Singapore – from 3rd world to 1st world to LOST world
By Cheong Wing Lee, Guest Columnist
It has been 50 years since Singapore has been governed by the PAP under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew.
Is Singapore better off now than it was 50 years ago?
The answer from most baby boomers is that it is worse. Despite all the gains in materialism and wealth in the country, the majority of the ageing population is feeling no better than five decades ago. Many are stressed out by the anxieties of the absence of a dignified retirement plan, the affordability of healthcare and the uncertain future for their children.
Fifty years ago, Singapore was a British Colony under British rule. The majority of the population neither liked nor disliked the British. They had no opinion and took it as part of life.
During the colonial days, most of the population then were born to accept that the white people were superior. The population then were mostly poor working class, lost without direction and living from day to day.
Fast forward fifty years to present day Singapore and we find the majority of the ageing population also neither like nor dislike the PAP and can’t do anything about it. Most of them were born to accept that the “Men in White” are superior.
The PAP has over the years designed policies and safe guards to ensure that the party remains in power indefinitely. The indiscriminate use of the ISD, rezoning of constituencies, formation of GRCs, monopoly of the mass media and liberal use of defamation lawsuits against opponents practically destroyed all oppositions.
The aging population are generally poor, lost without direction and like the population fifty years ago, living from day to day, praying that their savings will be adequate for a decent retirement.
To PAP’s credit, during the past fifty years,the old guards of the PAP and MM Lee manage to bring Singapore from an improvised third world country to the first world status.
I remembered I was then living in a small rented room in a Chinatown shop-house with only one kitchen, one make shift bathroom and one pull out bucket toilet. The shop-house was shared with 4 other families with a total of 22 occupants.
Within fifteen years I was able to buy a 5 room HDB apartment and own a car. For that I was grateful to the PAP, especially the old guards.
Back then in the seventies, Singapore was bustling with economic activities brought about by Dr. Goh Keng Swee, then Deputy Prime Minister, who led the Singapore industrial revolution.
For the next few decades, Singapore was hailed by the world as an economic miracle . A country without natural resources and yet able to propel itself from 3rd world status to 1st world status with one of the highest per capita in Asia.
The country achieved so many “Number Ones”, i.e. No 1 airport, No.1 container port, No.1 airline, etc, etc. that I lost count. We were proud as citizens of Singapore.
We were proud of the PAP and we were proud of MM Lee. Many of us would have died for the country and him. MM Lee would have left a great legacy for generations to remember.
Ironically the past two decades had eroded that admiration. The addiction of absolute power has made MM Lee developed a deep craze to perpetuate his control of Singapore. It was no longer our country.
Singapore has become his country, his personal property. Our pledge for justice and equality for all is only but an aspiration according to him. To MM Lee, only he and the PAP can effectively govern Singapore.
All others outside of PAP with opposing views are treated as Public Enemies. Under the disguise of self renewal and recruiting new blood, the entire group of old guards were retired except for himself. He brought in young bureaucrats, technocrats, and scholars who will obey and above all fear him without questions.
This dream team and MM Lee initiated a series of social engineering. MM Lee’s dream is to create a perfect society based on meritocracy. There will be no room for complacency. He wants Singaporeans to be the best of the best.
In the process of social engineering, Singapore becomes a nanny state where the government dictates to its citizens what, how and when to do in every minute aspect of their lives. The ideal dreams of the ordinary citizens turned to nightmares. The citizens are hard pressed to perform to the government’s requirements.
The education system was revamped time and again to filter and segregate the slow learners from the ordinary and the brightest students at a young age.
The brightest students are given the best education, priorities and scholarships with promise of top government jobs and top salaries upon completion of their studies.
These super students are primed to be future leaders of the country. The slow learners and the ordinary students are thrown to the lower rungs of the food chain.
The numerous new education policies cause panic amongst parents who do not want their children to be labeled as slow learners or mentally challenged.
There is a huge surge for private tuition whereby children are forced to endure hours of extra studies to keep up or be one step ahead of the others in their pursuit of academic excellence. The joy and happiness of growing up as children was robbed.
There was no time for children to be simply children. The segregation system is based on an unscientific assumption that if students do not perform well in examinations, they will not do well in all aspects of their lives.
Maids are hired by almost every household in order for parents and children to devote more time to studies. The repercussion of the overuse of maids results in a generation of children not knowing how to do simple chores like boiling water, washing dishes, cleaning, hanging a picture frame, changing a tyre, etc. Few children learn or do anything outside of textbooks. The children are simply not street smart.
Perhaps the biggest mistake was the “STOP AT TWO” or “Two is Enough” campaign where citizens were encouraged to stop at only having two children by curtailing all medical benefits and educational privileges of the third child.
The successful campaign resulted in a sharp drop in birth rate and a mass exodus of emigrants who have more than two children. Even more severe repercussions surfaced two decades later resulting in the present huge influx of more than one million “Foreign Talents”, mainly from China and India.
Just when the local citizens thought that they have met the worst by working as janitors, food courts cleaners and other low paying jobs, they are now challenged by foreign talents from China and India who are prepared to work for less.
This challenge now spread to include regular higher paying jobs like engineers, surveyors, healthcare workers, etc which are traditionally held by local born Singaporeans.
Companies are openly advertising and recruiting the new foreign talents in preference to the locals. The reason being that companies need to stay competitive and be more profitable.
New immigrants or foreign talents are not burdened by national service and reservist duty which put additional cost to the companies. Furthermore, new immigrants are willing and able to work for less pay and longer hours since most of them come to Singapore by themselves and have no family obligations like the locals.
The entire working environment is working against the local born Singaporeans. All of a sudden they have become strangers in their own land.
The country they have sworn to protect has betrayed them. In desperate times like this, when help and reassuring words from the government should be forth coming, instead the local Singaporeans receive advice telling them to lower their expectations. This only add insult to injury.
What the dream team and high salaried ministers fail to understand is that the people cannot go lower than low. Just try to survive on a salary of $2,000 a month or less with a family, then maybe they may understand the plight of the average Singaporeans.
For those frustrated Singaporeans who wants to emigrate to other countries to escape their present hopeless predicament, they are walking into another brick wall.
Unknown to most of them, new emigrants to countries like Australia and Canada are also foreign talents who have recently obtained their Singapore citizenship. It must be heart breaking for locals to find out that even the last escape route from their desperate predicament is being challenged by foreign talents who use Singapore as a stepping stone.
There are potential problems looming on the horizon with this huge influx of foreign talents, permanent residents and newly minted Singaporeans. The total number is between 1.6 million to 2 million people under these categories.
These people have no allegiance to the country. Their allegiance is to money. If they do not get employment, they will not get the money to send back to their countries to help their families.
The local born Singaporeans are largely of the “kaisu and kaisi” non-violent type who only complain but continue to vote in the same government election after election. However, the new immigrants are more vocal and hostile. These people will not be easily intimidated and bullied by the authority. The threat of jail to them is like going to a holiday camp with free food and shelter. They have endured much harsher penalties and hardships in their own countries. They are battle hardened and not afraid of dying.
If these people do go on protest riots, it will be a security nightmare. Logistically, the police does not have enough manpower to cope with such numbers. Singapore has less than 10,000 regular policemen. Each policeman has to deal with 200 violent protesters. No matter how efficient the policemen are, it is an impossible task even if the reservist NS are called in to help.
On the assumption that these people are contained, there are simply not enough jails to lock them in. Changi Prison will have to be increased at least one hundred times in size. The government has only one solution and that is to keep them constantly employed to maintain peace.
So when it comes to the question of whether Singapore is better now than it was 50 years ago, should we be surprised at the answer?
About the Author:
Cheong Wing Lee is an ex-Singaporean who is now living in Vancouver, Canada.
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Sg Observer on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 9:12 am
Uncle Cheong can’t be more right in his analysis! With the recent saga of a PRC woman who holds a Blue IC proudly `announced’ her loyalty to her motherland, I really hope that Singaporeans really wake up this time.
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
rico on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 9:50 am
Many years ago, I used to admire LKY. Now I raise my middle finger at him and his sissy son whenever I see them on TV.
john on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:32 am
Much worse then that – the presence of large number of foreigners in Singapore means that Singapore is not defendable. As US and Britain have shown after 911 attack and London subway bombing – once you have alot of foreigners living among you – you are vulnerable to suicide attacks by foreigners with local knowledge and identification. As the Gulf War has shown once your economy are dependent on large proportion of foreign labours – they can be used as spies or even worse if an enemy attack – they will be the first one to drop their tools and run for the border – i.e. Singapore essential services will grind to a halt without all these foreign talents.
John on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:42 am
Interesting article and the irony of the writer being resident in Canada is not lost on me. I hope that Canadian residents made a foreign talent like you welcome in your new adopted country. Quite certainly otherwise the author would have not stayed there. A lesson for this blog’s reader? Treat others as you would like to be treated.
luke on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 11:03 am
what cock is this. SG is having it good, people are relatively wealthy. Look around you, everyone is living a decent life because of the strong purchasing power of the SGD. My colleauges think about going abroad for holidays all the time. People eat good food, throngs the beautiful orchard road strip to buy the latest gucci bags. Every quarter millions will flock to the consumer IT shows to buy the latest electronic gadgets.
What would you expect from the governemnt? Create an egalitarian society where no one is poor? I would like to see what ideas you have in achieving that.
Sg Observer on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 11:17 am
i have many foreigner friends working in singapore too, but i feel that our singapore is really too small to accomodate so many unless we really expand `physically’ by reclaiming more lands and improve our public infrastructure like transportation and housing..
Sooner or later, our foreigners friends will be feeling overcrowded too, just like us.
Honestly, i welcome foreigners .. it makes sg a more vibrant and fun place.
BUT……..
our sg’s infrastructure is not to the level of supporting our current level of population growth yet !
Quick fix method to boost our economy..but hell, do it phase by phase for god sake !!
For those of you who have kids and reading this, can you imagine what it will be like 10 to 20 years down the road for them to compete for jobs and affordable housings if everything remains status quo?
Increase in population does not equal to increase in job opportunities.
My worst fear is that at the end of the day people will compete against each other based on wage alone. I suspect that’s the master plan of out govt.
With the cost of living escalating upwards like crazy, people will work harder and harder just to maintain the existing stndard of living..
Like running a treadmill in the gym, speed goes up but hell, u are still running on the same threadmill..once u slip from the threadmill, some FTs (maybe) is right behind u waiting to take over your threadmill…..
God bless u if u don’t take care of your health ! Your threadmill might be gone. Sadly, there is only so much stamina one can have..
Ever wonders why our $ no enough ?
Not because that we are overspending but in reality, cost of living has shot through the roof.
shame on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 12:16 pm
Hello everyone..our parents and ancestor are also FT in old Singapore lah..so what the whinning?…competion is good as our Singapore young do not have the ” hunger to drives in working hard”…as compared to the 2nd wave of from India and China…same countries where our ancestors and Parent. Lucky there no protest or unwelcome attitude toward our FT parents..Singapore would not be the same as today..respected by many Countries..no need visa to enter..alot of face lah….
lol on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 12:31 pm
Quite disappointing at the use of ridiculous examples and sweeping statements in this entry…
“Maids are hired by almost every household in order for parents and children to devote more time to studies.” <-
If you truly think that, you are living in an ivory tower with no ideas how life is like for the common Singaporean.
"Each policeman has to deal with 200 violent protesters." <- totally absurd to say that 2m non-resident, PRs and new citizen will go on riot. Can't believe that the writer thinks this is a valid concern…
I'm quite disappointed at the low quality of the recent entries that have been posted… Plenty of baseless ranting, unobjective comments and biased portrayals. TR needs to step up its QC or risk deteriorating into a gathering spot for whiners and complain kings with no constructive comments.
Teck Soon on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 12:41 pm
Cheong’s article is well-crafted. Correct.
Solutions?
If only the rest have a helicopter vision they’ll not see beyond Singapore’s current predicament.
Have we reached the Limits of Growth? Why is there only one surviving city-state in the world today i.e. Singapore? Please not HK again. It’s not listed in the UN and not souvereign i.e. no standing army and is already an integral part of mainland China (its hinterland).
At the apex (1st world) our competition with the others becomes tougher and tougher by the day. You think our government is as stupid as us? Come on lah, give them some credit. They will attract the highest caliber (unfortunately the real motivation is $) on the land into government to find niches and ways for this city-state to continue to live on. That means you, me, my family, your family, relatives and friends.
If we can’t export we won’t have the revenue to pay our public servants, infrastructures renewal, this and that. That simple!
Cost – oh yes; biggest headache. So import cheap labor. The cheaper the better, right?
I can write a tonne but always remember no one owes us a living. You may want to die but not MM and his citizens (3 million locally-born are dependent on an effective government of the day). Joke? Think abt it. Unless you’re having a mistress in China like one helmeted XdiTay who will write to sink the …pore.
To start with we have no mineral resources or the economies of scale to compete fairly with the others. To make it worse our immediate neighbours have cut off raw materials and one if not for the SAF enforce the water treaty would end up in the waste-paper basket.
Maybe, we all can catch a breather if we are drawn closer (how? leave it to your imagination) to the growing economic GAINTS in Asia. More than 1 000 000 000 000 market. Blood ties?
I don’t know.
Reflect. Certain things are best left unsaid if you have the grey matter if you dont’t have then you’ll continue shouting like those clones out there who want to “sink us into the poor” as someone remarked.
风清杨 on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 12:45 pm
Absolute power inevitably leads to arrogance and eventually corruption, it is just a matter of time, be it one decade or one generation or one dynasty…
btan on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 1:12 pm
@John
Please get a clue.
The point is, foreigners to Singapore will always be loyal to their own country, hence we should always look to our own people first.
That the author, who has migrated to Canada, still cares enough to participate in our national issues proved this point to be true. He may be a foreigner to his adopted country but his heart will be with Singapore.
It is then Singapore’s lost that we lose our sons and daughters to other countries and many more will do so if the situation is not contain.
After that, Singapore will just be an empty shell and the first sign of trouble, it will collapse.
Terrified on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 1:22 pm
No need to be so violent. Just wake up early in the morning, and after a refreshing shower, walk peacefully into the ballot center and give your sacred vote to ANY alternative party. Thereafter, invite a few kakis to a nearby kopi shop and curse all pap members. At night, after dinner, stayed tuned to the MSM and watch LEEgime finally pee in their own pants and perish from Singapore. Next morning, a new dawn has began and Singaporeans finally get to see the light from decade of darkness.
AlexTheGreat on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 1:39 pm
Hello Wing Lee or anyone who knows, how to migrate to Canada, besides studying there, or finding a job there in advance? Or how does it actually work?
randomnessinmind on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 1:41 pm
@ Teck Soon:
You tell the ministers to cut their pay again then I’ll believe what you said. And to add, the SAF does NOT protect our water source. I don’t know what you think the bigger picture is, but this big picture of yours goes towards money, and lots of it, stuck at, and stuck with, the rich.
Also, to import cheaper labor to gain revenue to feed public servants, infrastructure updates and all, then what’s the point of us paying taxes?
Long term investments points to normal returns on investments, and losing billions within months due to little hind sight? No I’m not asking them to be fortune tellers, but diving head first is never a good thing.
Having no remorse, no empathy, having slums for foreign workers, mistreated people. Ignorance of faults, misused words, if they weren’t in this unique City State I don’t see how they can survive this long.
Keep comforting yourself that we’re the only City State alive. If that was that great an achievement I suppose I should just give you a palm sized Diamond and lock you in a cold, smelly room. Here the diamond is what you see in Singapore, and the smelly room is what the citizens are, but you will still be happy, since “We are the ONLY Surviving City State”
Economic Solutions are available, but heavy debates are in need to uncover the vast possibilities in life. But what we get are groups of “yes man” who gives little thoughts. This is in reply to the question of whether I think our government is as stupid as us. YES.
I’m a little tense now, will cool down in a minute, but really…what you wrote makes me a little mad. I can’t really pinpoint why.
Meanwhile, I believe Innovation is the way to go from now on. There’re the details, but then yet again why should I spell them out, let the overpaid scholers do their own work. We earn our own money!
snaker on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 1:54 pm
One stark point stood out in the article:
1. 50 years ago white men (British) are superior
2. 50 years later men-in-white are superior
Singapore story can be a good satire as in Animal Farm.
Neil Bishop on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 1:58 pm
It’s sad to say but the only hope for Singapore is for LKY to die as soon as possible.
One of the great LKY myths is that Singapore is a meritocracy. It isn’t. Loyalty to Great Leader and Dear Leader are the tests for success not performance. Nobody can ever accurately rate the performance of the PAP because all information is carefully controlled and manipulated and alternative sources are targets for the full machinery of a repressive state.
I would not fear for Singapore’s future if it really were a meritocracy but, sadly, the institutions of Singapore exist to protect the legacy of one evil old man. He has to go, and ideally that will happen peacefully, in his sleep.
Newly Minted SGer on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 2:16 pm
Whiners!
Have a look at Iraq, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Myanmar etc…
Then think of SG with its lush greenery, safe drinking water, low crime rate and others. It’s utopia compared to eating once a day, diseases, having an avg life span of 35 yrs old (before you get murdered), getting raped (men or women) in broad daylight etc, etc…
What are you complaining about?
cy on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 2:40 pm
talking of protests, there are reports of china workers crowding around MOM or their employer’s offices to protest.
at least, they dare to defend their rights when bullied.
Alan on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 3:01 pm
Stop whining. Everywhere is the same.
You just have to work harder, be smarter to work your place in the society. Should not wait for the government to spoon feed you.
Be aware of government policies.They are there for certain objectives. Then work around it.
Singapore has a lot of good things, although not perfect.
If one is choosy and lazy, anywhere you go or be would be futile. Every day pass by, as you complain. Nothing is going to change when you complain.
Foreign Talents won’t protest. They are here to work to
1. provide for their family back home
2. a better life in Singapore.
They contribute more than an average Singaporean. Pay taxes and GST like any other, and work for less. Yet, they did not complain. They do work that Singaporean do not want to do.
The world is going to be globalize, like it or not. You can’t have a protected economy, otherwise you end up like Myanmar.
dai on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 3:11 pm
“The threat of jail to them is like going to a holiday camp with free food and shelter. They have endured much harsher penalties and hardships in their own countries. They are battle hardened and not afraid of dying.”
“Singapore has less than 10,000 regular policemen. Each policeman has to deal with 200 violent protesters.”
I dont think author was in a polite way to express his “smart” but narrow opinion. If you assume every immigrant in this country was a potential violent protester, could I say you were just another basterd in Canada?
Mister zee on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 3:18 pm
You know i always wondered if it’ll be fun to lob a potent cocktail at those holding a protest. Maybe that’s what these people need – a wakeup call.
I despice these simple minded creatures who think all actions lead to predictable consequences. Did the inventor of nuclear energy knew it’ll be used to kill the masses? I hope not!
The analysis is a load of rubbish and the very sight of it offends me. Somebody either take it down or i’ll go to the authorities, flood the main stream media and all that. Coz i cannot stand disagreement with MY views.
KL on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 4:05 pm
@
I have had the opportunity to work closed to labourers in China in the last 2 years.
Workers’ protest is not uncommon there but I’ve come to understand that for one, it’s a result of grossly unfair employment practices (work conditions, safty, etc) perpetrated by the companies they worked for.
Subsequently, the overly pro-worker labour laws/movement in China does play a significant role in workers initiating a protest for any reason that could otherwise be resolved in a more amicable manner. Protest is not always productive nor in the best interest of the workers.
Omega Lee on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 4:29 pm
“You just have to work harder, be smarter to work your place in the society. Should not wait for the government to spoon feed you.”
OK No NS please. And fewer spoonfed civil servants/scholars. Cannot do it? Shut up and get lost.
Jon on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 4:48 pm
What a joke – you speak about the threat of foreigners when you yourself are living as a foreigner in Canada! Is your presence harming the citizens of Canada?? Perhaps – in that your yourself would not die to protect Canada in a war I bet
Oh Rui Ann Desmond on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 8:29 pm
Newly Minted SGer : Have you been to Mynammar? You don’t get robbed, raped there…unless of course you’re in one of the minority tribes. >.> I can walk around Yangoon with a huge wad of money in my pocket and chances are, I will get robbed at least 2 times in Singapore before anything happens to me in Mynammar.
Anyway, we as a nation should be looking to improve ourselves. Why look at the poorer nation and say we’re better, while avoiding things that other well to do nations that have been doing? ( Denmark ) We will never improve this way.
“They contribute more than an average Singaporean. Pay taxes and GST like any other, and work for less. Yet, they did not complain. They do work that Singaporean do not want to do.”
Is this what you call contributing? You know what is opportunity cost? We Singaporean males spend 2 years in the army and 10 years with reservist… how much time, money we lost? Furthermore we pay taxes too and we spend most of money in Singapore, we boost our OWN economy. FTs spend whatever they need and remit the rest back. Consumption is still a major portion in GDP.
KK on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 8:56 pm
I believe the whole piece of argument that Mr Cheong has brought up here is against that of this evergreen phenomenon called globalisation.
He has cleverly switched the G-word and replaced it with PAP. Such senseless drivel portrayed here in this article is worthy of the trash bin.
If TR intends to be the ‘Malaysiakini’ of Singapore, I am afraid that it still has a long way to go.
Like our beloved opposition in Singapore, Mr Cheong is quick to point out the flaws of our Singapore society. Choosing a left wing stance, he has launched a scanting but baseless attack on our establishment.
Mr Cheong, consider this, we have a population of 3.3 million pure blooded Singaporeans. Another 1.7 million of them are foreigners or PR. If these 1.7 million people leave, may I ask where is Singapore going to find the labour and domestic demand?
Furthermore, Singaporeans are also in danger of not being able to replace themselves. With many people like yourself, Mr Cheong, choosing to take flight to another country, how is Singapore going to sustain itself?
As mentioned by some of these forummers here (I call this site a forum and not a news site), every country faces the same problem. I reiterate, this is called GLOBALISATION.
Take yourself for example, if Canada shuts its door on you just because you are a foreigner, will you be able to sit comfortably in your princely townhouse, overlooking lakes and forest, whilst writing this whiny piece?
It is a fact of life, since ever humans existed, that they migrate to whichever place that gives them a better life. Just like you again. You left for Canada and now proudly declare yourself an ‘ex-Singaporean’. Are you truly loyal to your newly adopted country?
If you are, you won’t even bother to contribute this piece to this forum.
Mr Cheong, sometimes when life is too good, there is a tendency that you will shoot your mouth off, reminisce about the past and do what is Singaporeans’ favourite past time – blame the government.
But unless you can come up with more substantiative arguments than the ones you have provided here, it is better you stick to enjoying your new lease of life in Canada.
Anonymous on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 9:52 pm
The author is, if blunt, is truthful. Those in denial lived yesterday’s life or too comfortable as of now to be shaken of reality. MSM admitted as much – standards of living has fallen in recent years as rising costs of foodstuff runs faster than wages even for the middle class.
Forget about the misery of those lower down the rung of food chain whose jobs disappeared by across the board displacement of foreigners (described as Foreign NO Talent). Though living in Canada, the author is well-informed considering the tyranny of distance in geography. I saw a long Q in the morning at Lavender Street for morning breakfast one saturday weekend visiting a business associate’s office – never seen that in my lifetime. Now talk of first world city, only city state, envy of our neighbours hype is just hyperbole to me – meaningless because the reality on the ground is DIFFERENT.
The fact that LHL openly spoke of “unpardonable” language of politics of Singapore “hitting the limits of its growth” as a distinct real possibility evidenced he knew the best is already behind us. Those words if uttered in another democracy would invited opposition cries for him to step down as “admission” of “incompetence” of economic management. No Prime Minister would utter those words in the public domain even if he/she sincerely felt that way.It must have been in his mind of reasonable contemplation that the “best” is behind us.
The evidences are staggering. The Economic Reform Committee 25 member team has yet to put out its recommendation for structural reforms. If our economic structure is relevant to present age competitive environment, would there be such urgency of restructuring the economy SO SOON AS IT HOPE TO RECOVER from the global meltdown. The URGENCY is as compelling as it is obvious. A recovering economy needs to find a firm footing and grip to sustain but if you need to RESTRUCTURE A SHAKY RECOVERY, the structure must be dubious of probable sustainability or in danger of collapse soon again. And if the message does not sink through yet. Lim Swee Say actually warned industry and commerce that the Job Credit Scheme is not a permanent feature – the implication of that statement suggest an awareness that industry EXPECTED that support to stay to survive because the industry DOES NOT ASKED FOR job Credit scheme. It was a Government incentive. What is more subtly suggestive is that MSM asked for another 3 to 6 months of Job Credit extension – UNSOLICITED ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT BY THE MEDIA MOUTH OF GOVERNMENT? Or was that the Government’s message via an unofficial channel instead of official announcement to come? And Government for the first time spoke of promoting Small and Medium Enterprise initiatives to the coming APEC conference in Singapore – GRIM ADMISSION EVEN BELATEDLY THAT WE DON;T HAVE AN EXTERNAL ECONOMIC SECTOR – never mind the glamour talk, glitz and self-flattering of achievement of economic wonders in the past.
THE ECONOMIC FUTURE IS DECIDEDLY GLOOMY. This is worse, given the unrelenting falling US dollar eroding the attractiveness of Singapore economy to attract investments and the rik prospects that MNCs might move out to cheaper costs centres like China, Thailand etc just as Seagate Technology did recently. Make no mistake, despite all official denials to calm financial markets, the US is unofficially devaluing its dollar to export its way out of debt-ridden quagmire. It runs out of option both economically and politically of leadership. The G7 is going for a quiet funeral with no eulogy and G20 is the new boardroom where executive decision on global and economic matters will be decided.
The world has changed and Singapore is trapped in old structure of no external arm and its SMEs risks an inevitable demise. And the political dogmas remained stuck in old politics of autocracy in a world of globalisation of decision in an instant by all affected including citizenry.
We are at risks of economic and political irrelevancy as there are still people in this thread prepared to staunchly living in denial or frolicking in yesterday’s dreams.
lego on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:06 pm
I used to admire and respect PAP, but that stopped in 2004. IN fact, I now HATE them!!!
ronin on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:11 pm
It appears like a bridage of cyber-attackers have been sent by PAP to attack Mr Cheong!!!
People, it is TRUE that PAP has such a bridage ready to go into action when election is near!!!
Boo on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:14 pm
Jon on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 4:48 pm said:
What a joke – you speak about the threat of foreigners when you yourself are living as a foreigner in Canada!
=================================================
Jon,
Don’t you think Mr Cheong would be thrown into jail if he made these comments while living in S’pore???!!! Think, my man.
Newly Wed on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:34 pm
I won’t be surprise if PAP have such bridage. From the way things are working now in SG, it sound so possible.
Cina man on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:37 pm
ronin could be right.
I also feel that there seems to be quite a systematic rebuttal on this piece by Mr Cheong. It could be the pappy brigade working hard!haha!
Maybe, Mr Cheong, as a ex-Singaporean should refrain from writing about the Singapore political scene. He should leave it to the Sinkaporean.
Anonymous on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 10:54 pm
Come on, reader of TR. It is NOT OBVIOUS to one and all that the ardent detractors of Chong Wing Lee’s article offer nothing subtantive of economic discussions even though one made passing reference to globalisation. The typical anger attack revolves around
- calling the authors and Singaporean “whiners!” as if this place is perfect
- engage in histrionics like …getting raped (men & women) as if it is an ordinary as drinking a glass of water…lob a potent cocktail on those holding a protest
- engage in attacking the author’s residency and living threat (imaginery) to Canada as if it is relevant to the substance of this discussion
- engage in hyberbole rhetoric like accusing the author of….”choose a left wing stance” as if it is only two camps in this world and anyone disagreeing with him or her is left wing in the cold war mentality of last century and “attacking the establishment” as if the establishment is sacred institution beyond disagreement… and even
- attacking TR as “intends to be the ‘Malaysiakini’ of Singapore, I am afraid that it still has a long way to go. s though it is his accurate business fortune-telling.
THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION ON GLOBAL ECONOMY AND GLOBALISATION IMPACT ON SINGAPORE when globalisation is admitted to be the “evergreen phenomenon”
Does anyone in the crowd of detractors know that the US dollar decline has no impact on commodity prices of late, the implications of those observations, why manufacturing has again slowed in Singapore and its implications, the rise of interest rate in Australia today, Obama’s suggestion of another supplmentary stimulus package, why financial market have again turned south globally etc etc ( I could go on and on…but useless of discussion here it seems) in terms of the global outlook for next year – how these could affect Singapore – OTHER THAN JUST ATTACKING THE AUTHOR?
mainstreet citizen on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 11:26 pm
I’m someone born in the 60s and am grateful to certain PAP members for their contributions, namely the two late Presidents, Mr. Ong Teng Cheong and Devan Nair as well as Tay Eng Soon and Goh Keng Swee for their selfless contributions to Singapore and focus on people. I’m also thankful to MM Lee for the clean air and a safer Singapore, though I am not a fan on other issues. I’m especially thankful to the many ordinarily Singaporeans who have have toiled and contribute to what is Singapore today. Indeed, I’m dissapointed with the current administration which, in my view, have lack the focus on Singaporeans and too preoccupied in the focus on the Party and showing to the world.
Anonymous on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 12:06 am
….NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Gold futures hit a new record high on Tuesday, lifted by weakness in the dollar after Australia hiked interest rates and after a report that Gulf-area oil producers, along with China, Russia, Japan and France, are planning to eventually end dollar-based oil pricing. …..
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gold-hits-record-high-as-dollar-slumps-2009-10-06
The US dollar is on the skid down the slippery road tonight again. The cheap dollar denied will continue to slide, help US exports. And indeed rising exports and corporate spending kept US economy decline to 0.7% last quarter – better than expected.That was after a 28% to 30% decline in US exchange rate vis-a-vis South African, Canadian and Australian dollar and a 8% downswing against Singapore dollars. How much more decline in US dollar is needed to lift US economy into positive growth territory ? Another 30% decline in 6 months? At that rate of decline, imported inflation via cheaper will almost certainly kill off US consumer demand wreaking havouc in financial market and world economy. Singapore will be massively and negatively affected again.
We are much worse exposed them other tiger economies which have strong domestic sector exporting successfully in global markets.
Still a fantastic economic miracle of a first world economy? See why so much urgency to restructure the economy now?
….think of SG with its lush greenery, safe drinking water, low crime rate and others. It’s utopia compared to eating once a day, diseases, having an avg life span of 35 yrs old (before you get murdered), getting raped (men or women) in broad daylight etc, etc…….”???????????????
I am not sure where that dream utopia is.
My thoughts are that the Government has NO STABLE PREMISES IN THE FAST SHIFTING GLOBAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT FORCED BY TUMBLING US DOLLAR to work a viable restructuring strategy for the next 6 – 2 months.
And more than 100,000 Singaporean jobs are supported by JOB CREDIT – that is more than 8% of the work force of 1.4 million and when these jobs crashed out of existence, it brings the unemployment rate to nearly 12%.
Is Singaporean not justified in complaining of the state of affair of how the economy was managed in the last few years and now a flood of immigrants to share the toughest of economic doomsday waiting on the horizon???
Or should all smile, be happy and believing of the wonderful dreamlands of yester-decades of the past glory of belittling of our poorer neighbours??? And condemned Cheong’s writing as “anti-establishment”?????
Charles Stewart Lee on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 1:19 am
This has been excellent feedback.
Singapore had some similarities in the 50’s after the War.
No External Economic Arm for one, over reliance on serving the British Naval Base. If anyone can come up with more connections and similarities from then and now….Please Share.
The solution back then before the PAP………..
Attain as much self sufficiency. It helped set the table for the country’s miracle years.
Singapore now has a lot of access to a lot of the best available technology. The hardware is good….MRT, Airport, Port. Despite its limited space, Singapore can supply a lot more of its own food (Heard of Vertical Gardens?).
The country CAN innovate itself from within. It has a lot of capability to realize a thriving society that combines the best of its past and the promise for the future, whilst recapturing its charm and identity.
One of the biggest myths is that Singaporeans are not creative.
Creativity can be nurtured or also grown under adverse conditions.
The ideas that will pick Singapore up again must come from Singaporeans in Singapore and overseas.
For one, how many more FT’s must be imported at minimum wage to artificially prop up the Economy?
zidan on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 2:13 am
stop whinning,looser,get a life,get out of my elite face & if u r lowly,so be it,if u can’t survive,get PR somewhere or life will kick u in e aersse…if u so good,then immigrate like the man who write the article…
exsingaporean on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 5:27 am
Alamat, don’t complain go argue with uncle Wing lah. Enrol for a short welding or plumbling course then work part-tiem for abot 6 months to a year and have the employer certify your experience then apply for immigration to Canada, Australia and N.Z. at the same time…at least one would accept you as “skilled worker.”
Just emigrate out of Singapore while the western countries still open their door and PAP has not shut theirs. As uncle Wing writes, new Singapore PRs and citizens are just using Singapore as a stepping stone to immigrate to the western countries.
You want proof?
Well my wife’s niece was one of them. For two years she applied but she was not given a visa to visit her Malaysian husband who held a green card in USA because she was living and working in K.L. as a staff nurse. Needless to say she was not able to re-unite with her husband.
She knew the trick. She went (I write “went” and not “came” because I am writing as a Caandian living in Canada) to Singapore and worked as a staff nurse (same job as back in K.L.) and within 3 months she was given the Singapore P.R. status. Immidiately she applied to the Americian Embassy on a Singapore P.R. status Wiithin a few short weeks she was re-united with her husband in the USA. That was 2002. Now they have two beautiful children ages 5 and 6 both born in San Jose, CA.
I have a friend, Daniel, who ran a Singapore-type restuarant in Edmonton, and constantly he had PRC English-pronuciation speaking men boosting how smart they are to use Singapore as the stepping stone to immigrate to Canada. He felt sick and angry and cheated by PAP because he and many of exSingaporeans here in Edmonton served the damn N.S. to be cheated by all these PRC people.
I can imagine that stupid Chinese PRC whore who gave up her Singapore and even flashed her PR card on China National T.V. would give another embarassing blow to PAP and all Singaporeans. She would come back again and re-take her Singapore PR then renounce the Singapore PR one more time on China TV and this time even interviewed in the talk show on how easy it is to obtain the made-in Singapore “toilet paper”.
To add futher insult, she will repeat it the 3rd, 4th and the 10th time within 5 years to proof her point. Whats worse is that might become a millionaire by writing books, talk show host and act as “China National” consultant to teach the PRC how to use Singapore as stepping stone.
Wow that’s not all, many copy cats will follow and there will be regular TV news and internet blogs by the PRC who got Singapore PR then use it as stepping stone.
The final nail is the coffin of humination to the nation of Singapore will be the PRC will say how stupid the PAP govrt is and then THANK the Singapore men for doing their N.S. LIABILTY to protect Singapore…or rather their stepping stone!
KC Tan on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 7:22 am
The global meltdown has shown how vulnerable Singapore to be. Larger resource rich countries can still eke out a living from the land if there is no light at the other end of the tunnel.
Our export (services or goods) economy depends on meritocracy whether we like it or not as we competes with the rest of the world. To borrow China’s patriach Deng Xiaoping’s words, “Black or White cat is immaterial so long as it catches mice.”
We have our government to thank for the reserves today without which the current recession is really unimaginable.
The future is bleak given the sticky global financial woes as economics rests on confidence. Matured economies of Europe & Japan are not spending but are withdrawing. And our reserves can also be eaten up.
Fortunately, one bring star in the East is rising i.e. China with its huge 1.3 billion market.
Given our ancestral and cultural roots, getting a small slice (big for us) of the market would suffice for this tiny red dot to benefit all in the spin-off.
Jansen Koh on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 7:48 am
It’s not really our fault.
It’s the default – our miniscule size and population numbers (and ageing fast which is bad for luring investments & productivity).
Nonetheless, people must have jobs to have an income to keep starvation (unless of course you have agricultural lands).
In the current downturn our government subsidies jobs through SPURS and Job Credits from our reserves. This is not sustainable everyone knows.
IRs (Casino)? They are meant basically meant for the huge bulgeoning middle class mainland Chinese who likes to gamble but find no casinos in China (except for Macau). So also the recruitment of mainland Chinese to lubricate the hospitality. We hope it can generate the hope and jobs and multiplier effects given that others are also copying us – casinos are being sprouted in Batam, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, etc.
Our immeidate neighbours? Don’t place too much hope on them except for us rendering humaitarian aid now and then (the one in Aceh costs us abt $70 million). Out of envy & jealousy, one threatens to sever pur water supply the other has already cut off our supply of sand & granite. Our buildings would just have to cost more & more now given that raw materails are coming from further afield.
Know our vulnerabilities. I really shudder. In a sinking boat the majority will drown but not those with credentials i.e. qualifications, who are perceived as assets and not liabilities by host countries.
Time for Change on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 8:23 am
Jon on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 4:48 pm said:
Jon said “What a joke – you speak about the threat of foreigners when you yourself are living as a foreigner in Canada!”
Canada has a population of 30 million. Did Canada take in another 30 million foreigners to suppress the wages of its citizens. No!
Singapore had a population of just under 3 million in 2006. In a matter of 4 years in took in 2 million foreigners and forced its citizens to compete with these cheap foreigners.
There is a big difference. But as a running dog of the PAPies, i don’t expect you to understand that. Your job here is to mislead us.
Cheong Wing Lee on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 8:57 am
I would like to response to comments regarding my article.
1. I have no right to talk about Singapore as I have emigrated-
I am now a Canadian citizen and my allegiance is to Canada but that does not prohibit me from speaking or writing about Singapore or any other country. That is freedom of speech as stated in our constitutions – Singapore and Canada. MM Lee and many Singaporeans have expressed their opinions about other countries, i.e that the British healthcare is inferior to Singapore’s and how superior the Singapore system is compared to other countries, etc. etc. If they can speak on other countries, why can’t I? Do they have more rights than I? Let’s be fair and debate on a level playing field. Let us be civil and not treat anyone with opposing views as public enemies. Canada has about half a dozen former prime ministers and they treat each other with respect even though they have different opinions. None was ever put in jail nor threatened with it. That is 1st World democracy.
I was raised in Singapore and have friends and relatives there. I am concerned about Singapore because a friend of mine committed suicide because he could not pay for medical treatment after his Medicare ran out. A group of us regularly send money to his wife as she could not get any financial assistance from the government. Why do we care about Singapore? It is because we care about our friends and relatives in Singapore and we are not ashamed of it. Yes, we care and we cannot turn our faces from it regardless whether we are called quitters or losers.
2. Myths about us being treated as foreigners and second class citizens in other countries -
In Canada, all citizens have the same rights and privileges regardless of race. There are more than 20,000 ex-Singaporeans in Canada who will stand by what I said. To illustrate my point, the previous Governor-General of Canada – a position equivalent to President Nathan of Singapore, was a Chinese lady who came to Canada as a refugee from China. The Police Commissioner of Vancouver Police Force is a Chinese from Hong Kong, the Solicitor General is an Indian and the list can go on and on. A Singapore friend who has a special need child was paid more than C$1,000 a month to help the kid’s living expenses. He did not get any help when he was in Singapore. Is that second class treatment? I suggest those Singaporeans check their facts before they make fools of themselves.
3. In Canada, the immigration program is well calibrated and managed. Canada has a population of 33 million people and a land mass of 9,093,507 sq km which is about 15,000 times the size of Singapore. Even with such a huge land mass, it takes in only 250,000 immigrants a year from all over the world. Singapore, on the other hand, took in more than one million PRs in the last few years mainly from China and India. Singapore’s infrastructure could not support such an huge and sudden influx of people. There will be a breakdown of social order. In Canada new immigrants are given free lessons in English or French to assimilate into the Canadian society. Immigrants from Africa are even taught how to use modern facilities like toilet bowls, hot and cold showers, ovens, etc. I have nothing against Chinese or Indian PRs into Singapore but it must be well planned like the Canadian system.
I am not writing to ridicule or hope for the demise of Singapore. Contrary, if you read with an open mind, I pray that it will improve and continue to be in the 1st World status in every meaning of the world. However, it cannot be done when opposition members are being intimidated, jailed or fine just because someone wanted absolute and perpetual control of the government.
Anonymous on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 9:05 am
Charles Stewart Lee, yes, you are right, no external arm of the economy in the 1950s and it is still the same NOW!! That is 60 years on and loads of gullible niave herd mentality thought INCREDIBLY that we made fantastic progress. Deceived by the concrete jungles of hardwares and the constant brainwashing in the MSM? If you add hardware to old computer and not the software to match technology applications used in cyberspace, is it going to perform very well after a while?
Dininishing returns will set in! and that is what is happening in the last few years – ARTIFICIAL PROP-UP SUSTAINING ONLY BY MASSIVE IMPORTS OF CHEAP FOREIGN SO-CALLED TALENT THE SAME WAY AS THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY IN THE LAST QUARTER SUSTAINED BY A DRASTIC FALL IN THE AMERICAN DOLLAR.
The British naval base was “saved” by a foreign talent called “John Watson” I believe from UK Swan Hunter group. Shipyards, massive housing construction and foreign investment in labour intensive industry PUT FOOD on the table and unemployment level were DEFLATED by military conscription of the young. The result unemployment was hidden from statistical view to some extent but the “cockroach capitalism” did work to keep unemployment down and food on the table.
Then came the Government-linked companies supporting the pillars dominated by foreign investment in industry and build-up of the banking sector – also dominated by foreigners and foreign expertise. Local SME rose in supporting MNCs as a natural consequent.The end of war in Vietnam also saw the beginning of transformation of South Korean, Hong Kong, Taiwan along with Singapore scaled up the take-off stage of early industrialisation. It was easy. Outside Japan, on this side of the Pacific Ocean, only Australia had industrial base supported by strong tariff protection BUT NOT COMPETITIVE INTERNATIONALLY AND NO EXPORT CAPACITY OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA. There was a economic gap and tiger economies race off without competitive threats from China and India. MNCs begin population the global setting and East Asian tigers were favourites.
The 1980s were different. Chile, Ireland, Spain, Norway etc join the emeging economy race. Japan was heading towards what China is heading now – economically unbeatable. Nixon visited China – the political landscape changed. America changed direction under Jimmy Carter, weak as seen in US diplomats taken hostage gave Ronald Reagan as easy pasage into the White House. “Reaganomics” excesses brought 19 October 1987 global market crash which he called “the stock market thing”. To beat the woes, global banks eased credits but Japan took off faster and stronger – they bubbled their economy with asset inflation and buying up assets at globally with inflated balance sheets. With accountability came, they crashed the yen. It was a secret (later revealed ) that G7 allowed US$ to rise and yen to fall to “resolve” this bubble to save the world economy. Soviet Union was also nearly bankrupt by the arms race with US. The fall of Berlin Wall saw the disintegration of the former Soviet Union and the rise of the real dragon in the East – China as the economic powerhouse – unstoppable.
Singapore kept is autocratic rule WHILST THE WORLD POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT CHANGED AND THE CHINA SHIFTED FROM MARXIST COMMUNISM TO CAPITALISM WITH SOCIALISTIC CHARACTERISTICS.
The same cockroach capitalism sustained us. It is no longer foreign investment sustain us but also FOREIGN WORKERS comes in waves after waves. Yes cheap foreign workers sustained our shipyards, constuction sites and in the 1990s from China. In the meantime, global MNC spread their operations even further afield and in more countries. Even competitors SHARED PARTS MANUFACTURED BY foreign SME contract manufacturers. For example, parts of your air-conditioner could have exactly the same parts in another brand made in Thailand. Costs fell off and Australian manufacturing were wiped off the map so fast as tariff structure was dismantled. Singapore is no longer the favourite contract manufacturing base for MNCs anymore. THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL.
GENERAL ELECTRIC INC, Philips etc etc moved out of Singapore. But our cockcroach capitalism still no change and also no change was the same autocratic dogma. We did NOT move to a strong domestic manufacturing sector exported to global market unlike the South Koreans and Taiwanese. The manufacturing sector inside Hong Kong also hollowed out – the WRITING IS ALSO ON THE WALL FOR US TO SEE. China got stronger and stronger in manufacturing. We are in real trouble.
Temasek Holding’s charter of 2003 says it will spearhead our international arm of economy. Well we all can forget that hope now. Its charter this year has change away from that mission statement. We now seek to restructure our domestic economy instead of TH spearheading our drive for external arm.
Why? I guess the massive losses showed it is a very difficult game to succeed. Second, despite the huge import of cheap foreign workers, WE ARE ECONOMICALLY UNCOMPETITIVE GLOBALLY. The last two years saw economic “growth” sustained by massive construction sector and fast paced reclamation of Jurong Island and Integrated Resort in Sentosa to sustain artificially the GDP growth. After that what??
The meltdown of 2008 changed the economic premises. Foreign investment is unlikely to sustain. What else to build? Changed he equation now – still cockroach capitalism. This time it i still “foreign” but “foreign population” to create artificial demand for a small domestic base. No external arm.
It is okay if the world functions smoothly but when external crashed like now, decreased foreign investment and jobs gone, we got a FAR BIGGER LOAD TO SUSTAIN of native Singaporean and Foreign PRs, housing shortages, cost-push inflation on the domestic front while recession globally etc.
The incumbent seems to lost control over the economic lever. Suddenly announced 7,000 new flats o be released to meet demand pressures. Where did this come from? it is panic reaction in crisis management just like huge import of foreign population to prop up a sinking economy and now economic restructuring plan even before it recovers from this global meltdown.
The signs I see is very troubling. Only the fanatics would deny otherwise. We had our great days but living on knife edge at this moment. Don’t celebrate the illusions of achievements of seeming success of the last 44 years – that won’t last and will only be in “history”.
Anonymous on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 9:49 am
…..stop whinning,looser,get a life,get out of my elite face & if u r lowly,so be it,if u can’t survive,get PR somewhere or life will kick u in e aersse…if u so good,then immigrate like the man who write the article…
You see the TYPICAL RESPONSE of those living in denial? Attacking forummers and the author with such ascerbic vitriol.
They are NOT interested in debating reality. If you don’t fall in lie with the same herd mentality, then you must be “left wing stance. anti-establishment, immigrate if this place not good enough for you sort of diatribe.
ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC
et2cetera on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 1:05 pm
Who can blame the writer as I think that he is mostly right?
My thoughts? I see the current socio-economic policies of the govt as a last grasp at maintaining their stand on the economic ladder, regardless of the cost at home. Cheaper labour translates into cheaper cost and better return on investment (ROI). Faced with an increasing wage bill (which incidentally was triggered by increasing housing costs – thanks to HDB) that threatened to price SG out of the reach of the MNCs, the govt had to find a way to lower the labour costs via the market mechanism without having to tell the people directly (which makes one wonder who the govt is actually looking after). Note the accompanying messages in the Straits Times such as “people are too choosy”, “lower your expectations” etc. Funny, they don’t tell that message to the legions of foreigners coming in.
Of course, with more people coming in, the govt can increase the tax revenue to squirrel away, which can then be blown away billions at a time by the ever-prescient investment bodies (a la Temasek and GIC). And don’t get me started about foreigners paying tax as a contribution to SG. Everyone pays taxes EVERYWHERE in the world, not just SG!!! In fact, SG has one of the lowest non-resident personal tax rate (15-20%) in the world. So stop using that old chestnut.
On a personal level, Singaporeans (SG’ans) are feeling sandwiched between the blue-collar workers and the executive level. While SG’ans were willing to let the menial work be done by others, with the increasing influx of foreign workers, even the mid-level ground is being enroached. At the MNC where I work, SG’ans are the minority which is the common situation. Moreover, I have had the opportunity to work overseas and saw that the work practices of each country naturally favoured their own, yet SG seems to be blind to our own.
With regards to my time in NS and reservist, I saw it as a necessary evil and was willing to spend time for it but when I see foreigners waltzing in without having to expend any effort in looking after this country, it makes you wonder what truly is the point when almost any Tom, Ding or Harish can walk in and claim PR. Worst still, they would pull their children out when their time came and they would unabashedly tell you up front.
So what we have now is indeed a “Uniquely Singapore” situation where the locals feel like second-class citizens. Better yet, some have sardonically remarked that perhaps we should get our citizenship in another country and come back here as a PR.
Should we SG’ans vote out the present govt just once to wake them up? OR since the govt keeps telling us that they must get the best, we too should start looking out for the best for ourselves – maybe even vote with our feet and live somewhere where you are treated equally and have a chance at a decent life.
qussl3 on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 3:58 am
Why do people emigrate?
For those that go permanently, mostly its because they can have a chance at a better life (non-economic reasons) overseas than at home.
For those that leave temporarily, it is usually for economic reasons.
I have no facts to substantiate this, but I am willing to guess that when singaporeans emigrate it is often permanent.
While the immigrants that our governments policies have attracted are largely here for economic reasons.
Put aside the nitty gritty about who pays more taxes, whether its good for the economy …etc and consider, when people come and usually go for economic reasons, while at the same time those sons and daughters our country loses go for good, what does that say?
This is my home, i was born here, my family, my friends are here, but it pains me to have to consider whether i want to start a family here as i simply have no confidence that i can promise a CHANCE of a better future for my children than those that i have enjoyed.
All i ask is that the powers that be remember that a nation is nothing without her people, and that their government is here to serve them.
fpc on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 7:26 am
the french also left France to Britain to escape the horrors and brutality of the French Revolution.
What is wrong with a native Singapore escaping from the brutality of the PAP rule and commenting about it overseas.
Even Victor hugo did that during the era of NApolean the 3rd.
Is Victor Hugo not a patriot of France?
fpc on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 7:29 am
//et2cetera
Then how does HK stay competitive?
Wage cost control should only be applied to the top earners like the ministers.
To One & All... And Esp. The Ones I quote below... With my comments AFTER theirs... on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 8:50 am
QUOTE
Alan on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 3:01 pm
Stop whining. Everywhere is the same.
UNQUOTE
Dear Alan, Is it really true that “Everywhere is the same”? If it is true…
Why then do you at the end of yourcomment say…
“The world is going to be globalize, like it or not. You can’t have a protected economy, otherwise you end up like Myanmar.”… Meaning THAT Myanmar IS DIFFERENT???
DO YOU KNOW ART ALL Why WE ARE “whining” as YOU call it??? It IS ALL ABOUT a certain papa and ah kia…
1. Apapa a lawyer… who IS of the centric view… No one else can be legally right… EXCEPT “HIMSELF” AND “ALL OF THE TIME!!! IS THIS CORRECT AND SANE???… Proof…
2. It “Used To Be” AT EVERY GE… The Opposition Camp GET SUED to BANKRUPTCY!!!…True or False??? Tell us!!!…
3. Between GEs… Taxes… Government Charges… And ALMOST Anything related to government operations… GOES UP… And some phenominally HIGH!!!…
4. AND… we ALSO get ear-fulls of WHY Dis & Dat of gahmen policy “IS” GOOD FOR US… because it IS FOR “ACHIEVING” Dis & Dat!!!…
5. And when their policies start to NOT work properly… gahmen GOES into REVERSE GEAR… A Sort of A FLIP-FLOP…
6. Then start with another round of “Brainwashing”… As to WHY… REVERSING… IS MEANT FOR “PARKING” To COOL THE “HEAT” (Whatever that IS)!!!… much like parking your cars to go for a coffee break!!!… Them more…
7. DA…DA…DA…DA DA DI…DA DA DI…sssssssssssssssss!!!
===============================================================
QUOTE
Jansen Koh on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 7:48 am
It’s not really our fault.
It’s the default – our miniscule size and population numbers (and ageing fast which is bad for luring investments & productivity).
Nonetheless, people must have jobs to have an income to keep starvation (unless of course you have agricultural lands).
UNQUOTE
MORE TO Alan again…
And now there’s a certain son… A STATISTICIAN… who after an INTERIM… to make us all DIGITS!!!… WITH MORE FLIP_FLOPS… LIKE…
1. ‘Cause his interim predecessor said gahmen HAS WORKED OUT THAT WE NEED A 8.9Million Population(So accurate AH…Wah Ah HAh!) for a SUSTAINABLE “Hiterland”… OR… “Wonderland”???…
2. Down to 6.5 Million population!!!… and his Minister FOR National Development said… “OH… It’s JUST an AIM and NOT A TARGET”!!!… WAH LAU OOoooi!!!… MBT really is mah-bo-tan Aaa!!!… What A Conundrum He CREATED… ABOUT “AN AIM… ISN”T A WHAT???… A TARGET???”… REAL SMART-ALACK!!!
3. Then… the son goes INTO HIGH-GEAR and brought in FTs… FWs MOST FAST and Furious!!!… and IT IS NOW % Million in WHAT SPACE IN TIME???… GET IT Alan???…
4. SO NOW… he OSO SAID THAT… “… BUT HE CANNOT STOP ‘BRINGING’ IN THE NUMBERS”…
5. And there you have it Alan… YOU ARE BEING “OUT-NUMBERED”… AND IT IS OKAY… SINCE… “Everywhere is the same”???…
And NOW to Jansen Koh…
6. You ARE right THAT IS IS NOT OUR FAULT…
7. AS… IT IS THEIRS!!!… FROM…ALL OF THEIR MANY FLIP-FLIPS…
8. AS THEY DON”T EVEN… REALISE that in THEIR POPUALTION “CATCH-UP” GAME Of Population InCrease… BIGGER Countries WITh LARGER Population WILL GROW FASTER in NUMBERS!!!… (STATISTICIANS… DO LOVE NNUMBERS “CRUNCHING”… DON”T THEY!!!)…
9. And OSO THAT… MORE PEOPEL OSO MEANS MORE Infrastractures ARE To BE built… granted… that THEY ARe “AIMING” AT… creating JOBS for Singaporeans… Hey… BUt THEN…
10. Isn’t it MORE ABOUT creating REVENUS FOR gahmen… to build EVEN MORE InFrastrutures FOE EVEN MORE people???…
11. And so do WE see MORE OF FT’s & FWs doing “The Work” FOR LESS… AND FOR WHICH… “We, the Citizens of Singapore… IN EQUALITY… HAVE BEEN… REPEATEDLY TOLD… THAT WE “ARE JOB CHOOSY”!!!… As Minister Lim Boon Heng… now in PMO I.C of Ageing Issues… after all he accused US ALL… said some THREE years later… “That… NO… NOt old BUT EXPERIENCED”…
12. FLIPS-FLOPS… FLIPS-FLOPS… FLIP-FLOPS… ANYONE!!!…
Pappies are “Definitely” smart AND WORTH EVERY DOLLAR OF THEIR ASTRONOMICAL SALARIES!!!… ANYONE???!!!
Adrianc on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 9:22 am
I love this.. so many views pitted together .. GREAT READ ! All of you are DAMN COOOL…
Roger on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 10:15 am
Self-righteous Megalomaniac. Migrating to Paraguay and leave here for good.
btan on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 3:15 pm
@exsingaporean on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 5:27 am
You are right.
However, even though you are no longer Singaporean, you can help us.
Write to the government of Canada and USA and explain the situation to them. Tell them to take note of applicants from Singapore and scrutinise their PLACE OF BIRTH. If the place of birth is other than Singapore, then these are stone-steppers and the Canadian and US authorities should reject these applicants or at least treat these applicants the same as if they are from their country of origin.
Only when this loop hole is plugged will people stop using Singapore as a stepping stone. Otherwise I fear our country will be blacklisted like the other countries.
Band of Brothers on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 5:20 pm
We should get our house In Order 1st, please stop the crap about globalisation excuses. Didn’t the PAP brag about 1st world class leadership, talents and the saneless justification of exhorbitant salaries (excluding bonuses).
The resons we are debating all this issues because of the failure of past policies?? Everyday more people is awaken from slumber as we are facing end results from failed policies, the tide is changing.
Charles Stewart Lee on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 6:22 pm
Thanks for your post Anonymous
Anonymous on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 9:05 am
Really informative Economic History lesson that will be kept in my Cool Posts Drawer!
Spot on about fanatic denialists . They can provide material for a new growth industry ……. Mental Health Care
w on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 10:17 pm
What is real? How do you define real? If you’re talking about what you can hear, what you can smell, taste and feel, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.
Lim Jun Jie on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 10:19 pm
The title of this post cracked me up! Nevertheless, no matter how we have gone into a “LOST World” from the 1st world, we ought to appreciate whatever that had been done for us by the Government.
Yes, some policies are ridiculous, the hike in the cost of living is unbearable and many other things were sores to the eye.
But hey, we are better than what we are before. We are comparable to many big and dominating countries. We are showering with clean water.
Have we already checked out people in undeveloped/developing countries? I feel so fortunate.
Anonymous on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 11:14 pm
It is NOT about the past (it is bygone history), not even the present (it will be history soon), IT IS THE FUTURE THAT IS IMPORTANT and UNFORTUNATE of fearful outcome.
The way the US Dollars and UK Sterling Pounds are falling incessantly like rain tells me of their struggling economies on the knife edge of living on borrowed times.It is UNOFFICIAL DEVALUATION TO PRICE COMPETITORS OUT OF FOREIGN MARKETS throwing my Asian economies off balance again as recovery is just beginning to take hold.
In fact, Asian central banks ACTED IN CONCERT yesterday and most likely today again intervene to limit damage from tumbling US dollar.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,26182658-5017999,00.html
I believe the respite is temporary. No Asian country or collective group of Central Bankers can sustain the free fall of US Dollars in the foreign exchange market. The collective co-ordinated intervention can only smoothen the orderly decline of US currency and if continued at THIS PACE AND SIMILAR DIRECTION SPELL FRIGHTENING ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR US AHEAD.
Our future DOES NOT DEPEND ON enjoying clean water shower today as of any advantage as one get clean water shower even in backward China or rural Australia. It is fictional ghost of argument to suggest for a moment that this is “fortunate” of future prospect for us. It is a delusion of false prophet and thinking.
IT IS THE ECONOMY, STUPID as Bill Clinton said in his election campaign more than 16 years ago.
Morvius on Sat, 10th Oct 2009 2:48 pm
One point I would like to raise. People who justify things by saying “Oh, but we are not as bad as other countries”. In the first place, why do we want to compare ourselves to those countries? Yes, let’s all just sit back and say “We are better than XXX African country. They are all suffering. So, we should be glad with what we have.” I mean, don’t we want to advance? If you compare yourself to the worse…then it is just to make yourself feel good. “Oh, I am a good person. I may lie and cheat people of money but at least I am not like that serial killer from XXX country.”
Seraphine on Wed, 14th Oct 2009 10:53 am
NS is a waste of time though i am not a guy and have never experience the whole process before.. It reduces the earning ability of a guy as compared to his female counterparts of the same age… my husband has to serve 2.5 yrs then which is good enough to complete his university degree.. Singapore is too small.. one bomb is enough to wipe out the whole country (and maybe even malaysia..)Foreigners of his same age have become his superiors and he is still earning a fresh graduate pay check to repay his education loan…
Zone Trooper on Wed, 14th Oct 2009 11:17 am
Seraphine,
I have bosses who are foreigners, they come here with alot of ideas to boost effciency and productivity. These ideas are not workable in their own country that is why they repackaging it and selling it here even more so if they are so smart should they be an asset to their own country.
Jimboy69 on Fri, 16th Oct 2009 10:56 am
We are squeezed by the balls until cannot speak. Although some still have a choice to vote (others walkover). We fear changing because we have all committed ourselves to expensive homes and extensive loans. All kiasu plus kiasi. Unless we all still got enough to feed and able to lead a decent life, alot will be in trouble later in life as most have also committed paying the home thru CPF contributions, old age no money or “reverse” mortgage home and in the end not much left for children.
In my opinion, we deserve what we get because we chose it.
Yes, it is damn easy to get PR locally. I have seen it with my own eyes, what FT? Just poly diploma PRC study here, work here just for 3 months, apply PR get it immediately.
That’s why even though I am a university graduate, I dont see any future here except for saving lots of money for old age, and no kids. We are in trouble because we cant compete with India and China. That’s why the govt is concentrating also on the service industry, IR, shopping, tourism etc.
Cheers
stranger on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 3:23 am
I’ve got an ex-colleague from China. He came in on a scholarship sponsored by our govt, studied IT in an institution here, thereafter secured a job in IT but don’t know nuts about programming at all. Managed to skive his way through, got posted overseas on a project, apparently no team wants him back in HQ due to his incompetence and frequent disappearing acts. Earned lucrative posting allowance, didn’t do much at all when overseas, started taking part-time studies during working hours, got some certifications, studied for GMAT exams. Applied for SG citizenship. Key reason: after realising that China quota for entrance to US universities are limited cos population is huge, tried to use SG quota instead by getting a SG citizenship. Finally got into a US university and off he went.
I mean, WTF, no NS, SG govt paid him to study, got an SG job and salary without doin much work, used SG quota for US university by easily gettin a SG citizenship, and ditch SG to study, live and work in US.
Seriously, there’s no meaning in being a local born and bred Singaporean. I’m not proud. I’m sadden by the state us real Singaporeans are in right now.
fpc on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 10:12 am
I see many of such examples, strangers.
The PAP is really blind.
fpc on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 10:24 am
//luke
People are relatively wealthy? in comparison with the Chinese in Shanghai, we are not.
Good food? but not necessarily safe food. Remember the geylang market poisoning?
I wonder what govt pays you to be in this blog
fpc on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 10:25 am
I disagree with the author… we were never 1st world… which first world govt practise constant sueing of its opposition politicans.
Anonymous on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 11:00 am
Luke, I can’t believe that you wrote such perverse logic.
…Look around you, everyone is living a decent life because of the strong purchasing power of the SGD…..
I suggest you read this for some sanitization of your economic thoughts of illusion.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20091017/tts-eu-eurozone-economy-forex-509a08e.html
Strong domestic currency “good” to spur consumption because import is cheaper. Why don’t the European cherish that?
And for your update information, Singapore dollars over the last 6 months appreciated 10% against US dollars, the Chinese Yuan only 2% – the difference need no intelligence to calculate is 8%.
In simple ABC economic, it is cheaper by 8% for MNC now locating here to HAVE located their operations in China. Most global business earns only 5% to 10% on an after tax basis. Forget the competitive power presented by Chinese technical prowness and cheaper labour for now, what do you think of unemployment for Singaporeans when most of the manufacturing shifts offshore into China?
DO you, in those joyous circumstance of the strong purchasing power of Singapore dollar shop more consumer goods along Orchard Road when you and your family got zero income indefinitely, maybe from your employment in manufacturing?
I bet you will be wondering whether you should spend the next dollar buying a cheap China-made underwear after your current stocks of these are tearing apart from prolonged use.
Won’t you???
fpc on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 2:36 pm
Another parallel:
The late president Francois Mitterand of France… before he left power, he build many many new buildings … the grande arche de la defense is one of them…
notice the great number of new construction lately in the city center….
Shortly after, Francois Mitterand died and his buildings were mostly empty monuments and French economy was in shit for many years…
I hope this is not going to happen when LKY pass away.
fpc on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 2:53 pm
There was an airforce warrant officer who told me that when the air force moved away from the pension scheme, he rejected it, citing reason as follows:
1. if it is a better “chicken” why did they give it to you.
He was very happy that he was right because 6mths after the introduction of the scheme, all those who signed up to move away from the old pension scheme, lost monies.
Lesson learnt:
Don’t buy what the govt says about CPF life.
fpc on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 3:08 pm
//Newly Minted SGer
Why are we complaining?
The fact that you are comparing s’pore with 3rd world is a signal of decadence.
s’pore is supposedly 2nd world.
Cambodia was once rich and Thai students go there to study. Now what is it?
It just happen like that?
There were many complaints against the king at that time…
I hope you can be as optimistic a few years down the line.
Hahaha.
fpc on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 3:13 pm
//#Lim Jun Jie
In what ways are we better than the other developed countries?
We are not even better than the other 3 dragons.
Nothing new on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 5:57 pm
There’s nothing new in what is posted in this thread, as with most threads dealing with the going ons in Singapore, although I appreciate the more substantive comments by anonymous.
The writer just rehash what’s already, or at least should already, is known, maybe in a more comprehensive way.
The running dogs are up to their usual spin about other less well governed countries, like Cambodia, Burma etc………(Strange they don’t even know about Zimbabwe where inflation there beats even the Wiemar Republic during the Third Reich)
A common MISCONCEPTION amongst pathetic Singaporeans is their belief, fed by the duplicitous msm for their PAP masters, that scholars equate to good policy/decision makers.
Let me conclude by saying that the grim state of affairs and the bleak future results not only from you know who, but the type of Opposition, as is propagandised, and the cowardice, selfishness and the generally pathetic free loading citizens who deserve to be treated like serfs.