The Future of Singapore (Part 1)

SINGAPORE TODAY

Singapore was once filled by Singaporeans. Today, this basic idea that a country is filled with own citizens is a fading myth.

The streets, MRT, buses, Orchard road ... foreigners are plenty, changing what is once a nice and beautiful country into an unlivable environment. Bad behaviour fills many corners such that poop and pee is normal and seems acceptable. Is that why Singaporeans vote for PAP to poop and pee???

Jobs & Wages

Singapore is now filled with foreigners at all levels. Did I just use the sweeping statement "all" !!! Yes, I did. Foreigners fill low income jobs to middle level jobs, many call PMET. At management level, foreigners are visibly changing the face of Singapore employment rules, habits, work ethics and discrimination. Many foreigners are found employing their own kind and place their preferred ones over Singaporeans.

Even the concept of contributing CPF for employees is a choice. Low income Singaporean workers suffer the most as they have to compete with foreign workers who do not have to pay for CPF. Driving wages very low and ridiculous, many low income levels are unable to sustain a decent daily living for a family to be raised.

Now even our youth (less than 25yrs old) are not able to find jobs at 7.4% unemployment. This does not include the 50,000 youth that has been conscripted for national service that is regarded by MOM stats are "employed". Without jobs for the youth, not only are they not able to contribute to the economy, they will not be able to learn skills needed to survive in an ultra competitive environment.

Singaporeans are Not Without Issues

Of course Singaporeans have many issues. Many have been molly-coddled by the system and lost the ability to think for ourselves. There is a heavy reliance on the government hand-outs and policies, which is not generous, but it forces those needing them to constantly seek for it.

We question on our creativity and entrepreneurship to strive to be better with innovation. But with heavy brainwashing from our education, national service and media, we are effectively a zombie nation.

To purge our national past time that celebrates our zombie culture will take one generation, which is about 25 years. Consider this the "lost generation". When most nations use the time to build their societies, we have regressed. It is not even through warfare that Singaporeans are dying, but through progressive acceptance of our fate that votes goes to PAP regardless.

Why is this society dying?

Singaporeans will not die of course, we will just be sidelined and suffer social genocide. This process is happening slowly and surely, but if it is described in such certain conclusion, why is this not easily seen among Singaporeans?

Simple, we are not encouraged to think and talk about it.

This practice starts in school where general issues, debating skills and discussion skills are not taught. Recommended answers are given and to abide by or there will be consequences. The education system claims to encourage creativity, but it is not different from our media that seeks transparency and stand at 151st global ranking level.

Singaporeans graduate into this working world and we are schooled to be good at maths and sciences, but little on thinking and problem solving skills. We are not aware of social issues and nothing about labour law, and labour practices, and these topics are about Singapore only. Cross reference these same topics in other countries, and our so-called well travelled Singaporeans have little interest in them, but will claim global understanding just from holding air tickets and lots of shopping bags.

Whenever a person discuss a social issue in Singapore that links to Singaporean politics, it is often a "hush" signal given. The past 4 decades was such behavior, so many Singaporeans do not discuss or share their understanding. Many of us resort to passive aggressive anger and regress to our 60s, 70s with awareness on political and social issues like teenagers. Even discussions and anger would have outburst like teenagers, yet they are not in their teens. We have stopped growing, because we have stopped developing.

Only with the common availability of the internet and smartphone did social media allowed many to start thinking. And all the "teenagers" started giving opinions with "wisdom", yet many still hope for our paternal political system to change their approach and continue to look after us. It is a good start to begin the thinking process but the conclusion of these discussions has little to be desired.

Singaporeans have stagnated in our thinking and has relied on emotions to convey our feelings.

CPF defines Singaporean's lives

Whether we like it or not, the CPF system has defined almost every aspect of our lives. From financial needs, education, housing, medical and retirement.

Many may have forgotten that CPF was introduced by the British in 1955 for our retirement. In 1968, housing needs is added to a new nation with somewhat poor citizens, and encourage nationhood through ownership of our homes. But 5 decades have passed and Singapore has become a rich nation, but Singaporeans do not seem to share the same richness unless wearing a white. How come Singaporeans are still relying for this CPF system for home ownership? How come Singaporeans do not ask these questions? Even fewer Singaporeans have thought of calculating the simple maths of our personal CPF account, regarding how much we will pay for owning this HDB using CPF money. Without these monetary calculation, it is impossible to understand what has happened to our personal money.

Reversely, if we let CPF to its original intended function for retirement, how much will be the asset worth just by looking at the personal CPF account.

This simple calculation is not given in CPF website. But it is really simple compounding calculation that recurs twice. Since this is not given, our forefathers during the 1960s did not calculate it themselves. This lack of transfer of thoughts and calculations went on for 5 decades, thus every time a new adult enters the job market and face the decision on HDB purchase, there is no one to advise about CPF money for HDB. Thus the only available option was HDB itself, that leads the ready buyer into the process and signed papers that seems so easy. Signing away our hard earned CPF money into the hands of the appointed lawyer, appointed lenders, appointed bankers, appointed source of savings account we call "CPF".

Even when the CPF calculation is already available and analysed by a few known sources, few Singaporeans have taken the trouble to calculate. Guess it is not interesting to go into these calculations. That is how our society have stopped thinking or progressing. We are totally dependent on the thoughts, words and emotions the paternal government has to say. There is hardly any thinking by Singaporeans on what else ???

Failure of 2011 Elections to Change Anything

Even though the pain of daily living and all the repeated trouble recurs everyday, and trouble levels growing bigger, in 2011, it does not seem change will happen.

These troubles did not happen overnight, but over decades. It is especially accelerated after 2004, when "Growth at ALL Cost" strategy was executed but the tools used are the same ones.

Did Singapore have more foreigners taking up so much resources, taking our jobs, practicing discrimination ... suddenly have in 2014? No. In 2011 it is already happening in full swing. Yet Singaporeans are not motivated to vote out the whites.

Blaming the 60% is not right as Singaporeans have allowed 92% of available seats to go to the whites. Effectively the blame of giving power (again) on the platter to the whites goes wholly to Singaporeans. Yes, ALL Singaporeans are to be blamed for not enabling change!