Age is just a number

More and more individuals, aged 50 and above, prefer going out to work instead of staying at home. Despite their age, they are working long, hard hours to earn money and do something out of home.

Running the family business: Mr Bintent, 50 years old, have been exposed to bicycles ever since he was young. He grew up learning how to fix bicycles. At the age of 33, he began to take over the family business from his father. He plans to carry on the family business until reaches retirement. (Photo by: Ameera Fawzee)

In the near future: Despite working for 17 years, Mr Bintent is not rushing to slow down. He feels that this is something he will be doing in the future as his children do not want to take over the family business. He blames it on the long hours and intensive labour as well as the competitive bicycle fixing market. Working from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mr Bintent feels that this is a stable job for him despite the business downfall as he gets to do something he was exposed to since he was young. (Photo by: Ameera Fawzee)

Braving the heat: Mr Teo Kah Beng is a 54-year-old ice cream man who comes to Republic Polytechnic (RP) frequently to conduct his business. Stationed at RP’s traffic light junction, his ice cream cart can’t be missed with his huge umbrella to protect him from the blazing sun. RP is his fifth destination after going around primary and secondary schools in Woodlands. Starting at 12:30 p.m., he will be at RP by 3:30 p.m. and leaves at 6:00 p.m. to head home for dinner before continuing his work. (Photo by: Ameera Fawzee)

Me, myself and my customers: Mr Teo have been selling ice cream for 14 years now. Previously working in the hotel industry, he decided to quit his job because of the pressure he faced by his employers. Looking back, he did not regret his decision as he still get to meet customers and interact with them. However, he is his own boss and his work timing is flexible. There are days where he can choose not to work if he has enough profit from the previous day’s earnings. (Photo by: Ameera Fawzee)

For the fun of it: 57-year-old Mdm Chew Bee Lan have been changing jobs before settling as a canteen cleaner in Republic Polytechnic (RP) on 21st December 2015. She decided to stick to this job throughout the year as it is nearer to her house. Despite the proximity, she does not enjoy her job as it can get really dirty and messy. However, she decided to stick through as she did not have anything to do at home and would like to try this out for fun. (Photo by: Ameera Fawzee)

Never say die attitude: Mdm Chew worked in a restaurant and felt that the hours and the amount of people weren’t quite to her liking. Becoming older has made her afraid of crowds. This is the reason why she decided to work as a cleaner in Republic Polytechnic. Working from 11 a.m. 7 p.m., she do not have to work during weekdays and holidays. (Photo by: Ameera Fawzee)

Being beneficial: Mdm Mala, 60 years old, has been working for 10 years at a food court, Kopitiam in Vista Point., Woodlands. Located opposite her block, going to work is easy for her. She feels that she is not benefitting anything by staying at home so she decided to work at a food court. Since all her children are married with no grandchildren, she dedicated her time to man the stall. (Photo by: Ameera Fawzee)

One-man team: Operating from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., Mdm Mala mans the stall herself, with occasional help from her husband. She sells Indian food such as Nasi Briyani, Roti Prata and Rojak. She does everything by herself – from cutting the ingredients to cooking the gravy to serving customers, she feels happy working here despite the challenges. Despite this, she plans to settle down in about 2 to 3 years once she reaches the official retirement age. (Photo by: Ameera Fawzee)

One-man team: Operating from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., Mdm Mala mans the stall herself, with occasional help from her husband. She sells Indian food such as Nasi Briyani, Roti Prata and Rojak. She does everything by herself – from cutting the ingredients to cooking the gravy to serving customers, she feels happy working here despite the challenges. Despite this, she plans to settle down in about 2 to 3 years once she reaches the official retirement age. (Photo by: Ameera Fawzee)

Passing time: Working from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every single day except on Fridays, Mr Heng says that working as a cobbler is not stable as there are times when he has no customers at all. Every shoe is different and he quotes every price depending on the shoe and the damage. Despite earning between $4 to $20, Mr Heng is content as he gets to do something outside to pass time. (Photo by: Ameera Fawzee)