12/18/2011

Pushing Singaporeans to a corner, in the name of progress

Has this thought ever cross the minds of Singaporeans while they are bathing in the economic success of the island with everyone feeling so rich, with properties exchanging hands with price tags like $20m, $30m and more? The same properties used to cost $1m or $2m twenty years ago. And I heard someone just bought a piece of property not to live in but to park his collection of fanciful sports cars.

The wealth and quality of life of many Singaporeans have improved tremendously over the last few decades. Can the Singaporeans continue to enjoy such phenomenal growth of wealth and lifestyle as we move ahead from here? Sure, many will even get richer and own flats of their own with several generations and extended families living in their own private flats, and their own car parks. This could be the new style of abode for many rich Singaporeans. Owning a landed property is not enough. They are looking at owning multi level private properties with each member living in different level for privacy, and their own covered car parking lots.

Contrast this development with the daily barrage of small is good where the attempt is to prepare Singaporeans psychologically to live in micky mouse size flats. The private flats I mentioned above are not HDB flats but each level a big luxurious apartment. The better off one that we know lives in a multi level private apartment, actually a small condo, with just one family of less than 5 members plenty of car park space for his collection of cars.

The average Singaporeans must live in smaller flats into the future and that is a certainty. Not that they need to sacrifice whatever land space in the island for the rich who want 20,000 sq ft for two and enough space for 20 cars. The growing population that is needed for growth and to sustain the growth needs more space as well.

And space is a big problem. With the limited space, not many more roads can be built except mass rapid transport. Owning a car is not going to be the norm into the future. Taking public transports and taxis are going to be the way of life. And don’t worry, there will be big publicity campaign to convince Singaporeans that the quality of their lifestyle will not be compromised. Travelling in class and style in trains or taxis will be much more fun and convenient that owning private cars. I know, I know, after the fiascos of the last few days, no one is going to agree with me that taking public transport is great romance and paying higher taxi fare is gracious living. And sharing the BO of unwashed workers who would be most happy to rub off their sweaty clothes onto Burberry and Zegna of stylish commuters is something to experience, daily. Sharing the same air in a train cabin with hundreds of people will definitely enchance the DNA quality of the ageing strains in the veins of ex migrant stocks. The new migrant’s DNA is like a breath of fresh air and will do everyone more good than harm.

Singaporeans could enjoy more spacious parks and watch TVs in public areas as well if they find their cubicles too small for such activities. Watching TVs in public areas means being entertained with fresh airs around and opportunity to make new friends. It is good for social integration and building good neighbourliness, and good for nation building as well. It will replace the anti social habit of glueing their eyes onto the Ipod or Ipad.

Singaporeans that live within their means will find this island really a paradise. Those who are able and can afford it, owning 20 or 30 expensive cars will be fun, and private car parks or COEs are great to have. For those who cannot afford such luxuries, there are smaller flats and world class transports and spacious parks for their amusments, and first world living that they have worked so hard for.

Having enjoyed such gracious and spacious living, with the convenience of public transport, Singaporeans would not want to go back to the days of landed properties and driving their own cars. The new lifestyle is progress for sure. But if the country could live within its means, live within its constraints and not wanting all the progress and convenience of a first world standard, if only it knows its limitation of land and not to use all up for more people, maybe, Singaporean standard of living could be back to the past, lower quality of life, having to upkeep and clean bigger flats which is a big chore, and having to drive their own cars without the convenience of MRTs and reliable butler styled taxis.

We have progressed and the quality of life can only get better. Or are Singaporeans pushed into a corner? What is the alternative for poor public transportation when ownership of cars is no longer an option? Is living in mickey mouse flats a no choice option?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chilling account of what is to come. I shudder to think what is in store for sinkies ( sans pappy croonies, of course ) ...

Anonymous said...

A guy who once got a $8 CABG did hint once about looking northwards ... but that didn't gone down well with many sinkies. even though I have a deep detest for this $8 CABG guy but i think he was merely pointing out an escape valve. Some smart ones including the most hated (HDB) guy even has a nice piece of sanctuary bought during one of his visits.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

The fundamental premise here redbean makes is all about the "average" Singaporean...whatever the fuck that means. To me the term "average" anything is a vapid, nonsense term that doesn't really describe anything. It is a floating abstraction which can mean anything.

Yet people like redbean base entire arguments on such vacuous precepts. No wonder the intellectual landscape is falling apart.

Anyway, WTF about so-called "average", let's say, if such an idea (whatever it is) exists.

Singapore is a MERITOCRACY, which means one should aspire to be better than average.

So redbean commits another faux par: he stands for mediocrity, rather than excellence.

It is people like this, with these kinds of sloppiness and dangerous attitudes that sabotage the forward progress of every individual in the society.

Right-minded citizens should be vigilant to such "negative spirits" and call their own consciousness to higher standards as well as guard against negativity, ingratitude, and a general infectious malaise.

Anonymous said...

Hey Matilah stop pontificating and come down on your high horse pseudo intellectualism. The "average" RB refers to is a well known phenomenon in the bell curve distribution. Sinkie middles class belong to this average band ... without which , there is no support for the many Ponzi schemes ( you know whcih fav one we are talking abt). Without average , there will not be out-liers on the other side of the curve = pappies and their croonies

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Perhaps Matilah is one of the meritorious elite. Perhaps he is an intellectual.

But please huh, this is a blog for bloggers, not for intellectuals, for the average Singaporeans. And all of us average Singaporeans understand what it means.

Only this misfit is unable to understand. He must be an intellectual, pseudo or real, does't matter. Ya man, no wonder the elite cannot understand what is happening on the ground. This must be the reason. Everyday demanding the average Sinkies to define every word they said when the average understands perfectly among themselves. Now please don't ask me to define average, or sinkies or kopitiam.

Sorry ah, intellectual, it must be agonising for you to come down to the level of average sinkies. Just bear with us hor: )

Anonymous said...

@matilah singapura.

You are really a piece of sh.t!!

Anonymous said...

Ah, trying to do his best! Excuse me, in what?

agongkia said...

Wealth or quality of life is not what I am looking forward to.

I just want to earn an honest living and lead a simple lifestyle and is fine with cycling to work,sleep at five foot ways.

Just dun come and kacheow my rice bowl just to make me poorer as I pose no threat no anyone.Less kacheow means less talkative I will be.
I belong to the below average.Stop harassing me and I would be grateful.

Otak Otak...1 stick 40 cents....Otak Otak...hot hot one....Otak Otak,Tae Goo and cheng hoo no kacheow,3 for one dollar....

Anonymous said...

Let's us welcome back Temasek Review!

http://www.tremeritus.com/

Help to spread the good news!

Anonymous said...

finally. it's baaacccckkkkkkkkk...

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Temasek Review = balancing meritocracy with unashamed mediocrity.

I support the existence of any public forum because im a free speech advocate.

However free speech doesn't mean "quality " speech. That, folks, is the Temasek review in a nutsack.

Anonymous said...

When people are feeling so rich just by looking at their CPF statements, what does being pushed into a corner matter? The thought of being millionaires is enough to calm the shuddering and warm the chills.