Reuters:Singapore's pension reform plans spark rare protest
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Singapore's pension reform plans spark rare protest
Reuters - Thursday, September 6
SINGAPORE, Sept 6 - Singaporeans have started a rare protest against the government's pension reform plans with an online petition and a planned public protest action.
An online petition against the pensions reform had drawn nearly 600 online signatures as of Thursday, while on Saturday, activists will test Singapore's ban on demonstrations by staging a symbolic "black T-shirt" protest at a popular downtown mall.
Any public protest is rare in Singapore, where all outdoor demonstrations are banned and any public gathering of more than four people requires a permit.
The protest takes aim at plans to make it mandatory for all Singaporeans under the age of 50 to buy annuities and which would impose restrictions on how pension savings are invested.
"People are quite unhappy, partly about way the announcements about the pension reforms were made," political commentator Leong Sze Hian told Reuters.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the pension reform in his National Day speech last month, saying there was no choice as "people are living longer".
To cope with a rapidly ageing population, the government is upping the retirement age from 62 years to 65 years by 2015, and up to 67 beyond that.
In recent weeks, government ministers have talked about several planned changes to the Central Provident Fund , a mandatory retirement savings scheme for all Singaporeans that pays a lump sum upon retirement and can be used to pay for flats.
"There is concern, but the public ought to wait for more specific details on the changes, to be out later this month," Member of Parliament Halimah Yaacob told Reuters.
Singaporeans have turned increasingly to cyberspace as an outlet for their dissatisfaction.
The latest petition -- on Petitiononline.com -- has drawn 580 signatures over two weeks. In the past two years, petitions against a pay-and-perks scandal at a national charity and against the introduction of casino gambling drew thousands of signatures.
Saturday's protest -- announced on political blogs and online forums -- is set to test Singapore's limits on freedom of assembly, as organisers merely suggest participants turn up at 4 p.m. at the Centrepoint mall, dressed "partly" in black.
Law student and online activist Choo Zheng Xi told Reuters he does not expect a strong turn-out, as other small-scale protest actions in the past months have drawn a massive police presence as well as plainsclothes policemen filming protesters. -
So..... the next thing is to see how many ppl will really turn up.
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I knew this would happen ... But there's nothing much they can do about it ... Are they going to catch everyone who is wearing black ?
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I really have no idea, but think about it anything is possible with the ruling party, "City of Possibilities".Originally posted by Trump_Card:I knew this would happen ... But there's nothing much they can do about it ... Are they going to catch everyone who is wearing black ? -
Black is in!Black is cool!
Are they gonna arrest everyone? -
Wait and see if that LKY goes since his house is so near Centrepoint.
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red car again
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Hope this event will be the start of inviting foreign media to keep close tab on the ruling party.
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The riot police will be there waiting.
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Hope this protest is successful and this would be a landmark in singapore history ...
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Wearing black is vague. I can be wearing black for mourning.
Black Mickey Mouse shirt just to show I'm childish... and a tad bored. -
Protests in other countries nothing new. Countries like Australia and U.S will probably not find anything wrong with the proposed annuity and may find it interesting and they are too finding ways to help their ageing population...However chance are that they might go the "persuasion through tax incentives" way.Originally posted by qlqq9:Hope this event will be the start of inviting foreign media to keep close tab on the ruling party. -
Let's see if the police place barricades at Centrepoint.
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Let's see if the police place barricades at Centrepoint.
Why protesters choose centrepoint? -
Let's just talk about the asian countries. Look at Hong Kong and Taiwan, it is so common there are protests. Once my HK friend laughed at Singapore and told me that Singaporeans dare not protest unlike HK it is so common. To me, I question if we are given human rights.Originally posted by kramnave:Protests in other countries nothing new. Countries like Australia and U.S will probably not find anything wrong with the proposed annuity and may find it interesting and they are too finding ways to help their ageing population...However chance are that they might go the "persuasion through tax incentives" way. -
It's good that the foreign media are watching.
A strong and mature Singapore would never have to find itself in such a situation. -
Western societies practised democracy and to force their citizens to buy compulsory annuities is ridiculous ...Originally posted by kramnave:Protests in other countries nothing new. Countries like Australia and U.S will probably not find anything wrong with the proposed annuity and may find it interesting and they are too finding ways to help their ageing population...However chance are that they might go the "persuasion through tax incentives" way. -
Once my HK friend laughed at Singapore and told me that Singaporeans dare not protest unlike HK it is so common.
All scared arrested or sued by PAP regime.
Singapore mainstream propaganda media than broadcast for all people to see. -
My friend who read about the protests posts told me that there are other venues - Causeway Point and Katong. Now it seems that the only place for the protest is Centrepoint. I am thinking perhaps Centrepoint is near LKY's house.Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:Why protesters choose centrepoint? -
Yes, it is my wish that foreign media especially those western media will keep close tab on the ruling party. It is through the foreign media that our locals can read the truth.Originally posted by LazerLordz:It's good that the foreign media are watching.
A strong and mature Singapore would never have to find itself in such a situation. -
The best would be a right balance of views from both sides of the coin.Originally posted by qlqq9:Yes, it is my wish that foreign media especially those western media will keep close tab on the ruling party. It is through the foreign media that our locals can read the truth.
Similarly, I will not trust crap news outlets like Fox News, as they are too pro-Bush as well. -
I don't bother with Singapore mainstream propaganda media, just go online for news.
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Great, I can foresee many foreign media (press and TV news) will talk about the protest on 8 sept. Let the world see it, let them know we are so oppressed by the ruling party.Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:All scared arrested or sued by PAP regime.
Singapore mainstream propaganda media than broadcast for all people to see. -
Too bad Chee Soon Juan in jail.
He might be at centrepoint.
He miss his chance liao. -
I have not read Fox news. The people in the mass media is supposed to report on facts and not bias in their reporting. In our local news, we read and watch a lot of bias reports.Originally posted by LazerLordz:The best would be a right balance of views from both sides of the coin.
Similarly, I will not trust crap news outlets like Fox News, as they are too pro-Bush as well.