PAP out of touch with the poor
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Weekend TODAY • September 24, 2005
Letter from Rick Lim Say Kiong
I refer to your report "No rest for Singaporeans" (Sept 21).
Just as Tampines GRC MP Sin Boon Ann is surprised by the "constant cry for employment" by the elderly, I am surprised that he does not fully comprehend the constant worry on the minds of these people.
Mr Sin asked why the elderly cannot retire early and enjoy life, and asked if their expectations of life are too high.
Look around our food courts and hawker centres. Are the senior citizens working there as cleaners because they are saving to purchase a condominium or a luxury car? Or are they working because they need to feed themselves and their families?
Are the aged not able to "retire early and enjoy life" because of the high cost of living in Singapore?
Most elderly people probably want to retire early and live the life they have always dreamt of.
Some, of course, may wish to continue working, but cleaning with its low pay and long hours is probably not what they want to spend their twilight years doing.
Recently, a student from China who was interviewed said that he found it strange that the cleaners in Singapore are so elderly, whereas in his country, they would be enjoying their retirement years at that age.
The Government may not want to leave the greying population behind, but there are those falling through the gaps in the social safety net. It would be advisable to review the high cost of living, including the regular utilities and transport fee hikes.
In housing, too, the elderly cannot downgrade from their current flats without incurring a resale levy when they purchase a smaller one from the Housing and Development Board, even if they had suffered a loss in the sale.
Based on the feedback session, if the current cohort of older Singaporeans feels this way, think of what the present generation of youngsters will feel like in years to come.
They may pack up and leave before they grow too old and face a bleak future here. -
Aiyah, young gen grew up post - independence, where got seen old days poor life?
Unless their parents do provision shop or sort, long biz hrs, go home tired liao, dun earn much -
its funny that they are the same people who will be leading sg in future....
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ya ... sg is a good place to live .... only for the rich.Originally posted by BrUtUs:its funny that they are the same people who will be leading sg in future.... -
Our ''good'' government is asking poors to work to their last breath and not to fall sick and would rather prefer sudden deaths of the poors so as not to burden the government.Originally posted by crazy monkey:ya ... sg is a good place to live .... only for the rich.
They over priced the land cost, water electricity, levies, gst, ridiculous high administrative charges and blah..blah..and the gov delibrately jacked up high price on medical and hospitalization bills. Then the farking high medical bills at one column stated the high price and the gov claimed that as ''subsidies'' to us .
Just a bed in class B. How much the hosiptal is charging? I think is more expensive than budget hotel with TV, nice bath room and comfortable bed. Tell us, the rates of hospital's beds that are charged by hospital reasonable?
Had the gov forgot our grandfathers, fathers and our contributions to the country...or they...the gov is thinking that they are actually looking after and taking care of us where we have to kowtow to them?
All I know, the gov does everything will always benefit of their own pockets first. -
Rick Lim has indeed touched on a subtle point which has been prevailant for the last 15 of so years.Originally posted by crazy monkey:Weekend TODAY • September 24, 2005
Letter from Rick Lim Say Kiong
I refer to your report "No rest for Singaporeans" (Sept 21).
Just as Tampines GRC MP Sin Boon Ann is surprised by the "constant cry for employment" by the elderly, I am surprised that he does not fully comprehend the constant worry on the minds of these people.
Mr Sin asked why the elderly cannot retire early and enjoy life, and asked if their expectations of life are too high.
Look around our food courts and hawker centres. Are the senior citizens working there as cleaners because they are saving to purchase a condominium or a luxury car? Or are they working because they need to feed themselves and their families?
Are the aged not able to "retire early and enjoy life" because of the high cost of living in Singapore?
Most elderly people probably want to retire early and live the life they have always dreamt of.
Some, of course, may wish to continue working, but cleaning with its low pay and long hours is probably not what they want to spend their twilight years doing.
Recently, a student from China who was interviewed said that he found it strange that the cleaners in Singapore are so elderly, whereas in his country, they would be enjoying their retirement years at that age.
The Government may not want to leave the greying population behind, but there are those falling through the gaps in the social safety net. It would be advisable to review the high cost of living, including the regular utilities and transport fee hikes.
In housing, too, the elderly cannot downgrade from their current flats without incurring a resale levy when they purchase a smaller one from the Housing and Development Board, even if they had suffered a loss in the sale.
Based on the feedback session, if the current cohort of older Singaporeans feels this way, think of what the present generation of youngsters will feel like in years to come.
They may pack up and leave before they grow too old and face a bleak future here.
The ruling party has been recruiting members who seem out of sync with the people; members who speak without tact and seem oblivious to the feelings and situation of the people. One wonders whether there should be a more stringent selection criteria. Wait...then again, there is none. With 'politicks' becoming a one-sided affair, few singaporeans see the importance or desire to join and serve.
Certainly, with the ruling party, there may just one direction: MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY. Hence no innovation, simply the 'my idea beats all' solution.
Hence the recent furore with LTA and HDB and their insufferable errs.
The elderly have been squeezed out by an emerging population hungry to make money, inflation is slowly taking hold and costs of living is rising. With many without children to support them, they are left to fend for themselves. MPs like Sin Boon Ann are the personification of the govt who live in their ivory towers, blind to the troubles of the poor and old. -
They will never understand as long as they are financially strong.
S'poreans are modern slaves to the "rich and powerful". Just financing the flats, we are tied to 65 years old. At mid life, if we don't make it in life, we are destine to be slave for the rest of our lifes. Be it dish washer, cleaners, newspaper vendor, we work to our graves.
What do they know about transport fare hikes? How much it affects a middle income family of 4 to 5 ppl? The public housing system of resale levy (this levy is to make sure the poor don't make a profit thru resale. The profit should be for .... wtf?)
They make us contribute to some kind of silly funds to help us retire comfortably? You think so? It's a fund to make sure we don't owe our medical bills, housing bills etc... It's to make sure we are not a burden when we are old and dying.
When citizens had done their moral obligations to the country, look after them when they are aged. Not ask them to work into their graves. This is a moral obligation that every Gov must do. I always believe what goes around comes around.
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what to expect when the current PM is born with a silver spoon, and inherited from his father?
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he's not the only one. and with million dollar pay how can they understand life of the poor ?
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He definitely earns more than that lah.Originally posted by crazy monkey:he's not the only one. and with million dollar pay how can they understand life of the poor ? -
My job requires me to visit the SP services counter at PUB Bldg at Somerset.
I hate visiting the place becoz everytime I wait at the queue, I will hear some of the customers pleading with the customer services to turn-on their water & electricity supply so that their family will have the essential service to keep the family going. Some of them were ask to pay a minimum amount and the rest of the outstanding amount to be paid by installment and provided that they show proof that they are still working and capable of paying.
Sometime the customer service officer being used to the suitation forgot about about the feeling the these people and may speak in a harsher tone to these people. Whenever I hear these, I feel like scolding them. It is not a crime to be poor to to be unable to pay the bill becoz it is more important to feed the mouth.
So, what have the garhmen do? come up with something like prerpaid meter so that if you have no money to pay up, then you have no supply and they don't have to send someone to cut ur supply.
Wonder where have all the people's heart garhmen gone? -
Look at the 7 wonders for answerOriginally posted by SevenEleven:Wonder where have all the people's heart garhmen gone? 
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Its maddening isnt it?
Government is not supposed to be a business entreprise, yet they act like a profit mongering retards. If the government acts in the interest of the corporate world, eg, by allowing transport companies to continually increase their prices, what do we need a government for? -
OK, things they run for good profitsOriginally posted by laurence82:Its maddening isnt it?
Government is not supposed to be a business entreprise, yet they act like a profit mongering retards. If the government acts in the interest of the corporate world, eg, by allowing transport companies to continually increase their prices, what do we need a government for?
NTUC Supermarket
SMRT (Only rail operator that is very profitable, yet very niao in wages)
Investment Co... -
LHL recently touched briefly on the issue of transparent ministerial pay in an interview with the straits times.
He mentioned that as key cabinet members with a task to perform, one must be prepared to pay them an appropriate and commeasurable salary. Else no one will WANT to serve their country.
In this aspect, i wonder whether he has mistakenly set too high standards in wage demands. By pricing themselves out of the nominal wage circle, it is therefore easily understandable that certain members do not REALISE the situation of our poor and aging population. Even GLCs have begun the systematic pricing of their own CEOs and board of directors, indirectly influencing the private sector to follow suit. As a result, the wage gap between rich and poor widens significantly with no end in sight. At the same time, costs of living is rising astronomically, raising questions over the affordability for the lower-income groups.
As with the potential problems with our younger generation, the 5 'C's when first introduced, sparked a sudden leaning of our society towards the materialistic, so much that we gave up our ethical and graciousness as a people in pursuit of MONEY, so much so that LHL himself had to intervene and include another additional 5 'C's to balance character development. But it was somewhat too little too late, for the damage had already been done.
One need only look at what our society has advanced (or degraded) in the last 5 years to determine whether our ruling party has got the preceived 'roadmap' right. -
So what is the right salary for these so call elite? What's the yard stick to measure? Who set the criteria and yard stick? Transparency? If Bush was to peg his salary to Bill Gate's, will it be acceptable to the Americans?
They are no different to the Aedes mosquitoes, blood suckers. -
fark lah NTUC just increase their membersh*t feeOriginally posted by sbst275:OK, things they run for good profits
NTUC Supermarket
SMRT (Only rail operator that is very profitable, yet very niao in wages)
Investment Co...
i am sure SMRT pay its management beri well -
For NTUC, many items they bully provision shop, bluff ppl their things cheap... Got linkcard disc (KNN lah, that disc to offset that $9). Their wages also very lowOriginally posted by crazy monkey:fark lah NTUC just increase their membersh*t fee
i am sure SMRT pay its management beri well
SMRT? They should have went on strike -
so he's effectively saying tat the cabinet ministers are there for the money not for the honour of serving the country. no money no honeyOriginally posted by BillyBong:LHL recently touched briefly on the issue of transparent ministerial pay in an interview with the straits times.
He mentioned that as key cabinet members with a task to perform, one must be prepared to pay them an appropriate and commeasurable salary. Else no one will WANT to serve their country.
In this aspect, i wonder whether he has mistakenly set too high standards in wage demands. By pricing themselves out of the nominal wage circle, it is therefore easily understandable that certain members do not REALISE the situation of our poor and aging population. Even GLCs have become the systematic pricing of their own CEOs and board of directors, indirectly influencing the private sector to follow suit. As a result, the wage gap between rich and poor widens significantly with no end in sight. At the same time, costs of living is rising astronomically, raising questions over the affordability for the lower-income groups.
As with the potential problems with our younger generation, the 5 'C's when first introduced, sparked a sudden leaning of our society towards the materialistic, so much that we gave up our ethical and graciousness as a people in pursuit of MONEY, so much so that LHL himself had to intervene and include another additional 5 'C's to balance character development. But it was somewhat too little too late, for the damage had already been done.
One need only look at what our society has advanced (or degraded) in the last 5 years to determine whether our ruling party has got the preceived 'roadmap' right.
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Sept 25, 2005
Beach kampung
Squatter-campers have to leave Changi Beach Park by tomorrow
By Melissa Sim
FOR odd-job worker Danny, home is three tents pitched on Changi Beach.
The yellow one is his living room, the blue his bedroom, and the red functions as a kitchen-cum-storeroom.
Over the last few months, he has bought a gas stove and added a plastic garden set to his sea-side retreat. He tries to catch fish when he has no money for food.
The 39-year-old, who spent seven years in jail for fighting and was released last February, is one of about a dozen people who have turned part of Changi Beach Park into a shanty town.
Some have pitched their tents there for months, but said they have been told by the National Parks Board rangers to clear out by tomorrow. NParks could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
The campers moved there after it did away with camping permits last December. Although NParks rangers have asked them to leave several times before, they generally appease the rangers by keeping the area clean.
The police also make their rounds regularly and check their passports but do not disturb them beyond that.
According to the campers, at least two people have already moved out of their makeshift kampung, a patchwork of red, blue and green tents located on the beach in front of carparks 1 and 2.
Danny, who has been living there for eight months, said that after his release from prison, he slept in void decks and stairwells until his friend suggested he camp out at Changi Beach. In a good week, he gets paid $50 for doing odd jobs.
Like the others, he bathes in the sea or in the public toilets 200m away.
When The Sunday Times visited yesterday, clothes were hanging out to dry on lines straddling the coconut trees and some campers were dining alfresco. A few were discussing a Lianhe Zaobao newspaper report yesterday on their hideaway, and did not want to be interviewed.
One of the few who spoke was Mr Sahidan Sakyon, 55. He said he was waiting for the Housing Board to approve his application to rent a flat. He said he lived with relatives after leaving his two-room HDB flat in Taman Jurong to his wife after divorcing her two years ago.
But because of the cramped living conditions, he and his second wife, who is 28 and five months pregnant, moved to the beach a month ago.
He said: 'We're not proud people, and we don't mind. We can use the public toilet for free and can get water from there. There are no mosquitoes and there are street lights at night so we can see.'
The security guard, who says he earns $1,100 a month, told The Sunday Times that he might rent a room in his friend's Bedok flat for $300 if he is chased out. 'I hope I get to stay two more weeks, maybe I can get my flat by then.'
As for Danny, he broke into tears when asked about his plans. He said: 'I like living here. It's peaceful.' -
Just now went to NTUC,
saw how they cope with 'changing' demands
Oil, Sime Darby oil can come in now
Soap powder? Scrapped the NTUC brand and came in cheapest one
But, somehow, looking at the pricing, they are trying to kill the provision shops now
Taking the advantage that they mass order, they try to bully suppliers to give them cheaper rates to get better margin and can sell cheaper.
They already earn peanuts, they still wanna demand cheaper rate from suppliers? They should be given same pricing and complete on equal footing, just because it is Co-Op so it has social responsibility?
Co-Op, they still make $99M profit.
Now reminds me of this, that CEO's pay is how much ar? For his 'effort' to get NTUC more biz by saying they are cheapest (Is that so? Remembered how MP malu them for their things being ex?). Now, LinkCard up 12.5% -
Even LKY also born with silver spoon wah...if not, how could he afford to study in university of England during early or mid early Nineties ? At that time if those people can afford their children to go university were almost super rich already.Originally posted by SnowFlag:what to expect when the current PM is born with a silver spoon, and inherited from his father? -
many of the current 'help to the poor' schemes are stop gap measures or just some shut yr mouth goodwill fees. Say, the 50 bucks subsidy for the poor in response to the transport fare hike..is that a lot of money? Rich folks would have a car or many cars and $50 won't even fill a full tank. it is usually the poor who will be staying at some ulu estates and because of the journey, will burn up their fare cards much faster. wonder how the geniuses conjure these schemes and everything gets the go-ahead...perhaps it is such a paltry sum that won't even entice the poor to take up the offer. the argument is that we would like to prevent a 'crutch mentality' but this is such an over-used phrase for not thinking about longer term solutions and the fact is, effective help is not getting out to those that need them now. training and education can work for some but not all as there are just a myriad of circumstances facing each and every individual who may be in need. the strange thing that could happen is that the younger generations may be the ones more likely to succumb to welfarism than the face-saving older generations. with help being dislocated at present, whether these measures will work in the near future towards/against this noble principle is still hard to tell. for now, it is not uncommon to see the poor having difficulties to even raise $50 to top up their cpf just to get some handout. and this is the ground-zero. and, while we get freebies on/off, without fail those monies will faithfully return to paying back some form of taxes or utilities besides the bread and water on the table. yes, the faceless corporates are creeping up and making more feel unbearable. and with globalization initiatives hailed as strategic visions, have one's life and values improved? are we charging forward blindly or at an over-competitive pace that will just bring more problems? just hope we don't underestimate the building tensions between the rich-poor divide as for a long time, these were major catalysts for revolutions, wars and social problems of all sorts. things are going wrong when you read the papers about kids talking about being in top prestigious schools vis a vis neighbourhood schools, different classes of the very rich and poor, gold taps/peanuts and racial discrimination. if we imagine all these as connective factors held together in a larger framework, any dissatisfaction with the economic-centric model would just break one of the links and unleash destructive manifestations. the evil eye is something real and the enemy from 'within' will be the most difficult to manage.Originally posted by laurence82:Its maddening isnt it?
Government is not supposed to be a business entreprise, yet they act like a profit mongering retards. If the government acts in the interest of the corporate world, eg, by allowing transport companies to continually increase their prices, what do we need a government for? -
$50 sub...
It means to cushion fare hike on 2500 trips. It means 6 trips a day...
Since only adult fares adjusted, then it is enough -
If you are living a comfortable life and you are surrounded by elites all the time, it is not surprising that you think that the world is full of roses and the one that could not make it are slackers.
Just ask yourself how often your MP have pay you a visit, besides attending the grand event organised by the grass roots where every thing is spick and span.
Sometime the one that governed cannot "see" the true hardship of the people if they are alway given ROSY impression that every one is DOING WELL and those that make noise are just plain jealous.
A good example is the recent case of dengue fever outbreak.
I am sad to say that with ALL the ACTIONs and ALL the PROMISES, the dengue outbreak is still RAGing.
And so far, no one from the set-up committee have been able to resolve this small dengue issue.
WHERE is the impact ?????