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| Dark clouds gathering over the Vatican |
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the quotations in the newspaper on the existence of pedophile cardinals did not correspond to what the pope actually said. According to the BBC, off-the-cuff statements made by the pope often lend themselves to ambiguity.
But our ministers were not speaking off-the-cuff, either in or out of parliament, when they continue their spiel on the unholy mess of the Central Provident Fund (CPF). Even the local rag put out an ad to reassure the doubting Thomases that "With CPF, working Singaporeans do not have to pay for the retirement benefits of those who have retired. Every dollar saved in CPF will benefit you and your loved ones". That last sentence can't be correct. If you don't have to pay for others who have retired, the number should not include "your loved ones" - latter will have to bear their own burdens. If the pope has a credibility problem, what more the propagators of a flawed retirement system?
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Why is there a need to put out that misleading advertisement in the first place? Because the reality if far from the propaganda? Everyone knows that advertisements are "mere puffs" as Justice Prakash reminded the purchaser of the Rolls-Royce recently.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I am seeing more and more LTA banners sprouting up like mushrooms assuring us that the transport system will get better. I feel more worried now that Lui is pushing for yearly fare hikes so that transport operators remain profitable. Is he taking orders from his ex-Chief at SMRT?
Deletebecoz after GE2011, their diagnosis according to VBala was: "we should have better communicated our policies"! Meaning nothing was wrong, except not enuf propaganda to all the goondoos who did not tow the papig piper's tune. And so, more than a few $2 companies were set up to be awarded those multi-hundred million dollars publicity campaigns to "inform the infidels", compete with banners and newspapers headlines. See, now that chandra das' scheme has been exposed, they now need new ways to top up the slush funds, if not, with all the gossip on the internet watching them, how to find the money to provide for abalone porridge to their ardent supporters on the ground leh?
DeleteThe current state of affairs seems to be that the PAP is doing a lousy jobs of explaining all the social benefits to all of us. My questions is, is the social benefits so hard to understand or eroding trust issues or the social benefits are questionable?
ReplyDeleteIts complex, difficult to explain and therefore defend.
ReplyDeleteMainly because the true purpose is hidden, otherwise there would be much clarity in devising mechanisms and principles.
My view is:
How in the world can 86 members of parliament be completely hoodwinked too? or how they can endorse such a scheme?
Did they read the damn scheme in detail?
Do THEY have questions themselves?
Then again, they have their millions and $250,000 is small peanut to all of them... charity to allow it to be added into the pool? I am certain all of then have achieved their minimum sums and beyond!
Every dollar saved in CPF will benefit the government coffers, and the pockets of the fund managers of the GIC and Temasek Holdings. Singaporeans mana ada retirement benefits! Everyone here bears his own burden, called self-help. "With CPF, working Singaporeans do not pay for the retirement benefits of those who have retired" - neither does the government.
ReplyDeleteCPF is no longer a retirement fund. It is more like a compulsory savings account or fixed deposit, with the added drawback that they cannot be taken out as and when we like, except for certain investments and housing - which is more a scheme to siphon off our savings for our retirement, considering how unaffordable public housing has now become.
Including the Maintenance of Parents Act, Silver Housing Bonus and Lease Buy Back Scheme, Medishield Life, etc, they are trying to tweat the CPF to minimise the cost and their responsibility of looking after us, especially the poor and elderly, when we retire. This then is their retirement system, the Swiss standard of living promised by them.
What ideas come to your mind when you suggest that CPF is a "retirement fund"? Is it some superannuation plan that pays everyone a flat amount when they retire? CPF has always been a forced savings plan with a formula for returning to youwhat you have saved + interest. Yes they keep changing the formula. But save less get less. Save more get more. Not happy get a citizen status elsewhere outside West malaysia and take everything back at one go.
DeleteIts home.
DeleteAnd we need not put up with an uncle that overstays his welcome., who dictates how the home should be run.
My neighbours are not as neighbourly as they once were.
Why should we get a citizen status elsewhere? Not happy with their management of the country, just vote them out. Not happy with the system, vote them out. Have a change.
Delete"But save less get less. Save more get more."
DeleteWhat idea do you have between your ears when you use the word "get", and of course like your slimy kinds, when do you suppose one will be "getting", and how much? All shifting goal posts, and no wonder too, slimy snakes beong to shifting sands of the desert. Suggest you look to Sahara if you like so much the idea of migrating. We are sure we are staying to see the end of old fart and the end of his legacy.
Basically they have turned part of our CPF savings into gambling chips, using both the long lifespan & the bad health index of Singaporeans as winnings for each bet.
ReplyDeleteUnder our CPF Life Scheme if anyone's lifespan is short, too bad. I suppose we have to blame it on our Gods for not allowing us to outlive the annuity payments.
On the other hand under our Medishield Life, if we are in such good health, our CPF savings will be used to subsidise those in bad health.
Either way, our PAP Govt wins by saving on public health costs. For a moment, do you still their word that they are really concerned about our general health being ?