28-yr old FTs qualify for pioneer goodies

[Confuseous]

The Pioneer Generation Package is planned for Singaporeans aged 65 years and older at the end of this year, and those who received their citizenship by December 31, 1986.

Say again? To qualify for the goodies, Singaporeans need to be 65+ at the end of 2014, foreigners need only be 28+ -- including, say, babies entitled to an American passport because mom was from Puerto Rico. That has to be the most blatant form of discrimination ever instituted in this country. Even if we have someone born in 1949 or earlier, but decided to swear allegiance to the flag only decades later in 1987, do we want to honour this type of citizen? Have we so quickly forgotten the renegade racist who professed, "After 11 years of residency, I am still trying to understand THESE people!" ?

Lee Hsien Loong broad-brushed the much anticipated financial support for "senior citizens" in three important areas:
1) Premium subsidy for MediShield Life;
2) Extra subsidies for outpatient treatment at polyclinics, specialist outpatient clinics and general practitioners (GPs) under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS);
3) Annual top-ups to Medisave accounts, which can be used to help pay for MediShield Life premiums (needed probably because the "premium subsidy" in (1) won't be enough to offset the voracious hike in insurance premiums).

Playing with words again, Lee insists that the package is not just a subsidy, but a means to help the pioneer generation live better in their old age. By any world standard chronological consideration, age 28 is hardly pioneer generation status, so we worry what are the "extra subsidies" for outpatient treatment. Will they mark up the health care charges, and then tag a "discount" to the inflated rates? That was the accounting trick employed by TT Durai at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) to generate fat profits out of "subsidised" medication for umpteen years.


"No matter how we design the package, it can never fully reflect the contributions our pioneers have made to our nation. But I hope you will accept it as a sincere expression of our gratitude, and that it will be of help to you and your families," Lee said to the 1,000+ "Singaporeans" attending the Pioneer Generation Tribute Party at the Istana on Sunday morning.

We are told the actual details of the Pioneer Generation Package will be formally unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the upcoming Budget. They probably need the extra time to come up with more ingenious definitions of "Singaporeans", "contributions", "nation", "sincere", "gratitude" and "help".

What the electorate really need is a dictionary to decipher the coded deceit they are lining their slippery tongues with.

- http://singaporedesk.blogspot.sg/2014/02/28-year-old-pioneers.html

 

[Papsmearer]

The Pioneer Generation Package is planned for Singaporeans aged 65 years and older at the end of this year, and those who received their citizenship by December 31, 1986.

Say again? To qualify for the goodies, Singaporeans need to be 65+ at the end of 2014, foreigners need only be 28+ -- including, say, babies entitled to an American passport because mom was from Puerto Rico. That has to be the most blatant form of discrimination ever instituted in this country. Even if we have someone born in 1949 or earlier, but decided to swear allegiance to the flag only decades later in 1987, do we want to honour this type of citizen? Have we so quickly forgotten the renegade racist who professed, "After 11 years of residency, I am still trying to understand THESE people!" ?

Lee Hsien Loong broad-brushed the much anticipated financial support for "senior citizens" in three important areas:
1) Premium subsidy for MediShield Life;
2) Extra subsidies for outpatient treatment at polyclinics, specialist outpatient clinics and general practitioners (GPs) under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS);
3) Annual top-ups to Medisave accounts, which can be used to help pay for MediShield Life premiums (needed probably because the "premium subsidy" in (1) won't be enough to offset the voracious hike in insurance premiums).

Playing with words again, Lee insists that the package is not just a subsidy, but a means to help the pioneer generation live better in their old age. By any world standard chronological consideration, age 28 is hardly pioneer generation status, so we worry what are the "extra subsidies" for outpatient treatment. Will they mark up the health care charges, and then tag a "discount" to the inflated rates? That was the accounting trick employed by TT Durai at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) to generate fat profits out of "subsidised" medication for umpteen years.


"No matter how we design the package, it can never fully reflect the contributions our pioneers have made to our nation. But I hope you will accept it as a sincere expression of our gratitude, and that it will be of help to you and your families," Lee said to the 1,000+ "Singaporeans" attending the Pioneer Generation Tribute Party at the Istana on Sunday morning.

We are told the actual details of the Pioneer Generation Package will be formally unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the upcoming Budget. They probably need the extra time to come up with more ingenious definitions of "Singaporeans", "contributions", "nation", "sincere", "gratitude" and "help".

What the electorate really need is a dictionary to decipher the coded deceit they are lining their slippery tongues with.

- http://singaporedesk.blogspot.sg/2014/02/28-year-old-pioneers.html

This is not exactly correct. In order to get this package, one has to meet 2 standards. One is the age standard of 65years and older, and the other is the citizenship standard by 1986. This is because there were many blue IC holders, especially from Malaysia who lived in singapore for decades as PRs, but never converted to citizenship. What the PAP is saying is that this number is so significant (especially true in the civil service), and because these people are 65 years old and older, that they have in effect lived and work their whole lives in singapore, and contributed something to nation forming. They should also have the pioneer generation package PROVIDED they converted to SIngapore citizenship prior to Dec. 31st 1986. So, therefore, your assumption of 18 year old FTs getting the package is wrong. OK, there, you have made me defend the PAP. I feel dirty now, must take a shower.

The following is the quote from the Budget office:

5. The Pioneer Generation Package will be for living Singapore Citizens who meet both the following criteria:

a. Aged 16 years and above in 1965 (born on or before 31 December 1949, i.e. aged 65 years and above in 2014), and
b. Received their citizenship by 31 December 1986.
The intent is to include those who were citizens when Singapore became independent, or became citizens in the early years after independence. However, for practical reasons, those who became citizens before 1987 will be included. (While full records exist on who Singapore citizens were, there are gaps with regard to dates of registration of citizens prior to 1987, when manual records were kept[1].)