Bro, if you have time go to Eunos Cres Blk 1 and 2 and see for yourself where this 2 blocks are situated. I ever asked a fellow developer why HDB doesn't enbloc these 2 blocks of flats plus further down another couple 1, 2 blocks which are rented out. These 2 blocks are prime. He told me these 2 blocks are not going to be enbloc and its to be solely for rental to the poor.
Bro Silverfox,
If you had told me this 10 years ago, I would have replied "Hmmm, perhaps they are doing some things for the poor."
But now, with 50% of the population soon to be made up of foreigners and elderly Singaporeans still walking around as karang guni men and cleaners, my expectation of the government is that they resolve every single individual poverty case relating to Singaporeans. Every single case.
If it was my decision, I would even do a thorough investigation and let the really poor and destitute stay rent free in those flats. How would we fund it, you may ask?
For starters, I would hold back all the prize money and earnings made by the foreign talent sportsmen and women and put it into their cpf accounts. Invest this money and use the proceeds to help the poor. When the sportspeople are 55 or whatever age the withdrawal age is then, allow them to withdraw if they have fulfilled certain criteria, including still being citizens, being domiciled in SG, having SG spouse, having SG children who serve NS, contributing to the economy, charities, etc etc.
Winning sports medals at regional and world games does little for the poor and needy in Singapore. Most of them don't even know this is happening. All it does is bring glory to the country, particularly to the leaders who have contact with other world leaders. And it fulfills the personal ambitions of another level of individuals.
Leg Before Wicket, is it really necessary to have "pension or retirement funds" for foreign sportspeople, before the needs of the really poor in the country have been resolved?