Singaporeans must feel special about being citizens
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Apr 12, 2012 - ST Forum
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong said one of his main concerns about Singapore is the divide between Singaporeans and new arrivals ('PM Lee flags two worries'; last Thursday).
This divide, if allowed to widen, may become Singapore's Achilles' heel if it is not managed properly.
It is only natural that Singaporeans have such anxieties as the men serve two years of national service and are liable for annual reservist training, while foreigners enjoy the fruits of stability without having to make such sacrifices.
For Singaporeans to complete national service, and to then see foreign scholarship recipients enjoying free education and competing for housing and jobs, adds to their anxiety.
While the Government has heeded calls to prioritise Singaporeans after last May's General Election, more can be done to address these anxieties.
These measures need not be drastic but should be wide-reaching in our daily lives, so that Singaporeans can feel special about their citizenship.
Some suggestions include differential pricing for citizens, those who have done national service, permanent residents and foreigners, on daily necessities such as transport, utilities and town council service and conservancy charges.
As a country, we have reached a point where foreigners must be part of the talent pool for Singapore to succeed.
While we acknowledge and accept this, let us not create a generation of disenfranchised Singaporeans who no longer feel for Singapore.
Otherwise, whatever economic success we have achieved will be a pyrrhic victory.
Elgar Lee
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Singaporeans are already treated specially mah
1) CPF: Singapore is not a welfare state; little welfare should be given so that Singaporeans do not develop crutch mentality. Yet CPF has to be enforced because Singaporeans do not know how to save :)
2) Casino: Singaporeans are a priviledged lot. They have to pay to even enter the casino.
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Proud because there is a very good social security system, good pay, good govt and throw in a we leave your dying body alone.WoW!
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oh yeah squeeze my balls and make me feel special
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Yeah we're special coz we're a minority in our own country
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I feel specially cheated.
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Originally posted by βÎτά:
I feel specially cheated.
by who?
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;
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very special..
some of the health benefits never kena taken away while they took it away from the PRs...
somehow, that's supposed to make us feel better?
or just piss off the PRs?
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got special meh?
more like kenna pawn
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feel special becos sg is special?
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Feel special because we have a sissy useless bum PM! Feel special because the useless sissy PM constantly allow more foreigners in this land.
Feel special because the useless PM of no PM calibre getting highest pay in the world of politics. Pui! Lee Hsien loong go eat shit!
Never wanna spare thoughts for the locally born, only interested in talking nuisance to antagonize the locals. Bo Lor Yong sissy toad LHL!
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they want us to feel special and yet they erect policies to punish their citizens... simple things like giving scholarships to overseas people instead of putting singaporeans on priorities list showing they have more faith in foreigners than singaporeans... and now they want us to feel special? wow... they want to poke your backside and psycho you to feel good about it...
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of cos i feel special
i feel so special every time i go out
i feel so international baby, surrounded by a plethora of foreigners
makes me feel so special in the oni few true blue singaporeans left in singapore
so special yo!
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...
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Special? Or especially disadvantaged? If they do not make you feel 2nd class compared to foreigners- good enough! PLEASE Save the "specials" for themselves! When foreigners (and that includes PRs)have similar priorities for schools , given generous scholarships, have better chances for jobs, can even enbloc your homes( as they have the same rights as locals) what's there for the Singaporeans to feel this is home? It's just a place to work as hard as you can, build your nest egg quickily and move on wherever/whenever the grass is greener-just like the foreigners who come here! Enough crap and wayangs from politicians!
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Singaporeans must work hard to get rid of PAP and install native chinese, malay or indian as leader.
I will support a leader who respects local Singapore culture and not alien or ex colonial cultures.
Those who use excuses and pretexts to suppress local culture and promote alien or ex colonial cultures to serve self interests and make propaganda saying it is for common interest, I will expose them as fraud and oppose them to the end.
Those who are not chinese but want to pretend to be chinese to con people must also be opposed. These people are the most dangerous because naive people will get fooled by them.
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Do it to rid the one who said this. See no point to waste our money on such a useless PM
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a very expensive PM that dunno much.
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Dunno much but pretend he knows. Besides this, he is too arrogant to be a humble leader to accept his and his party's weaknesses to change for the better.
Dunno much and useless and dare makes so much noise about the citizens talk about them getting highest paid.
Umm chai bai! Beyong recovery!
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some person who is so out of touch with the ground
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Leaders must have empathy with the people. Unfortunately leaders here can only understand a circumstance /problem only when it personally affect a member of their own family. E.g when an MP's child is autustic, then he or she will understand the plight of such kids and champion their cause, When some VIP ' s grandchild can't cope with Mandarin then they understand why some parents want their kids to go to international school and then abroad..Very sad! very sad that citizens must pray to God Almighty that whatever misfortunes befall them, it must also befall on their leaders ...so that something is done for them!
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He and his gang already start singing the wrong tunes.
Now, they singing to themselves and self-admiring on how good they are.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1195039/1/.html
I laughed out loud when I see the above news.
Before he made the statement about productivity, please ask himself what his gang have produced.
More MRT Breakdown ?
More bus drivers removing human on the road ?
More ponding in other area of Singapore ?
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Singapore's plunging fertility rate already confers her indigenous people the "special" status of being on the endangered species list.
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i feel very special..
so special we should all join the special olympics