My Salary Is Secret

I was doing e-filing for the residents at The Serangoon Citizen Connect Centre yesterday. I was serving this uncle, who is a property agent. There was this guy who was working in the CC that wanted to help me and the two female volunteers who were working with me yesterday as there was a huge crowd when we first started. People started queueing at 1.25pm when the excercise actually started at 2pm. With only two PCs at the centre, I leave it to you guys to imagine how was the situation like yesterday.

The CC guy had no prior experience in e-filing and wanted to see how I do it, after the liasion officer, Ms Angie Lim suggested that he should learn from me, since I am the exprienced guy.

The uncle, I guessed felt uncomfortable with the guy hanging behind our backs and told the CC guy off. He complained to Ms Lim. The uncle's reason was the CC guy did not wear the "IRAS Volunteer" tag, therefore he can't peep into his salary.

I think the CC guy was not very happy that he just walked off and never stepped out of his office to help us again.

I understand the uncle's concern that his salary is secret, but is this the way to tell a CC staff like that when they are the ones who provided the area for us, the IRAS volunteers to help the residents of Serangoon & other fellow citizens to e-file?

I heard from Angie that IRAS was suggesting having weekly 8 hrs of volunteer session during the e-filing period this year, but backed down after a long drawn meeting with the parties involved.

There is no student volunteers from Secondary schools & JCs after majority of the CCs complained about their attitude. Therefore there was a shortage of volunteers. IRAS had to ask its staff to volunteer at the nearest CC to their home to cope with the shortage. The shortage had led to some CC closed, despite the press release stating that they are open for the excercise.

The uncle does not know how lucky he is to have got our help, as Angie puts it, I am lucky to have at least two outstanding volunteers every weekend.