doreen chang,
i certainly fear for your child because he has such a stupid and short-sighted mother like u. with u being such a stupid mother, are u able to give him the best education and guidance? if not better give him up for adoption.
Hi Patrickv, though I am a Pro-OPP supporter this time round. I feel everyone is entitled to their own opinions and which party they will support.
And your remarks is rather offensive considering that she is just worried about the stability of the country which I think is important.
However Doreen here is a letter which I have written why I choose to support the opposition this time round.
Greetings Fellow Singaporeans. PRO-PAP or PRO-OPP.
I have been reading and following both (Media by the ruling party) as well as the social media which is in my opinion less biased.
I intend to write a long message but I decided to make my statements as concise as possible.
I used to be a PAP supporter but I realized I need to use my vote wisely and vote which I think is important for the continued success of our small and vulnerable country which I loved.
Key Issues with our Singapore currently:
1) Low Birth rate. 1.16% (2010 Figures)
2) Challenges faced by Globalisation and the rise of China, India and other emerging markets.
3) Rising cost of living and stagnant growth in the average wage of common man.
4) Aging population at an alarming rate due to extremely low birth rate. (Medical cost, Medical care, rising standard of living)
5) Huge Income for MINISTERS.
Part 1.
Singaporeans are having tough times. With low birthrates, it means that our future generation will suffer more from the aging population issue which we faced. This is because we do not have enough children to take care of old parents. Imagine 1 Adult taking care of two elderly and (IF THEY HAVE children on their own) this situation will worsen.
The 60th to 70% of Singaporean earns less than monthly $2,298 gross in the year 2010 (You can visit singstats). This means, if the birth rate issue is not resolved, the aging population will worsen. Combine this problem with an adult with 1 children and 2 elderly, rising cost of living and medical cost will drive the average Singaporean crazy in the years to come.
However we are working overtime and overtime most of the time. Productivity growth is a good solution but we need to do more than that. The lack of time and MONEY create stress and thus the low birth rate that we experience.
Let Singaporeans have a more laid back lifestyle, your birth rate will grow. But this is difficult, considering the problems we have in part 2.
Part 2
However, the Globalisation issues from emerging economies flooding the world with more supply of workers than jobs, lower wages will pressure all nations. The European and the States has already experienced this problem. You can see by the shift of all production to India and China is by no means a coincidence. (This include the rise of high tech companies as these emerging market is catching up on technology at an alarming pace)
If the Government of Singapore does NOT supply Singapore with cheap labor to keep the industry from shifting to emerging markets, we will and have the possibility to lose more jobs. However, by flooding Singapore with cheap labour, we created lower average wage and the potential loss of job to foreigners which will balloon the situation in Part 1. The government is trying to help prevent a major lost of employment by flooding Singapore with cheap labor.
However, this is not the best solutions, we need more ideas to be brain storm in order to create a longer term solution to this situation. Our situation will probably be worse than Europe or US as we differ from the States and Europe because we DO NOT HAVE STRONG LOCAL EnterPRISE and MOST IMPORTANTLY, A LARGE POPULATION. Thus we are forced to rely on foreign investments and will continue to do so unless SINGAPORE can develop strong GLOBAL ENTERPRISE to continue to supply enough employment for Singaporeans OR INCReASE THE POPULATION OF SINGAPORE. (I AM AGAINST Foreign import as the only solution because most do not develop a sense of ownership to the loyalty of our country, even if they do, it will take a very long time and perhaps their 2nd or 3rd generation will only do so, just like our fore-fathers). WE SERIOUSLY NEED TO SOLVE PART 1. LOW BIRTH RATE.
With good income, the spending power increases, the economy will be healthier. Increase population = increased spending power = economic growth.
Part 3
Rising cost of living is a global issue. We cannot stop this from happening because we produce none of the basic necessity that we need for our daily living including WATER. (Yes reducing tax will help but does not solve the root of the problem). (I AM FOR the idea to exclude GST on basic necessity like basic food, transport and medical cost)
I strongly suggest using our ROOFs of our buildings space seriously either for agriculture or energy (solar). We need to make use of all the available land. Every INCH Counts!
Since we cannot stop the rising cost of living, we should then focus on growing Singaporeans wages in many ways possible. (How? We need to come up with good solution and not a short term one).
Government must help Singaporeans OWN MORE ASSETS. If we have to allow foreigners to come in with lower wage, then government must help Singaporean have means to earn passive income. I see addition property ownership allows Singaporeans to have rental income when foreign friends come to work here. When local wages is depressed, their rental income will help Singaporeans still get by with rising cost of living. Instead of every citizen owns 1 home. I Hope we can change it to every citizen owns 2 home. One for their own use and one for their passive income when wages are depressed. (Balanced must be there to prevent Singaporean from being unemployed totally and laziness.)
(I could expand this further, but it will be very long)
Part 4
We Singaporeans are taught to be filial. When aging population is inevitable, we will see more of our fathers and mothers and grandparents growing old. Health care is definitely an issue.
We need to be able to provide affordable health care, insurance and prevent Singaporeans from having to send their elderly to JB. (I am against it). Like it or not this will be a serious problem.
With low birth rate and rapid aging population, we should be seriously looking at this issue. With the depressed income levels, this certainly doesn’t look promising.
CPF money used on housing will left Singaporeans with little savings for retirement. And THIS WILL not only affect EVERYONE OF US, IT WILL KILL OUR ECONOMY.
Housing should be keep low! Otherwise Singaporeans CANNOT RETIRE! And AT OLD AGE, THEY CANNOT COMPETE IN WORK! THIS IS SERIOUS!
With no spending power at old age, imagine that a population of 30-50% will be 65 and above, do you think the economy will be good? NO. Thus, the easy way out is to import young foreign friends to help with the spending power of the aging population.
I am not against foreign friends, however we should be more creative in solving our pressing issues.
We need solutions that can create win-win and not a short term solution and eventually flooding Singapore with all foreigners. THIS IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE HAPPENING.
HELP SINGAPOREANS BUILD PASSIVE INCOMES is the BEST SOLUTION WE SHOULD BE TAKING!
5)
Ministerial pay. While I agree high pay can attract talents, high pay also attract people who only work for money and not with their hearts.
With the above issues that we have to face. A ZERO RESOURCES SINGAPORE and a GLOBALISATION Threat, we definetly need all the best talent we can find to help SINGAPORE AND SINGAPOREANS MOVE into a BETTER FUTURE.
However, all the solutions I seen from our Million dollar minister are far from impressive. Because their solution does not give us a way to break from our current impending challenges. What I see they are taking the easy way out to flood Singapore with foreigners to replace the low birth rates, and decline in spending power that an aging population will bring.
Thus I do not see why we need to pay them this amount for the GDP growth is simply achieved by INCREASE IN WORKING POPULATION TO RAISE SPENDING POWER and drives economy.
Unless we can see good proposal that can yet not dis-advantaged Singaporeans and our CHILDREN IN THE YEARS TO COME, I do not think that we should pay them such amount.
Conclusion. I will vote for opposition this time round to let you know that we really have a Major Problem that is looming SINGAPORE AND SINGAPOREANS IN THE YEARS TO COME.
I Love SINGAPORE thus will not do nothing about it. No matter how small my effort is, I know I will try my best.
My Vote goes for opposition to keep The ruling party accountable and more “Singaporeans Focused” than just blindly chasing economic figures to boost their insane minister wages.
