"With this latest release, many Singaporeans would say, 'I told you so', since we've been seeing crowded trains and higher property prices." (Singapore Management University lecturer Eugene Tan, ST 1 Sep 2010).
Last Sunday Prime Minister Lee told the nation, there's an "important distinction between foreign workers and immigrants (PRs and citizens) - foreign workers are transients." That's the lie right there. Okay, maybe we should cut him some slack, someone from ICA lied to him, and he simply repeated the falsehood without an appreciation of the details. After all, this is the same smuck who doesn't know mee siam is not served with cockles.
Any kid in primary school, and he does not have to be from the gifted stream, can tell you that foreigners physically displace Singaporeans from living spaces, MRT seats, job vacancies and limited places in schools, polytechnics and universities. And the foreigner can be staying in Singapore from 1 to 15 years. Heck, there are foreigners who have been squatting for 20 years or more, never taking up PR or citizenship, and for those who left the United Kingdom, could even be drawing a pension from Her Majesty's service.
The 1 out of 3 strange faces you see everyday? It's not in your worst nightmare, or the layers of dreams in the film "Inception", it's the cruel reality of today's Singapore.
Lee praised to the skies the "foreign talents" who were credited with the Pinnacle@Duxton, a classic ostentatious monolith of what affordable public housing should not be. At least Lim Kim San understood that the poor needed a basic roof over their heads, a step up from what the man he came across in Chinatown had, who was sharing a pair of pants with his room mate. Once upon a time, there was the HDB flat for the economically challenged, and there was the private sector housing for the privileged. HUDC was there to bridge the gap for those in the sandwiched class of the middle income, especially dinks (double income no kids). A young couple, collecting their first paycheck, after piously repaying their parents for the CPF that went into their university fees, hardly needs the rude shock of an installment schedule for a 30 year mortage. Hardly the incentive to contemplate starting a family of their own. Think kindergarten fees, private tution and the astronomical sums required for their own kid's tertiary education. No wonder the birthrate is stagnating.
All the new measures to "reduce speculation and short-term investment" simply confirm that the humble HDB flat is no longer the accommodation of necessity for the masses, but another poker chip in the casino of Singapore Inc. Entry fee is substantially higher than $100, it's two full years of national service, currently valued at $9K. In case you have any doubt about National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan's sincerity to solve the long term housing problems, read his lips: "If you ask me whether it has got anything to do with the elections, the answer is yes. Everything has to do with the elections."
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The PAP buggers better learn to read my lips too, and that of other like-minded folks before they start campaigning for votes.
ReplyDeleteI am waiting patiently for the most useless PM to initiate the GE after getting the go ahead from the most hopeless forecaster.
Come to think of it, the useless son can blame the hopeless father and vice versa.
My relatives, friends and family members are eagerly waiting to Vote for Change.
ReplyDeleteThis bunch of highly paid ownself-praise-ownself leaders have been living so long high up in the clouds that it has never occurred to them that pumping more people in a small island will strain its infrastructure to breaking point and will raise prices. Even when true-blue citizens provide feedback, we are viewed as tiresome, sounding like vuvuzeulas. I, too, eagerly await the day of the GE, to vote for change, for the good of children's future.
ReplyDeleteAnother wonderful post by you. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThere is one way to increase our quality of life in Spore: make the economy smaller.
ReplyDeleteThis will ease the pressure cooker situation for the middle class and the lower middle class. Sporeans will be happier.
This will never happen. Sporeans wnat a big economy. There is also no leader who will lead Spore in this direction. We have all drunk from the same Kool aid of a materialistic life.
A smaller economy implies a lower standard level of living and less material goods. We will not be number 1. And of course 50% of foreign workers in Spore will leave for better pastures.
I do not know of a Singaporean political leader who is willing to lead Spore in this direction of improving our quality of life at the cost of a smaller economy.
Just a quick correction.
ReplyDeleteThe two years (2.5 years for old timers like me) is worth only $3k to 3.5k.
You get the rest only if you complete certain "milestones" in your reservist cycle.
For officers, senior NCOs and key appointment holders who are eligible for reservist up to 50 years, they get get only $500 more in each installment.
I feel this is cheap.
And who are the ones who keep telling us that you should not expect people to sacrifice and instead have to pay market rate?
Lastly...... which HR manager you know would recommend a bonus structure that only pays to CPF and not cash to the staff? You fire the idoit who comes up with this idea.
Just had another thought.....
ReplyDeleteIf the $9k offered to NSmen is so great, let's see the government offer it to PRs and foreigners. Let's see how many will do NS for the $9k.
LOL
Don't mean to be a wet blanket here. I don't think the coming election outcome will be any different from all the past elections. I seriously doubt all the protests and threats I see in the blogosphere will translate into more than 5% more votes for the opposition. The old man didn't spend his lifetime micro-managing the country and putting his family in such and entrenched position only to hand it over to any opposition party. The country will remain in the hands of the Lee family and their cronies for generations to come. Afterall, they have infinitely more resources at their disposal than you and I do. You better have a good Plan B if you want to push a beast like that into a corner. Good luck and don't say I didn't warn you.
ReplyDeleteMany civil servants are unhappy with the PAP. Let's see.
ReplyDelete"You better have a good Plan B if you want to push a beast like that into a corner"... I agree.
ReplyDeletethe beast is well aware it works both ways. expect a reaction when you push so many into a corner. the question is, does such a beast have the stomach to go the full distance?
nothing is infallible, not on this planet.
this, coming from a government that represents only 2/3 of the population, and of which, maybe half are walkovers (left with 1/3), and of which maybe only half are eligible to vote (1/6), and of which only secure 67% of the votes (1/10), ie., very roughly give and take abit, this government is only supported by 10% of the population.
ReplyDeleteFor every talent who designed the Pinnacle, we are letting in 50 who can give me sexual pleasure so that I can reach the Pinnacle of Pleasure. How many of you have seen the girl in Geylang and Karaoke become PRs and Citizens. How dumb can we get or are we in denial
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt this govt is only supported by their cronies and fellow fake-elites. That is why there is no free and fair election and they would do their utmost to win by all dirty means possible. I expect to see defamation suits and police harassment coming soon.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, if not this election, it will be the next, but it won't be long. Once old man goes, they will all collapse like a pack of cards. Reason - this is a bunch of idiots working on a foundation of greed for money, power craze and self-centredness. They have no moral value to rely on - just see how the YOG went - power to outside world and shit to our people. How long more can they stand? Not to say the old man has value now, but at least he and his old gang had and were very respectable politicians then.
ReplyDeleteIf u employ a maid from Phils or Indonesia, does she displace your living space in your home?
ReplyDeleteMe am of the opinion that the future is bleak in Sinkapore no matter the outcomes of the coming elections and no matter how talented our elites are.
ReplyDeletepatriot
Frankly the elites are nothing special...
ReplyDeleteJust paper credentials....
No original independent real thinkers or visionaries in this lot...if anything they are the ones who are really unproductive...look at how much monies spend or use by them...
Anything new or original...nada...just a bunch of low life parasites that's all.
"I don't think the coming election outcome will be any different from all the past elections"
ReplyDeleteYes, we can!
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ReplyDelete