Daily Lessons from Life 16 February 2013 - What NOW Singapore?

"PM Lee urges couples to have confidence in S'pore's future - CNA 16 February 2013

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it is important for couples to have confidence in Singapore's future and ultimately want Singapore to be the best place to settle down and raise children.

He was speaking at the Lunar New Year dinner at his Teck Ghee ward on Saturday evening.

The government recently announced a Marriage and Parenthood package that aims to help Singaporeans settle down and raise children."

AND

"Large turnout at Speakers' Corner for protest against Population White Paper - Saturday, Feb 16, 2013

SINGAPORE - A crowd of more than 1,000 people [other sources put it at more than 4000!!] gathered at Speakers' Corner for a protest against the Population White Paper that was endorsed by Parliament last week.

Many turned up with umbrellas and caps, braving the light drizzle at around 4pm on Saturday afternoon. Organisers had lined up a list of 12 speakers, including activists as well as current and former opposition party members."

2 contrasting headlines. What NOW Singapore?

Lessons for me are:

1. good that PM Lee DID NOT talk about the 6.9m and the need to have MORE Foreigners (especially those FWs who construct our much needed infrastructure, the REAL talent and the GOOD Employer). I think he has realised the folly of continuing to PUSH the 'we need foreigners to create growth and prosperity for Singaporeans'!;



3. kudos to the organizers for braving the limit. Kudos to the police for allowing this to take place. Kudos to the Singaporeans who turned up.

As I had written earlier, PAP has staked its destiny with this ill-conceived Population White Paper. Many promises had been made in response to the perceived unhappiness by the ruling elites. IF these promises to resolve the acute short term problems of inadequate infrastructure due to mis-managed inflow of foreigners (the undesireable categories of FWs who depressed wages of jobs that able and willing Singaporeans may want to do, the FAKE FTs who depressed wages and took away PMET jobs than many able and willing 'older Singaporeans', and the BAD Foreign Employers (FEs) who employed FAKE FTs and not interested in developing Singaporeans to take the top jobs) by GE2016, there is no telling what will happen then!!