NTUC against wage inflation, not pay rise.

Heng Chee How replied to a forumer, Daniel Tan, in the ST explaining that NTUC is not against pay rise. It is wage inflation that NTUC is against. This, I think, means that if the pay rise does not contribute to wage inflation, then NTUC will support it. If it does, than it will not support it. This is the simplest way of looking at it. Maybe there are more complicated ways of explaining this which I too find difficult to explain. Heng Chee How also said that, 'The most effective and sustainable way to help workers tackle inflation is to grow the economy, create more jobs, upgrade skills and improve productivity to keep employment high and unemployment low. What I would like to add is to raise GST. That will be able the help the workers more.

Helping Singaporeans to be gracious and grateful

Mercy Relief was formed 5 years ago in the wake of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. Since then there were earthquakes in Sichuan and typhoon in Myanmar to keep Mercy Relief busy. Now that these were over, while waiting for another natural disaster to happen, it is good that Mercy Relief takes on something useful, like helping Singaporeans to be graceful, and to be grateful of what they have. A 5 month campaign is on the card, Cultivating a Grateful and Gracious Society Campaign with an equally attractive slogan, 'If we could care for strangers, caring wouldn't be strange.' It is good that after learning to care for strangers, we start to look inwards to care for our own people. Charity begins at home is not applicable for Singaporeans. We are so gracious that we practised Charity begins at Strangers. Never mind that we suddenly realised that we need to be graceful to our own people. The campaign will include concerts , exhibitions and talks to schools and religious organisations. It is comforting to know that Mercy Relief has a big budget for such a campaign. Only affluent societies can afford to spend money on being graceful and grateful.

Empty roads empty shops

Is it an overkill, the roads inside CBD are practically empty especially around the Chinatown area. And the retail and food stall owners are manning empty stalls. Business has been hit and is down by 50% as reported in the news. The jewel of Singapore's tourist attraction is turning into a ghost to at least for this month. We have empty roads to help businesses. The businesses now need help. The newly opened Chinatown Food Centre, if I get the name correct, is said to have 60% of the shops open for business. And shops are closing early as customers are hard to come by in the evening. Roads are made for use, not to be empty. There is an optimum point before congestion slows down traffic and leads to dysfunctional roads. And empty roads are as good as dysfunctional for being under utilised. Maybe it is still too early and motorists have not got use to the higher ERP charges and more ERP gantries. Give it another 6 months and business will be roaring. The motorists just need to get use to paying more.

Least favourite child

I would not dare to attempt to write about what it is like as the least favourite child as in Nur Dianah Suhaimi's article. You need to be in that person's shoe to know and feel what it is like. It is good that on our 43rd birthday, we can talk about it in the mainstream paper. It was a very sensitive issue for the last four decades and we are loosening up a little and tipping our toes into this issue warily. There were stereotyping for sure. There were also genuine concerns and historical concerns. The inability to participate fully in all avenues and areas of a nation's development is very painful. And this is especially true for the Malay elite who think more and could rationalise more. Many questions were asked and many were unanswered, or difficult to answer, or poorly answered. National service, to don on the military uniform to serve the nation, a statement of loyalty and trust, cannot be dismissed lightly. To be left out of this process is a very difficult thing to accept and to many, unacceptable. And it is good that the Malay community want to serve and fighting for their right to serve the country in the most honourable way. Nur Dianah's father did not serve NS like any other Singaporeans. And this is bugging him and his family for being left out for no fault of his. And for those who are serving NS, but in the Police Force, the slight is also being felt. Could we come up with a better and more acceptable solution to this problem? We have made some inroads and some progress over the years, but not enough. Until the sense of being left out, being the least favourite child is removed, the solution or status quo is far from adequate. Now, with so many talents and so much being paid to these talents, this is an issue that is worthy to crack their talented minds instead of being stressed over mundane issues that no talents can also do better. We as a nation need to embrace every member of our citizenship equally as one of us. No buts. Don't ask me for solutions. I am not up to it and neither am I being paid for it. We need to help our Malay community to chase their aspirations like any other Singaporeans unhindered by any roadblocks.

The biting reticence of Singaporeans

Two articles worthy to read appeared in today's Sunday Times. 'Time to tolerate political diversity' by Cherian George and 'Feeling like the least favourite child' by Nur Dianah Suhaimi. Both expressed an inner feeling of what things are and what were their aspirations of how things could be better from two groups of disfavoured children of paradise. Let me deal with Cherian's piece first and Nur Dianah's in another post. Cherian George dealt with three issues, political intolerance, lacking of civility in politics and passionate people wanting a better Singapore for all Singaporeans. We have seen the worst of political intolerance in our history and this intolerance is not going to go away. It may get worst. It is already in our blood. The victims were people who chose to take a different path, join a different political party and sing a different song. Even when they were doing all these legitimately, legally as far as our constitution and political system granted them, their fate was absymal. This is mixed with a high dosage of lacking in civility on both sides. Yes, both sides. None is better than the other as far as civility is concerned. And this has led to a point that good people would not join the alternative parties and neither will they want to be seen to be associated with the ruling party. As Cherian George put it, 'Nobody should be surprised when either bully talk by those with power or histrionics by those without leave the broad middle ground turned off....There is that well known fear of taking positions that can be construed as anti government. But there are also talented young people who feel embarrassed about joining the Government because their peers scorn such a path as lacking in idealism.' A kind of sell out of principles and idealism I supposed. Lately there have been many calls by well meaning Singaporeans in power or close to the power saying that Singaporeans must speak out fearlessly, with passion and sincerity. There is this belief, or new trend of thought, that being passionate and sincere is a licence to say speak freely. I hope this is real. Turning back to what Chua Lee Hoong wrote yesterday, that we are now unfurling our authoritarian flag unashammingly and with pride, would we see a meaningful change in our political culture and political system? Or we are seeing encouragement to stride proudly into the realms of authoritarianism? We should not be confused with having a tough govt making tough decisions for the good of the people and an authoritarian govt that runs a country for their own good. The two are not synonymous.