TR EMERITUS

Following our publication of an article of a former Associate Professor of Singapore Managment University (SMU) Mr PeterKriz being rejected in his Singapore PR application, many netizens have raised questions on the immigration criteria in Singapore and for it to be made more transparent. Mr Kriz graduated with a degree in economics from the respected Stanford University and a doctorate from Harvard University. He was employed as a senior lecturer at SMU for the last seven years. Being obviously a highly qualified "foreign talent", Mr Kriz should encounter no problems in his PR application which was surprisingly rejected. Netizens are flabbergasted at the outcome when many unskilled foreigners such as cleaners, bus drivers, construction workers, masseurs and even freelance prostitutes are given Singapore PR by the PAP regime. Old and Jobless felt the decision was absurd: "Very strange that a cleaner can get PR status but not a PHD holder. Perhaps, the PHD holder is not a talent afterall. But the cleaner is. And the cleaner is contributing more by keeping our country clean and green. If this is true, it is absolutely absurd." Share thought there could be a political agenda: "I think the government should go for English classes because they are not able to understand the word ‘talent’. The angmoh was rejected because he could be a ‘threat’ to the Pappies one day whereas the bus drivers, construction workers, prostitutes from India and China are mostly the easily manipulated type." PAPsucks concurred: "Why should Mr. Kriz be entitled to a PR — unless PAP is confident that he will vote for PAP if and when he becomes a citizen? Just like the Cultural Revolution in China, if you are too educated and intelligent, you get targeted for elimination. They only give PRs to whores and uneducated peasants from China." An Academic wrote: "Our whole immigration system is far from perfect and the immigration criteria should certainly be more transparent." CRC agreed: "I agree that our ICA should have more clearly defined and transparent framework of who gets PR status. unless of course there is a very good reason (which should be explained to us) why we shouldn’t have such a framework." Unlike other developed countries like Australia, Canada and New Zealand, Singapore does not have a point-based system or a set of criteria to determine the eligibility of a migrant for PR. Does the PAP want real talents like Mr Kriz or unskilled migrant workers to become voters to enable it to remain in power for the next five decades? Singapore must be the only country in the world which gives PRs and citizenships to bus drivers, but not PhD holders.   Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to create awareness of the current affairs affecting Singaporeans. Please use our online web form to contact us.      Read More →

Unfazed by the rising public criticisms against his performance as the National Development Minister, Mr Mah Bow Tan managed to take time off his busy schedule to attend a groundbreaking ceremony of the Integrated Pig Farm project jointly undertaken by Singapore Food Industries Pte Ltd (SFI), Jilin China-Singapore Food Zone Development Construction Investment Co Ltd, and Dachan Food (Asia) Co Ltd in Jilin province in northeast China. According to the Straits Times, Mah is accompanied by officials from the Ministry of National Development, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and International Enterprise Singapore. It is not known how the pig farm project is related to his portfolio whose primary role is to provide cheap public housing for Singaporeans. Mr Mah has gone on a damage control mode lately by introducing a slew of short-term measures in a desperate attempt to stabilize the booming property market. When asked if there are any political motives behind the unusual moves, Mr Mah replied frankly: "If you ask me if it has got anything to do with the elections, the answer is 'yes'. Everything has got to do with the elections." His efforts to wriggle himself out of trouble appeared to be undermined by his fellow PAP colleague Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who acknowledged (finally) that the National Development Ministry “did not provide for the sudden surge” in its housing plans. Though the PAP regime announced its ambitious plan to increase Singapore’s population to 6.5 million people via immigration way back in 2005, the number of flats built between 2006 – 2008 is the lowest over the years. Only 3,183 flats were built in 2008 when Singapore accepted 20,000 new citizens and 90,000 PRs who were allowed to purchase resale flats in the open market by the PAP regime. [Source: HDB Financial Report 2008/2009] As there are insufficient new flats being built to meet the demands of both Singaporeans and the new citizens, many have to purchase flats in the resale market, thereby jacking up prices in the process leading to the absurd situation we have today where newly launched BTO flats are oversubscribed by more than ten times. Below is a graph illustrating how the rise in the prices of resale flats coincides with the rise in the number of foreigners in Singapore between the years 2000 and 2008, courtesy of Kojakbt, the moderator of 3in1kopitiam: While the millionaire minister Mah is enjoying his "tour" in China, young Singaporeans are slogging day in and out to afford a roof over their heads, no thanks to his lack of foresight in planning ahead by building more HDB flats between the years 2006 - 2008 to meet the anticipated increase in housing demand fueled by mass immigration.   Debunking official myths of HDB flats series: 1 Myth 1: Singaporeans are “owners” of their HDB flats 2. Myth 2: HDB flats are “affordable” to most Singaporeans 3. Myth 3: Rising prices of HDB flats “generate” wealth for Singaporeans   Related articles: >> SM Goh: MND is caught "off-guard" >> Errant buyers of resale flats may face jai lterm >> New property rules a ploy to get foreigners to settle in Singapore >> Mah Bow Tan: Property boom in 2007 was “unexpected” >> Singaporeans complain about new housing rules to curb speculation >> HDB releases 3,000 flats in a single day >> Mah admits there is a property “bubble” evolving >> New rules to prevent private property owners from speculating in resale flats >> Mah blames Singaporeans for strong demand in public housing >> Mah: 16,000 BTO flats next year >> Median COVs hit a record high >> $300,000 for four-room BTO flats in Punggol >> Mah Bow Tan: HDB flats are still affordable to first time flat buyers >> Why Mah Bow Tan’s policy of high HDB flats is wrong >> Letter to Mah Bow Tan on HDB policies >> Singaporean want govt to allay anxiety over HDB leasehold >> Mah Bow Tan embarrassed by Reform Party’s Hazel Poa >> Mah Bow Tan: “Unrealistic” expectations to blame for unhappiness about flats >> Taiwanese PR paid record $ 650,000 for 4-room resale flat >> Grace Fu: PRs are helpful to HDB flat owners selling their flats >> HDB launches “traveling exhibition” to trumpet its achievements in the heartlands >> PAP to upgrade 12,000 HDB households ahead of next election >> Mah Bow Tan: We do not want flat prices to go down >> Prices of resale flats to rise further as PR quota reached >> Taiwanese PR offers $50k COV for resale flat >> Mah Bow Tan: PRs have minimal impact on resale flat prices >> No empirical evidence to suggest that public housing is affordable in Singapore >> When will Singapore’s property bubble burst? >> Why HDB is unable to reveal break down costs of new flats now >> HDB to consider introducing rules to curb property speculation >> HDB blames Singaporeans for not selecting flats when given the chance >> Singaporeans worried about retirement after depleting CPF to pay for over-priced HDB flats >> Mah Bow Tan acknowledged that rising HDB flat prices has sparked “fresh concerns” >> PM Lee: Govt does not have control over prices of resale flats” >> COVs of resale flats shooting through the roof >> HDB resale price index hit record high in 2009 >> Singaporean wants PRs to live in rented flats instead of buying resale flats >> Singaporeans wants PRs to be banned from selling HDB flats at a profit >> Shanmugam: Singaporeans likely culprits for driving up HDB flat prices >> Mah Bow Tan: HDB flats remain affordable >> Means testing for PRs to buy resale flats >> Immigration and public housing: should the govt or people plan ahead? >> Grace Fu: hard to predict demand for housing >> Indonesian PR bought 4-room flat at $653,000 >> Mah Bow Tan asks home buyers to be realistic >> PAP MP blames young couples who cannot get a flat for not planning ahead >> Home affordability: HDB versus the public >> Demand vs supply: so many applicants, so few flats >> Number of applicants exceed number of flats >> HDB to increase supply of flats >> Mah: don’t compare with prices in the past >> ERA: 40 per cent of HDB flat buyers are PRs     Please join our Facebook discussion on this article here and invite your friends to do so as well to raise awareness among fellow Singaporeans.  Read More →

OPINION In an interview with National Geographic Magazine in January 2010, PAP strongman Lee Kuan Yew raised eyebrows when he insinuated in a statement that Singapore Malays care more about their own brethen than fellow Singaporeans of a different race. “Well, we make them say the national pledge and sing the national anthem but suppose we have a famine, will your Malay neighbour give you the last few grains of rice or will she share it with her family or fellow Muslim or vice versa?” As an ethnic Chinese Singaporean, I have no doubts in my mind that my Malay friends will share their last grains of rice with me in this hypothetical situation. In contrast, I have reservations if the new citizens from China will even remain in Singapore or flee back to China to escape the crisis like what MediaCorp artiste Guo Liang did when he send his child back to China during the H1N1 epidemic in Singapore not too long ago. After fifty years of nation-building and bonding through National Service, Singaporeans have managed to forge a common identity with one another. We are Singaporean first, not our race. The Chinese Singaporean no longer think of China as their motherland nor do the Indians have any affinity for India. I believe our Malay brothers and sisters will stay put in Singapore and defend it in the event an armed conflict breaks out with our neighbors. Just look at the recent case of Mr Abdillah who was hauled up for questioning by his reservist unit for defending Lianhe Wanbao photo-journalist Mr Shafie Goh who was handcuffed by a police officer a month ago when taking photos of flooding at Upper Bukit Timah Road, sparking a massive outcry among Singaporeans. In his blog posting, Mr Abdillah wrote: "My take on this, sue the damn Singapore Police Force who will then put the officer on suspended patrolling duties, cut salary to half and hold the bonus till he is acquited from the case – THIS IS THE STANDARD PRACTICE." Mr Abdillah is speaking up for a fellow Singaporean as a Singaporean even though Mr Shafie Goh is a Chinese and he is willing to be charged by the police for that. Similarly when Mr Abdul Malik was arrested by the Singapore police for criticizing the sports minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on his handling of the recently concluded Youth Olympic Games, many Singaporeans jump to his defence including Chinese and Indian Singaporeans. These incidents show that Singaporeans have already overcome the racial boundaries between them in a way and are standing together truly as "one united people" as reflected in the Pledge we recite every morning as students: - "We the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as ONE UNITED PEOPLE, regardless of race, language or religion." Singaporeans should take pride in our achievement in forging a common national identity in such a short period of time as compared to Malaysia where divisive racial politics still dominate national politics. Unfortunately, our hard won identity and solidarity with one another is being fast diluted by the relentless influx of foreigners into Singapore which is fast weakening the social fabric of our nation. Unlike the Malaysians, the newcomers hail from a different world altogether, making it almost impossible for them to integrate into Singapore society despite the huge amount of public monies being poured into it in the form of a $10 million dollar Community Integration Fund. It takes more than a few HDB void parties to become a naturalized Singaporean and it will be foolhardy to expect the children of these new citizens to become Singaporeans overnight as well. I grew up with Malays and Indians as my neighbors. I study and play with them in schools and I serve my National Service together with them. I enjoy Nasi Lemak and Roti prata much more than jiaozi and congyubing. I feel closer to my Malay and Indian friends than the mainland Chinese which the government is forcing us to accept. To the native Malay, Chinese and Indian Singaporeans, Singapore is our home. We have nowhere to turn to unlike the newcomers who still retain tie with their extended families back in their homelands. If a famine really break out one day, chances are the new citizens and PRs will head straight back to where they come from. Can the true blue Singaporeans return to Malaysia, China or India? We have only one another to count on now. Please vote wisely in the coming general election. If we do not reclaim this country for ourselves, there may be no place here left for our children in the next decade or so.   Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to create awareness of the current affairs affecting Singaporeans. Please use our online web form to contact us.  Read More →