The document discusses potential problems with a future scenario in Singapore where those aged 80 and above are considered elderly, elderly accused persons can only receive fines and not imprisonment, and ordinary citizens have to pay high taxes to support the elderly. This could lead to issues such as more elderly crime if offenders face only light punishment, citizens overworking due to financial stress, and resentment about supporting the elderly through taxes. The document researches these problems through statistics on Singapore's aging population, studies on crime deterrence, and data on citizens' tax burdens. It seeks ways to minimize elderly crime rates in this future scenario through 2055.

1. The Spoilt Elderly
Team Members
Elliot San Yong 1P2 ( Leader)
Lam Guan Xiong 1P2
Tan Jie Hao 1P2
Ng Yao Dong 1P2
Group ID:
11-19
Legend:
Red=WHAT the future scene
states
Blue=WHY it’s a problem
Green=Research

2. Potential Problem 1
The future scene states that those people who are 80 years and beyond are
formally elderly in this country.
This could be a problem as this rule does not cater to a lot of people only to
those 80 and above.
● Research
● via singstat.com.sg
● It show that there is a much bigger difference in percentage comparing
those 80 years and beyond and 60 years.

3. Elaboration on Point 1
Resident
Population
Total 65-74 y/o 75-84 y/o 85 y/o++
1990 2,735,900 164,500 104,900 49,900 9,600
2000 3,273,400 235,300 155,300 62,500 17,500
2005 3,467,800 279,700 177,600 79,500 22,600
2010 3,771,700 338,400 204,100 105,000 29,200
2011 3,789,300 352,600 212,500 109,100 31,100

4. Potential Problem 2
According to the future scene all elderly accused persons brought before a
court of law in Singapore cannot be sentenced to any form of imprisonment
due to their advanced age and only by the way of fines. Even so,they would
receive only half the punishment provided in the Penal Code or referenced
from precedent cases for typical adult offenders.I can infer that the elderly will
take advantage of this implementation and commit more crimes. This might
lead to having an increase crime rate as a nation.
● Research
● regardless of the type of theft
● an offender's history of theft or related crimes has a significant effect on sentencing
● with repeat offenders receiving less leniency, while first time offenders may receive
relatively lighter penalties.

5. Elaboration on Point 2
The percentage of criminals in prisons are mostly first-time offenders, and
many of them when surveyed by various organizations replied that the
lenient sentences invoked to them did not deter them much, with fines being
the least effective deterrence.
Also, a study done by forensic expert David Dixon has also shown that
most criminals are deterred by heavy sentences and/or fines, and VICE
VERSA.

6. Potential Problem 3
According to the future scene,all elderly accused people cannot be
sentenced to any form of imprisonment and can only pay fines.This
could be problematic as criminals might use / target the elderly as a
victim / accomplice in crime since they will never be put to jail.This may
in turn lead to a higher crime rate in the country.
● Research
● According to the American Crime Prevention Council
● Americans lose an estimated $40 billion each year to the fraudulent
sale of goods and services over the telephone.
● The elderly are (already)frequent targets of telemarketing frauds
and sweepstakes scams.
Source:http://www.ncpc.org/topics/crime-against-seniors

7. Elaboration on Point 3
Source:http://www.ncpc.org/topics/crime-against-seniors
Of the number of people scammed by telephone scamming, 56% to 80%
are elderly, with the rest being adults, teens etc.
56 - 80%
(Elderly)
Pie chart of people
being scammed by
telephone
scamming

8. Potential Problem 4
The future scene states that Bernard, despite having several
common / long-term / permanent illnesses, still has to work for a
living. This could be a problem as people may quit their jobs due
to their high levels of stress and exhaustion.This might even
possibly affect the welfare of the citizens in the near future.
● Research
● According to an article on sciencedirect.com
● prolonged work might result in employee stress, job dissatisfaction,
and turnover intent.
Source:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753512001488

9. Elaboration on Point 4
Source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753512001488

10. The future scene states that ordinary people like Bernard are
paying far too much taxes for the elderly.This could be
problematic as the people might not earn enough to pay their
newly-added taxes on top of their annual income tax.This might
even result in an increase in people who are in debt.
● Research
● According to “The Heart Truths”
● An article published on The Real Singapore
● low- and middle-income Singaporeans are already not able to
save and retire in Singapore.
Potential Problem 5

11. Elaboration on Point 5
Based on the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (commonly known as
IRAS), the tax rates for citizens like Bernard are still increasing, despite
the government trying to create more rebates.
Although the current tax rate(s) aren’t as
high, the trend of tax increase from 1990
to 2013 have been a constant increase,
and by the year 2050, the tax rates would
have increased by about twofold.

12. Since the future scenario affects the law of Singapore where the elderly will be
more likely to repeatedly commit crimes due to the lighter sentence,and that
there will be a higher crime rate due to new motives(more taxes=longer
working hours to pay those taxes) regarding the new scheme,how might we
minimize the possibility and the number of elderly crime offenders so that
there would be a smaller percentage of convicts by the end of the year 2055?
Fundamental Problem

13. ● Singapore Government (7th April 2014), Singapore Population Statistics, retrieved from: singstat.gov.sg
● Jefferson Davis(15th April 2014), Preventing Crimes, retrieved from: http://www.ncpc.org/topics/crime-against-
seniors
● Maggie Murphy (2012) , International human rights law and older people, retrieved from:
http://social.un.org/ageing-working-group/documents/GapsinprotectionofolderpeoplesrightsAugust2012.pdf
● Elsevier B.V. (2014), a leading full-text scientific database, retrieved from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753512001488
● The Real Singapore (7th April 2014),voices of average Singaporeans,retrieved from:
http://therealsingapore.com/content/how-much-tax-are-singaporeans-really-paying-part-1
Bibliography