I believe the most important thing to do is to constantly
encourage workforce training and implement programs such as
government subsidies on trainings, seminars, etc.
This will encourage improvement in skills.
Hopefully that can help with wages.
That way is better, than directly setting the wages itself.
But the thing with "minimum wage" issue, I believe, is the
desire to protect the people, and indeed there must be more effort
spent to protect the people.
Especially Singapore has one of the world's highest Ginni
coefficient, there is much gap between rich and poor.
Singapore is also a highly developped small city / urban area,
with pressures in living costs.
Thusly, it is imperative to think of new ways to achieve
progressive socialism in the 21st century.
For instance, HDB, as a socialist implementation, is showing
signs of fatigue and mis-allocation.
People are not marrying and birthing enough.
This means the stresses have reached the roofs and have even
reached the stage where it interfered with basic human
developments.
I propose housing sector must be liberalized, competition
encouraged, and a "mariage subsidy" implemented just like there is
a "higher education subsidy" when someone enter poly or
university.
Because honestly, just like the higher education subsidy is a
great progressive policy which encourage meritocracy and social
mobility, it is no less important to ensure the survival of the
people. If the marriage and childbirth rate keep dropping, one day
Singapore will be the size of Brunai.
To come back to the issue of minimum wage, I once again strongly
oppose it, because it will cut off the lowest segments of the
people, such as, the youth, the part-timers, the semi-unemployed,
etc. In other words, it is not a progressive policy and it does not
promote equality in society.
Many singaporeans, especially the 45yo and above are the last
survivor of the baby boomer period, most are hard working people,
but lack the direction and the knowledge to adapt to new society
such as globalisation and IT age. This group of people, given
upgrading, they are more reluctant as they do not like going back
to classroom. Even if they have a diploma or degree, it is consider
out of date, should go back and refresh it.
Our govt had given up on childbirth policy, it already said by
PM during the national day rally, if you all dun give birth, we
have to take peoples from outside, therefore, there are more and
more foreigners, mostly from our surrounding third world entering
our country to work and easily get PR or citzenship status. So, it
is no more an issue for the govt. But it will be an issue to the
locals who will have to struggle and compete with them.
And as peoples flock in not in a generation gap, but within two
to three years, the demanding for housing is high, ultimately, that
jack up the prices which contradict what former PM Goh said, "We
promise all singaporeans that there will be a roof on top of their
head, we will built affordable flat to cater to all singaporeans"
today, Mah is trying desparately to stick to this motto said in the
90s, but he alway end up saying the wrong things. With that motto
broken, peoples unable to have a roof on top, but instead have tent
on top at beaches, i think the govt have to do some soul
searching.
As I have repeated many times, mini wage is not conducive for
Singapore, it is not that i support the govt, by setting mini wage,
you may create a lower wage for singaporeans
