Enlightening speech with a FT citizen
I was in a remote western region in China and we were stranded at
this small lousy airport. And there is only 1 Indian man (age 59, I
found out from him later). No one could help him and I knew I was the
only one and of course being kind hearted, and naive Singaporean, I
voluntarily went. I saw his "RED passport" and we connected!!! Then we
started to discuss the Punggol East By-election, the government and the
policies. (Please do not assume a RED passport is automatic bred and
bornt in Singapore... I was lambasting how Singapore has transformed
from a lovely state to a state where everyone has become emotionless and
working round the clock to pay for everything and to survive.) 15
minutes into the discussion, he told me he is FT who came to Singapore
10 years ago and quickly offered PR and new citizen in
less than 2 years. By the way, this guy is not Foreign Trash, he is
Senior Management in Fortune 500 (the ranking is below 50) and paid over
$20,0000++ a month. Below are questions from me and answers from him:-
Me: The government is doing a bad job and people are suffering.
FT: I read the Straits Times and every survey is indicating good, I dont agree what you said is true and today. (I said, you really believe that BS? You did not have time to browse the web than to believe the propaganda...I went on to tell him many examples like AIM etc, he was shocked... but the newspaper version is so different.... but anyway he said he did not have time, working very long hours every day)
Me: Well, do you feel we imported too many FT, especially low quality ones from neighbouring regions.
FT: Yes, totally agreed, its getting too crowded and also the pay for average guy is getting lower but living expenses are sky high. (But he was a FT himself but of course this man used to work in the US and UK for many years before arriving into SG, probably what they called a real FT)
Me: If Singapore is so good, are you going to retire in Singapore?
FT: Retire in Singapore? (shrugs with a laugh)
Me: Why? You said Singapore is so good etc.... And you said those surveys damn good.
FT: Honestly speaking, my pay is crossing $20,000 a month but I wont retire here. First, our CPF is trapped and the medical cost and daily expenses are so high. I am going to renounce and take all the cash and move back to India. Anyway, I also dont want to die in a foreign land.
Me: Arent you one of us?
FT: In a way but I still need to go back, this place is getting too expensive to live and I dont want my body to be resting here, I am not bornt here.
Me: $20k a month you telling me this? How about those making $5000 or ....
FT: Dont pretend you dont know, they work and pay all their lives until they die. And I am not going to be in that position.
Me: Your kids in Singapore?
FT: I sent them to UK and US and told them not to come back.
Me: Singapore is such great place, you told me and why.... ahhhhh (cynicism)
FT: I could not imagine that they be paid $2500 after their graduation, compete with millions of foreigners and pay a debt of 30 years for that million dollar HDB. And education in US is more prestigious and they can get into Fortune 500 companies easily and they buy houses and drive cars etc. And if they really return to SG (which I doubt so.. because they are originally from Calcutta and honestly, they dont really like Singapore), they will be Foreign Talent and be paid very high like me, no need to fight with those foreigners.
Me: They did not serve NS huh?
FT: You asking me silly questions, I did not convert them PR before 18... I found way to go around it (laugh very hard)
Me: Warao (Singapore style). You enjoy so much from Singapore and how you going to thank us?
FT: I voted PAP every GE, and that is thank you. And they gave me PR, new citizenship and also my HDB (I sold at record profits and now living in nice condo in Jurong East). When I retire, I will sell and take all the CPF to India. I really appreciate Singapore.
wah piang eh...... i am really that daft and naive like most Singaporeans.
Me: The government is doing a bad job and people are suffering.
FT: I read the Straits Times and every survey is indicating good, I dont agree what you said is true and today. (I said, you really believe that BS? You did not have time to browse the web than to believe the propaganda...I went on to tell him many examples like AIM etc, he was shocked... but the newspaper version is so different.... but anyway he said he did not have time, working very long hours every day)
Me: Well, do you feel we imported too many FT, especially low quality ones from neighbouring regions.
FT: Yes, totally agreed, its getting too crowded and also the pay for average guy is getting lower but living expenses are sky high. (But he was a FT himself but of course this man used to work in the US and UK for many years before arriving into SG, probably what they called a real FT)
Me: If Singapore is so good, are you going to retire in Singapore?
FT: Retire in Singapore? (shrugs with a laugh)
Me: Why? You said Singapore is so good etc.... And you said those surveys damn good.
FT: Honestly speaking, my pay is crossing $20,000 a month but I wont retire here. First, our CPF is trapped and the medical cost and daily expenses are so high. I am going to renounce and take all the cash and move back to India. Anyway, I also dont want to die in a foreign land.
Me: Arent you one of us?
FT: In a way but I still need to go back, this place is getting too expensive to live and I dont want my body to be resting here, I am not bornt here.
Me: $20k a month you telling me this? How about those making $5000 or ....
FT: Dont pretend you dont know, they work and pay all their lives until they die. And I am not going to be in that position.
Me: Your kids in Singapore?
FT: I sent them to UK and US and told them not to come back.
Me: Singapore is such great place, you told me and why.... ahhhhh (cynicism)
FT: I could not imagine that they be paid $2500 after their graduation, compete with millions of foreigners and pay a debt of 30 years for that million dollar HDB. And education in US is more prestigious and they can get into Fortune 500 companies easily and they buy houses and drive cars etc. And if they really return to SG (which I doubt so.. because they are originally from Calcutta and honestly, they dont really like Singapore), they will be Foreign Talent and be paid very high like me, no need to fight with those foreigners.
Me: They did not serve NS huh?
FT: You asking me silly questions, I did not convert them PR before 18... I found way to go around it (laugh very hard)
Me: Warao (Singapore style). You enjoy so much from Singapore and how you going to thank us?
FT: I voted PAP every GE, and that is thank you. And they gave me PR, new citizenship and also my HDB (I sold at record profits and now living in nice condo in Jurong East). When I retire, I will sell and take all the CPF to India. I really appreciate Singapore.
wah piang eh...... i am really that daft and naive like most Singaporeans.
Vote buying obviously works.
ReplyDeleteI find nothing extraordinary about this conversation. It illustrates something I've been trying to tell everyone:
People act in what they believe is their own self interest
Got problem?
This the reality and the absurdity of the whole situation and yet the powers that be seemed oblivious.Before 1997 we even set up a HK office to persuade Hongkies to settle here. Former CJ Yong Pung How even got into the act when he disclosed his hitherto "unknown" HK connection when admitting Hongkong lawyers to the local Bar. Of course they only wanted our passports to enable them to migrate to the US,etc. Millions were spent (or mispent). Still they have not learnt their lesson. How long are true blue Singaporeans going to put up with the wilful blindness?
ReplyDeleteMy ex-colleague, a SPR (from our neighbouring country) told me she is just happy with being a PR. After she has made enough, she will go back to her hometown where she has a landed property and a car, fully paid with monies earned here. She will also withdraw all her CPF monies and retire comfortably there.
ReplyDeleteShe is thankful to our G. for giving her such good life, treating her much better than her G. although she is not a citizen here. Sigh! What can I say, we are about the same age and her happy retirement days are in the near future while I have to continue to slog for the next 20 years to pay for my housing loan and don't know got enough balance for my retirement (with my CPF being trapped)!
And still the G wants us Sinkies to
ReplyDeleteintegrate with these blood sucking
leeches of FTs? How daft can we be?
Why you blame the FTs?
ReplyDeletePAP government spread Singapore's legs wide opened.
And who voted for PAP?
60% of your friends & relatives.
So who is the arsehole responsible for this mess?
Go look in the mirror.
ReplyDeleteSee all the previous so-called Sportsmen and women from PRC and other neighbouring countries.
Headhunted by a bunch of goons with an MP also on the take of a few hundred dollars to let the player completed in the tournament.
After sucking up all the monetary and other benefits, patted their backsides and said Goodbye and Thank You to you all suckers and returned to their homelands.
So redbean would u joint the protest next 16/2?
ReplyDeleteThere are winners and losers in every policy. The winners in this policy are clearly the very rich here and the middle class from emerging countries coming here to work. THe rest are big time losers. Come GE2016, hope everyone know what to do. DO NOT VOTE FOR DEAD FROGS aka pussy action party
ReplyDelete@Anonymous Feb.2 2013 3.13pm
ReplyDelete"So who is the arsehole responsible for this mess?
Go look in the mirror."
You are putting the question to include yourself, unless you
are perfectly sure that none of your family, relatives and
friends are not among the 60%.
Very likely I will be at Hong Lim. I have attended several of the events held there.
ReplyDeletePAP desperately wants Third World Foreign Trash to become new citizens to vote for them in the coming GE 2015.
ReplyDelete