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5/30/2008
The right to give and to receive
The right to give and the right to receive With charity taking a new form, and with some gaining ill repute, it is best to leave it to the individuals to do what they think best. I am talking about the right to scholarship here.
The right of the govt to give scholarships and the right of the recipients to receive the scholarships. On the right to give, a noble act which is often tied to rewarding the best and the most brilliant who would in turn benefit the country. This must be distinguished from giving bursaries, normally seen as a financial assistance scheme to help the recipients financially.
Malaysia was giving only 20% of govt scholarships to non Malays for at least 20 years. 80% of govt scholarships were given to Malays, assuming the numbers are true. This is the kind of racial disparity dictated by Mahathir and UMNO. And Malaysia is paying for it today, for giving scholarships not to the brightest but according to racial birth rights.
Singapore has another kind of problem, giving scholarships to non citizens. From the citizens' point of view, from the taxpayers' point of view, both are seen as unfair and unacceptable.
The right to receive, in Malaysia's case, is quite evident. As taxpayers, as citizens, the non Malay students whose academic grades are excellent should be awarded scholarships based on their merit. What about Singapore giving scholarships to foreigners whose parents are not taxpayers or citizens? Or are they aid or assistance packages to other countries?
Malaysia is now revising the percentage from 20% to 40% in favour of non Malays. The MCA and MIC deserve to lose the election for allowing this to go on for so long.
How many Scholarships did Singapore gave to foreigners? What is the percentage vis a vis citizens?
This piece of information falls under the Official Secret Act. No way it will be released to public unless Opposition parties have the majority seats in Singapore Parliament.
ReplyDeletei think this free lunch scholarships with little to no strings attached are meant to attract talents to come and stay here. is it right to give money away generously to foreigners whatever the noble purposes, when you are so strict with the monthly welfare payments to our poor?
ReplyDeletehere is the irony of looking at the same thing in distorted ways. the ones that you like, say it is necesssary and good. those that you dun, say no free lunch subsidies and clutch mentality.
if you want to give these goodies to the foreigners, you must make sure the locals get double dose of it and that welfare payments to our own aged and poor are not substandard as it is now but world class. otherwise, the govt should not give anything all to benefit the foreigners, regardless of whatever noble reasons. becos the first principle is to look after your own. it is common sense.
If anyone believe they are special just because the rulers were kind enough to give them a home in Singapore, think again. We are just minions working and living here temporarily for Singapore Inc. We are a little bit better off than FT's until we become too old and useless, then we just disappear into oblivion.
ReplyDeleteThe stark reality is...with so many jobs available now and in the years to come, the new generation of Singaporeans are too few, and Singapore Inc., is hungry to get more foreigners to occupy these jobs.
Think about it. They have plans to increase the population to more than 6 million people. If the present population growth is negative, how do they increase the number of people to live here?
Dumb Singaporeans will continue to make sacrifices like giving away 2 years of their youth for NS and watch whilst these FT's come in droves. Soon we all will be one big happy family of 6 million Singaporeans.
Ask yourself what being Singaporean is all about? Zilch. So forget you are special and deserve more just because you are a Singaporean.
I actually wrote an email to PN Balji,after i read an article he wrote about the positiveness of the govt handling of Mas Selamat's case closure.
ReplyDeleteReally yellow journalism,the way he wrote....its so disgustingly ugly journalism....so much currying favour.
Improving journalism??My smelly feet...
Kevin
the strategy to increase our population to 6 million, is a misguided policy. and the main source of mass discontentment among the indigenous people.
ReplyDeleteit is a policy that is largely unwanted and unwelcomed by the majority. what used to be a luxurious garden city is fast becoming a concrete walled jungle.
there are enough jobs for all singaporeans. no need to increase the jobs for the foreigners, we dun owe them a living.
hi kevin,
ReplyDeletei am sure catherine lim is equally hopping mad.
one point, we shuld avoid using the term 'yellow' as an adjective to anything that is low class or bad. this is a white men's racist term which they used to subvert the yellow race. the yellow people often forget and unconsciously allow this term to sink into their subsconcience and use the phrase freely.
other similar derogatory phrases are yellow culture, yellow press, calling someone 'yellow.' yellow peril etc. we should consciously discard such terms and not let them be used against the yellow people.
cheers.