PM Wong warns economic frustrations can deepen social, racial divisions in Singapore
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong says Singapore is not immune to such pressures, pointing to racist comments online and divisions between foreigners and Singaporeans. CNALawrence has said it, the pressure on the populace caused by wars, instability and high cost of living, couple with low income, is going to take its toll on the people. If people earning $1m, $500k or $100k are feeling the stress or discomfort of money not enough, what about those in the lower rung of the income ladder? What about those living from paycheck to paycheck, and those still finding it not enough to get by? Then what about those that have no income, the unemployed and the retirees? It is so scary to see prices running away everyday when one has no income, no saving or little savings.
The frustration, fear and the struggle to live, to put food on the table are real, to be able to afford 3 meals in the richest country in the world but unable to do so. Then there are stupid schemes that taxed on the poor that are struggling with every cent they have but have to pay for plastic bags and bottles. Are these really clever ideas? The cost of implementation is not peanuts compare to the savings, and savings for who? The hardware, software, the people to manage the system, and the millions of Singaporeans crawling around like ants to get a few cents or a dollar refund. Millions of people have been set in motion to bring plastic bottles, cans and whatever just to claim back a few cents. What about those seniors that were unable to crawl to the machines to claim their 20 cents? To those that have to forfeit claiming, it means that they are paying more unnecessarily.
To the millionaires, what is a few million dollars? To those at the bottom of society, every cent counts. Stop squeezing blood from stones. Squeezing a few cents from the poor is going to increase the frustration and anger of the have nots. Oh, they did not know a few cents here and there can be very painful to the poor Singaporeans. Oops, there is no poor Singaporeans. They can afford to pay for a few plastic bags, a few cans, a few plastic bottles. I just found out that these are paid in advance in FairPrice supermarkets. So very clever. Deserving of being paid in the millions. Ooops, oops, oops,
Who really cares about economic frustration when mindless schemes are introduced to pinch on the already no money in the pocket citizens? Oops, better not say more. When so much pressure is being built up by so many things over time, a straw will break the camel's back. The anger is there waiting to blow up. It just needs a spark. Oops, just my opinion. No need to believe this will happen.
What is economic frustration? Actually it is relative. To some, it means missing on the $1m or $100k bonus, to some it means missing on the $10k pay hike. To some it means having to pay another 20 cents, or another $1 for beer cans. A bit like Donald Trump. What I want I take. Who is there to stop me?
Same as who really cares about Hougang in 1991. Just a single constituency of poor Teochew people. A backwater place of little significance. Devoid of the upgrading frenzy and left to fester, it slipped out of the ruling party's hands in 1991. The ruling party has been trying to regain that ward for more than three decades.
ReplyDeleteHow in the world can they expect do it by sending in unknown unknowns trying to dislodge a legendary guy. The big guns of the ruling party knew their chances are slim in terms of winning if they stand in Hougang, so they sent in the little lambs to be slaughtered. Letting go of the ward was not an option as it means they lost Hougang forever.
Even when the legendary guy left to contest in Aljunied GRC, those compatriots that came after him were able to retain the ground. That goes to show what kind of people there are in Hougang. Proud, tenacious, cannot be bought even by dangling the upgrading carrot in front of them, unlike in other wards. They thought pressuring Low Thia Khiang to leave Hougang will leave the hanging fruits in Hougang ready for them to harvest. It was not to be.
The biggest loss was to come when the Hougang tree spread its branches to Aljunied GRC and the ruling party panic, after a top-class clique of ruling elites fell to an almost rag tag team of WP candidates put together by Low Thia Khiang. Instead of hoping to put Low to pasture, they created a bigger problem. What was to come was made worse by the loss of Sengkang GRC later plus the low winning margins garnered by the ruling party in many other constituencies in the East.
Never say that issues do not matter and the ruling party can just brush them aside and that whining by those suffering are just noises to be ignored. The ruling party can keep pretending that people will just keep absorbing the punishment quietly, unable to do anything. That will be a wrong assumption.
Ever see a sugar cane grinding machine does its grinds on the sugar canes?
ReplyDeleteGrinds grinds and grinds until became husks
Then also no chance soak in some water and started to grind again
Until became husks
Also no give chance used as starting husks for fires for cooking
These are the lifes of some Beans in this world
Some too much and some too little
No eyes see
This is L. Wong's Singapore . . .
ReplyDeleteSingapore has no beggars. I can see licensed beggars selling tissues at road junctions. People singing loudly at shopping malls and they call it street musicians. Still begging for donations. Change the name, give it a new designation and the problems magically goes away.
ReplyDeleteSingapore is a very rich country, so rich that it's people have to return bottles and cans to recover 10 cents or 20 cents.
ReplyDeleteLawrence Wong is a clairvoyance who can see a future Singapore with strive, turmoil and conflict. As part of the elites now earning millions he cannot see that his government's governance like that of US is driving the poor and under priviledge to the edge of the crevice. He can see the future but did not know the past when the Japanese ran amog in invading China and South East Asia causing agonizing pain and deaths of millions of innocent lives among the Chinese and other Asians so much so that he claimed that Japan is the most trusted power in the Pacific region especially in South East Asia. And who he thinks he is to tell the Chinese to forget the past , to forgive the Japanese criminals, to let bygones be bygones and live in peace with the Japanese. He also got the arrogance to tell China to leave Chinese sovereign territory of Taiwan alone. He is playing with fire and incurring the wrath of all Chinese people. He should not drag Singaporeans and all South East Asia to die with him in the game of death between China vis-a-vis the evil rogue criminal empire of the United States. He is a nobody compared with Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee, Dr. Toh Chin Chye, Rajaratnam, Lim Kim San, Ong Teng Cheong, E.M Barker and a few more others. He definitely will not last his present state of tenure.
ReplyDeleteA blue Singaporean - Sing Tai Luan
You are absolutely RIGHT! Mr Sing Tai Luan
DeleteIn my opinion, I think OYK would make a better PM!
Cheers