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I was having lunch and reading the ST when I did a
double take seeing this. Incredulous. The first image
that came to my head was that of a N.Korean peasant
bowing down to Kim Jung Il just because for once, he
had enough rice to eat due to a bumper harvest.
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_499216.html
I AM a 58-year-old Singaporean who shed tears on reading
last Saturday's article, 'Mah's own upgrading story', in which
National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan recounted his
difficult childhood years growing up in various housing types.
I have 11 siblings and, in the 1960s, we lived with our
grandmother and parents in a three-room rental flat. But
I did not realise until I read Mr Mah's story that I was more
fortunate than the minister.
This is the Singapore story: Study hard, work hard, and you
can pull yourself out of poverty.
I wish to remind the younger generation of where we have
come from, and not to take what Singapore is now for granted.
Today, I live in an HDB maisonette. Thank you, Singapore.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then again, it is good that peasants like him think this way.
Nowadays, studying hard and making to the local Universty
is not as easy anymore, for the simple reason that more
well-to-do families can afford their children many advantages
to give them a headstart in life. Even if that fails, we can always
send our children overseas and they will still succeed, like all
my friends did.
It is no longer the level playing field 20-30 years ago where
anyone who had the drive to do well will succeed. Just look at the
statistics of how many children are in GEP, SAP, etc etc that are from
non-HDB homes, you will have an idea. If it is broken down further,
basically those from the poorer families do not stand a chance.
Perhaps, we should just vote for PAP to continue screwing these
people.
double take seeing this. Incredulous. The first image
that came to my head was that of a N.Korean peasant
bowing down to Kim Jung Il just because for once, he
had enough rice to eat due to a bumper harvest.
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_499216.html
I AM a 58-year-old Singaporean who shed tears on reading
last Saturday's article, 'Mah's own upgrading story', in which
National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan recounted his
difficult childhood years growing up in various housing types.
I have 11 siblings and, in the 1960s, we lived with our
grandmother and parents in a three-room rental flat. But
I did not realise until I read Mr Mah's story that I was more
fortunate than the minister.
This is the Singapore story: Study hard, work hard, and you
can pull yourself out of poverty.
I wish to remind the younger generation of where we have
come from, and not to take what Singapore is now for granted.
Today, I live in an HDB maisonette. Thank you, Singapore.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then again, it is good that peasants like him think this way.
Nowadays, studying hard and making to the local Universty
is not as easy anymore, for the simple reason that more
well-to-do families can afford their children many advantages
to give them a headstart in life. Even if that fails, we can always
send our children overseas and they will still succeed, like all
my friends did.
It is no longer the level playing field 20-30 years ago where
anyone who had the drive to do well will succeed. Just look at the
statistics of how many children are in GEP, SAP, etc etc that are from
non-HDB homes, you will have an idea. If it is broken down further,
basically those from the poorer families do not stand a chance.
Perhaps, we should just vote for PAP to continue screwing these
people.
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