http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/7-in-10-singaporeans/2050828.html?cid=FBSG
SINGAPORE: Despite the almost daily deluge of complaints about Singapore on social media – 74 per cent of a sample of voters surveyed recently say that they are satisfied with their life in Singapore.
This was one of the findings of a wide-ranging, face-to-face survey of 2,000 voters commissioned by MediaCorp and conducted by Blackbox Research between Jul 11 and Aug 6. The survey sample is representative of the national voting population across key demographics such as gender, age, ethnicity and housing. The study has a margin of error of less than 2.5 per cent, said Blackbox Research, a 14-year-old company which has done numerous studies for commercial clients and regional governments, including Singapore’s.
The survey designed to give a snapshot of sentiment on a variety of issues, from education to healthcare to public transport, in the weeks leading up to Singapore's Golden Jubilee National Day.
Asked about the Government’s performance since the 2011 General Election – 64 per cent said it was “good” or “very good”, 23 per cent felt it was “okay” and 10 per cent said it was “not so good or poor”.
Survey respondents were also asked to gauge performance over the past four years in some 20 areas.
The top three areas – where more than 90 per cent of the 2,000 voters interviewed felt the Government had done a good, very good or excellent job – were defence, crime prevention and education.
At the other end of the spectrum, the three areas where respondents felt the Government could have done more were - managing the inflow of foreigners, housing affordability and the cost of living.
DEFENCE, CRIME RATES AND EDUCATION
When it comes to defending Singapore from external threats and ensuring the Republic’s national security, 97 per cent of voters polled feel the Government has done a good, very good or excellent job. This is perhaps not surprising given that over the years there has been consistently high public support for National Service. Singapore has also invested systematically over decades in military technology.
At the recent Jubilee National Day Parade, Singaporeans were treated to an unprecedented showcase of the nation's military hardware – from F-15 fighter jets to AH-64D Apache attack helicopters to Leopard 2 SG Main Battle Tanks. Further upgrades in the pipeline include the Singapore Navy’s acquisition of new littoral mission vessels and attack submarines, which are expected to be delivered by 2020.
With one of the lowest crime rates in the world, it is perhaps also no surprise that 94 per cent of those surveyed felt that the Government has done well in keeping the streets safe and crime rates down.
Not resting on its laurels, the Home Team is recruiting a further 2,000 police officers over the next five years. It is also installing CCTV cameras in all HDB blocks and multi-storey car parks by 2016. Most recently the Government has set up a Cyber Security Agency to combat threats in the digital space.
With Singapore students continuing to make their mark on the global stage, turning in impressive performances in mathematics, science and even creative problem solving among all the OECD countries, 90 per cent of respondents felt that the Government has also done well in the area of education.
Asked if the public school system is performing well – 89 per cent of the voters interviewed agreed or strongly agreed. Some 92 per cent feel the school system provides opportunities for all students. Paradoxically, as many felt that the education system in its current form – is stressful for children.
The Government’s recent efforts to de-emphasize paper qualifications and to instead focus more on skills was also recognized by 88 per cent of the voters surveyed as “a move in the right direction”.
PARKS TO PUBLIC HOSPITALS
There were seven areas where 80 to 89 per cent of the voters interviewed felt that the Government had done well over the past four years.
The strongest sentiment was over the Government’s handling of racial relations and integration. 89 per cent of those polled felt that the Government had done a good, very good or excellent job in this area.
The other areas which elicited a similar response were: The expansion of green spaces (88 per cent), public infrastructure (85% per cent), how the economy is being managed (84 per cent), support for local arts and culture (83 per cent) and child care (81 per cent) and healthcare (80 per cent).
There have been significant developments on the green front, including the opening of Punggol Waterway Park at the end of 2011 and Gardens by the Bay in 2012. The Government has over the past four years also announced plans to add 100 km of park connectors and some 200 new parks by 2017.
When it comes to child care, the Government announced in 2013 that about 20,000 more childcare places would be added by 2017 - enough to ensure childcare for at least one in two children. And in the most recent Budget 2015, the Government added a further 2,400 childcare places to that number.
On the healthcare front, the Government has announced that four more public hospitals and up to 12 more polyclinics will be added by 2030. The introduction of MediShield Life – a universal healthcare insurance scheme - is also a major policy change to ensure affordable healthcare for Singaporeans.
GETTING A FLAT, TRANSPORT, CPF
There were seven other areas where 70 to 79 per cent of the voters interviewed felt that the Government had done a good, very good or excellent job over the past four years.
Of the 2,000 voters interviewed, 79 per cent said the Government had done well in three areas: Support for low-income households, improving the quality of life of Singaporeans and ensuring the availability of HDB flats for first time buyers – which has in the past been a pain point for newly married couples.
The Government has launched more than 100,000 new build-to-order (BTO) flats since 2011.
The other areas which elicited a similar response were: Care for the elderly (76 per cent), public transport (73 per cent), civil rights and free speech (72 per cent), the CPF scheme (72 per cent).
On the transport front, there were clearly divided views between the improvements that have been made to the bus network versus what has been done to the MRT train services over the past four years.
77 per cent of voters polled felt the Government has done a good, very good or excellent job of improving public bus services. This positive sentiment is set against the backdrop of the Government’s Bus Service Enhancement Programme – which will add 1,000 buses to Singapore roads.
This is in sharp contrast to the just 52 per cent of respondents who felt the same way about improvements to the MRT system, likely because the train network has been dogged by a series of high-profile breakdowns since December 2011, with the latest and largest happening in July this year.
Despite this, when the 2000 respondents were asked what exactly it was about public transport that they were least satisfied with it – the answer was not reliability (12 per cent). The biggest bugbear was actually the cost of public transport (39 per cent) followed by the availability of seats (16 per cent).
Interviewed about their concerns over retirement adequacy, 84 per cent were worried whether they had sufficient finances to live on after they retired. But against the backdrop the recent changes to the CPF scheme, 53 per cent agreed with the statement that the CPF system offers enough flexibility to partially withdraw retirement savings from the age of 55, while 54 per cent felt it was necessary to place restrictions on CPF withdrawals to guarantee a minimum level of retirement savings.
AND THE COST OF LIVING
The three areas where respondents were the least satisfied – where more than 50 per cent of them felt that the Government could have done a better job over the past four years – were with managing the inflow of foreigners (57 per cent), housing affordability (57 per cent) and the cost of living (75 per cent).
Voters interviewed, however, acknowledged the efforts being taken to improve the situation.
For example, 63 per cent of those surveyed agreed that the Government’s move to restrict the inflow of foreign workers in recent years, have helped Singaporeans to secure better jobs. However, there were those concerned with the medium to long term trade-offs of tightening foreign worker quotas.
46 per cent feel the Government’s restrictions have contributed to the slowdown of the economy.
With property prices, 55 per cent believe the Government’s cooling measures have been effective in making the housing more affordable over the past two years. The cooling measures includes the introduction of Sellers' Stamp Duty, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty for the purchase of a second home as well as for Permanent Residents and foreigners, and also lower loan-to-value quantums.
Private property prices have slide for seven consecutive quarters. This drop prompted about half the respondents to suggest that it may be a good time to lift some of the property cooling measures.
But it was the cost of living – flagged by 75 per cent of the respondents – which was the area of greatest concern. With 87 per cent saying they have made financial compromises to cope with the cost of living.
While 68 per cent felt wages have not kept pace with rising prices, 56 per cent agreed that the reason people are struggling with the cost of living was because of “unrealistic lifestyle ambitions and unnecessary consumer spending”. 71 per cent also agreed the Government has provided “greater support to the lower- and middle-income households to cope with the rising cost of living.”
SINGAPORE: Despite the almost daily deluge of complaints about Singapore on social media – 74 per cent of a sample of voters surveyed recently say that they are satisfied with their life in Singapore.
This was one of the findings of a wide-ranging, face-to-face survey of 2,000 voters commissioned by MediaCorp and conducted by Blackbox Research between Jul 11 and Aug 6. The survey sample is representative of the national voting population across key demographics such as gender, age, ethnicity and housing. The study has a margin of error of less than 2.5 per cent, said Blackbox Research, a 14-year-old company which has done numerous studies for commercial clients and regional governments, including Singapore’s.
The survey designed to give a snapshot of sentiment on a variety of issues, from education to healthcare to public transport, in the weeks leading up to Singapore's Golden Jubilee National Day.
Asked about the Government’s performance since the 2011 General Election – 64 per cent said it was “good” or “very good”, 23 per cent felt it was “okay” and 10 per cent said it was “not so good or poor”.
Survey respondents were also asked to gauge performance over the past four years in some 20 areas.
The top three areas – where more than 90 per cent of the 2,000 voters interviewed felt the Government had done a good, very good or excellent job – were defence, crime prevention and education.
At the other end of the spectrum, the three areas where respondents felt the Government could have done more were - managing the inflow of foreigners, housing affordability and the cost of living.
DEFENCE, CRIME RATES AND EDUCATION
When it comes to defending Singapore from external threats and ensuring the Republic’s national security, 97 per cent of voters polled feel the Government has done a good, very good or excellent job. This is perhaps not surprising given that over the years there has been consistently high public support for National Service. Singapore has also invested systematically over decades in military technology.
At the recent Jubilee National Day Parade, Singaporeans were treated to an unprecedented showcase of the nation's military hardware – from F-15 fighter jets to AH-64D Apache attack helicopters to Leopard 2 SG Main Battle Tanks. Further upgrades in the pipeline include the Singapore Navy’s acquisition of new littoral mission vessels and attack submarines, which are expected to be delivered by 2020.
With one of the lowest crime rates in the world, it is perhaps also no surprise that 94 per cent of those surveyed felt that the Government has done well in keeping the streets safe and crime rates down.
Not resting on its laurels, the Home Team is recruiting a further 2,000 police officers over the next five years. It is also installing CCTV cameras in all HDB blocks and multi-storey car parks by 2016. Most recently the Government has set up a Cyber Security Agency to combat threats in the digital space.
With Singapore students continuing to make their mark on the global stage, turning in impressive performances in mathematics, science and even creative problem solving among all the OECD countries, 90 per cent of respondents felt that the Government has also done well in the area of education.
Asked if the public school system is performing well – 89 per cent of the voters interviewed agreed or strongly agreed. Some 92 per cent feel the school system provides opportunities for all students. Paradoxically, as many felt that the education system in its current form – is stressful for children.
The Government’s recent efforts to de-emphasize paper qualifications and to instead focus more on skills was also recognized by 88 per cent of the voters surveyed as “a move in the right direction”.
PARKS TO PUBLIC HOSPITALS
There were seven areas where 80 to 89 per cent of the voters interviewed felt that the Government had done well over the past four years.
The strongest sentiment was over the Government’s handling of racial relations and integration. 89 per cent of those polled felt that the Government had done a good, very good or excellent job in this area.
The other areas which elicited a similar response were: The expansion of green spaces (88 per cent), public infrastructure (85% per cent), how the economy is being managed (84 per cent), support for local arts and culture (83 per cent) and child care (81 per cent) and healthcare (80 per cent).
There have been significant developments on the green front, including the opening of Punggol Waterway Park at the end of 2011 and Gardens by the Bay in 2012. The Government has over the past four years also announced plans to add 100 km of park connectors and some 200 new parks by 2017.
When it comes to child care, the Government announced in 2013 that about 20,000 more childcare places would be added by 2017 - enough to ensure childcare for at least one in two children. And in the most recent Budget 2015, the Government added a further 2,400 childcare places to that number.
On the healthcare front, the Government has announced that four more public hospitals and up to 12 more polyclinics will be added by 2030. The introduction of MediShield Life – a universal healthcare insurance scheme - is also a major policy change to ensure affordable healthcare for Singaporeans.
GETTING A FLAT, TRANSPORT, CPF
There were seven other areas where 70 to 79 per cent of the voters interviewed felt that the Government had done a good, very good or excellent job over the past four years.
Of the 2,000 voters interviewed, 79 per cent said the Government had done well in three areas: Support for low-income households, improving the quality of life of Singaporeans and ensuring the availability of HDB flats for first time buyers – which has in the past been a pain point for newly married couples.
The Government has launched more than 100,000 new build-to-order (BTO) flats since 2011.
The other areas which elicited a similar response were: Care for the elderly (76 per cent), public transport (73 per cent), civil rights and free speech (72 per cent), the CPF scheme (72 per cent).
On the transport front, there were clearly divided views between the improvements that have been made to the bus network versus what has been done to the MRT train services over the past four years.
77 per cent of voters polled felt the Government has done a good, very good or excellent job of improving public bus services. This positive sentiment is set against the backdrop of the Government’s Bus Service Enhancement Programme – which will add 1,000 buses to Singapore roads.
This is in sharp contrast to the just 52 per cent of respondents who felt the same way about improvements to the MRT system, likely because the train network has been dogged by a series of high-profile breakdowns since December 2011, with the latest and largest happening in July this year.
Despite this, when the 2000 respondents were asked what exactly it was about public transport that they were least satisfied with it – the answer was not reliability (12 per cent). The biggest bugbear was actually the cost of public transport (39 per cent) followed by the availability of seats (16 per cent).
Interviewed about their concerns over retirement adequacy, 84 per cent were worried whether they had sufficient finances to live on after they retired. But against the backdrop the recent changes to the CPF scheme, 53 per cent agreed with the statement that the CPF system offers enough flexibility to partially withdraw retirement savings from the age of 55, while 54 per cent felt it was necessary to place restrictions on CPF withdrawals to guarantee a minimum level of retirement savings.
AND THE COST OF LIVING
The three areas where respondents were the least satisfied – where more than 50 per cent of them felt that the Government could have done a better job over the past four years – were with managing the inflow of foreigners (57 per cent), housing affordability (57 per cent) and the cost of living (75 per cent).
Voters interviewed, however, acknowledged the efforts being taken to improve the situation.
For example, 63 per cent of those surveyed agreed that the Government’s move to restrict the inflow of foreign workers in recent years, have helped Singaporeans to secure better jobs. However, there were those concerned with the medium to long term trade-offs of tightening foreign worker quotas.
46 per cent feel the Government’s restrictions have contributed to the slowdown of the economy.
With property prices, 55 per cent believe the Government’s cooling measures have been effective in making the housing more affordable over the past two years. The cooling measures includes the introduction of Sellers' Stamp Duty, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty for the purchase of a second home as well as for Permanent Residents and foreigners, and also lower loan-to-value quantums.
Private property prices have slide for seven consecutive quarters. This drop prompted about half the respondents to suggest that it may be a good time to lift some of the property cooling measures.
But it was the cost of living – flagged by 75 per cent of the respondents – which was the area of greatest concern. With 87 per cent saying they have made financial compromises to cope with the cost of living.
While 68 per cent felt wages have not kept pace with rising prices, 56 per cent agreed that the reason people are struggling with the cost of living was because of “unrealistic lifestyle ambitions and unnecessary consumer spending”. 71 per cent also agreed the Government has provided “greater support to the lower- and middle-income households to cope with the rising cost of living.”
