Today's My Paper reported results of a survey done among Singaporeans. The 2 highest values of Singaporeans are being filial and honest. The Top Priorities are:
1. Job Security
2. Housing.
3 Healthcare.
4 Caring govt.
Getting rich ranks low among Singaporeans. This is not a surprise to me. At a time when unhappiness among Singaporeans is at its highest, we are actually generating the most number of millionaires per capita in our history. The higher odds of getting rich means little to Singaporeans because at the end of the day, it is still a minority to make to the rich class. While we cannot begrudge those who got rich, we cannot steer our policies towards this end because it may not be aligned to the value system of Singaporeans and the general goals of Singaporeans.
Some of the priorities of Singaporeans such as affordable housing and healthcare is in conflict with wealth generation. Wealth generation favors those in control of capital....affordable housing means moderate increase in housing prices ...what developers and housing agents want are a hot property market to make the most money. Similarly, affordable healthcare means keeping much of the resources within the public healthcare system rather than the for profit wealth building private sector that will drive up cost of healthcare.
To meet the goals of Singaporeans policies have to be reshaped. While the big businesses and asset owning minority classes demand policies always be bias towards them and their influence and power ensure to a certain extent this will always be the case, govt has to be mindful that the majority will find ways to assert their power collectively. The PAP takes to regulating the Internet and use their dominant power and control of mainstream media to push for what is expedient to maintain their power structure. This only serves to cause more divergence in the goals of the people from that of the path taken by the govt. This misalignment is not good for Singapore. We must remain united as a people or see our country fall apart.
1. Job Security
2. Housing.
3 Healthcare.
4 Caring govt.
Getting rich ranks low among Singaporeans. This is not a surprise to me. At a time when unhappiness among Singaporeans is at its highest, we are actually generating the most number of millionaires per capita in our history. The higher odds of getting rich means little to Singaporeans because at the end of the day, it is still a minority to make to the rich class. While we cannot begrudge those who got rich, we cannot steer our policies towards this end because it may not be aligned to the value system of Singaporeans and the general goals of Singaporeans.
Some of the priorities of Singaporeans such as affordable housing and healthcare is in conflict with wealth generation. Wealth generation favors those in control of capital....affordable housing means moderate increase in housing prices ...what developers and housing agents want are a hot property market to make the most money. Similarly, affordable healthcare means keeping much of the resources within the public healthcare system rather than the for profit wealth building private sector that will drive up cost of healthcare.
To meet the goals of Singaporeans policies have to be reshaped. While the big businesses and asset owning minority classes demand policies always be bias towards them and their influence and power ensure to a certain extent this will always be the case, govt has to be mindful that the majority will find ways to assert their power collectively. The PAP takes to regulating the Internet and use their dominant power and control of mainstream media to push for what is expedient to maintain their power structure. This only serves to cause more divergence in the goals of the people from that of the path taken by the govt. This misalignment is not good for Singapore. We must remain united as a people or see our country fall apart.
