Pls read Bye Bye Singapore hello China
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Blog Feature: National Service
Saturday, 31 January 2009, 9:45 am | 3,614 views
Today’s Blog Feature, is from Thinking Better, Thinking Meta, on National Service.
Here is an excerpt from the article, Defending what’s (y)ours!
I do not share the same definition of “ours” as the government and its self-professed state-independent military organisation do.Most of us will not buy one morsel of the advertisement/infomercial. It is merely to justify what is already there. If such a segment is to advertise and provide information, then let it stand in a country where military service is voluntary. Let us see how many Singaporean men will sign up (maybe since times are bad, more will sign up voluntarily, we won’t know).
Make National Service voluntary, and you will see the extent to which people identify with the government’s message of “defending what’s ours”. Make it voluntary and you will get what people think about how things are run. Maybe in the advertisement/infomercial, there was a minute parenthesized “y” before the word “ours”. It sort of speaks from the perspective of the Singaporean male, wherein we are asked to defend the second person (yours) that is the state and its interests.
I personally do not believe in National Service. It tears me away from my family, my work and the things I love to do. I do not want to be part of any organisation that promotes and reinforces dominant gender norms and structures.
I am not willing to do defending what is “yours”. Because we have seen the way our Singaporean sons are forsaken and forgotten, and could have known even more, if not for the state secrecy and media machinery that protects the military organisation.
Read the rest of the article on Thinking Better Thinking meta.
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Employers still discriminating against older workers
Sunday, 29 March 2009, 9:45 pm | 1,584 views
Gilbert Goh
Having met more than a dozen unemployed Singaporeans either through my unemployment support site transitioning.org or my own personal contacts, I observed that there are two main issues that frustrate them.One is the huge influx of foreigners into our labour force during the past few years and the other is the age bias in seeking employment that seems to have gotten worse recently.
A weekend visit to Han’s restaurant at Harbourfront shocked me as the four staff working there were all Filipinos. From the person that took my order to the cashier and chefs, they were all foreigners happily going about their jobs. The only thing that stood them out from the former Han’s staff that I had seen previously, was the age difference. All of them appeared to be in their twenties. I found myself paying for my order grudgingly.
Are mature Singaporeans not able to fill such positions even if they were much older and were a little slower? Must employers continue to fill in service positions with foreigners while claiming that locals refuse to work longer hours for miserable pay? Are all the employers’ complaints valid? I am sure that for every Singaporean’s refusal to work at such service jobs, there should be another who do not mind such work. This is especially so in this time of economic downturn. Let us not generalise and condemn the working attitude of Singaporeans just because of a few black sheep.
I share the sentiments of the unemployed on both concerns. At the age of 47, I too face mammoth pressure in securing employment in a hiring practice that borders on discriminatory.
Some employment agents have told me in private that employers continue to look at candidates below the age of 35 years old. Some unemployed who responded to advertisements for face to face interviews were often rejected when they revealed that their age is above 40.
If you called in a recruiter and said that you are 40 years old, they would reply that they want someone below 40 years old. If you called in and said that you are 38, they will reply that they prefer someone below 35 instead!
Our labour hiring laws do seem to allow such discriminatory employment practices to prevail. Amazingly, employers seem to get away with such archaic third-world hiring practices in a first world, developed country.
Many I spoke to lamented that they have nowhere to turn to now as they face massive obstacle in being rehired due to their age (40-50 years old). Many who are able are seriously considering the idea of applying for emigration to countries such as Australia or Canada – countries which have strong laws against age-bias hiring practices. I do not blame them for taking such a drastic move because if you cannot find employment in your own country, due to your age, then it makes sense to venture abroad where there is at least some legal protection against discriminatory hiring.
The Aussies have very strong anti-discriminatory hiring practices. When a jobseeker send in his resume, he can choose not to accompany it with his address, race, gender, age, religion and photograph. The employers only decide to interview the candidate based on his working experience and qualification.
As Singapore continues to grapple with the severe downturn and an ageing workforce, let us hope that the government will tighten hiring practices so that our local workers will be able to face the future with confidence and, most importantly, pride.
In the meantime, the future does look bleak for those who are matured in age in Singapore.
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TOC Facebook: TOC meets with senior American journalists for coffee.
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Parliament Highlight: Tighten PR criteria, says Mdm Ho
Tuesday, 3 February 2009, 10:34 pm | 2,130 views
In Parliament on Monday, MP for West Coast GRC, Mdm Ho Geok Choo, asked for the eligibility criteria for Permanent Residency to be tightened.
Excerpt from the Straits Times:With the recession biting deep, Madam Ho said firms should also look into ways to encourage the retention of jobs undertaken by Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, such as “requiring the employment of a certain number of them before foreigners can be hired”.
“Yes, foreigners contribute to Singapore’s economy as well, but we as a government have a duty, first and foremost, to assist our citizens and permanent residents in all ways possible,” she said.
Citing news reports about growing number of people applying for Permanent Residency status, Madam Ho suggested that the the eligibility criteria be tigtened.
“If we don’t, Singaporeans and PRs will be even more hard pressed in the competition for jobs at this critical juncture, and pay could be even more reduced,” she said.
“Some of these applicants could be highly-skilled, and I agree that certain highly skilled foreigners can contribute to our economy, but ultimately, this is a bad recession and we have to find ways to increase our own skill sets in order to also undertake those kinds of high skilled employment currently undertaken by these foreigners.”
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China bus drivers hired as few S'poreans keen on job
Yeo Ghim Lay & Jamie Ee Wen Wei
Tue, Mar 11, 2008
The Straits Times
China bus drivers hired as few S'poreans keen on job
BUS operators are turning to China for drivers as more Singaporeans here shun the job, complaining of irregular hours and low pay.
This is the first time SBS Transit and SMRT are looking beyond Singapore and Malaysia in their efforts to hire more drivers.
SMRT's first batch of 34 drivers from China arrived in January. It has hired about 100 to boost its pool of 1,700, 80 per cent of whom are Singaporeans.
Meanwhile, SBS is bringing in 20 such drivers to start work soon on two-year contracts.
SBS Transit spokesman Tammy Tan said that if its first batch of bus captains from China performs well, it might hire more of them and also consider drivers from other countries.
It currently has 5,200 drivers, 75 per cent of whom are Singaporeans or permanent residents.
For both bus operators, Malaysians make up the rest of the drivers.
Both companies said they are turning to China as they find it increasingly difficult to hire Singaporeans.
It is a problem that has surfaced in the past.
In 2005, the basic pay of bus drivers was raised from $936 to about $1,200 to get more Singaporeans to take up the job.
In addition, as part of a job redesign programme - a larger initiative by the labour movement to get Singaporeans to take up jobs they once shunned - drivers were renamed bus captains, to improve their self-esteem.
The measures worked initially, as the number of Singaporeans signing up rose.
But although salaries have risen since then - SBS Transit says its bus captains earn between $1,600 and $3,500 a month now - hiring Singaporeans is getting tougher.
National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) general secretary Fang Chin Poh said the revised salaries are still not attractive enough for most Singaporeans, especially given the long and irregular hours.
Bus drivers usually work 10 to 12 hours a day, including overtime, said Mr Fang, a bus captain with SBS Transit for 28 years.
Those who are on the morning shift have to start work at 4am or earlier, while drivers on the night shift get back home at about 2am or later, he said.
They also work a six-day week, and their one day off is not fixed. Breaks between bus trips are usually 10 to 15 minutes, added Mr Fang.
'It is a tough job. Not only do you have to drive and keep a look-out for other vehicles, you have to take care of commuters too,' he said.
NTWU president Lau Lye Hock noted that with more jobs being created by the booming economy, Singaporeans have more job choices now.
Driving a taxi is more attractive than driving a bus, for instance, because the hours are flexible, said Mr Lau.
For its part, the union is encouraging older bus captains to continue working if they are able to, instead of retiring.
But Mr Fang acknowledges that as time goes by, it is likely that Singaporeans will see more bus drivers from China.
Besides the lack of interest from Singaporeans, China drivers also come cheaper, he said.
When contacted, SBS Transit said it is still finalising salaries for its China bus captains, while SMRT declined to give figures.
Before they hit the road, the new hires will be given lessons to improve their grasp of English, said the bus operators.
They will also get other training, including service route familiarisation, customer service and how to handle local road conditions.
One major change for the new bus captains from China: They will have to keep to the left-hand side of the road when driving, instead of to the right as they do in China. -
No drivers, so SBS Transit turns to China
By Mindy Tan
March 11, 2008
FEWER Singaporeans and Malaysians want to drive public buses.
So SBS Transit has hired its first batch of 20 drivers from China.
The company confirmed that the new bus captains have been sourced from its subsidiary bus company in China, and it is in the process of bringing them in.
It also said that a two-year attachment has been worked out for these drivers.
The New Paper checked with the company after reader Paul Antony Fernandez, a security project officer, 42, called us on hearing of the employment of the Chinese drivers.
He asked: 'Isn't this a total contradiction to our Government policy of providing our people with employment and bringing down the unemployment rate?'
In an e-mail reply to The New Paper, Ms Tammy Tan, SBS Transit's corporate communications director, said that over the years, the company has found it increasingly difficult to get people to join the profession.
It does not help that the demand for bus captains is growing as more bus services are rolled out.
Even the SBS Transit New Bus Captain Scheme, launched in 2005, has lost its shine.
That year, enhanced salary structures drove a bus driver's basic entry salary up from $936 to $1,200 per month for Singaporeans.
Bus drivers also became known as bus captains, providing an essential service.
SBS Transit then announced that it received three times more job applications from Singaporeans in the first month of the scheme's inception, three times more than the previous average of 60 applications a month.
But now, it seems that foreign workers from China may be the way to go.
Ms Tan said: 'Thanks to a recent relaxation by the Ministry of Manpower on non-traditional sources of manpower, we are now looking at supplementing our current bus captain pool with those from China.'
Are Singaporeans apprehensive about driving public buses? Or is a foreigner's willingness to accept lower wages the reason for the switch?
SBS Transit now has 5,200 bus captains under its wing - 75 per cent of whom are Singaporeans or permanent residents.
Malaysian drivers make up the remaining 25 per cent. Bus captains earn between $1,600 and $3,500 a month.
The average gross for most is about $2,300 a month, excluding an annual wage supplement and bonuses.
The company said that the new Chinese bus captains' salaries have not been decided.
'We are still in the process of negotiating the terms,' Ms Tan said.
Mr Fernandez feels that SBS Transit has found the easy way out.
The concerned commuter spoke to more than 10 bus captains during his frequent rides, and concluded that better work welfare can solve the employment problem.
Mr Fernandez said: 'Upon hearing their woes, I feel the turnover rate can be reduced and good employers retained if better work welfare is provided.'
SBS bus captains work six days a week. On average, they clock nine hours a day.
Ms Tan said that 12 per cent of a work day is spent on breaks in between trips.
But traffic congestion often deprives drivers of that rest period.
Mr Fernandez said: 'Bus captains have told me that when they are held up by bad traffic, they return back to base later than scheduled and their rest times are shortened.
'While at the Toa Payoh bus interchange, I saw a bus captain drive Service 143 into the bus bay, run to the toilet, clocked in and out, and in less than five minutes, he was back in the driver's seat preparing for the next trip.
'When I boarded the bus, I asked him why he did not take a drink or a meal.
'He replied, 'No choice, due to adverse traffic conditions'.'
Bus captains have to begin their next trip fairly quickly to minimise further inconvenience caused to commuters waiting at the bus stops.
BAD TRAFFIC SHORTENS BREAKS
SBS Transit acknowledged this problem.
Ms Tan said: 'In cases of extreme traffic congestion, where buses are caught in a bad jam, bus captains do return to the interchanges very late, thus affecting their trip schedule.'
She added: 'This is one of the many challenges that we deal with in our bus operations and we appreciate the dedication of our bus captains.'
SBS Transit said that the Chinese New Year celebrations at Chinatown last month caused a traffic build-up, from Eu Tong Sen Street tailing to North Bridge Road on some days.
Buses arrived at the interchanges late, some by as much as 45 minutes, it said.
Mr Fernandez's parting shot: 'Bus captains are also ordinary human beings like all of us, who need ample rest to recharge and be alert and stay healthy while on the road.
'Please look into this management area first, before looking for other solutions.' -
Accept outflow of talents as a reality: PM
SINGAPORE must accept the outflow of top talent as a reality, with more Singaporeans going abroad for study and work, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday.
Unlike big countries like China and India which can sustain large outflows of top talent over years or decades, and are still be able to retain a central core, the risk of being depleted of top talent is faster for smaller countries like Singapore, he said.
PM Lee highlighted fostering a sense of national identity as one of the major challenges facing small and open societies like Singapore in a his address to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) forum on Friday morning.
Mr Lee's speech centred on the knowledge economies in Asia and how countries in this region are turning to knowledge creation and innovation to sustain their growth and improve their people's lives.
He also spoke of the challenges and impact of the internet and online channels which bring raw, unprocessed information and instant exposure to the masses, and which are changing the texture of societies everywhere.
A major challenge facing Singapore is fostering a sense of national identity, said PM Lee.
'Globalisation and the knowledge economy have created a single worldwide market for talent. In every field, the most able people are in demand worldwide, and are also highly mobile,' he said.
'The best musicians and sportspersons are already a global breed. But to do well, a country needs a core of its ablest citizens, those with both the intellectual and social acumen, to play leadership roles in the economy, the administration, and the political leadership. Without that central core to take the country forward, the society cannot perform to its full potential, and the citizens will suffer.'
Noting that more and more Singaporeans are going abroad to study or work, he said: 'We must accept this flow as a reality, and bring in talent to top up, and encourage Singaporeans who study and work abroad to eventually return and add to the vibrancy of their own society.'
Singapore not only needs to create economic opportunities here, but also opportunities for people to develop their potential and express their human spirit.
'Ultimately we must create an emotional attachment to the country, their family members, school and college mates, buddies in National Service platoons, and friends, both to hold our own people and to get others to strike roots here. Then we can maintain our own identity and sense of common destiny,' said Mr Lee.
In his address, the PM also touched on Singapore's strategies to build up its knowledge edge.
These include investing heavily in education across the whole spectrum of skills, and equipping Singaporeans to compete in a knowledge economy.
It also encourages free flow of information so that the people can keep abreast of new developments and ideas, and are ready to react promptly to a changing world.
Singapore is also stepping up its R&D efforts, and geared towards welcoming new ideas, and adapting to change to create an environment which attracts talent and entrepreneurs from around the world.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2...ry_226068.html -
Raising wages to address rising costs not a right solution
SINGAPORE: Raising wages to address the issue of rising costs may be an enticing option but that is not the right solution, said Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong.
He said adjusting wages upwards to meet rising prices would only result in a "price-wage spiral" and Singaporeans should look at the bigger picture.
"What is more important is for us to have a realistic expectation of wages that reflect the underlying economic strength of our industries and also of our productivity. That will allow us to ensure that our economy will be able to sustain its growth momentum," said Mr Gan.
Since the last two recessions, tripartite partners – the government, unions and employers – have been working hard to encourage companies to restructure their wage systems and to make them more flexible. This would allow companies to respond quickly when there is an economic downturn.
One component that has been built into the structure is the monthly variable component (MVC). Mr Gan said this has worked well but more needs to be done.
He said: "It is not an easy instrument to introduce because companies have to put in place certain mechanisms, particularly in the small and medium enterprises. Many of them take the position that in any case, their wages are quite flexible because they are small and nimble, and are able to adjust the wages as they go along.
"We do acknowledge that some of these companies already have a flexible wage system in their own structure... but it is also important for us to look at other flexible components of the wage system, including reducing the ratio between minimum and maximum wages."
A major preoccupation of the Manpower Ministry is to finalise Singapore's reemployment legislation which is expected to come into effect by 2012.
Mr Gan has assured that it would not be a top-down approach – there will be widespread public consultation with both employers and unions before the final legislation is crafted.
The acting manpower minister also said the feedback received so far has indicated that employers welcome the initiative and see the benefit of employing older workers.
In fact, the employment rate of those aged between 55 and 64 went up by 3 percentage points from 2006 to reach almost 56 percent last year. The tripartite partners hope to achieve a 65 percent target by 2012.
Mr Gan said: "Employers are ready and willing to give it a try, and we are now helping them to introduce this system even ahead of the introduction of the legislation.
"Drafting the legislation is not so difficult. What is difficult is to decide what are the criteria, terms within the legislation and this is something we have to work with the industry and unions so that we can arrive at some common understanding how reemployment is to be implemented."
A tripartite work group has also been set up and it will visit companies to enhance the consultation process before the final law is introduced.
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MM Lee says giving subsidies will not solve Singapore’s problems
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s problems cannot be solved by giving subsidies, but by having a dynamic economy, said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
Speaking at the Tanjong Pagar Day celebrations at the Queenstown Stadium on Sunday, Mr Lee drew lessons for Singapore from how countries in the region are tackling problems faced.
The world has moved into years of high prices for food and oil, said Mr Lee. But Singapore does not have agriculture, so people have to earn enough money by working hard and smart to pay market prices for food.
He made it clear that Singapore cannot go the way of welfare systems in Europe, which have lowered incentives to strive and excel.
The minister mentor said: "I read many letters in the press urging subsidies for all manner of things — seat belts for school buses, food for the poor, medical fees and so on. Singapore must remain a competitive society to generate growth year after year.
"The government must ensure that everyone has the highest paid job he is qualified to do. If his salary is below the minimum for a decent life, the government will top up with Workfare. When everybody knows the cost of what he consumes or uses, he will spend his money more to his benefit."
Mr Lee noted that countries in the region have taken different approaches to worldwide problems.
In Indonesia, there are riots over an anticipated lowering of oil subsidies, while in Malaysia, the newly elected government has not reduced the oil subsidy so as not to upset the electorate.
In handling natural disasters, Myanmar’s military leaders had refused foreign aid for weeks after Cyclone Nargis left millions homeless. But the reaction was different in quake—hit China.
"Premier Wen Jiabao immediately flew to the quake areas. 120,000 troops were sent by air. The people were united and rallied to help victims by donations, and many went to Sichuan to do relief work. The Confucian habits of communitarian solidarity and mutual help have again surfaced, although Communist ideology marginalised Confucian values for 40 years," Mr Lee said.
The minister mentor added that Singapore does not have earthquakes, tsunamis or typhoons because of the country’s favourable geographical location.
His call to Singaporeans is to be grateful that the nation has long—term stability, continuing high—value investments and good growth. Mr Lee said he is confident that in five years, Singapore will be a more lively and beautiful city.
Mr Lee, who cut short his speech because of a sore throat, said he needed to save his voice for a court case involving Dr Chee Soon Juan on Monday.
"I’ve got to save part of my voice to let him cross—examine me. Of course, in the course of the cross—examination, I have a few things to say," he said.
The High Court has set aside three days for the hearing on damages claimed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the minister mentor against the Singapore Democratic Party and its leaders. -
Foreign students can go St James Power Station for free?Why local have to pay?
Club mad
He had planned a night of revelry with friends at St James Power Station last Saturday, but when National University of Singapore student Matthew Rao flashed his identity card (IC) at the door of the popular nightclub, he was requested to pay the $20 cover charge.
His four friends - from England, Germany, France and Finland - filed in for free.
The reason: They were foreign students on exchange in Singapore, while he was local.
"I thought the IC was for age verification, but the bouncers said I had to pay because it was proof I was Singaporean," Mr Rao, 25, recalled. He was upset because the policy seemed unfair and discriminatory.
"Why should foreign students get different treatment? If they live here, why shouldn't they pay as well?" he added.
Ms Cheryl Khong, marketing manager at St James, confirmed its policy of giving foreign guests free entry any day of the week if they produce a valid foreign student pass. The little-publicised policy has existed since St James opened in 2006, but it only applies to Powerhouse, the nightspot's main dance room.
Ms Khong said the policy aimed to "encourage a cosmopolitan party atmosphere for our young partygoers" and added that St James regularly hosts parties thrown by local tertiary institutions and students.
Still, Mr Rao said that the incident has changed his mind about frequenting the club.
"I like rules that are fair and open. If the club can at least publicise those rules on the door, then I'll respect them."
Wed, Jun 04, 2008
my paper -
Rewards, but at what hidden social cost?
http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Sto...ry_261385.html
July 26, 2008
THINKING ALOUD
Rewards, but at what hidden social cost?
By Lydia Lim
MONEY talks, and its voice is creeping into areas once considered off-limits.
Today, it has become acceptable to pay children to study, couples to have children and perhaps, in the not too distant future, people to give up one of their kidneys.
What is our society losing in the process? Do the benefits of monetising motivation exact a cost on social values?
I raise this issue as our society contemplates legalising the trade in human organs.
That we are considering such an option reflects how moral repugnance against such sales, which once used to be widespread, seems to be diminishing in the face of a global shortage of organs for transplant.
The straightforward, hard- nosed solution proposed by economists like Professor Gary Becker, whose work was cited by Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan in Parliament last Monday, is to allow a market in human organs where prices for kidneys and livers can rise to the point where supply matches demand.
Prof Becker, the 1992 Nobel laureate for economics, argued that 'markets in human organs are the best available way to enable people with defective organs to get transplants much more quickly than under the present system'.
'I do not find the arguments against allowing the sale of organs compelling, especially when weighed against the number of lives that would be saved by the increased supply stimulated by financial incentives,' he added.
Poised against him are the likes of the late, great British social scientist Richard Titmuss, who insisted on the superiority of altruism over price as the motivator for such donations.
Professor Titmuss based his arguments on a comparison between the American system of paying for blood and the British system, which relied on donations. He chronicled the contrast in a 1970 book entitled The Gift Relationship: From Human Blood To Social Policies.
He feared the impact that markets for human blood and organs would have on society.
'Atomistic private market systems 'free' men from any sense of obligation to or for other men regardless of the consequences to others who cannot reciprocate,' he wrote.
Despite what some economic literature would have us believe, most of us would agree that human beings are not motivated solely by a desire for selfish gain.
The father of modern economics, Adam Smith himself, recognised that.
'How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it,' he wrote.
But it is only in recent decades that economists have been able to test the truth of Prof Titmuss' warning that monetary rewards undermine people's sense of social obligation and altruism.
Drawing from psychology, these economists have developed methods to analyse changes in human motivation.
Rewards and regulation in the form of fines and other punishment drive people's behaviour from the outside. They lead to what is known as extrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation, by contrast, drives people to perform an activity for which they receive no reward except the activity itself.
Social psychologists have observed a phenomenon known as 'the hidden cost of reward', in which external incentives can actually cut away at people's inner motivation for doing what they consider worthwhile.
In a 1994 paper, Swiss economist Bruno Frey analysed this phenomenon's implications for socio-economic policies. He examined different situations in which payment either 'crowded out', that is, diminished intrinsic motivation, or 'crowded in' and reinforced it.
He found that two factors contribute to the crowding out of intrinsic motivation.
First, the person in question perceives the external intervention as controlling, thus undermining his sense of self-determination.
Second, the external intervention sends the message that what he is currently doing is unsatisfactory, which then impairs his self-esteem.
What these findings bear out is the common-sense observation that money is not always the best way to get people to do what is right.
A market in human organs may very well crowd out altruistic donations - what one person chooses to do for another for no other reward than the gift itself.
The same applies for financial incentives aimed at getting couples to have more children.
Recall the anger of some couples against government interference in such a private matter.
Policymakers would do well to review any pro-family measures that intended recipients might view as controlling, lest they undermine people's inbuilt belief that children are good to have in and of themselves.
Ultimately, what Prof Frey's research does is sound a warning bell against an over-reliance on extrinsic motivating factors.
From a purely economic point of view, there might be nothing wrong in allowing rewards and punishment to crowd out intrinsic motivation altogether.
After all, cash bonuses and fines might be a far more efficient way to drive human behaviour than allowing people to decide based on their inner inclinations.
But how would that change the tenor of our society?
Psychologists have found that extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are linked to different modes of behaviour. The first invites calculativeness, discipline and professionalism.
The second draws out playfulness, conviction, amateurish actions and innovativeness.
When we start buying and selling what was once priceless, are we paving the way for a society that is less compassionate and more calculative?
Will personal conviction dry up completely?
I would be loath to live in a society where money has so disarmed our inner moral compasses that the only reason to either perform or refrain from an activity is the price tag attached to such behaviour.
Wouldn't you? -
MM Lee: My legacy? I never thought about it
WHEN a student asked him how he would like to be remembered in the future, the 86-year-old patriarch of Singapore said he had never given it any thought.
Instead, he preferred to remain focused on doing his job well, which was his motto in life.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was asked to reflect on his own legacy during the annual Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum yesterday at the National University of Singapore.
MM Lee: Social divide inevitable
HAVING a minimum wage in place here to narrow the income gap could do more harm than good, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said last night.
In fact, every country that has set a minimum wage over what the market will bear has found that the move cuts jobs, he noted. Employers who are forced to deal with higher staff costs would simply find ways to hire less people.
That is why Singapore's approach has been to create as many jobs as possible, while leaving the market to decide the right level of pay. The rationale for this is that having any job is better than having no job at all. 'Never mind your Gini coefficient. If you don't have a job you get zero against those with jobs. So our first priority is jobs for everybody,' he said.
Cost of creating recycling culture high
IT WILL cost Singapore an arm and a leg to create a recycling culture in public housing estates, the way the Japanese have done in their homes, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew believes.
He was responding to a Singapore Management University student, who noted that Singapore fell behind other Asian countries like Japan, Taiwan and South Korea in recycling and energy efficiency.
Ms Ng Yi Qi, a first-year arts and social sciences student at the university, asked how Singapore could do more to mitigate against climate change.
Source: http://news.asiaone.com/News/the%2BS...20-174556.html -
let me just ignore what she said,if any.
2.Shall we welcome SG citizens back to SG to join NDP as performers?
Of course ,yes.
If so,it is waste time to talk abt this yuen yuen joined PRC 60 th NDPl.
she had been summoned by her parents to look for a husband in PRC!
shw was workinh in beijing when she found out the tasks in 60 th NDP!
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Opposition is best check against graft? MPs rebut Low’s claim
Dear Ms Rajah,
I refer to the Straits Times report (27 May 2009) by Mr Zakir Hussain “Opposition is best check against graft? MPs rebut Low’s claim”
In it, you asked why so many countries with multi-party systems still see deep seated and endemic corruption. If you are truly objective and unbiased, you should also ask the question why, with the exception of Singapore, all the least corrupt countries in this world have multi-party systems.So while you are right in saying that it doesn’t mean that every country which has an opposition will be squeaky clean, it is true that nearly all the countries that are respectably clean have an effective opposition. The fact that Singapore doesn’t follow the norm doesn’t detract from the fact that an effective opposition is a key feature in nearly all clean nations today.
When you say that the PAP expects the highest standards of integrity, you must not forget to add that the PAP cabinet ministers and its MPs are paid the highest salaries in this world. Seems like when you pay the highest salaries, you get the highest standards of integrity. We should ask ourselves, if we are paid such high salaries, why do we even need to risk corruption? If the money is already served to us on a silver platter over the dining table, why is there a need to take money from under the table?
The value system from the time of internal self government is no longer the value system now. Now, the value system is about million dollar salaries and constantly asking for more millions each and every year. I really don’t know what has that got to do with integrity and honesty.
You say that the people has the liberty to vote out the PAP. But when you allow each minister to contest for five or six seats that leads to massive walkovers, what chance is there? Furthermore, isn’t the PAP policy of tying lift upgrading to voting a form of vote buying too? Is that your so-called example of honesty and integrity?You say that the possibility of future PAP corruption is mere speculation and that people shouldn’t vote on the basis of speculation. But the PAP just withdrew a large sum of money from our reserves on the possibility that this recession could get worse. Is that speculation? So we shouldn’t draw from our reserves based on speculation? Surely Mr Rajah, speculation is a mere word that you and I use for our own purposes that does not necessarily mean anything.
The fact that the CPIB reports to the PM means it cannot be above any possible corruption by the PM can it?
You say that the opposition should earn their constituencies. You mean all those vitrually unknown PAP candidates that have since become MPs have earned their contituencies? Surely you must be joking Ms Rajah? Did you earn your constituency? Or did you merely ride on someone else’s coat tail?
Is it too much to ask to be fair Ms Rajah? In the first place, why would one need to ask for fairness if one is dealing with a gentleman? Only when one is dealing with a ruffian or a bully does one seek fairness.
Dear Ms Teo,
You say that very often an opposition wins against corruption and becomes corrupt itself. Have you seen Mr Obama becoming corrupt? He just won back the USA from the Republicans, has he become corrupt?
You champion the need to make the PAP the strongest team so that it does not fail Singaporeans. What has that PAP strength brought to Singaporeans? ERP, COE, the world’s most expensive public housing.
Sadam Hussein was the strongest man in Iraq, a fact that helped him extract the most from his fellow countrymen.
Thank you
Ng Kok Lim
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Letter to Ministers on integration of foreigners into Singapore society
Dear Ministers,
Attached is a photo upload from the ST – Stomp website. As an ordinary Singapore and have the utmost respect to the PAP Government have done the past 50 over years and also the old guards leadership under MM Lee Kuan Yew, but what the Government did the past few years really let me feel very disappointed and worried about the future generation of my fellow countrymen, my son even grandchildren.The Government are giving our PR and Citizenship too cheaply. No Singaporeans are asking the government to shut the door from foreigners or become a hermit state like North Korea !
Have the government policies failed? Or too relaxed for foreigners? Government, please do not bring out any statistics to show this and that… high HDB prices are not caused by immigration, or we are like United Stated need to open our door open… The above picture speaks louder their action, the family mostly got their PR/Citizenship but hang the PRC flag outside their flag?
Did this family hang the national flag during the month of August? Singapore is becoming more a money-state, money come first; nationalism is nothing! Singapore PR/citizenship is a commodity in exchange of cash or benefits.
Some ministers have spoken about Singaporeans must learn from Tibet or Xinjiang problem and urge Singaporeans to live together in peace. Dear Ministers, yes the Tibet or Xinjiang issue are due to two different racial groups (Tibetans, Uiguer and Han Chinese).Why isn’t there a racial disharmony? The Han Chinese, who is not the native… swamped in number into this two Chinese regions the past 50 years, upsetting the population unbalance there.
If my country, Singapore keep letting in more foreigner in using cash or benefits-in-kinds, one day we will have another racial fights like in the 1950s-60s but this time round it won’t be the born-&-breed Malay and Chinese fighting. This time round will between native-born vs foreign born!
I would like to ask what action the government going to take against this family (e.g. hang the PRC flag outside their flag) and those who just make of their PR/citizenship for convenience purposes. Legally it may not be wrong, but nationalism, it is not right.I am keeping this email short and also some sentences used are direct translation from talking, because there are too many things to express my discontent about the relax influx of foreigners here. Hope the ministers understand what I wrote.
Yours Faithfully,
Tan Keng Hong -
淡马锡：它相当惊人，��是�？
June 14, 2009 by Lee Chong
Filed under Chinese sectionOriginal Blog Written by Lucky Tan HERE
我己ç»�写了许多关于淡马锡(Temasek)有什么错失之处，直至我对æ¤å·±å†™å¾—é�žå¸¸åŽŒå€¦ï¼šä¼¼ä¹Žå®ƒè¿‘æ�¥çš„境况并没有什么好转。 从Shin Corp到美国银行，我以为已看到了它å��ä¸ä¹‹æœ€å��。但当谈å�Šæ„�想ä¸�到之事时，å�ªæœ‰æ·¡é©¬é”¡æ‰�å�¯ä»¥èƒœè¿‡æ·¡é©¬é”¡å®ƒè‡ªå·±ã€‚ 我们必须从路é€�社(Reuters)[链接]å’Œå�Žå°”街日报(Wall Street Journal)æ‰�å�¯ä»¥å¾—悉淡马锡己出售了它在Barclays银行的全部股æ�ƒè€Œä¸”æ�Ÿå¤±äº†è¶…过八亿(800M)英镑。淡马锡在早å‰�曾投资了Barclays银行大约å��亿(1B)英镑。淡马锡解释了它决定套现它在美国银行的æ�Ÿå¤±ï¼Œè¿™æ˜¯å› 为他们的投资主题(investment thesis)已从原本Merrill的特有ä¼�业模å¼�改å�˜æˆ�ä¸ºç¾Žå›½é“¶è¡Œçš„å¤šæ ·åŒ–æ¨¡å¼�å› è€Œè�”ç³»åˆ°æ›´åŠ å¹¿æ³›çš„ç¾Žå›½ç»�济体 [链接]ã€‚é‚£ä¹ˆä»–ä»¬æ€Žæ ·è§£é‡ŠBarclaysçš„æ�Ÿå¤±å‘¢ï¼Ÿä»–们买入了一间银行而它ä»�然ä¿�æŒ�ä¸ºä¸€é—´é“¶è¡Œå› æ¤æŠ•èµ„主题并没有改å�˜ã€‚æ·¡é©¬é”¡çŽ°åœ¨å¿…é¡»åˆ¶é€ ä¸€ä¸ªæ–°çš„å€Ÿå�£æ�¥è§£é‡Šå®ƒä¸ºä»€ä¹ˆå�–出了Barclaysçš„è‚¡æ�ƒè€Œå¼•è‡´å·¨å¤§çš„æ�Ÿå¤±ã€‚有一件事他们是ä¸�会å�šçš„，这就是承认他们作了一个错误的判æ–去追求这些冒险性的投资导致æ�¶åŠ£çš„结果。一个机构能改进的第一æ¥å°±æ˜¯æ‰¿è®¤é‡�大差错和从ä¸å¦ä¹ ，如果他们é�¢å¯¹Global Crossing 或Shin Corpç‰å†’险性的投资引致丢失金钱时能够如æ¤è®¤é”™å’Œå¦ä¹ çš„è¯�，他们也许已能é�¿å…�了那些éš�å�Žè€Œæ�¥çš„巨大的æ�Ÿå¤±ã€‚
å�¦ä¸€ä»¶æƒŠäººçš„事在æ�Ÿå¤±äº†äº”百亿元($50B)纳税人的金钱之å�Žå�‘生，我们的财务部长出é�¢è§£é‡Šè¿™äº›æ�Ÿå¤±å¹¶æ— è¿‡é”™ï¼Œå› ä¸ºæ·¡é©¬é”¡å·²ç»�赚了超过一å�ƒäº¿å…ƒ($100+B) ï¼Œè¿™æ˜¯æ ¹æ�®2003年谷底至2007峰顶之间æ�¥è®¡ç®—它的盈利。Tharman部长解释淡马锡的盈利按年计算是15%相对于MSCIå…¨ç�ƒæ€§æŒ‡æ•°çš„6%盈利。 Tharman部长选择了2003年而ä¸�是1999ä½œä¸ºè®¡ç®—çš„èµ·ç‚¹ï¼Œå› ä¸ºé‚£æ—¶å¸‚åœºå¤„äºŽè°·åº•ï¼Œå¹¶ä¸”ç”±æ¤èµ·ç‚¹è®¡ç®—çš„ç»�对回报(absolute returns)大于其他起点计算的回报。我ä¸�清楚为什么他选择把淡马锡与MSCIå…¨ç�ƒæ€§æŒ‡æ•°ç›¸æ¯”，然而淡马锡的投资组å�ˆ(portfolio)çš„å¤§éƒ¨åˆ†æ˜¯å¤„äºŽæ–°åŠ å�¡ï¼Œå¹¶ä¸”在å�Œä¸€ä¸ªæœŸé—´æµ·å³¡æ—¶æŠ¥æŒ‡æ•°(STI)å·±ç»�上å�‡äº†16%。我也ä¸�清楚淡马锡怎么计算它从销售未上市的战略性财产所赢得的盈利，这些战略性财产包括å�–给了ä¸å›½ï¼Œé©¬æ�¥è¥¿äºšå’Œæ—¥æœ¬çš„3é—´å�‘电厂总值一百二å��亿元($12B) 。
(附注：他们解释销售å�‘ç”µåŽ‚çš„ç›®çš„æ˜¯åˆ¶é€ ç«žäº‰ï¼Œä½†æ‚¨çœŸæ£åœ°æƒ³çŸ¥é�“竞争怎么å�¯èƒ½å�‘生，æ¯�个电厂现在已拥有全国总å�‘电容é‡�的一部分…ä»€ä¹ˆä¸œè¥¿åˆºæ¿€å®ƒä»¬åŽ»ç«žäº‰å‘¢ï¼Ÿä»–ä»¬æ— æ³•å�•å‡å�‘电而获å�–更大的市场拥有率(market share))
当我目ç�¹ä¸€ä¸ªåŽŸæœ¬åº”该æœ�åŠ¡æ–°åŠ å�¡å…¬æ°‘的选民代表通过使用éš�æ„�çš„(arbitrary)表现尺度(measure of performance)去辩护淡马锡时，我的确感到å��分惊奇。æ£ç¡®çš„æ–¹å¼�去衡é‡�淡马锡的表现将是看它的主动å¼�管ç�†è´¢äº§çš„回报并且分开它的被动å¼�股票的回报。淡马锡雇用的350个员工的真æ£å¢žå€¼èƒ½åŠ› (value add)在于它主动地完æˆ�的生æ„�交易和它的ç»�ç�†å�šå‡ºçš„决定。到目å‰�为æ¢è®¸å¤šè¿™äº›å¤§å®—生æ„�交易的结果似乎并ä¸�有效… 它的许多被动å¼�è‚¡ç¥¨æŠ•èµ„äºŽæ–°åŠ å�¡è“�ç¹è‚¡(blue chips)的回报并ä¸�é¡»è¦�它的管ç�†å’Œå†³ç–… 它å�ªæ˜¯é€šè¿‡æŒ�有赚钱的国è�”å…¬å�¸(GLCs)的股份便å�¯æ”¶å�–回报。
å°�è¯•ç¼–é€ æ•…äº‹åŽ»è§£é‡Šæ·¡é©¬é”¡çš„æ�Ÿå¤±å¹¶ä¸�能解决民众的需求。æ¯�一个解释å�ªæ˜¯å¼•æ�¥äº†æ›´å¤šæœªæœ‰ç”案的问题。现在是当选的官员们è¦�仔细æ€�é‡�(take stock)的时候，他们è¦�尽终è�Œå®ˆå› 而ä¿�è¯�我们现今看到的巨大æ�Ÿå¤±åœ¨å°†æ�¥ä¸�会å†�次出现。他们è¦�å¦‚ä¸Šè¿°ä¸€æ ·åŠªåŠ›å·¥ä½œï¼Œå�¦åˆ™æˆ‘们必须在下次竞选ä¸é€‰ä¸¾ä¸€äº›æ„¿æ„�å�šæ£å½“事的候选人
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收入差�：三年�没有什么�绩!
June 12, 2009 by Lee Chong
Filed under Chinese sectionOriginal Blog Written by Lucky Tan HERE
å‰�å‡ å¤©ï¼Œä¸€ä»½å��为 “å��一亿元($1.1B)使收入差è·�缩å°�” 的报告出现于海峡时报，解释缩å°�收入差è·�的努力己ç»�有所进展。
一个部长级委员会公布了这60页的进展报告，查出了自2006年以æ�¥æˆ‘们工人的处境己ç»�大大地改善(have come a long way)。 å½“æ‚¨æ²¡æœ‰æ˜Žæ˜¾åœ°åˆ—å‡ºäº†æ‚¨çš„ç›®æ ‡æ—¶ï¼Œæ‚¨å�¯ä»¥æŠŠä»»ä½•æ‚¨è¾¾åˆ°çš„东西定义为æˆ�功。是啊， PAP 政府å�ˆå†�一次æˆ�功了：
首先，最底层20%的本地全è�Œå·¥äººçš„月薪从$1,200上å�‡è‡³2008å¹´çš„æ¯�月$1,310。é�žå¸¸å¥‡æ€ªçš„æ˜¯æ”¿åºœä¹‹å†…æ— äººçŸ¥é�“é€šè´§è†¨èƒ€çŽ‡æ˜¯å¤šå°‘ï¼Œå¹¶ä¸”ä¼¼ä¹Žæ— äººçŸ¥é�“实际工资是什么水平。 å› ä¸ºå·¥äººä»¬çŽ°åœ¨æœˆå…¥$1,310，他们的境况是å�¦æ¯”以å‰�较好呢？在2007-2008这两年间，最底层20%工人é�¢å¯¹çš„通货膨胀率是9.5%。在过去 3年，全国消费者物价指数(CPI)则上å�‡è¶…过10% [链接]。 这些低工资工人在2008å¹´å¿…é¡»æ¯�月收入至少$1320æ‰�能与他们2006年之ç»�济水平仅仅å�Œæ¥ã€‚ å½“æ”¿åºœå¢žåŠ æˆ‘ä»¬çš„CPF最低é™�度的储蓄é¢�(minimum sum)时，他们利用通货膨胀作为ç�†ç”±ï¼Œä½†æ˜¯å½“谈到低收入工人的薪水时，他们ä¸�æ��通货膨胀以便显示他们å�šäº†ä¸€ä»½å¥½å·¥ä½œç»™æˆ‘们看!
æ¯�月收入$1,200或者更少的居民人数从360,000人收缩到少过300,000人。怎å�¯ä½¿ç”¨$1200作为å�‚考水平呢？他们å†�æ¬¡æ²¡æœ‰å› ä¸ºé€šè´§è†¨èƒ€è€Œä½œå‡ºè°ƒæ•´ã€‚
GINI贫富指数从2007å¹´çš„0.489下跌到2008å¹´çš„0.481，这是å��å¹´æ�¥çš„首次下跌。 他们必须用å°�数点之å�Žç¬¬3个ä½� (3rd decimal place) æ‰�能找到GINI指数的一点改善。并且，å�³ä½¿æœ‰äº†ä¸€ç‚¹æ”¹å–„，它ä»�然是属于第三世界国家的GINI贫富指数。åƒ�日本ã€�å�°æ¹¾ã€�å’Œå�—韩ç‰è¿™äº›å›½å®¶ï¼Œä»–们的GINI指数大约为0.3。GINIä¸‹è·Œçš„ä¸€ä¸ªåŽŸå› å�¯èƒ½æ˜¯å¯Œè£•é˜¶å±‚的收入下跌而ä¸�是贫穷阶层å�˜å¾—æ›´åŠ å¯Œæœ‰ã€‚å›žæƒ³åœ¨2008年，我们é�¢å¯¹äº†ä¸€æ¬¡é‡‘èž�å�±æœºï¼Œå®ƒé€ æˆ�了富人的收入æ�¥æº�：例如租金ã€�è‚¡æ�¯ã€�和高级主管的花红ç‰ï¼Œæš‚时下跌。
如果您å°�心地阅读该报告，您会æ„�识到， PAP政府讲了很多关于帮助贫穷人民的説è¯�并且表达了他们对贫穷人民的关心，但他们的行动与他们的言è¯�并ä¸�匹é…�。å��一亿元($1.1B)çš„æ�´åŠ©é‡‘还少过淡马锡(Temasek)的一宗投资(英国Barclays银行)所丢失了的金钱。这个贫富问题æŒ�ç»äº†è¶…过å��年并且在近年已ç»�æ›´åŠ æ�¶åŒ–了，尤其是PAP引入了大é‡�å»‰ä»·çš„å¤–å›½å·¥äººã€‚çŽ°åœ¨ä»–ä»¬ç¼–é€ æ•°å—æ�¥å‘Šè¯‰æˆ‘们这贫富现象已ç»�改善了，但从那里å�¯ä»¥çœ‹åˆ°ä»–们有真诚呢？但是我们ä¸�åº”å¤ªæƒŠå¥‡ï¼Œå› ä¸ºæˆ‘ä»¬æŠ•ç¥¨æ”¯æŒ�了这政府，而它首次行动就是å�‘ä¸Šè°ƒæ•´äº†å®ƒè‡ªå·±ç ´çºªå½•çš„è–ªé‡‘ã€‚ä»Žè¿™æ”¿åºœæ�¥çœ‹ï¼Œæ™®é€šæ–°åŠ å�¡äººçš„利益似乎是次è¦�çš„… -
Originally posted by Atobe:
Was the Maria Hertogh riots all about "race" ?
Did the riot involved pitch battle between local Malays battling the Chinese ?
Or was the truth not deliberately said that - “The mob (largely consisted of Malay or Indonesian Muslims but local Chinese gangs were also reported to have joined in) moved out to attack any Europeans and even Eurasians in sight.” (*2) ?
Was the riots not about the political awakening of Asians to the seeming continuous abuse of the European Colonialists towards Asians ?
haha i like this, singaporeans united , hand in hand to drive out people together as one haha. makes me remind one of our songs " one people , one nation, one singapore" LOL
pardon my foolish comments.
personally, PR or singapore citizen, shouldnt she be reprimanded for denoucing her singapore PR status or citizenship on foreign national television?
not that i would like to see people get punished but it's insulting to us singaporeans as they take our PR status or citizenship for granted?
the world is so getting F***ed up. hope the next generation of leaders will alleviate our deteriorating status.
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Official reply from government on the Zhang Yuanyuan fiasco
October 6, 2009 by admin
Filed under Selected reads, Top NewsFrom our Correspondent
A Singaporean by the name of Tony Tan has written to the Prime Minister and a few government agencies to complain about the attitude and behavior of Singapore PR Zhang Yuanyuan who sparked a furore in Singapore cyberspace by flashing her blue NRIC on the screen of a China channel CCTV 7 and proclaiming her allegiance to China!
The exchanges were posted on the popular forum Sammyboy.com:
04 Oct, 2009 03:17 PM
To PMO Chok Tong GOH/PMO/SINGOV@SINGOV, PMO Hsien Loong LEE/PMO/SINGOV@SINGOV, PMO Kuan Yew LEE/PMO/SINGOV@SINGOV, MFA Jayakumar S/MFA/SINGOV@SINGOV, MHA Kan Seng WONG/MHA/SINGOV@SINGOV, MINDEF Chee Hean TEO/MINDEF/SINGOV@SINGOV, PMO Boon Heng LIM/PMO/SINGOV@SINGOV, Swee Say LIM/PMO/SINGOV, MOF Hwee Hua LIM/MOF/SINGOV@SINGOV, PMO Chee How HENG/PMO/SINGOV@SINGOV
cc
Subject Singapore PR openly spoke about her desire to go home and proud to serve NS for her motherland
Dear PM Lee and Ministers,
Is this is the kind of new immigrants the Government expect born and breed Singaporeans to integrate with? I would like to ask the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Wong, Sir, will ICA take any actions like revoke Ms Zhang Yuanyuan’s PR? Ms Zhang has openly spoke in the PRC National TV that she is coming HOME to serve her motherland country and proud to participate in China’s National Day parade. I’m not too sure during the 5 years in Singapore, did she study in a local university/polytechnic? If so, we have wasted the money (subsidies/scholarship) on her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlKJg0jfJAk
Thank you for your attention.
Yours Faithfully
Tan Keng Hong
NRIC: S*******HMr Tan’s letter has received no replies from the ministers so far except from the National Population Secretariat:
“Singapore PR openly spoke about her desire to go home and proud to serve NS for her motherland Monday, 5 October, 2009 6:41 PMFrom: “NPS Contact” Add sender to ContactsTo: [email protected]
Dear Mr Tan,
I refer to your email dated 4 October 2009.
Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs) are not Singapore citizens. They hold citizenships of their countries of origin and we can expect them to retain ties with these countries. For example, we have Singapore citizens holding PRs of other countries who come back to participate in Singapore’s National Day celebrations, not unlike the example you have cited in your email.
Yours sincerely,
Ng Xiuling
Population Policy Officer, Corporate Communications
National Population SecretariatThe standard reply bears uncanny similarities to what was said earlier by three PAP MPs in an interview with the state media: that there is nothing wrong in Zhang Yuanyuan proclaiming her loyalty to China publicly since she is only a Singapore PR.
It appears that the ministers, MPs and civil servants have missed the point altogether again which is a reflection of how disconnected they are from the real sentiments on the ground.
The crux of the entire saga does not lie in Zhang Yuanyuan’s public announcement of her allegiance to China, but in the liberal immigration policies of the Singapore government and the generous benefits and perks enjoyed by PRs.
There is no time limit and compulsion on the part of the PR to take up citizenship. They can continue working and living as long as they wish in Singapore.
With the exception of lower housing and education subsidies and CPF contributions, PRs enjoy the same rights as citizens except that they are not permitted to vote.
As such, the system is open to abuse by some PRs who come to Singapore only to earn money without ever harboring the intention of taking up citizenship like Zhang Yuanyuan.
To compound matters, they are allowed to purchase HDB resale flats which contributes to the record high prices we are seeing now. According to a recent ERA report, 40 per cent of the buyers of resale flats are PRs.
Most Singaporeans have nothing personal against PRs and foreigners. What they are peeved with is the government’s policies which are making citizens, especially those who served National Service feel short-changed, aggrieved and hurt.
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Originally posted by Berries tan:
Why’re foreigners on social visit passes allowed to work in S’pore?
Tuesday, 7 July 2009, 8:17 am | 4,695 views
The following is a letter to the Manpower Minister, Mr Gan Kim Yong, by Mr De Souza Jose Socrates on the 6th of July. The minister has not replied to him. We thank Mr De Souza for allowing us to publish the letter here – without edit.
Dear Mr Gan,It is with much disappointment in the government’s and with your ruling party’s policies that I am writing to you.
When I was shopping around for clothes on this GSS at Suntec City’s Levi’s branch, to my surprise, I noticed that all but one staff working at the outlet were filipino nationals. So I decided to probe a little further and to my ultimate surprise, they were very open and proudly declared to me that they got this job while here on social visit passes.
They also further told me that most of them working in Levi’s other outlets also obtained this job (sales assistant) the same way and their sole purpose were to obtain permanent resident visas so they could bring their family over to live and work in S’pore. Some also said they were merely using S’pore as a stepping stone to migrate to other western first world nations! And this is just the tip of the iceberg as Levis is not the only company to have this pratice. Guardian Pharmacy, Watsons, Tenchi Digital Lifestyle and countless other deparmental stores also have large foreign labour on their ranks.
Which leads me to ponder on the current ongoing global economic crisis and the unemployment situation in S’pore. Your ministry just announced over the past week that the labour market here is still soft and that we can also expect more retrenchments to come. During this period of hardship for many S’poreans, why is your ministry still allowing more foreign labour (also desired by many of your fellow minister collegues) and especially those on social visit passes to easily obtain jobs in S’pore? Dosen’t the ICA also probe with each application made for work permits as to how they managed to get the jobs? Don’t tell me that these are jobs shun by fellow S’poreans? One will just find it hard to believe!
One also just need to take a stroll down Geylang especially along Lor 16 and 18 and find that most coffeeshop assistants working are chinese nationals and the porportion of S’porean workers supposed to be regulated by legislation just isn’t there and dosen’t tally up! Needless to mention the vices that are taking place there on a daily basis. Vietnamese women would be seen sitting at Lim Beng Coffeehouse harrassing male patrons aggrasively for their sexual services.
We, as the citizens of S’pore, really need to be asking ourselves whether we do indeed have a first world government who have a heart for our people? We are not asking for more welfare to be disbursed, (which in itself is not a dirty word) but for the government to be treating us in a more humane way which is expected of a first world government in the first place! Your party have lost interest in our people’s well-being while in pursuit of even more greedy economic development and ties with PRC, India etc. I am deeply saddened by what I see and would hope there would a change in the politcal situation which reflects the situation by and large that we are in today. I don’t think we would fall for the welfare payouts only during election time nor the nine more Non-constituency seats created for the oppostition. With this note, I end by hoping that a political tsunami like March 8th 2008 in Malaysia would take place here in S’pore to serve as a form of ‘punishment’ for the PAP government!
Foreign worker buffer is not working
Wednesday, 16 September 2009, 10:13 pm | 1,592 views
Joseph Teo / Guest Writer
In an article in the Straits Times on Saturday, 12 September 2009, Professor Ivan Png makes an argument that data produced by the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) confirms that the foreign worker buffer is working as intended (“Foreign worker buffer is working”, p. A34).He argues that “when the economy booms, Singapore attracts more foreign workers; when the economy weakens, foreign workers are laid off and return to their home countries.” And, “to the extent that this buffer works as intended, unemployment among foreign workers would be lower than among Singaporeans.”
He then produces a chart that shows that Singapore resident unemployment has always been higher than total unemployment from 1999 to 2009 and concludes “the resident unemployment rate is always higher than the total unemployment rate, thus confirming that the foreign worker buffer is working as intended.”
It is unclear that the evidence produced supports his argument. If foreign workers serve as a buffer through economic cycles, the most direct measure of this would be the proportion of Singapore residents as a fraction of total employment. That is, if foreign workers serve as a buffer:
a) During good times, more Singaporeans are employed, and more foreign workers are employed (because there are too many jobs and not enough Singaporeans). Therefore, the proportion of employed Singaporean residents as a fraction of the total workforce would be lower since the total workforce base has been enlarged.
b) During bad times, if many more foreigners are sent home than Singaporean residents are retrenched, the proportion of employed Singaporean residents would rise, since the size of the total workforce is reduced, but more Singaporeans retain their jobs.
All the data necessary to prove or disprove this is available to the Ministry of Manpower, and MoM should analyse it and publish the results to remove all doubt.
There is, in fact, some evidence that foreign workers do not serve as a buffer. In the last year, the manufacturing sector has been one of the most affected by the global slowdown. Yet figures published by Ministry of Manpower show that the manufacturing sector shed 4,600 local jobs while adding 24,100 foreign jobs in the year 2008 [1].
When asked in Parliament why this was the case, the Minister of Manpower, Mr Gan Kim Yong replied:
In 2008, total employment in manufacturing grew by 19,500. The growth came largely in the earlier part of the year. Although some companies had cut their headcount, others were still growing and expanding. Given the tight labour market then with record local employment rate of 77.0%, manufacturing companies which were still growing had to recruit foreign manpower to meet their needs. However, as the economic downturn deepened, both foreign and local employment in manufacturing fell towards the end of the year. Job losses in the manufacturing sector were more than offset by jobs created in other sectors as overall local employment grew by 64,700 in 2008.
Two statements, in particular, stand out: When the economy was growing, manufacturing companies which were still growing had to recruit foreign manpower to meet their needs. When the economic downturn deepened, both local and foreign employment fell.
Does this not show that foreign workers don’t serve as a buffer? The data presented, that foreign jobs are added in manufacturing while local jobs are lost, implies that the proportion of locals in the manufacturing sector must decrease over time. And this is indeed the case – figures published by the MOM show that the proportion of Singaporean residents employed as a fraction of total employment in manufacturing fell from 62% in 2003[2] to less than 50% in 2008[1].
Comparing resident unemployment rates against total unemployment as a measure of the effectiveness of foreigners as an employment buffer is probably requires a number of intermediate steps and assumptions. Perhaps Prof. Png could publish his methodology, so that an independent assessment of its soundness may be obtained.
Astute readers would also note the contrapositive to Prof. Png’s conclusion: “If the foreign worker buffer is not working as intended, then the resident unemployment rate would always be lower than the total unemployment rate.” If this is the case, most Singaporean residents would probably want the foreign worker buffer to not work as intended.
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[1] Labour Market 2008, March 2009, Ministry of Manpower, Manpower Research and Statistics Department
[2] Derived from data pubslished in “Employment Trend and Structure”, May 2004, Ministry of Manpower, Manpower Research and Statistics Department (Paper 2/2004)
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Time to protect the worker
Tuesday, 20 January 2009, 12:52 pm | 729 views
The following is a letter by Gilbert Goh which was sent to the Straits Times.
I refer to the recent news about errant employers who cheated on their foreign workers and many others who provide a raw deal to our local workers. I am glad that Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has decided to prosecute the guilty parties involved in the foreign workers’ saga.
It is common knowledge that our Employment Act is bias towards the employers. Workers always get the worse end of the stick whereas employers somehow can escape unpunished when they flout the law.
Our salary also lags behind the standard of living that we so proudly claim due to the lack of a minimum wage. A secretary can earn $1000 in a small local company and another can command $2,500 in another big multi national company. The salary gap for a similar profession can be so large that it becomes a mockery.
In countries like Australia, where there is a minimum wage labour law, many workers find that they are adequately compensated for their experience and qualification. They also have enough protection from errant employers. Anyone caught underpaying a staff can be prosecuted under the law. Employees do not have to indicate their age, race or include photos of themselves when they send in their resumes. This is to prevent discrimination from the employers.
To highlight my point, I was paid a basic salary of $2,500 ten years ago and this salary has not changed much till today. Employers seem to only pay a certain salary as and when they feel like it. There are no basic guidelines to paying wages base on qualification or experience. They can quote you a ridiculous salary in the hope that you will take the job in desperation, especially when the economy turns bad.
Employers dictate the terms of the contract and workers have hardly any bargaining power when it comes to any unfair terms within the contract.
I remember, when I was working for a local company, I raised a certain term in the contract that seemed unreasonable. I was told to either sign it or they will look for another worker who can accept their terms. I did not have many options and signed the contract or else I would have faced a longer period of unemployment. I also felt frustrated that I had nowhere to turn to for proper counselling and guidance if I felt that my employment rights are violated.
There sre no proper guides to employment terms and conditions right now. The Employment Act seems to carry little weight especially when it concerns the welfare of workers.
I am frankly not surprised that employers exploited the loopholes in the employment of foreign workers here for illegal kickbacks. There are hardly any stringent guidelines for the employment of foreign workers and as there is no known case of any employer being prosecuted for malpractices so far, many simply take advantage of the lax system to make hay while the sun shines. My heart goes out to the hundreds of foreign workers who were exploited fully because of our failure to punish those who are guilty.
Our local workers also will benefit from MOM’s intervention to tighten up the Employment Act. Pro-business employment policies, if taken to the extreme, will not help our economy much. Workers will find that they are being exploited andwill not put in their best at work. Professionals will also jump ship when they find that others are paying them better. It is no wonder that I find many friends job-hopping for the few hundreds dollars more in salary as they compare benefits with their friends. Loyalty within a company seems a long gone consideration for many workers now.
As the recession rears its ugly head this year, let us take this chance to improve our employment policies. Workers need to be adequately compensated and their needs taken care of so that they can stay long in a company. With a high turnover, a company wastes precious time and effort to rehire and retrain a worker.
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More than just money needed to help poor
Sunday, 15 July 2007, 3:22 pm | 167 views
This is TOC writer Leong Sze Hian’s letter to The New Paper which was published on the 14th of July, 2007.I refer to the article ‘Would you work 2 shifts over 14 hours for $4.90 an hour?’ (The New Paper, 6 Jul) and the recent launch of the Centre for Social Development (Asia) at NUS.
Helping the poor is not so much about giving money or assistance to them. The most important areas that the poor need help in are, in order of priority:
1. Reduce the risk of losing their HDB flat and lifetime CPF savings, in the event of foreclosure by the HDB or banks.
Lower-income Singaporeans have a much higher probability of defaulting on the typical 30-year mortgage.
2. Restrain the rise in prices of basic necessities like utilities, transport, HDB rental and Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC).
For example, water, gas and electricity rose by 8.6, 4.2 and 2.8 per cent per annum from 1995 to 2005. Transport fares have risen almost every year, in recent years. All these increases were much higher than the 1 per cent rate of inflation.
3. Review the way subsidies for the poor really work for them.
For example, the $20 transport voucher for the lower-income is a one-time offset against fare increases for just one year only. So, to truly offset the increases occurring almost every year over the last 5 years or so, transport vouchers should be increasing at, say, $20 a year too.
4. Level the playing field between foreigners and Singaporeans in lower-income jobs.
Employers save 13% by not having to contribute to CPF for non-residents; lower-wage non-residents have reduced turnover problems because they are stuck with the same employer for 3 years.
On the other hand, male residents have to go for reservist training, and residents have less disposable income because they have to contribute to CPF.
It may thus be harder for residents to accept lower-wage jobs to be able to provide for their families.
Unless the above are addressed comprehensively, the trend of declining real income and relative higher inflation rates for the lower-income group may continue to widen the income and wealth gap.
That is because they are chasing after a standard of living target that keeps running further away from them.
Visit Sze Hian’s website here.
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Vote wisely!
Monday, 5 January 2009, 2:04 pm | 1,463 views
Dheva Rajan
2008 has been a landmark year for Singapore, both economically and politically. As it passes into history, we welcome 2009 with a mix of optimism and caution.
There has been talk that there could be elections called this year so that the PAP can claim a fresh mandate to tackle Singapore’s economic problems. If this turns out to be true, I sincerely plead with Singaporeans to vote wisely.
1. Don’t be bribed with “shares” or “rebates” given in the budget preceding the election. They last only for a short time. Look out for long-term measures.
2. Don’t be threatened by the PAP’s threats to not upgrade your HDB flats. HDB flats are public housing and all HDB dwellers have the right to have their flats upgraded with taxpayers’ money. Besides, you are choosing a government and not a renovation contractor.
3. Don’t believe the PAP when it says that Singapore will be “ruined” by the opposition if they win. You are supposed to decide that for yourselves, not them.
4. Don’t be afraid to express yourself freely on the internet. It is one of Singapore’s only bastions of free speech. If you feel that something is not right, speak out. Just be careful on race and religious matters.
5. Don’t rely on the government-controlled media to make your choice. They only heap praises on the PAP and scorn on the opposition.
6. Do remember the PAP’s last promises in the 2006 elections. If they are still unfulfilled, it is unlikely that the same promises made again will be fulfilled.
7. Do read alternative news sources. Communicate alternative news to those who are not computer savvy, such as the elderly, so that the audience for such news is widened.
8. Do volunteer or donate to opposition parties if you agree with their ideas. They need all the help they can get.
9. Do check out videos of opposition rallies or activities online if you are afraid to be physically present there. Thanks to YouTube, you can still hear the opposition’s ideas and views.
10. Finally, don’t vote based on your “respect” or “admiration” for Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew or Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. Their time will soon pass. Vote based on the performance of current PM Lee Hsien Loong and his team.
You are not voting to reward past achievements, you are voting for ideas on how to deal with present and future challenges.
Voting is one of Singaporeans’ few democratic rights. Make good use of it.
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Is Animal Farm relevant to Singapore?
Wednesday, 10 June 2009, 1:03 am | 6,058 views
Tan Kin Lian / Columnist
Are we seeing a modern Animal Farm happening in Singapore, where corruption and propaganda are used to control the populace?
ANIMAL Farm is a novel written by George Orwell in 1945. I studied this book for Literature when I was in Secondary Two.It is a satire, depicting events in Russia leading up to and during the Stalin era before World War II. The animals of Animal Farm threw out the owner Mr. Jones and took over the farm, depicting the overthrow of the Czar of Russia during the Russian Revolution in 1917.
The animals, representing the people, looked forward to a better life under a new leadership. Their leaders were the Pigs, and Napolean was the supreme leader. He ruled Animal Farm initially with the support of the animals, but later kept his power through all means, including propaganda, lies and the use of terror.
Two memorable parts of the book were the Seven Commandments and how they became distorted and the story of the loyal horse Boxer.
Seven Commandments
The original seven commandments of Animal Farm were written to reflect equality of the animals, ethical behaviour and the search for a better life:Whatever goes upon two legs enemy
Whatever goes upon four legs or has wings is a friend,
No animal shall wear clothes. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
No animal shall drink alcohol.
No animal shall kill any other animal.
All animals are equal.Corruption
Later Napoleon and the Pigs (elites) were corrupted by the absolute power they held over the farm. To maintain their popularity with the other animals, they secretly painted additions to some commandments to benefit the pigs while keeping them free of accusation of breaking the laws. The Pigs manage to get away with this because only Benjamin the donkey and Muriel the goat can read to any effective degree, but they were not willing to challenge the pigs.The commandments were changed to accommodate the desire of the leader for a life of luxury and wealth, while ignoring the lot of the other animals.
No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.
No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.
Four legs good, two legs better!
No animal shall kill another animal without cause.
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.Boxer
I felt strongly attached to the horse Boxer. He was the symbol of the working class: loyal, kind, dedicated and respectful. He was physically the strongest animal on the farm, but naïve and slow. His two maxims were “I will work harder” and “Napoleon is always right”, reflecting his strong and unquestioning loyalty to the leader. He was, to a large extent, taken in by the propaganda of the leaders. His work ethic is often praised by the Pigs, and he is set as a prime example to the other animals.When Boxer was injured and could no longer work, Napoleon sent him off to the knacker’s yard to be slaughtered and used to make glue and leather. He deceived the other animals, saying that Boxer died peacefully in the hospital and that the ambulance was an old knacker’s van that hadn’t been repainted.
Transformation
Towards the end of the story, the pigs learned to stand on two legs and regarded the four-legged populace as inferiors (i.e. lesser morons). They started to wear Mr. Jones’ clothes, slept in beds and drank alcohol.They brutally ordered the killings of the confessing animals (who were forced to confess to crimes they did not commit).
The slogan “Four legs good, two legs bad!” was later changed to “Four legs good, two legs better!” as the pigs became more human.
Relevance to Singapore
Although this book was written as a satire to the Russian Revolution, some bloggers have started to compare it with what is happening in Singapore today.There are grounds for the people of Singapore to be concerned. We have seen the good old values of Singapore being replaced by new values. In the past, Singaporeans were more honest in their dealings and had a stronger sense of caring for each other. In recent years, ethics and honesty are being set aside in the pursuit if wealth. There was less care or concern for the welfare of the weak and the poor.
Even the pursuit of equality was now thrown aside unashamedly. Someone told me that this is now replaced by the expression: “Look at the fingers of your hand – do you find them of equal length?”
I cannot help but think of Boxer as reflecting the workers of Singapore – hard working, dedicated and loyal, but were let down when they grow old. After a lifetime of work, they could not afford to retire and were asked to continue working. They have no security, no pension, no savings for old age (many lost through the credit linked notes) and cannot afford the expensive health care.
I have seen many examples in our society where business and public leaders say one thing but acted in a different way. They declare a concern for the welfare of the customers, but continued to make excessive profit at their expense. They declare a strong belief in corporate governance, but felt it proper to hide information “in the interest of the organisation”. Similar examples can be found in the public realm. If one is used to distorting the truth, in due course, one will believe the distortions to be true!
I like to mention the wise old donkey Benjamin in the story. He could read as well as any pig, but preferred to have a low profile. Benjamin had known about the pigs’ wrongdoing the entire time, but he said nothing to the other animals. He represented the cynics in society or the intellectuals who had the wisdom to stay clear of the purges, but take no action themselves.