Tan Kin Lian's Blog: One angry citizen

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

One angry citizen

Hi Mr Tan,
I deliberately left the house when PM Lee made his National Day Rally speech live because I don't want to end up smashing my TV set. His usual condescending smile/laughter alone to is enough to enrage me.

Reading the transcript later, I'm glad I did what I did. As expected, PM Lee pretends to "understand" the plight of ordinary S'poreans. The fact that he said "if you can't board a train, the next train is just minutes away" betrays his pretentions. It is not just overcrowded trains/buses S'poreans have to endure. The entire infrastructure is bursting at the seam. A significant proportion of primary schools, junior college and university places have been taken up by foreigners/PRs/new citizens. S'poreans place a lot of importance on having a good education, yet the PAP govt doesn't think it necessary to ensure that S'poreans should get absolute priority in this area. MOE's position on P1 registration is baffling. On the one hand it claims all primary schools are equally equiped (thus implying they are of the same standards) and that there are sufficient places for all. Yet it refuses to make PRs queue behind S'poreans for P1 registration.

It is now crowded everywhere. There is shortage of hospital beds, long waiting times at polyclinics, crowded hawker centres, long queues at govt agencies. The list goes on and on. Obviously, our mutli-millionaire ministers are not impacted by these at all. They and their families get priority for everything in this country. They can afford to eat at exclusive restaurants, get first-class medical treatment at private clinics/hospitals, their homes are guarded by burly Gurkha guards, they get special police protection, etc.

22 comments:

Createwealth8888 said...: Depending who you are? When it rains, farmers are happy but fishermen are not.; August 31, 2010 7:14 PM
Lye Khuen Way said...: Well, I slept early Sunday night, as I jestfully told many that what the PM was about to announce would either be too late or too little. What I read Monday morning was what I had expected and some.; August 31, 2010 9:19 PM
Anonymous said...: Scary to feel our PAP government is deviating from the basic responsibilities of a democratic government. Instead it is acting like businessmen and businesswomen. Treating Singapore island as an investor paradise for foreigners to come regardless of how Singaporeans think, live and feel.; August 31, 2010 10:18 PM
hosingping said...: Leave Singapore if can. How can one whole family immigrate out and come back as PR? wa are the criteras; September 01, 2010 7:52 AM
Vincent said...: I have live in this land for 38 years. I grow up here, served the army, settle down with family and never once I have thought to migrating away from this land.

Strangely, the word "emigration" keep coming to my mind lately. It is more of sense of helplessness that if this current govt carries on (which I believe it will almost certainly), my future generation will have no future in this place.; September 01, 2010 9:37 AM
hanglian said...: It might be a good idea to go working/living (not as a tourist) in another country. Nothing beats experiencing it yourself, instead of hearing all the good and horror emigration stories. Choose a place that has a big cultural gap with your own, and it'll be an enriching experience.

You'll probably get to see how a multi party government works, how higher taxes work, how other people achieve work life balance, what're the effects of a minimum wage, the housing scene in another country, how is it like to be an immigrant or "2nd class", etc.

You my or may not like it, so don't get bogged down by the idea of uprooting and moving permanently, just go out and have a look.; September 01, 2010 11:25 AM
silverybay said...: Singapore is a great city to live in for the rich and affluent. Its their playground, a theme park if you will.

Average Singaporeans like us are the clowns or mascots found in theme parks. We work long hours in hot stuffy suits and clown around like a fool to the delight of the rich and powerful. Our lives are dictated by the owners of the theme park and we have no choice but to adhere to their rule and regulations since we need to put food on the table for the family.

Welcome to the City of Mickey Mouse.; September 01, 2010 12:04 PM
Unknown said...: I agree. I used to discourage people from migrating but now I even have such thought. Something is very wrong here.; September 01, 2010 12:43 PM
yujuan said...: Yes, enough is enough.
Sick of my hospital medical appointment made two months ago, once again postphoned to some more later date, sick of queing up at the carpack up to half an for a space, sick of being squeezed on a train when i try to go green to take public transport, sick of cars
jumping in front of me without quequing in the long line, and there was the PM talking without sincerity on all the TV channels.
Next year we would go out to the shops and restaurants, our mental mind would be at peace.; September 01, 2010 1:29 PM
Unknown said...: One day their policy will come to haunt them just like couples were "forced" to go for sterilisation in order to get priority in school. Now to correct their mistake, they import foreigners. Twenty/ thirty / forty years from now, when they end up with a few million old and aged people, how are they going to ship them back to India, China, Vietnam, Cambodia etc. I wonder what ingenious plans they will cook up then. I guess many of us won't be around but what about our children and their children. In this kind of society it is best not to have children. If your child can't be at the top, they will end up being cheap labour for the elites.; September 01, 2010 4:27 PM
Gary said...: We did the best thing yet - watching a DVD of a favourite Clint Eastwood cowboy western:
"The Good The Bad And The Ugly".; September 01, 2010 5:35 PM
Anonymous said...: There is one way. To influence others now till the next election not to vote for the PAP. Vote in as many opposition as possibly. Why? Even if half of parliament is in opposition hands there is still an uphill battle for the opposition. They will have to fight it out against PAP stronghold in the government-linked companies, statutory boards, NGO etc mostly under the control of the PAP. That is where information are from to feed the policy-makers. It is only the beginning of change but better than later.; September 01, 2010 8:00 PM
Unknown said...: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_nationality_law#Overseas_Citizenship_of_India

Singaporeans cannot hold dual citizenship...but Indian citizens who have become Singaporean citizens appears to be able to enjoy a limited form of dual citizenship allowed by the Indian government.

"An Overseas Citizen of India will enjoy all rights and privileges available to Non-Resident Indians on a parity basis excluding the right to invest in agriculture and plantation properties or hold public office.[2] The person has to carry his existing foreign passport which should include the new visa called ‘U’ visa which is a multi-purpose, multiple-entry, life-long visa. It will entitle the Overseas Citizen of India to visit the country at any time for any length of time and for any purpose."; September 01, 2010 10:50 PM
Roger said...: I am beginning to feel as if I am in China what with all this overcrowding on the MRT.

As you rightly pointed out our multi-millionaire ministers don't feel the pain because they are insulated against the day-today frustrations and irritations.; September 01, 2010 11:37 PM
chnrxn said...: No prizes for guessing who are the likely people to chastise Singaporeans for being ungrateful and whiny ... the FT that are so aggressively being courted. (what else do you expect?)

Quoting an earlier comment, locals are the fishermen, FTs are the farmers, and it is not just raining, but they are even seeding the clouds for more rain.

The old model of economic/GDP growth is running out of steam. Let's hope the magic of the 1800's is repeatable, and that housing and transport infrastructure improves with time.; September 02, 2010 12:56 AM
Unknown said...: Yes, all citizen children should be admitted to their choice school or at least to those within 1 km radius of their home instead of balloting together with PR.; September 02, 2010 9:06 AM
Solomon said...: YOu see, it is quite easy to get mad and blame all the ills on FTs and foreigners. It was like Indonesian was incite by military to put the blame on minority group during Asia financial crisis.

FTs are just a small percentage of the total populaion. The foreigners you see day in and day out are tourists who bring in foreign exchange. Singapore is an international city, a rather popular one.

The problem is just everyone want the best school for their children, want cars and comfortable train to commute. Thre is just not enough best schools, road and train to meet all the demands.; September 02, 2010 10:23 AM
sureesh40 said...: dear hanglian

Have you gone through such an experience yourself. If you have do you care to share your thoughts.
BTW some s'poreans have experienced what it is like being a 2nd class citizen in their own country and not having a minimum wage, oh yes they should go and find out what it is like being a 2nd class citizen with a minimum wage.; September 02, 2010 3:42 PM
Unknown said...: Simon,
I thik you are top 5% so that is why no impact on you. You are in area mainly visited by tourisrs like Orchard, Sentosa, Raffles, Shenton way, Marina etc so your erspective is different.; September 02, 2010 7:06 PM
NZD said...: Hi,

But migrate to where?

Singapore has problems, but seems like other countries have even bigger problems.; September 02, 2010 11:41 PM
hanglian said...: Dear sureesh40,

Yes, I have done it myself.

All I can say is if you want to do it, do it for the experience. Some people end up finding a greener pasture, others start to appreciate Singapore more.

Like what icecoke mentioned, every country has it's own challenges, but whether the problems are "bigger" depending on how you see it, and what sort of problems you can live with.

Do the research on the country of interest.; September 03, 2010 7:12 AM
Unknown said...: Hello,

I share similar sentiment with Simon. And by the way, I'm nowhere near the top 5% of population.

Each time I travel overseas for work or holiday, I have to watch my back when walking down the street in our neighboring countries in case there're muggers (and I've experienced them before). I very much appreciate the sense of safety and orderliness in this country.

Our government may not be right all the time, but I think it's worst in many other countries.; September 03, 2010 9:12 AM