The CPF Issue Took Down A Minister In 1984

[xingguy]

Source: My Singapore News

6/14/2014
The CPF issue took down a minister in 1984

In 1984, Howe Yoon Choong, then Minister of Health, produced a paper, Report of the Committee on the Problems of the Aged, with the main objective of delaying withdrawal of CPF savings from age 55 to 60. This created an up roar with the workers telling the trade unions they were strongly against it. The feedback was so negative that it led to his stepping down from politics.

Though the report was stating a demographic problem that was waiting to happen, it was wrong news at the wrong time. It is always never pleasant to be a messenger of bad news. Often the messenger got fried. Howe’s recommendation was a simple delay from age 55 to 60, but it was bad enough to bring down a serving minister for suggesting it.

Since then, several changes had taken place in the CPF scheme. Withdrawal age was pushed back to 60, 62, now 65 and may go higher. The withdrawal sum is no longer a lump sum but in the forms of drips and drapes, an annuity payable monthly. Then there are now two minimum sum schemes that are holding back a huge sum of the people’s savings, at current rate, about $198k with the Medisave included. In addition, the CPF members are compulsorily required to purchase CPF Life annuity insurance and an akan datang Medishield Life medical insurance.

Compare these changes to what Howe Yoon Choong had proposed the delay from 55 to 60 was nothing. How did the Govt managed to get so far without an uprising or an up roar like the time of Howe? Maybe the people did not protest. Maybe the trade unions did not protest. Maybe the protests were not fed back to the Govt. Maybe the Govt simply ignored the protests. Whatever, things seemed to have gone down well superficiality, or quietly. No protest meant the people agreed to the changes.

7 Jun told a different story. It was like all the problems and anger were bottled up and just exploded. The can of worms was ripped apart and no one can close it anymore. The issues and unhappiness are in the open. No complaints, no protest, no demonstration? What is real?

Is the anger is real? If the misgivings and unhappiness are real, would this CPF thing bring down another minister? Or would it bring down instead a Prime Minister? I think not. I think it could be worse. Everything that is wrong with the CPF has come together as one big problem and is blowing up at one go.

Please feel free to disagree. I know, many would think this assessment is an over exaggeration of a small problem or no problem. Don’t make a molehill out of a mountain. Oops, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. It will fizzle off and nothing more would be heard of it. Life will return to normal. And the minimum sums will just keep piling up as planned.

Kopi Level - Green

 

[Lionheart]

nahbeh always bring old fossils to modern singapore
grow some public hair
and be more relevant to modern singapore
can you

 

[bakkuttay]

rip kopiunca rip

 

[Leongsam]

7 Jun told a different story. It was like all the problems and anger were bottled up and just exploded. The can of worms was ripped apart and no one can close it anymore. The issues and unhappiness are in the open. No complaints, no protest, no demonstration? What is real?

There was no "explosion" on the 7th June. A few balding losers and old farts went to listen to a bunch of gay boys blabbering the same tired old story. In the meantime the rest of us [99% of the voting population] went about life as usual in the safe, secure and prosperous environment that the PAP has created for us.

PAP is the best.

A collection of Singaporeans whose opinions count for nothing because they obviously can't manage their finances.

 

[Lionheart]

rip kopiunca rip

go watch more soccer lah
the you will be more enlightened
dont day in day out kopi here kopi there
have a life lah

 

[frenchbriefs]

Back in the 1980s,trade unions still had real power and were manned by leaders of hokkien and teochew organizations that were close to the Chinese population...after that NTUC and other trade unions got infiltrated by PAP cronies and the leadership got compromised and u know the rest of the story..Singapore became a facist dictatorship.

 

[halsey02]

Back in the 1980s,trade unions still had real power and were manned by leaders of hokkien and teochew organizations that were close to the Chinese population...after that NTUC and other trade unions got infiltrated by PAP cronies and the leadership got compromised and u know the rest of the story..Singapore became a facist dictatorship.

That is why I say, the unions here fucking useless.....you waste you hard earn money paying fees!

 

[Lionheart]

That is why I say, the unions here fucking useless.....you waste you hard earn money paying fees!

ntuc is the best
best discounts
best free drinks
best in everything
best rebates

ntuc is the best

 

[johnny333]

LHL is no ordinary MP he is the son of the fishing village chief, and probably a billionaire.

As PM he is the leader of his fathers gang, if he is kicked out it would embarrass his father.

 

[jw5]

I thot he is the son of the seaman, that's why there are odes dedicated to him? :p

LHL is no ordinary MP he is the son of the fishing village chief, and probably a billionaire.

As PM he is the leader of his fathers gang, if he is kicked out it would embarrass his father.

 

[laksaboy]

Taking down a minister now is of no use.

However, taking down a prime minister will be very exciting.

 

[xingguy]

Taking down a minister now is of no use.

However, taking down a prime minister will be very exciting.

Only in a despot run country would a PM take down another citizen (not even consider as a political figure) instead of taking the opportunity to come out to clarify the issue.

Depending on how events pan out, it just might wake up enough "dragon slayers" to take down Pinky

 

[zhihau]

I thot he is the son of the seaman, that's why there are odes dedicated to him? :p

ah dot didn't want to continue with the annals of the dragon prince mah... :o:o:o

 

[po2wq]

ah dot didn't want to continue with the annals of the dragon prince mah... :o:o:o

ah dottie oso dunwan tel mor stories about world cup ... :o

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

There was no "explosion" on the 7th June. A few balding losers and old farts went to listen to a bunch of gay boys blabbering the same tired old story. In the meantime the rest of us [99% of the voting population] went about life as usual in the safe, secure and prosperous environment that the PAP has created for us.

PAP is the best.

A collection of Singaporeans whose opinions count for nothing because they obviously can't manage their finances.

Hahaha. Your words seem hollow and repetitive now. The ground sentiment and all the various arguments put forth in this forum speak for themselves. :-)

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

Singaporeans turned the Howe paper of 1984 into a major issue and the PAP lost significant vote share. But eventually they forgave the PAP when MSS was introduced because they still delivered in other areas.

This time round, people are less willing to forgive and forget because the PAP has failed in other areas as well, like pubic transport, housing, FT policy, and so on. The younger generation is also less fearful of change, more willing to support the alternative, and they understand the vote is secret.

This sums up why PAP vote share will decline further in 2015/2016. The CPF issue will remain a hot potato because the older baby boomers are now approaching retirement and they will start to understand that the CPF is one big elephant that they are feeding but not getting much in return. Notice that the CPF graffitti is a 71yo man and not a 17yo boy.

That is why the likes of Jean Ang/People's Association will become increasingly irrelevant and the efforts of her ilk to support the regime and the status quo will be more and more ineffective over time. A more educated/discerning population will not get their emotions up just because you shake their hands and invite them to grassroots dinner parties and use their TC funds to build sheltered walkways.

 

[Leongsam]

Hahaha. Your words seem hollow and repetitive now. The ground sentiment and all the various arguments put forth in this forum speak for themselves. :-)

The numbers speak for themselves. A vocal minority with an agenda may be pissing into the wind but it does not alter the fact that the PAP has solid support from the electorate. 2016 will prove my point.

 

[blindswordsman]

....This time round, people are less willing to forgive and forget because the PAP has failed in other areas as well, like pubic transport, housing, FT policy, and so on. The younger generation is also less fearful of change, more willing to support the alternative, and they understand the vote is secret....PAP vote share will decline further in 2015/2016. The CPF issue will remain a hot potato because the older baby boomers are now approaching retirement.....That is why the likes of Jean Ang/People's Association will become increasingly irrelevant and the efforts of her ilk to support the regime and the status quo will be more and more ineffective over time. A more educated/discerning population will not get their emotions up..

In the good old days, youngster did not bother about politics. The adults were quite happy to let the pappies do what they wanted as long as they got food to eat and HDB flats to live in.

Now time has changed. Youngster decided pappies are selling out the country to foreigners. Go to Orchard Rd and watch how pinoys behave; go to Geylang and see how tiongs and Vietnamese behave; go to Beach Rd and see how the Thais behave. All adding up to alarm sinkies that SG in the hands of pappies will be overrun by FTsh. The general ground discontent is real.

Who are joining in events organised by PA? PR and other foreigners; sinkies generally stay clear.

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

In the good old days, youngster did not bother about politics. The adults were quite happy to let the pappies do what they wanted as long as they got food to eat and HDB flats to live in.

Now time has changed. Youngster decided pappies are selling out the country to foreigners. Go to Orchard Rd and watch how pinoys behave; go to Geylang and see how tiongs and Vietnamese behave; go to Beach Rd and see how the Thais behave. All adding up to alarm sinkies that SG in the hands of pappies will be overrun by FTsh. The general ground discontent is real.

Who are joining in events organised by PA? PR and other foreigners; sinkies generally stay clear.

There were two things that kept the PAP in power in the good 'ol days: The PAP delivered on the economic front, and the opposition was painted as weak and infirm. Even if you were angry with the policies and you wanted an alternative, you were distrustful of the opposition. Now, people are distrustful of the PAP instead. The "trust deficit" has swung to the other side, so to speak.

Policy failure will definitely swing PAP south, possibly below 55%. And its not just the youngster who feel strongly about the FTrash issue. Remember there was an old lady at Gilbert rally who told the camera crew from AFP that foreigners should just go home, and there was an old Indian chap on CNA one morning who said essentially the same thing that should migrant workers leave once their contract is up. That CNA video was since been removed. The older gen don't know what is "xenophobic". They just know that they are angry about FTrash. I also can't keep count of how many taxi uncles I've encountered who complain about FTrash.

 

[blindswordsman]

....it does not alter the fact that the PAP has solid support from the electorate. 2016 will prove my point.

How often does the top echelon of the pappies leadership sit in the kopi tiam and listen to what sinkies are discussing? Never.

The por-lan-pars are likely to say the ground is sweet even though it is rotten with anti-pappies sentiment. This kind of feedback misleads pappies to believe they will still win big in GE2016. Losses suffered in and after GE2011 are now forgotten.