Ng Kok Lim rebuts Halimah Yacob’s assertion that Singapore workers can afford more
March 5th, 2010 | 
Author: Dear Madam Halimah,
I refer to your comments in parliament as reported by Straits Times on 4 Mar 2010.
Despite the ‘puzzling’ decrease in Singapore’s gross wages from 2006 to 2009 as you have pointed out, the ball part figure is largely correct so the picture of relative income vis-a-vis other countries is still valid. Adopting the government’s hourly wage estimate of $14 an hour instead of $10.85 an hour would merely boost Singapore’s gross hourly wage from 32.7% that of New York’s to 42.2% that of New York’s. Are we that much more proud that our gross hourly wage is 42.2% that of New York’s instead of 32.7%? Or should we be asking ourselves why our gross hourly wage is not even half that of New York’s?
You said professionals, managers and executives accounted for only 9% of the workforce in the UBS figures whereas they actually make up 52% of Singapore’s workforce. But most of the first world cities ahead of us in the list also have large percentages of professionals, managers and executives in their workforces so any disadvantage that we suffer due to percentage discrepancies would likely be suffered by them as well. So this does not explain why our gross hourly wage is not even half that of New York’s. Hence, your assertion of significant underestimation due to flawed assumptions does not hold water.
You said the UBS comparisons omitted CPF payments which can amount to 20% of our income and can be used to pay for our homes. But Singaporeans have no social security to depend on and must pay for our medical and retirement needs out of our own pockets. It’s the same whether we use 20% of our income to pay for homes and use the rest of our disposable income to pay for medical and retirement needs or in the case of the Western nations, use 20% of their income to pay for medical and retirement needs and use the rest of their disposable income to pay for homes. There is no difference, so again, this is a non-issue.
Finally, you argue that expensive Western goods like steak and frozen pizza are not part of the average Singaporean’s expenditure and so should not count towards the calculation of price levels. Going by your logic, it would be all the more better if Singaporeans can afford to buy only the cheapest of goods. If we can’t even afford the same quality goods that people in Western nations enjoy, how can we profess to have achieved the same standard of living as they have? So it makes sense comparing ourselves against the Western nations on how well we can afford the same basket of goods.
Hence, despite the issues you have brought up, the study’s conclusion is fundamentally sound and that the UBS figures do reflect the actual situation to a high degree.
Thank you
Ng Kok Lim
Posted in 20 Responses to “Ng Kok Lim rebuts Halimah Yacob’s assertion that Singapore workers can afford more”
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Ha ha ha!
I don’t think that PAP is ready for an information age after all.
Boss: Please prepare a statics report for me. I need to present it to my Boss.
Worker (Civil Servants): Wow another shit job. New time boss.
Boss: I dont care by end of tomorrow.
Worker (Civil Servants): Wow lau. So short notice and need to work OT.
Worker (Civil Servants): Hello! Dear, I cannot have quanlity time with you and the kids tonight as need to rush statics report for my boss.
Angery Wife: Always like that. Work is more important! Thought you boss always says Must spend quality time with family.
Worker (Civil Servants): Say easy. What to do.
Son : You are a liar, you promise to spend time with me and sister. Liar! Liar Liar
Who want to contiune this story…….
They are frogs mah, said it themselves, how to analyse reports properly? I think we need more talented people…
You want to run S’pore like a corporation, fine. Don’t say that only when it comes to pay and salary, but when it comes to performance measurement and results and accoutability, you suddenly u-turn and say civil sector is different…. shows that the quality is actually crap.
“I don’t think that PAP is ready for an information age after all.”
Not only the PAP is unready to survive in the information age, they are totally unready for Ng Kok Lim who easily trashes those nonsense of PAP with just simple example and rational reason everytime and everywhere.
Story continue…
Worker (Civil Servants): Boss, cannot get real statics as there isn’t at all.
Boss: Oh no! how am i going to present.
After reaching home look sad, beacuse there goes his pay rise and bonus.
Son: I am sorry dad to scold you a lair.
Worker (Civil Servants): Oh, it is not your fault. It about my work.
After listen to his father problem.
Son: Pa, I tell you a deaf frog story.
Worker (Civil Servants): The story can prsent to my boss. Son you are wonderful.
…….
Worker (Civil Servants): So happy that his boss accept his story.
When back home and tell his family that he will get good bonus and rise.
Son: Pa! you did what I told you? Oh no, but forget to tell you how can the deaf frog hear when the he was ask how he make it to the top?
Worker (Civil Servants): Oh No! (pray hard) hope no wants found this out.
Kok Lim, well done! if the govt continues to put forth such rubbish arguments/contentions, are we soon becoming another Pyongyang?
If Ms Halimah is at all sincere in her observations and comments,she must therefore lead by example as one of the stalwarts of NTUC by vulunteering her boss to save taxpaeyers’money by cutting her fat annual salary which ordinary workers would take years to earn the same.
Shame,shame…
Guess she and her colleagues spend more on their pets than wht a low income worker would earn in a year?
Quoting: “Finally, you argue that expensive Western goods like steak and frozen pizza are not part of the average Singaporean’s expenditure”
FROZEN PIZZA is an EXPENSIVE WESTERN GOOD??? Please… I have been in the USA for a while, and pizza is about the cheapest food that you can get. I got to see Halimah Yacob’s original comments.
Perhaps it is the same set of comments in which she said “The greatest dignity that we can give anyone is the dignity of having a job.” in response to Sylvia Lim.
gullible Singaporeans will vote for PAP,
new Singaporeans will vote for PAP,
public/civil servants n their families will vote for PAP,
businesspeople who benefit from hiring foreigners will vote for PAP
who will not vote for PAP ?
probably the PMETs who were squeezed out of jobs by foreigners; who downgrade to taxi drivers, property agents, insurance agents, pyramid network sales people, consultant trainers, tution teachers, hawker/shop assistants, cleaners,
Wow… Halimah yaacob falls from grace.
Just a few months ago we netizens applauded her for engaging us through TR.
However, this time probably she won’t clarify her statements. I really wish she would say sorry and that having a job does not guarantees one’s dignity… (as the cost of living is so obscene the lowest income has no dignity left!) but I don’t think her bosses will like it.
This is Pyeongyang already. My sister’s friends kid have to participate in a MASS DISPLAY in the Singapore Youth Festival, Singapore’s version of the Arirang Festival (North Korean Annual Tradition)
i suggest halimah take it up to ubs, anyway GIC is already the biggest shareholder in ubs, though i don’t think they will do your bidding like GLC
Typical PAP behavior. Never tell the whole truth….
Halimah Yacob, please be honest to God and your own conscience.
Don’t you dare cover your heart and sprout nonsense.
God is watching you, you should know better.
“Thou shalt not lie”
Politicians rarely go to heavens, no?
Wasn’t our dear MP the one who once said can’t afford chicken, eat fish?
Enuff said…
Our ministers’ salaries are world’s first class but the salaries of the rest of the population are definitely not world class. They can afford to buy 100 of the best steaks everyday with their salaries but the rest of the population would be happy if they can afford to buy their families one good steak a month.
Eat Frozen Pork, lamb, fish and steak if you cannot affort fresh one. I still remember some fools to its sillyporean to eat sweet potato.
Use ur brian, when everyone start eating sweet potato the price will be up also.
Yo Yo ..
Eat grass enough .
People who draw 13k per month salary with 8.8% increment only
Can eat steak , pizza lar ..
For Singaporean , eat grass . Come to think of it , sin
so small soon run out of grass how ?
Then EAT SHIT lar …
I find the statements that Halimah Yacob’s made these 2 months to lack substance and just out to SMOKE us Singaporeans.
We should vote her out lor. Don’t waste our taxpayers’ money on her!