Pls read Bye Bye Singapore hello China
-
11 Vietnamese students awarded scholarships worth US$1.24 million
Sunday, 19 July 2009, 2:06 pm | 3,589 views
From Thanh Nien News:
Eleven Vietnamese students have been awarded with the Singaporean government’s full undergraduate scholarship totaling US$1.24 million, or about $113,000 each.
The students will leave for Singapore later this month to attend three or four-year programs in the country’s major universities, including the Singapore Nanyang Technological University.
The scholarship recipients were selected on their academic merit, leadership qualities and potential to contribute to community development, according to a Singaporean embassy press release.
The scholarships, first announced at the 6th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi in December 1998 in the immediate aftermath of the Asian financial crisis to facilitate higher education for outstanding students in affected member nations, has been granted to 155 Vietnamese students thus far.
-
Awarding scholarships – a reader’s view
Friday, 15 August 2008, 9:28 am | 790 views
The following is a comment left on TOC by “Ex-Scholar”, in the article “Seeing stars:Uniquely Singapore – Equality”. TOC will, from time to time, publish comments by our readers which we feel deserve to be highlighted.
My feeling is that scholarship awards are made somewhat subjectively with some political and strategic objectives – we just have to trust the system for now.However there should be the beginning of some transparency so that citizens are able to accept the statistics when they are finally revealed.
By the way, recent statistics can suggest that top scholarships are going to the female gender with a mix of foreigners – interesting to suggest rightly or wrongly that it may be difficult to deal with local NS men who are getting vocal to the point of challenging the system.
In some western countries – university places and scholarships are allocated to minorities – and the definition of minorities is not based on race but on many other factors like location of birthplace, father’s occupation, etc…..
In other areas involving foreigners, award of scholarships are based on a strict quota – locals are given the places first, then the quota for foreigners are filled up – there is a policy and consistency.As Singapore opens up, much spotlight will be placed on university places and scholarship awards; questions will always be there once the system is not transparent.
Look at the previous debate on foreign sports talents – have Singaporeans accepted them yet? The controversies involving sports talents disappearing half way thru their “scholarships here” are still fresh in people’s mind. Sometimes it makes one wonder if Singapore has got its priorities right? Have the investments paid [off]? How are the foreign imports doing – can they win a medal at Beijing after failing in Sydney and Athens?
The focus now should be on the economic slowdown, solving problems of inflation, cost of living and really helping the poor and the old who cannot cope; yet on tv and news, one can find the President and Minister enjoying the Beijing Games! What insensitivities (sic) to show at such an uncertain and difficult time with the admitted bumpy road ahead for Singapore.Will Singaporeans believe that there is really a level playing field in the awards of scholarships ?
Openness is the key. Courage to face the people, and not to hide behind the non-answering system is a must henceforth if the people and government are to move on to close the divisive gap. Civil servants are well paid, Goverment is voted in – the system must be accountable, perform and show results or be shipped out.———–
-
Seeing stars: Uniquely S’pore – Equality
Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 12:02 pm | 1,629 views
Leong Sze Hian / Senior Writer
Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that most bond breakers come from more affluent families.
I refer to media reports about the break-down of scholarship awardees who stay in HDB and private property. I would like to suggest that the percentage of scholars from HDB flats be further broken down to the different flat types, i.e. 1 – 2 room, 3-room, 4-room, and 5-room and bigger. Since the private property data was broken down to landed and condominiums, why not the HDB data ?
I understand that the statistics last reported in the media was that more than 60 per cent of scholars comes from HDB 5-room and bigger, and private property.
According to the Department of Statistics’ (DOS) 2008 Yearbook of Statistics, 69 per cent of HDB flats were 4-room and smaller.
Since more than 80 per cent of residential dwelling units are HDB flats, the proportion of scholars from private property is disproportionately high.
Even the proportion of landed property at 26 per cent is disproportionately higher, compared to the 27 per cent for private non-landed property, as only 29 per cent of all private property are landed.
Another way of looking at it may be that students from private property have about a two times higher chance of getting a scholarship, and those from HDB 5-room and bigger about a one and a half times higher chance.
In this regard, even those in landed property have about a two times higher chance than non-landed.
Clearly, at least from a statistical perspective, the odds may be stacked against HDB 4-roomers and smaller.
What is perhaps an even more important statistic is the breakdown of the household and per capita income.
The type of residential dwelling may not necessarily reflect the financial need and affordability of the scholarship applicant.
If the current trend continues, it may lead to a further widening of the income gap. Singapore’s GINI co-efficient has been deteriorating over the years, and is now at an all-time high.
Route out of poverty
Throughout history, I believe the most common route out of poverty has been education.
Whilst there is nothing wrong with awarding scholarships primarily on academic achievement, the current selection criteria and system may be further skewed against lower-income households, as their children may have less in the areas of co-curricular activities, leadership track record, etc, because of their limited financial resources.
This may further stack the odds against the lower-income, who have less resources to access tuition, enrichment programmes, learning aids, etc.
In countries like the United States, many scholarships are awarded based on financial need. Those who can afford get less money, and those who are rich are given a Honour Scholarship, i.e. in name only without money.
I support Mr Philip Yeo’s preference to give scholarships to the lower income. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that most bond breakers come from more affluent families. So, the perennial problem and increasing trend of more people breaking bonds may be diminished if more scholarships go to the less affluent.
As to the remarks that the family background of applicants are not taken into account, I would like to ask whether the selection panel are able to see such information. If so, I think those involved in the selection and interview process should not be allowed to see such information.
The issue of elitism in Singapore has been much debated in the media. Let’s try to do something more about it, in the true spirit of one of the five stars of our national flag, which represents equality for all.
-
Seeing Stars: Uniquely Singapore – Progress
Monday, 11 August 2008, 8:15 am | 1,284 views
Leong Sze Hian / Senior Writer
In this special series of Uniquely Singapore, Leong Sze Hian takes a look at the 5 stars of our flag and how it relates to certain issues. This first article focuses on “Progress”.
I refer to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) report, “Focus on older people in and out of employment”, released at the end of July.67 per cent of older workers (age 50 and over) worked as production, cleaners, labourers and related workers.
According to the MOM’s Report on Wages in Singapore 2007, the lowest paid category of workers, was the group comprising cleaners, labourers and related workers, with a median gross pay of $ 968.
The annualised wage change for this group was zero, from 1997 to 2007.
In the case of cleaners, labourers and related workers, the wages were largely flat in the earlier age groups, before declining for those in their 40s onwards to a low of 0.63 for the 60 - 64 age group.
Since the median gross pay for this group was only $ 968, does it mean that older workers are paid even less ?
The gender wage difference was 30.8 per cent for the age 35 - 39 group.
Does this gender wage gap occur for the older age group too ?
So, how much less are elderly women workers paid ?
With 469,000 employed residents age 50 and over being employed in June 2007, it means that about 314,230 (67% of 469,000) elderly Singaporeans work as production, cleaners, labourers and related workers.
And since elderly workers constitute 26 per cent of the resident workforce, it means that about 17 out of 100 (314,230 divided by 314,230 divided by 0.26) workers are elderly production, cleaners, labourers and related workers.
If we include such workers who are younger than 50, how many Singaporeans are cleaners, labourers and related workers, who earn a median gross pay of only $ 968 ?
The long term unemployment rate for older workers at 0.9 per cent is about double that of younger workers, at 0.4 - 0.7 per cent.
27 and 10 per cent of older workers are self-employed and part-time workers, respectively, compared to 4 and 4.8 per cent respectively for younger workers.
66 per cent of older workers cited their reason for working as needing money for current expenses. 12 per cent worked for their future financial security, and only 16.3 per cent worked for non-monetary reasons.
In June 2006, 76 per cent of economically inactive residents mainly relied on income support from family members.
In the MOM’s second quarter employment report released at the end of July, the non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for residents increased by 54 per cent from 2.6 in March to 4.0 in June, compared to 1.8 to 2.9 for the overall (including foreigners) unemployment rate.
The above statistics may indicate an urgent need to address the plight of older Singaporean workers ; for a review of policies to reverse these alarming trends, particularly in the light of calls not to increase wages to cope with inflation because of the fear of wage-inflationary pressures, relative to productivity growth.
Glowing and repeated reports of good job growth and economic growth may mask some of the underlying issues that older Singaporeans face.
Finally, if residents comprise 69 per cent of the total number of employed, why is it that 95 per cent of the unemployed are residents ?
If we make an adjustment for permanent residents (PRs) in the residents statistics, what percentage of the unemployed are Singaporeans ?
———-
-
Feedback to SBS on PRC bus driver
Dear Sir/Madam,
It is worth noting on the recent news published in TODAY and MYPAPER
with the Public Transport Council pronouncing that bus operators have
largely met the standards for quality of service for the period Dec 1
2008 to May 31 2009.It went further stating SMRT relates its better showing to the recruitment of more drivers and the addition of 67 new buses and ‘On the whole, both operators have demonstrated their commitment to meet commuters’ expectations and the standards set by the PTC,’ said its chairman, Mr Gerard Ee.
However, consumers are yet to see on what does this pronouncement mean
in the long run. One side of it will be whether it will mean better services at the current fares, or better services but with a possible increase in fares.This is what I can foresee and “aggravated” by what this Chinese driver of SBS7498C on the day of 15October, 2009 at 7:06 PM on my way to Pasir Ris interchange to meet a friend.
Here is what happened:
Right after the Bus 88 turned into TPE highway, the driver fiddled with the FARECARD CONTROLLER (located in front of driver’s seat). I can hear a few beeps and this did not stop until when the bus was about to stop at Stage 25.5 (UMC-Pasir Ris Drive 12).
I saw a few passenger complained to the driver that the fare card readers were all displaying “ENTRY” instead of “EXIT” at the the two rear fare card
readers and “ENTRY/EXIT” at the front. There was this young man who
alighted at Stage 25.5 (UMC-Pasir Ris Drive 12).Realizing that the rear card readers were all displaying “ENTRY,” he proceeded to the front and it seems that the front fare card readers were also displaying “ENTRY.” He went on to spoke to the driver in English but
the driver replied in Chinese (driver does not seem to know how to
speak English).The passenger insisted that he will be deducted the full fare twice as he already tapped on the front fare card reader when he entered the bus. You will be surprised with what the driver does next. He took the passenger’s fare card and the driver tapped it himself on the front fare card reader.
The rest of the passengers seems to don’t care as they just tapped on the fare card reader unknowingly “donating” to SBS their money. The driver also seems to don’t care even until we reached the Pasir Ris interchange.
Hence, I would like to announce here and to the public copied on this
email that I had willingly donated my $3.20 to SBS to help them cover up the fines that they had paid to the PTC. It might not be enough, but looking at the rate of drivers hired by SBS who does not speak English, I can assure the public that SBS will be able to recoup the losses incurred from fines in no time at all.But what about those passengers who alighted after Stage 20, will SBS
kindly advise on what steps will they take to refund this “cheated” passengers. Just make me an exception as I had WILLINGLY donated my
share. Do not give those “we-need-EZLINK-card-number” crap to refund
these passenger. If your fleet managers are doing their job, they will
know who is the driver in question as I had provided the date and time
and this same manager will be able to see on their computers that
there were two full fare deductions starting from Stage 20 until Stage
29).I would like to seek help from the print and broadcast media copied in
this email to announce to the riding public (most specially to TV
Mobile as most buses have TV monitors) to be more vigilant on what the
fare card readers are displaying as they might be making complaints to
EZLINK and the bus companies when in fact they were the one to blame.Best regards,
Lim Hong Kee
EDITORS’ NOTE:
SBS has apologized to Mr Lim and offered him a month of free travel using Season Pass on his buses. Mr Lim had kindly offered it to Dover Park Hospice.
-
NUS student expressed disappointment at pre-selected questions for MM Lee at Kent Ridge Forum
From our Correspondent
A NUS student, Calvin Ng, has written to the Straits Times Forum expressing his disappointment at the recently concluded Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew!
He wrote:
“I was rather disappointed that questions directed at Mr Lee by the students were pre-selected and ‘politically correct’. This was despite the forum’s project director calling for ‘active participation from the audience’ in his opening address.”
It is not revealed whether the setting was requested by MM Lee himself or arranged by the forum’s organizers.
MM Lee was an excellent and much feared orator during his days as Singapore’s Prime Minister. He should not be overwhelmed by a few difficult questions from the students.
Besides, Singapore undergraduates have become so de-politicized over the years that it will unlikely that they will dare embarrass the strongman with similar questions which he encountered in Russia when he was asked point-blank on whether he appointed his son to become Singapore’s third prime minister.
As Calvin has rightly pointed out, a forum must involve active and spontaneous interaction between the audience and the speakers.
It defeats the purpose to have pre-selected questions prepared beforehand for the speakers even before they begin their speeches!
The Kent Ridge ministerial forum is an utter disgrace to the NUS community! How can the government expect NUS to become a world-class university when it don’t even trust its students to ask questions?
It is little wonder that foreign universities like Warwick had declined Singapore’s invitation to set up campuses here due to concerns about freedom of speech.
What’s so special about MM Lee that he must be shielded from certain sensitive and controversial questions? He is only a former prime minister of Singapore!
The way the forum is conducted is making a mockery out of our students and leaders! If MM Lee is afraid to face questions from the crowd, then he should not speak at the forum in the first place.
-
50 year old Singaporean expressed concerns about his future
From our Correspondent
In a letter published in the Straits Times Forum today, a 50 year old Singaporean by the name of Kumar Pillay expressed his concerns and worries as he reached 50 years of age.
Mr Kumar wrote that he is worried about holding on to his job, raising and educating his children and keeping his home secure until all mortgages are paid off.
He is also concerned about unremitting price hikes for virtually all basic necessities like food, transport and utilities, as well as the goods and services tax hike.
More importantly, he is frustrated that his employers’ CPF will be cut now that he is 50 years old.
“The cut is steep – from 14.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent – and affects older Singaporeans like me drastically.
Not only must I still pay off my debt to the Housing Board for my mortgaged flat on diminished income, but the price hikes are also eating into the rest of my salary,” he wrote.
Mr Kumar’s plight is shared by many Singaporeans in his age group. Many are struggling to pay off their housing mortages and support their families at the same time, leaving them with little savings in their CPF for retirement.
The prices of HDB flats hit a record high in the last few months. However the government continues to maintain that they are “affordable”.
If Mr Kumar who bought his flat earlier when it was relatively cheaper is encountering difficulties in paying his housing loans, young couples who bought the flats at exorbitant prices now will be plunged into financial distress should one or both get retrenched or fall sick in the future.
Due to the relentless influx of cheap foreign labor, the median wages of the average Singapore worker have not increased by much over the last decade.
In fact, Singapore’s Gini coefficient, an indicator of income gap between the rich and poor, has increased consistently from 2001 to 2007 saved for a slight drop last year due to the global financial crisis.
Singapore’s octagenarian leader MM Lee Kuan Yew dismissed the importance of the Gini coefficient lately. He claimed that it is more important to create jobs for Singaporeans while leaving it to market forces to determine the wages.
With no independent trade unions to represent their interests, Singaporeans have no choice but to subject themselves to the mercy of the employers and the pro-business government.
Though the wages of the lower income group have remained stagnant of late, the salaries of Singapore’s ministers have ballooned astronomically.
Singapore’s Prime Minister is the highest paid leader in the world with an annual salary of almost S$3 million dollars. The ministers are not far behind at about S$2 million dollars.
The salaries of ministers and top civil servants are pegged to GDP growth figures which can be manipulated via decreasing labor and business costs and increasing foreign direct investments and productivity.
Mr Kumar expressed his “appreciation” to the government for working with various organizations like NTUC and WDA to keep older workers like him employed in his letter.
It is unfortunate that there are many Singaporeans out there who share the same sentiments as Mr Kumar and continues to place blind faith in the government.
They fail to realize that without political and civil rights, they will always be denied the economic rights they should have as citizens of Singapore.
There is no need for Mr Kumar to be thankful to the government which is voted into power by the people to take care of them and to protect their interests.
Singaporeans should realize they deserve a much better deal than the one they are getting now from the incumbent, which amount to nothing more than leftover crumbs.
-
PAP MPs to raise questions on Miss Singapore World pageant in Parliament
October 17, 2009 by admin
Filed under Selected reads, Top NewsFrom our Correspondent
It appears that the sordid Miss Singapore World fiasco will be taking up precious air time in Singapore’s august Parliament thanks to the PAP MPs.
MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Baey Yam Keng has asked the Trade and Industry Minister if there is a need for greater supervision by local organisers to ensure that Singapore’s brand name will be protected.
Three MPs will ask the Acting Information, Communications and the Arts Minister about the recent successful bid by SingTel over the EPL rights.
With due respect to Miss Singapore World, it is of little importance or significance to warrant even a brief mention in Parliament which should be reserved for more pressing and urgent matters of national concern.
Few Singaporeans have even heard of Miss Singapore World in the first place. It was the state media which made a mountain out of a molehill to boost its flagging readership.
Here are a few questions our correspondent suggest that the PAP MPs bring up in Parliament and quiz the relevant ministers:
Zhang Yuanyuan fiasco:
1. It was reported that Zhang came to Singapore with only a diploma from China. Which institution did she obtain a diploma from? Does it qualify her to study in Singapore on a student pass?
2. How did she manage to get Singapore PR within 2 months of application? What are the criteria for granting PR in this case?
3. What is the percentage of PRs who choose to return to serve their motherland after studying and working in Singapore?
ERA report on PRs forming 40 per cent of buyers of resale flats:
1. What are the actual figures for the number of PRs who bought resale flats from the years 2005 – 2008?
2. How many PRs sold their flats before leaving Singapore and the average amount of profit they made from the sale?
3. Should a capital gain tax be imposed on PRs selling their resale flats?
Yoong Siew Wah fiasco:
1. The exact source of the factual error published in the Straits Times report on 10 October 1986.
2. The proceedings of the Parliament Select Hearing on the Legal Amendment Act in 1986.
3. Has the error been rectified in the actual records?
The PAP MPs are really making a mockery out of Singapore’s parliamentary system by asking such frivolous questions. Then again, they are not expected to ask serious and difficult questions on behalf of Singaporeans when almost half of them got “elected” somehow without actually fighting an election proper.
When you occupy 82 out of 84 seats in Parliament, you can afford a little trivialty to pass time.
-
Originally posted by Georgetan884:
Netizens angered by S'pore PR's show of loyalty to China
MPs speak up
Shin Min Daily interviewed a few MPs and this is what they have to say:
Sembawang GRC's Dr Lim Wee Kiak
"Netizens should not overreact because Zhang is a PR and still retains her Chinese passport. Hence, China is still her home.
"In fact, there are a number of Singaporeans who are PRs in another country and they visit Singapore on a frequent basis. Should we then turn them away?"
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC's Ms Josephine Teo
Ms Teo said she understands the perspectives of the netizens and knows that they are worried that foreigners are merely using Singapore as a springboard to other countries.
However, in Zhang's case, she had 'hopped' back to her own country and did not use her permanent residency to hop to another country.
She also reasoned that Zhang's duration in Singapore was probably not enough for her to feel she wanted to settle here.
"As a globalized nation, such situations will occur frequently and we must learn to accept that this is the case."
Tanjong Pagar GRC's Mr Baey Yam Keng
Mr Baey reckons that such situations depend on the person's emotional attachment to the country.
"Zhang grew up in China and her entire family is there. Perhaps family ties are more important to her now than before."
He also told Shin Min Daily that Singaporeans living overseas still regard Singapore as their home and most of them end up returning here.
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%...05-171881.html__________________
The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving ~ Albert EinsteinWith a diploma from China, Zhang Yuanyuan got her Singapore PR in only TWO months
From our Correspondent
Singapore PR Zhang Yuanyuan, who was lambasted by Singapore netizens for “renouncing” her PR on China’s National TV, remained unfazed by the buzz about her.
Ms Zhang had earlier returned to China to participate in its 60th National Day Parade in Beijing.
In the CCTV Channel 7 news clip which was circulated widely on the internet, a beaming Ms Zhang showed her blue Singapore NRIC on the screen and proclaimed her desire to serve China, her motherland.
When interviewed by the Singapore media, Ms Zhang was nonchalant about the storm she stirred:
“It’s nothing much. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. They can say anything they like on the Internet,” she said in Mandarin.
Ms Zhang graduated from an unknown institution in China with a diploma and came to Singapore on a student pass. For two years, she studied English at the Cambridge Institute here.
Later, she became a Chinese language teacher at Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning for three years. At that time, she was also taking a degree course in business management at the Asia Pacific Management Institute.
Ms Zhang said she applied for permanent residency in 2006. It took only two to three months to get approval.
“At that time, I thought it might be easier if I wanted to travel between the two countries,” she added.
Unlike in the past when only skilled workers are offered PRs, semi-skilled workers like Ms Zhang can now obtain PRs in a short span of time. In fact, some of them are even “actively” courted by the government to take up Singapore citizenship.
The Singapore government has eased restrictions for China nationals to study and work in Singapore in recent years.
It has become very easy for students in China to obtain a study pass to study in private English schools in Singapore. However, not all of them are here purely for academic purposes.
Some Chinese girls end up working part-time in karaoke lounges or as mistresses of rich Singapore businessmen. A few even ply their trade along the alleys of Geylang over the weekend.
The relentless influx of foreigners to Singapore had sparked massive unhappiness and disgruntlement on the ground.
Despite concerns from citizens that they are facing stiff competition from the newcomers, the government is adamant that its immigration policy will continue though it will “slow” the inflow of foreigners.
To make foreigners feel more welcomed in Singapore, the government has unveiled a series of measures to help them “integrate” into Singapore society including a $10 million Community Integration Fund to organize activities and events for them.
While some Singaporeans scoffed at the government’s attempts to “import” more foreigners as “cheapening” our citizenship, there is nothing they can do about it as long the incumbent remains in power
-
PAP gives new citizens and PRs free vouchers
September 28, 2009 by admin01
Filed under Selected reads, Top NewsFrom our Correspondent
Tampines Changkat which is part of the PAP-ruled Tampines GRC will be giving out free vouchers to newcomers and PRs to attend language proficiency courses.
The constituency is responding to recent recommendations by the National Integration Council to help immigrants integrate into Singapore society. A $10 million programme funded entirely by Singapore taxpayers will be introduced to achieve this purpose.
Irene Ng, MP for Tampines GRC, said:
“We are also looking at new projects to tap on the new fund because we think that to make it sustainable we need to have a concerted effort that draws in the new immigrants and have a mega event that will make a big impact.”
The PAP has been spending money of late organizing activities for new immigrants at the grassroots level to make them feel “welcomed”. It had conducted HDB tea parties and treasure hunts frequently for the new citizens and PRs.
Though it was not revealed what language the proficiency courses are for, it is likely to be English, the lingua franca of Singaporeans. There are growing complaints in recent years about immigrants who are unable to speak the English language or speak it with such a thick accent that it is incomprehensible to Singaporeans.
It is unsure how these immigrants who have low proficiency in the English language are able to become PRs and new citizens in the first place.
In other countries like Australia and Canada, prospective immigrants must first pass a compulsory English language proficiency test before they are even allowed to work in there.
It is strange that the government is now giving out free vouchers for immigrants to learn the English language at the expense of taxpayers when it should have exercised greater prudence in admitting them to Singapore initially.
The PAP has come under increasing fire from disgruntled Singaporeans at their liberal immigration policy which has helped to keep cost of living high, especially that of public housing while depressing the wages of the middle and lower income group.
Instead of addressing the genuine concerns of Singaporeans, the ruling party has levied the blame solely on Singaporeans for being too “fussy” and having unrealistic expectations via the state media.
-
Proposal to spend $10 million dollars to help new citizens integrate
September 17, 2009 by admin
Filed under Selected reads, Top NewsFrom our Correspondent
The National Integration Council announced at a press conference yesterday a series of recommendations to promote greater integration between immigrants and Singaporeans, one of which is an eye-popping $10 million Community Integration Fund to help the two groups mingle and interact with one another. (read article here)
The Council was chaired by Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, which included five other ministers and 75 members from the public and private sectors.
The Community Integration Fund will help to sponsor projects such as cultural gatherings, seminars and social outings for the newcomers and Singaporeans.
The grassroots organizations have already taken the lead by hosting tea-parties at HDB void decks and “amazing races” for foreign residents to make them feel “welcomed”.
Other measures announced include getting newcomers to attend basic English courses to improve their command of the language in order to better communicate with Singaporeans.
A third major recommendation is for an updated orientation programme for new citizens to learn about key historical landmarks and institutions, and to be introduced to grassroots communities here.
The Council was set up five months ago following rising concerns and disgruntlement on the ground from Singaporeans about the relentless influx of foreigners which had led to rising cost of living and competition for jobs and school places.
Last year, 79,167 foreigners became PRs and 20,513 took up citizenship – more than the 63,627 PRs and 17,334 new citizens in 2007. The number of PRs and citizens who left Singapore for good is not revealed.
Some Singaporeans complained about the inability of some foreigners to communicate in English while ministers fretted over the emergence of “ethnic enclaves” in the HDB heartland.
Though Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said lately that the “flow” of foreigners will slow down, he reiterated his committment to the government’s pro-foreigner policy by using the example of Israel to highlight the importance of recruiting foreign talents to work and live in Singapore.
The government is adamant that foreigners help to contribute to the economy and save jobs for locals. However, they also help to keep inflation rates and cost of living high which has a detrimental impact on the quality of life.
A recent UBS study which was not reported in the papers revealed that Singaporeans have the lowest wages and domestic purchasing power among the four Asian Tigers, the other three being South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
As PRs are allowed to purchase resale HDB flats, their large numbers boosted demand which eventually lead to an escalation of prices. The prices of resale flats hit a record high in June and is expected to increase by another 1 to 2 per cent in the next two quarters.
Instead of spending so much money to help foreigners integrate into Singapore society, more can be done to assist new couples to purchase a HDB flat in the form of higher subsidies and lower prices.
-
Are new HDB flats really subsidised?
THIS question has dogged the Housing Board for decades, and has continued to be a source of contention among opposition politicians, Straits Times Forum writers and cyber-critics.
Their main argument is that the HDB's 'market subsidy' system for pricing new flats does not give buyers a real subsidy.
Unlike a typical subsidy in which a discount is given off the cost of a product, the board works the other way around. First, the HDB determines the new flat's market price by taking into account resale prices of similar flats. Then it gives a 'discount' based on this market value.
The main issue is the cost of land. The cost of a flat is mostly made up of the cost of land and construction. In land-scarce Singapore, land cost makes up a major part of a property's price.
So the questions that arise are: If prime land is acquired cheaply by the state, should prices of flats built on it reflect the cost of acquiring the land or the market value of the land? Who should reap the benefits of capital appreciation when land that was acquired cheaply 10 years ago is now highly coveted?
The HDB's accounting system ensures that money from capital gains is ploughed back into national accounts. All acquired land is held by the Government, which releases plots to the HDB at market price when it needs land for new flats.
Economist Liu Yunhua from Nanyang Technological University believes that the system is fair, because it ensures that all citizens - and not just those who happen to buy a particular flat - get an equal share of a nation's wealth.
'The capital gains should go to the Government, because the money that goes to the Government will be shared by the whole country,' he says.
Professor Kim Kyung-Hwan, a visiting professor at the School of Economics at Singapore Management University, has no doubt that the HDB hands out real subsidies.
But he adds: 'It's not the way it is priced; what really matters more is the amount of the subsidy.'
If the HDB wants to make its flats affordable, all it has to do is to increase the subsidy, he points out. 'Whether deeper subsidies are socially justifiable is a separate issue.'
Still, some quarters question the transparency of the HDB approach, noting that it is the board which ultimately determines the market value of its new flats. This is because there is no equivalent entity that produces similar homes - and on such a massive scale - in Singapore.
Prices of new HDB flats are known to be 'sticky' - in the sense that they are not prone to major fluctuations because their movements have an impact on the net wealth of the home-owning population.
To try to give home-seekers a yardstick for comparison, the HDB has been publishing prices of resale flats with similar attributes to those of its new flats whenever it launches a project.
For Punggol Spectra, launched earlier this year, four-room flats were priced at $234,000 to $293,000 each. The HDB put the price of comparable seven-year-old resale flats at $310,000 to $357,000.
This is, of course, still a stretch from saying just how much it costs to actually develop a flat. The president of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, Mr Leong Sze Hian, spoke for many when he tells Insight that the HDB should still publicly disclose the cost breakdown of new HDB flats.
Not that the Government has never done so. Back in 1981, then National Development Minister Teh Cheang Wan disclosed the land and construction cost, as well as subsidy and selling price, of the various flat types in six districts.
A three-room flat in the central core region, for example, cost $53,700 to construct and incurred a land cost of $40,000. It was sold at $57,100. These days, the authorities are more guarded with the figures.
Despite repeated calls, the HDB has not revealed the breakdown of the prices of its flats, and it again declined when Insight asked the board to provide the figures for one unit.
Instead, it cites the example of Punggol Spectra, which has two- to four-room flats priced at between $89,000 and $293,000 each. If flats there were priced at cost, it says, 'HDB's selling price will be raised by an average of $40,000 to $60,000'.
'Cost-based pricing does not necessarily mean cheaper flats,' it notes. This is because the development costs of some projects can be driven sky-high by expenses such as land reclamation work.
In short, the experts have no doubt that the market-based pricing approach is a sound and fair one. But the sceptics will believe otherwise and continue to raise the issue again and again and again until the HDB takes the bull by the horns and tells all.
Source: http://business.asiaone.com/Business...17-174236.html -
NS abolished in taiwan!!!! NS for singaporeans exclusively, jobs for foreigners
8777.1
In Taiwan ...
Home > Breaking News > Asia > Story
March 9, 2009
Taiwan to end conscription
TAIPEI - Taiwan will phase out its decades-old military conscription policy over the next five years, the defence minister said on Monday, amid warming ties with China.
Currently all men aged over 20 are required to do one year's military service.
But Defence Minister Chen Chao-min told reporters that the structure of Taiwan's military manpower will undergo a dramatic change over the next few years.
'From 2011, the number of conscripts will be reduced by at least 10 percent each year, to be replaced by professional soldiers,' Mr Chen said.
'That is to say, eventually, conscript measures will come to an end by 2014.' Critics have argued that the island's armed forces have struggled to enhance their defence capabilities because conscripts are unable to become proficient in high-tech weaponry in their short military service.
However, the new proposals sparked concerns over whether the defence ministry would be able to recruit sufficiently qualified professional soldiers at a monthly salary of NT$35,000 (S$1,550).
The plan to phase out conscription was a campaign pledge of President Ma Ying-jeou during the 2008 election.
The number of service personnel in Taiwan stands at around 275,000, down from a peak of 600,000 during the Cold War.
Taiwan's relatively large army is a legacy of decades of tensions with China, which has regarded the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification since the two sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949.
However, ties between Taiwan and China have improved dramatically since Mr Ma's Kuomintang party took office last May promising to boost cross-strait trade and tourism. -- AFP
Remarks:
They have NS (compulsory) ish bcos of China. We have NS ish bcos or what huh?... -
Are new flats affordable?
THE Housing Board has stressed that new flats are affordable because first-time buyers use on average less than 30 per cent of their household income to service their housing loans.
To shore up this finding, the board has also compared average prices of new flats launched from January to August this year with the median household income of first-time applicants, to show how buyers will spend an average of 22 per cent of their monthly income servicing a 30-year-loan on their properties.
The fundamental problem with this data is that it does not take into account home-seekers who fall through the cracks of the HDB system, argues real estate academic Lum Sau Kim from the National University of Singapore.
As those who feel they cannot afford these homes will not apply for them in the first place, their income data may not show up in the board's statistics.
Dr Lum says: 'It is not enough to look at people within the HDB system. We should also be looking at those outside the HDB system and asking why they are not able to access it.'
In response, HDB deputy chief executive Yap Chin Beng says that using the income profile of applicants - and not the general population - is the best way to capture the financial circumstances of home-seekers that will take into account their preferences for a certain type of flat.
The other grouse that critics raise is that the HDB's affordability data is calculated based on the assumption that home loan repayments are pegged to a 30-year tenure, the maximum allowed under the board's loan rules.
According to the HDB, 56 per cent of flat owners taking its loan chose the 30-year loan tenure this year.
In the 1980s, the HDB set its maximum loan tenure at 20 years. That limit was revised upwards over the years, to make flats more affordable and also because people are living longer and retiring later, says Mr Yap. He notes that commercial banks these days set even higher maximum tenures.
To get a sense of how affordability of flats has changed over the years, Insight requested figures showing the price to income ratio of HDB flats over time. This figure, typically derived from dividing the median home price by the median annual household income, is a back-of-envelope gauge of affordability.
When the HDB compared the average selling price of its new flats in non-mature estates to the median income of first-time applicant households, the ratio for four-room flats increased from 4.7 in 2000 to 5.5 this year. This meant it had become less affordable for applicants over time. The trend was the same for five-room flats which showed the ratio growing from 5 to 5.6.
The HDB, however, says that the comparisons of the ratios over time are 'not appropriate'. It says: 'Singapore's developments, including economic opportunities and infrastructure, have improved over the years. It is only natural that our assets have appreciated in value over the years to reflect these multidimensional improvements.
'In addition, flat prices may fluctuate in the short term, depending on prevailing economic and market conditions. The recent fluctuations in asset and equity values are not unique to Singapore.'
Finally, it notes, improvements in the design and quality of flats, as well as government investment in infrastructure like linkways and landscaping, have also raised the value of properties.
So are there better ways of calculating affordability?
Dr Lum believes so. As it stands, Singapore's growing income gap may mean that the financial difficulties of the lowest income groups are not captured adequately by average or median income figures.
She suggests a more targeted approach: Calculate how affordable the flats are to households disaggregated by deciles or 10 per cent cohorts of the nation's income distribution.
'We really need to correctly determine affordability for the groups that we wish to target for receiving public housing assistance.'
Calculations for housing affordability could also take into account associated costs like conservancy charges and property tax, with adjustments for household size.
Source: http://business.asiaone.com/Business...17-174237.html -
MM Lee lectures Americans on the “Chinese mindset”
From our Correspondent
Singapore’s “wise” old man and self-acclaimed “expert” on China, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has dished out his customary “understanding” of China to the Americans again, this time on the Charlie Rose show.
On the National Talk show, MM Lee implored the United States to gain an understanding of the “Chinese mindset”.
“Look, they don’t want to be an honorary member of the West, unlike Russia. They’re quite happy to be Chinese and to remain as such…So when you tell them you ought to do this, you ought to do that, they say yes, thank you. But at the back of their minds, (they ask) ‘We’ve lasted 5,000 years, have you?” said Lee.
Since relinquishing his position as prime minister in 1990, Lee had tried to portray himself as an international statesman and bridge between the West and China.
He recounted (brimming with pride) former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping’s visit to Singapore in 1978 which left an indelible impression on him and insinuated that it helped spurred him to liberalize the Chinese economy.
Lee’s frequent boasts about China “learning” from Singapore has brought sharp rebuttals and criticisms from others in the Chinese-speaking world.
One famous Hong Kong commentator remarked that the Chinese leaders are only exercising due courtesy to Lee and the only thing China ever wants to learn from Singapore is its unique one-party system of government.
Though Lee was an ethnic Chinese, he was English-educated and was unable to speak Mandarin fluently till he became Singapore’s prime minister.
Before the PAP won power, he had to rely heavily on his Chinese-educated colleague Lim Chin Siong to win over the Chinese masses.
Lee was staunchly anti-communist and anti-China in the 1960s. Fearful of the lingering influence and strength of the Chinese elites, he abolished vernacular education and introduced English as the medium of education for all schools in Singapore.
Singapore’s only Chinese university, Nan Tah, was merged with the University of Singapore to form the National University of Singapore in 1980.
With the rise of China in 1980s, Lee made a stunning U-turn and embraced his former foes – the Chinese communists.
Despite his frequent claims that he has “in-depth” knowledge and understanding of China, his first major foray in China ended in disaster.
The Suzhou-Singapore industrial park was a brain-child of Lee to replicate a Singapore-style technological park in the city of Suzhou. However, it failed to take off due to lack of support from the local officials which clearly exposed Lee’s shallow understanding of the Chinese culture and mindset.
Singapore eventually left the management of the park to the Chinese in 1999 with losses amounting to an estimated USD $90 million dollars. Till today, the losses are still unaccounted for. Ironically the park became profitable a year after the Singapore consortium left.
Lee’s continued infatuation with China is reflected in many of Singapore’s policies including its liberal immigration policy which has come under fire in recent weeks.
Concerned about the impact of the declining birth rate on Singapore’s racial balance, Singapore embarked on an ambitious program in the early 2000s to increase the population via immigration with a substantial proportion of the new migrants coming from China.
The case of Zhang Yuanyuan highlights the relative ease of which mainland Chinese can obtain PR and citizenship in Singapore.
Ms Zhang came to Singapore on a student’s pass in 2003 armed with only a diploma from an unknown Chinese high school. She became a PR within 2 months of application. Ms Zhang found work as a Chinese language teacher in Singapore which is hardly considered a qualified professional.
The insidious “sinicization” of Singapore has caused widespread resentment and unhappiness on the ground even amongst the local Chinese who are culturally and linguistically different from their counterparts in China.
With China becoming an economic powerhouse, Singapore will only grow more and more reliant on China instead of the other way round.
At current rate the mainland Chinese are swarming over Singapore, it is only a matter of time before Singapore is relegated to become a second or even third tier city of China.
-
MM Lee brags about his “achievements” on the Charlie Rose Show
From our Correspondent
In a national talk show with U.S. commentator Charlie Rose on the Charlie Rose Show on 22 October 2009, Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew continues to brag about his numerous “contributions” to Singapore.
This is the third time MM Lee has appeared on the show. His two previous appearances were in 2000 and 2004.
MM Lee claimed that his government managed to resolve the housing crisis in the 1960s and built flats for almost every Singaporean. He took the opportunity to remind the audience that Singapore now has one of the highest home ownership in the world (thanks to the PAP).
When the topic shifted to China, MM Lee was again quick to proclaim his “role” in China’s development. He related how impressed former Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping was with Singapore during a trip in 1978 which prompted him to “duplicate” Singapore’s success back home in China.
Till today, China has already sent 40,000 officials to Singapore to study its system of governance.
Rose pointed out that democracy was sacrificed for economic success to which MM Lee rebutted that the success of Singapore was due to the people giving him the “authority” to rule.
The trip to the United States is MM Lee’s fourth overseas trip this year after earlier visits to Japan, China, Malaysia, United Kingdom and Russia.
At 86 years of age, he is still not showing any signs of frailty and has been working hard to ensure that he is not faded out of public view.
It is not known if MM Lee’s frequent trips are funded by himself or by taxpayers’ monies.
Certainly few can deny MM Lee’s leadership in shaping the success of modern day Singapore, but he would not be able to achieve much without the help of capable colleagues and a hardworking, thrifty and honest people.
Though Singapore’s dramatic transformation from third to first world in a single generation is a rare achievement, it is not the only country to achieve this feat.
Japan took only 30 years to rebuild itself from the ruins of world war two to become an economic powerhouse.
Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea have attained similar levels of prosperity too together with Singapore.
Even Australia, once described by MM Lee as the “white thrash” of Asia has a standard of living higher than Singapore’s.
Yet, we seldom see the leaders of these countries traveling around the world to promote themselves or to lecture others on their shortcomings.
A little humility goes a long way especially since Singapore is only a small nation. We have still a lot to learn from others. Besides it is big question mark if Singapore’s system is able to survive MM Lee long after he is gone (for good).
-
http://thinkingbetterthinkingmeta.blogspot.com/2008/08/national-day-song-we-are-singapore.html
http://thinkingbetterthinkingmeta.blogspot.com/2008/08/sorry-i-dont-believe-in-ns.html
http://thinkingbetterthinkingmeta.blogspot.com/2008/06/does-singapore-love-me.html
http://thinkingbetterthinkingmeta.blogspot.com/2009/10/singapore-election-fever.html
http://thinkingbetterthinkingmeta.blogspot.com/2009/09/full-time-student-doing-reservist.html
http://thinkingbetterthinkingmeta.blogspot.com/2009/09/mindef-more-action-less-talk-please.html
-
Don't over rely on foreigners
Mr Cedric Foo (left) made the point that Singapore cannot depend on an ever-increasing pool of manpower - one fuelled by increasing the number of foreign workers here. -- PHOTO: BUSINESS TIMES
AN F1 car's engine has a capacity of 2,4000cc, about the same as a high-end Toyota Camry model.
But while the Camry's engine generates 167 horsepower - a measure of how powerful a car is - the F1 car has 700hp and can reach top speeds of more than 400km an hour.
This is because the F1 car does not rely just on engine size, but on other factors such as better fuel systems and boosters to improve performance, Mr Cedric Foo (West Coast GRC) noted on Friday, using the car as an analogy for the economy.
His point: For Singapore's economy to grow, it cannot depend on an ever-increasing pool of manpower - one that is fuelled by increasing the number of foreign workers here.
It must find 'new levers' to push, he said, on the last day of the debate on President SR Nathan's speech at the opening of the latest session of Parliament.
Mr Foo's argument was similar to Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong's reminder on Friday that there are limits to the overall size of Singapore's workforce.
'There is a natural limit to the size of the local workforce. There are also limits to the size of the foreign workforce given the constraints on our infrastructure and critical resources such as land,' he said. 'We should not become overly dependent on foreign workers.'
Another downside of being too reliant on foreign workers, according to Mr Foo, is that it reduces the urgency and motivation for local industries to upgrade and improve on productivity.
According to Manpower Ministry figures, there are about 1.05million foreigners in Singapore's workforce. Most of them - about 870,000 - are unskilled work permit holders, such as those who work in construction and domestic helpers.
Mr Gan said his ministry would support the newly-formed Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) in studying the issue of managing resources such as manpower.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_383606.html -
在马æ�¥è¥¿äºšçš„ä¸å›½ç•™å¦ç”Ÿèƒ½åˆ°æ–°åŠ å�¡å·¥ä½œå�—?
解决时间：2008-12-10 13:18
本人是在马æ�¥è¥¿äºšçš„æ€�特雅大å¦ä¸Šæœ¬ç§‘,毕业时硕士å¦ä½�.ä¸�知é�“这个å¦åŽ†åœ¨æ–°åŠ å�¡èƒ½å�¦æ‰¾åˆ°ä¸€ä»½ç�†æƒ³çš„工作,或到那里需è¦�什么手ç»å•Š.
最佳ç”案
ä¸å›½äººåœ¨å¤§é©¬æ€Žä¹ˆå�¯èƒ½èƒ½æ‹¿åˆ°ç»¿å�¡ï¼Œåœ¨è¿™è¾¹è¯»ä¹¦æ ¹æœ¬æ‹¿ä¸�到的。
ä½ ç¡•å£«æ¯•ä¸šåº”è¯¥æ˜¯å�¯ä»¥çš„，但是还是è¦�ä¾�é� ä½ çš„ä¸“ä¸šæ˜¯å�¦é€‚å�ˆæ–°åŠ å�¡é‚£è¾¹çš„å…¬å�¸ï¼Œå�¬è¯´å¦‚果是businessçš„è¯�会比较难。如果是一些IT或者ç�†ç§‘æ–¹é�¢è¿˜æ˜¯ä¸�é”™çš„ã€‚ä½ å�¯ä»¥ä¸Šæ–°åŠ å�¡å�Žäººç¤¾åŒºåŽ»æ‰¾å…¬å�¸ï¼Œä¸Šé�¢éƒ½æœ‰å¹¿å‘Šï¼Œä½ 打电è¯�过去咨询，然å�Žå…ˆç”¨æ—…游ç¾è¯�过去应è�˜ï¼Œå¦‚æžœOK，公å�¸ä¼šå¸®ä½ 申请visa的。也å�¯ä»¥æ‰¾è¿™è¾¹çš„ä¸ä»‹ã€‚
æˆ‘çŽ°åœ¨ä¹Ÿåœ¨å¤§é©¬è¯»ä¹¦ï¼Œæ¯•ä¸šä¹Ÿæ‰“ç®—åŽ»æ–°åŠ å�¡ï¼Œæ–°åŠ å�¡è–ªæ°´è‚¯å®šæ¯”å�‰éš†å�¡é«˜ï¼Œè€Œä¸”ç¦�åˆ©ä¹Ÿæ¯”æ–°åŠ å�¡å¥½ï¼Œæœªæ�¥æœ‰æœºä¼šæ‹¿åˆ°ç»¿å�¡ã€‚
æ€Žä¹ˆæ‹¿æ–°åŠ å�¡ç»¿å�¡
解决时间：2008-2-20 18:32
我å�³å°†è¦�åŽ»æ–°åŠ å�¡åŠ³åŠ¡,å�šé¤�厅的工作.我想在2年内拿到绿å�¡,è¦�怎么拿?需è¦�å�šä»€ä¹ˆæˆ–æ˜¯æ€Žä¹ˆæ ·çš„,请高手指点!
最佳ç”案
æ–°åŠ å�¡ä¸�å�«ç»¿å�¡,å�«PR(Permanent Residence) å�³æ°¸ä¹…居民准è¯�。
最好是ç»�由公å�¸ç”³è¯·ï¼Œå› ä¸ºæ–°åŠ å�¡çš„法律是大å¦å¦åŽ†ä»¥ä¸Šï¼Œå¹¶ä¸”åœ¨æ–°åŠ å�¡ï¼ˆæˆ–å…¶æ–°åŠ å�¡å…¬å�¸ï¼‰å·¥ä½œå�Šå¹´ä»¥ä¸Šï¼Œæˆ‘有一个朋å�‹å°±æ˜¯åœ¨å¹¿å·žçš„ä¸€ä¸ªæ–°åŠ å�¡å…¬å�¸å·¥ä½œï¼Œå¾ˆå®¹æ˜“å°±æ‹¿åˆ°äº†ï¼Œå¦‚æžœä½ çš„å…¬å�¸ä¸�管的è¯�å°±è¦�自己申请，自己申请æ��怕è¦�先申请employment pass，月工资新å¸�2500以上，就有99%申请æˆ�功，然å�Žå°±å�¯ä»¥ç›´æŽ¥ç”³è¯·PR了，低于2500则有点难，最好通过公å�¸ç”³è¯·ã€‚
æ–°åŠ å�¡è‹±æ–‡å®˜æ–¹ç½‘站：
http://app.ica.gov.sg/serv_pr/per_res/app_for_pr.asp
å�‚考资料：http://app.ica.gov.sg/serv_pr/per_res/app_for_pr.asp打工å�¯ä»¥æ‹¿æ–°åŠ å�¡ç»¿å�¡
解决时间：2009-6-19 23:20
çŽ°åœ¨åœ¨æ–°åŠ å�¡åŠ³åŠ¡,å·²ç»�有å�Šå¹´å¤šäº†,å› ä¸ºå�ªæœ‰äºŒå¹´çš„时间,所以想办类似绿å�¡ä¹‹ç±»çš„å�¯ä»¥é•¿æœŸåœ¨æ–°åŠ å�¡å±…ä½�çš„å±…ä½�è¯�,å°±ä¸�å¿…æ�¥å›žç¾è¯�了,有å�¯èƒ½å�—,或者有别的更好的办法å�—,请å�„ä½�大师指教,谢谢啦
最佳ç”案
å¦‚æžœä½ çŽ°åœ¨æ‹¿çš„æ˜¯WP/工作准è¯�çš„è¯�ï¼Œæ˜¯æ²¡æœ‰è¾¾åˆ°èµ„æ ¼æ��出申请PR/永久居民。
å¦‚æžœä½ çŽ°åœ¨æ‹¿çš„æ˜¯SP/特别准è¯�çš„è¯�，å�Šå¹´å¤šçš„时间还ä¸�够久，批准率超低。
å¦‚æžœä½ çŽ°åœ¨æ‹¿çš„æ˜¯EP/就业准è¯�çš„è¯�ï¼Œä½ çš„ä¸“ä¸šé¢†åŸŸå’Œè–ªé‡‘éƒ½ç›¸å½“é«˜çš„è¯�，应该å�¯ä»¥åŽ»ç”³è¯·çœ‹çœ‹ã€‚
Source: http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/101598606.html?fr=qrl&cid=760&index=1
我åˆ�ä¸å¦åŽ†åŽ»æ–°åŠ å�¡æ‰“å·¥ï¼Œè¿˜æƒ³æ‹¿åˆ°æ–°åŠ å�¡çš„绿å�¡
2009-7-21 12:48
首先我没钱就想去打工挣钱，然å�Žé€šè¿‡å¦ä¹ 拿到å¦åŽ†ï¼Œå�šæ–°åŠ å�¡çš„永久居民这å�¯ä»¥å�—？我ä¸�知é�“通过什么方法实现我的愿望，请了解的朋å�‹ç»™æˆ‘些æ„�è§�å�§
最佳ç”案
å¦‚æžœä½ æœ‰èƒ½åŠ›å�ˆæœ‰æ¯…力的è¯�，ä¸�妨照我说的试一下。
é¦–å…ˆä½ è¦�找一家ä¸ä»‹æŠŠä½ 办到那边去打工，ä¸ä»‹è´¹è¯¥æ˜¯åœ¨4到5万元人民å¸�ï¼Œå› ä¸ºä½ æ²¡æœ‰æ–°åŠ å�¡æ‰¿è®¤çš„å¦åŽ†æˆ–者普通如建ç‘ç‰ä¸“项å�šå·¥æ–‡å‡ï¼Œèµ´æ–°å�Žä½ 的薪水会在月800æ–°å¸�å·¦å�³ï¼ˆ4000人民å¸�）ä¸�会高。
然å�Žå°±æ˜¯ä½ è¯´çš„æŠ¥å¤œæ ¡ï¼Œè‹¦è¯»å�§ï¼Œ
ç‰ä½ 有了文å‡ï¼Œå�ˆæ�¢åˆ°äº†å¥½çš„工作，薪水达到了æ¯�月2500元新å¸�ä»¥ä¸Šï¼Œå¾—åˆ°äº†ä½ çš„è€�æ�¿çš„èµ�è¯†ï¼Œä»–è§‰å¾—ä»–å°‘äº†ä½ ä¸�è¡Œï¼Œè€Œä¸”ä½ å·²åœ¨æ–°è¶…è¿‡6å¹´ï¼Œè¡¨çŽ°è‰¯å¥½æ²¡æœ‰æ³•å¾‹ä¸Šçš„é”™è¯¯ï¼Œä½ çš„è€�æ�¿å¤Ÿåˆ†é‡�ä¸ºæ–°åŠ å�¡ç¼´çº³äº†è¶³å¤Ÿå¤šçš„ç¨Žï¼Œåœ¨ä»–è¯šå¿ƒçš„å¸®åŠ©ç”³è¯·ä¸‹ï¼Œä½ å°±æœ‰å¸Œæœ›äº†ã€‚æ–°åŠ å�¡ä¸�傻，ä¸�会收纳需è¦�扶助的贫民，贫民线是月薪3000æ–°å¸�.
æ–°åŠ å�¡æ¯�å¹´æ‰¹å¤šå°‘æ˜¯æœ‰å®šæ•°çš„ï¼Œå“ªä¸€å¹´ä¸´åˆ°ä½ çš„å¤´ä¸Šä¸»è¦�æ˜¯çœ‹ä½ çš„è€�æ�¿æ˜¯å�¦å¤Ÿåˆ†é‡�，估计总共该在å��年八年的。
ä¸ºä½ çš„ç»¿å�¡åŠªåŠ›å�§ï¼Œæˆ‘çœ‹å¥½ä½ ä¸ºä½ ç¥�ç¦�ï¼�
-
Foreigners and permanent residents a more common sight in the heartlands
by Leong Wee Keat and Ong Dai Lin
weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg
05:55 AM Oct 26, 2009
SINGAPORE - A Singaporean walking around Boon Lay Shopping Centre could be forgiven for thinking he is in a foreign land. It has six minimarts - four Myanmarese, one Thai and one Indian - while seven remittance shops and Internet cafes dot its aisles.
Customers in one of the four Myanmarese shops at Boon Lay Shopping Centre. ONG DAI LIN
Shop owners estimate that foreigners form about 70 per cent of the patrons there.
At Clementi Avenue 5 and 2, two Myanmarese minimarts are located under HDB blocks, while Chinese nationals enjoy discounted $8 hair cuts at a shop in West Coast. Other patrons pay $12.
Foreign banks and remittance services are sprouting up in estates such as Ang Mo Kio, Woodlands and Marine Parade, too.
The heartland landscape is changing in tandem with the influx of foreigners. Last year, 79,167 took up permanent residency, up from the 63,627 new PRs in 2007.
From their house visits, Members of Parliament attest to the increase in foreigners and PRs moving into their estates.
MP Ho Geok Choo told MediaCorp that in her Boon Lay ward, they sometimes made up half of a floor consisting of 15 to 18 units. Likewise, MP Lim Wee Kiak has come across PRs of different nationalities occupying six out of the eight units in one of his Sembawang blocks.
The presence of the new arrivals in the heartlands has not gone unnoticed by Singaporeans. When retiree Sim Ai Mei attended a recent folk singing class organised by her residents' committee in Woodlands, she found she was a minority: Of the 20 participants, 12 were Chinese nationals.
Living close to one another, they decided to enrol for the class together, the 64 year old later learnt. "I was surprised," said Mdm Sim. "I didn't expect them to turn up as a group."
Mdm Sim's friend, who wanted to be known as Mdm Lim, was more direct. She said: "There are just too many (of them). I can't take their habits sometimes."
Singaporeans' complaints range from the smell of alien cuisines wafting through their flats, the noise levels and the hanging of clothes along the common corridors.
The new arrivals also chose to congregate with their fellow countrymen over locals, noted MPs and residents.
Choa Chu Kang resident Chow Zhihong observed that Chinese nationals at his estate have held gatherings at the common areas for their friends on occasions such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day - but did not invite their Singaporean neighbours.
"They tend to stick to themselves," said Mr Chow, who has lived in the estate for seven years.
The increasing numbers means that immigrants do not need to integrate with locals.
Mr Dong Liquan chose to live close to other Chinese families in Woodlands so that they could accompany his family when he is at work. "Our neighbours don't understand our accent and some even laugh at us," he said.
Dr Terence Chong, a sociologist at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, believes that migrants have moved into the heartlands for economic reasons. "A foreigner who moves into the heartlands may not want to integrate by local life. It's just cheaper," he said.
Accommodation costs do make a difference - which means the likes of Bishan, for example, would not have the numbers being seen elsewhere.
Compared to 2006, property agent Daniel Koh, who oversees 60 associates, has seen a 20 per cent rise in PRs looking for flats in the Woodlands area. Other estates that new arrivals have been eyeing include Sembawang, Punggol and Sengkang.
Some new arrivals think the economic downturn has accentuated the differences between them and Singaporeans.
"They think we're out to take over their jobs and their housing," said PR Liu Zijie.
"It creates an uneasy tension."
When one Chinese national hung his country's flag outside his flat, netizens blasted him for being culturally insensitive. In another incident, a group of foreign workers received an invoice with obscenities written in English.
It used to be easier to get along, feels Mr Pyaa Phyo Kyaw, 20, who came here three years ago from Myanmar after his parents obtained PR status.
Then, his Whampoa neighbours used to chat with his family in the evenings at the common corridor. The family shifted last year to Toa Payoh and getting to know their new neighbours has become harder.
"Their doors are always closed," said Mr Pyaa, who is now a Singaporean.
Source: http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore...he-heartlands- -
Singapore elderly cleaner bullied by PRC hawkers!
October 26, 2009 by admin
Filed under Top NewsFrom our Correspondent
A thread started by a forumer using the moniker of “Sinostar” about a scene he witnessed at Ang Mo Kio Central hawker center on Channel News Asia forum has attracted over 3,000 views so far!
He wrote that as he was queuing up at the Pontian Wanton Mee stall last Wednesday, he witnessed the three PRC lady stallholders scolding a Singapore elderly man who is employed by the hawker centre cleaning contractor.
They scolded him for being too slow, never clearing plates fast, and never wiping their stall trays clean as well as a host of other complaints.
The forumer said that though he was unsure who was in the wrong, it pains him to see a local being scolded by foreigners.
“Imagine if he is your old man! And why is he still working at this age and suffer daily….to earn a living? pay flats? heathcare? and support the family?” he wrote.
He also claimed he had witnessed parents of foreigners who wandered in HDB estates to compete with locals “for cardboards and other stuff to sell to garang guni.”
The thread attracted a torrent of responses most of which are critical of the government.
Lean wrote sarcastically:
“Soon our grandparents and parents who are not so educated have to work for PRC bosses in cleaning, washing dishes, delivery and store keeping. Happy Golden Years, best work until dead.”
Liubei added:
“In PRC. at this old age the old people are enjoying life not work…….this is pathetic for Singaporeans”
His views were corroborated by coolwater:
“you are correct. My PRC friend told me, their parents at China home town is enjoying life. The old folk here is still working. Sad. And this is not life. We really need to work till our last day. What the *censored* they holding our cpf for. When we can’t stand already than give us? For *censored*, brother also can’t stand lo.”
Starlene shared her experience with PRC workers:
“Witnessed at most food courts-daytime are staffed with younger workers-male and female from PRCs while at time the shift job,the poor old locals takeover because the PRCs find other works-now most HDB flats are rented out to PRCs and they in turn sublet again-most of them gather garbage to sell to rag and bone man.
Never rent yr properties to PRCs-they always sublet to recover their cost,give reasons distant relatives stay with them for the night-slow in collecting rentals,then most suddenly disappear overnight with your electrical items too.”
Molvis is clear where the root of the problem lies:
“This is what happen when the top men enjoy high salary, they are so high up there that they can’t even see the lower realm of problem…those that are not in the masses are usually the ones suffer in silence, because govt only look at those represened in bigger groups.
In deed, our elderly should be enjoying their life now, and not slog till they died…..is this what a 1st world country should be or Singapore is still a 3rd world country?
If anyone has a link to any website or intend to set up one to blacklist all these stalls, do share out so that we can help to boycott them….”
Singapore’s population has just crossed the 5 million-mark which is largely due to the government’s liberal immigration policies to encourage foreigners especially those from China and India to settle in Singapore.
The relentless influx of foreigners had led to the depressing of wages for the lower income workers and sky-rocketing of prices of HDB flats.
The disgruntlement on the ground against the government’s policies was reflected in the public furore over a Singapore PR and Chinese national Zhang Yuanyuan who proclaimed her loyalty to China publicly on Chinese TV.
While the mainstream media and PAP MPs are quick to jump to her defence by highlighting the fact that she is only a Singapore PR and not a citizen, netizens question why she even qualified for PR in the first place.
Ms Zhang, who had only a diploma from an unknown institution in China, came to Singapore in 2003 on a student’s pass to study English after which she found work as a Chinese teacher. She obtained her PR within 2 months of application.
Neither the Home Affairs Ministry of the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority have explained why Ms Zhang was granted a PR in double-quick time though she is not considered a skilled worker.
Previously, only skilled workers and qualified professionals are offered to take up Singapore PRs and citizenships, but nowadays it appears that semi-skilled and even unskilled workers can obtain PRs with relative ease.
It will not come as a surprise if the three PRC hawkers who were alleged to be bullying the Singapore elderly cleaner turned out to be PRs too!
Comments source: CNA Forum
Source: http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/10/26/singapore-elderly-cleaner-bullied-by-prc-hawkers/
-
æ–°åŠ å�¡æ‹Ÿé‡‡å�–措施防æ¢æ–°ç§»æ°‘群居
报é�“说，越æ�¥è¶Šå¤šçš„外国人，æ£æ”¹å�˜ç�€é•‡åŒºçš„风貌。而国会议员们也注æ„�到，自己选区有越æ�¥è¶Šå¤šçš„永久居民和外国人。
æ–°åŠ å�¡è®¯ï¼Œæ–°åŠ å�¡æ”¿åºœæ£åœ¨è€ƒè™‘采å�–措施，é�¿å…�新移民在政府组屋区群居。
æ–°åŠ å�¡å›½ä¼šè®®å‘˜æž—伟æ�°åŒ»ç”Ÿä¹‹å‰�å�‘国会æ��交了质询，è¦�求知é�“åœ¨æ–°åŠ å�¡çš„永久居民拥有政府组屋的总数，以å�Šåœ¨æ”¿åºœç»„屋居ä½�的分布情况。
今日报æ�´å¼•å»ºå±‹å�‘展局å�‘言人说：“永久居民èž�入较大的公民社群，以å�Šåœ¨æ”¿åºœç»„屋区有一个å�ˆç�†çš„匹é…�是é‡�è¦�的。建屋局将监控政府组屋区永久居民的分布。”
建屋局将会考虑采å�–措施，但也表示：“拥有政府组屋的永久居民，å� 组屋拥有者很å°�一部分。”
但是，林伟æ�°åŒ»ç”Ÿè¯´ï¼Œå¦‚果达到10-15%的份é¢�çš„è¯�，就是很大的份é¢�了，相当于马æ�¥æ—�å’Œå�°æ—�çš„æ¯”ä¾‹äº†ã€‚å› æ¤å¼•å…¥ç»„屋区永久居民é…�é¢�的政ç–，有助于永久居民的èž�å�ˆå’Œå½’化。
他指出，ä¸�然的è¯�，永久居民还是会“分居”的。
ç›®å‰�，永久居民è¦�买政府组屋，得é�µå®ˆä¸€äº›æ�¡ä¾‹ï¼Œå¦‚ç§�æ—�èž�å�ˆæ”¿ç–，å�ªèƒ½è´ä¹°è½¬å”®ç»„屋，没有ä½�房和ä½�房贷款津贴ç‰ã€‚
针对永久居民的é…�é¢�åˆ¶åº¦ï¼Œæ–°åŠ å�¡å�¦å¤–一å��国会议员何玉ç� 则表示，“外国人的数å—现在还ä¸�是那么å�“人。”
“æˆ‘ä»¬å¿…é¡»å’Œæ–°åŠ å�¡çš„那些外ç±�居民分享ä½�屋的需è¦�。”
但林伟�医生认为，这个问题必须现在��手处�，而�是以�。他呼�国会议员在国家�展部长马�山在国会回应时，�出更多的问题。
他说：“最å�Žï¼Œå¾ˆå¤šæ°¸ä¹…居民会å�¯èƒ½ä¼šæˆ�ä¸ºæ–°åŠ å�¡äººï¼Œä»–们会有机会行使选举æ�ƒï¼Œèƒ½åœ¨æ”¿æ²»ä¸Šå�‘声。”
æ ¹æ�®æ–°åŠ å�¡æœ€æ–°çš„人å�£æ•°æ�®ï¼Œæ–°åŠ å�¡äººå�£æŽ¥è¿‘500万，其ä¸æœ‰320ä¸‡ä¸ºæ–°åŠ å�¡å…¬æ°‘，其余å�‡ä¸ºå¤–国人。而外国人ä¸çš„永久居民数为53万人。æ�¢å�¥è¯�è¯´ï¼Œæ–°åŠ å�¡äººå�£ä¸ï¼Œå¤–国人å� æ�®äº†è¶…过三分之一。
æ–°ä¼ åª’å±žä¸‹çš„æ–°åŠ å�¡ç¬¬äºŒå¤§æŠ¥ä»Šæ—¥æŠ¥ä»Šå¤©ä¹ŸæŠ¥é�“è¯´ï¼Œäº‹å®žä¸Šï¼Œåœ¨æ–°åŠ å�¡å�„个镇区ä¸ï¼Œå¤–国人越æ�¥è¶Šå¤šã€‚一些镇区已ç»�æ��若外国。
报é�“以文礼为例，那里有四个缅甸人ã€�一个泰国人和一个å�°åº¦äººå¼€çš„å°�型超市，以å�Šä¸ƒä¸ªæ±‡æ¬¾ä¸å¿ƒå’Œå¾ˆå¤šç½‘å�§ã€‚它们的顾客ä¸ï¼Œä¸ƒæˆ�是外国人。
在金文泰5è¡—å’Œ2街的政府组屋，有2个缅甸人开的å°�型超市，而西海岸，ç�†å�‘çš„ä»·æ ¼å·²ç»�跌到8元，而ä¸�是其他地方的12元。
报é�“说，越æ�¥è¶Šå¤šçš„外国人，æ£æ”¹å�˜ç�€é•‡åŒºçš„风貌。而国会议员们也注æ„�到，自己选区有越æ�¥è¶Šå¤šçš„永久居民和外国人。
何玉ç� 说，她的文礼选区，有时组屋一层15-18个å�•ä½�，会有一å�Šå¤–国人居ä½�。而林伟æ�°åˆ™è¯´ï¼Œåœ¨ä»–的选区三巴旺，有座组屋八个å�•ä½�ä¸ï¼Œå…个是ä¸�å�Œå›½å®¶çš„永久居民居ä½�的。
一å��退休人士说，她最近å�‚åŠ ä¸€ä¸ªä½�于兀兰的居委会举行的民æŒæ¼”å”±ç�，20个å¦å‘˜ä¸ï¼Œ12个是ä¸å›½äººã€‚
她å�Žæ�¥äº†è§£åˆ°ï¼Œå› 为大家ä½�得很近，于是决定一起å�‚åŠ è¿™ä¸ªç�，“我很惊讶，我没想到他们会以一个群体的方å¼�出现。”
è¿™ä½�退休人士的一ä½�朋å�‹è¯´çš„更直接：“太多外国人了，我有时ä¸�èƒ½ä¹ æƒ¯ä»–ä»¬ã€‚”
æ–°åŠ å�¡äººè¶Šæ�¥è¶Šå¤šåœ°æŠ•è¯‰è¿™äº›å¤–国人现象，他们ä¸�ä¹ æƒ¯ä»–ä»¬çš„æ¥¼å±‚é£˜æ•£ç�€ä¸�ä¹ æƒ¯çš„é£Ÿç‰©å‘³é�“，以å�Šæ¥¼å±‚å�˜å¾—嘈æ�‚，或者是在公共走廊悬挂衣物。
国会议员和居民们也指出，这些新移民也选择和自己的�乡�集。
蔡åŽ�港一ä½�居民注æ„�到，他们居ä½�区的ä¸å›½ç±�的新移民，时常在公共场地和他们的朋å�‹è�šä¼šï¼Œå¦‚ä¸ç§‹å’Œå›½åº†æ—¥ï¼Œä½†å�´æ²¡æœ‰é‚€è¯·æ–°åŠ å�¡äººé‚»å±…。
è¿™ä½�在这里居ä½�七年的人士说：“他们希望自己在一起。”
今日报指出，新移民日益增多，�味�这些新移民�需�和本地人��。
æ�¥è‡ªä¸å›½çš„董礼泉居ä½�在兀兰其他ä¸å›½äººé™„è¿‘ï¼Œè¿™æ ·ä»–å¤–å‡ºå·¥ä½œå°±æœ‰äººé™ªä¼´å®¶äººã€‚“我们的邻居å�¬ä¸�懂我们的å�£éŸ³ï¼Œæœ‰æ—¶å€™ä»–们笑我们。”
æ¤å¤–，社会å¦å®¶åˆ†æž�说，相信一些新移民æ�¬å…¥é•‡åŒºå±…ä½�æ˜¯å› ä¸ºç»�æµŽåŽŸå› ï¼Œå¹¶é�žæ˜¯è¦�èž�å…¥ç¤¾ä¼šï¼Œå› ä¸ºé•‡åŒºçš„ç»„å±‹è¾ƒä¸ºä¾¿å®œã€‚ç»„å±‹ä»·æ ¼è¾ƒè´µçš„ç¢§å±±ï¼Œå°±æ¯”è¾ƒå°‘è¿™äº›æƒ…å†µã€‚
一些新移民认为，�济�景气�出了新移民和本地人士的差�。
永久居民刘å�界说：“他们认为我们抢走了他们的工作和ä½�å±‹ã€‚è¿™å¢žåŠ äº†ç´§å¼ ã€‚”
ä¸å›½æœ€è¿‘å…å��周年国庆时，一ä½�ä¸å›½äººåœ¨ç»„屋的外墙上悬挂ä¸å›½å›½æ——，é�åˆ°æ–°åŠ å�¡ç½‘民的抨击。æ¤å¤–，有ä¸å›½å·¥äººæ”¶åˆ°çš„店屋的å�‘票上用英文写ç�€ä¸‹æµ�è¯�
-
Saturday April 12, 2008
The different faces of Singapore
INSIGHT DOWN SOUTH
By SEAH CHIANG NEEThe top 10% of the population are the rich, who live in wealthy districts, while the bottom 20% are the languishers who have difficulty coping with a high cost structured life. The third is the large middle class.
A SINGAPOREAN couple walked into a Lamborghini showroom and bought two units – his and hers – for US$650,000 (RM2.04mil) each.
“It’s amazing; young kids coming in and spending S$2mil (RM4.7mil),” the manager told a journalist. “I don’t think they were even 30 years old.”
Last year, 29 of these crème de la crème models were sold countrywide, beating Ferrari (26 cars).
In 2007 a total of 320 luxury cars including Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lotus, Aston Martin and Maserati, were sold to Singapore’s new rich.
As the nouveau riche basks in their newfound glory, more Singaporeans from the poorer quarters are approaching the government for food aid.
A growing number of homeless can be seen sleeping in void decks of buildings and, pressed by high living costs, more elderly citizens are working as toilet cleaners or collecting used cans for recycling.
Singapore remains largely a middle class society. The high number of shopping plazas attests to it. But the group may be decreasing as a result of globalisation and runaway prices.
The city-state of 4.7 million people has two – perhaps three – faces. On the top 10% are the rich, who live in wealthy districts, own yachts and blow S$10,000 (RM23,209) on a single meal.
At the bottom 20% of the population are the languishers who have difficulties coping with a high cost structured life in an international city. The third is the large middle class.
Take the case of Carol John, 27. She doesn’t own a bed, sleeps every night on thin mattresses with her three children. Hers is a one-bedroom flat that reeks of urine smell from the common corridor outside.
“I can’t save anything, it’s so difficult for me,” John, who is unemployed, told a reporter. She relies on her husband’s S$600 (RM1,392) monthly salary and S$100 (RM232) government handout.
She is luckier than others who are homeless – elderly and even entire families - who sleep at void decks or the beach and bathe at public restrooms.
In perspective, Singapore is the second richest country in Asia next to Japan, with a per capita GDP of US$48,900 (RM154,141).
Homeless cases are few, nowhere comparable in number to Osaka’s army of vagabonds or New York’s ‘bag ladies’.
In fact, nine out of 10 poor people in Singapore have their own home, and usually a phone and a refrigerator.
But in the local context, it is a potential minefield of unrest. The proportion of Singaporeans earning less than S$1,000 (RM2,320) a month rose to 18% last year, from 16% in 2002, according to central bank data.
The bad part is that life is often worse for the unemployed – compared to other countries - because Singapore has no safety net and no rural hinterland to cushion their suffering.
Unlike in Malaysia or Thailand, a jobless person who cannot cope with the global market has no countryside to retreat to so that he can live off the land.
The problem will get worse. In other words, the rich will get richer and the poor, poorer with the middle class remaining more or less stagnant.
The state’s Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, has worsened from 42.5 in 1998 to 47.2 in 2006, which makes it in league with the Philippines (46.1) and Guatemala (48.3), and worse than China (44.7) according to the World Bank.
Other wealthy Asian nations such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan have more European-style Ginis of 24.9, 31.6 and 32.6 respectively.
This is one of the worst failures of the modern People’s Action Party, despite its ‘democratic socialism’ principles.
It was with these that its first generation leaders were able to turn a poor squalid society into a middle class success story.
Economists attribute the major blame to globalisation, which benefits the skilled citizens and the rich but makes it hard for the unskilled, the aged and the sick.
Even the highly educated are not spared.
The use of new instruments like company restructuring, relocation or out-sourcing of workers – unheard of before – is widening the gap and creating more income inequality.
For example, while the proportion of lower income rises, those who earn S$8,000 (RM18,570) or more increased from 4.7% to 6%.
This rising inequality could eventually undermine the bedrock of society - the broad middle class.
Some economists say that the feared erosion of Japan’s middle class, first enunciated by Japanese strategist Kenichi Ohmae, may already be happening here.
His country was emerging into a “M-shape” class distribution, in which a very few middle class people may climb up the ladder into the upper class, while the others gradually sank to the lower classes.
These people suffered a deterioration in living standard, faced the threat of unemployment, or their average salary was dropping, he said.
Gradually, they can only live a way the lower classes live: e.g. take buses instead of driving their own car, cut their budget for meals instead of dining at better restaurants, spend less in consumer goods.
And, Kenichi said, all this might take place while the economy enjoyed remarkable growth and overall wages rose.
However, the wealth increase may concentrate in the pockets of the very few rich people in the society.
The masses cannot benefit from the growth, and their living standard goes into decline.
The Singapore government, which relies on the middle class vote to remain in power, has vowed to make economic gap-levelling its top priority – for survival, even if nothing else.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/12/focus/20914452&sec=focus
-
To fight for bread and butter issues, we need democracy
Written by Ng E-Jay
20 July 2009In the article From Stifled Dissent to Managed Dissent, I discussed how the “hard repressive” tactics of the PAP Government such as the use of ISA on political opponents was being slowly replaced by “soft authoritarian” strategies that give the people a semblance of political space but without actually returning them their constitutional rights.
Part of the strategy of “managed dissent” involves allowing citizens to express themselves freely on issues that do not threaten the ruling elite’s grip on power, such as bread and butter issues, but clamping down severely on activists and politicians who challenge the very basis of our political system and the undemocratic ways of the PAP. Think Dr Chee Soon Juan and the late J.B. Jeyaretnam.
This strategy has worked well because of two main factors:
- Years of media propaganda has convinced the electorate that our political system is sound, and furthermore, that bread and butter issues can be addressed in isolation without regard to the overall political climate.
- Mainstream opposition groups have to a large extent bought into the idea that only bread and butter concerns will win them votes. They become unwitting supporters of PAP’s “managed dissent”.
These misconceptions are highly unfortunate, because without true democracy in Singapore, bread and butter issues can only be championed on terms dictated by the PAP.As long as the PAP insists on governing in their interest rather than in the interest of Singaporeans, we will only be running around in circles, obtaining token concessions from time to time, but without the ability to compel the Government to place Singaporeans first and take care of their needs in any substantial way.
As Singaporeans, we are told to welcome foreigners with open arms and to participate actively in integrating them into our community. There is nothing wrong with that per se. The issue, we must all realize, is not about successful integration of foreigners, but the Government’s accountability to Singapore citizens.
With its “growth-at-all-cost” model of economic management, our Government is taking its pro-foreigner policies to the extreme. What is needed instead is a more sustainable model of economic management that recognizes the long term limitations of our nation’s growth rate, a more comprehensive social safety net for the needy, elderly and sick, and independent labour unions that genuinely seek to protect the rights of Singaporean workers.
Without challenging the Government on its level of accountability to Singaporeans, all the Parliamentary debates on helping Singaporeans find jobs and helping foreigners settle into the local community do nothing to address the fundamental dilemnas faced by citizens.
As Singaporeans, we are also told to tighten our belts in the midst of a recession and accept cuts in CPF contributions, reduced wages and longer working hours. Again, where is the Government’s accountability to Singaporeans, in allowing labour productivity to fall for so many years and allowing GLCs to become so entrenched that the economy has become uncompetitive?
How can our ministers imagine that they have the moral rectitude to stand up to Singaporeans and tell them to make sacrifices whilst they themselves are being paid multi-million dollar salaries for mediocre performance?
Without holding the Government to account, you can be sure that even if the Government gives us more today, they will find a way to take even more from us tomorrow.
To fight for bread and butter issues, we first need democracy. Without democracy, there is no way to hold the Government accountable for its policies and actions. Without a system of checks and balances, the Government need not, and will not, place Singaporeans first nor pay attention to their basic needs.
That is why we must support parties like the Singapore Democratic Party who not only champion bread and butter issues and provide workable alternatives to disastrous Government policies, but also work to raise awareness of the flaws in our political system and campaign for political reform.
-
Whose fault? PRC on social visit pass acquitted of robbery charge
October 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Top NewsFrom our Correspondent
PRC national Zhou Sunfu who was charged last week for trying to rob a cabby was cleared afther the charge was dropped. He arrived in Singapore on a social visit pass.
The cabby, 61-year-old Robert Lee Khee Choon was warded in hospital after his taxi crashed into a pillar in front of a shophouse.
Zhou was given a discharge amounting to an acquittal on the application of the prosecution. No reasons were given for the discharge.
There were few other details in the report carried by the state media. Neither was the cabby interviewed to find out what exactly happened.
Did Zhou attempt to rob Mr Robert Lee at all? Or was he acquitted due to lack of concrete evidence?
If Zhou had never tried to rob Mr Robert Lee, then the latter must have made a false police report and should be charged in court. However, there was no mention of it.
There must be prima facie evidence to charge Zhou in court in the first place. What did the police investigations reveal?
The abrupt acquittal of Zhou seemed to give the impression that there were lapses somewhere along the chain of investigation. Did the police or prosecution miss out anything?
It is ironical that a PRC suspected of committing a crime in Singapore is given an unconditional discharge by the prosecution while Singapore citizens acquitted of wrong-doing by the court were not so lucky.
Two weeks ago, 5 Singaporeans are acquitted on charges of “illegal procession” for walking in a group from one point to another in public. (read more here)
The Attorney-General Chambers has since filed an appeal against their acquittal and sought to convict them for a “crime” which amounts to a maximum fine of $1,000.
Source: http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/10/28/prc-national-on-social-visit-pass-acquitted-of-robbery-charge/