Hypothetically, if the PAP were to ban all foreigners from
coming to Singapore to work and live. Singapore would
have full employement because the enterprises in
Singapore would need all the manpower available, only
Singaporeans. The economy cannot expand because of manpower
shortage. Also the quality would fall because Singaporeans would
know that they have titanium rice bowls. Singapore would be
stagnant. Everything would be on hold. You wait for the Singaporean
to come and provide you the service you need.
Then the detractors who are voicing their disapproval of the
foreigners now, would be singing an opposite tune. They would be
saying that the PAP are stupid in not opening the doors to
foreigners as the economy need to be expanded, and the manpower is
required.
The economy need to be expanded to the max possible, so that we
can have the widest choice possible in goods and services.
What ever happen to the PAP insistence in learning from
the experiences of other small countries with
similar difficulties as was done when Singapore was
suddenly given independence and had to grope around to find a path
forward ?
Did we not draw lessons from Switzerland, Israel, Malta, and
some other smaller sized European countries as well ?
Have Switzerland and Israel need any help from massive
inflow of immigrants to take up citizenship just to ensure progress
in their economic enterprises, or to ensure full employment,
or to supplement their falling birth rates to achieve
replacement in their population numbers ?
All these countries - that Singapore had drawn lessons
from in 1966 - continued with their open political
system of full citizen involvement in the political process;
with Switzerland having a political leadership that
do not assume themselves to be smarter then the sum total of
all the intelligence of the citizens.
The prosperity and stability of Switzerland is due to
the Swiss Citizens being given a stake in the political
process in that they are consulted on all major
policies which can affect their interests - and done in a
process called "Referendum".
Unfortunately, the PAP leadership has no confidence in their own
policies nor with Singaporeans, and will not allow Singaporeans to
have any say in political issues that affect our own lives through
"Referendum".
It is a fallacy to claim that "The economy need to be expanded to the max
possible, so that we can have the widest choice possible in goods
and services" - given the fact that we have limited
resources in land, relevant technical skills and
technology.
The "father of Singapore's economy and industrialisation" - Dr
Goh Keng Swee - had always advocated the need for Singapore to
do what we do best, instead of trying to be the best in
everything but being master of none.
The economic "theory of comparative advantage" that Dr Goh had
led Singapore in the early path towards industrialisation had
given a foundation to grow within our limited resources.
Now it seems to have been forgotten as the long period
of success has resulted in sheer arrogance in the
thinking of the PAP leadership - leading them to
believe that they are omnipotently infallible.
Is Singapore spreading our resources too thin and attempting to
be involved in too many directions - to be the top in technology,
bio-science, pharmaceutical, ship building and maintenance; to be a
regional hub for air and sea transportation, to be a regional
financial hub; to be the center of Southeast Asia in the film
industry, in computer sciences, and communications ?
It has always been the PAP policy of getting the "talent"
if none is available locally so as to get the desired
plans accomplished.
Has anyone actually done an audit to all the projects that
the PAP government has led Singapore to undertake ?
What has been the returns - in financial terms
- considering the huge R+D grants given to some of these new
fields of bio-science and pharmaceutical niches that Singapore
insist on having ?
Does the financial returns justify the social
and economic burden to the Singapore population ?
Living within our means remains an Asian Value - and
it seems to have been forgotten when it should never have been
lost.
