Tan Kin Lian's Blog: The future for our country

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The future for our country

A met a nurse at a wake. I said that the current government had done a lot of good for the people and the country during the first 30 years after independence. During the next 15 years, the policies have been bad for the people, as they led to high cost of living, stagnant wages and wide disparity of income. The government leaders are not working for the welfare of the people and appear to be looking after the intrest of big business and their own interest.

Most people have been quite unfair in judging the "poor quality" of the opposition politicians, as their main source of information is the mainstream media.

I know many of these politicians personally and appreciate their personal sacrifices in being willing to take a stand against the ruling party. Many of them are quite well educated and decent people, quite moderate in their thinking and feel strongly for Singapore. Some people think that they only appear at election time. This is not true. They do spend time on the ground work, but are not reported in the media. We must remember that they have to make a living and have to face difficulty in the business or at work.

She was surprised at my frankness. She started to express her own feelings of doubt about the future of our country and the direction that it is heading. She lamented that many Singaporeans are not able to think about what is good for the country and are afraid to think differently from what has been told to them in the media.

Tan Kin Lian

19 comments:

Anonymous said...: Some time it is not difficult to see effect of a wrong policy. Go to govt hospitals, you will find yourself in a mini-united nation. It is more obvious if you visit the wards.

Questions:
i) Who so many foreign nurses?
ii) Singaporean don't want these high paying job or is the administration took a easy way out by getting highly qualified people at low cost.
iii) Is MOM to be blame for allowing so many foreigners to take up positions in Govt hospitals?

MOH should be transparent about these. If there is a shortage of nurses and doctors, innovative ways must be found to increase the % of Singaporeans. Continuing employing cheaper foreign workers is not a good excuse.

I believe, there is a large pool of middle age, healthy unemployed Singaporeans waiting to be employ while wondering what the rich Ministers are doing. Why is he paid by Singaporean Tax payers, vote in by Singaporean Tax payers, scold Singaporean for being lazy, flood Singapore with foreigners [1.25 million] and then have to cheek to ask for more salary when they are already tbe best paid Govt in the World.

The best part is Singaporean still vote them in. Hope next election some minister get knock out and PM seriously consider reducing their salary and teach them the great example of President Obama and Mrs Clinton.; April 13, 2010 8:50 AM
Anonymous said...: TKL, you are indeed brave to put up comments like: "The government leaders are not working for the welfare of the people and appear to be looking after the intrest of big business and their own interest. " Are sentences like these considered as defamatory?

Do you intend to run for election? If swimming, fashion designer..can also be NMP, i think you more than qualify to be a MP. Whyy don't you run for a single seat?; April 13, 2010 8:56 AM
Anonymous said...: I happen to live in a GRC just next to Hougang Ward and I need to say a few fair words on Workers' Party.

I have some friends living in Hougang constituency and I heard them mention how often Low TK and his men will pay house to house visit on their neighbourhood.

Even my neighbourhood happen to receive visit from members of WP from time to time. These group of young men, many are well educated, appear sincere in their introduction and wanting to know how WP can help us.

During some weekend mornings when I bring my family to various parts of AMK hawker centre for our usual hawker fare breakfast, I can see some of these WP guys doing their walk around there. So I think it is quite unfair to say that our opposition just disappear after election.

Compare this with my PAP MP, he only pay house to house visit when election times are near. During these visit, he will have a big group of followers and appear in a hurry as if he wants to get it done ASAP. Often he will just visit our neighbourhood only when there is some RC celebration / some big events.; April 13, 2010 9:53 AM
Anonymous said...: To Anonymous @ 8:50am,

You are right the public hospitals are full of foreign staff. We don't need to go to hospitals in JB to feel what it is like to seek medical treatment in a foreign land. Anyway, these days which industry in Singapore is not flooded with foreigners?

About 2 years ago, I brought my dad for medical treatment at one of the public hospital. While waiting, there was this nurse (philippino) who was asking an elderly woman about her illness in English. The elderly woman can't speak English and she was speaking in cantonese. I went to act as an interpreter after realising that there was no Singaporean staff around to help. I am hokkien but pick up some cantonese during my childhood from my cantonese neighbour.

Recently there was a report that foreign medical staff are attending some language classes to help them to communicate with the patient. How much are you able to learn in these classes and more importantly miscommunication can lead to wrong diagnosis and the result can be fatal.

My point is that our senior citizens who are a major contributor of building Singapore from a 3rd world country to a developing country now are really no getting the type of treatment they deserved. Am I far off if I say that they have been played out by this government?

Merlion; April 13, 2010 10:14 AM
Vincent Sear said...: To: Anonymous 8:50AM

Frankly, I think that nursing is one area that there's reach shortage and I don't mind bringing in more foreign girls to fill the gap. Most of our local girls interested in nursing would take up a nursing degree as soon as possible and become senior staff or specialist nurses.

Most of the foreign junior nurses are taken in by hospitals through polytechnic nursing courses. Our busy and long-queueing time hospitals would be paralysed without them.

During my stay in hospital, my experience was that they're very well trained, hardworking, caring, courteous and professional. I have no complaints, only compliments. for them.; April 13, 2010 11:15 AM
Anonymous said...: If beauty queens can be NMP, anyone can be an NMP.; April 13, 2010 1:19 PM
Anonymous said...: To Vincent Sear,

"...Our busy and long-queueing time hospitals would be paralysed without them....."

I have seen similar statement being made in other industries as well "would be paralysed with the foreign workers".

My question is how did we end up in such sorry state of affairs? It is just like a person who knows that heroine is addictive and bad but everyday keep injecting oneself with it until you can't live without it.

Merlion; April 13, 2010 1:55 PM
Anonymous said...: I suppose the presence of NMPs is to soften the impact (if any) or make the presence of opposition MPs insignificant in our Parliament.....
Uniquely Singapore??!!; April 13, 2010 2:48 PM
Anonymous said...: I think it isn't fair to blame the government for a mini-united nation.
Firstly, the government has already made efforts to increase local medical personnel's over the years. And we can see that through with an increase in the intake of nurses and doctors in polytechnic and universities. The government will definitely want more singaporeans to look after the older generations of singaporeans.
But the issue here is singaporeans will rather do a business diploma than a nursing diploma. Dont you think so? And what can the government do about it. All the government can do is to promote to promote and to promote. But ultimately it is up to the individual whether or not to be a nurse and whether they would want to take up a nursing career after obtaining the nursing degree/diploma.
So whether or not the MP's or the minister are doing a good job? I have no idea cos i stay in a condomium and I do not see people running during elections. Except for the many flags you see on the road.
I feel the government is already doing its best for the older generation. The plan for the building of a new hospital to cope with the increasing number of patients is something we can look forward too.
Found this quite interesting http://www.withinus.net16.net/; April 13, 2010 4:54 PM
Anonymous said...: Yes, what ever happened to

"a rugged society"?
" a self reliant workforce"?
" a knowledge based economy"?

Looks like its time for another campaign.. hee! hee!; April 13, 2010 4:56 PM
Anonymous said...: Kin Lian,

If the Govt had put up bad policies, how do you explain their ability to win elections thus far?; April 13, 2010 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...: The Govt cannot continue to keep the middle age group unemployed and expect them to compete with "Faster, Cheaper and Better" Foreign workers. Yes, the present situation needs these group of hardworking and trained foreign workers but what about the big chunk of Singaporeans in the unemployment pool draining away their family savings. In the end if nothing is done, there will be more people on welfare and in the Streets. These are the Baby boomers Singaporeans who voted and paid these rich Ministers but end up neglected.; April 13, 2010 6:02 PM
Anonymous said...: "If the Govt had put up bad policies, how do you explain their ability to win elections thus far?"

Ever heard of unfair elections? What election is there to talk about anyway when half the population has not voted.

Even in North Korea and Myanmar they also keep winning elections. Does that mean anything at all?; April 13, 2010 10:43 PM
Anonymous said...: "government is already doing its best for the older generation"???

It does not take a genius to realise that when you take in 1.25 million foreigners, you need a lot more extra hospital beds just to keep the status quo. If S'pore had not been so over-populated, would we have a shortage of doctors and nurses???

The problem is created by PAP, but they don't appear to have any solution to-date.; April 13, 2010 11:36 PM
Anonymous said...: "If the Govt had put up bad policies, how do you explain their ability to win elections thus far?"

How? Through GRCs, defamation suits, use of mainstream media to demonise opposition party members, last minute release of electoral boundaries, high election candidate deposit, etc.....; April 13, 2010 11:38 PM
Anonymous said...: "If the Govt had put up bad policies, how do you explain their ability to win elections thus far?"

Define "win" please. The kind of "win" achieved by the PAP actually abuses and perverts the meaning of winning. Because winning is meaningless if it is done unfairly, unethically, and in a disingenuous manner to ensure high probability of an outcome.

Stictly speaking there is no free and fair elections under the current PAP system. The judiciary, media, and all branches of the government are beholden to the PAP. This is not an election, it is a wayang.; April 14, 2010 10:00 AM
Vincent Sear said...: To: Merlion 1:55PM

Healthcare is essential service. Not an industry that can come and go with the times, e.g. from buggy whips to rubber tyres.

There's an increase in old and sick, not supported by a correspondingly proportional increase in the young population. Who's fault? Two-is-enough.

There's also an increase in general levels of education and career choices, particularly for girls turning adult women. That's progress, can't be faulted.

Don't mistake penicellin for heroin. Heroin is unnecessary, taken for fun and fatally harmful. Penicellin relieves diseases.

Once again, I reiterate. I'm not arguing about whose fault or whose responsibility for such a state of affairs now. It's obvious.; April 14, 2010 12:16 PM
Anonymous said...: I am already in my 60s, and I must tell you I have voted only once, so how to influence the direction of this country if not given a chance to vote out rogue, incompetent leaders?; April 14, 2010 1:35 PM
Anonymous said...: Remember what Lim Swee Say said recently....."we are deaf to all criticisms".

That pretty much sums up PAP's attitude; April 14, 2010 11:16 PM