$290 definitely enough

The ministry is reviewing the need to revise the $290 for the Public Assistance Scheme and understandably it will take time, maybe a year, as it is tax payers money that is being given out, and got to be very careful in spending such money. In the meantime let me make a guesstimate on how much would such folks need to get by. Say $2 for breakfast, $3 for lunch and dinner. That's $8 a day or $240 pm. Another $50 for rental and PUB bills. Just nice. And at year end give them a little angpow of $50 to buy a few pieces of new clothing. That should do. For such a sum, the frugal and thrifty may even have some savings if they rely on instant noodles, add an egg, a few pieces of vegetables or tauhu or ikan bilis. Great and healthy meal and got money to spare too. If Boon Wan would to review the sum, I think he will err on the side of generosity and may round it up to $300. That will be nice. As for me, I must also plan for my retirement. I am looking for a job that will pay me $5k pm on retirement when I do practically nothing. That will be very nice. And if I spend $8 a day on food, I will have plenty of money to live like a king on weekends in Batam. Wow, getting $5k pm on retirement and doing sweet nothing. Anyone got such a lobang please let me know.

Housing is affordable

I must agree with Mah Bow Tan that housing is affordable. Singaporeans have a wide option to choose from, from the exclusive condos to the rental flats. So if one cannot afford a 4 rm flat, go for 3 rm. If that also cannot, go for rental. Everyone should live within his means and opt for the appropriate housing type. Everyone has a choice. But in the case of hospitalisation, hey it is a different matter when you cannot choose which expensive wards you want to be warded. Ok, ok, you can choose even C wards but you have to pay a little more. If people are given a choice to opt for things at a lower price, then it is affordable.

Time to return to sanity

The conflict of interest between serving the people and profit maximisation does not need further elaboration. Public services, medical, education, essential services, transportations should serve the interest of the people more than to serve the interest of a few shareholders. In Raymond Lim's reform of the public transport service, nothing significant will come out of it if the interest of the people to move around, for work and leisure, is not addressed. And if these interests are curtailed just to serve a few shareholders, then we are going to incapacitate the movement of our people. When people stop moving, when vehicles stop moving, we are no better than the jams in Bangkok or Jakarta. There the traffic are stopped from moving by bad planning. Here our traffic are stopped from moving by too much planning. What's the difference? Time to return to sanity. Time to serve the people.

Help, Help, Help!

Young people buying HDB flats need help. People needing medical treatment need help. The retirees and aged and the poor need help. But everything is affordable! Why would all these people need help when everything is affordable? HDB prices are still selling above market rate. Can't this be managed so that the prices are really affordable without help? Medical fees, out of control? Nothing can be done? The poor and aged, why are they being left behind by the high cost of living? If we seriously managed the cost of essential goods and services, including HDB flats, the people should be able to manage their lives without govt help. Helping them is a reflection of policies going wrong. But we have the whole world to blame despite all the super talents and their super pay. Why can't they solve these problems? Maybe that's the best they can do.

Profile of Singaporeans

My guesstimate is that 5% of Singaporeans are truly world class and 20% belong to the rich class. The next category, the above average Singaporeans would probably take up 30%. These three classes are quite comfortable in life. The next 30% will be the survival class, surviving everyday. And the rest will be the struggling class, maybe 15%. With the above demography, it is going to be very tough to plan our policies by simply pushing everything to be world class. The govt hospitals have been adapting to this reality, that not everyone is first class and have 5 classes of wards to cater for the different level of needs. Public policies must not forget this reality. By dumping world class services to the underclass is cruelty. Have mercy on those who cannot afford world class services. But if you ask the masses if they want world class facilities and services, it is like asking them if they want to strike Toto. The reply is obvious. Let us be kind by providing good and decent services to the appropriate consumers and world class services to those who can pay. Keep your brutal truth at home.