S'pore – A Society that has lost it’s compassion to the $$??
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I write with great indignation about the current state of affairs in this country. It remains to be seen how long this country can maintain all itÂ’s achievements over the last 30 years. SM Lee has worked hard with his team to achieve for Singapore what some people can only dream of over a few lifetimes. Slowly and unfortunately all these will soon be wiped out.
The Singapore social structure has become very unstable. It has lost itÂ’s compassion for each other. The common peopleÂ’s grumbling have grown louder and louder by the day but unfortunately the government and itÂ’s representatives are not listening. But that is not all, they have even grown harsher in treating those that is in financial hardships and unemployed.
Case 1: My own brother has been sued by the Pasir-Ris Punggol Town Council (TC) for not paying his conservancy charges. He has been battling 9 creditors over the last 3 years and finally succumbed to bankruptcy earlier this year. During the last 3 years the banks will garnish his pay, have writ of seizures or threaten him until he brings home very little money for his own family expenses. Now the TC wants all his outstanding charges back. He owes about $2K and based on his wifeÂ’s recommendation, proposed a 4 installment payment of $500 each but the TC rejected it and wants everything back one shot!!!! Of course there is no way he can pay that kind of money and the TC sent him to the night court. I was with him tonite and guess what, there were about 500 (estimated) people there waiting to be sentenced. Oh my, what has gone wrong??
It was quite interesting to read that the Pasir-Ris Punggol Town Council (TC) has released a press statement calling those people who don’t pay their S&C charges “chau kuan”. A few days later an article came out about taxi passengers running away and not paying. I would call these type of taxi passengers “chau kuan” as they know they cannot afford the taxi fare but still they took the cab but run away. Would not paying for something like the S&C charges which are forced upon us whether you can afford it or not be “chau kuan”? Think about it
Case 2: SP services has now adopted a policy of terminating your electricity supply if you are behind in your monthly bills by 2 or 3 months. Call them about it and they become even fiercer over the phone. They are a monopoly. They seem to have a motto “If you are not happy with our services, don’t use electricity for the rest of your lives”.
Remember when they were implementing the millions of dollars SAP system and the system failed resulting in wrong bills being sent? In those days, they just kept quiet when you donÂ’t pay your bills. They just wanted their image to be intact. When everything is completed, starting in mid 2002; they just went out of their way to get all their money back and terminating electricity to households who canÂ’t pay up. You must have read so often in the papers about poor families without electricity. It is not going to end here, these people have their frustrations and they keep bottling it up day after day after day.
Case 3: A lot of Singaporeans find that by donating to the NKF during their live shows, they have helped people and they have compassion for others. How wrong they are. Having compassion is to be involved. It has to come from your heart through meaningful actions. You have to listen and be benevolent to those around you, not like those working in the government and govt-linked companies. Great empires like the Romans have even fallen, what gives for a tiny red dot island.
I am neither mad nor harboring grievances for writing this piece. I am merely trying to open your eyes to a dimension in Singapore that might dangerously one day bring itÂ’s downfallÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…..
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I share ur same sentiment.
Rem, "no free lunch in this world"
Take care and hope things will go well soon.
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Is it not they whom you attributed the national achievements also responsible in part for the state this society sunk into? Be it negative repercussions unforseen bore in commercial success or intended 'crowd control' maneuvers, all is built on the back of its people with no sign to ease.
It's reverie to hope for quick, even palpable changes in authorities & society unless unique events (usually pricey) draws everyone to a common vision. But if each common man rememebers and desires a better future for their coming generation, and make an individual effort towards it, the collective force may just be sufficient to steer us out of what looks like a despairing journey. -
I personally dont like violence,becoz i fought with other ppl when i was young n know that violence only brings pain n destruction n no constructive means behind it.But,if a ruler neglect the needs of his ppl n keep pushing them towards the wall,then violence or no violence,constructive or destructive behinds the act,it simply make no difference to them already.Becoz by that time,they dont give a damn about anything already.This is why many dictators fall with their empire when their ppl lost senses n become numbs to everything.Originally posted by olliechong:Great empires like the Romans have even fallen, what gives for a tiny red dot island.
I am neither mad nor harboring grievances for writing this piece. I am merely trying to open your eyes to a dimension in Singapore that might dangerously one day bring itÂ’s downfallÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….. -
I also agree with ya guyzOriginally posted by Dragstar:I share ur same sentiment.
Rem, "no free lunch in this world"
Take care and hope things will go well soon. -
Olliechong
The grand plan of things concocted more than 30 years ago was this -
Entice investors to set up factories in Singapore, provide jobs.
Set up a free-fund-for-Government, call it CPF.
More jobs means more money for CPF.
This is what our Government meant when they kept telling us WE HAVE THE RESOURCES - endless resources! It used to be so long as Singaporeans are employed CPF will grow. It did grow - too much and too fast. Now it doesnt matter if Singaporeans are employed or not because FT also contribute CPF moneys.
CPF fund is now TOO BIG to leave it alone. So Government invests and spends it - before CPF becomes a big economic headache.
Our crop of leaders are neither exceptionally brilliant people nor great scientists like Koreans, Japanese, Hongkies or even Chinamen - who invent and sell their inventions. Anyone can do what Singapore ministers have done -
use the enormous CPF to invest overseas, buy companies overseas.... and make more money. It;s so easy, because of this free flow of money - OUR CPF MONEY!
Are our often out-of-touch ministers grateful that Singaporans are providing a constant free flow of money to them - to invest and gamble in overseas purchases
I DONT THINK SO 
Just look around you, we owe HDB huge sums, PUB rates are questionably high, education is not cheap, looking after children is expensive, hospital fees are OUTRAGEOUS, 100,000 unemployeds... ..the list goes on... -
Compassion and money can hardly mix.
Imagine NKF with tons of volunteers (who are of course full of compassion) but with no funds. How then will it survive? the abounding compassion will then be in vain...
Sadly, money is essential in todayÂ’s life and no one can survive with the existence of compassion but without money.
Can a poor man, full of compassion, feed mouths?
It is absolutely impossible.
IÂ’m not suggesting that we revolve our lives around monetary gains, and dissolve what little compassion we have. IÂ’m merely stating that though compassion is needed in todayÂ’s society, money is more practical. And to survive, we have to be practical. Of course, if your wallet is bottomless and overflowing with money, then that would be a totally different case all in allÂ…Â…Â…
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democracy = majority wins
Lesson learnt: don't be minority, especially the bottom ones... -
olliechong is not asking for free lunch or suggesting that compassion is more impt than money. He is lamenting that PAP has degenerated from a compassionate party to a heartless and money minded one.
One of the main reasons for this regression is PAP has been in absolute power for too long. We all know very well that absolute power corrupts absolutely..
Another reason is the way it recruits its members/ministers. The ministers were all bought with million dollor pay pack! They have no inclination to serve the masses!!
Further more this is the normal life cycle of dynasty. After the first precious few good pioneers, every dynasty will face wuth the want for competent leaders. It will then decay until being toppled. -
MAny pple do things without using their brains
Many just follow procedures and steps without questions
Once mi asked a security at the museum why cannot bring camera inside...he cannot answer mi...just say mgmt told him... -
Originally posted by raihanraihan:
This is quite true. But if the PAP is to be toppled one fine day, what will happen to our dear Singapore? Does the opposition has the competence and capability to lead Singapore out of the current slump and restore the compassion in the society?
Further more this is the normal life cycle of dynasty. After the first precious few good pioneers, every dynasty will face wuth the want for competent leaders. It will then decay until being toppled. -
Originally posted by raihanraihan:
This is quite true. But if the PAP is to be toppled one fine day, what will happen to our dear Singapore? Does the opposition has the competence and capability to lead Singapore out of the current slump and restore the compassion in the society?
Further more this is the normal life cycle of dynasty. After the first precious few good pioneers, every dynasty will face wuth the want for competent leaders. It will then decay until being toppled. -
History has shown that after a powerful dynasty it may or may not be succeeded by another strong dynasty. But the very fact that the powerful dynasty is overthrown showed that it has lost its effectiveness in ruling the country.
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Sometimes I think that the govt is a reflection of the mindset of the people. Govt gets their staff from the citizens. Citizens start to become materialistic, greedy, aloof and whatever. They will bring it with them to the govt sector. Singapore has become what it has today because of us. Look what some middle class parents indoctrinates in their children. Don mix with the poor la. Cause they will amount to nothing la. That guy low education la. Got no furthur la. Who is to blame in part. US!
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since from past hardship will create heroes, we had too much good life. instead of training more competent pple, we complain more n more. it is already reflected in our younger generation. they place material comfort above all rest. unless we really do something to change this trend, the future is sure to be dark.
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democratic means min zhu also mean wo wei ren min zuo zhu also mean i make decision for pple
get it???