我们的历史在哪里？ ——观音乐剧《天冷就回来》有感
（2009-05-23）
● 王昌伟
近来打算开始着手研究新谣，从中追溯新加坡建国后的社会变迁与文化进程，于是去观赏了打着梁文福新谣旗号的音乐剧《天冷就回来》（以下简称《天》），但看完之后，却有一股很强烈的焦虑感。
尽管歌曲和剧情的配搭略嫌牵强，感情的处理也有不太细腻，但作为一个以励志与爱情故事为骨干的商品，本剧自有其成功的地方。令我感到焦虑的，是《天》无意中呈现出来的新加坡人身份认同的危机。
剧名所示，《天冷就回来》要描述的是在国外闯荡的游子对“家”的归属感。但“家”是什么？《天》的文案这么写道：
“当爱人小静去世，阿乐背着行囊，独自来到纽约，追求自己狂热的音乐理想。在异乡的街头，他遇上了阿强，共同的新加坡腔，共同的追求，建立起了阿乐和阿强的友谊……”
因此所谓的“家”，就是新加坡，而制作群的商业策略之一，显然就是要借新加坡人的身份认同来引起观众的共鸣。
但令人纳闷的是，全剧中出现的新加坡元素，就是几句被生硬地安插进去的“新式”语言，以及一两首具有本土色彩的歌曲。除此之外，“家”中能够系住阿乐的心的，就只有他对小静的爱情，而剧中的新加坡场景，就只有葬着小静的墓园，以及剧终一闪而过的市容。
换句话说，这个“家”可以是地球上的任何地方，新加坡作为“家”的意义，在《天》中显得苍白无力，可有可无，即使制作群安排演员在全剧结束谢幕后合唱《新加坡派》，也唤不起一丝作为新加坡人的身份认同的共鸣与感动。
新加坡的历史人物缺了席
在我看来，剧中最具讽刺性的一幕莫过于阿乐为一群新加坡移民的孩子上课。当孩子们要求阿乐教他们历史的时候，我们的男主角很尴尬地说，他最不懂的就是历史。当然，这个安排主要是为了引出《历史考试前夕》这首歌，但却了无意中道出了《天》的困境，以及岛国当前的尴尬。
是的，我们这一代人最不懂的就是历史，包括自己国家的历史，因此当我们要建构身份认同的时候，我们就不知该从哪里取材。
回想起我在官方教育体制下受教育的过程，我对本国历史的认识，只停留在莱佛士登陆、日据时期的苦难，以及人民行动党争取独立与把新加坡建设成一现代化国家的功绩。
我们对从1819年到1940年代这百多年间岛国历史的认识，几乎一片空白，而出现在风起云涌的五六十年代，和官方不同调的声音与运动，不是被否定，就是被边缘化，当然也无法进入年轻一代的历史记忆中。
政府多年来经济挂帅的“务实”政策与教育方针，更导致成长于七八十年代的新加坡年轻人对岛国过去的文化建树一无所知。
在阿乐为孩子上课的那一幕中，舞台背景是一座教室，墙上挂着一些历史名人的画像，包括孔子、鲁迅、马丁路德金、爱因斯坦、贝多芬等等。我当下的第一个反应是，为什么没有诸如丘菽园、林文庆、陈嘉庚、陈六史、朱比赛、许云樵、张荔英等本地的思想文化名人？
当然，这些新加坡名人在世界史上的影响力是比不上孔子鲁迅的，但在一部强调新加坡身份认同的戏剧中，我们自己的历史人物却缺席了，这不是很讽刺吗？
本地校园音乐本来也有段历史
我想这就是《天》的困境。也许有人会说，《天》只是一部商业剧，不需要也不应该要求它具有历史意识，但这恰是问题所在。历史对一部意图刻画身份认同的戏剧作品而言，应该是很有商业价值的。
吊诡的是，《天》的制作群如果真把上述本地历史人物的画像挂上，也许更会让观众感到一头雾水，因为观众也许根本就不认识他们，根本就无法引起共鸣。从商业的角度考量，岛国的历史对制作群而言，根本就派不上用场。
在历史记忆被剥夺的情况下试图建构身份认同，无异于缘木求鱼，最终只能诉诸于表面的新加坡腔，至于男主角对这片土地的归属感，更只能建立在虚无缥缈的，“放诸四海皆准”的爱情之上。就如《天》的文案只能这样说：“这里只有天气，没有季节，但这里有爱，有情……”
其实，这里也有历史，也有文化，只是因为各种原因而被腰斩删除了。犹记得新谣的第一个卡带《明天21》的第一首歌叫《沙漠足迹》，我们几乎可以把这视为当年新谣创作者的宣言：
曾经这里是沙漠一片
曾经这里是荒芜一片
歌声不曾飘扬 音符不曾存在
曾何几时曾何几时
沙漠里印下了足迹
曾何几时曾何几时
足迹无尽地伸延……
在当年这些新谣创作者的记忆中，“这里”一直都是一片荒芜的沙漠，直到他们的出现，才给这片土地带来了音符与生命。少数较有历史感的创作者会强调，新谣的其中一个源头是前南洋大学的诗乐活动。虽然我认为两者之间并没有一脉相承的关系，但诗乐的存在，就足以证明本地的校园音乐文化，在新谣之前并不是一片空白的。
可是我相信，对当年的许多创作者与听新谣长大的年轻人来说，诗乐根本就是一个陌生的名词，而对于酝酿诗乐的那个年代，我们当然也不甚了了。这也就是为什么，《传灯》一传到彼岸就不再回来。
被我们这一代人所遗忘的，不止是诗乐。有一首新谣叫《我们的歌在哪里》，我想我们今天应该追问的是，我们的历史在哪里？没有了历史记忆，我们该如何建构国人的身份认同？我们将来的文化，该建立在什么之上？
作者任教于新加坡国立大学中文系
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
NSP Labor Day Message
Double Inflictions: Cost-of-living & Foreign Workers
While the Government has introduced a regular slew of technical measures supposedly meant to assist the growing number of the unemployed, it has done little to mitigate the twin impact of rising cost-of-living and the lax entry of foreign workers.
Consequently, the average workers and their families are the hardest hit. Apart from not being gainfully employed made worse by “foreign” competition, it has become increasingly difficult to make ends meet when the cost-of-living continues to inch upwards albeit at a slower rate.
The ruling regime’s often repeated emphasis on the importance of tripartism is understandable in view of its heavily vested interest in the nose-led trade unions, which only represent a minor portion of the working public. Consequently, non-unionised and low-wage workers are left to fend for themselves – in fact, they face a stronger competition from the influx of foreign workers from neighbouring countries.
The wide availability of skills retraining programmes is good, but the courses should be more realistic and specifically tailored to the existing job market. A lot of people having gone through the retraining schemes are still unemployed, many due to differences in age, pay and expectations.
The joblessness rate has hit a five-year high of 4.8% in March 2009, and economists have expected the figure to rise even higher in the coming months. Job shedding has far surpassed job creation, as worldwide demand for the wholly export-orientated Singapore produce continues to dive southwards. The recent injection of a $20 Billion stimulus package has yet to bear tangible fruits. Many felt that it was insufficient to counter the current economic tsunami. Other nations, even Hongkong, were seen to be more “appropriately” generous.
Meanwhile, inflation has hit almost 3%. The costs of basic necessities such as food, transport and health care are still relatively high. Indirect taxes such as the GST that have contributed to their high costs, could be reduced during this economic downturn, and reintroduced if necessary at a later date when circumstances are more favourable.
The projected economy contraction of between 6% – 9% this year, and a possible double-digit recession next year, point to the inadequacy of our current economic model in coping with the new global paradigm. A fundamental change may be required, something which the Government cannot afford to ignore if it intends to be relevant.
The Prime Minister, in his May Day speech, warned that the anticipated “U’ shaped or even “L” shaped recovery may take several years to materialize, especially when affronted by the new H1N1 virus that threatens to sweep the world. There is thus a dire need for the Authorities to do all it can to trim both the cost-of-living and the influx of foreign workers. Those twin viruses are already crippling the citizens here, apparently with official assistance.
For & on behalf of the
National Solidarity Party
Ken Sun
Secretary General
While the Government has introduced a regular slew of technical measures supposedly meant to assist the growing number of the unemployed, it has done little to mitigate the twin impact of rising cost-of-living and the lax entry of foreign workers.
Consequently, the average workers and their families are the hardest hit. Apart from not being gainfully employed made worse by “foreign” competition, it has become increasingly difficult to make ends meet when the cost-of-living continues to inch upwards albeit at a slower rate.
The ruling regime’s often repeated emphasis on the importance of tripartism is understandable in view of its heavily vested interest in the nose-led trade unions, which only represent a minor portion of the working public. Consequently, non-unionised and low-wage workers are left to fend for themselves – in fact, they face a stronger competition from the influx of foreign workers from neighbouring countries.
The wide availability of skills retraining programmes is good, but the courses should be more realistic and specifically tailored to the existing job market. A lot of people having gone through the retraining schemes are still unemployed, many due to differences in age, pay and expectations.
The joblessness rate has hit a five-year high of 4.8% in March 2009, and economists have expected the figure to rise even higher in the coming months. Job shedding has far surpassed job creation, as worldwide demand for the wholly export-orientated Singapore produce continues to dive southwards. The recent injection of a $20 Billion stimulus package has yet to bear tangible fruits. Many felt that it was insufficient to counter the current economic tsunami. Other nations, even Hongkong, were seen to be more “appropriately” generous.
Meanwhile, inflation has hit almost 3%. The costs of basic necessities such as food, transport and health care are still relatively high. Indirect taxes such as the GST that have contributed to their high costs, could be reduced during this economic downturn, and reintroduced if necessary at a later date when circumstances are more favourable.
The projected economy contraction of between 6% – 9% this year, and a possible double-digit recession next year, point to the inadequacy of our current economic model in coping with the new global paradigm. A fundamental change may be required, something which the Government cannot afford to ignore if it intends to be relevant.
The Prime Minister, in his May Day speech, warned that the anticipated “U’ shaped or even “L” shaped recovery may take several years to materialize, especially when affronted by the new H1N1 virus that threatens to sweep the world. There is thus a dire need for the Authorities to do all it can to trim both the cost-of-living and the influx of foreign workers. Those twin viruses are already crippling the citizens here, apparently with official assistance.
For & on behalf of the
National Solidarity Party
Ken Sun
Secretary General
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Lesson from AWARE SAGA - Defending our National Core Values
I have refrained myself from commenting on the AWARE saga up till now, after the dust has settled and new victory won by one of the group.
My congratulations to Ms Dana Lam whom I have the opportunity to know when she was preparing the book on last GE 2006 entitled "The Days of Being Wild". But I am more relieved that the victory is won for Singaporeans at large, not just women, but all true blue Singaporeans in which the very Core Value of our Nation as a Multi-religion and a Secular Nation in public sphere is being defended with much passion and spirit by all those who have attended the AWARE EOGM.
This episode is NOT about how a group of people with a hidden agenda carried out a coup in a NGO, in such a scheming and ambushing manner. Neither is it about Homosexuality and least, victory for the Pink Movement in Singapore. This episode is about how we, as a people of a Nation, view about the precious value of our Nation's foundation as a secular society with multi-religious people living in harmony.
Singaporeans are generally apathetic when it comes to NGO or political activism. Most of us are generally contended with life in Singapore although we always complain about many of the problems and inadequacies of government policies. But the AWARE saga must have raised some eyebrows that when there is a need or a calling for Singaporeans to stand up and be counted to defend what we believe as Core Values as a Nation, many people will become vocal and passionate about it.
It is ashame that the ruling party PAP has not taken this opportunity to make its stand clearly on this episode when it first surfaced. They have lost all secular moral courage to make a clear stand to defend our deep rooted consensus Core Value of a Secular Nation in a society of multi-religion.
If it can happen to a NGO in the public sphere that anybody from any religious segment could just scheme and carry out a coup to take over control of that organization just because such secular organization has different values as their religious one, wouldn't it be a possibility that it could happen to any ruling party that make laws that are against any religious group's belief too? A coup of the ruling party just to assert their religious values and teaching?
Many religion are against abortion. So is it acceptable for these religious groups of fundamental beliefs to plan a coup to wrestle control over the ruling party just to change the law to ban abortion?
This is something for us to think about as a Nation. Someone commented that such acts are just like religious terrorists. At first thought, I cautioned him about using such strong words but after much consideration, in essence, the intend to take over control of an organization or even a country just to impose their religious values unto others, is what religious terrorists are aiming to do! The only difference lies in the methodology, one is by coup of democratic means while the other by force in terms of armed struggle!
It is understandable that why PAP refused to come out straight to reiterate our Secular values for fear of losing support from the Christian community. However, as the ruling party, it should be thinking more about what is RIGHT for the Nation instead of putting party's interests as top priority in consideration. Of course, PAP is not stupid at all and they understand the implicit as well as explicit impact of this AWARE saga. This is why the media is being tasked to become a proxy battle front for them, against the Christian group.
Passion is what we need in our citizens to defend what is dearest to us as a Nation. The initial apathy among AWARE old members has taught all of us a painful lesson about Democracy - Democracy will fail miserably when it is left alone with apathy. Singaporeans should not be apathetic towards the Nation's development else we might just end up losers one day without even knowing why!
Active citizenry should be encouraged and we must not let our passion dies as a people for our Nation. For that to happen, we must first ensure the democratic system must be enhanced or developed.
I read from the papers that this year's National Day's theme would be our National pledge. And I would urge everyone of us to rethink about our current situation as compared to what we have embedded in our National Pledge.
While the AWARE members have basically raised up to defend our Core Values as a Secular Nation, I think there are more to be done for Singaporeans at large to re-enhanced our National Core Values embedded in our National Pledge.
Goh Meng Seng
Singapore's Pledge
We, the citizens of Singapore
Pledge ourselves as one united people
Regardless of race, language or religion
To build a democratic society
Based on justice and equality
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity & progress for our nation
My congratulations to Ms Dana Lam whom I have the opportunity to know when she was preparing the book on last GE 2006 entitled "The Days of Being Wild". But I am more relieved that the victory is won for Singaporeans at large, not just women, but all true blue Singaporeans in which the very Core Value of our Nation as a Multi-religion and a Secular Nation in public sphere is being defended with much passion and spirit by all those who have attended the AWARE EOGM.
This episode is NOT about how a group of people with a hidden agenda carried out a coup in a NGO, in such a scheming and ambushing manner. Neither is it about Homosexuality and least, victory for the Pink Movement in Singapore. This episode is about how we, as a people of a Nation, view about the precious value of our Nation's foundation as a secular society with multi-religious people living in harmony.
Singaporeans are generally apathetic when it comes to NGO or political activism. Most of us are generally contended with life in Singapore although we always complain about many of the problems and inadequacies of government policies. But the AWARE saga must have raised some eyebrows that when there is a need or a calling for Singaporeans to stand up and be counted to defend what we believe as Core Values as a Nation, many people will become vocal and passionate about it.
It is ashame that the ruling party PAP has not taken this opportunity to make its stand clearly on this episode when it first surfaced. They have lost all secular moral courage to make a clear stand to defend our deep rooted consensus Core Value of a Secular Nation in a society of multi-religion.
If it can happen to a NGO in the public sphere that anybody from any religious segment could just scheme and carry out a coup to take over control of that organization just because such secular organization has different values as their religious one, wouldn't it be a possibility that it could happen to any ruling party that make laws that are against any religious group's belief too? A coup of the ruling party just to assert their religious values and teaching?
Many religion are against abortion. So is it acceptable for these religious groups of fundamental beliefs to plan a coup to wrestle control over the ruling party just to change the law to ban abortion?
This is something for us to think about as a Nation. Someone commented that such acts are just like religious terrorists. At first thought, I cautioned him about using such strong words but after much consideration, in essence, the intend to take over control of an organization or even a country just to impose their religious values unto others, is what religious terrorists are aiming to do! The only difference lies in the methodology, one is by coup of democratic means while the other by force in terms of armed struggle!
It is understandable that why PAP refused to come out straight to reiterate our Secular values for fear of losing support from the Christian community. However, as the ruling party, it should be thinking more about what is RIGHT for the Nation instead of putting party's interests as top priority in consideration. Of course, PAP is not stupid at all and they understand the implicit as well as explicit impact of this AWARE saga. This is why the media is being tasked to become a proxy battle front for them, against the Christian group.
Passion is what we need in our citizens to defend what is dearest to us as a Nation. The initial apathy among AWARE old members has taught all of us a painful lesson about Democracy - Democracy will fail miserably when it is left alone with apathy. Singaporeans should not be apathetic towards the Nation's development else we might just end up losers one day without even knowing why!
Active citizenry should be encouraged and we must not let our passion dies as a people for our Nation. For that to happen, we must first ensure the democratic system must be enhanced or developed.
I read from the papers that this year's National Day's theme would be our National pledge. And I would urge everyone of us to rethink about our current situation as compared to what we have embedded in our National Pledge.
While the AWARE members have basically raised up to defend our Core Values as a Secular Nation, I think there are more to be done for Singaporeans at large to re-enhanced our National Core Values embedded in our National Pledge.
Goh Meng Seng
Singapore's Pledge
We, the citizens of Singapore
Pledge ourselves as one united people
Regardless of race, language or religion
To build a democratic society
Based on justice and equality
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity & progress for our nation
Friday, May 01, 2009
May Day 2009 - Accountability the Core Value
I have decided to write about one very important aspect of a TRUE Democracy, Accountability. What has it got to do with Labor Day?
During the ancient time when Democracy was not even heard of, feudal land lords enslaved the peasants by imposing high rental for farm lands. It happened both in the Eastern as well as Western World.
Democracy come with a heavy price, mostly pushed by the movement to liberalize enslaved peasants and slaves. Thus, Labor Rights has everything to do with the evolution of Democracy throughout history. It is only with the success of implementing Democracy on their land, workers and peasants alike could get their rights protected. Of course, the communist movement also utilized such attractive idea of liberalism and labor rights to gain trust and support from the masses to mount on revolutionary armed struggle. But history has proven that a balanced Democracy that takes care of both the capitalists as well as the workers would be more prosperous and stable than an authoritarian communist regime.
But what is Democracy? The most simplistic idea is having elections. But we must bear in mind that even in an authoritarian communist regime, there are elections and voting as well, though not necessary an universal suffrage. There are a few key core values of Democracy like balance of power because power tends to corrupt human beings and representation of popular will and voices. But ultimately, I think it is mainly about accountability of the ruling class to the citizens.
During the ancient time, feudal lords, kings, emperors or the ruling class did not need to be accountable to the people they ruled. Elections is just means to get the ruling class to become accountable to the people but it does not necessary always work well especially so when the vital tools like media, needed to ensure fair play are being manipulated or even monopolized.
The result of an ill-democratic society will eventually leads to a skewed focus of the ruling class in taking care more of the rich and powerful instead of the mass, mainly working class. The ruling class will find less incentive or need to be accountable to the masses but would be more willing to oblige to the demands made by the rich and powerful. The problem will aggravate when rich individuals get into politics or send lobbyists as proxy representatives in the circle of ruling class.
Such problems exist in many countries, not only Singapore. It even happens in US where powerful lobbyists of the rich are stationed and worked on the lawmakers, ministers as well as the White House. But the more open nature of the society and political system has somehow managed to keep the whole system under a delicate balance.
There are many aspects in Singapore where we could see how the PAP government has skewed towards the business sector instead of taking care of the workers. First of all, workers are always asked to make sacrifices when things do not turn out well. When productivity growth lags behind wage growth, the PAP government would ask workers to have lower wage increase or even pay cut. But it does not apply the same principle to rent extracted by the landlords in which the government as well as GLCs are the biggest landlords in Singapore. Rent has increased in an incredible momentum which could reach as high as 50% or even 80% increase within a couple of years. Nothing has been mentioned or done with such unrealistic increase of rent across Singapore which ultimately will translate into higher cost of living and doing business in Singapore.
While the PAP government would subject itself to the big business demand for more cheap labor substitutes from foreign countries, it has never shown any concerns on the impact in wage stagnation in Singapore. While horrendous high rent and increase of GST take their tolls on cost of living for all Singaporeans, wages of workers are suppressed by the extra-liberal Foreign workers policy.
When time is good, Singaporeans do not enjoy much of the fruits in terms of higher wages due to the wage suppression by huge import of foreign workers. We were told that they are needed to keep Singaporeans' jobs! But when the economy went down, Singaporeans bear the full brunt of the downturn, most of them become the FIRST TO FIRE brigade. Companies, especially huge MNCs and GLCs would fire local Singaporeans first instead of the cheaper foreign workers!
And the truth is, PAP government is more worried about the profitability of the businesses instead of empty stomach of those retrenched! While they would put up all sorts of relief measures to companies through wage subsidies (the job credit) but not a systematic welfare scheme for retrenched Singaporeans.
Thus it really makes one wonder whether Singaporeans have really become Second Class Citizens in their very own country! What went wrong?
The answer is very simple: the ruling party PAP, does not see the need to be accountable to Singaporeans, the workers at all. Not for the Minibond Saga, neither the impact of horrendous rental increase and indiscriminate import of foreign workers as cheap labor substitutes for local workers. They only see the need to be accountable to the rich and powerful business, MNCs, GLCs etc, but never about Singaporeans.
When will Singaporeans at large learn about the truth of such ultra-capitalist government? How could Singaporeans extract more accountability from the million dollar annual paid ministers?
The answer my friends, is blowing in the wind.
Goh Meng Seng
During the ancient time when Democracy was not even heard of, feudal land lords enslaved the peasants by imposing high rental for farm lands. It happened both in the Eastern as well as Western World.
Democracy come with a heavy price, mostly pushed by the movement to liberalize enslaved peasants and slaves. Thus, Labor Rights has everything to do with the evolution of Democracy throughout history. It is only with the success of implementing Democracy on their land, workers and peasants alike could get their rights protected. Of course, the communist movement also utilized such attractive idea of liberalism and labor rights to gain trust and support from the masses to mount on revolutionary armed struggle. But history has proven that a balanced Democracy that takes care of both the capitalists as well as the workers would be more prosperous and stable than an authoritarian communist regime.
But what is Democracy? The most simplistic idea is having elections. But we must bear in mind that even in an authoritarian communist regime, there are elections and voting as well, though not necessary an universal suffrage. There are a few key core values of Democracy like balance of power because power tends to corrupt human beings and representation of popular will and voices. But ultimately, I think it is mainly about accountability of the ruling class to the citizens.
During the ancient time, feudal lords, kings, emperors or the ruling class did not need to be accountable to the people they ruled. Elections is just means to get the ruling class to become accountable to the people but it does not necessary always work well especially so when the vital tools like media, needed to ensure fair play are being manipulated or even monopolized.
The result of an ill-democratic society will eventually leads to a skewed focus of the ruling class in taking care more of the rich and powerful instead of the mass, mainly working class. The ruling class will find less incentive or need to be accountable to the masses but would be more willing to oblige to the demands made by the rich and powerful. The problem will aggravate when rich individuals get into politics or send lobbyists as proxy representatives in the circle of ruling class.
Such problems exist in many countries, not only Singapore. It even happens in US where powerful lobbyists of the rich are stationed and worked on the lawmakers, ministers as well as the White House. But the more open nature of the society and political system has somehow managed to keep the whole system under a delicate balance.
There are many aspects in Singapore where we could see how the PAP government has skewed towards the business sector instead of taking care of the workers. First of all, workers are always asked to make sacrifices when things do not turn out well. When productivity growth lags behind wage growth, the PAP government would ask workers to have lower wage increase or even pay cut. But it does not apply the same principle to rent extracted by the landlords in which the government as well as GLCs are the biggest landlords in Singapore. Rent has increased in an incredible momentum which could reach as high as 50% or even 80% increase within a couple of years. Nothing has been mentioned or done with such unrealistic increase of rent across Singapore which ultimately will translate into higher cost of living and doing business in Singapore.
While the PAP government would subject itself to the big business demand for more cheap labor substitutes from foreign countries, it has never shown any concerns on the impact in wage stagnation in Singapore. While horrendous high rent and increase of GST take their tolls on cost of living for all Singaporeans, wages of workers are suppressed by the extra-liberal Foreign workers policy.
When time is good, Singaporeans do not enjoy much of the fruits in terms of higher wages due to the wage suppression by huge import of foreign workers. We were told that they are needed to keep Singaporeans' jobs! But when the economy went down, Singaporeans bear the full brunt of the downturn, most of them become the FIRST TO FIRE brigade. Companies, especially huge MNCs and GLCs would fire local Singaporeans first instead of the cheaper foreign workers!
And the truth is, PAP government is more worried about the profitability of the businesses instead of empty stomach of those retrenched! While they would put up all sorts of relief measures to companies through wage subsidies (the job credit) but not a systematic welfare scheme for retrenched Singaporeans.
Thus it really makes one wonder whether Singaporeans have really become Second Class Citizens in their very own country! What went wrong?
The answer is very simple: the ruling party PAP, does not see the need to be accountable to Singaporeans, the workers at all. Not for the Minibond Saga, neither the impact of horrendous rental increase and indiscriminate import of foreign workers as cheap labor substitutes for local workers. They only see the need to be accountable to the rich and powerful business, MNCs, GLCs etc, but never about Singaporeans.
When will Singaporeans at large learn about the truth of such ultra-capitalist government? How could Singaporeans extract more accountability from the million dollar annual paid ministers?
The answer my friends, is blowing in the wind.
Goh Meng Seng
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