TR EMERITUS

OPINION The prices of HDB flats have sky-rocketed in recent months, hitting a record high this year with median Cash-Over-Valuations reaching an astonishing $25,000. Flats in Bishan garner a median COV of more than $30,000. There is increasing concern from the ground that Singaporeans, especially the young generation will be priced out of the public housing market whose relentless increase in prices shows no signs of abating.   TR Policy Forum, 27 April 2010 National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan reiterated in Parliament earlier this week that HDB flats are "affordable" to Singaporeans. Do you agree with him?   Joel Kong: Well, depending on which kind of Singaporeans he is talking about. Minister Mah is very smart to label the generic Singaporean and not the bottom few ones.   Ian Lai: I'm glad i got my place 3 years ago just before the price wars...just wondering, do the ministers live (at least) within the estate area or have they ever lived in a HDB apartment? Do "they" really understand how and what it's like or the difficulties faced with neighbours with the so called "HDB Mentality" - whereby we're living in ... See Moregovernment housing so we don't really care about the area and their neighbours? - TV sets so loud it feels like there's some one talking to you from above and below - noise emanating from all directions - litter all over your "front and back yards" from inconsiderates and with the slow but surely rising misc fees and the hidden costs associated with owning an apartment... how can the average newly married couple - NO KIDS - say combined take home of about SDG$5k +/- not have to work for at least the next 15-20 years to ONLY PAY off their apts?   Fortune Tella: He is very right provided the person a high earner. Those average or lower income with insufficient for deduction in their ordinary CPF account got to top up by paying cash. After paying for their flats, most couple have to Eat less, spend less, less chances of planning for a family......less babies, less population....................less of this......less of that.........practically everything less less less..........   Barry Jun: I'm also affected by this public housing price increase. Was aiming for a 4 room (used to be around 10-30k COV LESS than a year ago) and now a agent tells me that 30k COV is a challenge, even in less popular areas. He tells me a 2nd floor original (not renovated) 3 room flat had a cov of 25K. So if i wanted something slightly better, its easily 40... See More - 60k. So my question is, how is this affordable to me? When suddenly the price increases by such a huge margin in LESS than a year. Also, i would like to know what policies the opposition are thinking of implementing to solve this problem. This is because if they cant do much about this (or rather, do it efficiently), they are no diff from the PAP.   Lim Meng Meng: He always repeats the same thing.... use a very ideal example and then calculate and then tell you the percentage of monthly income used for your housing is very reasonable...he assumes we do not buy car, do not go on holiday, do not shop, only take 3 simple meals a day, just like him 20 years ago! And he likes to quote how difficult his life was when he was young but still managed to pull through... HE WANTS EVERY SINGAPOREAN TODAY TO LIVE A HARD LIFE LIKE HIM 30 YEARS AGO?   Russell Teo: Solution: Gov divest GIC, Temasek & GLCs when price is right in stages but in surely manner in next 1 - 20 years. Use this divested reserves to buy back all HDB in stages. All bought back back HDBs will be rented out with rents based on family size, income level, disability/ability, distance to work, distance to hospital, clinic & school. ... See More Low income family especially those elderly without sufficient retirement saving, those with disabled dependents & those with long term injuries & disability will be given rental subsidy. Normally employed & abled bodied Singaporean will be given flats based on income level, no of dependent, work place location, school, hospice, clinic & hospital location if they care for children or the elderly. Current tenant of HDB who wish to con't to reside can con't to. People who decided not to stay in HDB & whose HDB is not yet bought back will hand back their HDB for mart value reimbursement. HDB resale will be banned. Also, all flats belonging to PRs will be forced to be sold back to immediate effect at mart rate & rented out at mart rate. And PR will be asked to pay mart rental rate without any rental subsidy regardless of their family income & health circumstances. All new HDB applicant will be no longer be allowed to buy but allowed to rent. Applicant will be allocated flats based on income, dependent & school, workplace & etc eval. PR can only apply for flats if there's vacancy & PR who get a flat will be forced to move out with few mths notice if there's shortage. Lastly, all mature estate especially in town area will be re-purchased in stages to be rebuilt with 80 storey high to allow more ppl to stay in town area to reduce travel time, reduce overcrowding in public transport & traffic to & from from work & school. By using this solution, all our reserves & CPF will no longer channelled to GIC, Temasek & GLCs that have chalk up USD260bil in accumulated losses since 1980s. All CPF monies will no longer be allowed to be channeled to GIC, Temasek & GLCs for investment. Instead they will be channeled to top 50 fund mgrs worldwide that will be reviewed by MOF on annual basis to match the return by other retirement funds worldwide of between 6 - 12% per annum. Also, all CPF will no longer be allowed to be used to pay for property purchase/rental once HDB has buy back ur flats at mart rate. All monies from HDB buy back will be going into CPF! This will ensure all Singaporeans will have sufficient retirement saving when they retire or when they stop working. CPF will also no longer be allowed to be invested in Gold, Shares & Unit Trust as the high return of 6 - 12%/annum from CPF is more than sufficient to ensure even the low income Sporeans have good retirement nest. Also, CPF's Medisave will no longer be allowed to be used for hospital fees payment. Instead, it'll be used only for gov runned health insurance so that CPF member will not run out retirement saving due to hospital bill. The gov run health insurance will not have any pre existing exclusion or max out or any max age out. Lastly, CPF will no longer be used for education and all tuition fees will be paid by low interest bursaries that can be converted to free scholarships upon graduation if one attain 2nd Class Upper and above degree/diploma/cert. All this will ensure Singaporean save on travel time to increase productivity, save on housing by not paying for any mortgage, reduce pollution by not needing to travel far to work/school, reduce traffic jam by reducing travel time & distance, reduce crowding of public transportation while ensuring all Sporean get a good & cheap public housing while ensuring enouf $ are made avail upon retirement.   Moracino: very sick person tells doctor: "I feel my whole body aching!". Doctor says "let me see... Let me try to find the source of the pain". . After a while, the doctor prescribed some medicines. What if MBT is a doctor? MBT: no lah. You cannot be in pain. And compare to the person in the other bed, you are ok.   Read the entire discussion on our Facebook here.  Read More →

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is optimistic that Singaporeans can look forward to the year ending on a "good footing" with the strong performance of the Singapore economy in the first quarter. In his May Day message, PM Lee quoted latest figures from the Manpower Ministry showing that the overall unemployment rate remains at a low 2.2 percent. However, the number of Singapore citizens who are unemployed remains a mystery since all official statistics lump both citizens and permanent residents together in the same category as "residents". Joining the ranks of his fellow colleagues who have been indulging in self-praise and mutual back-patting lately, PM Lee added: "Nevertheless, we have emerged from the storm in a strong position, and can look forward to a good year this year. We must make the most of this opportunity to push forward our longer term plans: transforming the economy, upgrading our workforce and raising our productivity." While the economy has appeared to have made a strong turnaround, the gains have yet to filter down to ordinary Singaporeans on the ground. Their wages remain stagnant and are unable to keep pace with the rampant inflation, especially that of public housing. Prime Minister Lee earns more than $3 million dollars a year, or 5 times the annual salary of U.S. President Barack Obama. He is expected to enjoy a hefty 8.8 percent pay hike this year on the back of the improving economy. An unknown percentage of the PAP ministers' multi-million dollar salaries is pegged to GDP growth - the higher the growth, the more money they will bring home. Many prominent economists including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz has criticized GDP growth as a poor indicator of measuring the welfare and happiness of citizens in any country.   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 →

作者：张鸿《大公报》30/04/2010 新加坡是个严刑峻法、文明整洁、一向保守的先进国家。然而，它在国内辟有“红灯区”，令我惊讶。年末岁初，我从上海去新加坡探亲，出于好奇，与一位年逾古稀的好友结伴而行，参观新加坡“红灯区”。 一天下午四时许，我俩乘巴士到达新加坡“红灯区”所在地芽笼。从第八巷步行至二十巷，边走边看，边看边点数，发现这一地区共有妓院七十多间。以五光十色 的霓红灯或红漆写着妓院的名称：“祗园”、“乐园”、“浴中屋”、“情趣坊”、“温柔乡”、“富士之夜”、“雄琴之夜”等。有的妓院门前装着圆形、乳白色 的灯，灯罩上用红漆写着门牌号码，有的妓院门前挂着多盏大红灯笼，有一间妓院的外墙上还用红漆写着含有淫秽的诗句：“床前灯光照佳人，肥环燕姿任君选；朱 红玉嫩白如霜，今宵一刻值千金。”藉此招徕嫖客。 我俩在八巷徒步经过一间妓院时，一个五十岁左右的华族男子站在妓院门口向我 俩招手：“来！来！来！” 我俩战战兢兢地走向妓院门口，拉客的男子向我俩递上一迭妓女艳照说：“这里共有十名小姐，都是泰国人，今天有六位在上班，你们要选哪位？”“不，不， 不！”我俩立即回绝，急匆匆地离开了这间妓院。 我俩步行到二十巷，又有一个华族中年男子站在妓院门前向我俩招手。我俩站在这间妓院门口朝客厅张望，见七、八个穿着紧身裙的美艳妓女坐成一排。拉客的男子对我俩说：“她们都是中国来的，是政府允许的，合法的，定期检查她们的身体，你们尽可放心。” 我俩又从这间妓院门口退了出来，走到十六巷的尽头，发现一间高档妓院，门面装修豪华，铝合金门窗镶上茶色玻璃，门前挂着四盏崭新的大红灯笼，放着四只大 花盆，盆中栽着茂盛的幸运树。沿着这间妓院的道路旁，停着多辆轿车。我俩站在路旁观察，不一会，见一个大腹便便、穿着入时的中年人从轿车里出来，大摇大 摆、旁若无人地直入这间妓院。又见一个“阔佬”驾着轿车到这间妓院门口停下，把一个妖艳的年轻妓女送入妓院。 下午六时，夕阳西下，我俩乘巴士回家。隔日，我问新加坡友人，新加坡缘何设立“红灯区”？他说，为了满足外国劳工、客商的性需求，减少私娼站街拉客的现象。 来源：http://www.chinanews.com.cn  Read More →