Protecting our shared assets

This little rock is all we have. Theoretically all the infrastructure and assets belong to the citizens. I say theoretically as some will say no. The future generations shall inherit what is being left to them. My question is whether there will be much left for them if we keep on selling our assets/landed properties to foreigners, or keep inviting foreigners to become citizens to share these shared assets. By doubling the foreigners, who then turn citizens, what is left for the original citizens will be halved. If this process keeps going, the pie and the share of our children will keep on decreasing. Yes, we need to protect our shared assets by not selling them in the first place. And secondly, by not bringing in more foreigners to share with us. If these two processes are not stopped, there will be nothing much left to protect in the future. When we were someone's colony, we have no say as to who shall come and go. We too were visitors. Now that we are owners of this piece of rock, we must decide who we want to welcome and how many we would want to welcome. We are not a land mass, a continent. We are just a piece of rock. Many even sneer at how small we are. Only we are crazy enough to think that we have such a big piece of land and we can bring in the people of the world. Singaporeans have never been xenophobic. We have welcomed foreigners and made them feel very welcome and comfortable here. But when the number gets too big, we already have more than 1m foreigners here, and some are thinking of bringing in another 900k. Is this a good thing, a wise thing to do? It is like living in a 4 rm flat. It is quite tolerable and can be fun to share a room with a foreign guest. Do we want to give up two rooms to the foreign guests and squeeze ourselves into one little room, and share our common room, our toilets and kitchens with so many strangers? There is a limit that we can do. People living in big bungalows would not understand what it is like to share your little flats with strangers. And if they are going to make this kind of decision for you, they will, against your interest and comfort, while they stay happily in their spacious mansions. We have nothing against foreigners. But we must guard our assets for our families and children. We do not want to be squeezed into a little room and make our foreigners happy in our little flat. We have to decide our future for ourselves, the little people living in little flats.

A show case GE rally

We have the most stylist GE rallies over the last 9 days. Every party was well supported by their teams of planners and organisers to make the rallies run smoothly and effectively like clockwork. The voters turned up in droves to attend the rallies, rain or shine. Some called it rock concert election rallies where personalities like Nicole Seah, Chen Show Mao, Vincent Wijeysingha, Ang Yong Guan and Tan Jee Say were clearly the hot favourites and crowd pullers. The people just wanted to know them and to hear what they had to say. Of course Nicole was the crowd darling wherever she went. While Singaporeans and the politicians were presenting their best front, unlike the days of rogues and gangsters, we are being watched by the millions of foreigners living among us. I think we have created a very good impression of what a civil and mature society is like and how a GE shall be conducted, clean, dignified and serious. We must thank Hsien Loong and his gang, oops, his party, for allowing this GE to be different, to be contested in the way it should be. We must also thank him for restraining his people from indulging in gutter politics, while antiques in their midst did try, to go back to the dark days where they would win by all means, foul or otherwise. We must also thank Hsien Loong for allowing the alternative media the freedom to say and post freely. Some still crossed the line of decency, but many used their freedom of expression responsibly with a little self regulation. Now who says alternative media cannot be responsible if left on their own? The role of alternative media was well recognised and fully exploited in the election campaign by all parties, the political parties and the political watchers. In a way they have contributed to keep the election hustings on a level keel, threatening too, to rubbish anyone attempting to play dirty. They too gave the opposition an avenue to be heard as clear as they wished. The people who wanted to hear and know both sides of the story can always turn to the alternative media for a more balance presentation. We must also thank the opposition parties for coming forward on a united front, minimise inter party rivalry and bickering, and preventing three corner fights to make the contest more competitive. And we are also grateful that they are able to attract good candidates to give the people a real alternative and not a Hobson’s choice. The brave new faces must be patted on their backs for taking up the challenge, to want to represent the people against all odds, and the possibility of losing everything. Let’ pray for them that none will be sued to bankruptcy and none will have to run road after the GE is over. And the surprising apathetic young were all geared up to the occasion. They wanted to play a role they some thought they were not interested. How could they remain disinterested when their future is at stake, when buying a flat can empty all their savings for the most part of their lives? They wanted to have a say, and they will vote for what is good for themselves as they see it. A final word for all the internet brigades and warriors out there banging away at their keyboards, and combing all the reports in all the media for errant comments and foul play, well done. Their watchdog role has kept the combatants at bay and wary of the counterstrike force lurking in cyberspace to do justice to the victims of dirty politics. Singaporeans should be proud of this GE and how it went. Now is to sit back and let the voices and votes of the people unfold to complete the story of a civil GE by decent people. In less than 24 hours, we will be eating the cake that we have baked together as a people.

The most decent election campaign

I must admit that we have the most decent political rally for a GE over the past few days. It was almost free of personal attacks and all parties tried their best to stick to issues and policies. It is possible that we can keep a contentious situation under control if all parties play the game with good sportsmanship. There were a few instances where they threatened to get ugly, but fortunately again, the transgressions did not get developed into something uglier. Let’s hope that future election will be conducted in such manners and candidates can still shake hands after the hustings are over without feeling too hurt and without getting angry with each other. It is quite an achievement by all parties concerned. The internet too did not get too wild either. The restraint is commendable.

A poem on the political situation in paradise

我国有个老痴呆, 继续执政不下台. 百万年薪多自在, 自吹自磊最厉害. 儿子演说不精彩, 为何当选真奇怪. 党员都穿一身白, 自称精英和人材. 好事全都往前摆, 坏事全都地下埋. 年底花红各自派, 加薪幅度不是盖. 政敌全都一身債, 只因被告到破財. 人们都不生小孩, 只好空运从海外. 搞到平民怨声在, 没人理会没人睬. 到了选举那年来, 只会用钱来收买. 此人何时会失败, 大家不防猜一猜. I received in my email. Hope someone can translate this into English.

PAP may pay for these cavalier statements

In the comfort of their well appointed offices and homes, and fat pays and fat bank accounts, it is so easy to make statements to tell the people off. When the people kpkb about high property prices, they said downgrade and buy smaller flats. When people kpkb about high car prices, they said take public transport if can’t afford it. When people kpkb about high cost of living, they said tighten your belt, eat fish if can’t afford chicken. When people kpkb about GST, they said it is to help the poor. When people asked about GST on essential services, they said too difficult to draw the line. And they said Singaporeans are daft, lack motivation and lack drive, need a spur on their hide. And foreign talents are imported to help the no talent Singaporeans, to create jobs for them. When opposition parties brought up suggestions, they shot everything down. Nothing from the opposition is good. Opposition candidates are people with doubtful motives, lesser talents. And the people are lesser mortals, complaining about a few cents hike in bus fares or a cup of kopi or a few dollars. Tsk, tsk, tsk, so petty. $600k is peanut. As for PMETs, they must go for more retraining to do jobs below what they used to do. Don’t be choosey. Their high paying jobs now being done by FTs. And still they insist that HDB flats are affordable, hospital bills are affordable. And anyone they push out is a super talent, the best talent, and Singaporeans must accept them as real talents. And they pay themselves millions and millions and said Singaporeans are not complaining what. And they threatened you, called you irresponsible if you vote opposition. And when you kpkb too much, they said they no need to listen and can be deaf frogs, and do what is good for you in their own terms. Would the Singaporeans remember and make the PAP pay for their cavalier attitude towards them?