The closest we can get to having a dialouge with the PM on CPF

Roy’s request for an Open Discussion with the PM on the CPF was denied, but here’s the closest thing you can get. Want to have an open discussion and raise questions about CPF with a PAP MP? Here’s your chance.

MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, Mr Hri Kumar Nair will be organizing a Public Dialogue about the CPF with the Public. He promises to have an open and honest dialouge where he will tackle difficult questions and have a lively debate. He also wants the dialouge to see how CPF could be improved and discuss its limitations too.

Here is what he said about the dialouge,

“Dear Friends,

Our CPF system has been in the news a lot recently. Reading the many posts and comments on the social media, it is clear that there are still many aspects of the system which people are unsure about or simply do not know. For example, many reacted with surprise to the recent increase in the Minimum Sum, calling it “sudden”. But this increase arises from the formula put in place in 2003 (there will be another increase next year). Many are also unaware that you can halve the Minimum Sum by simply pledging your property to the CPF.

Retirement adequacy is an issue which should concern all of us. The CPF helps to fund our retirement, but can never be a complete answer. Nonetheless, it is timely for us to take a step back and ask how it can be more effective, and to discuss its limitations.

We also need to tackle difficult questions, such as who should be responsible for ensuring retirement adequacy, and what is the Government’s role in this?

We hope to tackle these and more at The Thomson Dialogue on 14th June 2014, Saturday, 10am at the Thomson CC Multi-purpose Hall. Join us and share your views. If our earlier dialogues are any indication, it promises to be a lively one.

I hope to see you there.” – Hri Kumar Nair

He also added in a Facebook post 3 hours ago that he was ‘going to deal with hard questions at the Forum – which most of the commentaries he has read so far are avoiding.’

Participants will be asked their views on the following:

(a) If a Singaporean runs out of retirement funds, who should take care of his needs?

(b) Should there be a Minimum Sum, and if so, how should it be calculated?

Underlying all these questions will be the issue of how risks should be shared among Singaporeans – old and young; current and future generations.

Event Details

Date: 14 June 2014 (Saturday)

Time: 10am

Venue: Thomson CC

To confirm your attendance, click attend at this link or sign up at Thomson/Toa Payoh CC

I just came back from the NSP’s Public Dialogue on CPF, and I must say that I have learnt a lot. NSP also came up with a small booklet which tells us the history of the CPF. It was very informative! You can view the booklet here too.

Overall, it was a very constructive session and I would like to thank Ravi, Jeanette and the rest of NSP for organizing it. I also noticed that there were some questions that were raised but we couldn’t answer them as we may have lacked understanding or knowledge about the CPF. Many viable alternatives were also suggested. I would love to see these being addressed to the PAP and I would also like to hear their point of view on our opinions too.

I believe it would be good if we could all attend this Dialogue and share our sentiments, raise questions, clarify on the rationales behind policy shifts and present alternatives. We shouldn’t restrict our voices to Hong Lim Park or Opposition Party’s Forums only, when they present us with this golden opportunity to hear from the people and have a real conversation, we’ve got to seize it.

It might not be the nicest of invites, but it looks like I’m not the only one who wants to see Roy at the dialouge.

Roy’s request to PM Lee to having a open discussion on the CPF was denied and I doubt he would have the chance to discuss it in court too. We also can’t go to Parliament and question the MPs, so this is the closest we can get.

Hri Kumar Nair spoke about Constructive Politics and the need for robust debates in Parliament last week. So I am sure he will be accommodating to a robust debate during the session.

Do not go there to heckle, but go there in the name of constructive politics and freedom of speech. Let your voice be heard.