Life’s a beach but it’s no holiday
March 13th, 2010 | 
Author: Dear Radha Basu,
I read with great concern your article “Life’s a beach but it’s no holiday” published in the Straits Times on March 9, 2010.
It is an article that talks about an issue which is very important to Singapore, and yet is often side-lined in the rat race, or maybe an issue that the government does not want to admit, face up to, or address.
I find it highly insensitive, irresponsible and inappropriate for you to suggest that “homelessness in Singapore is often the result of personal irresponsibility, stemming from avarice or divorce and dysfunction”. With growing divorce rates in Singapore, you probably know someone who is a divorcee. Would you still say that that is a result of “personal irresponsibility” or “reckless misdeeds”? Divorce is the last resort for many couples, and whilst I may not condone it, I do not think it apt to blame it on the persons involved.
There are the poor living in rental flats, and there are the poorer still, who cannot even afford rental flats. If you are prepared to say that those who are camping out on beaches are irresponsible, then by the simplest logical derivation, you will also be prepared to say that anyone except the richest few living in mansions or bungalows are irresponsible, albeit to a lesser extent.
Why do you think people sell off their apartments? Because they want to splurge it on luxury goods? I think not! Whilst you may put it in that manner to suggest that these people are irresponsible, it does not paint the full picture as it neglects to study the underlying causes behind that move – be it rocketing costs of living, a poor job market, a job market skewed by a huge influx of immigrants, etc – causes which I will be very hesitant to blame on the victims of our government’s ill-managed macro-economic policies.
I apologise if I do come across unduly harsh, for I know not the extent of political or bureaucratic pressure under which you are. But I do appeal very strongly to your sense of professionalism to issue a statement of regret, and also to refrain from allowing yourself to be, consciously or otherwise, an automatic mouthpiece of the government – and in the true spirit of journalism, I hope you can explore and bring out to the public a facet of Singapore we are ignorant or apathetic about, and come up with impassioned opinion pieces that are not simply a rehash of government rhetoric. There is a very mistaken yet pervasive idea that even opinion pieces have to be “balanced” for the sake of it – but what can be more personal than an opinion?
Some ideas for you to consider are why the government view HDB flats as an investment asset, instead of a necessity which provides a roof over the heads of citizens? Regarding your example of Britain’s situation, is welfare not a matter of balance? Yes, the British government may have probably gone over, whilst our government is obsessively allergic to providing even the most basic of welfare to vulnerable groups – and maybe to help too much is better than to help too little.
Maybe you could also consider whether the salary formula for our ministers are less-than-ideal, since their salary are pegged to the top earners in the country, and hence there is no pecuniary incentive at all for them to look after the welfare of the poor. Perhaps you could study how the government’s policy of awarding generous bonuses to themselves based on economic growth would create a strong monetary incentive for them to bring foreigners in to grow the economy for its end, even if per-capita income or standard of living is not improved.
I thank you for your kind attention and time in reading this, and I hope that you will consider my points.
Best Regards,
Gordon Li
Posted in 18 Responses to “Life’s a beach but it’s no holiday”
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I have always wondered….did you send a copy of this letter to her? or to the ST forum page?
If they did not accept or not publish the writer’s rebuttal. We can truly expose their hypocrisy.
Well said!
Nailed the spot right about there.
is our government really “allergic to providing even the most basic of welfare to vulnerable groups”?
the ComCare fund, both at individual constituency and the CDC level, disburses quite a fair amount of financial assistance to families in need. i don’t have the exact figures, but i know that some families get up $400 cash together with waiver of the Service and Conservancy charges and help in paying their utilities bills.
and then there are the ’self-help groups’ (i.e. Mendaki, CDAC, SINDA) and other VWOs which also gives out quite a lot of money for various disadvantaged groups. the VWOs actually get a lot of money from the government. and the fact that donations to VWOs above a certain amount get double tax deduction (which is a cost to the government in the form of revenue foregone) has served to greatly incentivise people donating to the VWOs. this money again benefits the vulnerable groups.
and then there is the Workfare Income Supplement. which is the government trying to provide welfare without taking away the incentive to work.
so i wouldn’t say that the government is allergic to welfare.
having said that, i agree that more could be done to help the lowest income group increase their ability to command higher wages and assist those who are chronically unemployed (despite their best efforts) find a stable job.
i also agree that more could be done to ensure that wages across all levels should keep pace, if not grow faster than, the increase in cost of living.
Helloo. of course the St will not publish.
You know how many people any letter must go past before its published. Unless of course its about saving a cat..or something like that.
They got no bbbbb..bottle..lah.
Forum Ed of ST can be a cadet journalist.
So easy to make a decision. Anything ST does not like..bin it.
Simple.
Somebody …dont know.who …said. we get the newspaper we deserve.
Me thinks he/she is right.
i doubt this women is even singaporean. what qualification does she have to ESTABLISH what the reasons for homelessness in singapore are. im an academic and ive never heard the reasons she’s stated as the reason for homelessnes in singapore. this is gutter journalism.
This Balderdash Bash is sick in the head – is ‘divorce’ a personality irresponsibility? It is recognized as a legal recourse in Singapore ok? As legal a recourse as selling and buying something ok? Freaking Basu, one day if u discover ur spouse fooking outside with others, will you divorce her? Is this a case of your ‘personal irresponsibility’? As for ‘dysfunction’, you mean if your mother or father suddenly has a stroke or heart attack, it’s their ‘personal irresponsibility’? You are not intellectually capable to write articles lah, why don’t you just fook off to a beach and let someone more capable to do the job?
Its sad isn’t it when intelligent commentary like this attracts only but a few comments while tabloid trash on Jack Neo attracts over 50 comments. Some of the readers kept telling TR not to degrade themselves by publishing gossipy news like that and yet they themselves went to read it and would comment on that. Now you know why those pappies think Singaporeans are donkeys, sheep and daft? They know us too well cos we are just empty vessels that make the most noise.
For those who are sitting on their high horses accusing the TR of writing trash, go figure this-after the news of Jack Neo, readership exceeded over 40 000. It draws in people to the sites at the same time bring the opportunities to draw the readers to the political issues.
Its so sad that many Singaporeans have yet the wake up from their slumber. They are more concern with more of the nitty gritty things than bigger issues. We have yet to mature as a nation. Its no wonder that they continuously voting in the imbeciles to rule cos Singaporeans deserve them. Its no wonder that they will never seek their opinions because there is none to give. It is no wonder the pappies said that they should be paid extraordinary high cos they have to think for Singaporeans. With the way the Pappies are thinking nowsaday, we know how the way Singaporeans are thinking.
We often have the elites telling us how stupid, lazy and deserved to be kick in the butt while within the same breath tell how smart and great they are. To add further injustice they bring in foreigners to become new citizens to also tell Singapore how stupid they are and to kick us on our butt to get us to work harder so that everyone of them can benefits.
Often go look at the background of those who wrote in to condemn Singaporeans in ST. Many of them came from the elites where they came from the elite family, went to elite school and joined the elite group. If not many of them were the foreign talents who became new citizens.
You talked about Singaporeans being a migrant society. Areb’t the other countries such as Australia, New Zealand and America also one? Yet we never see their government prostituting themselves and their very own citizens. They actually sayang them like a baby.
Anyway, Singaporeans and the pappies deserve each other.
@Angel: I have to disagree here, because your term ‘empty vessels’ is an essentializing statement that denigrates the intellectual capacity of those who read TR to obtain alternative viewpoints. Yes there are those more intrigued by Jack Neo’s issues but previous posts by TR have also attracted many comments, some even hitting 70. Also, the Jack Neo issue highlighted the hypocrisies of certain politicians, which also attracted comments and which I believe is a positive thing. So I believe when you mention ‘Singaporeans’ as a broad group and assert that Singaporeans deserve PAP and vice versa, you’re are passing a judgment that is not predicated on intellectual depth. Well, so much for being deserving of PAP’s rule?
Angel, Angel, I wonder if you trying too hard to live up to your name. Come down from your high horse and open your eyes wider before you start cr@pping.
This thread is just published today or late yesterday. The Jack Neo saga has been around since early this week. Surely it is not too hard to work out why there are not too many comments on this topic AS YET?
Typical young charboh who only know how to make b1tchy noise just to prove something.
// Angel,
Once in a while, we must have news like JN to add spice to TR. TR’s readership had taken a quantum leap even before the
JN sagas!!
Of course,too much of JN will also be boring,and I’m sure, to quote a wiseman who just said in Parliament,TR should know how to “self-regulate”
Well then, proof me wrong in the coming election. Let’s see how Singaporeans vote. Period.
MS Basu,
Aiyoh, you seem to be apparently parroting what the incumbent govt has been doing. As for your opinions, though it is made to seem like it is yours, sorry hor, it does not.
It lacks balance and the deductions you make – pathetic and lack substance.
Shitty times is always shitty!
@Angel: charity starts at home – you SHOW yourself how you vote first.
Never had a chance to vote. Get a opposition to come to our MM’s GRC first. Never bother to shake hand with my MP and had told them I won’t be voting when saw them.Did you dare to go up to one and tell them that? Instead of critising, like what you said Jacky who ever you are, show how you vote in yours cos I don’t have a chance.
I have never been a supporter of the main party and have always spoke against them to whoever would lend their ears. I have educated the young to always think for themselves and learn to see beyond the painted picture. I have even told those high paying civil servants about my dislike about the ruling party and get them to really ’see’ Singapore. Anyone who knows me know that I don’t live by the rules of my masters. Instead of just complaining only, I do something about it. I educate people especially the next generation on how to learn to make their own choices that not only concern themselves but the others and also protect the environment. I have started campaigning for change for I hope change will come to this land.
I do walk the talk. I wrote these not to justify myself. I could just see that for those who chose to critisize me, you could not see beyond what I have written and ponder over my points. As much as I have said about Singaporeans, I have rest my case.
Me too angel, first time i get to vote when oppo is there is 1986 i think, voted pap, after i seen what they have done to me and others,”NO MORE”, voted oppo when they came to my 2nd and last town.
I wrote to editor of ST about he being, judge, jury and executiuoner and nothing but running dog of the gov for printing only what is allowed and he showed my letter in 1999 to your SM after which SM said in one fo his speech in 1999 or 2000,last sentence “anyone not happy can leave” and this was what i said to mr cheong,after which he disappear. ST was revamp, dedicate 2 pages to forum, look now what happen
When last vote in 1996 or 1997 in beo crescent, the town council came to washed and scrubb the lifts until they shine and i was surprised, very very surprised, why, mp visiting the estate and you know what, when they came to my floor at night, i went out and inside lift, fresh urine and upon reaching the ground floor, there was fresh urine all over again. The people are very angry, only they don’t know how to go about it. My neighbours have 2 sons, ex drug addicts and when i told them to vote oppo and ask them, they said “of course pap la, so at night they won’t come to my house and check”. You see, the bogeyman is frightening all the old folks and ex drug addicts. You and me have nothing, not like , seow,tang and jb, lost it all, bungalows, mercs, business, so why afraid, nothing to lose, only my bum.
“my precioussssss ……..VOTE!!!”
Please Singaporean use your VOTE wisely !!
We keep hearing “never got chance to vote lah” “This is the best we got lah”
It is not enough, just no enough, we have to push harder. Singapore is not bad but not good enough. Stop the excuses of limited resources, no talents, etc.
@angel:
You wrote: “Singaporeans and the pappies deserve each other”
Then you wrote: “I have never been a supporter of the main party and have always spoke against them to whoever would lend their ears.”
If you’re “never a supporter” of the “main party”, then why did you say Singaporeans and the pappies (assuming the ‘pappies’ refer to the ‘main party’) “deserve each other”?
….erm, unless you’re not a “Singaporean”, as per the first quote. Otherwise you’ve basically slapped yourself!