PAP supporter tells the poor: Know Your Priorities

[makapaaa]

[h=2]PAP supporter tells the poor: Know Your Priorities[/h]

October 6th, 2012 |

Author: Correspondent

In a FB comment captured by reader, a PAP supporter – Sebastian Lim – whose wife is a grassroots leader berated the poor for not knowing their priorities.

In the post, Mr Lim exclaimed that he was surprised to see some of the poor families owning smartphones that “we did not even dare to own it”.

One of them, he continued, “even visited MBS” and had to call his friend to pick her up for a “free ride home” as she could not afford the cab fare.

Mr Sebastian Lim’s comments contain a trace of elitist and hasty judgmentalism. Who is to know for instance that the smartphone was not a gift from a relative? And who sanctioned the building of two casinos in Singapore?

In a district in which one of our Admin volunteers, there is an elderly who lives alone in a spartan one room flat. Once a month, her son visits her, bringing groceries and tidbits. We can’t imagine Mr Sebastian’s reaction if he sees her munching on a packet of Jack n Jill.

Should the poor be condemned to live poorly deprived of the pleasures of life?

Now, we also found out that Sebastian had also been trolling the Workers Party’s FB page deriding Low’s proposed welfare system based on heresy and inaccurate facts.

His sweeping remarks certainly echo his Party’s line, recently reiterated by the PM that one can choose not to be poor and should not feel automatically entitled to help from the PAP Government.

It also recalls PAP MP Vikram Nair’s outburst against Workers Party’s MP Chen Show Mao in Parliament in March this year. Then, Chen had called for the PAP Government to invest in our elderly, the disabled, the poor and other needy Singaporeans, instead of seeing them as a burden. In response, Vikram had accused Chen’s proposal of being akin to a Nigerian scam. Vikram’s outburst is but merely a reflection of the scepticism of the PAP towards helping the poor too much.

This continued disparaging of the poor comes after the revelation that the taxman saw an increase of $500m in tax revenue collection in 2011, largely due to additional and higher stamp duties imposed as part of property cooling measures.

Note: The FB comment was first spotted by a reader Ryan Keith Smith.
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The Alternative View
[Source]: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Alternative-View/358759327518739

 

[halsey02]

Money come Liar..opps! Vikram Nair...was that the one who drank cadaver juice! in Woodlands, since the Bangladeshi is out free.. he don't watch it, the 'pontianak' will say to hi! to him, one night!!

 

[Leongsam]

His sweeping remarks certainly echo his Party’s line, recently reiterated by the PM that one can choose not to be poor and should not feel automatically entitled to help from the PAP Government.

It's not a party line. It's simple common sense. Nobody wants to be poor and those who are definitely don't want to stay poor. However, how many poor actually take concrete steps to improve their lot? The fact of the matter is that most do absolutely nothing to change their outcomes. They continue the same repetitive behavior which is the cause of their poverty in the first place.

 

[halsey02]

It's not a party line. It's simple common sense. Nobody wants to be poor and those who are definitely don't want to stay poor. However, how many poor actually take concrete steps to improve their lot? The fact of the matter is that most do absolutely nothing to change their outcomes. They continue the same repetitive behavior which is the cause of their poverty in the first place.

Michael Hitchens ' Missionary Position".....

 

[kopiuncle]

The fact of the matter is that most do absolutely nothing to change their outcomes. They continue the same repetitive behavior which is the cause of their poverty in the first place.

I agreed with Boss. We see many poor out there who simply can't be bothered to improve their lot. Some tried but most of them just accepted their fate and continued to be poor and continued to live in abject poverty. Pretty sad though.

 

[halsey02]

I agreed with Boss. We see many poor out there who simply can't be bothered to improve their lot. Some tried but most of them just accepted their fate and continued to be poor and continued to live in abject poverty. Pretty sad though.

Sometimes the people in religious authority & political authority manipulate the poor, that, they stay poor always..for they score 'brownie points' for them! Some are fated to be poor?

 

[kopiuncle]

..... Some are fated to be poor?

I think we can always change that with our own efforts and hard work. Many of the rich were poor before and they worked themselves up to be rich and wealthy.I am sure many brothers here were poor in the past. I was really poor when I was young...my parents were very poor...but in the end, all of us made it ...sheer hard work and effort. No handouts. Sheer grit and determination.

 

[halsey02]

I think we can always change that with our own efforts and hard work. Many of the rich were poor before and they worked themselves up to be rich and wealthy.I am sure many brothers here were poor in the past. I was really poor when I was young...my parents were very poor...but in the end, all of us made it ...sheer hard work and effort. No handouts. Sheer grit and determination.

These are the people, through their grit, determination built SINgapore from self government to referendum to Malaysia to SINgapura!... that is what we all did...but there will be poor amongst us.. for one grain of rice feed many types of people...and some are just manipulated to be poor!!

 

[rodent2005]

Your argument is like saying PAP scholars must always create multi-billion dollar companies and Temasek Holdings must always make over 100% returns in every investments they make just because somebody else did or are you saying Temasek Holdings is in the business of losing money?

 

[rodent2005]

You expect poor 80 year olds to take care of themselves???? Can you people even think????

 

[Char_Azn]

Don't see any problem with the guy's comment. He's trying to scold some sense into those pple who don't know how to manage their own money

 

[Leongsam]

but there will be poor amongst us.. for one grain of rice feed many types of people...and some are just manipulated to be poor!!

There will be always be poor but you can't blame the rich for that as life is not a zero sum game. As for "manipulation" all I can say is that everyone is given a mind and a free will and it's up to each individual to make their own choices.

 

[halsey02]

Your argument is like saying PAP scholars must always create multi-billion dollar companies and Temasek Holdings must always make over 100% returns in every investments they make just because somebody else did or are you saying Temasek Holdings is in the business of losing money?

We never expect them to make 100% returns, which business can promise you that. We are talking about trust, the older people or the old guards are much more careful & prudent with the money handed over to them, have they ever lost money on a big scale? was there a mentioned of Temasek at all?...there is a saying, if you walk through a watermelon patch, you don't go shouting as you go... " I didn't wear a hat"!..the proof is in the pudding..

 

[Leongsam]

You expect poor 80 year olds to take care of themselves???? Can you people even think????

No 80 year old should be poor. He/she would have had 50 or more years to achieve financial independence. If they chose to do otherwise, it's hardly the fault of the rest of us.

 

[halsey02]

There will be always be poor but you can't blame the rich for that as life is not a zero sum game. As for "manipulation" all I can say is that everyone is given a mind and a free will and it's up to each individual to make their own choices.

The blame is not on the rich, the rich will always get richer....it is the free will of people, that some, will be manipulated to be poor, they want to remain poor, so that they do not have to work hard. Religious & Political leaders will exploit these "free willed" people for their purpose!.

 

[halsey02]

No 80 year old should be poor. He/she would have had 50 or more years to achieve financial independence. If they chose to do otherwise, it's hardly the fault of the rest of us.

If we make it to 80 years old age & we can not take care of ourselves, it is our own making.

 

[Leongsam]

If we make it to 80 years old age & we can not take care of ourselves, it is our own making.

At the age of 45, I set up a discretionary trust to take care of my needs should I no longer be able to care for myself. I suggest that others do the same. Check with your lawyer as laws around trusts vary widely between jurisdictions.

 

[funnyz]

There's wrong with Sebastian's comment. Note the key word is 'some'. I have the priviledge of joining my colleagues to help the less fortunate. When we were helping the families to spruce up their place. I went in with zero expectations (ie wasn't even expecting a simple thank you), I personally find it to swallow was how some of them were bossing us around and never laid a single finger to help themselves. Btw, why am I under moderation?