NTUC on job creation

SINGAPORE: The labour movement has urged employers to continue to change their mindsets towards creating employment. They should find innovative ways to raise their business productivity so they can provide jobs with good wages to more Singaporeans, particularly older workers who have been retrenched. how about jobs that require the workers to smile, shake hands and take photographs with visitors and with titles like president, vice president, senior vice president and of cause with good wages. i think many singaporeans will like these kind of jobs.

singaporeans have arrived

today singaporeans are found fighting tooth and nail with foreign workers for their jobs as cleaners and sweepers, as waiters/waitresses and construction workers in their own soil. singaporeans are now hungry enough not be choosy of their jobs and are a strong competitor for jobs that were once the monopoly of foreign workers. and singaporeans are now fairing better than their foreign counterparts. this is especially so for the older singaporeans who cannot afford to retire and need to work till death do they part with their jobs. and they will probably achieve a standard of living as high as the foreign workers. maybe not, as the foreign workers are reported to be paid higher than these have-been workers who are deemed to be over the hills.

role of singapore media by ho kwonping

In his speech, MediaCorp Chairman Ho Kwon Ping touched on MediaCorp Group's role as a multi-faceted mirror reflecting many of the issues top most on Singaporeans' minds. Said Mr Ho, "Our mission is not to push the boundaries of aesthetic, cultural, or political expression, nor is it to promote our own points or view or agendas. That is for other change agents to do in an increasingly mature civil society. But to the extent that our mission is to provide a mirror for our own people to see themselves and their future, we will occasionally reflect views which may not even be our own, but may still upset some people." the above statement by ho kwonping is perhaps one of the most confusing statement that he has ever made. and it reflects the real and confusing status and role of the singapore media. on one hand the media, according to kwonping, is simply reporting, no views and no opinion and no stand. but then, occasionally it will reflect, not report, views that may not even be theirs but may upset some people. very funny way of expressing a kiasu, kiasi and bo chap attitude but at times still want to be gungho and be bo kia.

national service, the meaning of sacrifice

the starting pay of a national serviceman is $350. how much would a young national serviceman have sacrificed for the country just on monetary term alone? any young man would be able to get a job for about $750. a A level student would be able to start with $800. a poly grad would easily start at $1,000. these young men would stand to lose between $400 to $650 a month. assuming the same figures for two and a half years, the amount of monetary sacrifice will be $12,000 to $19,500. then there are the lost of two and a half years of working experience or time to acquire commercial skills, and the annual in camp training till the age of 45 or 50 which will disrupt their family and working life. a male citizen will have to contribute that much to the nation. what has the nation got to repay them for such a great sacrifice? the politicians claimed that it is a big sacrifice for standing for public office and were handsomely compensated, some to the tune of more than $100,000 a month. compare this with $350 a month for a nsman. i think everyone will volunteer to 'sacrifice' themselves to be a politician. the meaning of sacrifice is different at different level. and nsmen took it in their stride. no complains. but the politicians are giving the picture that they are not getting good value for their sacrifices to serve the nation. and some even hint of quitting as they can get better returns in the private sector. rightly they should quit to join the private sector which would probably pay them a smaller peanut.

a city of 7-8 million population

is this a too ambitious plan for the limited land that we have to grow? all or most of our policy decisions are anchored onto this assumption, that we need such a big population to be viable. can we really afford that? the first victim to fall to this ambitious plan is the size of hdb flats. the rooms are getting smaller, not forgetting the price remains or getting higher. they forgot to introduce a drug so that all singaporeans will be no taller than 5 feet high. that may make the new miniature flats more hospitable to live in. how much more land must we reclaim or create, and how much more reserve lands must we convert for the doubling of our population? how many more roads must be built to cater for a doubling of vehicles on the roads, and car parks as well. or maybe by then no cars will be allowed on the roads and transportation is my mass public transport. only a very few would be allowed to own cars to avoid road congestion. and the schools, hospitals, essential services and recreational activities, can they have enough capacities to cope with the demand. have they also forgotten that the water we drink is going to be filtered by double the amount of people? and the air we breathe will be exchanged by the 8 million people in this small little space. would it be too contaminated or too contagious for living? for the moment we can still breathe quite easily, a little more elbow room to push around. when the population is doubled, can we imagine what life will be in this little island? would it be better to let the population grow at its natural pace, with a little assistance instead of applying the instant tree methodology? 4 million, maybe 5 million and stabilise at that?