Alvin Tan is a good example to showcase to Yale

The liberalism and freedom of expression exhibited by Alvin Tan must surely be a pleasant surprise to many in Sin. It is a great buzz that we are expecting and not coming. Now Alvin has delivered. We can now showcase him to Yale University that Sin is more liberal than America and our students are free to express their opinions and even hold very strong views against the govt. The freedom of expression includes whatever they do in the bedroom. And nothing will happen to them. Where got censorship or prudish discipline enforced by autocratic regime? So stop making false accusation that Sin and NUS are very restrictive and very stifling to the free spirits that Yale is famous for.

NUS must retain Alvin as a mascot, even if he pissed everyone in the govt and NUS, telling them that he did not want to practice law after graduation. Nevermind if another more deserving student could have benefitted if the place was not given to Alvin. Nevermind if a lot of money has been spent on him that could be given to a needy child of another citizen.

Think like Alvin, honest, frank and upfront, that he would apologise to NUS because of the money. We can’t find such honesty here anymore. And Alvin has put NUS in the world stage, giving it free and cheap publicity without having to pay another cent. Alvin is great value, and worth every cent spent on him. Please keep him in NUS. He is a role model for our students. A really talented foreign student. Only drawback is that he does not want to stay and work in Sin. He could even be ministerial material, pragmatic, money minded, flexible if it is to his advantage.

Now I fear that we may lose him and got nothing to show to Yale.

Force to take drastic measures

Mr Tan’s monthly income is $8k and his wife is $7k. Pretty comfortable income for a young couple. They also have a nice saving of a few hundred thousands which they will need for raising a family, the unplanned hospital bills, children’s education and retirement. They are thrifty and very careful with their money.

They could cough out everything to buy a cheap private apartment. But it will mean that they will have to start saving again, and it is going to be slower as the mortgage repayment is going to be substantial. Being prudent and prepared for the vagaries of life and how misfortune can strike, the Tans are not comfortable to squander all their nest eggs at a go for a private property as they are barred from buying HDB. They are still renting a small room from a PR.

Mr Tan has decided that they should get a HDB flat to start a family of their own. In order to qualify, Mrs Tan would have to quit her job temporarily to be eligible to buy HDB based on just one income. The difference in savings from buying a HDB instead of a private apartment is so huge that it makes economic sense to do so. Mrs Tan could do some private tuition for the time being or some part time jobs.

This is the only logical and legitimate way to beat a silly system. The Tans and many other professionals would have to take such drastic measures because the system is so unyielding and dead set to rob them of their hard earned savings. Why should these people be forced into such a situation?

What about me...your citizen?

Below is a comment posted in the thread, 'The Govt should set the example in jobs for citizens'.


Every time I read a letter about our own citizens, qualified professionals with working experience but unable to find a job here, I feel really disgusted. We cannot ignore and disregard our own citizens while providing all the good jobs and opportunities to foreigners. This kind of situation is getting worst and lip service from the govt is not good enough and will be taken very badly by the citizens, affected or bystanders. We must love our citizens, take care of our citizens. If not, it is nonsensical to call ourselves a country and all the pledges we made, and the NS to fight and die for this country.

A govt that cannot get this basic right does not deserve to rule.

"Thanks for this article. I penned my comment in TRE as follows. For your reading pleasure:

I am 42 now, I was retrenched in late 2008 and found a job in HK only 1.5 years later – so I was around 38 then. When I am back from HK in early 2011 I was scounting for a job locally for almost 6 months. Recently I left my current employment because I have strategic differences with my boss, we mutually agree to part and now I am third time on the job market. I am in finance, senior management level, getting between $150 – $200k a year. I am stating this becasue in some (not all instances) I actually quoted a lower expectation hoping to get an interview.

I have on all 3 occassions wrote in to GLC, Stat Board and what have you -all the government related entities and I shall name them here:

MAS, GIC, Temasek, Spring Singapore, EDB, Energy Market Authority, HDB, Health Science Authority, IRAS, IE Singapore, JTC, LTA, Ministry of Finance, MOM, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore Workforce Development Agency,

Plus a few other quasi-government departments. I even wrote in to CPIB.

The role are mostly advertise via jobstreet / jobdb or careers@gov website and typically would be where my relevant experience and skill sets lies such as account & finance, corporate strategy, management, research & analysis, investment, fund management even administration etc.

In all, I figure I could easily wrote in between one hundred to two hundred applications. Obviously careers@gov has my profile.

My point is as follows:

I HAVE NOT GOT EVEN ONE INTERVIEW FROM ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY – NOT EVEN ONE INTERVIEW DURING THESE 3 PERIOD OF UNEMPLOYMENT. WHY ???

I am not blaming the government that I lost my job.

I would not blame the government if I am not selected for the job: –

BUT I AM NOT EVEN SELECTED FOR 1 INTERVIEW??? Not One.

I paid my tax, I voted for the government even during the last election – (yes I am that stupid 60.1% , Yes I confess I am that stupid) becasue when I work in HK and I travel frequently to Thailand / China I felt in totality this place compared to the many places I have been to is still a decently governed country – little corruption, clean street, good quality health care, well run public school etc. But tell me why should I vote for you again come 2016. When you get my vote but give jobs to foreigners. I know for a fact, GIC / Temasek hire largely foreigners. I know you are reading this, feel free to approach me for a discussion if you think I am not telling the truth, I am happy to meet."

Another token of appreciation for NSmen?

A small hongbao of recognition for a life time of service to the nation, risking lives and limbs, NSmen will receive vouchers of $50 to $100 exchangeable for food, recreation, petrol or dining. Is that all to die for?

Ask not what the NSmen can do for the country. Ask what the govt can do for the NSmen. This statement is gaining relevance and a pain among the people. Treat the sacrifice of the NSmen seriously and give them a stake in the country, give them something to fight and die for, give them a reason to be proud to be NSmen.

In the past, the most important consideration of the govt is to provide every citizen with a roof over their heads. And they were not thinking about NS, just every ordinary citizens. And uniformed officers were either provided with govt quarters or given priority for housing.

Today, NSmen can be expected to defend and die for this country and without the right to buy a public flat. And they are not asking the govt for handouts, for $50! They have all the right to demand that they be given priority to buy a house as any other citizen, as any new citizen as any PR. Can this be done? Is this too much to ask for, to die for?

The rest of the tokens of appreciation are all simply craps. Not worth a single cent. Give the NSmen a roof, through priority housing. Cut out all the crappy rules that disqualify NSmen from buying a HDB flat. Enough said to deaf frogs. They don’t listen, they don’t care. You can keep your token of appreciation. They are not worth it, meaningless and an insult to the sacrifice NSmen made for the country. They can never appreciate or understand what it means to be an NSman as many did not really go through the whole shit like any ordinary NSman, roughing out in the fields, reservist trainings and job and family disruptions.

Looking at Sin 10 years down the road

The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) is coming up with a more serious discussion on the future of Sin, in year 2012. This is something that is worth looking at instead of conning youth to talk about graciousness and kindness. Issues like kinder society are much nicer to discuss than influx of foreigners, high cost of living, high property prices.

The IPS studies, headed by Gillian Koh and a team of professionals will be looking at 3 scenarios. 1. A pro business govt focusing on economic growth and ensuring better paying jobs for Singaporeans. 2. A govt formed by a splinter group of the PAP providing cheap and heavily subsidized healthcare, education and housing. 3. A weak coalition govt running a country whose citizens have little trust in it but where there is high venture capitalism and much community driven effort.

These are the possibilities in the near future. I thought a better topic would be to look at the realities today and the problems that will surface when the world financial system goes into a tail spin. The case is like a pro foreigner govt that provides good jobs to foreigners and losing the confidence and support of the people and is bundled out in the next GE. A new coalition govt is formed with many inexperienced politicians taking the helm and with the people taking a big gamble to place hope on a completely new team. No ex PAP or splintered PAP group will do as the distrust in the PAP is so total that anyone associated with the PAP will not be favoured by the people.

How would such a scenario play out in 5 years time? This is a more immediate problem, very likely and deserve more attention than something in 10 years or 20 years or in 100 years in the future. When the crisis can happen any time, there is no luxury to look beyond but to tackle the immediate problems. Forget about once upon a time. It is now, the moment has come to look seriously at immediate problems and issues. Funny that people rather ignore them and wanting them to be sweep under the carpet and to spend them gazing at the crystal ball of yore when they will be history.