Should the govt mandate a wage hike for low wage workers?

The above was the topic for discussion in the Talking Point programme of CNA this week. It was interesting to how the different sides presented their for and against arguments to raise pay for low wage workers and how the issue of productivity seemed to be a natural instinctive reaction to the pro govt view. The need to raise productivity was the most important position for the pro govt representative. No productivity, no need to talk about pay hike.

I would like CNA and its programme hosts, Dominic Loh and Daniel Martin, to have a similar programme, this time to discuss raising Ministerial Pay and the issue of productivity thrown in. It will be nice to see if productivity is an issue and a fundamental reason to be used before any pay hike for ministers and for that matter, the President.  Was or should productivitybe an issue or a primary factor in raising Ministerial Pay?

I think CNA’s viewership will be instantly raised if such a topic is being put on air.

Completing a cycle of change

The poor peasant Chinese were pouring out of China about a hundred years ago. They were driven out of their motherland to seek work to feed themselves. Staying back in China was not an option. Jobs were scarce and earning a living was tough going.

By mid 1950s onwards, they were still poor. Poverty and going hungry were the normal then. Things started to improve in the 70s onwards. Life was more bearable and food was not so scarce. The common mode of transportation was the bicycle.

For the Chinese that headed out to Singapore, the 70s and 80s were times of rapid growth. They were getting richer and faster and living was less of a challenge. Buying a home and a car were the norms. Bicycles were discarded for the four wheels with a roof, a prestigious symbol of success.

Fast forward to the present, some Chinese are returning home as jobs were in abundance and livelihood is no longer such a big challenge. Singaporeans too are marching back to China when job opportunities were more challenging in the island.

In China, the Chinese are building homes like Singapore did in the 60s and 70s and buying properties, and property speculation became a national past time. Bicycles were swopped for the four wheel status symbols. More people are getting rich faster.

Singaporeans are downsizing and buying smaller and smaller homes with more money to pay. Cars are getting out of reach and more Singaporeans are taking to public transport and bicycles. The story will come full circle when Chinese Singaporeans start to return to China in hoards, to seek jobs and better living conditions, to buy bigger homes and be car owners once again.

PS. The super rich are having a good laugh at such articles. Get out of my elite and uncaring face.

Who caused these problems?

To many Singaporeans, there is no problems in Singapore. Everything is just fine. We are the best in many things, the 4th best country in the world, desired by people paid on company expenses to live here. Foreigners are queuing up to come here and if they can’t get in, they will pay to smuggle themselves in, legally or illegally.

Then there are some corners of the island there are voices complaining about so many problems. Let’s hear the problems.

1. Wide income gap

2. High property prices

3. High cost of living

4. High prices of cars

5. High medical fees

6. Jams and congestion

7. PMETs having unemployment problems

8. Lack of local talents

9. Lack of babies

10. Too many oldies

11. Not enough savings for retirements

12. Not enough good people going into politics and the best is just so so.

13. Not enough talents in finance, medicine and legal services

14. Too many foreigners

15. Transportation problems

16. Housing problems

17. Not enough hospitals

18. Oldies need to work in their 70s and older.

19. Some more problems?

I don’t believe that I could list out so many major problems within a couple of minutes. Are they real or imaginary?

If these problems are real, who caused them? Did we pay too much to too many super talents to have these problems?

Singaporeans will be top priority!

"We are trying to seek the maximum advantage for Singapore and Singaporeans," so said the Prime MinisterThe headline stated: "S'poreans will always be top priority: PM Lee"



Mr Fish has written an article in his blog, Feed Me To The Fish on this bo pian logic. He has said all there is to be said. I will just add a few points to highlight this twisted logic that is disadvantaging many Singaporeans, our children. One thing, giving a new citizen a pink IC and called him Singaporean and let him have all the privileges, including top jobs and even sitting in Parliament is bull. To me it is deceit. Applying this concept, we can have 2 million additional Singaporeans, new citizens, to enjoy the maximum advantage taken from the original Singaporeans. And the excuse, they are Singaporeans, look, pink IC. A Singaporean, by law, is a Singaporean. Losers cannot argue against such brilliant logic and reasons.



The next thing, any policy depriving Singaporeans from housing/university places, medical benefits etc etc for whatever shitty reasons is anti Singaporeans when new citizens are allowed to take maximum advantage over original Singaporeans. With new citizens and PRs having the choice of selling off their properties at a profit and move on, the Singaporeans will end up buying the inflated price housing to stay for good is not something that is advantageous to Singaporeans. Singaporeans ended up as suckers, especially those barred from pubic housing for shit reasons and shit logics.

And licenses were issued to foreigners, including PRs, to compete with Singaporeans for small business like agencies etc etc. Maybe this is a sadistic way to make the Singaporeans work harder and become more competitive.



I must say that many Singaporeans, especially the elite, are maximising their advantages as Singaporeans, but some corners of Singaporeans are being greatly disadvantaged if the govt cares to look and cares to know. And turning foreigners into new citizens in hordes is definitely not pro Singaporeans. A Singaporean disadvantaged is a Singaporean disadvantaged. Need proof? Does the govt know that many Singaporeans are disadvantaged by its policies? No?

A by election for regime change

There are many angles to look at this by election. At the very basic level will be a fight of personality and acceptance between the two candidates. At the next level will be a contest between the ruling party and the opposition, represented by the WP. It is very encouraging to see the opposition parties closing ranks on this issue, to stand together and not to be a spoilt brat by being the third party. But don’t worry, a third party will appear if things are as predictable as before. There will be clowns standing up for all the wrong reasons to mess up the fight.

Another big issue is the agenda for regime change. The vibes in cyberspace have been loud and clear, that a regime change is what they want. They are fed up of the ruling party for being what it is, refusing to change its attitude of talking down to the people and thinking it knows best. What it wants to do, it will do regardless of how painful it is to the people and regardless of how the people scream and shout.

The population explosion and all its unpleasant consequences of high inflation, high cost of living, congestion, high property and car prices, foreigners taking over the plum jobs of locals, are very painful to the citizens. Given foreigners a pink IC does not make that person a Singaporean, albeit legally. If that be the case, the whole govt can be foreigners or new citizens tomorrow. This disturbing policy has risen to a level that is seeing xenophobia starting to raise its ugly head. It has never been like that before. Singaporeans are proud of its migrant history and always welcome foreigners here. But when too many foreigners are getting on their nerves, it becomes anger.

How would this translate into an election issue? To quote a financial adviser, Tan Kay Kerng, ‘We need to have an official representative of the people and not to have a caretaker group of people who are looking after us.’ This statement sums up the attitude and mindset of the PAP. It wants to rule the people, be the master of the people, think for the people, telling the people what to do and what cannot do, and they will call the shot. Whether the people like it or not, they will do it. More immigrants needed. Period. Don’t bug me. We have decided. We will not change course. We are master. We know best.

Would the Hougang residents elect an MP to tell them that it is govt policy and they will have to live with it, vote for all govt policies and not against any? Or would they vote for a representative, their representative, to represent them, their views, their unhappiness, what they want done, in parliament? Do they want a govt that will decide everything for them in a ‘we know better’ and ‘it is good for you’. Or would they want a govt that will listen and make policies that the people want? Do they want to elect a master or a servant to serve them in parliament?

Hougang by election on 26 May

Nomination Day will be 16 of May. This is an interesting event to watch from all corners. How would the opposition parties react? Would there be a mad scramble to be in the arena, like fools rush in? Or would they be united and give deference to the Worker's Party to fight a one to one battle without any spoilers?

On the PAP side, the result is going to be closely watched and it could foretell its fortune in the next GE. The people of Hougang will set the tone for what lies ahead. It may be a simple by election. But it has far reaching consequences for everyone.

The art of making Asians lick everything

The Titanic, the Unsinkable cruise liner, the biggest of its time, the biggest technological achievement of Britain, the biggest flop, the biggest tragedy!

If the sinking of the Titanic were to happen to any Asian or African country, it would be a national shame, like the failure of the satellite launch by the North Koreans. The western media will have a field day laughing their guts out. Daft Koreans could not even build a rocket to launch a satellite. What would it be if the Titanic was built by the North Koreans or the Russians or the Chinese? The West would be giggling themselves crazy and laughing on their stomachs.

100 years on, the British and their silly former colonies are celebrating the sinking of this mammoth ship that took thousands of lives of the British and European elite class, the aristocracy, the royalties and the gentries. Yes, they are celebrating the ill fated maiden voyage of a ship they called the Unsinkable that sunk on its very first voyage. Instead of shame and agony, it is time for celebration and a big PR blitz complete with memorabilia and keepsakes of the romantic times.

It was not a failure of technology. It was human error. Everyone was celebrating and allowed the ship to kiss an iceberg. It is all about how to reframe a story. We should learn a bit from this media blitz and celebrate the daily breakdowns of our MRT system, the jewel of achievement of a first world country known for flawless efficiency. Maybe it is too early to make such a celebration when there is a BOI. Maybe at least to wait till the BOI is over. Maybe we can wait for another 100 years to make it real big and after all the angst and cursing is over, and a future generation that just want to have a good time, no matter what reasons or occasions.

Clever ideas for COEs

The frustration faced by car owners and potential car owners is raising temperature by the look of the numerous appeals to the authority to revise the system. Many see the systems as totally flawed and have offered many clever ideas to make it more reasonable.

These well intended proposals by the public are nothing new, nothing difficult to figure out and nothing extraordinary. The super talents would have even much better ideas to improve the system. They are not duds. They know exactly what they are doing and why they are doing and why they refused to see from the perspective of the frustrated car owners. Do not underestimate their talents.

What the public failed to see is that the COE is the biggest cash cow to the govt next to the CPF and HDB. And it is even more efficient as a source of revenue with practically zero cost and zero effort. Printing a piece of paper is all it takes to collect a $100k. Why should the govt want to change this ATM and cut its revenue? And with the foreign talents with bigger pockets coming ashore, it is even better to make sure that the COE goes even higher. And for those who are earning tens of thousands a month, the convenience of a car and lesser cars on the road are things that they would not mind paying for. They only need to make sure their income and salary increases are ahead of the COE prices.

The unhappy public need not waste their time and talent with their clever suggestions. The deaf frogs would not listen as they know very well how flawed this system is to the car owners who cannot afford to pay higher COEs. It is a biased system in favour of the rich and you know who.

Miserables don’t rebel

I posted an article yesterday with the title ‘Miserables rebelling’. Actually it is not a true reflection of the situation. The miserables are very happy, contented with the warmth inside a boiling kettle, like the frogs. They are oblivious to what is going to happen except fearing that outside could be very cold.

The people who are speaking up are far from being miserables. Ngiam Tong Dow, Lim Chong Yah, Tommy Koh etc etc are very well endowed financially. They are the elite and are having a great life. Why are they speaking up? It must be a matter of conscience, of a sense of justice. They are very secured people that need not step out to brave the storm. They could remain in the comfort of their cocoons, shielded from all the noises, all the inequalities, and live very comfortably in their own world. They did not have to put up with small flats do not affect the quality of life stupidity. They did not have to squeeze for a standing place in a crammed train or bus. They need not be irritated by the unwashed and smelly workers. They need not worry that a COE is $100k.

The fact that they are speaking out is a sign that they did not like what they see. The injustice and inequalities in the society must have become too stark and unbearable. In our kind of political system, it takes not only a man of conscience and passion to want to right a wrong for the good of people and country. It takes a very brave man to do that. In the case of Lim Chong Yah, he is will to have his salary frozen for the next three years. He and all his high earning relatives and friends would have to do so if his recommendation is implemented. Yes, putting the money where the mouth is, and lead by example. “If I don’t go down to Hades, who should go instead?’

FTs causing havoc in the island

They are new, with short roots or new roots that have not sunk in deep enough. All it needs is a little storm and they will be falling all over. Unlike the locals who were born and bred from young, becoming a fixed feature of the land, part of the land, permanently, the newly planted trees, the instant trees, are creating more problems instead of help. They are crashing over cars, hundreds of them.

The people have been warned to avoid the forest or wooded areas when there is a big storm, for fear of FTs. This is a newly created problem because of FTs. Aren’t the FTs here to help to make the place better? But they have achieved one key objective, create jobs. Many workers would have to cut and remove them. Many more jobs will be created to repair the cars and damages to buildings and infrastructure. Fortunately no one was hurt.

This is not only an ominous sign. It is a testimony of the problems we have to face with new transplants with short roots. A storm is all it takes for them to run or turn into trouble for us. We have been sold with all the good stuff of FTs but not the negative side. The gods are speaking up. See, this is what will happen if there are too many FTs, without roots or short roots. They cannot be the same as the local trees.

Generating contrived demands for goods and services

On one side of the coin there is this huge cry for more headcounts to sustain the economy and more growth. We need 2.5% to keep the population sustainable or, I think, we will disappear from this world. The rest of the world leaders are simply silly for not pushing for 2.5% population growth to keep their countries from dying. Europe, America, Japan, in fact all the developed countries will soon end up as history, forgotten civilisations. They failed, and willingly failed to boost their population growth. It is not only irresponsible, it is stupidity at its hike. Maybe that is why they are paid so much lesser, with a lesser brain to go along. Good thinking brains, able to plan ahead, to forsee future problems, need to be adequately rewarded. Singapore will survive with our 2.5% growth or more, while the other developed countries will be passe.



There are so many good things about population growth. It creates and generates demands for everything, housing, food, medical services, cars, transportation, schools, in fact everything. And when demand is high, the values of all goods and services will go up, and the whole economy becomes more vibrant. The more the demand, the more there is a need to build and provide for more services, and with more services and homes build, there is more need to bring in more people to occupy them and make the rest of the services profitable. It is a virtuous cycle.



This is like the lifestyle of a poor man and a rich man. The poor bugger, eats less, needs less, works less, and lives on less. The body gets thinner and needs lesser food, lesser space and eventually wither away. The rich guy eats more, needs more, works more to feed his needs, lives on more, needs more services to amuse himself and to keep his body going, leading to more and more demands for goods and services.



There is definitely a need to bring in more people to generate more demands for everything, more housing, more cars and transportation, more hospitals, more services.



The bid number of people has a small drawback. Over supply of labour will drive wages down. But this is a small price to pay if we want to generate more demands for very thing to keep the economy going. Higher prices of everything especially properties will make all property owners happy. A little bit of congestions or jams is bearable if we want growth and a higher standard of living.



It reminds me of the story of the guy lying on the beach below the coconut tree. Actually there were two guys. One was there since he was born, lazing around to enjoy his sun, sand and sea. The other was a very successful man who had worked all this life and had acquired enough riches to enjoy the sun, sand and sea. The former did not bother about the all the electronic gadgets, fine food and theatres and the arts. He did not know they existed and did not miss them. The latter had all of them and was running away from all that he had. He just wanted to get away from it all, to lie peacefully under the sun, on the beach, doing nothing.



We schemed, planned and worked so hard to get further away from the big landed property we want to share with our families and children, to grow up and play. We laughed and sneered at the North Koreans, condemning them of living in abject poverty, in their sprawling landed properties that cost maybe $10k, with only minimal electronic gadgets, and a big family of children running around. We have progressed, spend our time dining and wining with people that don’t mean much but have no time for our families, or to even have children. We spend all our waking time at work only to return to sleep in our little palaces, too tired to even talk to the children who, if any, would be fast asleep.



We achieved, we are high achievers, high living, and enjoy a great and busy life.

Miserables rebelling

The signs of the miserables rebelling are beginning to show. On one corner, those against pay rise for workers. On the other corner, those who feel that the workers have been underpaid and need a boost in their income to keep pace with the high cost of living.

The interesting thing, who are the people standing up for the workers’ plight? We are hearing voices from the luminaries crying out for the workers, and some prominent members of the establishment. Conscience pricks? This is unheard off since the centuries of revolutions in France, Russia and China. Today, the human resource professionals are also standing up for the workers. They understand the lot of the workers and how they are coping with the rising inflation. They have pooh poohed the myth that workers can buy a decent public flat with a $1000 monthly income or things along this line of thinking.

Now, who are at the other corner that are against giving workers a decent pay rise, a decent income to live a decent life? Maybe they believe that the workers are having a really good time and a really good life. No need to pay the workers crazily. With half a million dollar of subsidies, the workers are all half a millionaire. They are the envies of the world.

More upgrading is needed

More upgrading is needed in all jobs. We are now in the first world where everything is about being the best. Our dirty wet market is going and will be a thing of the past. Our hawker centres too will join the dinosaurs. We will keep improving our quality of life and lifestyle. Our universities are producing more and more graduates and the graduates will fill the jobs of those used to be filled by O level certificate holders.



The call for training and upgrading is a necessary call. The housing agents, insurance agents, stockbroking agents, all need to go for courses to upgrade their professionalism and image of professionalism. It is a matter of time that all these agents, excluding secret agents, will need to be graduates. If not, where else are they going to put all the graduates?



Taxi drivers too will need upgrading. So would be train drivers and eventually down to the table and dish cleaners at the new upgraded air conditioned foodcourts. Cleaning tables and washing bowls and plates need specialised skills and the use of modern equipment to improve productivity. Send them for more courses, if not improving their skills and attitude, it is also good to know. But don’t expect any salary increment for attending all the courses and upgrading. Some are necessary, some are good to know and some are good without the need to know.



There are very few professions where there is no need for upgrading or to attend more courses. For those who want to get more salary increment without having to attend courses or the need for upgrading, be a politician. The additional courses or higher degrees are kind of wasteful training as they are mostly not needed. What kind of skills transfer and benefits will there be for a surgeon or lawyer to become an environment minister or housing minister or sports minister? It has been proven that all the politicians, no matter how many PhDs they have or in whatever field, or if they don’t have any, did not make any difference. They will all still become an expert in the ministry they are posted to, quite instantly in some cases. No need for any training or upgrading or good to know courses to attend, to pay for them, and to sit and pass examinations.



Sometimes I wonder if it is the job that is too easy or the incumbent that is too talented to make political appointments and jobs look so easy, and rightfully deserving of more and more increments, and without the need for more training nor productivity increases. Would any smart Alec dare to suggest putting politicians to attend upgrading and good to know courses, make them attend classes, pay to sit for examinations because it is good for them to know?

When doctors waited for you

This is a strange thing to happen. The doctors, dental surgeons and other medical professionals were there waiting to treat you. We used to have only one general hospital and a few clinics to serve the population. The population was smaller and the number of medical professionals too was smaller, and private doctors and clinics were not many.

Those were the times when the medical fees were relatively cheap and the doctors were often found waiting for patients. But their lifestyle was much better, driving Mercedes and living in landed properties still.

Our population has grown and so have our medical facilities and medical professionals. The mentality of the people has also changed. Every little pimple appearing on their backside or a little black spot on the face and they would want to queue up to see a specialist. They would not bother to squeeze out the pimple or scratch away the black spot with a pen knife.

We have several big general hospitals and several big private hospitals today. And the number of practitioners has grown too. We probably have more specialists today than we have GPs in the 60s and 70s. When we made an appointment then it was a week or a few days ahead.

Today, an appointment with a dental surgeon or GP in public hospital or clinic, if one is paying subsidised rate, can be one year or several years down the road. 3 years wait is quite common. But if you tell them you are willing to pay, suddenly the queue is immediately shortened. How much shorter depends on how much one is willing to pay to jump the queue, especially in the private sector.

This is progress. We have more than 5m people and when everyone is willing to pay for good service, the one who has a bigger bank account will get the best service available. No one is or will be deprived of medical services. It may just take a little longer. The medical condition just needs to wait for its turn to be treated.

Could there be a message in a 1 year or 3 year appointment? The first is simply, pay if you can’t wait. Or maybe the condition is just not urgent enough. Or is it another way of telling the patient,  ‘Hope you will be smart enough to go somewhere. Don’t come and waste my time.’ Or it could be another hope, that the patients may not survive the 3 years wait and the problem will take care of itself naturally.

We have progressed, and our way of solving pesky problems has also improved, very diplomatically. If one is unwilling to pay the ransom or market rate, one has to wait for the doctors. 3 years is reasonable, it is subsidised what do you expect? Today we have progressed from having lower quality services when doctors waited for patients, to world class services when patients have to wait for doctors.

Singapore’s top of the pop chart

 

The most popular songs in the island are:

1.    We need more immigrants

2.    Big income gap is unavoidable

3.    High medical bills equal top quality

4.    High property prices are affordable

5.    High wage increase for workers is dangerous

6.    Singaporeans first, but wait, all immigrants will become Singaporeans

7.    Salary increment must have productivity

8.    Workers rejects high wage rise

9.    High wage increase causes inflation

10.                       Workers want wage rise to fight inflation

11.                       Workers are not stupid

12.                       COE not high enough

13.                       Public transport is world class

14.                       HDB flats never shrink

15.                       Small flats good quality of life

16.                       We want more babies for the economy

17.                       No need by election

18.                       Wait for 2016

Bush and Blair guilty of war crimes

 

Bush, Blair found guilty of war crimes in Malaysia tribunal

BY 

HALUK DEMIRBAG

 – MARCH 19, 2012POSTED IN: FEATURED STORIES, MALAYSIA, UK, USA, WORLD

Former US president George Bush and his former counterpart Tony Blair were found guilty of war crimes by The Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal which held a four day hearing in the Malaysia.

The five panel tribunal unanimously decided that Bush and Blair committed genocide and crimes against peace and humanity when they invaded Iraq in 2003 in blatant violation of international law.

The judges ruled that war against Iraq by both the former heads of states was a flagrant abuse of law, act of aggression which amounted to a mass murder of the Iraqi people.

In their verdict, the judges said that the United States, under the leadership of Bush, forged documents to claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

They further said the findings of the tribunal be made available to members of the Rome Statute and the names of Bush and Blair be entered into a war crimes register.

Both Bush and Blair repeatedly said the so-called war against terror was targeted at terrorists.

Lawyers and human rights activists present here say the verdict by the tribunal is a landmark decision. And the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Foundation said it would lobby the International Criminal Court to charge former US president George Bush and Former British prime minister Tony Blair for war crimes.

Countries of the world should unite and form parallel organizations like those controlled by the Americans and the West that were used to serve their political interests in outright violation of human rights and human decency. Mahathir has done the right thing for once, taken the right initiative to provide a more level playing field in the stage of international relations. Well done Mat.

Chen Guangcheng wants to see the world

Chinese activist and dissident wants to leave China to see the world. But a huge political row erupted between the US and China like a circus in town. The US wants him, China does not want him but wants to keep him. Why doesn’t China just help the US, makes the US happy and send Chen and his families, plus extended families to the US?

Mao Tse Tung once offered to send 100m Chinese women to the US. China can afford to send all its activists and dissidents to the US, even 100m of them and let them be US citizens. It is a win win situation. The US loves dissidents and activists and their fight for freedom. They and the activists can cohabit happily in the US. China will not have any more trouble on home ground to deal with the activists and dissidents and give excuse to the western world to take pot shot at her.

China should liberate the activists and set them free. And the US will go down on its knees to beg China not to do so. They would have to show their ugliness by slamming the door at all the activists. China, what the hell are you thinking? Give them everything they want and save the trouble and bring out the hypocrisy of the US and the West.

The world’s 4th most liveable place

Why Sinkies complaining? Singapore is the world’s 4th most desirable place to live. It is so spacious, so clean and so easy to get around. If they raise the COEs to $200k, it will mean the roads will be a joy to drive. And the houses are so big, with swimming pools. There is no need to even live the house to enjoy life.

Now where got traffic jams and people jams? The only jams are the high quality imported fruit jams in the high end supermarkets. Hardly have to squeeze with a foreign worker in all the nice places. This is truly paradise, better than Swiss standard of living.

What? Got people living in 90 sq m flats? And what, some living in 50 sq m flats? Hollycow, no joke! Never know that they exist. Never come across or meet such people. Come look at my neighbourhood, come enjoy my sea front view and the private berth for my yacht.

Australia a model for sustainable growth

Australia was once a lowly inhabited continent. The population of aborigines was small when the British planted their flag to stake a claim to the land. Finder’s keepers. And when the needed to increase the population, they dumped their convicts there first. Subsequently when the land was safely secured, they started their selective immigration programme, choosing those they are comfortable and compatible with. They don’t dump rubbish in a good piece of land. The initial rubbish was there for a different reason.

With such a huge piece of land, and all the resources, the Australians can take growth and development at a measure pace, without joining the rat race. Even if there were no growth, they will still be living a very good quality of life, by living off the land. They are very careful with their development programme as well as their population programme. They are doing it slow and steady, with sustainable growth in all sectors. There is no hurry to kill or destroy themselves.

But we cannot be like Australia. We are an exception. We must hungry, increase our population and rapid growth are the strategies for our survival. We have no choice. If we are wrong we will just destroy ourself in the process. If we don’t do it, we will also destroy ourself in the process. So just do it, bring in all the rubbish and dump into this little piece of continent and we should be alright. It is sustainable growth.

Ask an economist and the answer is growth

The debate for more population is heating up but the thinking is one track, growth. Without population growth, it will be the end of the Singapore story. Growth is the essence of an economics approach to the country’s problem, or for that matter to any other problems. Send Pavarotti to the economists and the recommendation will be 5% growth annually. Send a yoda to an economist and it will be the same answer, feed the yoda to ensure 5% growth.

Is growth really the solution, or can innovation and productivity be the alternatives? There are many ways to maintain or better the life of the people instead of growth. Under this economics theory of growth, any country, including Singapore, will see its ruin without growth. The realities around the world proved that this is the biggest bullshit.

If the well being of any country is simply to maintain growth through population growth, many countries would have been wiped out from the face of the earth, and many countries with high population growth would have been the most prosperous and with better standard of living.

Can anyone come up with a smarter answer, with so much being paid to feed them for their personal growth? If we go on a path of unstopping population growth, we are as good as feeding ourselves to death. Maybe that is better than dying from starvation. The limitations of our physical size are staring down at us. Why don’t they look at how to improve the life of the people by maintaining the population size as the breaking point is appearing everywhere, even with the creme ala crème in charge?

Did anyone ask why Pavarotti had to die? Has anyone asked why every yoda cannot keep growing by feeding him more and more? It is nature’s way to terminating those who want to grow and grow. Countries are not different in the area of population growth. Unrestraint population growth is a sure way to self destruct faster.

No wonder they don't believe in no salary increment.