Sunday, May 15, 2011
Survey - Open letter to the Prime Minister
Here are the views of 30 people who responded to Tan Kin Lian's open letter to the Prime Minister. TKL website.
Personal rapid transport (PRT)
The PRT is a concept that has been discussed for several decades. With the advance of computer technology and the emphasis on green energy, this concept is now right for implementation. Read this article.
Survey: LKY and GCT to leave cabinet
How do you feel about their decision to leave the cabinet? Survey.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Transparency of Government
A Singaporean, who has migrated to Australia and continued to visit Singapore regularly, made this observation about transparency of Government.
In Australia, there is a free media that is willing to criticize government decisions that they consider to be bad. The academics, i.e. university professors, are also willing to argue the issues independently.The ministers had to go on television and radio to defend their policies against critics.
He observed that some of the statements made by ministers in Singapore would never survive the debate in Australia.
He made research on certain issues and found it difficult to get the relevant statistics in Singapore. In Australia,t he statistics are produced by an independent agency, are available at a detailed level and are not controlled by the government. The quality of the statistics are much better than in Singapore.
When he first migrated to Australia, he felt that Australia would give a better future for his family. After 40 years, he still felt the same, although the conditions in the two countries had changed considerably. He like the openness, transparency and accountability found in Australia.
Tan Kin Lian
In Australia, there is a free media that is willing to criticize government decisions that they consider to be bad. The academics, i.e. university professors, are also willing to argue the issues independently.The ministers had to go on television and radio to defend their policies against critics.
He observed that some of the statements made by ministers in Singapore would never survive the debate in Australia.
He made research on certain issues and found it difficult to get the relevant statistics in Singapore. In Australia,t he statistics are produced by an independent agency, are available at a detailed level and are not controlled by the government. The quality of the statistics are much better than in Singapore.
When he first migrated to Australia, he felt that Australia would give a better future for his family. After 40 years, he still felt the same, although the conditions in the two countries had changed considerably. He like the openness, transparency and accountability found in Australia.
Tan Kin Lian
Do you hear the people sing?
This song, taken from Les Miserables, echoes the anger of a people who suffers for the unfairness and hardship of life. Does it apply to Singapore?
http://blog.dk.sg/2011/05/06/do-you-hear-the-people-sing-singing-a-song-of-angry-men/
http://blog.dk.sg/2011/05/06/do-you-hear-the-people-sing-singing-a-song-of-angry-men/
Stagnant wages
A Singaporean who migrated to Australia 40 years ago told me this story. In 1987, he saw an advertisement in a shop in Toa Payoh for an assistant, that offered a salary of $1,200 a month. He proudly told his friends in Australia that Singapore was making good progress and the salaries would soon catch up with Australia. But, the situation did not improve as expected.
Instead of going up, salaries had remained stagnant (and had actually declined) over the past 25 years. If Singapore had made progress, the salary for a shop assistant should be $3,000 today - allowing for the change in cost of living. Instead of improving, the wages had stagnated. Many Singaporeans are being squeezed by the rising cost of living and stagnant wages.
Tan Kin Lian
Instead of going up, salaries had remained stagnant (and had actually declined) over the past 25 years. If Singapore had made progress, the salary for a shop assistant should be $3,000 today - allowing for the change in cost of living. Instead of improving, the wages had stagnated. Many Singaporeans are being squeezed by the rising cost of living and stagnant wages.
Tan Kin Lian
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