TR EMERITUS

Written by Our Correspondent Living up to its reputation as the nation-building press and in another desperate attempt to show that the PAP really "cares" about low-income Singaporeans, the Straits Times put up another hogwash again with the misleading headline - "$460,000 for a family" to create the erroneous impression that the PAP is giving cash handout to each family. (read article here) It quoted Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam as saying: "A low-income family of four can receive transfers from the Government totalling about $460,000 over a lifetime." The statement is patently false as the $460,000 consists of several packages, the majority in the form of subsidies such as childcare and student care subsidies, means-tested subsidies in public hospitals and polyclinics, course fee subsidies for Workforce Development Agency-approved courses and grant provided to Singaporean households upon the purchase of resale flats. This means that the amount will not be used so long the families do not utilize the subsidies. For example, the family will never enjoy the housing grant provided under the $460,000 sum if they do not purchase a resale flat and live in rental flats for their entire lives. Given the sky-rocketing prices of resale flats now, it is doubtful if low-income families will be able to afford them, let alone use the housing grants. Similarly, the means-tested subsidies will be untapped on if they are healthy and do not visit polyclinics and public hospitals. Medical bills are so exorbitant nowadays that some Singaporeans opt to die or commit suicide than to seek medical treatment and hence again the subsidies will be left untouched. Furthermore, some of these "subsidies" are derived from inflated prices. According to feedback from readers, some courses conducted by WDA are "marked up" and to "accommodate" the subsidies. The "help" given to the lower-income Singaporeans by the PAP is most unimaginative and does not address the root source of the problem. It should revamp the entire economy to lessen our dependence on foreign workers and allow Singaporeans to earn a decent wage commensurate with the standard of living here It is highly obnoxious and undignified to make Singaporeans slog like dogs for a meager pay and then "subsidizing" them to make life abit more bearable. Won't this lead to a "crutch mentality" too? Finance Minister Tharman should not simply pluck the figures out of thin air and treat Singaporeans like idiots. He must substantiate his claims with detailed calculations on how he arrive at the magical figure of $460,000. Though Singaporeans have been decried as sheep, donkeys and frogs by PAP leaders, many of them are still able to comprehend simple primary school mathematics.  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent Out of desperation to shore up its flagging support base among Singaporeans, the PAP is coming up with creative measures to get the new citizens on its side. Besides makeing them feel welcomed in Singapore and getting them on the electoral roll which has been updated twice within a year, PAP MP Teo Ho Pin is now suggesting that making it compulsory for all new arrivals to apply for the People's Association membership card and making them members of the PA. "This could get more permanent residents and new citizens to participate in community activities," he said. The People's Association is a statutory board set up in the 1960s to promote interaction and bonding between the various races in Singapore. It controls all the Community Clubs (CCs), Citizen Consultative Committees (CCCs) and Residents Committees (RCs), known collectively as grassroots organizations in Singapore. Headed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong himself, these grassroots organizations are widely regarded as the "eyes and ears" of the PAP on the ground. Many grassroots leaders are card-carrying members of the PAP and vice versa. For example, YPAP leader Sear Hock Rong who was recently embroiled in a controversy over his business dealings with Eunos grassroots organizations, is a prominent grassroot leader in Eunos, sitting on the CCMC and RC as well. PAP's octogenarian leader Lee Kuan Yew admitted recently that “all CCs, CCCs and RCs are part of the PAP” during a dialogue session. (read article here) The PAP has been trying hard to get the new citizens and PRs to join these grassroots organizations. According to Minister for Communication, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, there are currently about 4,500 new citizens and PRs serving in grassroots organizations. Some of them are de facto members of the PAP including a new citizen from India Fredric Fanthome who runs the PAP p65 blog. Others like Sinha Shekha are active members of the YPAP Facebook, speaking up vigorously in defence of the PAP policies and running down true blue Singaporeans who have served National Service in the process. For some strange reasons, the Straits Times Forum has seen an increase in the number of letters from PRs and new citizens singing praises of the PAP while those from native Singaporeans are conspicuous by their absence. As new citizens tend to vote for the incumbent in office which gives them the opportunity to start afresh in Singapore, the PAP has been courting their votes ever since much to the chagrin and disgust of Singaporeans who are increasingly marginalized. A mega $10-million dollars Community Integration Fund was unveiled last year to make the immigrants feel accepted in Singapore. In other countries, the onus is on the immigrants to adapt to the local culture and norms. It is the other way round in Singapore - the PAP has been exhorting Singaporeans to be more "realistic and tolerant" of the new arrivals. During the recent parliamentary "debates" on the Budget this week, PAP MPs continue to speak up for the foreigners and immigrants. Dr Teo Ho Pin and Mr Sam Tan argued for the need to redouble integration efforts while another MP Seah Kian Peng wants the PAP to spend more money on the integration programs which are proving to be largely ineffectual as too many foreigners were allowed into Singapore within too short a period of time such that they tend to congregate within their own communities with few incentives or motivation to reach out to native Singaporeans. Another PAP MP Ong Ah Heng called Singapore elderly workers "lazy and too old" and admitted replacing elderly cleaners in his constituency with younger foreigners. With no opposition in Parliament to check on the PAP, Singaporeans have no choice but to wait to be replaced by these "cheaper, better and faster" immigrants. The next election may be the last chance for Singaporeans to reclaim ownership of Singapore from the PAP after which they will surely be relegated to a second class minority within their own country of birth as the PAP continues to boost the percentage of new citizens in the electorate to perpetuate its political hegemony forever.  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent Stung by fast rising anger on the ground over its liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies, the PAP is now "tightening" them to "better manage the pace of growth and overall number of permanent residents and new citizens." Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said the government has "reviewed" the process of granting permanent residence (PR) and citizenships in a tacit admission that the PAP has made a mistake earlier in allowing too many foreigners to enter Singapore within too short a period of time. "We will ensure that those who become one of us are of suitable quality and not only contribute to Singapore economically but also integrate well into our society. We have already started to tighten the framework in the last quarter of 2009," Mr Wong was quoted as saying in Channel News Asia. Foreigners now make up 36 percent of Singapore's population, up from 14 percent in1990. Of the remaining 64 percent who are citizens, an increasing number are born overseas. According to figures released by the Home Affairs Ministry, two out of every three PR applicants are successful, an astonishingly high rate for a developed nation. Obtaining Singapore PR is amazingly easy and lax by any standards as there is no minimum period of residency needed. For example, the Professionals/Technical Personnel & Skilled Worker scheme (or simply PTS scheme) is the easiest and most assured route to Singapore PR. It’s estimated that more than 90% of the people obtain their Singapore Permanent Residence through this scheme, many of which are approved in less than a year. The key requirement under this scheme is that a foreign worker must be working in Singapore for at least six months on either an Employment Pass, Entrepreneur Pass, or S Pass. The state media reported last year of a China National Zhang Yuanyuan who obtained her Singapore PR within two months of application. She worked as a Chinese language teacher in a private school. Another scheme called the "Landed Permanent Residence" scheme allowed "top notch professionals" to obtain Singapore PR without even setting foot on the country. [Source: Guide me Singapore] Due to the incredible ease of getting Singapore PRs and citizenships, some of the new immigrants are of "unsuitable quality" and therefore find it hard to integrate into Singapore society. It is reported by the "trusted" Singapore media that construction workers, masseurs and cleaners are given Singapore PRs and citizenships, many of whom are unable to speak even a single word of English. Though some tweaks will be made to the flawed immigration policies, Mr Wong is adamant that Singapore continues to boost its population via immigration: "Unless there is a dramatic reversal of TFR (total fertility rate), and I do not see this happening, it is critical that we must tap on immigration as a measured means to augment our population," he added. Mr Wong also said "Singapore must focus on getting good-quality citizens rather than carry a large Permanent Resident population who are content to remain as PRs indefinitely instead of taking up Singapore citizenship." Based on some feedback we obtain from the ground, it is no longer that easy to apply for Singapore PR nowadays and even long stayers are told either to take up citizenship or have their PRs revoked. Whether this is a genuine "QC" exercise or a simply a ploy to increase the number of new citizens in the electorate to shore up the PAP's flagging support base ahead of the next general election remains to be seen. Singaporeans should not forget the fact that while PM Lee is the chief architect of the PAP's immigration policies, Mr Wong is the "gatekeeper". After all, he is in charge of the Home Affairs Ministry which screens, approves and accepts all PRs and new citizens into Singapore.  Read More →