5/05/2011

The Growth Formula of PAP

We have seen exponential economic growth over the last decade, in GDP numbers. In real terms, what do these numbers translate into? Very high cost of living, high property prices, high medical fees, high cost to run business, high education fees, high transportation fees, high cost of buying a car. There is also the problem of high influx of foreigners to compete for good jobs as well. These are now the major concerns of the people and are now the main issues in the GE. Would these problems be tackled by the PAP govt after the GE? Yes, the PAP candidates now understand that these are genuine concerns of the people, including high ministerial salary which the PAP still did not think is an issue. So can the people expect any change in these policies? No way. These problems are expected in a high growth economy. They are intrinsic in a high growth formula based on adding more people into this piece of rock. And the govt knew all the while but did not see them as problems. In fact they are seen as necessary to growth, to raise the GDP numbers that leads to high growth bonuses. If these are not problems and are good to have, can we expect them to be removed? Why should they be when they are good? What would happen, and is already happening, is that the govt will keep on justifying and explaining why they are good and necessary. We need more foreign workers, high property prices are good, high ministerial salaries are good to prevent corruption and to bring in super talents into politics, world class education and hospitals need world class fees naturally. The congestion in public transportation can’t be helped as we need more foreigners to increase the demand for goods and services, the workers to do jobs Singaporeans did not want, and the middle executives to provide jobs for Singaporeans. The people cannot expect these problems to go away when they are not problems in the first place. A PAP govt will not change this high growth formula. If the people want to modify or moderate this high growth formula, they can only depend on the opposition MPs to speak for them, to change this high growth policy. It is necessary to have opposition MPs to rein back this mindless pursuit for growth numbers. That is why opposition MPs are badly needed in Parliament. Don’t get me wrong. High growth is good for the economy. But if high growth is generated only through higher population growth, it is a deadly formula. It is suffocating and unsustainable. High consumption is against conservation and saving mother earth.

10 comments:

notanotherspinstory said...

First thing LHL should do is peg ministerial salary and bonuses to median income of Singaporeans. Then all things will fall into place. the motivation would not be merely to grow the GDP and neglect Singaporeans welfare.

gene said...

I suspect that the high salaries are not for the purpose of attracting talent but to ensure that ministers dont rock the boat and question basic fundamentals like high GDP growth at all costs. High ministerial salaries make people think twice about the cost of being asked to leave if they dont agree with the ruling party fundamentals.

Anonymous said...

"Yes, the PAP candidates now understand that these are genuine concerns of the people, including high ministerial salary...."

Really, redbean? The SM seems to contradict you. He said that the majority of Singaporeans are not concerned about the high ministerial salary. In any case, SM seems to contradict everyone, including the father and son.

The PAP still does not understand the people's concern about the high influx of foreign trash (not talents). Do they really expect us to believe that the foreign supermarket cashiers and helpers, the food court cleaners etc really are creating jobs for Singaporeans. Or are they taking away our jobs? I think the PAP MPs are not merely deaf, they are blind as well.

Yes, the PAP understand our concerns, just for these few days only. They too are also very humble, these few days only. They too are our servants, these few days only.

On and after 8th May, 2011, enlightenment or despair will set in.

We will still see the darkness, even if it is the end of the tunnel, IF the PAP still gets a good mandate.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

They said they understood.

As for ministerial salary, only Chok Tong openly said that it was a non issue. I believe they know that it is a powder keg waiting to explode. They are smart people and know what is good and what is bad. But with so much money, how to refuse?

Anonymous said...

I believe the ministerial salaries sky-rocketed during GCT's watch. So, he has to openly defend his "legacy" by claiming it a non-issue.

Renho

Anonymous said...

The people's issue are all non issues to the PAP.

Ministerial salaries, fantastic bonuses, high HDB prices, crowded transport systems, GRCs, high influx of foreign workers are all not issues to the PAP.

After years of sitting pretty on top of their immortal towers, most just sailing in by the back door, they cannot see or feel the pulse of the people, so those issues are non issues. The people are just making 'noises'. They are just irritants, like insects.

People, just get out of their uncaring elite immortal faces, and tell them to wake up through your vote.

Anonymous said...

Me think growth is good.

What is no good is that all the share of the growth only go to a small number of people.

And the people have little or no share of it, THIS IS NO GOOD!

patriot

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Just came back from the SDP Rally at Boat Quay. The crowd was over flowing onto the main roads. And they roared with the prompt from the speakers. They were hearing what they wanted to hear.

If this is how they feel, the PAP is going to have a nasty surprise on 8 May.

Anonymous said...

The issue is not growth or no growth. Of course, it is better to have growth in economy. The issue is ill policy that has not been properly debated in parliament for implementation. Why? Because the parliament has no sufficient opposition MPs to vote against any ill policy. We need at least 1/3 seats or 29 opposition MPs in the parliament to effect a real debate and have the power to represent the people to vote against any ill policy proposed by the PAP. As I look at it, as one netizen has said, this GE2011 is not an election of PAP vs WP, or PAP vs SDP, or PAP vs SPP, or PAP vs RP, it is an election of PAP vs the people of Singapore. It seems quite true that people want the change that PAP is against. People simply see through the joke of GRC/NMP/NCMP system.

Anonymous said...

Of course they want growth. I understand they got a fantastic bonus in 2010, tied to growth. Their salaries will be adjusted also, based on growth.

What does growth translate into for us if we loose our jobs to foreigners, cannot afford expensive HDB flats, squeezing into crowded trains and buses and cannot cope with cost of living due to inflation?

Think about it. Who benefits most from growth?