2003 Household Expenditure Survey/Census of Population Bottom 20% $302.41 average monthly income per household member Next 20% $578.45 Next 20% $877.69 Next 20% $1306.70 Top 20% $2845.87 The above figures were provided by Siew Kum Hong using some extrapolations of 2% and 4% of annual rise in income and expenditure for period 2001-03 and 3004-07. If the average income of each household member of the top 20% is $2845, what about those with an average household income per household member of $5,000 or $10,000? No such animals?

thank you bloggers and forumers

Thank you bloggers and forumers That is what the govt would like to say but would not say it after hearing Hsien Loong’s speech at the PAP Party Conference. He had addressed all the concerns raised by the bloggers and forumers in cyberspace. The main issues were of course all the concerns about the GST, the poorer Singaporeans and the recognition and the need for a clear distinction between Singaporeans and non Singaporeans. Even the hiphop that was not hip were not missed. The gripes that PRs and foreigners were receiving the same or better treatments than Singaporeans were put to rest in a way, hopefully. And these were issues that no main stream media would dare to raise, or if they did, in a very cursory form. Only in cyberspace that all the fires and brickbats were hurled daily to make the issues an urgent issue not to be ignored. Hotel Singapore was not mentioned directly but it was clearly denied that Singapore was a hotel for all the fair weather travellers and freeloaders. There is a saying that the people who complained the most, who made the most biting remarks are actually your teachers. These are the people that meant well and if carefully listened to, they have a message to tell. Compare this to all those that only say good things and praises, the end result can be disastrous. It is like no warning signs and suddenly death struck. Bloggers and forumers, you are heard. And you have an important role to play. The MSM cannot do what you are doing. They only sing praises. And without the kpkb in cyberspace, all the concerns that Hsien Loong addressed may not be addressed at all. With MSM and everyone saying only the good things, the PAP may have just go along with what it was doing happily.

another jumper at admiralty station?

Looks like the train had taken a wrong turn. The MRT track is now for pedestrains to use. Whatever, it is a message, a very loud message to those who think earning a million is not enough and need more pay rise. All the talks about compassion and helping the poor when one by one jumps onto the MRT track. Do all these acts evoke any sense of guilt? Or should the party go on and peanuts for everyone?

we need another brilliant sequel to 2% gst

I have sort of been praising the impending 2% rise in GST as one of the most brilliant ideas that can come from our supertalents. And I really hope that they can pull it through and benefit all the poor buggers who are struggling for an existence, the 30% right at the bottom and the 40% sandwiched in between. Just hope that the tax raised out of these 2% are not redirected somewhere else under whatever guise. It is for the people, to help the people, to reduce the income gap. It is not to build more infrastructure that cannot fill the stomach or pay for school fees and transport, not for the pay rise of the already very comfortable. But this part is hard to prove as budget not spend in one area, or save, will mean that it can be used in another area. The ingenuity of this move is that it defies all conventional wisdom. It is like saying gravity will throw an apple upwards. Nonetheless it is a great idea, a great hope. And that is why they deserve top dollars for exactly things like this. Now I am looking for a sequel, another ingenious idea like paying all Singaporeans, including the low level workers, high salaries and still be competitive and productive. I would like to hear a new directive or plan saying that Singapore is moving away from low wages and need not fear competition from India and China. Or something like we can pay our workers the highest salaries in the world and still attract all the MNCs to set up operations here. Now that will be something that can match this 2% GST to help the people and make them better off.

How Singaporean are we?

The latest incident in Medan where a Singaporean working there was beaten up by an Indonesian cop is a good example of how much Singaporeans feel as one people. Watching the video clip in the news of the Singaporean being viciously battered when he was down and defenceless could and should evoke some kind of emotions from fellow Singaporeans. It did to me. The victim was a Singaporean, was one of us. It was quite a sickening feeling to see foreigners taking liberties to bash another Singaporean. It is like bashing us. I raised the issue in Cyberspace, in both my forum and blog. The reactions from fellow Singaporeans range from apathy to denials. Some even raised questions like the Singaporean probably had done something wrong and invited the attack. It is kind of, well, it does not concern me. There is no ‘us’ feeling. We don’t feel nor share the sense of being Singaporean. The misfortune that happens to other Singaporeans does not concern us. Why was there no emotional outburst or gut reaction against the attacker for attacking another Singaporean? I would expect some angry postings or protests in cyberspace against the attacker. Maybe hurling some abusive remarks like in cyberspace style. But practically nothing was said. A non event. And no letters to the Straits Times forum. Is it that we are now being too rational, too logical, too pragmatic, too thinking, that we are so detached from our emotions? It could be a good thing. But from the angle of being a people, I would like to see a spontaneous feeling of anger and a sense of injustice for another Singaporean without the rationalization. This can come up later when things cool down. When we are talking about being Singaporeans, being one people, it is an emotional thing. Some can feel proud or shed a little tear watching the National Day parade and knowing how far we have come. When Michael Fay was being caned for breaking our law, even the US President got involved. Then the Australian Govt and Australians were all emotions when we hanged the Australian drug peddler. This is what being one people is all about. To stand together, to feel as one people. I think we have lost that in the Medan incident.