Daily Lessons from Life 05 February 2013 - Debates on Vision 2030

So the Parliamentary Debate on the original NPTD White Paper on 'Singapore Population by 2030' has begun.

So far many PAP Ministers and MPs are busy explaining and defending the 6.9m population by 2030 is NOT a target but an upper band for planning purposes.

The WP came out swinging with their 5.9m population by 2030 cutting the NPTD's number by 1m.

The PAP Ministers and MPs told WP that this will hurt business and the people it intended to help.

The WP argued that there is a way to get the able and willing senior, the foreign spouses of Singaporeans and the housewives to rejoin the workforce and hence eliminate the need to import more foreigners - FWs or FTs.

FOR ME, the PAP and WP are ON TRIAL really:

1. PAP
- need to win back their CREDIBILITY given the mismanagement and chaotic and non-existing coordination between the various ministers in the past 5-7 years resulting in great mismatch of massive inflow of FWs and FTs and infrastructure like public transportation/housing/etc.

Why should Singaporeans just buy the PAP's 'Trust me. We will deliver.'?

As Minister Shanmugam said: The government has to, and will, deliver. This is especially crucial in the next 3 years leading to GE2016 regardless of this Great Debate about Singapore Population by 2030!

- besides EXECUTION over the next 3 years, in the immediate present, PAP needs to show Singaporeans WHERE do the 2/3 or 75% PMET jobs for Singaporeans will come from or will be by 2030 given that TODAY many FTs (Fake ones too) are occupying many PMET jobs now in place of some (numbers to be determined) able and willing older Singaporeans who used to hold PMETs but now mostly driving taxi!!

2. WP
- need to SHOW that you are BETTER than the PAP ministers and MPs EVEN if you NOT!!

- how do you come up with the 5.9m, a cut of 1m from NPTD's 'target'?

- the same question on: where are the 2/3 or 75% PMET jobs coming from or going to be come 2030?

- are you listening to the RESPONSES from the stakeholders like ASME (Association of SME Singapore) who, in my opinion, for the 1st time made VERY GOOD comments and suggestions about the need for a National Job Index where jobs shunned by Singaporean should get a bigger quota and lower foreign worker levy? or are Singaporeans upset about FTs (especially the Fake ones) taking over the PMET jobs from Singaporeans or the low waged unskilled/low-skilled FWs?

There are MANY other important points in the NPTD's White Paper for both sides to REALLY engaged meaningfully.

If I can think of some of these points, surely the Parliamentarians CAN exceeds them! e.g. why kind of income is Singaporean drawing and how affordable is the 1st HDB flat then? Will Singaopreans be still in the 'chasing my tail' cycle of 'sell 1st HDB flat and upgrade to a Resale HDB or private property' while stressing over mortgage/children education (private tuition mainly!! LOL!!), agonizing over can they buy a COE S$100k or 200k car?, etc...

p/s: Not sure why NPTD is given this task to make this 'bet the country call' as clearly it is NOT about Singapore Population in 2030 BUT 'Singapore in 2030'!! Have we concluded our National Conversation that is supposedly to collect input from ALL Singaporeans on 'What type of Singapore do we want in 2030?!!