Picture taken with my spartan buddies- LCP Vinod K and PTE K C Goh at 595 Singapore Infantry Regiment (SIR) Unit standing-down ceremony at Jurong Camp II on 27 March 2008.
Category In the Heartland
Observations and non-political (I try) opinions on real issues that are close to our hearts in our nation, Singapore.
My Grassroots Outreach Debut
Today, I attended my first grassroots meeting for my neighbourhood! This was something that I wanted to do very much as part of my community outreach in staying in touch with the ‘ground’.
I was invited as an observer for my first meeting. And I really did not know what being an observer meant, but I assumed it was “just to watch only”. So you could imagine how challenging it was for me to play that role and sitting still for two hours. Ha ha…
Despite living in my neighbourhood for more than 20 years, it was funny how it was my first time seeing most of the faces in that room. It was really a good mix of people in terms of race, gender and age. There were about 25 of us.
Personally, it was an eye-opener and a humbling experience. It was fascinating to see this group with such diversity working together to get things done as they ran through the meeting’s agenda.
When we came to the part- Feedback on Government Service/Policies, I was all geared up to listen what most of them would discuss. But as expected, it was the usual. Most complaint about the raising costs.
The amusing part of that discussion came:
“Complain… complain, so how? What do you suggest?”
“I think we can suggest that RC members get 10-15 per cent discount off Fairprice house-brand products”
“Ya it is time to re-look into revising RC members’ benefits and privileges”
I guess just like how our ministerial leaders’ salaries need to be revised in accordance to the market, what more for grassroots leaders’ benefits and privileges rite?
If not, how to retain talent correct?? =p
Keep a Look Out For This Man!
Singapore’s most wanted man, Mas Selamat Kastari is still on the loose.
If you have not heard or seen the latest update on the JI leader, here’s the poster to spot some of his many possible faces.
So please be alert and keep a look out!
Ho ho ho… =p
Thinking Aloud: Growing Old in Singapore
Much attention has been on Singapore’s greying population and it will likely remain as a perennial national challenge for the many years to come.
I read that according to the United Nations, population ageing will be most significant in Asia. By year 2050, 1.2 billion people in Asia will be 60 years and above- four times the number today.
With our higher life expectancy, Singapore counts as one of the fastest ageing countries in the world. Today, one in 12 Singaporeans are 65 and above. By the year 2030, that would increase to one in five of us being 65 and above.
Ageing in Singapore
Anticipating the ageing issues that will arise, our government has made substantial efforts to address these issues such as the recent organising of the SICEX 2008 Exhibition that was held at the Suntec Convention Hall last two weeks ago.
The Ministerial Committee on Ageing (MCA) led by Mr Lim Boon Heng from the Prime Minister’s Office have been kept busy since last March by providing more care and concern for our ageing society. This has come in forms in advocating employment for older workers to annuities for old age and the tweaking of Eldershield and the CPF.
When explaining the reason behind the key changes of the CPF scheme, PM Lee cited how the government was concern for Singaporeans’ financial sustainability especially with the rise of life expectancy at 80 years old now.
From a glance, it looks like we do have a government that truly cares for their people with their plans to secure retirement for the ageing population. However, if we scratch the surface deeper, we might find another probable reason for this.
Tapping on human resource
It is a well-known fact that Singapore being deprived out of all other natural resources have only our human resource to tap on. That is why the role of education in Singapore is emphasised and is one of our nation’s core foundation.
This is also further explains and helps us understand on our government’s stance on certain policies or leadership approaches. For instance, we pride ourselves for providing WORKfare and not WELfare.
In Singapore, there is no “free lunch” and all of us are expected to work. If you want welfare, you got to work and contribute to CPF to receive incentives. That is our workfare.
Asset or a liability
Imagine when 500,000 Singaporeans retire at age 65 by 2010 out of 4-5 million as according to statistics. And couple that with the higher life expectancy and the need of healthcare.
Would the retirees have enough to survive?
Where would they get the money to survive if their savings are wiped out?
Would there be a sufficient workforce to sustain economic investments?
I believe some of these questions would have been our government’s primary concerns. And with the rapid growth of the ageing population, there is an urgent need to find solutions in keeping our economy going.
Not only does a retiree represents un-productivity, he/she also represents in economic terms, a liability.
Why?
Simply because by not working, one no longer contributes to the CPF. Not only does he/she not give, but he/she is taking.
Not mentioning that our economy being so dependent on consumer spending in bolstering it afloat would likely experience a big dip with retirees having less spending power.
So if a retiree runs out of money, where does he/she go?
Government lor…
If you don’t believe, you only have to look at our present situation with the rising cases of the poor and needy seeking financial assistance from our government at the Meet-The-People sessions.
Therefore, with the number of retirees expected in the years to come, that poses as a huge “liability” to our government. And this better explains the initiatives and measures for securing our retirement, welcoming of foreign workers to fill in those “gaps” and the recent means testing for healthcare.
Not sure if you agree with me, but all these care, concern and efforts, it seems are inclined more towards the sustainability of the economy, and not exactly for us.
Looking hard below the surface, I am faced with the hard truth that I am regarded nothing more than a mere number that contributes to my country’s population statistics.
Work till I die
But to be fair, I do applaud the government in carrying out a fine job in ensuring that our limited human resource in Singapore is fully utilised to his/her potential in contributing productivity to our nation’s workforce.
Putting myself in their shoes, this could be a bo bian (no choice in Hokkien) kind of situation.
However, as a working 30 year old Singaporean, my concern are the rising cost of living which would shrink the value of my CPF retirement nest in 30 years time.
Another concern is the affordability of healthcare as by that retiring age, healthcare would be a necessity for me to keep working in order to stay alive.
Against such a bleak bo bian backdrop, it is apparent that as a Singapore citizen, I will have to work till I die.
For Self-interest or People’s Interest?
After announcing the ministerial’s salaries hike for MPs and administrative officers – the elite of the civil service- last week, Senior Minister Goh Chong Tong was reported saying that “the latest civil service pay hike is aimed at retaining and attracting younger officers.”
This is despite the fact that Ministers at the starting grade will take home $1.94 million next year – an increase of 21 per cent over this year’s $1.6 million under the revised salary package.
SM Goh further explained that the increase was necessary and emphasised that the Ministers were less concerned about their own salaries because their salaries were actually quite attractive.
“But we are concerned about the civil servants now and the next generation of people whom we are trying to target to become Ministers,” he said.
Read the report here>>>
For Money or for people
Personally, I am flabbergasted over SM Goh’s comments and reasons for proceeding with the hike.
Notwithstanding that the retaining of Ministers is a valid reason for expediting the hike despite the increasing inflation, but it seems to send out a very wrong signal to the public.
For once, I am concern and question the agenda of any Minister taking up his/her role in our public service by using money as a “carrot” to retain and lure young officers.
Would he/she be in a ministerial role for the money or is he/she truly passionate about serving fellow Singaporeans?
The answer, I believe makes a lot of difference in how Singapore will be led. This would eventually affect the livelihood of us Singaporeans with the kind of policies rolled out for “nation-building”.
Nevetheless, I believe there are more others reasons to leave the public service apart from not having a high salary package. The other possible reasons surely cannot be any much different from us non-elites which should include having a lousy boss, not having opportunities for personal development or a dislike of the working culture.
So would increasing the salary package really solve the problem? Or is the increment really meant to solve that problem?
The sort of leaders we need
Ideally speaking, we need more leaders that will lead with their heart and soul especially if one who is in a role of a Minister.
If one steps up to become a Minister, it should be a calling rather than a career.
The reason why they serve makes a difference because in the face of great adversity, we can be sure that those who serve with passion will stick to the end of their duties even if it costs them their lives.
For those who are in for the money, we can expect them to leech on the people’s resources and lives. And like a hired hand, we can expect them to elope at the sight of danger.
Therefore, it is up to us to decide which one of these two types of leaders would we rather have lead us.
I really dread to think how Singapore will be run with the young and new Ministers in office who are in for self-interest rather than the people’s initerest.
But probably it is not too hard to imagine when we just have to look at our present state.
Read related TOC article here>>>
S’pore Inflation Hits 16-Year High
Last Saturday’s Straits Times headline read: October inflation hits 16-year high of 3.6% . It was definitely loud and clear, and grabbed the attention of many Singaporeans like myself.
The ST reported in that article that DBS Bank’s Irvin Seah “fell over his chair” when the figure was revealed. “This is way beyond market analyst expectations,” he further added. “We knew inflation would go up. We just didn’t know it would come so quickly.”
That was the kind of reaction that the news of the inflation had.
Though the affects of rising costs had been felt for 1-2 months ago, this latest news was a confirmation of the dreadful reality that the average Singaporeans had been living in.
Reasons for inflation
It was mentioned that prevailing oil and food prices contributed to the rise in inflation. China, for instance, reported that prices last month rose the fastest in a decade.
And disturbingly, the 2 per cent hike in the goods and services tax (GST) in July was attributed as another major cause for the already rising prices.
This is definitely not good news, especially for the lower income group. Already the income gap has been widen and with this inflation, life with be more difficult in coping with the high cost of living in Singapore.
The GST hike in question
When Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong first announced his plans to increase the GST prices from 5 percent to 7 percent on 13 November 2006, here was his reason:
Speaking in Malay, Mandarin and English, Mr Lee explained that the hike was necessary to finance the enhanced social safety nets, needed to help the lower income group and he emphasised that the offset package would more than counter the rise in GST.While Singapore’s current model to tackle the widening income gap is sound, Mr Lee said the government would take on two approaches to deal with the new environment – to strengthen the safety nets and tilt the balance in favour of the lower-income groups who do not benefit from the fruits of economic growth.
However, from the recent article by Reuters about Singapore’s economy boom widens income gap and with the figures of the swift-arising inflation presented to us, things do not seem to be happening in favour of the lower income group at this point of time as planned.
In fact, it appears that things are worse off than before- the gap widening more and the lower income struggling even more to survive or keep up.
Uncovering the real deal
But with all honesty, how can a GST hike help the lower income when they are the main group people that would feel the affects?
Even the rich (those that should be the ones heavily taxed) with their busninesses and investments get tax rebates on GST and corporate tax schemes that works to their advantaged. And we all know that legally, there are ways to avoid being tax and keeping/earning more money as owners of businesses.
So the rich gets richer if not remain rich and the poor even poorer.
How can this be for the lower income group?
Therefore at this moment, it looks like it is the lower to middle income (the mass) group that are truly footing the bill for the economic development in Singapore with the high income group continuing reaping the “juiciest” fruits of our economic growth.
This cycle never ends.
What is the real agenda?
But to be fair, the full intented results of the GST hike might not have reached its potential yet. Therefore even with the contradicting predicament, we should still wait and see if PM Lee and his party delivers the goods for the lower income.
My personal view is that the GST hike was not the main agenda to help the lower income group, but an excuse to soften the resistant towards the idea. As it seems the real agenda is uncovered little by little with all the buzz on our economic development.
In short, our raised budget are mainly channelled in footing the massive bills incurred by our investment in R&D, Intergated Resorts, F1 Race and etc…
To this, I question if the lower income group has really benefitted from this developments. Cos I seriously doubt employment/business opportunities would be made primarily available for them. Instead, I forsee that our lower income group will be slogging and begging even more for whatever “scraps” that are left behind.
Singapore’s economic boom widens income gap
REUTERS
By Melanie Lee
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Carol John, 27, doesn’t own a bed. Every night she sleeps on thin mattresses which she shares with her three young children. Outside her one-room flat, a smell of sewage lingers in the common corridor.
Just a few kilometers away, on Singapore’s Sentosa island, Madhupati Singhania relaxes on his $435,000 yacht berthed at the city-state’s swanky One 15 Marina Club.
Income inequality is nothing new in free-market Singapore, but two years of blistering economic growth and a government policy of attracting wealthy expatriates have created a new class of super-rich, while a string of price increases for everything from bread to bus fares have made life harder for the poor.
“I can’t save anything, it’s so difficult for me,” John told Reuters. John, who is unemployed, relies on her husband’s S$600 (US$420) monthly salary and a S$100 government handout.
“We don’t benefit at all from the economy. As far as I know, my husband’s pay hasn’t gone up,” she said.
Singapore’s economy is firing on all cylinders, with a booming construction sector, record tourist arrivals and a fast-growing financial sector all contributing to a gross domestic product set to grow nearly 8 percent in 2007….. (Continued)
Read the full story here>>>
Free Burma!
Click here for details to participate in International Bloggers’ Day for Myanmar.
CPF: What Is The Real Truth?
When someone comes to me and shares a conflict or some unpleasant encounter with another party, I try my best to keep an open mind by not concluding based on all that he/she tells me.
I will, at least maintain that till I have found out the facts from the whole situation and after listening also from the other parties involved. That way I would have a balanced and complete picture in order to make a good and wise judgement or conclusion. 
In regards to the CPF tweaking plans in implementing the complusory annuity for all Singaporeans, most of us have heard a plenty from our government’s side of the story through their our mainstream media. But what about the other side of the story- the people?
Here’s an extract of a comment made from a fellow Singaporean in this blog that should set us to think alittle bit more about what the new CPF plans spell for us ahead.
What is the real truth? You decide…
If I remember well, when I started work as a teenager in 1968, I was told by my boss that 25% of my pay will go to CPF. He will contribute 25%. My boss said, “That’s law, don’t worry. Government guarantees you’ll get it all back when you retire at 55”.
On reaching my retirement goal- age of 55, I was shocked that they have moved the goalposts many times since I started work at 1968. My money wasn’t my money anymore. Yes, there’s Special, Medisave & Retirement Account – SMRA – “You can’t touch these!” A hip hop/rap song?
For those who “catch no ball” about the CPF system and latest Longevity Insurance Scheme, read here>>>
Playing an active part as Singaporeans
Posted by theonlinecitizen on September 15th, 2007
Recently I decided to be a part of TOC by being one of their writers. I thought this would be a great avenue or platform to do my part in being a NERVE in our country.
I strongly believe TOC has the potential to be a credible and qualified representative for Singaporeans from the ground up. Hopefully TOC would eventually, one day be recognised by our government as a partner in policy-making decisions towards re-making our country a better home for Singaporeans to live, work, play and grow old. 
After casual exchanges with friends over some local socio-political issues, I have to say that generally, majority of us Singaporeans take a very passive if not an apathetic approach when it comes to Singapore socio-political issues.
I think this can be largely due to us Singaporeans ‘taking for granted’ the strong leadership and efficiency of our government.
Personally, I think this is not very healthy for us as a country and has to be addressed as it might pose a grave danger for all of us.
Read the rest of my debut article here>>>
Andrew: Inside & Insights 