Haves and have-nots

I find this article really full of irony (but I'll just pick on one).

Don't you just love this paragraph "Dr Hew also pointed out another economic challenge - the wide income gap between the haves and have-nots in Asean.".

Maybe it is just me? But as my dead maternal grandmother would say, "Tidy up your own home first before you tidy up somebody's home."


Today 02 August 2007

TOUGH CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR S'PORE'S STEWARDSHIP OF ASEAN
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Nazry Bahrawi
nazry@mediacorp.com.sg

A KEY task for Singapore as Asean's new chairman is to help the grouping meet its deadline of setting up an economic community by 2015.

Singapore's challenge is to ensure that member countries live up to their commitment to implement economic integration initiatives, said Dr Denis Hew of the Institute of South-east Asian Studies (Iseas).

However, the good economic performance of Asean member nations will make it easier for the Republic to push for an economic agenda.

CIMB-GK Research regional economist Song Seng Wun said: "The timing is apt. Singapore may be able to nudge member countries towards reducing trade barriers further or integrating an economic community."

Dr Hew also pointed out another economic challenge - the wide income gap between the haves and have-nots in Asean.

He believes Singapore can help less-developed countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with their economic reform measures.

While analysts generally agree that Singapore, as Asean chairman, can chart the course in the areas of finance and economy, the Republic may face challenges that are more difficult to overcome on other fronts.

One issue it must tread carefully on is Myanmar, said research fellow Dr Hiro Katsumata from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).

He said: "If Asean pushes too hard, Myanmar will walk away from the association. It should be noted that Asean needs Myanmar, as much as Myanmar needs Asean. The unity of the association is very important for all the members."

Singapore may also need to tackle a perceived "image problem" to play its role as chairman more effectively.

Mr Song said: "Perhaps, our bureaucrats are seen to be following too much by the book. We are seen as too strict rather than able to take a more flexible approach. To overcome this, we have to hang up the suits and learn to party."

The best is yet to come

Coming in to work today, I just realised that July is almost upon us. I need to take this opportunity to document the things our caring gahmen has done to help the citizens.

July 2007 will be remembered in Singapore as the best month ever in our history. Let me recount the things that are going to happen.

1) GST increase (which means everything will increase)
2) NETS increase (which means things have to increase, esp. for small shop owners. Can we blame them?)
3) Electricity increase (can we do without power?)
3) Cable increase (this one, can don't want)
4) Ministers' pay increase (we got say mah?)

And this is the perfect timing too, because our economy is booming and things are really great.

But wait, we seem to have forgotten about the people who didn't get a 60% pay increase. What was the increase in pay of the average Singaporean? 4.2% in 2006. And in 2006 we had the public transport fare increase. From then until now, we had postal increase and polyclinic price increase.

(Am I the only one that realised these increases are happening after the 2006 elections and the beginning of the 5 year term? After this, you'll not see any increase or things happening that can antagonise the people for the next 2-3 years. Doesn't take a genius to guess why. Sometimes I think that we are really stupid, not just uninformed)

How far can that 4.2% go? Lots of Singaporeans (accountants, economist, etc.) have done the math and concluded that even with the increase, the net take home pay of the average Singapore will not cover the increase in everything. This is already before July arrives, after July, the net take home pay of the average Singapore is going to be even less.

It is nice to know the economy is booming (as told by our state controlled main stream media) but how many Singaporeans are actually reaping the benefits of this boom? It would seem that for most people, their net cash flow will decrease even with their increase in pay. And don't get me started on the "hand-out" the gahmen is giving to "soften" the blow. Anyone with primary school math knowledge will realise that the amount given cannot cover the increase in GST for 1 year!

Are we Singaporeans so blind that we cannot see the facts that are laid in front of us. Even the most hard-lined Republicans in US, can see that the current government is not working for the good for the country. Hence, the elections last year showed it. When will we learn that having a single party system is not good for us (or any developed country for that matter) , contrary to what our gahmen tries to tell us.

But I do realise that my rants are going to fall on deaf ears because most Singaporeans are to frightened that if the PAP is not the gahmen anymore, Singapore will be totally destroyed. All companies will immediately pack up and go. Our buildings will immediately turn old and collapse. Our stock market will plunge, thus making our money as strong as Indonesia's. And immediately, we'll revert to a 3rd world country and Singapore will look like a slum in Africa. In fact, if the PAP is not the gahmen anymore, Singapore will immediately look like it has been struck by an atomic bomb and our economy will look like that too.

Are we really so blind as to think that it is only the gahmen that makes the economy boom? Are we so stupid as to think that the part we play is small compared to the gahmen's? We are Singapore, the gahmen doesn't make Singapore Singapore. Listen and take note people, without us the Singapore is NOTHING.