I’m not siding with Dr. Chee Soon Juan nor am I an anti-PAP ranter & raver. I’m just a realist, pragmatist & honest enough to rebut about the reply article from Jacky Foo.
Quote: ’But in Singapore, the low-income have access to high-quality education, health care and public housing, like other citizens.’
Not tertiary education, Jack! (…foreigners have better access), not catastrophic type healthcare treatments for cancer, stroke, transplants, etc, Jack. The new BTO flat prices aren’t exactly cheap for non-mature areas, Jack! Built quality also suspect.
Quote: ’Families earning just 1,000 Singapore dollars ($800) a month can afford to own a two-room apartment.’
A play on words, Jack! You don’t really ‘own’ a HDB flat, you can only lease. $1k/mth income cannot really pay off a 2-room flat over time. The probability of default is very high, Jack.
Quote: ’Indeed, 80% of households in the bottom income quintile own their homes, with an average of more than S$200,000 net housing equity.’
Historical basis, Jack! Based on old HDB pricing era, not the current HDB pricing! $200k net housing equity is meaningless when confronted with CPF retirement minimum sum pledge – you can’t sell & buy a new flat, mate. Sounds great but reality, sucks!
Quote: Their wages have also grown by 10% (in real terms) in the past decade, unlike the stagnation often seen elsewhere.’
Jack, don’t diss other ‘elsewhere’ economies when your own can’t even provide decent social welfare programs, can’t even set a minimum wage for workers, etc. 10% wage growth (in real terms) seemed contradictory to Leong Sze Hian’s articles. More like negative decline in real wages, Jack. Our CPI figures also untrustworthy! Hence, real also not real – all fairytale! Jack!
(Ed: Mr Leong has been arguing that when employer’s CPF is excluded, real wages become negative, at least for some years. Pls check Mr Leong’s past articles. For this year (2014), the real median income growth excluding employer CPF contributions (i.e, employees’ take-home pay does not include employer CPF. It’s locked inside the CPF till old age) has been worked out to be -0.6% – see: 2014 real income growth negative – life tougher now).
Quote: ‘They (GLCs) provide good jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans, they make up just 10% of the economy. Privately owned small and medium-sized enterprises employ seven in 10 Singaporeans’
GLCs control over 60% of the domestic economy, the old rich i.e, the Wees (UOB), Lees (OCBC), Shaws, Kweks (HL), Ngs (FEO) over 35% – SMEs only less than 5%.
What about foreigners, Jack? 7 in 10 jobs in Singapore go to foreigners, Jack, not the other way around!
Quote: ’Mr. Chee claims Singapore lacks a democracy.’
Roy Ngerng silencing! HLP ban on protest by NParks, PAP govt. on social media fears hence stiff licensing regulations. You mean Singapore has democratic principles, Jack!
Reading your reply leads me to one conclusion. Your name Jack is short form for JACKA**! If I believe you, I’m also a Jacka** like you!
weak-arguments