What
we need is more space and not more people. When we were 2m, life was definitely
much more comfortable with lesser congestion and more space for everything. We
have bigger homes, more room for cars and car ownership did not cost a leg or
an arm. We have many parks and land for recreation and simply running around.
We
now have more than 5m people. We are digging out our ancestors’ graves, doing
away with cemeteries and sending our old folks to homes across the causeway.
And we keep on building skyscrapers that cost a lifetime to pay when better and
bigger homes could be had at cheaper cost if we have more land.
What
I thought would be better is to reclaim more land and provide more living space
instead of stuffing them up again with people and concrete. I believe the
quality of life will be much better for young and old when the island is less
congested instead of all cramming up in little pigeon holes in the air, and the
roads so congested with cars. The quality of life cannot be better with more
people squeezed into this piece of rock. This is not progress but regression.
We
do not need more people for some economic growth numbers. We need more space to
live and play and a more leisure and less stressful environment. Would it not
be better for a family of four living in a 1,500 sq ft flat, where one does not
need to knock into each other or against the wall or furniture? Would it not be
better if there is more private space for everyone in the homes and outside the
homes?
What
is so good or great to squeeze with 7m people? What is so good quality to be
crammed up in hard concrete and all the artificialities that cost a bomb, like
the Avatar Garden? There is nothing better
than having more natural space to live and for recreation. It is so silly to
reclaim more space only to stuff them up with more people, provide more public
transport only to make sure the commuters are packed like sardine again. Whose
great idea is this? Better quality of life Ya?
We
must be responsible to our future generations by leaving them enough room/space
to grow. We cannot be so irresponsible as to build up every inch of land in the
island. The White Paper is to exhaust
every land and space we have with more people. The citizens must decide on the
number we want and work around it. We should not go the other way, letting the
dubious economic growth numbers to dictate our fate and the number of people on
this island.
If population growth is x% and GDP growth is also x%, there is no growth at all for per capita GDP growth.
ReplyDeleteWorse, PAP could spin runaway inflation spin as economic growth by PAP. When property price rises enslaving our young boys, we got a lot of GDP growth. "GDP growth" today has make our life more miserable.
If you look into the numbers, PAP predict a population growth of around 1.5% a year. GDP growth is projected to be 2-3%. So GDP growth per capita is merely around 1%.
And this 1% is probably due to asset inflation.
Based on highly rigged official data, we know we will be more miserable at 7 million population.
Where is the money coming from for the land reclamation? Where to buy so much sand? How much will it cost than to buy a HDB flat?
ReplyDeleteRBI, I fully agreed and I think pap has gone mad. As the Cantonese old saying go ( change a bit) pap ministers inline out of ten are mad, the tenth member if not mad is insane
ReplyDeleteShould read nine not inline
ReplyDeleteQ: How to get more space?
ReplyDeleteA: Vote out the Pro Alien Traitors.
Like to say Sinkies are a difficult lot to please.
ReplyDeleteWhen there was plenty of space and nature, they claimed kampong life backward. With plenty of foods from the sea and a livelihood from harvesting them, they were not happy living in fishing village
Then, they were overjoyed living high and looking down at those living below. For once they had flushing toilets in the homes and shops below. They were unhappy with the vendors that frequented at their doorsteps to provide hawker fares, cut hair, sharpening their tools and sold them broom, feather duster and thread etc. They found their kampongs too 'ulu'(remote and promitive)
From the 60s to the 90s, Sinkies were so proud of themselves that they belonged to the most modern and advanced country. There was no qualm to show their pride and were always to tell each others that Sin was Number One in this and in that. There was no modesty in much show off.
As in any cycle in life, what goes up will have to come down, however the conceited Sinkies did not believe so and sang 'we can achieve' liked drinking water. And soon enough, they drink 'Newater' recycled from their sewage. Even then, Sinkies were still in cloud nine, but most began to shout and cried money not enough. They have grown too spoilt, too materialistic and vain.
Instead of labouring for their survivals, most gambled in paper trades and worked as middlemen in property, financial products and investments. Now with the IRs, more are working very hard for their lucks(money) in there.
The State Owned Companies and even Town Councils were and are also playing big in investments everywhere too. Reports seemed to show that results were not very positive and much controversies and issues had been created.
Now, many of the Proud Pre 65(so called baby boomers in local parlance) are reminiecing the good old days and moaning their loss.
The Chinese Saying '早知今日, 何必当初'
aptly applies.
Should say luckily it is not too late to repent and partial repair is still possible. But, it shall be impossible to return to the good old days.
The only comfort and consolation that me feels is that in a way the post 70s have not experienced the so-called good old days. So, they may not as badly hit or affected. And for us the oldies, we may not have the luxury to remember the good old days for long.
Regrettably, like Blogger feedmetothefish(Blogsite), and other oldies, the remaining (life) time will have to be spent worrying for our successors.
Or, spend time wisely to help them find ways to get out of misery.
patriot
The Istana got to go first
ReplyDeleteA big piece of prime land that is totally unproductive and expensive to maintain
Everything there is for show one or two days a year, what a waste!
And what are the people in there doing?
pa
I support that. Not only the Istana, the sleep-walker sleeping inside also should also go.
ReplyDelete"What we need is more space"
ReplyDeleteSo finally you reveal the truth! It's all about "you" isn't it? Your own selfish needs and comfortable spaces around you.
Well let's heck the nation then! Ignore the dwindling citizen population. We'll deal with the aging population problem when we get there... (guess what, we're already there).
If nothing is done now, in two generations, the number of Singapore citizens is halved. And at that time, your grandchildren can have all the space they want... but will be paying 10 times the taxes we pay now... and wouldn't that be nice?
So what you are saying just like the govt is to bring in millions of FTs to replace or top-up our declining natives? If it is so simple and easy a solution like you said, then why other countries esp Japan and some European countries didn't do it? What a stupid remark. Only retards think like that.
DeleteRaymond, Raymond. Our country could survive and grow at 2m, 3m, 4m and 5m. Why can't we lead a good life at 4m without all the rubbish that we have to accept as FTs?
ReplyDeleteYou afraid that our citizens will be halved if we don't go the govt way? I cannot guarantee that. But I can guarantee that the citizens will be halved if we go the govt way. That is in the White Paper.
Can you see the difference? Your fear of our citizens being halved is guaranteed in the White Paper.
Oh, my selfish needs are the needs and interests of all true blue Sinkies. Are you a true blue Sinkie or a new Sinkie or a FT?
ReplyDelete