The right hand left hand wayang

Promoting healthy family life was once given some exposure as a core tenet of our society. We need to organise the workplace and the country to promote healthy lifestyle and quality family life. There were even talks of setting up nurseries in workplace for parents to be near their children. The latest change in ERP hours have stirred the parents' nest. They are angry with the way they have been chased around to beat the ERP charges. From 7.30 am to 7am, how much difference could that mean to all these hard pressed parents ferrrying their school going children or rushing them to foster or grandparents before they leave for work? And it is not only the money. The toll of rushing in the wee hours of the morning, and the poor children were not spared either. They too must be woken in even earlier hours. How would all these affect quality family life? Didn't the left hand knows what the right hand is doing? Come on, this kind of patronising thought is best left to the kopitiams. All the pros and cons have been carefully thrashed out. The super talents must have done their homework and due diligence. Everything has been considered. And the solution is the best that is possible. Now what is all these complainings about early morning rush hours? Get use to it parents and little children. That is what living is a great first world city is all about. Say thank you for the privilege. This is a city that does not sleep.

Quotes by Hsien Loong

"I don't want to have anybody who is 85 years old or 90 years old and say ‘my CPF finished, I have no insurance, and now I need to live. And I have nobody to look after me… then what happens?" PM Lee Hsien Loong Now how to make sure that everyone will have money at those queer ages? Take their money first and keep them till they reach 85. Its elementary. The people must provide for themselves. There is no charity. Problem solved.

They still didn't get it!

I read this caption below a pic in the Today paper. 'Stand by Lee: Director Ang Lee is flanked by lead actor of his latest film, Wang Lee Hom and Tang Wei.' Then the story below begins like this: 'American censors have slapped Lee Ang's follow up to Brokeback Mountain....' Is this Mr Lee or Mr Ang? The news was from Agencies. Still no excuse as it is reproduced in a local paper. Mr Lee or Mr Yew may not think this is funny.

Questioning the sanity of ERP hikes

Two letters in Today by a James Teo and a Loke Yue Chong questioned how the decision to raise ERP charges came about. Both could not believe that there were no better solutions available and James Teo even came out with several options. I think both, or if not many Singaporeans, still think that they can offer better solutions than our supertalents. Now that is bad. How would ordinary citizens think that they can think better? We must not doubt that many hours of serious thinking and effort were put in to come out with such a brilliant solution. It is patronising to think that our super talents were not working or unable to think of alternatives that ordinary citizens could think of. And if the people think that these solutions are still not good enough, pay more. Pay more and get more talented people to come out with better solutions. This is the best solutions at this current price.

The worst is Now!

The oldies of today that are in a desperate position are those in the 60s and above. I called this the lost generation for many do not have a proper education to live a reasonable life and have no savings. Many are illiterate and penniless and homeless. The older ones may have migrated here and slogged through their lives as coolies or odd job labourers. With them around, maybe another 10 or 20 years, their problems will be most felt by the society. We will see glimpses of them trying to manage their old age, trying out anything that people suggested, sometime doing foolish things. Or they would just sit by the void decks or anywhere watching the days that go by. The interesting thing is that the problem is not critical. The situation is bearable. Where is the need for panic? And it is also too late for this group to start saving. After this lost generation have departed, the next batch is the baby boomers. Many are very well off. And many would have some education and a flat, and CPF. The situation of this group is much better than the lost generation. At least they know how to take care of themselves. There will be exceptions. A certain group will still fall into the category of destitute. If the lost generation did not pose such a big problem, why should we panic for this generation and the next few generations that are very much better off? What is the statistics to prove that all these useless oldies will be a burden to themselves and to the state? And the state is growing richer and richer and would not have serious financial problems to take care of a small minority of oldies that have no where to turn to. Don't tell the people that the state cannot afford to look after a small group of remnants that needed help at their last few years of life? What is the number? There may be 200k of oldies above 80. But how many will need charity?