On my way back home from work today, I managed to catch a SDA rally for Tampines GRC on TV mobile. Although it is just a few seconds clip, it summarize a few points that the SDA want to point out.
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Pls note that what I am saying below is my own personal opinion and it is in no other way intending to deframe any parties.
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Some points that the SDA point out in the rally:
1. Set a minimum wage for Singaporean.
2. Unemployment rate is too high.
3. Make Tampines covered with wireless network, in another sense going hightech.
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First of all, I disagree with all the three points that the SDA point out. To set a minimum wage, yes, in the short run you can increase the poor family income, BUT does it really help Singapore in the long run?? I doubt so. Setting a minimum wage will only increase a company operating cost. If you study Economics, you will know that this is inefficient! Think of the small companies in Singapore that is only earning a minimal profit. Increasing its operating cost only will make them go bust. Talking about MNCs, with the minimum wage in place, they will hesistate to come and invest in Singapore. Can they make a profit after investing so much in the worker wages?? I also doubt so. There will be a lot of job loss, which I think will affect the economy of Singapore. If you have a minimum wage, you increase the income of the poor families in Singapore. Now, they will be able to spend on things that they could not buy in the past. All these will contribute to the GDP in Singapore which ultimately will lead to an increase in inflation. Prices of everything goes up. The poor will remain poor again because of the increase in living standard.
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Moving on to the second point. Unemployment rate in Singapore is too high. There is a lot of people with no job, in fact the number is 60000 people. This is simply ridiculous! Every economy will have a natural unemployment rate. If you can find a country with ZERO unemployed people, pls tell me so, I will gladly chop my head off for you (just kidding). Even in a good economy, people will still get retrenched, this is ineviltable. In fact unemployment rate of 2.4% (if I did not remember wrongly) is quite good already. Take for example the European countries, they have a unemployment rate much higher than Singapore, and the people unemployed is counted in millions!! Not sixty thousands......Yes they may have a good social programme in place that take care of the unemployed, but is this good? People not working are not contributing to the country economy, in fact they are a burden. PAP is already doing a good job with this problem. Look at the job career fairs being organized now and then. Look at the job retraining programme that is already in place. It doesn't help if the unemployed people do not want to help themselves by going to these programmes.
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Third point, making Tampines high tech. This point is too hard to reach. It would require a huge amount of resources. Do SDA have that kind of money? Or should I say, who have to bare the burden to make this plan in place? The people in Tampines?? Connecting Tampines with wireless broadband? Haha, who owns a laptop nowadays? So expensive! Even when I am in university now, laptop is still not a necessity for my course!
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Haha this is such a long post. I wonder when can they suggest a opposing plan to PAP that can managed to catch my attention.......