CPF is Your Money but you Can't Use it to Stay Alive

This Blog Post was originally written in 2007 by popular blogger Feed Me To The Fish who passed away in 2013:

"To a question by opposition MP Low Thia Khiang (Hougang) on whether the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) uses funds from the CPF funds to invest, Dr Ng said: "The answer is no."

"Later he rose to add: "The relationship is not so simple".

Oops, reminds one of engaging the gear before stepping on the clutch!

I watched a video of parliament and I saw hen denigrating a nation by mocking his own and other MP's, violating and belittling the intelligence of Singaporeans, insulting uncles like me for being too dumb to handle our finances, saying, "having a fling here, having a fling there". "Trysts"? I could not believe my ears and eyes! I cannot believe that an overpaid manpower servant that we pay with our taxes thinks so lowly of his fellow citizens! A case of “kurang ajar” or, in the hokien dialect which is pretty popular in parliament now, “kiam kah” or “boh kah xi!

If I remember well, when I started work as a teenager in 1968, I was told by my boss that 25% of my pay will go to CPF. He will contribute 25%. My boss said, “That’s law, don’t worry. Government guarantees you’ll get it all back when you retire at 55”.

On reaching my retirement goal/age of 55, I was shocked that they have moved the goalposts many times since I started work in 1968. My money wasn’t my money anymore. Yes, there's Special, Medisave & Retirement Account - SMRA - But, "You can't touch these!" Courtesy of MC Hammer?

To be fair, I received my yearly CPF statements of the changes, but who reads? I did not.

8 years ago I had a heart attack and ventricular fibrillation. I was jobless for 7 years. Lately, I was suspected of having other health challenges and in the past months, I had my share of visiting polyclinics and hospital.

Poor rich! I'm rich enough to have more than $28,000 sitting in my Medisave Account BUT I cannot use it for tests, treatments and medicines in hospitals and polyclinics. Yes, my bills from Changi GeneralHospital and Polyclinics had to be paid in cash from my pocket.

Oh, they tell me I can only use it for chronic illnesses only and/or if I spend more by visiting the hospital again for an artery ballooning/stent or a by-pass procedure. Or maybe another heart attack and ventricular fibrillation triggered by the agony and heartache of “My Money Sits in CPF but Cannot Use For Staying Alive!” ; “They Use my $$$, Make A Profit, Don’t Pay Back, Then Say I Stupid” & “Not Enough, Want Some More, Force Annuity On My Children!” or "Their Shameless Audacity Is Too Overbearing For Me".

Since nobody wants to employ a sick geezer with a heart condition and other challenges, I am fortunate that a kind soul, having faith, love and trust in me, offered me a sum of money to start a little business last year. I registered a sole proprietorship in ACRA to start the little biz. Another heartache - I was informed that I could not register because I owed CPF Medisave which I did not pay when I was self-employed previously. Unless I pay up, I could not register my little business.

Imagine, I was broke and I still had to top up my Medisave (already loaded with >$28,000) if I wanted a license to make myself productive again. Simple: No Top Up, No License. This is what I know as Uniquely Singapore First World Standard of Whatever!

Another irony: After 7 years of joblessness (due to my health challenges) without paying tax, I made good enough to pay tax again for year ending 2006. I've done my part as a citizen, I even did NS in the army from 1969 to 1971. Yes, and my fair share of reservist training for many years too! Both in the Army and Civil Defence.

"Fend for myself"? I have. I even pledge myself as part of “a united people regardless of race language or religion to build a democratic society based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity & progress for our nation”. As a simple heartlander, I’ve done my tiny part. No worries, I may just jump in front of moving MRT before I bother my busy hardworking government with any problem. Maybe they need their precious time to fix the opposition and plan to buy more votes (or lose less votes?)

Question: What has the Government done for me? Zilch. . . and please don’t do anything. Whenever you do something for the good for the people, you cause me more pain than gain! Eg: PUB increase, 7% GST, Bus fares increase, you-name-it-it-increase, etc. Just don’t hurt my family further by forcing my children to pay for annuity which is another scam to leech from innocent citizens!

On second thought, you may want to upgrade my HDB flat with a “Go-And-Die-Chute” so that sick and old people like me who have outlived our usefulness to the regime can self-destruct by jumping into it. Health Mintster may like this idea as he wants me to die at home so that I will not be a bother or a burden to his money making hospitals. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy the polyclinic’s webcam!

Hansard's record of the hen saying: "But you and I know the many cases we see in MPS, the stories we hear from our grassroots where they are taking out their money at 55, having a fling here and having a fling there, they get enticed here and enticed there. It is human nature. You get a sum of money, you treat your friends. And then somebody else asks you and you decide to do this thing"is so nauseating that I'd like to tell the manpower mintster, "Please speak for yourself". Cocky mintsters who just give us plenty of sarcasm and zero empathy are worth a dime a dozen! Not the millions that we are tricked into paying.