[h=1]PM LEE QUOTES JAPANESE ARTICLE TO SAY THE YOUNG DON’T WANT TO PAY FOR A PENSION SYSTEM[/h]
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29 Dec 2014 - 6:49pm
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When the Singapore prime minister said that he has the "thickest skin in town", he meant it. He took a Japanese article that chastised the elderly and used it instead to scare Singaporeans about their pension funds.
Mr Lee started by asking on his Facebook page: "What problems will we run into as our population ages?
"One likely one: friction between the young and the old," he said.
"Japan's young are unhappy they have to pay for pensions and medical care for the old, at the expense of their own financial security," he continued.
"Meanwhile, the old bristle that the young are uncaring and ungrateful."
One cannot help but wonder why Mr Lee would choose such a divisive article to taunt fear into Singaporeans.
In the article that he quoted, the young had said of the old: “Have they no shame?”
The article also talks of the elderly harassing those younger than them and called the elderly "graceless".
"Yet the article tells of the elderly hogging seats on trains and cutting in line at supermarkets," Mr Lee added on his posting.
"It is a cautionary tale for Singapore," Mr Lee then said.
What would get into the mind of a prime minister to share an article so divisive and to use it to share lessons with its citizens is beyond comprehension.
Indeed, while Mr Lee shares this article, his lack of sympathy for the elderly could not be more blunt.
As a commenter on his post said, "Some old (people) get rude,demanding and unreasonable due to aging diseases such as dementia,mental illness etc. they go undiagnosed or simply brushed aside as old age.
"I feel sorry for old folks who has to go (through) this disease as they are not even aware of their actions. Who knows some of us might even get it when we get older. Tolerance, understanding and patience have to be used when dealing with old folks."
One wonders why Mr Lee could not contemplate the article from a more compassionate angle instead of use it to scare Singaporeans about their pension needs.
Moreover, another commenter then said, "A progressive country like Singapore need to be vigilant (and) plan for its future. The senior citizens are part of nation building (and) need to be rewarded. They earn it and it's not charity.
"What goes around comes around," the commenter said.
Perhaps for a government which has been so hard up about filial piety, perhaps Mr Lee should take a leaf out from his own book.
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The article also described an old man: "He’s 80 years old and holds not one job but two, one of the growing ranks of elderly who must work to live because their pensions are inadequate."
But Mr Lee failed to highlight that.
He also failed to highlight how "pension payments are decreasing" because the system design is outdated and has yet to be reformed for the current needs.
Mr Lee also failed to explain how the young's concerns about "pension entitlements" of the old is due to an youth unemployment problem.
However, Mr Lee would only say, "Japan's young are unhappy they have to pay for pensions and medical care for the old."
But this is an over-simplistic way of interpreting the situation in Japan and it is very careless and irresponsible of Mr Lee to paint the picture such a divisive picture.
If anything, the article would only further reinforce the fact that Singapore's Central Provident Fund (CPF) system would need to be reformed to prevent the similar issue that afflicts Japan.
"And the interest rate of cpf should be increased further,.for example," one commenter added.
And also, how about wages to be increased for the elderly, so that they do not have to hold two jobs, like the article had shown. And there are many elderly and low-income Singaporeans who have to take on several jobs because they cannot earn enough to survive on.
Indeed, another commenter said, "Policies went wrong in (Singapore which have led to costs increasing and) salaries not restored (and which have) been stagnant for 15-20 years."
"Why not start with paying higher salaries for the jobs they do and they don't need handouts?" another commenter asked.
But Mr Lee ignores all of these.
"We must take care of each other and not let this happen here," he said, oblivious to the fact that the social problems he seemed to be so concerned about are already happening in Singapore.
Moreover, for a head of state in Singapore to highlight Japan's problems and compare it with Singapore, this is not only insensitive but unwise as well.
Indeed, one is hard-pressed to understand why Mr Lee even shared or quoted from this article.
As another commenter asked, "Honestly he highlighted this but what is the point? I still don't get it."
But only Mr Lee will know.
And only his government will know why they continue to be in denial over the problems that are already happening in Singapore.
Indeed, a commenter also asked, "Could we be asking more questions than this to generate better strategies ? Is making a comparison to another culture, really helpful given the different cultural, historical and anxiety avoidance of that culture ?"
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29 Dec 2014 - 6:49pm
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When the Singapore prime minister said that he has the "thickest skin in town", he meant it. He took a Japanese article that chastised the elderly and used it instead to scare Singaporeans about their pension funds.
Mr Lee started by asking on his Facebook page: "What problems will we run into as our population ages?
"One likely one: friction between the young and the old," he said.
"Japan's young are unhappy they have to pay for pensions and medical care for the old, at the expense of their own financial security," he continued.
"Meanwhile, the old bristle that the young are uncaring and ungrateful."
One cannot help but wonder why Mr Lee would choose such a divisive article to taunt fear into Singaporeans.
In the article that he quoted, the young had said of the old: “Have they no shame?”
The article also talks of the elderly harassing those younger than them and called the elderly "graceless".
"Yet the article tells of the elderly hogging seats on trains and cutting in line at supermarkets," Mr Lee added on his posting.
"It is a cautionary tale for Singapore," Mr Lee then said.
What would get into the mind of a prime minister to share an article so divisive and to use it to share lessons with its citizens is beyond comprehension.
Indeed, while Mr Lee shares this article, his lack of sympathy for the elderly could not be more blunt.
As a commenter on his post said, "Some old (people) get rude,demanding and unreasonable due to aging diseases such as dementia,mental illness etc. they go undiagnosed or simply brushed aside as old age.
"I feel sorry for old folks who has to go (through) this disease as they are not even aware of their actions. Who knows some of us might even get it when we get older. Tolerance, understanding and patience have to be used when dealing with old folks."
One wonders why Mr Lee could not contemplate the article from a more compassionate angle instead of use it to scare Singaporeans about their pension needs.
Moreover, another commenter then said, "A progressive country like Singapore need to be vigilant (and) plan for its future. The senior citizens are part of nation building (and) need to be rewarded. They earn it and it's not charity.
"What goes around comes around," the commenter said.
Perhaps for a government which has been so hard up about filial piety, perhaps Mr Lee should take a leaf out from his own book.
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The article also described an old man: "He’s 80 years old and holds not one job but two, one of the growing ranks of elderly who must work to live because their pensions are inadequate."
But Mr Lee failed to highlight that.
He also failed to highlight how "pension payments are decreasing" because the system design is outdated and has yet to be reformed for the current needs.
Mr Lee also failed to explain how the young's concerns about "pension entitlements" of the old is due to an youth unemployment problem.
However, Mr Lee would only say, "Japan's young are unhappy they have to pay for pensions and medical care for the old."
But this is an over-simplistic way of interpreting the situation in Japan and it is very careless and irresponsible of Mr Lee to paint the picture such a divisive picture.
If anything, the article would only further reinforce the fact that Singapore's Central Provident Fund (CPF) system would need to be reformed to prevent the similar issue that afflicts Japan.
"And the interest rate of cpf should be increased further,.for example," one commenter added.
And also, how about wages to be increased for the elderly, so that they do not have to hold two jobs, like the article had shown. And there are many elderly and low-income Singaporeans who have to take on several jobs because they cannot earn enough to survive on.
Indeed, another commenter said, "Policies went wrong in (Singapore which have led to costs increasing and) salaries not restored (and which have) been stagnant for 15-20 years."
"Why not start with paying higher salaries for the jobs they do and they don't need handouts?" another commenter asked.
But Mr Lee ignores all of these.
"We must take care of each other and not let this happen here," he said, oblivious to the fact that the social problems he seemed to be so concerned about are already happening in Singapore.
Moreover, for a head of state in Singapore to highlight Japan's problems and compare it with Singapore, this is not only insensitive but unwise as well.
Indeed, one is hard-pressed to understand why Mr Lee even shared or quoted from this article.
As another commenter asked, "Honestly he highlighted this but what is the point? I still don't get it."
But only Mr Lee will know.
And only his government will know why they continue to be in denial over the problems that are already happening in Singapore.
Indeed, a commenter also asked, "Could we be asking more questions than this to generate better strategies ? Is making a comparison to another culture, really helpful given the different cultural, historical and anxiety avoidance of that culture ?"
