Finally one good letter in the ST Forum

[steffychun]

'Utterly wrong'? Tan Jee Say makes economic sense

I DO not agree with former MP and current Singapore Management University professor of economics Augustine Tan's arguments in his letter ('First-rate, not First World, MPs and govt'; Tuesday), in which he said that former senior civil servant and current Singapore Democratic Party candidate Tan Jee Say 'is utterly wrong'.

Mr Tan headed economic and manpower planning in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and also served as secretary to late economist Albert Winsemius.

I think his ideas of change make economic sense. Since Singapore has no resource base and has limited manpower, it will be more prudent to maintain only high-value and knowledge-based industries to fuel manufacturing, and phase out labour-intensive industries to neighbouring countries, while still supporting our service industry.

We should not keep on expanding manufacturing industries that employ two foreigners for every one Singaporean because of economic growth, at the expense of compromising our housing, transport, education, health-care services and other social amenities.

I agree with Mr Tan that while we maintain profitable and viable manufacturing industries to keep jobs at appropriate levels, we should also plan for economic growth via other directions that bring more good-paying jobs for Singaporeans. Therefore, using $10 billion to fund the five-year transformation programme is necessary.

Paul Chan

 

[Sperminator]

I think the PAP Party Ministers were playing Sim City for too long, for economic growth is not solely dependent on the numbers of unskilled labours... it's truly a mix of people, and there is always such a thing called economic reform, and also productivity via machineries (look at what the japanese do, they use alot of robots for labour intensive jobs).

 

[myfoot123]

Aiya if you know ST styles, they will publish 10 bad letters in exchange for one good letter so that people think they are objective. To add insult to injury, you will see their political editors write full pages saying all the bad things about opposition parties.

 

[Confuseous]

And even when they write "positive" things about the oppos, there is always a sly sleight of hand or a backhanded compliment.
How well do these people sleep at night?

 

[myfoot123]

And even when they write "positive" things about the oppos, there is always a sly sleight of hand or a backhanded compliment.
How well do these people sleep at night?

Evil has ever watchful and sleepless eyes because of guilt.

 

[Confuseous]

This is another PAP old horse dragged out from the stables to help provide the 'credibility'.
He was a one-time MP for Whampoa, had no affinity for the common man and stepped down after one term.

 

[steffychun]

I think the PAP Party Ministers were playing Sim City for too long, for economic growth is not solely dependent on the numbers of unskilled labours... it's truly a mix of people, and there is always such a thing called economic reform, and also productivity via machineries (look at what the japanese do, they use alot of robots for labour intensive jobs).

That's why they've got a candidate named Sim Ann.