Hsien Loong and Heng Chee – An uncomfortable conversation

I took time to listen to what I thought would be a conversation that was best forgotten given the fact that Chan Heng Chee has been the establishment’s top diplomat for over 3 decades. I was just curious to see how much Heng Chee has changed in her thinking and would the conversation turn out to be a farce. My conclusion is that it was a conversation best forgotten for several reasons, not that Heng Chee did not try her best. She did ask very uncomfortable questions and Hsien Loong was very uncomfortable with the kind of questions posed.

Heng Chee raised pertinent issues that have contributed to the angst in the internet, issues that Singaporeans are very agitated and emotionally upset about though some in the establishment chose not to know or chose to appear surprise that they existed. And yes, she was most uncomfortable and obviously frustrated at the replies but had to remain polite without lashing out in exasperation. You could see it in her face.

The main concerns were about the future of Singapore, the influx of ‘foreign talents’ and the fate of PMETs. While Heng Chee was probing for answers on the welfare of the PMETs and how the Govt were responding to improve their lot, Hsien Loong as usual was talking about foreign workers. Who cares about foreign workers? That is not the issue, they are acceptable to provide the cheap labour. It is the host of problems faced by the PMETs and the lost of good jobs to ‘foreign talents’ that put these PMETs in a very precarious and financially disadvantaged position that needed to be addressed. You could see the tense expression in Heng Chee’s face when the answers were deflected by talking around foreign workers.

Some general statements were volunteered like the Govt was working very hard, honestly wanting to improve the lot of the displaced PMETs, but how, when they lost their jobs and could not find similar jobs, to accept lower paying jobs in their 40s and 50s? Is that helping them, solving their problems, or let NTUC suggest sending them overseas, to earn even lesser incomes?

Heng Chee reminded Hsien Loong that his concern about the next 50 years is one thing, but was Hsien Loong concern about the present, yes the problems the PMETs are facing today. Some vague answers came forth towards what the govt is doing to alleviate the plight of the PMETs today and his Govt is doing all they could, honestly, to help the PMETs.  Hsien Loong appeared to be very comfortable with the situation at the moment, balanced and about right, everything is fine now. He was only worried about 50 years in the future. He seemed so out of touch from the realities on the ground. And when Heng Chee persisted by talking about now and the next 25 years,, Hsien Loong responded that it was a tough question. 25 years difficult to deal with, what is the point of talking about 50 years? To him, there is no problem today, but in 25 years time, very difficult but not to worry. Let’s worry about whether there is still a Singapore and a Singapore identity in 50 years time.

It was a most awkward conversation and you could see it all over Hsien Loong and Heng Chee’s body language. Thank God she did not come across as someone trying to carry on a conversation for the sake of a conversation. She posed pressing and tough questions that the Govt has no answers. And thank God the agony lasted only 30 minutes for both of them.

Now you understand why the conversation is best forgotten, not for the lack of effort and seriousness on the part of Heng Chee trying to get Hsien Loong to focus on the immediate problems faced by the PMETs and the people and not about some airy fairy futures 50 years from now. I am not disappointed with Heng Chee for her attempt to strike up a serious conversion on the future of Singapore and the pathetic fate of the PMETs. Unfortunately the conversation led to nowhere and both were so relieved when it was over.

Medishield Life – CPF owes you or you owe CPF money?

I quote here a couple of paragraphs from Leslie Chew’s article titled, ‘With friends like these, you don’t need enemies’ posted in TRE. In his concise post he explained why and how our savings in the CPF would turn from a credit to a liability with the introduction of Medishield Life. For now many people with money in the CPF are smiling thinking that the CPF owes them money. Once they retired and started to pay and pay for the Medishild Life till they reach 80, 90 or older, without an income, they will deplete whatever savings left in the CPF, including all the minimum sums, to service this insurance scheme that many don’t need and did not want’

Here’s the quote,

‘And now, he set(s) up a new company and force(s) your whole family to buy his insurance. The premiums will be deducted from the money he owes you. Opting out is not an option, as he will just deduct whether you like it or not. Furthermore, he alone will get to decide on how much the premiums are and you have no say.

Eventually, the premiums are going to wipe out whatever amount he owes you. That is when things get interesting. Now instead of him owing you money, you owe him. And with that, you have to pay him cash for the premiums he demands. If you fail to pay, he will file an injunction to prevent you from leaving the country, even if it is just for a short trip to relax in nearby JB, till you somehow manage to cough up money to pay him. On top of that, he will demand that you pay as high as 17% interests on whatever he says you owe him. If you keep refusing to make payment into his scam, he will have you thrown in jail.’

 

The ingenious Medishield Life Insurance scheme, a compulsory scheme designed and decided unilaterally and arbirarily by the Govt, will change the status of creditors to debtors and vice versa. This is what you paid millions of dollars for, for brilliant people and their brilliant schemes? It is simply too brilliant, or is it that the people are just too daft to say no?

There are several aspects of this Medishield Life that are simply vicious and unjust. Many people are losing their jobs in their 40s and 50s despite the raising of retirement age. How are these people going to service the premiums for the next 30 or 40 years or more? Many retiring in their 60s would also have problems doing so?

And there are Singaporeans overseas paying high taxes and insurance in foreign countries but must contribute to this Medishield Life when they are not using it? How can this be? The govt does not see anything wrong about it. Yes, to them forcing Singaporeans overseas to pay this tax is their right? Yes, it is no longer a CPF savings but a life time tax for all Singaporeans, to be paid from birth to death, regardless of age. The Govt has converted a CPF savings scheme into a life time taxation. The hideous part, other than those living and working abroad are compelled to pay, the babies and the oldies, retirees in their 70s, 80s, 90s, 100 year olds, must pay.

The Govt does not think there is anything wrong with this philosophy and policy. How could they see anything wrong to collect money from the people, from the young and old who have no income, and the Singaporeans working and staying overseas?

Can the people see anything wrong with these? Would they be infuriated to want to do something, to want change?

What do you think? Can you still smile at your CPF statements?

GE2015 – The million dollar question

The high ministerial pay will definitely be a hot issue in the GE. While some may still harbor the thought of higher pay for the ministers, since they have not have any increase for many years and in fact suffered a decrease, while in the corporate world the honchos are getting more millions, how can the situation be acceptable? It would be sad if the ministers resign all at the same time in protest that the lifestyle of their families have been affected by the stagnant millions they are getting. Then Singapore will become a headless chicken, with no able leaders to run the country. It is indeed a frightening thought.

Should the ministers be given a pay rise after the election? Maybe it is too early to ask such a question. Maybe the question should be, have any of the ministers done something to show that they deserve to be paid millions over the last term in office? What have they done, or anyone of them has done to justify being paid millions?

For offices like the PM, Defence and Home Affairs, Finance, these are big jobs and it is very difficult to dispute why they should not be paid in the millions. The counter argument is that Obama has a bigger job than anyone in the whole world.

What about the smaller jobs like Environment, Social and Families, the Trade Union Chief, Manpower or even Education, what have they done to justify the million dollars? I am sorry, I am ignorant and still scratching my head and still asking, what have they done to justify being paid in the millions?

Can anyone fill me in on the remarkable million dollar decisions being made and worthy of the million dollar salary? Sending children for leadership training, creating a Singaporean core, changing insulators in train system to improve public transport, training out of jobs PMEs to work overseas, cleaning roofs of hawker centres, making housing affordable for Singaporeans, bringing down medical cost, having the old folks to do well, helping the Singaporeans to be rich by protecting them from squandering away their CPF savings,….? Oh, helping other countries children to get a university education, providing millions of jobs for foreigners, building more universities for foreigners to get employed?

These must be it, million dollar decisions, to create a Singaporean identity and build a hotel, oops, a nation of 10m people, or was it 6.9m?

Rip Van Winkle awakes

Winkle has just woke up from his long slumber and he told me of his astonishment at the changes he saw in the island. When he took the train he said he was surrounded by foreigners all over. He tried very hard to find a familiar Singaporean face but could hardly see one. He said he felt strange and uncomfortable. Where are the Singaporeans?

He went shopping  and found out that all the sales staff serving him were foreigners. The only consideration was that they were very helpful and friendly. He still asked to be served by a Singaporean by the sales staff could not find one and did not know where have they been to.

He went for his favourite bak kut teh and char kway teow and could not help to notice that the hawkers were all foreigners. Where are the Singaporeans?

Then he went to see his banker to check on his deposits. The bank manager was also a foreigner, the counter staff also foreigners. Where have all the Singaporeans gone? He tried to contact his old kakis but could not find them as well.

After thinking over it for a while then he started to smile. The Singaporeans are so lucky. No need to work, no need to study, all on holiday. And all must be very rich, no need to take public transport. What a great life for Singaporeans. Now the foreigners are here to do all the work, even struggling to get a degree in the university while Singaporeans party and enjoying themselves.

He saw the big advertisement about the big party called SG50.  That must be a party to attend where all the Singaporeans would be there having a ball. Life is so good for the Singaporeans.

GE2015 is a very critical GE for Singaporeans

Singaporeans must take a step back and think very seriously about this GE. It is a life or death situation for Singaporeans. This is the time to determine the future you want for yourself and your children. It is no joking matter and not something that can be left to fate or to fools. If Singaporeans think that we have a good govt in charge and the direction the govt is taking the people forward is the right path, vote for the govt.

If there is doubt, if you are not happy with what you are seeing, not happy with the direction you are moving, it is time to reclaim your country. You cannot afford to wait anymore. Going forward can be the end of the good life for many Singaporeans.

Can we continue to pay the ministers and the elite in the millions? Where do you think the money is coming from? Who can afford to pay hundreds of millions or more to upkeep a bunch of elite with pay that is out of this world and keep mounting up, in numbers and in pay?

Can we afford to keep adding foreigners at such a rate to this little piece of rock? Are you happy with 5.5m, 6.9m or 10m people in this island? What do you want? You must decide, this is your country. This country belongs to every ordinary Singaporean, not to foreigners, not to any one person, not to the nobles and aristocrats. You want this country to be given away without a fight?

Do you want to pay outrageous money for a small little flat for 99 years as your prize possession in life? Do you want to pay half a million or more for something that would revert to zero value?

Do you want to be a minority in your own country? Do you want to have a say about the future of your country, to shape your country or to allow a few individuals to do as they pleased?

Do you want to save for a life time only for your savings to be locked up or to be forced to pay for insurance that you cannot say no to?

Do you want the country’s reserves or surpluses to make your life better or to make the life better for foreigners?

Singaporeans must stand up and make this election counts. You have no room or time for error. You cannot afford to sleep and think that your future is in good hands. But if you do, God bless.

For those who did not like what they are seeing, it is action time. Do something, talk to everyone of your fears and what should be done for the sake of your future and your children’s future. You cannot afford not to do anything if you want a change for the better, to take charge of your life and your country.

You know best what is good for you. Do not let anyone con you into complacency. It is now or never. Not doing anything is not an option. Make your vote counts.