Generating contrived demands for goods and services

On one side of the coin there is this huge cry for more headcounts to sustain the economy and more growth. We need 2.5% to keep the population sustainable or, I think, we will disappear from this world. The rest of the world leaders are simply silly for not pushing for 2.5% population growth to keep their countries from dying. Europe, America, Japan, in fact all the developed countries will soon end up as history, forgotten civilisations. They failed, and willingly failed to boost their population growth. It is not only irresponsible, it is stupidity at its hike. Maybe that is why they are paid so much lesser, with a lesser brain to go along. Good thinking brains, able to plan ahead, to forsee future problems, need to be adequately rewarded. Singapore will survive with our 2.5% growth or more, while the other developed countries will be passe.



There are so many good things about population growth. It creates and generates demands for everything, housing, food, medical services, cars, transportation, schools, in fact everything. And when demand is high, the values of all goods and services will go up, and the whole economy becomes more vibrant. The more the demand, the more there is a need to build and provide for more services, and with more services and homes build, there is more need to bring in more people to occupy them and make the rest of the services profitable. It is a virtuous cycle.



This is like the lifestyle of a poor man and a rich man. The poor bugger, eats less, needs less, works less, and lives on less. The body gets thinner and needs lesser food, lesser space and eventually wither away. The rich guy eats more, needs more, works more to feed his needs, lives on more, needs more services to amuse himself and to keep his body going, leading to more and more demands for goods and services.



There is definitely a need to bring in more people to generate more demands for everything, more housing, more cars and transportation, more hospitals, more services.



The bid number of people has a small drawback. Over supply of labour will drive wages down. But this is a small price to pay if we want to generate more demands for very thing to keep the economy going. Higher prices of everything especially properties will make all property owners happy. A little bit of congestions or jams is bearable if we want growth and a higher standard of living.



It reminds me of the story of the guy lying on the beach below the coconut tree. Actually there were two guys. One was there since he was born, lazing around to enjoy his sun, sand and sea. The other was a very successful man who had worked all this life and had acquired enough riches to enjoy the sun, sand and sea. The former did not bother about the all the electronic gadgets, fine food and theatres and the arts. He did not know they existed and did not miss them. The latter had all of them and was running away from all that he had. He just wanted to get away from it all, to lie peacefully under the sun, on the beach, doing nothing.



We schemed, planned and worked so hard to get further away from the big landed property we want to share with our families and children, to grow up and play. We laughed and sneered at the North Koreans, condemning them of living in abject poverty, in their sprawling landed properties that cost maybe $10k, with only minimal electronic gadgets, and a big family of children running around. We have progressed, spend our time dining and wining with people that don’t mean much but have no time for our families, or to even have children. We spend all our waking time at work only to return to sleep in our little palaces, too tired to even talk to the children who, if any, would be fast asleep.



We achieved, we are high achievers, high living, and enjoy a great and busy life.

Miserables rebelling

The signs of the miserables rebelling are beginning to show. On one corner, those against pay rise for workers. On the other corner, those who feel that the workers have been underpaid and need a boost in their income to keep pace with the high cost of living.

The interesting thing, who are the people standing up for the workers’ plight? We are hearing voices from the luminaries crying out for the workers, and some prominent members of the establishment. Conscience pricks? This is unheard off since the centuries of revolutions in France, Russia and China. Today, the human resource professionals are also standing up for the workers. They understand the lot of the workers and how they are coping with the rising inflation. They have pooh poohed the myth that workers can buy a decent public flat with a $1000 monthly income or things along this line of thinking.

Now, who are at the other corner that are against giving workers a decent pay rise, a decent income to live a decent life? Maybe they believe that the workers are having a really good time and a really good life. No need to pay the workers crazily. With half a million dollar of subsidies, the workers are all half a millionaire. They are the envies of the world.

More upgrading is needed

More upgrading is needed in all jobs. We are now in the first world where everything is about being the best. Our dirty wet market is going and will be a thing of the past. Our hawker centres too will join the dinosaurs. We will keep improving our quality of life and lifestyle. Our universities are producing more and more graduates and the graduates will fill the jobs of those used to be filled by O level certificate holders.



The call for training and upgrading is a necessary call. The housing agents, insurance agents, stockbroking agents, all need to go for courses to upgrade their professionalism and image of professionalism. It is a matter of time that all these agents, excluding secret agents, will need to be graduates. If not, where else are they going to put all the graduates?



Taxi drivers too will need upgrading. So would be train drivers and eventually down to the table and dish cleaners at the new upgraded air conditioned foodcourts. Cleaning tables and washing bowls and plates need specialised skills and the use of modern equipment to improve productivity. Send them for more courses, if not improving their skills and attitude, it is also good to know. But don’t expect any salary increment for attending all the courses and upgrading. Some are necessary, some are good to know and some are good without the need to know.



There are very few professions where there is no need for upgrading or to attend more courses. For those who want to get more salary increment without having to attend courses or the need for upgrading, be a politician. The additional courses or higher degrees are kind of wasteful training as they are mostly not needed. What kind of skills transfer and benefits will there be for a surgeon or lawyer to become an environment minister or housing minister or sports minister? It has been proven that all the politicians, no matter how many PhDs they have or in whatever field, or if they don’t have any, did not make any difference. They will all still become an expert in the ministry they are posted to, quite instantly in some cases. No need for any training or upgrading or good to know courses to attend, to pay for them, and to sit and pass examinations.



Sometimes I wonder if it is the job that is too easy or the incumbent that is too talented to make political appointments and jobs look so easy, and rightfully deserving of more and more increments, and without the need for more training nor productivity increases. Would any smart Alec dare to suggest putting politicians to attend upgrading and good to know courses, make them attend classes, pay to sit for examinations because it is good for them to know?

When doctors waited for you

This is a strange thing to happen. The doctors, dental surgeons and other medical professionals were there waiting to treat you. We used to have only one general hospital and a few clinics to serve the population. The population was smaller and the number of medical professionals too was smaller, and private doctors and clinics were not many.

Those were the times when the medical fees were relatively cheap and the doctors were often found waiting for patients. But their lifestyle was much better, driving Mercedes and living in landed properties still.

Our population has grown and so have our medical facilities and medical professionals. The mentality of the people has also changed. Every little pimple appearing on their backside or a little black spot on the face and they would want to queue up to see a specialist. They would not bother to squeeze out the pimple or scratch away the black spot with a pen knife.

We have several big general hospitals and several big private hospitals today. And the number of practitioners has grown too. We probably have more specialists today than we have GPs in the 60s and 70s. When we made an appointment then it was a week or a few days ahead.

Today, an appointment with a dental surgeon or GP in public hospital or clinic, if one is paying subsidised rate, can be one year or several years down the road. 3 years wait is quite common. But if you tell them you are willing to pay, suddenly the queue is immediately shortened. How much shorter depends on how much one is willing to pay to jump the queue, especially in the private sector.

This is progress. We have more than 5m people and when everyone is willing to pay for good service, the one who has a bigger bank account will get the best service available. No one is or will be deprived of medical services. It may just take a little longer. The medical condition just needs to wait for its turn to be treated.

Could there be a message in a 1 year or 3 year appointment? The first is simply, pay if you can’t wait. Or maybe the condition is just not urgent enough. Or is it another way of telling the patient,  ‘Hope you will be smart enough to go somewhere. Don’t come and waste my time.’ Or it could be another hope, that the patients may not survive the 3 years wait and the problem will take care of itself naturally.

We have progressed, and our way of solving pesky problems has also improved, very diplomatically. If one is unwilling to pay the ransom or market rate, one has to wait for the doctors. 3 years is reasonable, it is subsidised what do you expect? Today we have progressed from having lower quality services when doctors waited for patients, to world class services when patients have to wait for doctors.

Singapore’s top of the pop chart

 

The most popular songs in the island are:

1.    We need more immigrants

2.    Big income gap is unavoidable

3.    High medical bills equal top quality

4.    High property prices are affordable

5.    High wage increase for workers is dangerous

6.    Singaporeans first, but wait, all immigrants will become Singaporeans

7.    Salary increment must have productivity

8.    Workers rejects high wage rise

9.    High wage increase causes inflation

10.                       Workers want wage rise to fight inflation

11.                       Workers are not stupid

12.                       COE not high enough

13.                       Public transport is world class

14.                       HDB flats never shrink

15.                       Small flats good quality of life

16.                       We want more babies for the economy

17.                       No need by election

18.                       Wait for 2016