Response to GCT dismissal of economic proposal by ex-aide

Snisneves SG

Response to SM Goh’s dismissal of economic proposal by ex-aide

Extracted this following writeup from Shareinvestor.com
Today:

Marine Parader

One of the comments:

Yi Zhu Liew

Hi Mr Goh, I read your comment in ST actually but decided to come and post
here to give you a perspective.

This is really from my heart because my family wouldn’t want any of this out
here in this way.

All my family members had voted for PAP throughout every single election. My
grandmother was highly active in the women’s wing from its formation till
her death and had nothing but good words to say abt its leaders and their
dedication. We grew up hearing those stories.

I can say my household are white collared folks – well, originally at least.
My mum got retrenched in 2009 after working almost 30 years for the same
bank. Right after retrenchment aged in her late 50s, she cannot find any
other job. It’s almost heartbreaking seeing her waking up every morning at
8am and faithfully sending out PDFs (yes, she is PC-literate and had to
learn so much of the gizmos on her own) after PDFs to any employer that she
can find on the newspapers, online etc. She had even signed up for e2i,
NTUC, NE district..whatever.
NTUC in particular, held a job matching programme and told her to turn up at
10am but saw her only at 5pm. For almost the whole day, she sat there not
daring to leave just in case she loses her place in the queue, not eating
lunch. Unfortunately, it resulted in nothing.

All that she has yet to do is probably go and see the MP. So for 2 years
now, that’s her routine.

Initially, she came across adverts put up by hospitals for patient admin
clerks. She applied for that but heard nothing from them. When she went to
the same hospital for her medical appt, she saw Filipinos manning the very
same counter for which the job advert was placed and upon enquiring, found
out they were recruited +/- the same time as she had applied.

What are we to think? The only job she could find was a data entry clerk -
and this, we are talking of an ex-VP of a bank. So she swallowed her humble
pie and took it. To her horror, the supervisor of the data entry pool is a
Filipino! What’s happening here? You mean to say, there are no Singaporeans
who are able to work as a Supervisor? I think therein, my mother felt
betrayed and if she doesn’t, I would feel so on her behalf. Regardless, she
ploughed on. This as a contract staff with no benefits whatsoever such as
medical leave (something that’s so basic). When she has the flu, a cough,
whatever, she worries for her daily-rated job.

I’ve told her to give up, don’t do cos it’s so miserly- $4/hr, but she says,
she doesn’t know what else to do and if she doesn’t work, she would really
be very bored. For your added benefit, this job was found not thru’ any of
the aid agencies but on her own. Even so, it’s nothing secure. The projects
come and go for a few weeks. A sprinkling here and a little there. By the
time she takes the bus and MRT to her workplace, I really don’t know why she
bothers.
Are we the only ones suffering like that? No. My mother also had her peers
who were similarly retrenched by the same bank. They too, have found jobs
such as night-time taxi driver, food court supervisor (sounds nice but it is
actually i/c of clearing tables and spit).

Why are things like these happening? I am sorry for this long rant here but
I hope that you do not sugar coat what is happening, the painful examples
that abound. So maybe my mother is now the 420,001th blue-collared worker
but she at least, would hope that maybe what Mr Tan says has merit so she
can continue to work in the capacity that she has trained for.

BTW, this is not about money – she had left the bank with compensation, but
it’s about your sense of worth as a human being…sometimes u wonder if all
u are capable for is clearing a plate on the table or punching in mindless
numbers.

Therein lies the daily torture. I am finding my feet in the working world
but now, I worry a lot about my own future. After a degree and all this,
don’t tell me one fine day I have to eat the same humble pie and settle for
something beyond mediocre? Also, we have nothing against foreigners per se,
so don’t get me wrong. We just think that somewhere along the way, a
particular govt policy is to be blamed for our predicament. Don’t you think
so? Why don’t you just seriously read what Mr Tan had taken pains to write,
contrast it with what your cabinet has set out, find a middle path maybe?
Rather than dismiss it immediately as something without merit. Please
reconsider. Thank you and so sorry once again for the length of this post.

Rock^Star SG

Many baby boomers who find their jobs unstable and have been retrenched will likely sing the same tune as this ex bank VP.

Singapore's job protection laws of those in their 40s and 50s are very poor. They are afraid that if they enact these laws, MNCs will not come. So, we are literally at the mercy of foreign corporations.

My own dad was retrenched in his late 40s. He went overseas so that he won't suffer the humiliation of taking a fresh grad's pay. Anyway, the world is out there. Go overseas and see the world, gain a wider perspective.

Keen on u2000 SG

One company / bank I know actually hires caucasian secretaries / executive assistants from overseas. When you ask the people in charge ("foreign talent" themselves) they will (i) brush the question aside or (ii) some of them even dare to arrogantly say that you cannot find sufficiently qualified Singaporeans to do the job (!!??). These jobs easily pay $4k a month (I am guessing) so I am sure there are many Singaporeans will want the job. For (ii) to be honest I think it just the foreigners "zhau kor" their own kind, otherwise if its true we should all just go home and let the foreign talent take over. So somehow there are incidences like these when a decent job that can go to a Singaporean goes to someone else.

My question is: Is the Government aware of these practices and is it going to do anything about it? Or are you all just sitting around looking at the GDP growth numbers and patting yourselves on the back on what a good job you are doing?

My sense i that a lot these programmes that the PAP has in place are not truly effective and just there so that if someone asks a question about employment for Singaporeans the ministers can just rattle off a laundry list of programs in place and say what a good job they are doing.

Job security for Singaporeans has become worse over the years - is the government aware of that and what are its plans to deal with this?

angel7030 SG

Like my Dad, he couldn't get a stable job here, so went oversea to taiwan to make a living, he gets to know my mom and i was born, made in taiwan. Then, due to my grandpa, his father in laws strong influence in taiwan nite lifes, he started pubs and underground business, from there, he globlise it into Singapore in Joo Chiat, when my grandpa passed away in taiwan, his connection with both the politic and mafiaso of taiwan went down, so he decided to come back to singapore, and that that was how I landed here. From young, after losing my mom, my dad already taught me to be independent, do business and not to be a slave of others, when i first arrive here, I was in a shock to see so many singaporeans, from VP to PP to workers to cardboard collectors all are working class, because my thot in taiwan was singapore is a business man countries, even their govt are running it like a business, and workers are only foreigners from malaysia, indonesia and some thais, but to see Singaporeans working hand in hand with bangalas and indians or even worst, serving and taking less paid their bangalas workers, i feel something is very wrong, but for me, this is not my parent country, care so much for what, let them rot. Just do my business and earn money, one day, when my dad is gone, i shall return to my homeland and live happily there, cos my homeland dun hv so many foreigners, so high cost and also peoples are more friendly with a same mindset.