8/06/2007

A different sacrifice

What is this foreign worker statue being honoured by the side of Raffles? From the look of it, it looks like a recent foreign worker with the hard hat. If this is the case, we are over exaggerating the contribution of these foreign workers to our economy. And do we owe them a debt? Who were the real workers who sacrificed their blood, sweat and tears to build this little island? The famous red hat samsui women immediately came to mind. And there were many of the living testaments still haunting the streets of Chinatown and some heartlands. Those were the real pioneers that we have taken for granted and forgotten. The Singaporean labourers and construction workers as well. Just because we are hyping about the greatness of foreign workers and foreign talents, let's not get carried away and forget our forefathers who sweated and bled for what we have today. It may be an ominous sign that the statue was knocked down as an appeasement to our forgotten and belittled forefathers, the people who really sacrificed for this island and got very little in return. They missed the good times and the millions that should be rightfully theirs. Spare a moment of your thoughts to those pioneering men and women.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

i read an article mentioning how TEMASEK started with just tens of millions and grew it into the hundreds of billions over 30 years. i think our reserves also underwent great growth thru the GIC. though it is only a fraction of what a country like china achieved that is trillions in less than half the time, still we must not forget the real people in these AGENCIES whose hard work and good judgement have brought our country to where it is today in terms of having a top soverign fund globally...

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

there are growth, some organic and some from investment. not sure which is more. would need to look at the numbers critically to know how well it has performed over the years.

credit must be given to those who deserve credits.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

recommended to read post by redblood in redbeanforum in the thread 'Signs of Progress' where he dissected the numbers.

Anonymous said...

Quit the melodrama. Sweat and bled my arse. Blame their unlucky stars to have been around during the those years instead of the golden period. No one owes them anything.

Anonymous said...

redbean,

Where got sacrifice?

Everyone of these people were PAID. Their voluntarily chose to work—for MONEY.

It is fair and free trade, at its best.

The original "pioneering spirit" of Singapore was enthusiastic entrepreneurship engaging voluntarily in a FREE market. Laissez fair, remember your old geography teacher telling you?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

exactly. they are paid. why got people putting up a statue to honour the foreign workers?

and all the workers are very happy to get work and get paid. the more they are paid, the happier they work.

what sacrifice are people talking about?

Anonymous said...

you dun thanks the farmers for slogging and sacrificing themselves so that we have food to eat becos when one gets paid for the work it is a willing buyer seller commercial transaction but when one do it for free it is volunterism and personal sacrifice of opportunity costs. there is no sacrifice here as everyone one is paid and more than well fed to look after the country, which they wud have otherwise slogged out in the sweat shops instead.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

do you people think that we should glorify and celebrate the contributions of foreign workers on our national day?

what message are we sending out?

Anonymous said...

SURE.

but people like you who broker shares and real estate agents who provide solutions to buyers and sellers, shud be honoured too as you guys have made a great contribution to this country, yes!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

if all the self employed people could not make a living being self employed, they will be in the job market to replace someone else. and someone will lose a job opportunity.

at one point there were some idiots who were thinking of doing away with all these self employed jobs and replaced them by internet. imaging how many more people will be unemployed?

that's the quality of the thinking.

Anonymous said...

Temasek & GIC achievement b'cos they hired a lot of cheap foreigners, suppressed local pay or retrenched them inorder to have better return for "share holders". Therefore, leaders also got better bonuses base on the GDP statistic report to blur every citizen, So exactly S'poreans are damn sacrifice in term of job loss, retrenchment, cpf cut, salary freeze except civil servants, leaders & their investment link company.

We got to accept every damn increases inorder for them to declared so call good GDP achievement & allow them shamelessly claim their success & enjoy good wealth again & again.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

this answerable to 'share holders' is getting to become the biggest farce in this place. can shareholders really believe that every investment must guarantee returns, big returns, every year? only in a monopoly and a captive market can this be guaranteed.

but then what is ethical or more ethical? shareholder's interest or the public interest?

i am upgrading this term 'shareholder's interest' to the same category as 'affordable.'

in the interest of the shareholders, we give you the licence to slaughter the consumers.

Anonymous said...

not just slaughter but cannabalise and eat them up for breakfast.

pay the management, but no need to pay the shareholders ... "choy leh tu ong" .. translated to mean.. go home to sleep bradder.