Nationhood

This is an article that I have dug out from Sammyboy forum which forms the foundation of my the other article A Singapore without Singaporeans.

http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2005/04/singapore-without-singaporeans.html

Dear Avantas,

There are hopes that you have refused to see.

It is true that we are facing the crude reality that even PAP is feeling hopeless about it; PAP's strategy so far is to fill up the holes by importing "Foreign Talents" whom might just forever remain "Foreign".

You are suggesting that we are fast becoming a Nation without Nationhood, a Singapore without Singaporeans in every essence. It is not a wrong observation which I have to agree; in spiritual or psychological sense, when the Nation's citizens are only thinking about migrating somewhere else and treating their citizenship as "temporary refuge", there isn't a Nation in existence in essence.

After doing a careful study on our CPF and retirement fundings, I cannot help to feel that it is only "natural" for people to want to migrate when their productive life "expired". It is a big irony for PAP govt to suggest to raise the retirement age when people in their 40s could not even find a job! PAP govt is overly too "functional" in their approach and they have lost the crucial touch on the ground. They don't want to be burdened by the aging population and thus, the only way out is to ask Singaporeans' to extend their retirement! They wouldn't even care if you migrated out of Singapore when you are over 45 years old! That's all the better for them!

And in essence, you are right. With such attitude from such govt, it is only right for the citizens to take this place simply as a "hotel". PAP is only worried about young people like yourself to be migrating out. That is why there is an interesting shift in PAP's approach lately, to "appeal" to the young. It is not only about political votes but simply because you are still at the productive life cycle.

And I cannot blame you to think in such a way simply because you are just learning from what you see from those who are being discarded when they reach 45 years old.

The hope is always there, it is a matter of whether you want to give it up or not. No matter how small the hope is, it is only right for us to groom and make it grow. Even if there is no hope, it is up to us to create one for ourselves.

As I always remember the jabbing that I get which has spurred me to take my stand politically, it is up to you to make your stand.

"Why would you support the opposition that have no working faculties at all?"

For a person like you, you may just agree and keep quiet, working towards migrating out without seeing any hope in the whole picture. For a person like me, forever a fighter, will take it as true but choose to join the opposition forces and make it happen. Same scenerio will breed two different reactions. You say this city is just a merchant city, merely a hotel; but that's not entirely true. There are people like me, who are willing to be the suckers to sarcrifice time and money just to fight for something that seems so remotely possible.

In short, it is all up in the mind, your mind and mine.

Goh Meng Seng