to check on him. To her, all she did was a simple act of kindness that anyone would have done. However, her spirit can become a rarity in the world we live in today.
Her kindness did not go unnoticed and she was lauded one of eight Caring Commuter Awards given by the Caring SG Commuters Committee. We can learn a lot from these examples of simple kindness towards others. Ms. Phoebe is truly a humble and kind young woman, who proves that you can make a difference and impact in even the smallest way.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND LEARN MORE
This article won a Honorable Mention in our Good Samaritan Writing Competition! Learn more about Kurt Phoon Kai Feng and our other staff writers here.
Learn more about the others who were named Caring Commuters at The Straits Times!
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