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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Mah Bow Tan Explains ¡°Affordability¡±</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">kojakbt89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Jan-21 7:44 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 2) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>43602.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Mah Bow Tan Explains ¡°Affordability¡±
January 22nd, 2011 |
Author: Online Press |
Edit
http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/01/22/mah-bow-tan-explains-“affordability”/hdb-flats-4/There¡¯s a Chinese saying: those who sells melons will praise and boast about the melons. Another saying goes that flower sellers will say that the flowers are fragrant. Such sayings of course benefit the sellers themselves. This is very common. Hence, when the HDB situation was getting out of hand, perhaps under extreme pressure at the upcoming General Elections, Mah Bow Tan started giving his exposition about ¡°HDB affordability¡± via the mass media.
I have mixed feelings at his display of thick skin. On one hand, he appears to have finally understood how unpopular his HDB policy is. This shows that his conscience has not dried up entirely. On the other hand, he, the one who is responsible for this public outrage, can claim that this is an achievement. How different is this from setting your own exam questions and giving yourself full marks? This is absurd!
Mah Bow Tan explains: What is ¡°affordability?¡±
The series of statistics and subsidies are to ensure that Singaporeans can afford an HDB flat. However, an elephant has an ¡°elephant affordability level¡±, a donkey has a ¡°donkey affordability level¡±. So is the case for a horse and an ox. How can a dinosaur talk about a horse or an ox¡¯s ¡°affordability level¡±? How can you be sure of what you¡¯re talking about?
Isn¡¯t it so? We hear that Minister Mah¡¯s salary is at least $2.5 million, if not $3 million. With the 4.1 month bonus, his salary this year will be more than $3.5 million. How can such a person understand the predicament of those earning only a few tens of thousands a year? How can he talk about ¡°affordability¡± on behalf of these people? He¡¯s perhaps just amusing himself.
If Mah Bow Tan still has some conscience, perhaps he can learn from the examples of old Chinese officials. There are tales of these officials travelling incognito among normal people. Mr Mah can emulate these officials very easily. For a start, Minister Mah can start drawing an $8,000 monthly salary, and experience for himself how it is like to live in a 5-room flat for a few months. Even better, pay himself $3,400, and live in a 3 or 4 room flat. He can then learn how it is like to live plainly. Of course, lastly, he must experience how it is like to live only on social welfare, and live in 1 or 2 room flats and learn to conserve water and electricity!
Only after he has done all these is he qualified to speak of ¡°affordability¡±. He can then fully understand what exactly he is talking about. Isn¡¯t it so? What exactly is ¡°affordability¡±? A camel can carry 1,000kg of burden, but it is the one straw that breaks the camel¡¯s back. All of Singapore¡¯s fine policies are aimed at calculating how much Singaporeans can afford, their ¡°affordability limit¡±. All the schemes implemented are aimed at testing where this limit is. 800kg? 900kg? 1,000kg? Singaporeans¡¯ ability to take on additional burden delights the government, making them think that Singaporeans can take on even more! But the next burden will crush Singaporeans to death. Uh-oh, let¡¯s lessen the load, by giving Singaporeans some subsidies. This is what ¡°subsidy¡± means in Singapore.
So the Singapore government will think of ways to load up on Singaporeans. And when Singaporeans cannot take it anymore, then remove some load and call it subsidy. Increase GST, then give some ¡°GST credit¡± and call it ¡°subsidy¡±. Yes, this is subsidy.
Sigh, we slaves of burden, if our owners load us up until we reach our ¡°affordability level¡±, we will be meeting our end very soon! Then we will be chopped up and sold as horse or ox meat! Yes, Singaporeans can be very resilient. We will take on more load until the day we die, waiting for that final straw that breaks the camel¡¯s back.
.
Author: °×Âí·ÇÂí
.
Translated by a TR Reader
.
Original Chinese Article HERE
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http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/01/22/mah-bow-tan-explains-“affordability”/hdb-flats-4/There¡¯s a Chinese saying: those who sells melons will praise and boast about the melons. Another saying goes that flower sellers will say that the flowers are fragrant. Such sayings of course benefit the sellers themselves. This is very common. Hence, when the HDB situation was getting out of hand, perhaps under extreme pressure at the upcoming General Elections, Mah Bow Tan started giving his exposition about ¡°HDB affordability¡± via the mass media.
I have mixed feelings at his display of thick skin. On one hand, he appears to have finally understood how unpopular his HDB policy is. This shows that his conscience has not dried up entirely. On the other hand, he, the one who is responsible for this public outrage, can claim that this is an achievement. How different is this from setting your own exam questions and giving yourself full marks? This is absurd!
Mah Bow Tan explains: What is ¡°affordability?¡±
The series of statistics and subsidies are to ensure that Singaporeans can afford an HDB flat. However, an elephant has an ¡°elephant affordability level¡±, a donkey has a ¡°donkey affordability level¡±. So is the case for a horse and an ox. How can a dinosaur talk about a horse or an ox¡¯s ¡°affordability level¡±? How can you be sure of what you¡¯re talking about?
Isn¡¯t it so? We hear that Minister Mah¡¯s salary is at least $2.5 million, if not $3 million. With the 4.1 month bonus, his salary this year will be more than $3.5 million. How can such a person understand the predicament of those earning only a few tens of thousands a year? How can he talk about ¡°affordability¡± on behalf of these people? He¡¯s perhaps just amusing himself.
If Mah Bow Tan still has some conscience, perhaps he can learn from the examples of old Chinese officials. There are tales of these officials travelling incognito among normal people. Mr Mah can emulate these officials very easily. For a start, Minister Mah can start drawing an $8,000 monthly salary, and experience for himself how it is like to live in a 5-room flat for a few months. Even better, pay himself $3,400, and live in a 3 or 4 room flat. He can then learn how it is like to live plainly. Of course, lastly, he must experience how it is like to live only on social welfare, and live in 1 or 2 room flats and learn to conserve water and electricity!
Only after he has done all these is he qualified to speak of ¡°affordability¡±. He can then fully understand what exactly he is talking about. Isn¡¯t it so? What exactly is ¡°affordability¡±? A camel can carry 1,000kg of burden, but it is the one straw that breaks the camel¡¯s back. All of Singapore¡¯s fine policies are aimed at calculating how much Singaporeans can afford, their ¡°affordability limit¡±. All the schemes implemented are aimed at testing where this limit is. 800kg? 900kg? 1,000kg? Singaporeans¡¯ ability to take on additional burden delights the government, making them think that Singaporeans can take on even more! But the next burden will crush Singaporeans to death. Uh-oh, let¡¯s lessen the load, by giving Singaporeans some subsidies. This is what ¡°subsidy¡± means in Singapore.
So the Singapore government will think of ways to load up on Singaporeans. And when Singaporeans cannot take it anymore, then remove some load and call it subsidy. Increase GST, then give some ¡°GST credit¡± and call it ¡°subsidy¡±. Yes, this is subsidy.
Sigh, we slaves of burden, if our owners load us up until we reach our ¡°affordability level¡±, we will be meeting our end very soon! Then we will be chopped up and sold as horse or ox meat! Yes, Singaporeans can be very resilient. We will take on more load until the day we die, waiting for that final straw that breaks the camel¡¯s back.
.
Author: °×Âí·ÇÂí
.
Translated by a TR Reader
.
Original Chinese Article HERE
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