Netizens unimpressed by “half-hearted” measure in school fee change to “enhance” privileges of being a citizen
Written by Our Correspondent
The recent move announced by Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen to give an additional ballot to children of Singaporeans applying for places in primary schools was greeted with scepticism by the online community.
The balloting edge will be implemented next year. School fees will also be raised for PRs and foreigners in 2011 while fees for Singaporeans will remain unchanged.
A PR in secondary school now pays only $264 a year or $14 more than a Singaporean. It will go up to $852 in 2010.
As expected, the state media has applauded the government’s move to make a “clearer distinction” between citizens and PRs without asking the key question on why it was not introduced in the first place and only now with the elections around the corner.
Netizens are equally unimpressed and some pointed out that it is probably another ploy to “sweeten” the ground ahead of the election due by 2011.
goaheadbingostan wrote:
“Election coming – expect more nice things throughout 2010 under the guise of improving economy.”
His views were echoed by bohliao:
“The signs are on the wall…The machineries have started, the groundwork is being laid, the barrage of propaganda is gaining pace churning out ‘goodies’ after ‘goodies’…Time is at hand. Even the very ‘discerned’ shall be deceived… be thou faithful and look beyond what’s material and consider the sufferings of many. Change is nigh, the tide must not be turned. We have the power to change…”
Moondance felt that Singaporeans should get the priority in everything from education to jobs:
“Let’s just keep it simple – Singaporeans will be first choice in everything from NS to jobs and in this thread, EDUCATION. Singaporeans FIRST. Only after Singaporeans are done with the process then, PRs and the rest. To be very fair to all, PRs or Foreigners, you too, WILL GET FIRST CHOICE as any Singaporeans when you are a SINGAPOREAN (citizen) With this in place, there will no longer be any arguments relating / pertaining to issues such as this. Last but but least, STOP !!! don’t treat naturalised Singaporeans as IDIOTS & FOOLS.”
Kampongkid thinks that the change will only encourage more PRs to volunteer in grassroots organizations which will nullify the additional ballot for citizens:
“A half-hearted measure!!! Why not simply separate PRs to another phase??? What’s the point of giving sgreans 2 ballot slips??? When you’re ‘sway’ (luckless), you’ll sure to be ‘swayer’ than the one Lady Luck smiles at. Give you 10 more slips, his / her only 1 slip will still be the one being picked.
And will we be seeing more PRs as grassroots volunteers soon??? As volunteers, they’ll also be getting more than one chance, isn’t it??? Better still, it’s in a different phase, nei!!!”
Grassroots leaders are given priorities in application for public housing and primary schools.
Minister of Community, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan revealed lately that there are currently 4,500 new citizens serving as grassroots leaders in various constituencies in Singapore.
The number of PRs who are grassroots leaders are unknown though there is a 15 per cent cap on their numbers.
The issue of PRs enjoying equal chance in primary school application came to a head in August this year with a furious exchange of letters between Singaporeans and an Indian PR by the name of Sweta Agarwal who insisted that PRs should enjoy equal rights as citizens as they “pay taxes and obey the laws” of Singapore.
Due to the ruling party’s liberal immigration policies, foreigners now make up 36 per cent of the population, up from 14 per cent in 1990.
Of the 64 per cent who are citizens, the actual percentage of local-born and bred Singaporeans is not known.
Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng told parliament last month that there were over 90,000 PRs and 20,000 new citizens last year of whom some are construction workers, cleaners and masseurs.
At this rate the ruling party is “giving” Singapore citizenship away to foreigners, true blue Singaporeans may soon find themselves in the minority one day.
Singaporeans should not be hoodwinked by this latest gimmick from the ruling party to appease them.
Without denying the PAP its traditional two-thirds majority in parliament to pass legislation and policies as and when it wishes, Singaporeans are forever at its mercy.
The cosmetic changes it is introducing now to win their votes can easily be reversed after the next election and they will be completely helpless to do anything about it.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Lee had reiterated that there would not be any major changes to the government’s immigration policies except some minor “tweaks”.
“Tweaks” like offering one more ballot chance for Singaporeans will become insignificant when they find themselves competing against a larger pool of PRs and foreigners.
The tide of immigration must be controlled and slowed down before it turns into a flood “drowning” out our voices.
Comment source: Straits Times
Related articles:
>> Extra ballot for children of Singaporeans to apply for places in primary schools
>> Sweta Agarwal proud to be Indian citizen and Singapore PR at the same time
>> PRs get equal chance in Primary 1 registration
>> MM Lee defends need for foreign talent
>> PRC student supports government’s plan for more foreign scholars
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stan on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 1:34 pm
the carrot is there but when comes after election… we will stand to suffer more.. as shown in previous elections
MenInBlue on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 2:10 pm
Things that could be done long time ago is done now when it’s nearer to GE… why?
Is the multi-million dollar minister too slow to realize the need for the change? When you’re paid multi-million dollars, isn’t your productivity way much better than others? What took you so long??
And, why now???
citizen on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 2:21 pm
Why don’t they implement the following to show sincerity?
1) Lower the school fees for citizen’s children
2) Transport subsidies for children of citizens
3) Subsidies for medical care for children of citizens
Any more suggestions?
fair and square on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 3:28 pm
look at some ‘first world’ countries and “first wolrd” gahmen
,they give their citizens free education.
look at our gahMEN,they give foreigners “free english lessons”,
how generous except when it comes to the citizens.
this is too little too late…the citizen-workers demand their RIGHT TO JOBS AND MORE JOBS!!!
DO YOU HEAR US,LOUD AND CLEAR?
DON’T “MAT BODOH!”
smallfly on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 4:05 pm
My dear “stan on mon, dec 21, 2009 1:34 pm”, not only the carrot is out, the stick is out spontaneously!!
Fear management of frightening the citizens to the extent of becoming “threat” is out in full-force also, as you can see the court is going to be very tough and harsh with the sdp and its party members, as well as lots of “policemen and under-cover agents” out on the street to gather informations for the ruling party and “frighten” the gullible-citizens to be subservient to the ruling party and vote for the million-dollar miw.
SAME-OLD-DIRTY-TRICKS pertaining to every “erections”. What a shameful lot of miw????
cy on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 4:16 pm
reminds me of gordon brown recent measure to slap tax on banker’s bonuses for one year, pre-election gimmick.
just as gordon brown will not be saved, pap will also not be saved either, but they will still be in control as there are simply not enough minority candidates from the opposition even if they want to contest all seats. with GRC numbers to increase after the amendments,no. of minority candidates needed is more.
Time for Change on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 4:32 pm
It is the same old dirty tricks we see before every election. Nobody can fail to notice the recent slew of goods news that the MIW is putting out through the Shitty Times and its other running dogs.
Just like when they told us that the last GST increase was to help the poor, we should not accept any of the BS they feed us without questioning it thoroughly.
In this particular increase, the changes in the P1 registration process and the increase in fees for PRs and foreigners seem designed to ‘push’ them into accepting citizenship and PRs respectively.
The time for change is now.
Boo on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 4:54 pm
So many PRs already in our primary schools, so their siblings will definitely get into the same school under Phase One…..well ahead of S’pore citizens!!!
If PAP is really serious about placing S’poreans first, they should give us ABSOLUTE priority, not some lousy extra chance.
Anonymous on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 5:44 pm
What is the point of getting your child into good school and spending so much money on their education? The flood gate is still widely opened to allow foreigners with degree/diploma from bogus universities from India, China, Philipines, Myanmar etc to rob the Singaporeans and their children of their jobs by accepting very low salary. The only way to stop this is to vote in every opposition MPs to stop all the relentless influx of cheap foreigners.
SG in Hong Kong on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 6:00 pm
@fair and square on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 3:28 pm
“look at our gahMEN,they give foreigners “free english lessons”, how generous except when it comes to the citizens. ”
Govt gave FREE Uni scholarships and monthly allowance for Foreigners and depriving a place for local.
Kim Jong Il on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 9:42 pm
@Boo on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 4:54 pm
“If PAP is really serious about placing S’poreans first, they should give us ABSOLUTE priority, not some lousy extra chance.”
I second the statement above.
Mee Siam Mai Hum on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 9:44 pm
Christmas…oops Election coming…time to put up yr wishing lists….but bewarned: later kena suck back double
Singapolung on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 9:59 pm
What!!!!! The bloody SAME OLD TRICKS AGAIN !!! can’t the minister thinks other new tricks ???????
ObviousMan on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 10:20 pm
So, for how long have Singaporeans been subsidising PRs?
Does the raising of fees matter to the oversea students who are courted to Singapore with full scholarships and allowances?
Just to share an Aesop’s fable:
The Goatherd And The Wild Goats
A Goatherd, driving his flock from their pasture at eventide, found some Wild Goats mingled among them, and shut them up together with his own for the night. The next day it snowed very hard, so that he could not take the herd to their usual feeding places, but was obliged to keep them in the fold.
He gave his own goats just sufficient food to keep them alive, but fed the strangers more abundantly in the hope of enticing them to stay with him and of making them his own. When the thaw set in, he led them all out to feed, and the Wild Goats scampered away as fast as they could to the mountains.
The Goatherd scolded them for their ingratitude in leaving him, when during the storm he had taken more care of them than of his own herd.
One of them, turning about, said to him: “That is the very reason why we are so cautious; for if you yesterday treated us better than the Goats you have had so long, it is plain also that if others came after us, you would in the same manner prefer them to ourselves.”
Enough said.
boing on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 10:50 pm
Be warned with the goodies. They come with strings attached. We will only of the attached strings after the GE is over. They will give you a drumstick to entice you, but will take the whole chicken from you afterwards.
David on Tue, 22nd Dec 2009 12:14 am
First we have Khaw apologising for lapses in hospitals, now we have Ng Eng Heng announcing a slight tweak in school fees to favour Singpaoreans, than Teo chee Hean announcing million dollars stadium project in pasir ris…. Why now? and did the jobless rate improved and did IRs create more employment opportunities for local Singaporeans? Singaporeans advices to PAP, we are not a food. Damage is done deep and rooted the moment foreigners flooded this island. There is no turning back to vote you out.
wat? on Tue, 22nd Dec 2009 12:23 am
i wonder wat is at the end of the carrot stick after you bite it.
I love my country on Tue, 22nd Dec 2009 11:57 am
Complete bull … , if they really have the interests of citizens at heart, then let all PRs and foreigners application come in phases after citizens’.
They have more than doubled the number of PR, in all probability wise Citizens are worse off not better off
Total CRAP!!!!
citizenofSG on Fri, 25th Dec 2009 1:54 pm
If we vote in lots of opposition in the forth coming election, this is what you are sure to get:-
1) Singaporean will get the first bite in everything Singapore.
2) Singaporean have absolute right to be employed in any job created within Singapore, unless no one can or want to do it.
3) All popular schools available primary one places will go to Singaporean unless there are remaining vacancies.
4) New HDB will only be sold to Singapore born citizen who wants to start a family. No new HDB for PR and new citizens. They can only rent from native Singapore citizens.
5) Government to remove all stake holding in MSM.
6) GST will be reduced to 3% and freeze for the next ten years.
7) Ministers’ pay to be reduced to match the pay of ASEAN ministers’ pay. All properties and assets to be declared and made known to the public.
and the list goes on.
If you want all these things to materialize, tell your friends and family not to vote PAP.
Singapore 4 Singaporean.:)