Forget First World Hype

[Mustank]

Bro... a bit "cold" leh!! Lame siah

 

you must post this pic mah

 

[Pisces69]

I do agree that we are first world in COE and property prices.

Also first world for the Minister's salaries

 

 

Our ministers salaries r beyond 1st world.

 

They r out if this world. Hahaha.

[Pisces69]

Sadly, nothing here is first world.

 

 

Cost of living can say 1st world already.

[Ooosh]

To sustain the economy, more and more overseas companies began opening their offices in Singapore so investors are able to have the assurance of putting their money in a developing and solid economy.

 

But the problem arises when the companies start operating, some skillsets to needed to run the day to day processes has to be done by FT as they are better trained due to a higher demand in their countries etc.

 

So slowly over the years, more and more locals feel displaced as these FT are better equiped to do the job.

 

The only thing u can blame is our country is too small liao...

 

 

[Jamesgetz]

Forget First World hype

Former civil servant Ngiam Tong Dow tells Susan Long why Singapore should just aim to be a solid "second-upper" city.

The Straits Times, 12 Jan 2013

 

 

RETIRED senior civil servant Ngiam Tong Dow's worry for Singapore today is that it has begun to believe its own propaganda that it has arrived as a First World city.

 

"It's a complete delusion on our part to think that we can become a First World city such as New York, London and Tokyo," says the 75-year-old adjunct professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. "As a 'little red dot', we suffer from inherent limitations of space, size of population, depth of talent pools and political influence."

 

While being a First World city may be beyond it, he says Singapore should focus on being a solid "second-upper" city. "It's more pragmatic to position ourselves as the best in class of the world's second-tier international cities, such as Zurich, Boston, Sydney and Tel Aviv. These are all cities with populations of five million to six million of well-educated people and they compete on knowledge."

 

Increasingly, he says, the differentiator for successful cities is "not cheap labour but competent labour". Singapore's Achilles heel, as he sees it, is that over the past decade, it chose to pump in cheap foreign labour instead of drilling down to the unglamorous task of improving productivity, skilling up its workers for higher- level jobs and improving standards of schools.

 

"Productivity is low because we went for imported cheap labour and now we're stuck in a time warp. We can compete only in industries of low technology. This time around, I hope the Cabinet has the political courage to push this through," says the former permanent secretary in the Prime Minister's Office and the Finance, Trade and Industry, National Development and Communications ministries before he retired from the elite Administrative Service in 1999.

 

He recently stepped down from the boards of Singapore Press Holdings and United Overseas Bank.

 

Although Singapore's official unemployment rate is at a low of 2 per cent, the pro-chancellor of the National University of Singapore, who helps give out about 9,000 degree scrolls a year, notes there lurks "disguised unemployment and underemployment".

 

"How many and what kind of quality jobs can we provide for school leavers a year?" he asks. "In the 1950s, they became hawkers. Today, we have hundreds of young graduates becoming property agents or relationship managers selling esoteric products."

 

He fears also that Singapore has lost the knack of asking the right questions. "We often start with the answers we want and ask the questions to support it."

 

For example, in discussions on the "right" size of Singapore's population, he charges that the authorities mainly debated how to create a higher-density city with more high-rise flats and condominiums to cater to more people. "That's only a physical constraint, not an economic constraint."

 

He says the right parameters to frame the question instead are: "Can we sustain the economic livelihoods of five or six million people? Surely, the size of the population is as much as you can sustain the economy of Singapore.

 

"Asking the right questions today is the most important factor for Singapore's future sustainability. If you ask the wrong questions, you're in trouble."

 

What weighs heavily on his mind these days is what kind of Singapore his three grandchildren, aged 15 to 21, will live in years from now. "I want them to live in a Singapore where they can hold their heads high, be of value to the rest of the world to earn their living and not have to kowtow to others," declares the first- generation Singaporean born to a court interpreter and washerwoman from Hainan.

 

He lost his father at age nine to tuberculosis, attended Serangoon English School and St Andrew's Secondary, then applied for a job as a postal clerk. But a medical check-up showed he had contracted early-stage tuberculosis and was unfit for work. As a default, he continued studying, and won an open bursary to the University of Malaya, where he scored a first in economics.

 

In 1959, he started life as an Economic Development Board officer, earning a reputation for being both a "thinker and a doer". At 35, he became Singapore's youngest permanent secretary in 1972. After his retirement, he was appointed chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board, Development Bank of Singapore, Central Provident Fund, and Housing Board.

 

Since then, he has refused to fade into the sunset and has spoken up - often critically - about his worries for the future of Singapore and the People's Action Party. He concedes: "People think I'm a fool... I'm no longer in a position to change things but ideas can change societies. It is my duty as a Singaporean to leave behind ideas for the younger generation."

 

He admits it hurts when ex-colleagues say: "Tong Dow, why are you still stirring the mud?" Or when they accuse him of "playing the old gramophone record".

 

"The politest has been: 'Why didn't you say all these when you were still in the civil service?'"

For the record, he says he dissented on policies back then, such as the certificate of entitlement balloting system, which he believes has irrevocably raised Singapore's key production costs.

 

These days, he speaks at universities and think-tanks about six times a year and is busy compiling his fourth book. He also golfs and spends time with his retired schoolteacher wife.

 

The best way is to view Singapore, he suggests, as a work in progress. One of his dearly departed friends, Mr Roop Vaswani, a Sindhi merchant, always told him: "It's best to be climbing up a mountain to success and never to arrive. The moment you reach the summit, the only way is down."

 

He sums up: "Likewise, in Singapore, we should not believe that we're already First World. Or that we have arrived at the pinnacle."

 

 

Can't agree more with this question. Fully respect what he said but perhaps it's kinda late at this stage. It's good that he brought up these valid points but one wonder y didn't he brought it up earlier.

[Hi_torq]

The salary paid out to ministers is first world.

 

[Mockngbrd]

Can't agree more with this question. Fully respect what he said but perhaps it's kinda late at this stage. It's good that he brought up these valid points but one wonder y didn't he brought it up earlier.

last time who boss of PAP?

Edited January 18, 2013 by Mockngbrd

[Toothiewabbit]

Can't agree more with this question. Fully respect what he said but perhaps it's kinda late at this stage. It's good that he brought up these valid points but one wonder y didn't he brought it up earlier.

No one knows for sure if he did or did not lend an alternative voice while in service. But i believe that from his example, there are some MIW who arent just merely Yes-man but have their own alternative views that are good for Singapore. Just that these men bo bian and have to toe the line.

[Toothiewabbit]

Can't agree more with this question. Fully respect what he said but perhaps it's kinda late at this stage. It's good that he brought up these valid points but one wonder y didn't he brought it up earlier.

*double post*

Edited January 18, 2013 by Toothiewabbit

[Lethalstrike]

I used to be very skeptical about anyone who's associated with PAP. How can there be any good from this regime..or why would anyone who want to serve and help the people join and agree with a party which aims in squeezing its middle class downwards citizens bone dry?

 

But then 2 person changed my perception slightly.

 

George Yeo and Tan Cheng Bok.

 

Seriously, what has George Yeo done to alter your perceptions of the PAP?

 

[Baphomet]

Seriously, what has George Yeo done to alter your perceptions of the PAP?

 

 

I can see that he really want to help the people in aljunied when he was the MP. He does gives me the feeling that he do not agree with the way the PAP is operating now. After the election, he choose to leave the party. Normally high profile pap ministers, don't leave the PAP. Ya..all these are just what I felt. No concrete proof.

[Goldbug]

I can see that he really want to help the people in aljunied when he was the MP. He does gives me the feeling that he do not agree with the way the PAP is operating now. After the election, he choose to leave the party. Normally high profile pap ministers, don't leave the PAP. Ya..all these are just what I felt. No concrete proof.

 

 

I think GY is very popular with the foreign leaders and within the party, potential Sec Gen material, too bad he lost his seat

[XenonWhite]

To sustain the economy, more and more overseas companies began opening their offices in Singapore so investors are able to have the assurance of putting their money in a developing and solid economy.

 

But the problem arises when the companies start operating, some skillsets to needed to run the day to day processes has to be done by FT as they are better trained due to a higher demand in their countries etc.

 

So slowly over the years, more and more locals feel displaced as these FT are better equiped to do the job.

 

The only thing u can blame is our country is too small liao...

 

Are you sure those so called "FT" are better equiped to do the job?? That's to say our education system had FAIL !!!

 

The fact is this so called "FT" are better cos they're cheaper.. Better equiped?? U gotta be kidding right??

[XenonWhite]

I can see that he really want to help the people in aljunied when he was the MP. He does gives me the feeling that he do not agree with the way the PAP is operating now. After the election, he choose to leave the party. Normally high profile pap ministers, don't leave the PAP. Ya..all these are just what I felt. No concrete proof.

 

He leave the party is cos he lost the election.. Esp when he's among the "old birds" there. MP Dr Faisal was suppose to be in Alujnied GRC, but the last election see him assigned to Yishun.. If he's here, he will go the way GY..

[WTF]

He leave the party is cos he lost the election.. Esp when he's among the "old birds" there. MP Dr Faisal was suppose to be in Alujnied GRC, but the last election see him assigned to Yishun.. If he's here, he will go the way GY..

The bigger fish that got away is the 'I feel lich' aka 'Zorro' Lim Swee Say.........

[Ahwhye]

I can see that he really want to help the people in aljunied when he was the MP. He does gives me the feeling that he do not agree with the way the PAP is operating now. After the election, he choose to leave the party. Normally high profile pap ministers, don't leave the PAP. Ya..all these are just what I felt. No concrete proof.

 

unconfirmed rumour link him with the woody's faction, which is seen as a threat by you-noe-who, unconfirmed,, no proof, just hearsay, coffeeshop talk....

[Goldbug]

unconfirmed rumour link him with the woody's faction, which is seen as a threat by you-noe-who, unconfirmed,, no proof, just hearsay, coffeeshop talk....

 

woody clan kenna wipe out liao...