This was taken inside the Kai Yuan Temple in Quanzhou during my recent trip to China. The girls were tourists visiting the city.
5/29/2013
A level playing field for Singaporeans and foreigners
When the Govt talks about a level playing field for Singaporeans and foreigners, it is saying that Singaporeans and foreigners should compete fairly and equally in employment opportunities, in business opportunities, in education opportunities except for a few exclusive areas like driving taxis, right to serve NS, places in schools and maybe subsidies in housing and medical care.
On face value this is about a more balanced and right thing to do by our Govt in taking care of Singaporeans, PRs and non residents. The Govt has to carefully calibrate its policies to ensure that it is fair to everyone, citizens, PRs and non residents, just like when the Govt is thinking of introducing anti discriminatory employment laws, it has to consider the interests of employers and employees, Singaporeans and foreigners.
Our Govt is about the fairest Govt you can find on earth. Why are Singaporeans still unhappy and complaining that fairness is being unfair, a level playing field is unacceptable, equal opportunities are unequal and unfair to Singaporeans?
Singaporeans must put themselves in the shoes of foreigners and PRs to appreciate what the Govt is doing. Then they can appreciate the fairness of our Govt in treating everyone fairly, citizens, PRs and non residents are all human beans and deserve fair treatment by a fair govt.
The Govt has to carefully calibrate its policies to ensure that it is fair to everyone...
ReplyDeleteredbean
Is it fair for male Sinkies to serve NS while male foreign talents don't?
If not fair, so how? Don't serve? Cannot also, right? Vote PAP out? Difficult also, right? Cowpeh cowbu? Lagi no use, right?
Not fair, so what?
Doesn't matter fair or not fair, level or not level playing field.
ReplyDeleteWhat really matters is whether got power, or money or both to make it fairer, or more level.
The playing field is level,
ReplyDeleteut the goal posts are of varying sizes.
NOTHING IS FAIR IN THIS WORLD!
ReplyDeletePLS REMEMBER THIS FOR LIFE!
A level playing field for Singaporeans & foreigners?
ReplyDeleteOnly when pigs fly ... out of Singapore.
Con me once. Shame on you.
Con me twice. Shame on me.
Vote Opposition for a level playing field for all Singaporeans.
There is no such thing as a "level playing field" in the markets -- job market, product market, the market of ideas.
ReplyDeleteEven if you remove all barriers for entry, and make it as "flat" as possible, the ultimate decision on whether you are hired or not is SUBJECTIVE -- i.e. the individuals making the decision look at the world and at you through their own preferences and biases.
You cannot legislate how people perceive the world. At the end of the day, if you are looking for a job, you need someone to give you one -- i.e. the employer has all the advantages.
MS
ReplyDeleteusing your PAPig logic.
In a football game.
We throw away the football rules?
NOTHING IS FAIR IN THIS WORLD!
ReplyDeletePLS REMEMBER THIS FOR LIFE!
Just go the any Meet the People session, you will see non citizen queueing up with citizens to see MP to solve their problems. Very fair right! Level playing field no!
ReplyDeleteMPs are elected by citizens. Not by non citizens. So why are MPs serving the non citizens?
Well, was there a level playing field for the politicans like JBJ / CST / CSJ etc...
ReplyDeleteThat is why RB is saying the govt is very fair to non citizens as well. Even when they discriminate against citizens, any legislation must not hurt them too much.
ReplyDeleteMust have good upbringing.
ReplyDeleteTreat your guest sincerely like they
are VIPs.
Right bro, unit next to mine rented out first to pap- pinoy prositutes and pimps.
DeleteLater to Indian nationals into a dormitory and were evicted after complaints by the whole block of residents.
HDB officials with the owners came to evict them.
I went out and told the HDB officials to repossess the said unit.
He told me that the owner is given a stern warning
I said these trashes gave us lots of social problems and was angry.
The HDB officer told me not to behave like them as what you said VVIP guests and bring ourselves to their level.
I fuux him saying it is because we are meek and gentle towards theses trashes that they are taking our hospitality fir granted.
When you are born, it is already not fair.
ReplyDeleteWhy some born rich, some born poor, some born dark skin, some born white skin?
Where got fair?
If poor, try to become rich lah.
ReplyDeleteIf need to serve NS, try to keng lah, then no need to serve lah.
If not fair, then make it fair lah. It's all up to you.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am a foreigner living in Singapore for many years.
ReplyDeleteI had to serve NS in my country of citizenship. Foreigners didn't have to, and were not expected to. This is a duty that comes with being a citizen.
So why on earth should I do a NS in Singapore, where I reside and work, but am no citizen of?
The game of life is not the game of football. I'm sure even an idiot like your good self can understand that.
ReplyDeleteIn the game of life, ANYTHING GOES. The only effective rules you can expect are the ones you choose for yourself and impose/ enforce on yourself, or the ones mutually and voluntarily agreed to by consenting parties.
So forget about "level playing field". To play in the real world, you need to be a real man or real woman. No one has time for pussies, cowards and weaklings who think the world owes them a living and go crying to the government everytime someone steps on their toe.
@209
ReplyDeleteNO ONE should be serving NS. Military service in peacetime should be voluntary.
The crybabies will always try to"score points " by attempting an argument from a non argument. You cod say it might be" cultural " - - yet another silly aspect of Singapore culture. ;-) ... and there are many more, as you probably know.
"Just go the any Meet the People session, you will see non citizen queueing up with citizens to see MP to solve their problems."
ReplyDeleteoldhorse42 May 29, 2013 1:39 pm
Why are you not fair to yourself?
Why you need to go Meet the People session?
Why are you not like me, no need to go?
惶惶识读世时事,忆今已过三十载,
ReplyDelete骤看今时之世事,人间正道是沧桑,
天若有情天亦老,自古明君非正然,
暮然回首空悲壮,只盼文王降凡间。
Everyone should learn from super talent matilah who drifts from here and there surviving on rental income and screwing cheap prostitutes here and there irregardless of whether they are sold or forced into such trade by families members or not. His ad-vices are as good as the life he leads.
ReplyDeletePeople must learn to kick out this party else this party will even accord voting rights to aliens. They have already allowed aliens to take over sentosa, housing, jobs, schools, healthcare etc.
只盼文王降凡间
ReplyDelete- lol. "Every form of society had some kind of privileged elite, who claimed to be the repositories of the understanding and knowledge and wanted control of what they called the rebel. To make sure that the people don’t have thoughts like ‘we want to be ruled by countrymen like ourselves, not by knights and gentlemen." Noam Chowsky
>>235pm
ReplyDeleteDont read too much classic chinese books. Those authors were all brainwashed into thinking that only bullshit experts are fit to govern.
@ anon May 29, 2013 2:45 pm posted on RB's “From First World to Third World”
ReplyDelete//” hey, edmund is back! miss you, edmund.
- the fishball guy. “//
:)
Speaking from my heart, it never occur to me my presence ( less than 4 weeks ) was ever noticed and my absence ( a week ) felt … Hey //”fishball guy”//, you are certainly “First World Class” in “flattery”. “No wonder you often write that you are surrounded by banyak teman wanita …...”
The three poems in three of RB's posts today are my “virgin attempts” at Chinese poetry after all these years.
I suppose to the “nanyanglauchiaus”, it is an attempt of “班门弄斧” and “关公面前耍大刀”吧！
Nonetheless, your “interpretation” is “regrettably” “mischievous” and rather “disrespectful” to …...
Your “attempted translation” is also rather “hilarious” …....
“Orang-orang yang tidak bersetuju, sila "kee chiu" anda” …....
hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe ….........
No offend intended to the “highly intelligent albeit funny person”.
(Don't take it seriously, just a pun.....)
@ anon May 29, 2013 3:50 pm
// “ >>235pm
Dont read too much classic chinese books. Those authors were all brainwashed into thinking that only bullshit experts are fit to govern.” //
Ha ha, the poem is not any quote from the //"classic chinese books"// …....
I just “composed” it after lunch ….. Frankly, you won't be able to find it anywhere else …....
I take it as a "compliment" to my “virgin attempt” today at Chinese poetry …..
It is not wrong to wish for benevolent rulers.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it is more courageous to have despots anf villians removed from power.
patriot
If we can't have benevolent rulers
ReplyDelete- can we at least hope for smart voters
@345:
ReplyDelete>> His ad-vices are as good as the life he leads.
Please, I'm not here to give advice.
And don't attempt to emulate me, unless you want to fuck up your life ;-)
WTF is this "super talent" shit? If I really was a super talent, why would I be wasting my time talking to you fools?
Oh...you were being sarcastic...OK, now I get it. Sorry ah, a bit slow today.
KNN MS you are asking for it.
ReplyDeleteWhen big business and government collude, you know that we are screwed legally and can't do anything about it
ReplyDeleteDo you believe and trust the PAP to do the right thing?
ReplyDeleteIn the first place, they never believe in a level playing field when dealing with the opposition parties in everything.
Among other things, they also ask Singaporeans to be gracious, but the PAP practices the opposite themselves, and I would say vindictiveness is their trait. Do they have the moral authority to ask that of Singaporeans?
A level playing field for PAP and Singaporeans.
ReplyDeleteROFL
When pigs fly.
@947:
ReplyDelete>> When big business and government collude, you know that we are screwed legally and can't do anything about it
There is a myth going around that big business likes "free markets". Nothing could be further from the truth.
Most big businesses will support govt regulations which create headaches for smaller cap players, or regulatory frameworks which put up HUGE barriers to entry.
Imposing "hiring quotas" or some sort of regulation couched in the nonsense of "anti discrimination" laws will hurt SMALL businesses more than it will cash-rich big timers. Your kopitiam and small shops will die, or have to jack up prices to be viable.
Meanwhile Big Business will simply hire locals to do all the low pay work, and then hire cheaper foreign labour to do the mid-level PMET work, and their top execs will still lunch and dine with S'pore's elite plutocracy.
Regulations hurt the smallest, most defenceless players MORE.
Thats the reason why we need minimum wages and curb the foreigners quotas so the big players will not eventually eat up the smaller players.
ReplyDeleteMinimum wage causes unemployment and makes it much harder for small business to be competitive and profitable.
ReplyDeleteDo you expect your guests, invited and uninvited, in your homes to demand a level playing field to feast on what you have?
ReplyDeleteOnly at your generosity will the guests get more but not a matter of rights.
You are The Government of your own home. You can say who comes in and who doesn't, and expect them to behave in ways which don't offend you, and if you do, you ask them to leave.
ReplyDeleteIn the cuntree you live in, you don't have the luxury nor the right to make those decisions or impose your own conditions.
That is up to the government, whose powers come from its "legality" to exist.
Here's the irony:
Singaporeans pay their (foreign) maids upwards of $2.50 an hour.
However when they are replaced by a more "efficient" foreigner (say, PMET) or are forced to find another job for lower pay under a foreign PMET boss...
...all fucking hell breaks loose!
Unfair! Unfair!
Because this is our HOME.
ReplyDeleteThe use of "level playing field" in the context of fair competition is the stupidest analogy.
ReplyDeleteAs in most field sports like football, there is always a second half where the teams switch sides. So, where is the problem if the field is not level. If the field is tilted against Team A in the first half of the game, it will be tilted against Team B in the second half. So, we still have fair competition.
For whatever it was said. Government treats locals and foreigners differently to make sure that it is fair. it will be personal opinion to say whether the differences are whether making the fairness there or not.
ReplyDelete