Three years after GE2011, some Singaporeans are still feeling sceptical and dissatisfied with the way our country has changed course for the better. We were heading in the wrong direction back then. Today we are back on the right track and even though it can never be perfect, for sure we are more optimistic and confident about the days ahead.
While public policies can never appease every segment of society, it has addressed most of the salient issues raised during the last election; housing, transportation, influx of foreign workers, jobs, health care, child care and education.
If you just look at the transformation this nation has undergone, you ought to be relieved and surprised at how things have turned around so quickly and drastically all within three years. By any standard of measurement, it is truly amazing.
Look at where we are today compared to three years ago. There is no more $100,000 COV when buying a HDB flat in the open housing market. Build-To-Order flats are now in surplus and the immediate impact of this reality is an unattractive open housing market. To some extent, prices in the open market have actually dwindled. Even the private property market has stabilised after cooling measures were introduced.
Three years ago we used to jibe and see caricature of Singapore with overcrowded buses and trains much akin to India. Today with more buses added on and more MRT lines open, overcrowding seems a thing of the past.
With tighter control and curb of foreigners coming in, more job opportunities in the mid-level and managerial sectors are open up to Singaporeans. At the same time, practical measures are being taken to ensure Singaporeans have access to health care for the aged, child care for the working parents and tertiary education for our children.
We should be one happy and contented population supporting one another, a united people no less. We have peace and we have harmony in our country. We have law and order for everyone to abide. We have a stable and pragmatic government who will not hesitate to act in the interest of the country and her people. And when confronted with adversity such as a riot, we responded with a tough and swift move to control it.
That Little India riot is one clear example of an effective authority in charge. In spite of the clear danger to lives and the extensive damage to properties, not one single life was lost. In fact, the entire incident was settled and cleared within hours. Almost immediately, concrete measures were being taken to contain any repeat or fallout of this incident. If this had happened elsewhere, precious lives could have been lost.
Singapore is a blessed nation even as other countries are experiencing and coping with one calamity after another. From missing airplane in Malaysia to sinking ferry in South Korea, from endless street demonstrations in Bangkok to poll violence in India, from devastating hurricanes in Philippines to floods in Vietnam, you only need to look around us to be able vicariously to feel their pain and sufferings.
So be thankful for all that we have and who we are. Compared to what our neighbours are going through, our national issues are just minor aberrations that are not irreversible. Those who are in charge have listened and they will continue to listen because we all work hard to keep and ensure Singapore is for Singaporeans.
Douglas Chua