- Joined
- Jul 24, 2008
- Messages
- 33,627
- Points
- 0
[h=2]My New Aljunid[/h]
June 25th, 2012 |
Author: Contributions
I had been quite a while I did not write. My health has not been that good. Anyway, in the past few years I used to walk from my flat at Aljunid to Hougang for both exercise and my breakfast coffee. Each time I walked by or through Hougang, I always feel the tranquility of the place. Hougang being an older estate, its construction of blocks of flats had always been more spacious, thus humane. I always slow down my walk, to enjoy the peace there. It is spacious, green grasses everywhere, and the place was and is really clean, not like the way our MSM highlighted. Here I find peace. Though I had Ponggol Park full of green in front of my flat, that is different, it is a park, not a living place.
As for Aljunid, each morning, I used to see an electric rubbish truck, ridden by a FT, with another one or two passengers talking over the hand phone. On stopping over my block, one will then take a piece of cloth and get into the lift and massage the lift wall. Another will hang around busily talking over the phone. Every once a while, they will be piping a high powered water jet and wet the whole block. Called them foreign talented sweeper, that need no broom! But you can always see them busy riding that truck. One Chinese New Year, I even yelled at two of them racing! I did once talked to the supervisor, well, he look serious about it, but nothing happened.
Soon, last election went by. I began to see changes. For the past six months, my surrounding flats area began to be very very clean. Not seen in the past six years. There is change, and I believe it will last, here I tell you why. Here is why, since the town council changed, we have a local uncles or aunties sweeping the area. For mine area, he started cleaning before the sun raises, and his job is almost done by eight or nine in the morning. Who says local do not like the job. The fact was they were not given the job, even though you are jobless.
Each morning, he will push his cart with a few bins and started sweeping. He does it daily, at time even on Sunday too. After a while, he will sit on his chart and started to drinking his coffee or tit bits. Secondly, for Aljunid, like Hougang, they employ more locals, which to my logical thinking is cheaper. But why then our government does not bother to take action, especially the NTUC, Lim Sia Sway? I think it is for the government coffer. Let us see some figure. To start with government controlled town council, they have extra bonus from the government. So they have a lot to spend. So if Aljunid can employ one, Ang Moi Kio can get 2.
But there is a catch. If Aljunid employ one at $1000/-, this guy does not need to pay tax as a local. However for the two FT AMK employed, the government have levy of FT to collect. So actually both are of same value to the town councils, but only that AMK will drain the foreign reserve as our FT will send their income back. Leaving our local jobless.
If Hougang and Aljunid keep this pace, to me this will be the building block of our own society. If the foundation of our society is strong, failure is not likely. As a past management team of a multinational company, I can firmly say that you want the people to go with you, build your own culture. I think Hougang already have their own culture, and Aljunid given determination and time, will have one too.
This morning, I went to congratulate our cleaner, a guy in his forties, few teeth missing. I told him how happy I am now, as I now live in an area belonging to me. He said, it is his job to do things well. What a Singaporean he is. Why can’t we see more of these people given a chance to work. Sigh!!
.
icomeiseeisighi
* The writer is a retiree who blogs at http://icomeiseeisighi.wordpress.com/.
I had been quite a while I did not write. My health has not been that good. Anyway, in the past few years I used to walk from my flat at Aljunid to Hougang for both exercise and my breakfast coffee. Each time I walked by or through Hougang, I always feel the tranquility of the place. Hougang being an older estate, its construction of blocks of flats had always been more spacious, thus humane. I always slow down my walk, to enjoy the peace there. It is spacious, green grasses everywhere, and the place was and is really clean, not like the way our MSM highlighted. Here I find peace. Though I had Ponggol Park full of green in front of my flat, that is different, it is a park, not a living place.
As for Aljunid, each morning, I used to see an electric rubbish truck, ridden by a FT, with another one or two passengers talking over the hand phone. On stopping over my block, one will then take a piece of cloth and get into the lift and massage the lift wall. Another will hang around busily talking over the phone. Every once a while, they will be piping a high powered water jet and wet the whole block. Called them foreign talented sweeper, that need no broom! But you can always see them busy riding that truck. One Chinese New Year, I even yelled at two of them racing! I did once talked to the supervisor, well, he look serious about it, but nothing happened.
Soon, last election went by. I began to see changes. For the past six months, my surrounding flats area began to be very very clean. Not seen in the past six years. There is change, and I believe it will last, here I tell you why. Here is why, since the town council changed, we have a local uncles or aunties sweeping the area. For mine area, he started cleaning before the sun raises, and his job is almost done by eight or nine in the morning. Who says local do not like the job. The fact was they were not given the job, even though you are jobless.
Each morning, he will push his cart with a few bins and started sweeping. He does it daily, at time even on Sunday too. After a while, he will sit on his chart and started to drinking his coffee or tit bits. Secondly, for Aljunid, like Hougang, they employ more locals, which to my logical thinking is cheaper. But why then our government does not bother to take action, especially the NTUC, Lim Sia Sway? I think it is for the government coffer. Let us see some figure. To start with government controlled town council, they have extra bonus from the government. So they have a lot to spend. So if Aljunid can employ one, Ang Moi Kio can get 2.
But there is a catch. If Aljunid employ one at $1000/-, this guy does not need to pay tax as a local. However for the two FT AMK employed, the government have levy of FT to collect. So actually both are of same value to the town councils, but only that AMK will drain the foreign reserve as our FT will send their income back. Leaving our local jobless.
If Hougang and Aljunid keep this pace, to me this will be the building block of our own society. If the foundation of our society is strong, failure is not likely. As a past management team of a multinational company, I can firmly say that you want the people to go with you, build your own culture. I think Hougang already have their own culture, and Aljunid given determination and time, will have one too.
This morning, I went to congratulate our cleaner, a guy in his forties, few teeth missing. I told him how happy I am now, as I now live in an area belonging to me. He said, it is his job to do things well. What a Singaporean he is. Why can’t we see more of these people given a chance to work. Sigh!!
.
icomeiseeisighi
* The writer is a retiree who blogs at http://icomeiseeisighi.wordpress.com/.
