TR EMERITUS

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of private housing developments all over Singapore. And as land becomes more scarce, we start to see housing developments on very small plots of land, as well as the clearing of forests and pockets of greenery to build more swanky condominiums. It is many residents' concern that with no added amenities, when these housing developments are fully occupied, the crowds at MRT stations and existing amenities will get worse. Many who buy private housing are investors. But Singapore is too small a place to grant every upper- and upper-middle-class Singaporean a chance to invest in property, at least not at the expense of losing our precious greenery, heritage and personal space. I urge the Government to limit the sale of land parcels for private housing developments, to allow for sufficient green lungs in a densely populated concrete city and to preserve areas of heritage value. Also, more land parcels should be reserved for HDB flats, to fulfil basic housing needs. Government measures have worked to cool the private residential property market, resulting in many unsold units in some developments. Developers have also delayed the launch of projects. This is a waste of resources, especially land that could have been reserved for other more pressing needs. Edwin Lim * Letter first appeared in ST Forum, 10 June 2014, "Curb sale of land for private housing".  Read More →

I came across the following post that got me thinking how much does one need to survive in modern day Singapore: [Link:  '...Singaporeans are not really struggling'] The CIMB Cost of Living survey suggests that 87% of households can save between 20-50% of their monthly income and are not really struggling. It suggests that only 13% of households are struggling. This report is in line with the MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) 2013 Financial Stability Report. The bottom-line in both: An overwhelming majority of Singaporeans are not overstretched, cost of living is manageable and they are not on the brink of hardship. CIMB's Cost of Living Survey (Source: Singapore Business Review) I find this very much at odds to what I have observed and been told by the people I meet. Is it possible that I have some sort of 'Indian Sign' on my head, because I only seem to be meeting this 13%, and almost never the majority 87%? Or is this another example of the type of inaccurate data that the Govt conveniently uses to dictate policy? It's very easy to look only at the data and statistics and govern according to it. It's a lot harder work to explore and investigate further and get a more accurate picture on the ground. I am no economist but I do know what is necessary for the common man to get by in Singapore. As such I've reached a figure of $2,000 a month for a single person (male or female) to survive without having to overstretch and struggle. I said single, not married or married with kids. The single person is the lowest common denominator. If circumstances were to change for him or her, I believe the $2,000 will also not be sufficient. So let's examine how much a single person earning $2,000 spends in order to survive. I'll start by using very conservative figures - using a man (I think women need to spend more), who's single and lives with his parents, and say has 1 other sibling also living in the family home.  His $2k is spent on the following: Salary - $2,000 Less 20% CPF New Balance: $1,600 Transport: $5 a day for work = $100 Meals: 2 meals (during work) x 20 days @ $10 a day = $400 Handphone @ $2 a day = $60 New Balance: $1,040 Since he's living in the family home, he'll have to contribute a bit. So he pays: $200 to his mother for meals, etc $100 to pay for 1 of the utility bills. New Balance:  $740 So based on this very conservative figures, he should have around $700 left to get by for the month. But we must add a few more very obvious missing details. Since it's only calculated on him working a 5 day week job, you cannot expect him not to go out or do something on the weekends, plus he still needs to eat. Furthermore the meal cost above does not include eating dinner outside, rather eating at home after every work day. 8 weekend meals at $15: $120 Transport for 8 weekends at $8: $64 New Balance: $556 So there you have it: a person earning $2,000 can save over or nearly $500 a month, well within the figures given by CIMB and MAS. So how can people say that they are struggling? Nonsense isn't it? Yes these figures are accurate, but only if everyone lives life this simply under some sort of North Korean Communist rule. A young man goes to work, comes home after work, always uses public transport for his travels and does not do anything else. But is this the life of an ordinary Singaporean? Do all parents cook meals for their children every single work day? Should every single person stay indoors all the time and have no avenues for entertainment? Going back to my figures to add a little more: Transport: How many times a month do you feel so tired after work, and cannot bear the anguish of fighting your way home from crowds on trains and buses? Or if he's late for work? Say this person does it 2 or 3x a month (another minimum). He needs to spend another $40 on taxi fares. Food: Does he always spend just $10, eating the same meals, say 'Economical Rice' or Chicken Rice? Surely not, he will spend more on some days, it's only normal to do so. If we average it at an extra $3 per work day, that's another $60. And say his mother doesn't cook every work day, he needs to spend say another $6 per week on dinner, so another $24. New balance: $556 - $40 - $60 - $24 = $432. This $432 is still conservative, we are talking of a man who doesn't have any entertainment. No going to Clark Quay, no dining in fancy restaurants and no girlfriend even. And we are talking of just $5 for travelling to work. It can be much more depending on how far he needs to travel. And this is living with parents, who provide him meals and him giving just $200. If they don't, his meals will cost far more, in fact $10 I quoted, is usually not enough for 2 proper meals outside in coffee-shops or hawker centres. If you take the normal unmarried average working man, that balance of $432 will evaporate easily. He probably has to pay more to use his computer or if he wants to watch cable TV. He may have to pay more for the family bills. He may fall sick and need to see the doctor. He may need to bring his parents out for normal stuff like going to the temple, church, visiting relatives and marketing. All these things add up. And we have not even talked of him having a girlfriend. If this was the average woman, we need to consider things she needs to do for her physical maintenance - hairdressers and some basic shopping. I haven't even figured in going out with a girlfriend or friends, or some shopping for personal grooming or having to attend birthday parties and weddings. For sure the $2,000 earning average man is not living in total hardship, but he's not living like a Duke either. It might just be enough, just under or just over depending on lifestyle. But consider this - How many young adults are earning $2,000 a month? Especially with influx of foreign workers taking away middle management jobs. And this $2,000 man is single and living with parents. What happens if he's married or living on his own? Or married with kids? Say his wife also somehow manages to earn $2,000, will the $4,000 be enough to run the family? If the $2,000 man cannot save even 10% of his salary, can a married man do so? We are talking here of their combined CPF contributions being enough to pay for their flat. What if it's insufficient? What about kids? What if their parents also need support? Is $2,000 enough? The CIMB survey and MAS reports look very rosy but how accurate is it? If the Govt doesn't bring down housing prices and does nothing to stop foreigners eating away at middle class jobs, sooner or later even the $2,000 average single man will not be able to cope. Say what they want and come out with whatever statistics, the stark reality is that many Singaporeans are teetering on the verge of hardship. Unless of course they want us to live a North Korean type of lifestyle - work and slog until the day you die. Sir Nelspruit * The author blogs at Anyhow Hantam.  Read More →

Blogger Roy Ngerng who is being sued by PM Lee for defamation has given an update today (14 Jun) of the donations he has received from the public [Link]. On Tuesday (10 Jun), Roy's employer Tan Tock Seng Hospital sacked him ('Tan Tock Seng Hospital dismisses Roy Ngerng'). TTSH said, “Mr Ngerng’s conduct was incompatible with the values and standards we expect of our employees. While our staff are free to pursue their personal interests outside work, they must conduct themselves properly, honourably and with integrity." "In particular, they cannot defame someone else without basis, which essentially means knowingly stating a falsehood to the public." In his blog post, Roy said, "It has been a much busy week. I needed to take some time to rest the mind." He added, "I have finally managed to put together this next update on the funds raised thus far. We reached the target of $70,000 for the legal fees four days after the fund raising began. There are still some funds coming in." Roy revealed that a total of $107,769 has been raised thus far: A pre-trial conference between Roy and PM Lee has been scheduled for 4 July 2014. The court case will be decided at a later date. "We are $37,769 in excess at this point. The funds will be set aside for any legal costs orders (if) made against me during the court proceedings by the court for me to pay the opposing sides legal cost if I lose any (interlocutory) applications in court. We have currently stopped putting out an active appeal for funds but if the funds continue coming in, I will be open and transparent with them and publish them, so as to be accountable," Roy said. Roy also said he has received many well-wishes from people with some even giving cash in hongbaos:     "Thank you for this!" Roy said. He said that he would only be able to know the actual amount of damages after the court case is over. Based on past cases, the damages could go above $200,000, Roy said. "Many people have been asking about me. I am doing well. Next steps, I might need to rest for a while before I look for a next job. I do thank everyone for your support and encouragement. It keeps me strong, knowing that everyone is keeping your spirits strong and that we are keeping the conversation on our CPF going," he said. "It is a positive development for Singapore that we are now taking an active interest in the CPF and the management of our country. I believe that one day soon, we can work together to create a more equal and fairer society in Singapore, for the greater good of our nation and our people." Meanwhile, TOC reported that a 76-year-old lady begged her MP Hri Kumar to help her get her CPF money back ('Old lady begs Hri Kumar to get her CPF money back'), during a dialogue organized by MP Hri Kumar at Thompson Community Centre this morning (14 Jun). The forum, titled “CPF – An Honest Conversation: Public Dialogue with Thomson-Toa Payoh Residents”, was hosted by Hri Kumar, PAP MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC and was supposedly open to residents of his ward only. The elderly lady, who does not have any dependents, being a spinster, spoke up on the CPF issue and begged that her CPF money be returned to her. At one point, she was in tears. “What I want is my money back and I want to arrange for my funeral and I want to arrange for my rice and I want to arrange for a nice settlement. Can I have it?” the old lady said. “That’s all I want. Give me back my money. CPF, give me back my money. And make it as soon as possible. Because 76, I won’t be able to live," she added.  Read More →