HE HAS no teeth, no strength in his knees, no money in his pockets, no children to call his own and no clear vision to guide his every step.

There is also not much that Mr Leong Chee Fook, 72, owns. In his one-room rental flat at Block 106 in Jalan Bukit Merah, a single bed, a TV set, a sewing machine and a cabinet are his main assets.

By all counts, he has reason to be disgruntled about his life. Or the lack of it.

But the bachelor, who gets $290 a month in public assistance, chooses to live his twilight years on a happy, positive note.

'I'm like a little bird, without worries or cares,' said Mr Leong, who has lived alone since his younger brother died six years ago.

'Many old people choose to wait for death. I choose to live happily.'

His attitude, however, is unusual among Singapore's elderly folk.

Most are beset by an underlying anxiety about income and future social security, said Dr Mary Ann Tsao, president of the Tsao Foundation, which focuses on elderly issues.

The gloom is probably not lost on Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who highlighted in Parliament last month the cheerful picture he saw on a trip to Okinawa last year.

There, the Japanese elderly are happy and active.

They live to a ripe old age. The island of 1.4 million has 740 centenarians, compared to Singapore's 500 out of 4.5 million residents.

Mr Khaw, who has spoken a few times about the Okinawans, wants Singaporeans to make that sunny state of health and disposition their future. It is especially important as Singapore society greys, with one in five expected to be older than 65 in 2030, compared to one in 12 today.

But can they?

Veteran researchers on Singapore's elderly are optimistic because, as Professor Kua Ee Heok noted, 'there are now more efforts to help them'.

Prof Kua, a psychological medicine specialist who has been studying elderly issues since 1984, cited two efforts.

One is the Ministerial Committee on Ageing, set up to create an environment for the elderly to lead healthy, active and productive lives.

The other is the expanding network of organisations that promote active ageing, the latest being the Council for the Third Age, a Government-funded agency.

At the grassroots level too, such activities are booming, noted Nominated MP Kalyani Mehta, a social work lecturer whose focus on the elderly here began 17 years ago.

Activities such as brisk walking and outings to nature parks can be found at community clubs across the island.

In addition, the new retirees' annuity scheme called CPF Life, as well as moves to coax people to work longer for their old-age income, will help give the middle- and low-income groups peace of mind.

But what about the lot of the Singapore elderly now?

Compared to their Okinawan counterparts, many have limited income, little education and, apart from their HDB home, not much in savings, observed Dr Tsao.

In Japan, older people have pensions, health and long-term care insurance, she points out. It is also easier for them to get about.

Here, the distance to an overhead bridge or the speed at which traffic lights change can be daunting for older, less agile people.

Another area is their social relationships. Older people everywhere need to be with others for meaningful family, work and community relationships.

But here, she said, families are busy, work is not available for older people, and they may be separated from friends if they move and cannot travel easily.

Also, she noted, among the elderly here, life is probably harder on those in their 70s than those in their 80s.

The 70-somethings are probably highly dependent on their children for income as they would not have been high wage earners, owing to that generation's relatively low education level, she said.

'The children, however, are often not in a position to help as they would be in their 40s and have many family responsibilities of their own.'

The octogenarians, on the other hand, have lived through very tough times and are resilient. They lead a simple life and tolerate the lack of material and social support because their expectations are generally low, Dr Tsao added.

Madam Woo Keng Sim, 80, typifies such resilience.

She arrived here from China at the age of 19, worked as an amah until the age of 62 and now lives in a one-room rental flat in Block 5, Banda Street.

There are about 100 samsui women and other single elderly people residing in the Chinatown block. Like them, Madam Woo thrives on the activities organised by Yong-en Care Centre at nearby Smith Street.

She has family in China's Guangdong province, but going back is out of the question.

'I've heard of old people who went back to China healthy but died shortly after because they had no friends and nothing to do there.

'Here, I'm busy with so many activities.'

Despite her arthritis, the sprightly woman never misses the weekly karaoke sessions and outings organised by Yong-en, or playing master of ceremonies at its fund-raisers.

But for some, like Mr Johan A., life's setbacks are crushing. The 63-year-old lives alone and rarely steps out of his dimly-lit flat in Block 105, Jalan Bukit Merah.

'I don't like to mix with others because they may talk bad about me,' he says, reciting his woes.

He was divorced in 1987 and lost his job as a purchasing officer in 2006 after he had a stroke.

As Dr Tsao noted, for older people to have contentment, they need security, a meaningful role in the family and society, choices and being able to continue making decisions for themselves.

'It's no different from what everyone wants,' she said.

kianbeng@sph.com.sg

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CLARISSA OON