The following is one of my earlier article:
A Singapore without Singaporeans, A Nation without Nationhood. That's where we are heading to.
There are people who commented that Singapore is just a "Merchant City and a Hotel" to them. They are in their twenties but they are already planning their exits, migrating to somewhere more comfortable to live in.
They are not entirely "wrong" to think this way. Look at it this way, when you start to see those in the forties, losing jobs and not able to get employed with a decent wage, would you worry for yourself? Worst of all, the govt is seeking to raise the retirement age when it is obvious that those in their forties find it hard to get a job!
It is apparent that for those who have been caught by the "Asset Enhancement Scheme", they will not have enough money for retirement! And all PAP thinks about is whether this group of people would burden their coffers! That's how medisave come about.
Those in their forties and planning for retirement will have no choice but to cash out and retire somewhere. They must face the reality that they have come to the end of their productive life and the state is not going to take care of them. For all the myths they have believed so dearly, democratic socialism or asset enhancement, they have been disillusioned and there isn't going to be enough money for them to retire in Singapore. There will be no farewell party for them when they leave. It would be "good" if they no longer pose a "financial burden" to the govt anymore!
For the twenties they saw what happen to the forties. They will also plan their exit and realize that they would only be "useful" when they are at their peak of productive life cycle. It is no wonder the PAP is beginning to woo at them nowadays. But there are still many migrated out. So the FT policy is in place to fill up the holes left behind. But these FTs may just remain forever Foreign.
When a nation is filled with people, both young and middle aged, thinking about migrating out of the country all the time, there isn't an existence of a Nation in essence anymore. Singapore is just a temporary refuge to their being. And there is no doubt what will happen to these people if there is to be an eminent threat to Singapore as Nation.
Nationhood has not been firmly forged for the past 39 years of nation building. Those national day parades that we have had for the past have lost its appeals when the reality of PAP govt policies set in.
Goh Meng Seng
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5 comments:
I am 52 years old and is now "retired" because the MNC that I worked for the last 12 years "right sizing" and I am made redundance.
I was a Senior Manager so there is retrenchment benefits as none is provided for non-workeres under Singapore law. In my so called "productive life" I have help the company set up and managed a subsidiary in China which is profitable since year 1 till today. It s still no 1 in its field in China.
People asked me if I am sore with the company that cheated me of my retrenchment benefits when I leave.
My answer to them is NO. I am sore with our government not not the company.
Let's be realistic. Commercial enterprise, especially MNC, has only loyalty to its top management in its HQ and to their shareholders who has the power to rewards the top managers (CEO, CFO etc)
If it needs to restructure the company, cut costs etc, it will do so without regards to its employees livihood in some far off Asia countries. It will just ensure that the local law is comply with.
I am disillution with our government who do not provide a safety net by enable appropriate employment law for people like me. The middle manager in their 40s or 50s who have contributed to the company and to his country in his younger years.
If a country do not have a employment Acts that protects its citizen, we cannot blame the MNC that give the minimum to terminate the service of its employees. So while the overseas subsidiaries of the MNC make money for the European/US, the profit will only benefits those employees in Europe/US who has employment law that protects their right.
I foresee that I will liquidate my assets in Singapore and move to a neighbouring country in 2 years time. There is no way I can afford to live in Singapore with its high cost of living without a steady income.
By now many would have realised that Aug 9th 2006 National Day spectators are filled by people who are:
1. PAP bootlickers
2. Cheapskates hunting for freebies and more
3. Shit foreign talent converted to pseudo Singaporean citizens
4. Permanent residents
Absolutely true! It's quite sad to hear this but they will realize this dream i.e. Singapore without Singaporean properly will materialize in the next decade. Be thankful, and keep your eyes wide open by then.
It not suprising that local graduates from recognised university in their 30s even have to give way to the foreign "talents." Globalisation has force singapore out of our identity and in fact what is the rational of getting an expensive university certificate from Singapore while they let so many foreignor "talent" from what ever university that you can name it.
If our goverment is sending out the message to our local graduate to humble their salary expectaton in job searching or even take a lower position then what the point of paying so high for our education since the return is even worse than those from undevelop countries.
Will we face this job chrun if we had only stringent control the entry of our foreign "talents". I am not against the thoughts of real talents but we all know that most of the jobs are given to so call talent that singapore value rather than getting their own people.
What's a nation? Never eaten anything like that before... is it sweet?
*yawn* forget twenties, I'm a teen and I'm planning to leave already. The housing market is too crappy to contemplate staying here. And the job market...
Side note: you might want to check the typo for the 'national identity' in the sidebar, because it currently reads 'natoinal identity' I think...
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