Some new Singaporean Realities

Forget about car ownership. Owning a car will be beyond many Singaporeans even if they are graduates. Many will never own a car in their life time, I am not referring to just the average Singaporeans but the PMETs. This is a grudging reality. Many average Singaporeans used to able to own a car, second hand also good.

Having problem getting a job for new graduates or older PMETs will become an unpleasant part of Singaporean job seekers while watching foreigners who are nothing better landing the jobs. Accepting foreigners having jobs in their home country while they themselves going jobless not because the Singaporeans are less qualified or less able is a very painful reality to face. Can anything be done with the Singaporean first policy?

Getting a public flat may no longer be the right of a citizen. While many would still be eligible, they would have to queue and compete under the same terms and conditions as new citizens. For those who are excluded, disqualified or forbidden to buy a public flat under the present terms and conditions, I dunno what to say. Shall I say just too bad. The rules are such and they are being excluded by the policies of Govt they helped to elect to power.

While on this issue, owning a bigger flat or private property will be a fleeting dream to many Singaporeans. The entry barrier is now so high that it is better for the average Singaporeans to resign to their HDB flats. And many, including PMETs, would have to contend with a 4 rm flat. As wage earners, private properties that cost several millions or tens of millions is just for day dreaming.

The CPF savings are looking more like the Govt’s money. Other than taking some out to buy a home, many would barely be able to touch their CPF savings in their life times. And be prepared to be wiped clean when hit by a major illness.

The days of free medical or paying a small fee for medical services are history. Singaporeans must take care of their health as the saying health is wealth is becoming a new reality. Singaporeans cannot afford to fall sick, so they said. But the Govt said no worry, no Singaporean will be deprived of medicare. That’s very comforting.

Many Singaporeans are getting use to the new realities and started to talk about taking public transport as better than their own cars, and to be happy living in a 4 rm BTO flats that are better designed. The aspirations for bigger flats or private properties will soon be forgotten.

Contorted justifications for bigger population

The arguments put forth by Professor Ng Yew Kwang at the seminar on the Population White Paper were at best elementary. Any A level students would be able to come up with better reasons than those put up at the seminar. I was reluctant to waste my time on this but with the main media giving it so much coverage as if that view was a good and reasonable view, I would thus offer my two cents worth to join in the talk cock session. I would not put in too much effort as it is really a waste of time. So I will just talk about the few points printed in the media.

  

 .Having a large population may not necessarily be bad, as it could lead to better developed infrastructure and employment opportunities.

Who doesn’t know this? The problem is the will to provide the infrastructure and what is a large population given a limited space available.  At 5.3m, we are now living through the unhealthy aspects of space constraints and inadequate infrastructure. And the fact that the population has gone up dramatically over the last 10 years, the question to ask in response to 1 above is why aren’t the infrastructure be better developed? It cannot be due to ignorance of the lack of talent or the lack of foresight. It is elementary. The truth is that large population would not automatically lead to better developed infrastructure or adequate infrastructure.

As for employment opportunities, the question is for who? We have several hundred thousand foreign PMETs here gainfully employed but our locals, the young graduates and the older PMETs, are either unemployed or under employed. So what is the point of creating more employment opportunities for foreigners when our own citizens are not gainfully employed? I say, keep your employment opportunities if it is not to benefit the citizens.

2.   With a smaller population there would be correspondingly fewer roads and lower bus and train frequencies. The degree of competition between companies would also be less.

Let me answer the second part. With the number of transport companies we have, is there any real competition? Even if we add in a couple more, would there be real competition? Come on, let’s not kid ourselves and be an ivory tower academic.

Smaller population therefore fewer roads and bus and train frequencies. Agree. Bigger population would mean the other way. Also agree. The issue is not how many more or how many less but what is adequate or sufficient or what is comfortable for a good quality service and life style. Over providing is bad and under providing is equally bad. Bigger population with more bus and trains and higher frequencies may not be enough. Lesser population with lesser of the same may be more than enough. See the picture? The argument is quite stupid isn’t it?

3.   Through immigration, these issues would be addressed and entrepreneurial migrants would set up businesses that create hiring opportunities.

Really? We can see how inadequate our infrastructure is today with the influx of immigrants. It simply means that immigration is not the answer but something else. And only immigrants have entrepreneurial skills, can set up businesses? Bullshit lah. You mean there are no entrepreneurs among the locals?  And not all the new businesses are desirable or could complement the economy to better the quality of living here.

4.   These migrants would also “provide locally unavailable skills which make certain business ventures possible”.

Such ventures could be provided by some migrants, but the real stuff is provided by the MNCs, the big corporations, not migrants. True or not?

I think I have said enough on this seminar. One thing comes out very clearly, that the professor was looking at one side of the coin and totally ignoring the negative side that comes with high population. There are many negative consequences, bad consequences and social and political costs to pay for. So are the environment and the quality of life for having so many people squeezed into this small piece of rock, higher cost of living and stressful competition for jobs, goods and services.

To be a fair and serious piece of work or recommendations, both merits and demerits must be put out for airing for people to have an informed view of what is good or bad, or which is better.

KNN.

In Malaysia, violent robbery is so rampant, but so far no police action is taken.

 

Subject : MALAYSIA -- Always be alert nowadays for our own safety.

Where are the fucking policemen. Countless crimes happened at Petrol Stations but
no actions taken.

Dear Friends,

I just got my windscreen fixed today. Pls spent some time to read on & share out to your loved one to increase public awareness.

On Day 15th of Chinese New Year (Chinese calendar Valentine Day), Me , my husband Yip & my girl Xin Yu (7 years old) go through a Unforgettable Morning in Kota Damansara. We almost got Robbed at seksyen 4 'Shell petrol kiosk ' the one opposite Petronas near Tropicana Medical Centre !

We scheduled to reach kelana jaya Lrt at 6 am, we leave from home around 5.40am, half way, my husband felt my car tyre don't have sufficient air, he stop by Shell seksyen 4 to pump at 5.50am. There is no one there except 2 foreigner worker in the shop( the shop was locked).

When my husband come down from the car, I immediately locked the car door(that is what I usually practice). He just started to pump, came a motorbike with 2 Malay guys, one of them come near my husband. Telling him " jangan bising! Wallet mari!" At the same time showing him the motor tyre lock in his hand, if my husband refuse, he will use that to attack him. When I saw the Malay guy get near him, I felt very uneasy in my heart, everything happen so fast, in split second, i saw my husband shouting while running ask me to go!(drive away) he run away bcoz he know I already locked my car & there is no chance for him to come in bcoz the robber are too near my car.

 

By running away he hope to lead the robber to chase him & to be away from us but when the robber saw him run so fast, he come back to attack my car, he uses the motorbike tyre lock & bang on my driver side window,in few seconds time, I manage to jump from the front passenger seat to the driver seat & on the second bang, I manage to reverse my car& go( thanks to my 8 mil tinted film , it save our family life, at least it last 2 knock, it buy me some time to drive away). i then drive towards my husband direction, it was so scary at that time, my right side view is totally out bcoz of the cracked window, I can't open the door even my husband was nearby coz the robber was really near him, it will endanger him as well, so while he is running towards the counter, I try to escort him there, I drove pass the counter but to my suprise the Shell staff did not even help to open the door, they just stood inside & watch.

 

I stop my car ,  feeling very scare bcoz I can't see my husband, my daughter at the back of the car cried very loud when she saw that both the robber now are on the motorbike chasing my husband the opposite way, she cried "pa pa", hearing her crying , my fear from level 10 change mode immediately to Anger level 10. Immediately, I reverse my car & in my heart , if those robbers ever touch my husband I will bang them with my car if I need to! Seeing my car coming very fast towards their motor bike, the 2 Robbers run away & I quickly open the door for my husband & we are safe.

 

Thank you God for protecting us despite just minor external injury of my husband Yip, bcoz he fall while they chase him & me twisted my right hand for turning the wheel super fast. We make police report after that & go to tropicana medical centre to get treatment. Moral of the story, be very alert & careful whenever you are irregardless of petrol kiosk or public places especially car park that are quiet, day or night. I would like to take this chance to thank God again for giving me & my husband Yip & my children another chance to live this life again. Thank you so much :)

Tolong, tolong, give back our dreams

4 senior citizens posted an open letter in TRE pleading to the PM to give back the Singaporean Dream of 5Cs, car, condo, credit card, country clubs and cash to their children. It was only a few years back that Singaporeans were all in their highs, dreaming of the 5Cs, to do good in life. Everyone was full of confidence to achieve his dream of a comfortable and better life. The appearance of this letter is kind of a sudden and exudes a sense of despair that things are not getting better.

Is this a true version of the state of affair in the island or just the imagination of some desperadoes? Housing prices are still shooting to the sky, COEs hitting $100k for a car, everyone is still going on holiday. Life must be good and many citizens must be living a life of plenty. A HDB resale EC costing more than a million while a new HDB penthouse is more than $2m. And they are all being taken immediately. They must be very affordable.

Why is there such a despair call? Boon Wan is promising that 2030 will see the life of Singaporeans getting even better with better quality living. Who is out of touch, who is misleading?

Let’s look at the 5Cs. Car is going to be a very rare and expensive item that many Singaporeans will not be able to afford. Their lives will be centred around taking public transport or if they can afford it, taking taxis. One C down. Condo living, this seems to be very affordable as all the launches was a sellout at whatever price. So this C is still standing. Credit cards are being issued to the Singaporeans like toilet papers and everyone is holding a handful in his wallets. So this C is doing very well, not considering the credit is stretched to the limits.

Country clubs are getting cheaper and cheaper from the heady prices they used to fetch. Are Singaporeans forming a queue to snatch up these goodies? Apparently not. So this C is losing its lustre.

What about cash? It is a well know fact that Singaporeans are asset rich but cash strapped. All the cash are wiped out quite quickly now with the new rulings on car purchases and the high property prices. Many are switching to credit cards from cash. Hopefully this interchange is sustainable to provide the people with a good quality life.

What is left of the 5Cs is probably 2, condo and credit cards. Car is out, country club not so attractive, cash a bit of a problem to many except the very rich.

What then is the new Singaporean Dream? Good public transport system, 4 rm HDB flat, more credit cards, and the chance to emigrate? And not to forget, to make new friends with the new citizens and PRs and foreigners, to learn new way of life and new languages? Another controversial dream, retiring early as jobs are getting rare for Singaporeans above 50.

Sinkie or Singaporean or a simpler term

When I used the term Sinkie to refer to Singaporean, it was more or a convenience without any negative connotations. Over time the term Sinkie has becoming more meaningful and prophetic. Many Sinkies or Singaporeans are having this sinking feeling and feeling very unease about it.

Many Sinkies would not mind using this term in its most innocent sense. I also notice that some feel very offended by it and get very heated under the collar. They all prefer to be addressed as Singaporeans. I must say that for Sinkies to want to be called Singaporeans is a good thing. There is still pride and identity left in this diminishing specie. Those abroad, some taken up PRs or foreign citizenships, still feel very Singaporean in them. You can take away his citizenship but you cannot take away their Singaporeaness, of having been a Singaporean.

Would Singaporean be a dying breed just like the peranakans? I will henceforth, in due respect to those Singaporeans who just want to be called Singaporeans, to avoid using the term Sinkie. I will have to find a shorter version to type.

There is still hope that the identity of true blue Singaporeans may survive the current crisis it is going through. Only when Singaporeans want to be Singaporeans, to want to maintain this unique identity in us, not some international citizen label or hotel guests that can go any where they like, will this Singaporean identity continue to exist in the form that we know, a kind of special feeling. But it is a losing battle if we are to constantly dilute it with more and more foreigners that are quite different from us. Another 1.6m is going to do more damage not just the characteristics of being a Singaporean, but we will become more like them, another new concoction, another rojak in the making.