Singapore - My thoughts

[OmOm]

For many years, I have contemplated writing this post but procastinated because of sloth. I have finally mustered enough conviction to do so.

 

I was born and bred in Singapore. In the course of growing up, I have seen Singapore change in many aspects. The physical aspects today are a far cry from what we had in the 60s and 70s. Tall glass-cladded skyscrapers line the cityscape juxtaposed against carefully conserved and prettily painted shophouses.

 

Transport infrastructure has expanded to cover the island and link the ends of Singapore in a network of expressways. HDB flats are no longer monotonous slabs of concrete and metal but have evolved into resplendent edifices boasting glass and designer trims.

 

The people of Singapore have changed too. As a young boy, I always felt that people were helpful and my neighbours were always ready to lend a helping hand in any situation. Folks that I met in the street had ready smiles on their faces and were not always in a rush to somewhere. Fast forwarding to present-day Singapore, it seems that Singaporeans have lost that element of kinship and closeness.

 

We now cocoon ourselves in our own private worlds, walled up by the music that we blast into our ears. Surrounded by people yet I feel a sense of loneliness. Smile at people and they think that you are either nuts or gay.

 

What has happened in the last few decades to result in this multi-dimensional transformation of the ugly but sincere duckling into a beautiful but proud swan? Personally, I feel meritocracy has played a large part in this. The drive towards excellence coupled with the hunger that people of the early years had pushed the cutting edge further in all areas.

 

Building after building were torn down and replaced with awe-inspiring towers. Cars did not live past their first decade and were scrapped in their infancy because it made more sense economically to do so.

 

As the humble folks found material success, their pride swelled and arrogance naturally set in. In their minds, they made it because they were superior. And to them, the folks who didn't make it (materially) deserved a poorer lifestyle. Their children, born into material wealth, were served by their helpers and did not develop the humility that their parents and/or grandparents once had. They are of the idea that they deserve everything that they have.

 

物极必反,乐极生悲

 

In English (loosely), anything carried to the extreme becomes negative, even happiness. While meritocracy serves its purpose as a guideline, it becomes the stake in the heart of a nation when it is the only driving principle of the people. Without tempering meritocracy with compassion, it is a lethal blade that lops heads off mercilessly.

 

Only with compassion can meritocracy produce the optimal outcome - a nation of intelligent, driven and caring people who are diligent yet care for their neighbours. There will not be a need to teach graciousness (if it can be taught in the first place that is) for it is a natural product of compassion.

 

Singapore is now a beautiful shell that is slowly losing her soul, a beautifully made-up lady without nary a personality.

 

After reading all of the above, you probably think that I am anti-PAP for their policies are widely thought to be the key in the transformation of this country. That could not be further from the truth. I believe that a country is defined by people who share a largely common vision and set of goals.

While PAP has been instrumental in kick-starting the transformation, the people were the key drivers to make that transformation blueprint a reality. Therefore neither credit nor fault can be attributed to just the incumbent party. We, the people of Singapore, share the credit and fault.

 

Many netizens channel their anger and frustration into words and behaviour that reek heavily of anti-PAP sentiments. The online atmosphere is so heavily charged with negativity and hatred that it has become stifling and even unnerving. Yet, one needs to recognise that this is a natural development. Puncture a balloon and the escaping air comes out all at once. The accessibility of the Internet is the needle that has pricked the balloon. And the angry voices that we hear online is the repressed air that is suddenly freed.

 

The rule of the PAP is paternalistic. The government is the father and we are the children. Policies were set and we listened and followed. That worked for the first couple of decades. The old guard in the PAP were a highly talented and very driven group of people whose motivations were closely knitted with their love for the budding nation and her people. In the formative years, their guidance helped light the way for a country which was just coming out of the darkness of the separation from Malaysia.

 

The policies that governed the spheres of Education, Housing, Transport, Foreign Affairs, Defence and more were brilliant in spite of and, especially because of, their pragmatic focus on the fundamentals. It was about equipping a young nation with the tools and capabilities required to first survive and then to grow. We were innoculated with the foresight of the old guard against the turbulence of the region that we are in.

 

Sadly, the policies that we had in the early years did not keep pace with the rapid growth that Singapore experienced. Increasingly and more often than not, we reacted rather than preempted. The focus that we had shifted away from the fundamentals because our perception of the fundamentals had changed. Moral education was one of the focus areas in the early days of primary and secondary school education. This was done away as the focus shifted to the academics - the hard sciences and mathematics.

 

The ranking of public schools and the unofficial tagging of the KPIs of people managing these schools to these rankings resulted in the commercialisation of these operatives. Schools focused on aspects that would help in the ranking and conveniently threw out those that did not. Moral education was one of the lambs that were sacrificed.

 

Singapore today is tightly connected to the rest of the world. Information flows to and from Singapore in a blink of the eye. The pace of life has accelerated to that of the global economy. Amidst the hustle and bustle of connected living, we have failed to realise that we are slowly losing our soul as a nation, losing our human touch as a people.

 

The old lady on the street collecting cardboard boxes is an unseen part of the landscape. She represents the forgotten and imporverished minority who are unable to keep up with the high speed changes in the country. She does not even know where she can get help. She just lives her life as she knows it, hour by hour, day by day. Dinner for her is a bonus, not a given.

 

Whose fault is it that the old lady has been neglected by the largely well-to-do society that does not need to worry about their next meal?

 

It is all our fault. Not just the PAP, not just the leaders but every single one of us who are better off than her. Do we care enough to even just turn our heads to look at her when we walk past her? And if we do gaze upon her hunched back, do we care enough to offer her some help? The voices online scream of leadership that has failed to serve this forgotten group but do we pause to consider that we ourselves may be guilty of the same crime?

 

At the end of the day, it is not about pushing blame from the people to the leaders to the people. Everyone is at fault.

 

We live our lives day after day pursuing the latest gizmos and nicest holiday trips. If we have enough for a holiday trip, do we not have enough to give to that old lady down the street? Why push the blame to someone else when we ourselves are negligent also?

 

It is time we wake up and grow up. And stop being indignant little children thinking only of our own misery and unhappiness.

 

Familiarity breeds contempt.

 

When the going gets tough, it is always easy to blame the boss, blame the government, blame prataman, blame the police, blame the bloody arrogant army guy.

 

It is always easy to blame everyone else except ourselves. Guilt is one of the most sickening feelings that man can experience and many of us conveniently

 

avoid that by pointing the finger of blame somewhere else. The more blame we can pile onto someone else, the better we feel.

 

Yet, how many of us really think about the blame that we ourselves deserve? After all, we are people of the nation, are we not?

 

Let's start looking at ourselves and think about how we can honestly make a change within ourselves and do our part for the people around us.

 

If the government is not listening, talk to them. Visit the MP (whichever party they may be) and speak to them instead of just grumbling online about the policies you read of in the newspapers. If you disagree with their policies, speak up and let them know. They are human beings after all even if some of them may think that they are smarter than the rest of Earth.

 

The key is in working together with the people who do care and get more people around you to care.

 

It is not about revenge or purging the people in power because of your personal hatred for them. It is about recognising that there are strengths in the existing established system. It is about recognising that these strengths can be complemented by what you or your party can offer. It is about making a difference in our own daily living through the willingness to grow and mature.

 

Don't just harp on Mas Selamat's escape and then keep mum when asked whether WKS should be fired - Walk the talk and offer working solutions not more problems.

 

Don't just work up people's emotions and hope that people will vote because they get emotional - Guide them, teach them and help give them wisdom.

 

Don't just destroy the established system that the nation has built up over the last few decades - Work with it and make it better.

 

If you are doing all these, then you are just fighting for your own selfish desires and not for the people in your community because you do not think about the future for them.

 

Singapore is becoming a pretty but empty shell. Let's work together with the people who have the passion, experience and capability but needs a bit of knocking on the head to bring her soul back. Lastly, lest we forget, at the end of the day, be it WP, PAP, NSP, we are still the people of Singapore.

 

[RadX]

good post...but er boss...got executive summary anot... [laugh]

 

good day!!

[Huat138]

Hard to find selfless people nowadays. Everyone has its own agenda for all the things they do.

 

 

[Pokyman]

Do you really think no one has tried to speak to them?

 

Think, what has the government done for the past 5 years? Vote for them if you think they have done a good job.

 

I see public transport maxxed and overcrowded.

 

I get a pay cut via inflation each year, i do not have 36 months bonus and 30% pay increases. GDP has not benefitted me.

 

I do not see my housing prices go down, 550K for a 5 rm AMK HDB resale, 600K DBSS. That is very affordable!

 

I see my wages depressed. I see many FTs being hired in place of Singaporeans, even at my company. My boss still ask me why i want to hire a more expensive SGrean ( note - we want higher wages because the std of living HERE IS EXPENSIVE. The PRCs ask for 2K gets 10K RMB back home, gets the job of the SG who asks for 2.5K - 3K. How to foight if my costs HERE is so much more expensive)

 

I see my medical expenses going up. Healthcare IS NOT AFFORDABLE.

 

I see my utility bills and petrol increasing.

 

I see my private space being invaded. I am going to be a FT soon in my own country. 900K more next few years.

 

NUS/NTU paying for the allowances and course fees for those overseas students at our local students expense.

 

Boleh?

 

 

 

[2bfree]

Hard to find selfless people nowadays. Everyone has its own agenda for all the things they do.

 

 

It is hard indeed including myself. Lets all become selfless & make a selfless vote come 7 MAY.

[Parkingidiot]

Lastly, lest we forget, at the end of the day, be it WP, PAP, NSP, we are still the people of Singapore.

 

 

Nice post... but at the end of the day... still need to vote. We are still the people of Singapore.. but need to decide whether WP, SDP, SPP, SDA, NSP, RP or PAP.

[Wishcumstrue]

I disagree.

 

Why say "government is the father and we are the children"?? IMO, this is very insulting.

 

This is not about Daddy/kid relationship.

 

This is about OUR children and future of Singapore.

 

Like you said, we are now living in a nice-shell that has no soul left.

 

Simple question many reservist are asking: NS for what?

 

 

[Kelpie]

Nice post... but at the end of the day... still need to vote. We are still the people of Singapore.. but need to decide whether WP, SDP, SPP, SDA, NSP, RP or PAP.

 

Nice post, I beg to differ? Probably someone who is sitting on the fence . It is as good as saying everyone is at fault or no fault of everyone here.

 

Regards,

 

 

 

 

[Neix5]

Lastly, lest we forget, at the end of the day, be it WP, PAP, NSP, we are still the people of Singapore.

 

Great post, it reflects the other side of the coin.

 

Regards

[Cerano]

For many years, I have contemplated writing this post but procastinated because of sloth. I have finally mustered enough conviction to do so.

 

I was born and bred in Singapore. In the course of growing up, I have seen Singapore change in many aspects. The physical aspects today are a far cry from what we had in the 60s and 70s. Tall glass-cladded skyscrapers line the cityscape juxtaposed against carefully conserved and prettily painted shophouses.

 

Transport infrastructure has expanded to cover the island and link the ends of Singapore in a network of expressways. HDB flats are no longer monotonous slabs of concrete and metal but have evolved into resplendent edifices boasting glass and designer trims.

 

The people of Singapore have changed too. As a young boy, I always felt that people were helpful and my neighbours were always ready to lend a helping hand in any situation. Folks that I met in the street had ready smiles on their faces and were not always in a rush to somewhere. Fast forwarding to present-day Singapore, it seems that Singaporeans have lost that element of kinship and closeness.

 

We now cocoon ourselves in our own private worlds, walled up by the music that we blast into our ears. Surrounded by people yet I feel a sense of loneliness. Smile at people and they think that you are either nuts or gay.

 

What has happened in the last few decades to result in this multi-dimensional transformation of the ugly but sincere duckling into a beautiful but proud swan? Personally, I feel meritocracy has played a large part in this. The drive towards excellence coupled with the hunger that people of the early years had pushed the cutting edge further in all areas.

 

Building after building were torn down and replaced with awe-inspiring towers. Cars did not live past their first decade and were scrapped in their infancy because it made more sense economically to do so.

 

As the humble folks found material success, their pride swelled and arrogance naturally set in. In their minds, they made it because they were superior. And to them, the folks who didn't make it (materially) deserved a poorer lifestyle. Their children, born into material wealth, were served by their helpers and did not develop the humility that their parents and/or grandparents once had. They are of the idea that they deserve everything that they have.

 

物极必反,乐极生悲

 

In English (loosely), anything carried to the extreme becomes negative, even happiness. While meritocracy serves its purpose as a guideline, it becomes the stake in the heart of a nation when it is the only driving principle of the people. Without tempering meritocracy with compassion, it is a lethal blade that lops heads off mercilessly.

 

Only with compassion can meritocracy produce the optimal outcome - a nation of intelligent, driven and caring people who are diligent yet care for their neighbours. There will not be a need to teach graciousness (if it can be taught in the first place that is) for it is a natural product of compassion.

 

Singapore is now a beautiful shell that is slowly losing her soul, a beautifully made-up lady without nary a personality.

 

After reading all of the above, you probably think that I am anti-PAP for their policies are widely thought to be the key in the transformation of this country. That could not be further from the truth. I believe that a country is defined by people who share a largely common vision and set of goals.

While PAP has been instrumental in kick-starting the transformation, the people were the key drivers to make that transformation blueprint a reality. Therefore neither credit nor fault can be attributed to just the incumbent party. We, the people of Singapore, share the credit and fault.

 

Many netizens channel their anger and frustration into words and behaviour that reek heavily of anti-PAP sentiments. The online atmosphere is so heavily charged with negativity and hatred that it has become stifling and even unnerving. Yet, one needs to recognise that this is a natural development. Puncture a balloon and the escaping air comes out all at once. The accessibility of the Internet is the needle that has pricked the balloon. And the angry voices that we hear online is the repressed air that is suddenly freed.

 

The rule of the PAP is paternalistic. The government is the father and we are the children. Policies were set and we listened and followed. That worked for the first couple of decades. The old guard in the PAP were a highly talented and very driven group of people whose motivations were closely knitted with their love for the budding nation and her people. In the formative years, their guidance helped light the way for a country which was just coming out of the darkness of the separation from Malaysia.

 

The policies that governed the spheres of Education, Housing, Transport, Foreign Affairs, Defence and more were brilliant in spite of and, especially because of, their pragmatic focus on the fundamentals. It was about equipping a young nation with the tools and capabilities required to first survive and then to grow. We were innoculated with the foresight of the old guard against the turbulence of the region that we are in.

 

Sadly, the policies that we had in the early years did not keep pace with the rapid growth that Singapore experienced. Increasingly and more often than not, we reacted rather than preempted. The focus that we had shifted away from the fundamentals because our perception of the fundamentals had changed. Moral education was one of the focus areas in the early days of primary and secondary school education. This was done away as the focus shifted to the academics - the hard sciences and mathematics.

 

The ranking of public schools and the unofficial tagging of the KPIs of people managing these schools to these rankings resulted in the commercialisation of these operatives. Schools focused on aspects that would help in the ranking and conveniently threw out those that did not. Moral education was one of the lambs that were sacrificed.

 

Singapore today is tightly connected to the rest of the world. Information flows to and from Singapore in a blink of the eye. The pace of life has accelerated to that of the global economy. Amidst the hustle and bustle of connected living, we have failed to realise that we are slowly losing our soul as a nation, losing our human touch as a people.

 

The old lady on the street collecting cardboard boxes is an unseen part of the landscape. She represents the forgotten and imporverished minority who are unable to keep up with the high speed changes in the country. She does not even know where she can get help. She just lives her life as she knows it, hour by hour, day by day. Dinner for her is a bonus, not a given.

 

Whose fault is it that the old lady has been neglected by the largely well-to-do society that does not need to worry about their next meal?

 

It is all our fault. Not just the PAP, not just the leaders but every single one of us who are better off than her. Do we care enough to even just turn our heads to look at her when we walk past her? And if we do gaze upon her hunched back, do we care enough to offer her some help? The voices online scream of leadership that has failed to serve this forgotten group but do we pause to consider that we ourselves may be guilty of the same crime?

 

At the end of the day, it is not about pushing blame from the people to the leaders to the people. Everyone is at fault.

 

We live our lives day after day pursuing the latest gizmos and nicest holiday trips. If we have enough for a holiday trip, do we not have enough to give to that old lady down the street? Why push the blame to someone else when we ourselves are negligent also?

 

It is time we wake up and grow up. And stop being indignant little children thinking only of our own misery and unhappiness.

 

Familiarity breeds contempt.

 

When the going gets tough, it is always easy to blame the boss, blame the government, blame prataman, blame the police, blame the bloody arrogant army guy.

 

It is always easy to blame everyone else except ourselves. Guilt is one of the most sickening feelings that man can experience and many of us conveniently

 

avoid that by pointing the finger of blame somewhere else. The more blame we can pile onto someone else, the better we feel.

 

Yet, how many of us really think about the blame that we ourselves deserve? After all, we are people of the nation, are we not?

 

Let's start looking at ourselves and think about how we can honestly make a change within ourselves and do our part for the people around us.

 

If the government is not listening, talk to them. Visit the MP (whichever party they may be) and speak to them instead of just grumbling online about the policies you read of in the newspapers. If you disagree with their policies, speak up and let them know. They are human beings after all even if some of them may think that they are smarter than the rest of Earth.

-just look at the most recent revisited event...

The key is in working together with the people who do care and get more people around you to care.

 

It is not about revenge or purging the people in power because of your personal hatred for them. It is about recognising that there are strengths in the existing established system. It is about recognising that these strengths can be complemented by what you or your party can offer. It is about making a difference in our own daily living through the willingness to grow and mature.

 

Don't just harp on Mas Selamat's escape and then keep mum when asked whether WKS should be fired - Walk the talk and offer working solutions not more problems.

 

Don't just work up people's emotions and hope that people will vote because they get emotional - Guide them, teach them and help give them wisdom.

 

Don't just destroy the established system that the nation has built up over the last few decades - Work with it and make it better.

 

If you are doing all these, then you are just fighting for your own selfish desires and not for the people in your community because you do not think about the future for them.

 

Singapore is becoming a pretty but empty shell. Let's work together with the people who have the passion, experience and capability but needs a bit of knocking on the head to bring her soul back. Lastly, lest we forget, at the end of the day, be it WP, PAP, NSP, we are still the people of Singapore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alim]

Well written. [thumbsup]

 

What you have written is ideal but the point is people react differently.

 

For the old people you mentioned, they carry on their lives as they know it because they have past the needs and wants. They just want to lead life as it is

 

The younger generation are different, they have aspirations, they are more focus on themselves than anybody else. I can't blame them for not being "compassionate"

 

As for the gahment, they are GDP-driven and not people-driven. Along with GDP growth, came the onslaught of foreigners who took up jobs away from Singaporeans, it also caused the whole lot of housing and transportation issues.

 

As you can see, it is all a vicious cycle.

 

If you ask any Singaporeans now, do they want to sacrifice growth, lesser % growth in exchange for jobs, cheaper HDB, less crowded public transport. I am sure you will get a resounding YES!

 

Not once, did I believe in what they are saying like they were caught off guard and so on. My personal thought is that all these were done deliberately in the name of progress and growth.

 

How to have compassionate people when you don't have a compassionate government.

 

Good begets good, while evil begets evil.

 

上樑 不正 ,下樑歪

Edited May 4, 2011 by Alim

[Caaa]

at the end of the day, be it WP, PAP, NSP, we are still the people of Singapore.

 

Good Good, I for one agreed that we all should be more graceful...but it is very obvious that things were often off balance:

 

Person A made mistake is a honest one and should move on while person B made mistake say sorry also cannot;

 

Person C r regard as a talent if u join XXP (regardless of serving NS or not), and person D would be questioned (of ur motive) if u join a different P;

 

Many things must be mutual, people are getting smarter now & let's be fair, if u are taking a decent pay and perform averagely, with some mistake once in a while (or 50 years), would people make so much noise? Would one really complain about the presentation of a $3/- chicken rice at hawker centre? and its naturally if u r paying $20/- for a same chicken rice at Hotel, ur expectation would be higher isn't it?

 

Go and read Singapore pledge again...., I believe what many of us wanted is just to get closer to our pledge that we recited since young.....

[Tigerwoods]

Finally someone wrote what was harbouring in my heart and eloquently put up !

However,

There are alot of good people out there that are trying their best to help the unfortunate, some with physical aid (which is very lacking in SG), most in monetary aid.

 

But all the good done can never be enough as resources are finite. Therefore the next support level has come from our government.

But the voices on the ground always bounces back from a stonewall and eventually voices become noises become insults.

Thats very human.

 

Until we have a balanced parly, we will continue to have a very GDP driven government.

I also understand why they are so tunnel vision about GDP. We have to become so superior till there will never be a day we put our country on a Fruit platter giving to the North without strings attached. The day we slacken is the day we go down. That's why the next batch of 900k imports...

 

But at what price ? When Social costs escalate and reaches to the heart of its citizens, that day will come, no amount of goodies, no amount of perks, no amount of calm will stop a nation of people wanting change - to put it in a nicer way.

 

Listen to the Grunts but remove the Emotions and you will find the true meanings.

[Boboshooter123]

Well written post. Worthwhile for a second read :)

[OmOm]

My opinion of the current PAP team is that they are doing an average job. They are highly capable individuals in their own fields but they appear to be a mish-mash of people who have come together simply because they have excelled in their own areas of expertise. Given their credentials and capabilities, I strongly believe that those who are humble within the team have ample room to grow.

 

I would like to share my viewpoints on why I think the PAP has underperformed and is capable of more but that will come after the points that you have raised.

 

>> I see public transport maxxed and overcrowded.

 

In the first paragraph of this post, I mentioned "they appear to be a mish-mash of people". The public transport issues are one aspect which reflects the lack of coordination between ministries and the fact that policy-making has become largely reactive than preemptive in Singapore. The huge increase in foreigners appears to be the result of a reactive policy (let's leave the discussion on the reasoning for that to a later part of this post); the transport infrastructure consequently fails to accommodate this huge increase because it was never meant to cope with such a large quantum of users. In my opinion, it is not so much of poor transport infrastructure planning but terrible coordination between ministries that arose from a knee-jerk policy change.

 

>> I get a pay cut via inflation each year, i do not have 36 months bonus and 30% pay increases. GDP has not benefitted me.

 

Inflation hurts everyone except for the super-wealthy. It is a mechanism that robs savers and enriches those who are leveraged. This is a flaw of present-day economy as we know it. In order for inflation to be eliminated, the conventional economic model as we know it has to be changed. This will not be something that a single nation can do. It will take the concerted efforts of all the key countries in the world before this can be revamped.

 

Until that happens, as a country which is both a producer and consumer of goods and services, we will be highly affected by inflation.

 

>> I do not see my housing prices go down, 550K for a 5 rm AMK HDB resale, 600K DBSS. That is very affordable!

 

Physical assets such as properties are natural hedges against inflation in the current economic model. This may sound counter-intuitive but we would become very much poorer if our property prices do not continue up with the global inflationary trend.

 

Think about this, the rest of the countries worldwide are experiencing tremendous inflationary pressures. The unit value of fiat currencies is dropping by the day simply because the entire economic system is flooded with more and more units. Our property prices are going up simply because a lot of people recognise that fiat currencies are beginning to lose their value and it makes sense for them to put that money into properties which will at least trend up together with inflation.

 

Now, this is of course an illusion still but when the majority believes that this works, it actually works as long as the bubble persists. The present-day economic system is basically a big musical chairs game that countries are playing.

 

>> I see my wages depressed.

>> I see my medical expenses going up. Healthcare IS NOT AFFORDABLE.

>> I see my utility bills and petrol increasing.

>> I see my private space being invaded. I am going to be a FT soon in my own country. 900K more next few years.

>> NUS/NTU paying for the allowances and course fees for those overseas students at our local students expense.

 

All elements in the economy are related.

 

Land prices -> higher property prices -> higher rental costs -> higher business operating costs -> higher prices for consumers -> consumers need to earn more -> consumers invest to hedge against inflation -> higher land prices.

 

(-> represents "leads to")

 

The cyclical nature of cost and pricing is a phenomenon of present-day capitalist-based economy.

 

If you would spend a minute visualising the following (putting yourself in the role of the government): on one hand, you are struggling to keep prices low in your own local economy, on the other hand your local economy is being affected by the global economy and if you do not allow certain inflation in your own prices, your local economy is disadvantaged. Throw in other variables and factors such as inter-country politics and you can see that it is a tricky juggling act.

 

Personally, I feel that the government should change its paternalistic stance and try to engage the people at a level where the above are explained to the man-in-the-street. Instead of trying of continuously project the "I know better than thou" image, it would help them to acknowledge that they are fallible and imperfect. Times have changed and people have become more accepting of leaders that are more "human" than otherwise.

 

Do you really think no one has tried to speak to them?

 

Think, what has the government done for the past 5 years? Vote for them if you think they have done a good job.

 

I see public transport maxxed and overcrowded.

 

I get a pay cut via inflation each year, i do not have 36 months bonus and 30% pay increases. GDP has not benefitted me.

 

I do not see my housing prices go down, 550K for a 5 rm AMK HDB resale, 600K DBSS. That is very affordable!

 

I see my wages depressed. I see many FTs being hired in place of Singaporeans, even at my company. My boss still ask me why i want to hire a more expensive SGrean ( note - we want higher wages because the std of living HERE IS EXPENSIVE. The PRCs ask for 2K gets 10K RMB back home, gets the job of the SG who asks for 2.5K - 3K. How to foight if my costs HERE is so much more expensive)

 

I see my medical expenses going up. Healthcare IS NOT AFFORDABLE.

 

I see my utility bills and petrol increasing.

 

I see my private space being invaded. I am going to be a FT soon in my own country. 900K more next few years.

 

NUS/NTU paying for the allowances and course fees for those overseas students at our local students expense.

 

Boleh?

 

[OmOm]

The paternalistic stance is what they adopted in the early years and which they have not changed quickly enough. This stems from the comfort zone for human beings - the mindset that what worked for me before will work for me again.

 

I disagree.

 

Why say "government is the father and we are the children"?? IMO, this is very insulting.

 

This is not about Daddy/kid relationship.

 

This is about OUR children and future of Singapore.

 

Like you said, we are now living in a nice-shell that has no soul left.

 

Simple question many reservist are asking: NS for what?

 

[OmOm]

On the contrary, I'm not sitting on the fence. On polling day, I will be casting my vote for either WP or PAP in Aljunied GRC.

 

Nice post, I beg to differ? Probably someone who is sitting on the fence . It is as good as saying everyone is at fault or no fault of everyone here.

 

Regards,

 

[OmOm]

And how to have compassionate government when you don't have a compassionate people. It is also a vicious cycle.

 

The survival instinct built into every living thing is what we are born with. When left unchecked (by either religion or moral education in society), it develops into self-centredness which is what is happening to many people all over the world.

 

There is compassion in every single one of us but it is obscured by our attachments to "self" and it is this blindness and self-centredness that generates more and more suffering in the world today.

 

Well written. [thumbsup]

 

What you have written is ideal but the point is people react differently.

 

For the old people you mentioned, they carry on their lives as they know it because they have past the needs and wants. They just want to lead life as it is

 

The younger generation are different, they have aspirations, they are more focus on themselves than anybody else. I can't blame them for not being "compassionate"

 

As for the gahment, they are GDP-driven and not people-driven. Along with GDP growth, came the onslaught of foreigners who took up jobs away from Singaporeans, it also caused the whole lot of housing and transportation issues.

 

As you can see, it is all a vicious cycle.

 

If you ask any Singaporeans now, do they want to sacrifice growth, lesser % growth in exchange for jobs, cheaper HDB, less crowded public transport. I am sure you will get a resounding YES!

 

Not once, did I believe in what they are saying like they were caught off guard and so on. My personal thought is that all these were done deliberately in the name of progress and growth.

 

How to have compassionate people when you don't have a compassionate government.

 

Good begets good, while evil begets evil.

 

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