This is what Goh Meng Seng said of his feelings about Hsien Loong’s National Day speech in his article posted in TRE.
‘But yet, PM Lee wants us to feel “at ease” and reassure us that we can
possibly retire by selling off our HDB flats! I am totally disgusted by
such suggestion, especially from the ruling elites of PAP who have been
paid obscene amount of salaries for the past decades and do not
understand how it feels to be “forced” to sell off their “HOME” for
retirement. Our HDB flat is our HOME, not an investment. PAP ruling
elites don’t even understand this.’
The thought of selling your home is a very frightening and depressing
thing, very emotional and upsetting. The home, no matter how small, is
more than just the four walls. It is place that a person lived, grew up,
a place that provided the comfort and security from the stresses and
insecurity of the outside world. Many people think of home when they are
insecure, in trouble, in need of help. It is home that provides the
shelter and warmth when needed. It is a place full of memory, an
anchor of one's life.
The seniors are not as resolute and confident of themselves at their
advanced age. They fear change, new environment, strangers, they need
the familiarity, the neighbours and familiar faces, comfort and sense of
safety in the homes they have lived in. The home is a part of their
lives. To sell the home at a time when they are most vulnerable,
financially challenged and emotionally unstable in a way is more than
just about money. There are more to the selling of a home.
In the same way, there are more to a country, nation and people than
just goods for commercial exchange and economic growth. Selling a
country is unthinkable. And selling a country is not simply getting a
price for the land. A country can be sold in many ways without the
citizens knowing it. Selling a country, selling a people, selling a
home, is not a commercial transaction, but very much more.
The selling of the home must not be treated so lightly, spoken so
casually, devoid of emotions, feelings and psychological implications.
So is the issue of immigrations, the exchanging of the people of a
nation. Citizenship is not just a piece of pink identity card. It is
more than that.
We are so used to instant trees, buying and selling of talents,
everything revolving around money and economics. We will not be a nation
in 50 years time if we failed to build a people called Singaporeans,
but become a hotel of immigrants, transient workers and guests. We will
be like duckweeds, floating with little roots that did not sink and
anchor to the ground.
When there is no home there is no country. When there is no citizen
there is no nation. Try to imagine a nation with all the folks selling
their homes in order to live. It is never the same living in a rented
place.
This is Home, surely....
Kopi Level - green
8/11/2014
8/10/2014
A good and glorious project for Sin City
There is a report of Canada
conducting a scientific mission to map the seabed around the North Pole. I
think this is a good project for Sin City
to embark on. We can buy all the great scientists and all the expensive equipment.
Don’t ask me what for. We can build a Centre for Scientific Research of the
Artics right here in the tropical city. Then we can attend all the world
conferences about the Arctic. We will be represented by
our foreign talents. Better still we can be the venue for such conference with
the world’s scientist community descending on our city state. We will be in the
news of the world. Recognition!
We can be a participant in this mission. Never mind if it
means nothing to us. Never mind if the Canadians and the Russians have a
natural vested interest to secure and claim the sea in the region. We have the
money and we can gain some recognition as a high brow scientific community with
resident scientists also knowing what is going on in the Artics. Studying the
Artics is definitely more meaningful than studying Sun bursts or the universe.
The Artics are nearer and of immediate relevance.
With money we can do anything. Have money will travel. How
can we be left out of such a glorious project?
Kopi Level - Red
I have been convinced, Singapore is getting more difficult to manage, and may not be around.
Singapore
is growing every day and is a big country. And the bigger it grows, the bigger
the island, Australia
is also an island, and the bigger the population, the more complex will be its
problems and ability to survive. There may not be a Singapore
in 50 years. Actually I think it will be sooner, maybe 20 years, when Singapore
could be renamed as something else.
When we were small, it was so easy to govern. We only need a
few tertiary educated ministers, and paid them peanuts, to run the country. The
rest of the cabinet and MPs were workers, no worry, everything was fine. The
problems were small and easily managed. No need for the talents of scholars.
Today our problems are huge and very complicated because we
are a big country. So, despite having so many scholars in the cabinet, despite
paying them top dollars, practically everyone in the cabinet is paid more than
the President of the USA, we may not see a Singapore in 50 years time. In fact
several MPs could be getting paid more than Obama if their other directorship
fees are added into their salary.
Come to think of it, we could be paying $50m annually to our
cabinet of super talents and top scholars. The same amount of money could be
good enough to hire 50 Obamas at the same time. Should be hearing them saying
with full confidence, everything is in good hands, everything has been thought
out, Singapore will go on and on, Singapore will exist forever? Why are we
paying so much for so many top talents that have no confidence of Singapore
still being around in 50 years? Are we paying for top or super talents, better
than anyone money can buy?
There are two simple solutions to the existence of Singapore
beyond 50 years. The easier one is to pay the ministers double their current
salaries. This should guarantee Singapore
to be still around in 100 years time. You want quality ministers, you just have
to pay for it. If the current pay can only possibly see Singapore
surviving for 50 years, doubling the pay should do the work for another 50
years.
Another easier solution is to openly seek talents from all
over the world to replace our inept talents. If our talents are not even sure
of keeping Singapore
alive for 50 years, then Singapore
should import real foreign talents to replace our not so talented talents for Singapore
to be around for more than 50 years. Logical right?
And this can be applied across the board, from the top in
govt to the top positions in the private sectors. Then the govt and private
institutions would stand a chance to be around. Not sure if the Singaporeans
would still be around. But that is a non issue as the new Singaporeans from
everywhere are still Singaporeans.
Wow, I so clever, can solve the problem of Singapore
being around in 100 years by two simple solutions and doing it all in a Sunday
morning, and feeling so good and positive.
Kopi Level - Red, like at the NDP.
8/09/2014
CPF – An asset or a liability to YOU?
CPF
is our life savings, how can it be a liability? By 55 we should all be happily
getting it out from our CPF accounts for our retirement. Ok, the rules have
changed, by 65 we should be happy, late than never.
The
rude shock to CPF members, by 55 they are told that they ‘owe’ the CPF or the
govt $155,000 in the Retiremment Account and $43,500 in the Medisave Account.
Yes, you need to let the CPF or govt have these sums of money like you owe
them. If you don’t have enough in your CPF savings, or lesser than these sums
in your CPF, you cannot take out your savings. But the CPF would be so kind to
let you have $5,000. Or you can pledge
your property to the CPF for half of the total sum of the total sum of
$198,500, or is it half of the $155,000, with the CPF.
Put
it whatever you like, isn’t this a liability, a huge sum of money that you now
‘owe’ to the CPF? Yes or No? By 55, many
would find the CPF a liability instead of an asset in away.
This
must be another Uniquely Singapore thing. You can owe the govt or a savings
scheme money when you are supposed to be taking out your savings to live your
golden years. And many Singaporeans are finding this damn stressful.
Oh,
not to forget, if you sell your property bought using your CPF savings, you
have to return the sum borrowed plus the equivalent of interests that the money
should have earned over the same period to your CPF account even if you are
retired, in your 80s or 90s or 120s. It is not that after the withdrawal age
kicks in, whatever money you took out for the purchase of properties is none of
the CPF business. All these open ended contributions to the CPF regardless of age
must be driving many people crazy, except the people making these rules and
collecting the money.
Tiok
boh?
Kopi Level - Green
8/08/2014
National Day Rehearsal - 2 Aug 14
These pictures were taken last week. The top pic is the performance stage, the largest floating stage in the world. Pic 2 and 3 are the performers and dancers in front of a huge screen. Pic 4 and 5 are the Red Lions dropping from the sky. Pic 6 and 7, the guards firing the 21 gun salute. Pic 8, beautiful doggies dressed up for the National Day. And the last pic is the fly past of the national flag in a clear sky with nice cirrus clouds.
For those who want to view the actions again, today's the day, 9 Aug, with the parade starting at 5.30pm. The performers and dancers would start the show at about 4pm.
Kopi Level - Green
For those who want to view the actions again, today's the day, 9 Aug, with the parade starting at 5.30pm. The performers and dancers would start the show at about 4pm.
Kopi Level - Green
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