Tan Kin Lian's Blog: General election

Sunday, April 25, 2010

General election

Read this article by Lucky Tan.

My comments
This is an excellent article. It is written in a style that is far superior to what I am able to write.

46 comments:

Anonymous said...: The huge income gap is likely due to the policy of pegging our leaders’ pay to the top earners in the country.; April 26, 2010 12:34 AM
Anonymous said...: gd article!poignant & insightful however,for greater part of Singaporeans,does this matter?will e voting time of coming election augur a new era?albeit not completely but a bigging?i dot think so,this apathy population with mentality at time liken e 'frogs'do not know they are living at boiling time until is gonna cooked!until e 'earthquake' strike!but too late,e wounded few are not pple of e regime,is common folks who chose to belief that e suffering could not happen to them bcos of their 'loyalty'until such awakening is learnt,expose of MIW, SE lot (of pple)still bite the sweet dangle infront of them..i wish to see change for e better but sorry,fat hope!unlike e indication of any closer,we are far far frm achieving any near close to 'striking'a deal with SE pple to change the low;herd mentality of what is done to their lives,living,&livlihood for years,we e SE pple asked for it!so be it!& YES,GOOD CHART,rite to e pt however,Lucky Tan article penmenship is good for only the close segment of the 'elite'educated who can read & understand e implication of content therein,whereas, TKL is simple,direct & easy reading even for the laymen...keep it simple,cus SE & e vote needed,is still very "HDB"herd mentality...kaisu & kaisi..when election come,same same happening,& with e huge influx of e new citizen, MIW will tell u, who needs e vote of Singaporeans anway,do a statistical search & the math will add up, need u wonder more & to predict that PAP will garner less then 60%vote? think again & think deep!; April 26, 2010 4:21 AM
Anonymous said...: Very well written by Lucky Tan. Totally agree with him. If only the opposition can strategise and work together. Opposition have to take note of the PAP so called current walkabouts, they likewise have to do more walkabouts to feel the ground. To the opposition, I know you have good candidates and I am confident you will win more seats. Keep it up.; April 26, 2010 5:21 AM
Anonymous said...: rex comments as follows,

People such as LuckyTan ought to step forward and do the right thing. Many will vote him/her in.
The only constraint i think is domestic. If such constraints keep proliferating, then the electorate doesnt have choice, and many do not like to cast spoilt votes, so the danger of status quo remaining is still there.
In my opinon, the writer has the passion and the intellect to make a decent MP. There has never been a better time to enter parliament and take politics as a full time job than today!

rex; April 26, 2010 7:47 AM
Anonymous said...: The General elections are definitely around the corner.

Straits Times have been broadcasting a seemingly deluge of good news about Singapore lately.

Latest headlines today "Bosses accept need to restore some CPF cuts"

- The restoration is just giving back what was taken away in the first place. It's just restoring the previous status quo. Nothing new has been added or promised. So what's the big deal?

- The cuts were implemented fast. No consideration given to impact on families. And we are asked to consider a gradual restoration so that businesses will not be affected.

- pay attention to the beige box in the lower half of the front page. Study Lim Swee Say's protestations to the contrary.

Now use your brains and think for yourself. Given the facts over the last couple of years, where does the weight of evidence lies?; April 26, 2010 8:17 AM
Anonymous said...: Agree with Anon 4.21 am.

There are many unhappy but passive voters (many of them are housewives).
These passive voters will not attend any election rallies which are held at the remote places (such as stadiums).
The opposition candidates have very little chance of reaching them.
These voters will likely cast spoilt votes or even voted for the ruling party.; April 26, 2010 8:53 AM
Anonymous said...: I have read Lucky Tan's blog for sometimes and his analysis is first class. Just like REX, I am not sure why he does not stand as a candidate. For vs start, may be he should reveal his real name so that when he decided to run, people already know who he is.

He is really first Class.; April 26, 2010 9:18 AM
A young Singaporean said...: I am a young Singaporean in my late twenties. Unlike many younger Singaporeans who seem to resent the current government, I fully support the PAP.

They have brought in measures that would incentivise us Singaporeans to work smarter and work harder or be replaced by the foreign talent.

I strongly believe that we all have to be realistic. If we do not put measures in place to grow our economy, ALL of us would suffer in the long run. It is better to have left some of the less educated and underpriviledged behind than to sacrifice the entire nation.

Singapore is an open economy. That is a fact we cannot deny. We are subjected to global competition and we have do to all we can to maintain our competitive edge. If s a foreigner can do more for less than a Singaporean, the Singaporean jolly well think about how to be better than the foreigner.

I work 15 hours a day in return for over $100K per annum. I earn a decent salary but I put in the effort.

I respect your views Mr Tan, but I think we need to look long term. We are unlike bigger economies with natural resources. Our main resource is human talent. If our human talent cannot compete in the international space, Singapore would not last for the next decade.

Regards
A Young Singaporean.; April 26, 2010 9:47 AM
Tan Kin Lian said...: Reply to A Young Singaporean

I also respect your views, and think for the long term. But my perspective of the long term prospect is quite diffierent from your perspective.

I do not buy the argument about small country, lack of natural resource, that must lead to the state of affairs that exist now in Singapore. There are other countries, such as Switzerland, that have a different approach towards the same set of circumstances.

According to our national pledge, we want to build our country on the principles of democracy, peace, progress, equality and justice. Let us focus on them. We do well in some of these attributes but poorly in others.

The future for the country is bleak, if we do not practice democracy, equality and justice, and instead practice elitism and injustice on the weak.

All the best for the future.; April 26, 2010 9:58 AM
Anonymous said...: The GE may be held after the F1 race.; April 26, 2010 10:30 AM
Anonymous said...: I agreed some housewives can be very passive. However, we must drill into their minds that their votes count becos it is for the better future of their children.; April 26, 2010 10:32 AM
Anonymous said...: I had spoke to some ppl in different age groups & yes, they support the PAP. I strongly believe a lot of them do not want to leave their comfort zone & are afraid of hardships & sufferings. Singaporeans are known to be selfish. This is worrying. We must make these ppl realise that hardships are necessary to build a better country for all.; April 26, 2010 10:40 AM
Anonymous said...: A young Singaporean comments: 9.47am

"It is better to have left some of the less educated and underpriviledged behind than to sacrifice the entire nation."

The complaint is huge income gap.
The majority of Singaporean suffered for the sake of benefit of some elites.; April 26, 2010 10:50 AM
Anonymous said...: The mainstream media of our country is indeed deterioting. If only some journalist has the courage to quit & find other jobs to support their livelihood while helping alternative media on the internet to support the oppositions.; April 26, 2010 10:59 AM
C H Yak said...: Hi A Young Singaporean

I hope the the majority of Singaporeans would be able to or have benefited like you "from the measures that would incentivise us Singaporeans to work smarter and work harder" as brought in by the PAP.

I am not sure if you represent the majority or minority. You mentioned you earned $100K annually and this would mean you are the top 20% earners in Singapore. But do you know about 50% of Singaporeans earned less than half you earned and are struggling or enslaved?

The "middle income squueeze" or the "new poor" means someone about to retire now could be just earning what you earn today despite his years of experience but with little saving left because he has just paid off his mortgage, despite the age gap. BUt he could be jobless tomorrow even if he is a PMET. Both yourself and him might be considered fortunate.

But both of you represent the fortunate group. Have you thought of what policies would benefit the unfortunates? Please share with us the specifics of these policies you mentioned and let us see how they could be sustained to help the unfortunates.

I also do not know how big this "fortunate" group represents in terms of percentage of our wage earners or our population as a whole.

Obviously your profile does not represent the population at large. Let us know how the policies would benefit the unfortunate more, and not how they have benefited and made you fortunate.; April 26, 2010 12:16 PM
A Young Singaporean said...: Thank you for your response Mr Tan. I guess it now boils down to what the majority of Singaporeans want.

There would be a group that seeks to (quoting your response) "build our country on the principles of democracy, peace, progress, equality and justice."

Honestly, that would be good to have. However, there are a large group of Singaporeans like myself, who people would consider "the young and elite". We have been brought up to study hard, get a good job, climb the corporate ladder, earn a good salary, buy a private property and a sports car if possible. We believe in free competition and capitalism. I admit that this thinking may be selfish and there is little concern for the less priviledged but this is a world where we have to go for every economic opportunity available to survive in this harsh world.

As selfish as I am, I am also happy to see that there are some individuals like yourself who can be selfless. I'm not sure when I can be like that but I think it's only when I have made it in life.

Now all we can do is to see which group is bigger and that would likely show in the elections results.

All the best Mr Tan.

A Young Singaporean.; April 26, 2010 12:24 PM
Anonymous said...: To be honest, singapore is indeed a great place for a person who can work 15 hours a day with no health issue in return for over $100K per annum.; April 26, 2010 12:59 PM
Anonymous said...: Reply to A young Singaporean,

"......It is better to have left some of the less educated and underpriviledged behind than to sacrifice the entire nation....."

I just wonder if you were one of those less educated and under priviledged instead of earning 100K now, would you still say "please leave me behind so that the rest of you can just surge forward"?

I just hope that the majority of young Singaporeans is more caring and has a heart than you for the less educated and under priviledged.

Merlion; April 26, 2010 1:12 PM
Anonymous said...: Reply to A Young Singaporean:

You work 15 hours a day and earn 100k per annum.

Well guess what? It is not good enough! There are FTs who are willing to put in 18 hr day for less than 50k or 30k per annum. So i guess you will soon find yourself redundant. And in your own words, this is a necessary sacrifice you will have to swallow.; April 26, 2010 1:35 PM
Anonymous said...: Reply to young singaporean,

This was my attitude when I was about your age. I treated those who could not find a job as lazy and want to take advantage of others. I treat social security as weakness of advanced societies. My mind worked like a machine and worked in logical way, everything is black and white. Due to this attitude towards work, I rised relatively fast in corporate world, not because I had good character but because I could help company to make money.

When I was in my mid forties, I was out of work (not willingly). I started to reconnect to the real society and family. I satrted to realise that there are people who worked constantly and their take home pay still can not meet their needs. There are people who could not find a decent jobs no matter how hard to try. They are real people who have intelligent, emotion and want to progress and they have parents and children too, like you and me.

One day, I befriended an undertaker, he showed me his business operation. His employee are mostly society underprivilege, one of them almost made me cry, he is semi retarded, he cycled 30 km to go to work in the funeral parlour, he surrender all his pay to his mother because he loves and trust his mother. He is a real people who need to eat, sleep and has shelter and be loved.

You are still young, remember to slow down once in a while and "smell" your surrounding. For me I made a mistake when I was young and now spending time to make myself "normal" again. it is harder than I thought; April 26, 2010 1:36 PM
A Young Singaporean said...: Thank you all who responded to my post. Pardon me as I acknowledge due to my age and my surroundings, I probably do not have a deep insight to the issues outside of my realm. I also acknowledge that I have been the luckier few of the system in Singapore and have benefited from a fairly decent education and not much hardship whilst growing up.

Everyone, including myself would like to see things turn for the better. My greatest concern is that when people choose to support the opposition, is it truly because you believe that a great change can be brought about or it is simply due to resent against the ruling party.

I suspect in this coming election, I would finally get a chance to vote (after missing out for the whole of my life). I would definitely go for quality of the candidates regardless of the party they belong to.

I only hope that everyone does the same for the sake of a better Singapore.

A young Singaporean.; April 26, 2010 2:11 PM
Anonymous said...: ERP rates going up next month. Vote for the opposition.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_519321.html; April 26, 2010 2:58 PM
Anonymous said...: Money talks, no matter what.

If you are earning over $60K a year, working in air-con office and your future looks bright, without threat of cheaper foreigners taking over your job industry. Then definitely you will vote for the status quo.

If you are retrenched, struggling for years, no chance of getting even $2.5K/mth job after 1000s of resumes, or simply do not experience any improvement in your family's life after 10 yrs of grinding hard work. Of course you will want to protest against the status quo.

It is just human nature, or animal nature.; April 26, 2010 3:29 PM
Anonymous said...: REX comments on Young Singaporean posts,

hello pal,
you are a lucky fellow, earning $8,000 per month before thirty years old.

I hope that you are sincere in saying that you are now succeessful, is really solely because PAP had "incentivised" you to work very hard, and not because of ANY other lucky factors that were specific to yourself.

Because the "incentivising Model" does not seem to be working for quite a lot of people, as far as i could gauge.

Many smart people, Singaporeans, are ready to work 20 hours a day, just like you. They could be very smart, but the story goes that many of them are replaced by cheaper foreigner.

Actually, to maintain one's post, one has to have some EQ, play a bit of politics in the office, and a bit of luck. How far this whole situation can be credited to the government is arguable.

Hence, your stand that the Government helped to "incentivise" is really too abstract for me to follow.

For me the main issue to consider when election day comes is whether the following are served:
a. Is Justice Served by the System?
b. Is there creativity?
c. Is the system sustainable in the long term for the Masses?

I am not even interested in invidvidual candidates, because I vote for systems, not people. Some MP's are no doubt better than others, it is irrelevant.

Consider this: Analyse the System as a whole and test if they promulgate the above ideals. It is not just voting because you are lucky today to have $8000 a month job, or because you like the face of this MP or that MP.

rex; April 26, 2010 3:33 PM
Anonymous said...: To the young Singaporean, I'm afraid you will never understand the issues until it's too late.
i.e.
- you are over 40
- you are retrenched
- you have ageing parents to look after
- you have young children to feed
- you have car and housing loans to pay while you are still unemployed

Enjoy your hour in the sun while you can.

PAP policies will favour you until you turn 40 because you still have a choice. Many countries will welcome you as a desirable immigrant.

Once you turn 40, you are not so desirable as an immigrant. Then you lose your negotiating power in Singapore. That's when it's your turn to make way for the new generation of promising young people.

To ANON, April 26, 2010 1:36 PM.
Thanks for sharing. I went through the same experience too. It's very hard to re-connect. But the effort is well worth it. You may be an economic digit/machine to our leaders, but you are an irreplaceable person to your family. The results of re-connecting with your family and society (i.e. humanity) is well worth the effort.; April 26, 2010 3:40 PM
Anonymous said...: What is quality in a candidate for election, many of the PAP MPs are just highly qualified on paper, and still wet behind the ears, try placing them in the wide, wide world, away from the protection of the PAP machinery, they would be wacked left, right and centre.
In history, in order to change society that is deemed unjust, you must have a revolution to sweep out the old, before the new comes in.
We are getting tired of the PAP Govt, and we want change, and for many Singaporeans, even if an odd job labourer stands for election, they would vote for him, and after that other opposition members would come in to give him a hand,should he wins.
So what, even the most intelligent and high calibre of Singaporeans could lose billions of our reserves, so what is so malu about a garung guni MP, in the sixties even a chee cheong woman came out to stand for election.
We want MPs who have common sense and able to talk to us, not someone who put oneself on a pedestal, talking about his own
abilities. And for all their qualifications and credentials, our leaders still make mistakes,causing grievance to us.; April 26, 2010 3:59 PM
Anonymous said...: honestly i think the point is not whether a person is an elite or a common person, or an underpriviledged. a country can have good amount of elite and still have common people and underpriviledged being treated failrly and living with dignification, in fact the more elite there is, there should be more resources for the common people and underprivileged. no matter how good a machine is, we will still need the screw to hold up the machine, right?
my point is, we should be fair to the screw too.
haha....but then the 20 hours is a bit off lah, working 20 hours mean only 4 hour sleep everyday...; April 26, 2010 4:31 PM
Anonymous said...: dear young man,
life is not all about just money,u make gd $,gd for u,but in a society don't despise e poor,is 'destiny'& since u r successful, hold their hands,give them a lift,NOT A KICK<life as we know have karma,what goes around comes around & yes,u r hardworking, deligent but have u give a thought,when u r at my age later & having give back so much to this govt,they want more,THEY JUST TAKE,HERE,THERE & EVERYWHERE,INCREASE THIS INCREASE THAT & THEY ARE DOING & LIVING ON OTHERS AS INCOME SOURCE!!young man,touch yr heart when u talk,who teach u talk like that,ask your parents,have they not suffer in the hand of this regime,u make abt 100K a year,me, i make nearly 300k at best time & avge 220k YET,m a victim of e system,downgrade, lost my job,not young anymore & mind u, i did not live e fast life,just a simple life,minding my own business,guess,when they want more money,MIW raise almost everything! & tell u they care for u!CPF,how now?how long more for me to see my blood sweat money?LISTEN AND LISTEN GOOD,i cry & feel so hurt when govt of this land,my motherland,birth place,cheat,treat & trick we SE pple enslaving e very backbone of this once humble country & when succeeded,is their credit,ever wonder what happen to all the lost money frm GIC,Temesek?be kind,yr days shall reckon & when u awaken one day,do not lament that u spoke too fast..e joy of living is e ability to give,& to live life to the fullest of being gracious,kind,honest & standing in e conviction of your belief that when e day's gone, u sleep well & know that while u may not do great thing,but some little thing that u say and do warrant in the record of THE BOOK and u slept well hoping for a next kinder, nicer & meaning day,such like...GIVING YOUR FELLOW MEN A HELPING HAND AND LIFT THEM UP!; April 26, 2010 4:38 PM
Anonymous said...: In the past, the scholars (in sg) felt that it is their duties to help the poor & the under-privileged. They really showed their concerns and walked the talk.

I respect those schalors even though they are elites and they enjoyed life that was the envy of most people.; April 26, 2010 5:12 PM
A Young Singaporean said...: To Rex and Anon 3.40pm.

I agree. Many of the PAP's policies favour those who are economically productive and not those who aren't.

What I am going to post next, I expect to get flamed but nevertheless I think it's important for me to voice out my opinion as it's a reality we shouldn't try to avoid.

I am prepared that at 40 plus, I would be less competitive compared to those in their twenties to thirties. Thus, it is in my interest to work harder right now to build up an investment/asset base that would allow me to have a steady income stream by the time I am 40 plus just in case I lose my employability. By then my aging parents would be long gone and I am not keen on having children due to the liability and strain they would likely have on my finances. (It is true that the current policies discourage child bearing)

If I really become unemployable at 40 plus, I only have myself to blame for not upgrading myself and increasing my competitive edge and I also have to accept that I would not be able to achieve my dream of a luxurious lifestyle. (At that point, I would admit I would probably complain against the government since it's human nature to complain once I fall to the bottom rungs of the food chain)

However, if I manage to remain employable and continue to climb the corporate ladder, together with a much higher salary and my asset based that I have built up in case I get retrenched, I would be able to achieve my dream of living the life that I want. High salary with a good investment portfolio.

As for the part the government contributes, I think it's probably 30-40% at most as I believe my success is mainly in my own hands. The government merely presents the resources and opportunities. It is how I make use of them that matters. However if I didn't even have the opportunities or resources, there is no way that I would be able to go that far.

So as long as the government is able to bring opportunities for economic growth which I can make use of now, I would be realistic to support them.

That is my humble opinion. (However, I believe it represents a large proportion of Gen Y-Z Singaporeans based on the discussions I've had. Perhaps it's because my generation has been brought up this way)

Regards
A Young Singaporean.; April 26, 2010 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...: REX comments as follows,

Hi pal, i find it refreshing to hear your view, as it is extremely boring to read about anti government posts everyday.

In you last post you said that the govt was actually able to bring about "opportunities for economic growth in Singapore". To my recollection, the only big thing which falls in this category is the casino project.

There is a trade off, you can bring about economic growth building two casino's. You get lotsa sub contracts for local firms like Interior Design, M&E, F&B, Accounting services, Legal plenty of growth. GDP up. Happy?But at the end of the day the project supports gambling. IS ok? I don't know.

Then you can bring about economic growth by closing one eye to regulating finance industries. This happened aka Lehman bonds, land banking, free-to-sell not-value for money insurance schemes etc. We have a very business friendly environment and many people can find jobs selling things which don't help or could destroy lives. Is Ok?

It is a moral issue. If you make a million dollars selling cigarettes a year because a certain government encourages cigarettes selling, can one consider that such a government is great because it "provides opportunities"? Is OK?

Actually, i don't have an answer.

Young Singaporean, you tell us.

In fact i am curious to know too.. what line are you in that give you such high salary at less than 30 yr old, and also is it related to those examples i cited abvoe .. kaypoh only..

rex; April 26, 2010 6:25 PM
Anonymous said...: have it ever occur to you while you are reading and commenting, someone is thinking specifically on how to beat you in the food chain ranking...hold it tight...; April 26, 2010 6:35 PM
Anonymous said...: Dear Young Singaporean
Suggest you print out a hardcopy of this discussion.

File it away in a safe deposit box.

Look at it again when you are 45 years old.

It's no point discussing this any further. You've just not had enough of life's experience. Apologies but it's really a case of casting pearls before swines.

Someone said the same thing to me too, when I was your age and making $100K a year. I thought he was just an old has-been. Just as you think I'm an old has-been now.

I have no desire to change your mind. It's just that your posting brought back some old memories. And my posting was just my way of posthumously acknowledging my old mentor that he was right all along. And that I should have listened better.; April 26, 2010 6:58 PM
Anonymous said...: F u "A young Singaporean". Wait till you are 40 then see if you can still say the same.

I'm still in my 20s but i do emphasize with people in their 40s because I know one day I will be 40 soon.

Hope you do not need any misfortune to remind you that you are just another human.

What's wrong with young people these days? Full of arrogance!; April 26, 2010 7:39 PM
Anonymous said...: Thanks Mr Tan for posting my comments which were somewhat not in line with your blog fan base.

To answer Rex, I'm in investment banking involved in merger and acquistions. The reality is that many of my peers above me in the food change are earning easily 200-300k per annum and some of them are my age.

My parents always taught me to be grateful to be born in Singapore where I have an opportunity to get a good education and live in a safe country. They alwayd told me to work hard to be rich. Btw my parents were not rich.

I think the curreny government is not perfect as everything has its pros and cons. While the lower rungs of the Singapore society seems to "left behind", i think that their standard of living is still much higher than most other countries due to the current policies of the existing government.

Based on the analogy of selling cigarettes even though we know of the ill effects, I think we still should as smokers smoke on their own free will. Just like the citizens who are perceived to be left behind, it is their choice whether they would want to make an effort to make sacrifices with regards to their personal life and spend time to upgrade themselves and make themselves more economically productive rather than blame govt policies.

I would like to reiterate that our own success lies in our own hands. The so called elite had to wotk their way to where they were. So why can't the rest do so as well.

A young Singaporean; April 26, 2010 7:41 PM
Anonymous said...: A govt's primary responsibility is to take care of the citizens. if they are so interested to make money, go start a company! not a country.; April 26, 2010 7:44 PM
Cat said...: When I mark the cross in the ballot paper (if I ever get a chance to), I will take a deep breath. Then, mark it in where it should be.

In my workplaces, I have met many Singaporeans who have gone through life longer than I have. They have seen the changes that this country has gone through. From their stories, and my own experiences, there can only one place where the cross is to be marked.; April 26, 2010 8:16 PM
Anonymous said...: A young Singaporean 7.41 PM
“I would like to reiterate that our own success lies in our own hands. The so called elite had to wotk their way to where they were. So why can't the rest do so as well.”

The issue here is the huge income gap.

The huge income gap is due to the policy of pegging our leaders’ pay to the top earners in the country.

The results are that majority of Singaporean suffered for the benefit (sky high salaries) of some elites.; April 27, 2010 10:08 AM
Anonymous said...: Now they want to increase NMP from 6 to 9. As expected, Parliement will pass it as most are from the same party.

Question: Doesn't this sound familar? Election coming and PAP up to their old tricks of doing things to get more votes.

Same tactics all over again but different pay check.

Come on, you can do better than that! With million $ in salary, why continue to copy from the past? PRODUCTIVITY DRIVE, INCREASE NO. OF NMP, etc.

Why don't try solving real problems like:-

a) High COE price
b) High HDB price
c) 1.25 million foreign workers
d) High PMET jobless Singaporeanssss
e) Low birthrate
f) Citizens cheated by foreign and local investment banks.
h) Useless MAS

and lastly, out-of-the-world Minister salary....; April 27, 2010 11:06 AM
Anonymous said...: Hi Rex,
i remember 25 years ago, as a Regional Controller for a US MNC, I was already earning 100k per annum. Like the Young Singaporean then, I have a view just like him till when I touched late 40s and retrenched! Then only I get connected to the real world.

I was a very strong PAP supporter then without thinking and looking at the impact of the policies as being the top earners, whatever policies dont really affect or impact me much.

Though I am fortunate enough to have already built up my assets to live simply but comfortably, I now worry for my children who will be graduating from the university in a few years time. To prepare them better, they all take double degree so as to compete better and I guess up to 25% of uni stuudents are taking double degree and will definitely replace "young singaporean" one day before they get replace one day themselves.

I understand the environment Singapore is in but like Mr. Tan has mentioned, there are other models that we can look at. It does not have to be strictly one that leave the bottom 30% behind.

A society has rich people only because there are poor people around as the definition of rich or poor are all relative.

There is a better way than we have now and views expressed by Mr. Tan and Lucky Tan with very thoughful analysis may offer the alternative.

Young Singaporean just need to think deeper rather than be in a mental mode like me 25 years ago!; April 27, 2010 1:35 PM
Anonymous said...: REX comments as follows to post at 1.35 pm

Twenty five years ago? Those Were the Days My Friend, We Thought They Never End.. (LULU song - "To sir with love.. you know?"). PAP was good, very good, in those days. No problem.
Today year 2010 is totally different.

I can't understand what went wrong along the way to this date!! All they have to do is to continue to be sincere, if they had made a mistake say so, be humble, walk the talk, keep the good, sack the bad...and if there is a real problem say so, we understand it is not easy job, i would have continued to support them with my eyes blindfolded.

What bugs me now is denial, arrogance, double standards of justice, and general intellectual decline, and, worst of all inability to engage a more educated population in off the cuff friendly discussion, as in brain-storming with no fear of being arrested by the citizenry.

What went wrong? I really don't know, tell me.

So, as it is many of us see that the system is no longer self sustainable. It has a paranoid arguably fractious and potentially completely divided leadership trying to pretend to be what it is not. The Internet has exposed all the truth, those who have eyes let him see.

In my opinion, it is vital for people like "young singaporean" to think beyond their tiny cocoon and see the macro picture. Our young friend even said "he does not want children". So he has one less worry than you with your two univ kids doing double degrees. But some day, our young friend will come out of his cocoon and suddenly realise that that's nothing left anymore. Sigh.

rex; April 27, 2010 3:20 PM
Anonymous said...: When investment banking comes into my mind, I think of people who formulate or devise investment products like the CDOs that con naive investors to buy products like Lehman bonds and Pinnacle notes and the like.
It is gambling in figures, not much different than casino gambling. No wonder Young Singaporean could earn a high salary.
Lucky thing he does not intend to have children, retribution always fall on the younger generation to burden
The departed Genting Casino boss has to grief when his favourite, youngest son drowned in the family's luxurious swimming pool.
He realised that God would punish him if he kept the dirty earnings all by himself. So he became a philantropist, donating lands to expand the temple grounds in Genting Highlands.
So we have to mark our words and action.; April 27, 2010 4:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Rex,
You are right that the PAP then and now is a totally different organisation in idealogy and standard. In the past, I believed that the people benefitted. Now, everything is measured in $, run more like a corporation.

I actually have no problem with the foreign talent policy in the 1980s as only the top and bottom are occupied by foreigners.

Though even at that time, the so call foreign talents are also debatable having work with many of them but then in any MNC, the companies belong to them so they have the right to send the foreign talents to Singapore for Asian experience before moving up the corporate ladder to be the senior managers of the company in the future. But today, it is different, The whole spectrum is now opened for competition other than the political office and National Service. The standard of governance in my opinion is also lower when compared with the past.; April 27, 2010 6:47 PM
Anonymous said...: i have been following this thread, and I had put a few comments to it,so i will like to put a summary of my reflection to it.
I would think that as a person's experiences increase with life, he should make an effort to have a more holistic view of the world and life, and be able to have more empathy and understand others. and to see beyond his own world to see beyound the superficial and immediate benefits. or he may regret later in life.
but there are some points we can learn from him too. He mentioned that his parent were not rich, but he is willing to work hard and put in the effort so he will be more well off than his parent. and I see his sincerely when he write his first three comments, it can be seem he write them with good effort as I don't see any spelling mistakes, the vocab and the construction of the content is good and the point can be understand , the last comment may be write with a more natural disposition so there are more spelling and word mistake.; April 27, 2010 8:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Life is a journey, for better or worse, allow the young ones to live their long walk.. after all, they will have their ipods and ear buds stuck into their ears and hear nothing but lovely music.. even with eyes opened big, big..

.. then.. wham! I'll just sit back with my dentures and relax.; April 27, 2010 8:10 PM
michael said...: There were many outcries on what went wrong with our country? I remembered that our former DPM Mr. Goh keng Swee had once said: "These men who joined PAP must be standing on holy ground". Today, I wonder how many of them are still standing on that? Come on, Singapore and all concerned, it's time that we do some soul-searching. Otherwise, we can fast go down in history and as what MM Lee used to say - We, Singapore would not have a second chance.; April 27, 2010 11:28 PM

Sunday, April 25, 2010

General election

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