TR EMERITUS – Untold Hard Truths From Around The World – 淡马锡评论 – formerly Temasek Review

PAP to give out fewer PRs and citizenships

Stung by rising anger from Singaporeans at the relentless influx of immigrants, the PAP has given out fewer PRs and citizenships for the last one year. Speaking in Parliament today, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee said of the 124,600 applications for PR and 24,000 application for Singapore citizenship received during the year, 46,300 and 19,300 of them were approved respectively. The numbers appeared to be reduced compared to 2008 when there were 70,000 PRs and 20,000 new citizens. Based on anecdotal evidence, the PAP is exerting pressure on large number of PRs to take up citizenships by not renewing them when their terms are up. With the next election around the corner, the PAP is desperately trying to appease the disgruntled citizenry and to shore up its own flagging support base by getting more PRs to take up citizenships. New citizens will usually vote for the ruling party as evident in the recent U.K elections in which 80 percent of the first-generation immigrants voted for the Labor Party which gave them citizenship in the first place. As expected, the PAP refused to admit its mistake and try to sugar-coat over it by claiming that Singapore had taken in larger numbers of foreigners in the last few years 'so as to catch the wind of growth to propel our economy forward.' "The growth in the number of new immigrants in recent years was because we wanted to take advantage of the strong economy to attract and retain suitable foreigners to sink roots here, and to augment our population," said Prof Ho Peng Kee, the second minister for Home Affairs. Due to the PAP's liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies, foreigners now make up 36 percent of Singapore's population, up from 14 percent in 1990. Of the remaining 64 percent who are citizens, an increasing number are born overseas. "The Government recognises and understands Singaporeans' concerns and sentiments over the rapid increase in numbers. We have reviewed our immigration framework to better manage the pace and overall numbers," Prof Ho added. Singaporeans should not be deceived by the PAP's latest "wayang". Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently called on the "understanding" of Singaporeans to accept more foreigners in the near future. Once the PAP wins the next election with another "resounding" mandate, the number of PRs and new citizens will increase again. 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 →

摩天轮观景舱被指载客“双重標准”

来源：《星洲日报》2010.05.17 女网友的丈夫拍到的照片显示，前面的观景舱只有7、8个洋人。（网络照片）（新加坡）洋人吸1口氧气，等於亚洲人吸4口？新加坡摩天轮的观景舱有不同氧气水平，可承载的人数因此也有不同？女网友“Amulet”週六（5月15日）晚上和丈夫带著婴儿乘坐摩天观景轮，发现自己所在的观景舱有24、5个亚洲人，“挤挤一堂”，而前头的观景舱竟然只有7、8个洋人，感到非常不解。回到地面，她向观景轮的服务人员询问︰“他们（洋人）是因为付了更高费用才能包下一个观景舱吗？” 服务人员的回答让她啼笑皆非︰“不，那是因为他们的观景舱氧气水平较低，载不了那么多人……” 女网友和丈夫都认为服务人员的答案没有说服力。她过后將不愉快的经歷连同丈夫拍的照片放上网，短短一天就引来许多网友回应。多数网友认为，观景轮最高点只有165公尺，不存在缺氧的问题，观景轮公司之所以有“双重標准”可能是为了討好西方游客，给他们留下好印象。不过也有网友指出，那群洋人可能是订了香檳或新加坡司令鸡尾酒（Singapore Sling）配套，才享有特殊待遇。摩天轮公司：冷气系统调控气流 “氧气水平低不存在” 针对有职员指某些“观景舱氧气水平较低”，新加坡摩天观景轮公司今日（週一，5月17日）早上受询时澄清︰“这样的说法不正確，每个观景舱的气流是由冷气系统调控，让乘客感到舒適。” 它也说︰“每个观景舱可舒適地容纳多达28名乘客，公司的原则是，在繁忙时段，尽可能把每个舱都装满，以缩短等候时间；而在非繁忙时段，空舱较多，我们则会根据排队情况，適当减少每舱的人数。” 观景轮公司对女网友的反馈表示感谢，並且承诺，將探討如何提昇和改进服务水平，也会確保前线职员继续为每位顾客提供最佳服务。 Read More →

经济成长有甚么用？

作者：李威淳以前股价上涨、房价大涨，老板会加薪；现在，不管房价涨、股价涨，老板只会动不动就说要裁员、要关门。薪水没涨，物价涨，房价又涨、生活品质追不上，大家感觉生活很辛苦。首相纳吉週四开心地对外宣称，受出口上升以及国內需求强劲驱动，马来西亚第一季度国內生產总值（GDP）较上年同期增长10.1%，经济学家预期为9.6%。据悉，这是马来西亚10年来最快的增长马来西亚是贸易驱动型经济。纳吉还说，政府还將2010年GDP增长预期从之前的4.5%-5.5%上调至6%。然而，百姓的共同疑问却是：为甚么GDP年年成长，上班族的薪资却倒退呢？一国的GDP是由人民共同创造出来的財富，照理说，GDP成长，人民的收入也应增加，生活应该越来越好，但目前的现实环境显然並非如此。当然，財富越来越集中少数人的现象並非大马独有，这是全球化下不可逆转的趋势，但政府必须改善这种趋势。政府必须重视受薪阶级的福利，因为，他们的所得，决定国家的內需和消费，决定国家的经济水平。一个大学毕业生，月薪水只有1600令吉，生活负担那么重，薪水那么少，经济成长有甚么用？穷人愈来愈多，贫富悬殊成为最主要的社会矛盾。令人慨嘆的是，许多穷人即使自力更生，努力工作，依然无法维持基本生活，不得不在贫穷线下苦苦挣扎。面对贫穷人口与日俱增，当局竟然若无其事，他们轻描淡写地说，去年贫穷问题严重，主要是受金融海啸影响，拉低就业及收入数据，但隨著经济復甦，此一情形势將有所改善。事实真的如此吗？当官方高唱“10年来最快增速”之际，中下阶层市民的收入不升反跌。事实告诉我们，今日的贫穷问题，主要是因为政府扶贫不力，以及经济结构过於单调而起，金融海啸只是短暂影响，当局將问题完全归咎金融海啸，根本就是混淆视听，推卸责任。更令人担忧的是，虽说经济改善了，穷人的处境却好不了多少。眾所周知，当前的所谓“復甦”，主要见於房市及股市，由於实体经济表现远远落后投资市场，基层上班族的薪酬迄今未有显著改善，反要面对新一轮通胀的打击，衣食住行样样加价，成为他们不能承受之重。加上政府至今没有推出全面而长远的扶贫政策，基层市民面对茫茫前路，始终不见一丝曙光。悲莫大於贫困，大马穷人的最大悲哀，莫过於看不到脱贫希望。在全球经济一体化的大环境下，基层职位流失、贫富悬殊加剧是发达地区共同面对的难题。所不同的是，其他地区的政府莫不扭尽六壬，竭力拉近贫富差距。但在大马，不公义现象无处不在，公务员不时可获得加薪，公僕先天下之乐而乐，可是数十万在职贫穷人士仍在黑暗中挣扎求存，彷彿成为被遗弃的一群。不管怎么说都好，置业难是大马的客观现实，政府必须面对，必须提出解决办法。房市不仅是经济问题，也是社会及政治问题，不容当局继续扮鸵鸟，一味迴避。来源：星洲日报／言路 Read More →