We are all #Singaporeans, why do we still need race-based help groups for the less well-off citizens? How different are the challenges faced by the low-income Chinese Singaporean community from the lets say the Eurasian Community? Or the Malay Singaporean community from the Indian one?
The various self-help groups recently raised their monthly contribution rates. If you're a Chinese (because there is a larger base as the majority here are Chinese), from next year you'd have to pay between $0.50 - $3.00 to help the less-fortunate in the Chinese-Singaporean community. If you're Malay, you pay between $1.00 - $5.25. Someone classified as an Indian would have to pay between $1 - $30 from next year, and if you're Eurasian you'd be contributing $2 - $20 from next year.
There is a lot of difference between $3 (the highest amount a Chinese Singaporean has to pay) and the $30 (the highest for Indian Singaporean). If you're an Eurasian you'd have to pay $20 if you're earning $2500 or more. The differences between the various racial groups are quite big.
IMO it makes more sense for Singaporeans to contribute an equal fixed-amount to help the less well-off Singaporeans regardless of race, language or religion.
What do you think?
Ravi Philemon
*Comment first appeared on https://www.facebook.com/raviphilemon