7/03/2006

myth 32

'Progress Package - to help lower income Singaporeans cope with higher costs of living.' People may disagree with me for calling this a myth. My reason is that if it is to help the lower income Singaporeans with higher costs of living, it is only temporary and enough for only a short period of time. How much would that help? It is like throwing a couple of dollars to the beggar. After the two dollars are spent, it is back to square one. The problem is still there. It is also a myth in the sense that many Singaporeans look at it as a hongbao, a handout or spare cash that will come in handy. Unfortunately it is not to be. All that was given will be taken back in one way or another by some other increases. So not only there was no gain, after a while, it will be eaten up by all the increases. It is giving but not giving. It is something you receive in one hand and give out on the other, and give out more than you receive.
at

8 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 03, 2006 12:18 pm

    Are you sure the PP is for helping the poor cope with rising living costs ? Which Minister said that ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chua Chin Leng蔡镇龍 aka redbeanJuly 03, 2006 12:33 pm

    let me quote bhavani, 'these were precisely the reasons for the progress package - to help lower income singaporeans cope with higher costs of living.'

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 03, 2006 1:19 pm

    Yah but who is Bhavani ? Unless he is a Minister, his words don't hold much clout.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Chua Chin Leng蔡镇龍 aka redbeanJuly 03, 2006 3:06 pm

    cannot like that say lah. a press secretary to the minister is a big shot ok. and a press secretary speaks for the minister and with the minister's consent. cannot anyhow publish an official view in the main papers without approval.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJuly 03, 2006 4:05 pm

    Haha, if he is such a big shot, then he'd be the Minister himself. A press secretary is just a highly glorified name for 'errand boy'.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Chua Chin Leng蔡镇龍 aka redbeanJuly 04, 2006 11:21 am

    hey, this is no ordinary secretary who makes coffee and photocopy notes type. this one is very likely to be at least 2nd upper honours type. no pray pray.

    and probably earning $300k a year.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJuly 07, 2006 12:57 pm

    Salary is no indication of the importance of one's job. In the case of our highly paid ministers and top civil servants, the only reason they're earning such a high pay is because they are the ones setting them in the first place. I can just imagine in the Cabinet meeting, the PM will say "I propose we raise our own salaries by 25% in the next fiscal year due to our over performing economy. Everyone in favour, say aye". No brainer, right ? Leegalized corruption, another uniquely Singaporean trait.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Chua Chin Leng蔡镇龍 aka redbeanJuly 10, 2006 4:20 pm

    the virtue of our system is that there is a cap.

    or is there?

    ReplyDelete