When they got it right

Theoretically the govt of today should be better received by the people than those of the 60s and 70s. The people are richer, better educated, better housed and the quality of life has improved. Why is it that the govt of today seems to be losing it, losing the support and confidence of the people? Maybe I am wrong and the people, or at least the majority of the people, are fully behind the govt.

In my view, there were so much respect and deference given to the first and second generation leaders than today. Life was not as good, and there were many problems that were really serious. Unemployment was a serious threat when the economy was young and small. But they worked hard to get jobs for the people. It was never a case of training or handouts or funny schemes.

Educational level was low and there were very few trained professionals to run the industries. There were hardly any industry except small businesses and cottage industries. And housing was a serious issue aggravated by the big Bukit Ho Swee fire.

What the govt did right then, when many things were uncertain, was to go to the basics. It built schools to educate the people. It created jobs and more jobs to keep the people employed. It built houses, really affordable houses for the people. Even the civil service and uniformed services prioritized the needs of their employees by given them cheap loans and priority allocations. Basically, feed the people, house the people, give them a roof over their heads, give them jobs and social mobility. And the hearts and mind of the people were solidly behind the govt.

Then things changed. It became a case of making as much money as possible from the people with the essential services that the people needed. Education was no longer cheap. Health services were killing if not, may empty the savings of the people. Jobs were aplenty for foreigners but our own people ended as taxi drivers or self employed out of no choice, out of jobs and could not get reemployed. Those above 40s were more perilous as the young employers, including HR, thought is a wise thing to discard the dried orange skins. And while the people cry for jobs, they were sent for retraining to downgrade, not to upgrade. This is uniquely Singapore, train to be downgraded! They were told not to be choosy when that was not even an issue. It applies to housing as well. Go down grade, lower expectations….

And the foreigners, now called foreign talents, were all laughing at the silly citizens for crying our loud like pathetic and spoilt children without knowing why. To the govt, the people are getting lazy and too pampered and daft of course. How could that be when university graduates are prepared to do any jobs, manual jobs, sales representatives, driving cranes and taxis, or do temporary jobs? No the govt just cannot understand, or chose to look the other way.

And housing price keeps going up which is good for those who have bought their homes earlier but threatening the young from owning a home. And if they got one, it becomes a life time burden. And the HDB got the audacity not to build and demanded the young people to plan their lives and marriages well ahead if they want to get a flat on time, ie 4 or 5 years ahead. So easy mah.

And the cries of high prices were rubbished with the minister insisting that public housing were affordable, and even subsidized woh. And more ministers came out in full force to support the fiction with ridiculous statistics. Basically, giving the people a decently priced home is not in their minds, but how much to squeeze from the people. And if the people did not get a home, it is the people’s fault.

The people are caught in a dilemma, happy that they have bought a home before the price rocketed to the sky but worried that their children will become suckers to the ponzi scheme and indebted for life.

As for those who have lost their jobs, it is no longer the govt’s interest if they could survive by downgrading when the cost of living is up and with some having to service their mortgages and children in school. That is not the govt’s problem as long as they are sent for retraining and get a job, any job. No one cares whether citizens’ interests should come first and every joker is praising the great contributions of foreigners. Understandably foreigners are seemingly more important than citizens and they are happily employed, even ganging up to victimize the daft citizens in the daft citizens’ own country.

And what is the most important preoccupation of the politicians? Their high living and high spending lifestyle. Multi million dollar homes, overseas holidays, limousines without a care to the high cost of car ownership and whether the average Sinkies can afford the expensive housing and expensive COEs. All they know is to quip, live within your means, downgrade if you can’t.

What happens to improving the life of the people, upgrading the life of the people, housing the people? The only thing they want to upgrade is your flat and estate and you have to pay for it. The other big concern of the govt is the people’s money. This one the govt works very hard for it and regularly comes out with great schemes of things for the people to buy with their savings. The people’s savings, which for some queer reasons, the govt thinks it is alright to decide what they want to do with it, and keeping it for as long as it wants. Of course it is for the good of the people, the govt said so. The people did not believe so.

Why is the govt, so rich, the country so rich, the people so rich, living in million dollar properties and with so much money in their CPF savings, turning against the govt? Maybe I have misread the feelings of the people. Maybe I have been disconnected with the people and what I just posted is pure rubbish. The govt is well loved and supported by the people with all it good policies, people caring and people centric policies, and will be reelected again and again to rule the people. Come 2016, the ruling party will receive the biggest percentage of popular votes in its history. I am so foolish to think otherwise. And there is a national conversation for the common good of the govt and the people.

Untitled. A piece of RAR Art.

Conceived and painted by Mother Nature.

We are doing just fine

While in the church, the pigs were at their usual selves, gorging at the huge buffet spread. Napoleon looked at the table and at the other pigs and smile. ‘We are doing well, exceptionally well. Everyone agree?’ The rest of the pigs just nodded their heads without looking up, too busy feeding themselves and no time, no interest in anything else. Their hands were full, their mouths were full, their pockets were full, life was really good.

‘Oh about those noises that you heard, just tell them to live within their means and don’t over indulge in anything they can’t afford. Tell them space is a problem and flats will be smaller. We need the space for another 5 millions to ensure the buffet table is full all the time. There is no need to farce about that. We will design the small flats so well, cost a bit more money though, that they will not know the difference. In fact their quality of life will definitely not be affected. And tell them to walk, good for them. A Brompton bike is the Rolls Royce of all bicycles. Good for the bottom and riding on it for hours would not feel the strain. The bottom will feel just as good and happy. With such excellent bikes there is no need for cars. Advise them that cars are too expensive for them. Tell them to be prudent. And make sure they don’t squander away their CPF. Someone work on this, make sure their CPF savings are put to good use, for their own good.’

Nobody said anything. They continued gorging with the food, endless food and endless choices. Life was good, damn bloody good. 

Now who is complaining? Anyone not helping themselves with the buffet or not invited to the buffet only got themselves to blame, when the best will get the best. From each his best and to each his needs. Some need more, some need less.

History repeating itself

When 14 Chinese landed in Diaoyutai, a Chinese island, they were arrested by the Japanese coast guards. And Japan retaliated by allowing 14 Japanese to land at the island to plant the Japanese flags. And China is as helpless as before, like in the19th and early 20^th centuries when Japan violated China proper. And what could China do? The old China govt protested vehemently. So did the old Chinese of yesteryears. That did not stop the Japanese from encroaching and seizing more and more concessions and land from China, including war damages.

The Chinese govt and the Chinese people today are protesting like their past govt and past Chinese over this recent incident. And the Japanese continue to violate Chinese territories and refused to return the islands they conquered from China. History is repeating itself all over again. Would the ending be the same, with the Chinese rubbing their backside and walk away, humiliated by the Little Japan?

Protests have broken up in many Chinese cities to boycott Japanese goods. No protest from Taiwan and the Chinese diaspora yet. It is acceptable for Sinkie Chinese not to join the PRC Chinese as the forefathers of Sinkie Chinese did not come from China, probably from the USA or UK. But how could Taiwan step aside and pretend that it has nothing to do with it? Didn’t it claimed to be the govt of China once, and didn’t it claim to own Diaoyu and the surrounding islands?

It would be quite different if Taiwan and the Chinese across the world boycotted Japanese products like they did during the Second World War. It would be better if the Koreans also join in the boycott. The result this time would then be very different. Though China is good enough to deal the Japanese a bloody nose, it is restraining itself for the time being. If the Japanese continue their foolishness, this time China should exact a replica of the 21 Demands from the Japanese, plus interests.

Would there be a worldwide boycott of Japanese goods by Chinese around the world? No need to count on Sinkieland.

Another way to deal with the Japanese farce is to let 40 fishing boats from China and Taiwan to sail to Diaoyu. China and Taiwan would then send a fleet of coast guard ships to prevent those in the fishing boats to land on Diaoyu, but land they would with the coast guard boats doing a big wayang. But they must approach fully armed and ready for battle with the Japanese coast guards.

Just a photograph for viewing pleasure