areshaonline - Latest Comments

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

SpiritOfSG — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:28 -0000

that not true, we also true, this will only happened if we have a tdr of 2.1 then our tfr and tdr will cancel each other out and if these are constant throughout all the years. if we can turn back time perhaps thing will definitely be different...

Re: So You Think The New Singapore Coins Suck? Then Let’s Redesign It, Singapore Style.

Aresha G.K — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 05:16:47 -0000

How? Designed a set already? ;)

Re: So You Think The New Singapore Coins Suck? Then Let’s Redesign It, Singapore Style.

Aresha G.K — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 05:16:23 -0000

I read on a site that coins have a shelf-life of 35 years. So that probably means at year 25 they introduce a new design to phase out the old designs. As for the redesign, it probably becomes easier to identify the new from the old for recycling.

But I definitely agree that the new design pales in comparison to the last 3 sets we've had in circulation! It was definitely unique, these new ones are far too similar to the euro which is a popular and well known set of coins to be confused with.

Re: So You Think The New Singapore Coins Suck? Then Let’s Redesign It, Singapore Style.

Singapore-loves-nobody — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:56:30 -0000

you left Singapore but you complain proficiently, just as if you were back home in Sg. you must be a natural at this. *wink *wink.

Re: So You Think The New Singapore Coins Suck? Then Let’s Redesign It, Singapore Style.

Sophie Rodrigues — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:32:27 -0000

Hahaha, I don't care if it looks like Euro or Malaysia, I care about the weight in my pockets. The 50p coins are already a knockout! :D But still worth a try to design. Doing it on my Mac Pro now.

Re: So You Think The New Singapore Coins Suck? Then Let’s Redesign It, Singapore Style.

areshaonline — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:33:50 -0000

Thanks! upload it as #SG1COIN if you can't add the $ sign. Think it only works on some instagram apps. tag me @areshaonline :)

Re: So You Think The New Singapore Coins Suck? Then Let’s Redesign It, Singapore Style.

Almondsfast — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:03:30 -0000

Hey I wanted to upload something I made, but instagram doesn't allow $ in the hashtag.... :(

Re: So You Think The New Singapore Coins Suck? Then Let’s Redesign It, Singapore Style.

Michael Sim — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:57:26 -0000

Why fix somethig that is not broken? I have no complaints with the existing coins, years into circulation and doing fine... We did the same silly mistakes on our Notes when the Head was featured... why cant we stick with the Orchids, Birds or the Ship series? It made us very Unique back then

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Gavroche — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:32:40 -0000

A great deal of blame has been placed on our very low TFR for getting us into the present situation. If we could turn the clock back to 1982 when the resident population was 2.365 million. Let's for argument's sake assume that somehow we could manage a constant TFR of 2.1 (replacement rate) between then and the present day. Our resident population would still remain below 3 million. What sort of excuse would they then use in the White Paper to justify a boost of population to 6.9 million?

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Rocketgirl__ — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:24:17 -0000

I can't stand this talk of nationalism or patriotism. No country is one man's country. The world is changing. Culture - whatever that means - is no longer restricted to pre-defined borders. Imagine every person in the world "standing up" to their landscape that they can't recognize anymore. This landscape is everybody's. Enough with over-jealous "us" who desperatly cling to "their" borders.

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Rocketgirl — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:22:59 -0000

I can't stand this talk of nationalism or patriotism. No country is one man's country. The world is changing. Culture - whatever that means - is no longer restricted to pre-defined borders. Imagine every person in the world "standing up" to their landscape that they can'r recognize anymore. This landscape is everybody. Enough with over-jealous "us" who desperatly cling to "their" borders.

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Newbie — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:58:46 -0000

Hi, I have a question about your comparison chart. In the columns for 1962 and 1972, the data seems to have a problem. How is it possible that the number of residents in 1962 and 1972 is greater than the entire population?

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Jambreak — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:43:35 -0000

Is the COE a hidden tax?
Is there an incidence of a hidden tax when low and middle income Singaporeans pay up to S$400K for a 4-room HDB flat that costs S$50K to build? Add in the required mortgage costs and the amount balloons to approx. S$800K.

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Jambreak — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:32:06 -0000

I humbly suggest that you learn lots more on economics and politics before spending so much time supporting a bogus document.

You look downright silly to suggest that the White Paper prescription will avoid recessions. Then you contradict yourself that the prescribed solution which calls for a greater population will actually solve current over-population issues and a reliance on migrant workers - this is an absolute WTF statement to make!

Do you actually believe what you are writing?

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Jambreak — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:31:56 -0000

It is obvious that you lack a firm understanding of what a White Paper is and its purpose. Please check. Then double check.

Any planner will always have alternative choices as well as backup plans should the chosen option fail to deliver the desired goods.

Additionally, the PAPzis have a checkered history of ramming down painful doses of policies that disaffect the lives of the low and middle income in Singapore. This policy seems to be headed down the same road.

Why would anyone even believe 20% of what is written in this sham of a document? This document deserves a 'fail' if it was submitted for marking. Listen -there were no alternative views! There were very little facts that helped to back up the notion that a 6.9M population in 2030 would be THE SOLUTION to TFT and ageing issues.

And since you are in UK, please do some reading and an image search for "BUF UK".

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Jambreak — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:12:57 -0000

It's a poorly thought out paper let alone being a White Paper. It is wholly lacking in facts and is abundant with rhetoric and grand-mother soothe sayings.

Whoever wrote the document and approved should never be allowed to again waste the time of a large portion of the country.

The fact that alternative solutions and a look at the root cause of the issues are missing from the document should tell all that this is a poorly thought and written document.

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Jambreak — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:09:46 -0000

The White Paper like any other White Paper is meant to provide specifics and to allow for discussion. If this White Paper was not meant to provide specifics but rather a guide then it's idiotic to use the term.

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Jambreak — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:06:52 -0000

Where is the proof that increasing the population in the manner prescribed will provide a viable solution? What is the root cause of the problem with respect to TFT and why is it not mentioned? As long as you accord GDP as the panacea then your entire essay is a waste of time.

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Noemail — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:41:40 -0000

Why you taking about the white paper when you living an american dream in london? Anyway I agree with some of your points, the white paper states what is important for us to see, but do we see the REAL need for Singapore current situation? Is to bond Singaporeans, will it be 1 day in the 50s where riots happen, racial disharmony and no progress for the nation?

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Jasmine Pavalam — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:26:22 -0000

I think the unique situation here is that increases the speculative effect on *public subsidised housing*. If I'm not wrong there's a lot of curbs on property ownership and mortgage loans for non citizen all over the world and this is in private property ownership. Subsidised housing is definitely not extended to non-citizens. We do have a real situation of one half of a couple retaining their foreign citizenship and the other getting PR/Citizenship to be eligible for HDB flats. After the minimum occupation period they flip the property and leave. Also again we need to examine carefully the difference between a fluif mobile transient workforce (Work permits holders, S Pass holders and Employment Pass Holders) and Permanent residents who are entitled to similar benefits to citizens but with the option to leave.

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Jasmine Pavalam — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:57:33 -0000

Hi Sha,

I appreciate where you're coming from but I feel like you're looking at the data and correlating all over the place.

I think a lot of the online discourse is people venting it may seem like xenophobia is the largest issue in the 6.9 million target. But Singaporeans have real concerns with this policy direction which was rammed throuh parliament in 5 days.

First the assumptions the paper are founded on are.. tenous to say the least with regard to the dependecy ratio and why we need to top up 2 million people. I'm not sure if you're familiar with ponzi demographics but you may find this an interesting read. http://www.theglobalist.com...

Secondly it has not borne out that high GDP growth fuelled by increasing the labour market has benefitted residents or even the foreign labour pool. Its an unsustainable policy and cheap labour pools will dry out as China, India and other emerging markets grow and increase their per capital GDP.

Some points I'd like to address:

1. WE WERE FOUNDED AND SUSTAINED
FROM DAY ONE ON THE BASIS OF FOREIGN MIGRANTS

No argument there, but we are no longer a fishing
village with a population of 10 683 (census 1824) we are a built up, highly
urban city state, with the world’s highest population density. There’s a limit to
what we can sustain (infrastructure and national character wise) If we’re
throwing out random figures then in 1980 (the heyday of high growth, high wage
growth and high interest rates) 78% of the resident population was Singapore
born. I think we shouldn’t muddy the waters by confusing policy criticism with rightful
criticism of xenophobia and the attendant short sightedness.

THE WHITE PAPER HAS PROPOSED
TO SLOW DOWN THE VOLUME OF FOREIGN MIGRANTS TO THE LOWEST EVER IN
THE HISTORY OF SINGAPORE, BECAUSE IF WE CONTINUED HOW WE’VE HAVE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, WE’D BE SEVERELY OVERPOPULATED BY 2020

OUR IMMENSE GDP GROWTH HAS NEVER BEEN SUPPORTED ON A TOTAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF LOCAL SINGAPOREANS

WE MAY HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST GDP PER CAPITA IN THE WORLD BUT THAT’S NOT A REAL REFLECTIVE VERSION OF WHERE WE ARE AT BASED ON A PURE SINGAPOREAN WORKFORCE

Point 2 & 3: As my figures are from Singstats breakdowns pre 2006 are hard come by
but we saw average of 1.5% population growth in the 80’s which jumped to 3.1%
in 2009. In real numbers that’s 2.413 mil vs 4.987 mil..in a state that is 732.2
sq km.

Our non resident workforce has increase 190% from 1990. So we have 2 separate things to
consider, increasing the resident population (citizens & PR) via increasing
the rate of immigration as proposed in the White Paper and the rate of foreign labour
pool growth.

The first I assume is a political solution, to maintain that these sacrifices are made for
*Singaporeans*, this goes to the character, culture and ideals of a nation.

Point 3 & 4: The second, the import of cheap foreign labour has depressed wage
growth, which is negative for some sectors factoring in inflation and has
disincentivised innovation and productivity gains. IIRC our total productivity
is declining. And you’re right our median household income has not seen much
growth (btw you may want to note household income from work per member includes
employer and employee CPF contribution meaning the gross take home pay would 36%
less per member depending on contribution rate)

But that’s precisely it, it’s rather putting the cart before the horse isn’t it? To fuel
GDP growth by any means even if it doesn’t actually improve the lives of the
resident or heck non-resident population. I mean yes corporations will profit
from having larger markets but MNC repatriate their profits and their wage
share in SG is notoriously low compared to investor share exacerbating our
income disparity issue. We will continue to subsidise unsustainable,
uncompetitive and unproductive SMEs with the endless cheap labour pool. Cost
may rise slower, but as we’ve seen wages also stagnate and there’s a huge
social cost.

Can we not pursue lower GDP growth with a stable population size ala our promised first
world standard of living (Switzerland) in which case the White Paper focus
should have natalist policies rather than immigration. Cost will increase but
so will wages and we will have to adjust but we’d see a better standard of
living. Alternatively maintain a large transient workforce like now but slow
down the import of foreign labour and go for the Qatari model.

DESPITE OUR BRAGGING RIGHTS, WE STILL HAVE THE LOWEST GDP IN ASIA. WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO LEARN FROM OUR PAST AND GROW

I’m not sure what the point is here, we will never overtake say China in the size of oureconomy
because we do not have 1.2 billion people. However our GDP (PPP) per
capita is 3rd in the world and highest in Asia but due to income
inequality it remains out of the hands of the 1-90th percentile.

YES, WE ARE THE MOST POPULATED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, BUT FURTHERING
THIS NUMBER TO 6.9M HAS TO BE OUT OF THE QUESTION DUE TO THE SOCIAL
IMPLICATIONS OF OVERPOPULATION

They are proposing to increase our population by 2 million people, I do not have the
expertise to analyse our population growth rates over all our immigration booms
but they are not slowing down.

OUR FIRST (AND BIGGEST) SLUMP IN BIRTH RATES WAS DUE TO THE PAP’S
ENFORCEMENT OF THE TWO-CHILD STERILIZATION POLICY, BUT IT MADE US AN
INTELLIGENT SOCIETY THAT NEEDS TO BE APPRECIATED

Education made us an educated society (intelligent is debatable), women entering the workforce the move away from low end manufacturing and productivity gains from tech and automation made us rich, this in line with every other developed nation slowed TFR and delayed childrearing. I don’t doubt stop at 2 had some effect but if you note we’re still littering and that
campaign has been on forever. Frankly this policy was extremely short sighted
given the trends in other developing nations at the time.

THE PROPERTY BOOM IN 1994 MAY HAVE LEAD TO THE SECOND SIGNIFICANT
DROP IN POPULATION WHICH MEANS WE ARE AFFECTED BY HIGH HOUSING COSTS AND NEED THIS ADDRESSED

Our TFR was relatively stable in the 90 then at 1.83 an increase over the 80’s then dropping
to 1.60 in 2000 and sharply to 1.15 in 2010. This trend is consistent in
developed nations without strong natalist / pro family policies. While the cost
of housing is definitely a factor I’d be careful to draw a causal link to the
property boom in the mid 90’s because this is also the end of the fercund
period for the post war baby boomers.

OUR ‘NATIVE’ POPULATION WILL BEGIN TO ‘INVERT’ IN THE NEXT
THREE DECADES IF WE DON’T MAKE CALCULATED STEPS TO STRIKE A CAREFUL
BALANCE BETWEEN OUR BIRTH RATES AND MIGRANT RATES

At the crux of the matter is the Total dependency ratio – but do we need 5.9 working adults
for each retired person? Why? Won’t we be working longer by then? Are we not
expecting any productivity gains? Have we taken into account the economic
landscape over the next 20 years, exploited emerging industries, further
automation etc.

I think the fundamentals are unexamined but Alex Au has a far more eloquent analysis here:

http://yawningbread.wordpre...

10. ARE WE READY FOR A TRULY SINGAPOREAN ECONOMY?

I think the point for most of us is that the perks of high GDP growth has not trickled down.
We have a structural economic problem that is not being examined.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: THERE IS NO QUICK FIX. ONLY A GRADUAL ONE TO TRANSFORM
SINGAPORE INTO A MORE SINGAPOREAN ECONOMY. WE CAN’T CHANGE THIS SUDDENLY FOR
THE BENEFIT OF NATION-BUILDING WITHOUT CAUSING A HUGE FINANCIAL CATASTROPHE

So keep it stable. I agree with MP Inderjit Singh, moratorium on immigration policy until we examine all facets of this debate.

For me personally, reduce GDP growth targets 0.5 – 1%, the 14% growth we saw in 2011
by massively importing foreign labour saw a net wage decline for the bottom 20%.

Focus on natalist pro family policies – subsidised childcare like Frances crèche system,
flexi work hours, government matched child/education accounts, affordable
public housing, continue on education reform etc. We have to focus on being a
livable city, one where you can afford to and would want to raise your children
and while parenting is hard, it should economically not wipe you.

For the labour force encourage more resident women and retirees back to workforce
(especially if we’re living till 80’s) encourage job sharing and restructuring,
flexi hours, extend the retirement age for the life expectancy of each
demographic tranche. Explore new industries that are knowledge based, increase
automation effort and force SMEs into real productivity gains. SMEs form some
90+ % of the SG economies, some will need to fold or consolidate. We shouldn’t
allow companies to privatise profit and socialise costs via Workfare and the
like.

We have the business support, physical and legal infrastructure, ideal
geo-political position and a highly educated workforce, businesses and FDI is
not going to exit en masse, its a bogeyman.

Revenue wise look at capital gains tax, increase corporate and personal income tax.
Re-examine regressive consumer tax such as GST as it disproportionately hits
our bottom 20%.

But overall
I think the White Paper got in wrong on focusing on the population required for
GDP growth targets rather than figuring what GDP growth we should target for
quality of life and how we intend to arrest income inequality.

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Aresha G.K — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:53:11 -0000

Hi Little Miss Funn, but this is something that all countries allow. As long as you're on a work permit (resident), you can buy eligible property. Is the problem when foreigners are allowed to buy without being a resident?

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Jasmine Pavalam — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:39:31 -0000

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Roy — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:23:27 -0000

Chen Show Mao spent a huge deal of time in China before coming back to SG to serve. Maybe you should do the same #justsaying

Re: The White Paper – 10 Things Every Singaporean Should Think About

Little Miss Funn — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 09:51:49 -0000

What about allowing foreigners to buy only after a year of being PR, and within 3 years of occupancy, they need to decide if they will settle down in Sg for good, giving up their citizenship in their home country? This way, we wouldn't have people coming here to be PR, live in their houses for 5 years, sell their houses, make a profit and leave the country...