TR EMERITUS

Written by Our Correspondent Singapore supposedly has one of the best public healthcare systems in the world, but sick Singaporeans are having a hard time getting a place in public hospitals especially if one belongs to the lower "economic class". The waiting time for a bed at public hospitals usually stretch to hours, especially at the busy Tan Tock Seng Hospital where patients often have to wait overnight at the A&E for admission. It was reported by the media that some patients are even accommodated in beds placed in corridors till space is available in the ward. The Sunday Times reported today of a 79 year old patient Mr Wee who was rushed to a public hospital in the morning for delirium. He was registered at about 11am and at 5pm, the staff were still unable to confirm if they had bed space. He was subsequently transferred to Gleneagles Hospital where he was diagnosed to have advanced-stage liver cancer. Mr Wee's son was quoted as saying: "Not only will we not benefit from subsidies, but he is also now classified as a private patient. I've done some calculations and our bills come up to five figures. As heartlanders, it's difficult for us to afford this. What about poorer families who need the medical care but can't get a bed in a public hospital? This is a problem that is very real." The bed crunch at Singapore public hospitals is a perennial problem which is worsening due to the increase in population sparked by massive immigration. Due to the PAP's liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies, foreigners now make up 36 percent of Singapore's population, up from 14 percent in 1990. Of the remaining 64 percent who are citizens, an increasing number are born overseas. Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng revealed in Parliament lately that there were about 60,000 PRs and 20,000 new citizens last year, yet the number of public hospitals have remained at six. The chronic shortage of public hospital beds is another example of the lack of foresight of the PAP to plan well ahead and to anticipate problems before they occur. Way back in 2003, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced an ambitious plan to increase Singapore's population to 6.5 million people by 2030 via immigration. More hospitals should have been built in the meantime to accommodate for the expected increase in population. With more foreigners becoming Singapore PRs and citizens, they will exert an increasing demand on Singapore's over-stretched public healthcare resources. With no opposition in Parliament to check on the PAP and no independent media to point out their mistakes, it can afford to govern Singapore with a blank cheque and Singaporeans are now paying the price for their utter incompetence and ineptitude. Should the construction of the Khoo Teck Puat and Jurong Hospitals commence a few years ago, we will not be facing such serious problems now. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan appears clueless on how to tackle the issue other than to liberalize the use of Medisave in Malaysian hospitals. Perhaps Mr Khaw can appeal to the Malaysian government to allow Singaporeans to be treated at their public hospitals as well to ease the shortage of beds here.  Read More →

作者：南洋視界07/03/2010 新加坡讯，新加坡政府宣布，在政府组屋区设立永久居民配额。较早前，新加坡政府官员表示，实行这个配额制，是要防止新移民的群居现象。 据联合早报报道，从即日起，购买组屋的永久居民须符合这个配额，确保住在同个邻里及同座组屋的永久居民不超过5%及8%。来自马来西亚 (Malaysia) 的永久居民不受此限制，因为他们与我国公民在历史及文化上相似。 联合早报说，这项举措，是要避免许多永久居民同居一处，难以融入本地社会。 报道说，新加坡有162个组屋邻里，其中13个已超过5%永久居民配额，最高比例更达6.5%。这些邻里包括裕廊、蔡厝港、武吉巴督、三巴旺、盛港、金文泰、淡滨尼和兀兰等。 也就是说，如果永久居民要在这些邻里购买组屋，就必须向同为永久居民的屋主购屋，而不能向新加坡公民购买，以避免住在同区的永久居民不断增加。 较早前，一些新加坡的政府官员指出，新加坡实行永久居民购买组屋的配额制，是要防止新移民的群居现象，以便让新移民融入新加坡社会。 国家发展部长马宝山昨天在宣布这项立即执行的配额制时表示，虽然新移民群居现象现在还不严重，但必须采取预防措施。 海峡时报报道说，在昨天的国会辩论中，一些国会议员提出了外国人购买政府组屋的关切。 西海岸区国会议员符致镜指出，一些房地产经纪公司已经观察到这样的趋势，来自缅甸的永久居民希望购买裕廊西的政府组屋，而来自菲律宾的永久居民，希望购买武吉班让的政府组屋。 新加坡目前有50多万名永久居民，占居民人口的14%。组屋屋主当中，约5%是永久居民，其中2.8%来自马来西亚以外的国家和地区。 来源：http://www.nanyangpost.com  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent During his speech on the Budget, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam repeated the circular argument mentioned earlier by other PAP ministers like PM Lee Hsien Loong that foreign workers are needed in sectors shunned by Singaporeans: “If we had not brought them in, we would not have been able to ease the supply bottlenecks in the private property markets, build HDB flats, or expand our MRT network,” he was quoted as saying in the Straits Times. If this is really so, then why are foreigners being preferred over locals in jobs which can otherwise be taken up by them as shown by the job ad below posted on a Singapore job portal: Customer Service Assistant is an office job which Singaporeans will not shun. The pay and working hours offered by the above company at Ubi are quite reasonable and it should have not difficulties getting Singapore workers, however it is clearly indicated that ONLY Filipino need apply. Do Filipinos possess certain special skills which Singaporeans lack? What does the company need a Filipino specifically to as customer service assistants? The mainstream media kept portraying Singapore workers as being choosy about jobs such that employers have no choice but to turn to foreign workers, but the reality is that Singaporeans are being shut out of many jobs they will have no qualms doing. Singapore's labor policies are incredibly lax and allow companies to employ as many foreign workers as possible so long the dependency ratio of local to foreign workers is met. However, as "local" consists of both citizens and PRs, the rule can be easily circumvented by getting earlier arrivals to apply for Singapore PR. Obtaining Singapore PR is also amazingly easy and lax by any standards as there is no minimum period of residency needed. For example, the Professionals/Technical Personnel & Skilled Worker scheme (or simply PTS scheme) is the easiest and most assured route to Singapore PR. It’s estimated that more than 90% of the people obtain their Singapore Permanent Residence through this scheme, many of which are approved in less than a year. The key requirement under this scheme is that a foreign worker must be working in Singapore for at least six months on either an Employment Pass, Entrepreneur Pass, or S Pass. [Source: Guide me Singapore] The company above is likely to help its Filipino Customer Service Assistant apply for a PR which will free up another slot for a foreign worker. Therefore it is thereotically possible for companies to have 100% foreigners and 0% Singaporeans on its payroll! It is quite obvious from the recent "parliamentary debates" on the Budget that the PAP is either still clueless on what is happening on the ground or is acting blur to cover up its atrocious mistakes. Had the above advertisement been posted elsewhere, it would have sparked a massive public outcry with the government being forced to take action against the errant company. Singapore employers have the audacity to discriminate against Singaporeans precisely because they know they have the tacit support of the pro-foreigner PAP government. Unless Singaporeans send a strong message to the PAP in the next election, they will always be powerless second class citizens in their own country.  Read More →