http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/03/05/misleading-st-article-on-pap-giving-460000-to-each-low-income-family-of-four/
Written by Our Correspondent
Living up to its reputation as the nation-building press and in
another desperate attempt to show that the PAP really “cares” about
low-income Singaporeans, the Straits Times put up another hogwash
again with the misleading headline – “$460,000 for a
family” to create the erroneous impression that the PAP is
giving cash handout to each family. (read article
here)
It quoted Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam as saying:
“A low-income family of four can receive transfers from the
Government totalling about $460,000 over a lifetime.”
The statement is patently false as the $460,000 consists of
several packages, the majority in the form of subsidies such as
childcare and student care subsidies, means-tested subsidies in
public hospitals and polyclinics, course fee subsidies for
Workforce Development Agency-approved courses and grant provided to
Singaporean households upon the purchase of resale flats.
This means that the amount will not be used so long the families
do not utilize the subsidies.
For example, the family will never enjoy the housing grant
provided under the $460,000 sum if they do not purchase a resale
flat and live in rental flats for their entire lives.
Given the sky-rocketing prices of resale flats now, it is
doubtful if low-income families will be able to afford them, let
alone use the housing grants.
Similarly, the means-tested subsidies will be untapped on if
they are healthy and do not visit polyclinics and public
hospitals.
Medical bills are so exorbitant nowadays that some Singaporeans
opt to die or commit suicide than to seek medical treatment and
hence again the subsidies will be left untouched.
Furthermore, some of these “subsidies” are derived from inflated
prices. According to feedback from readers, some courses conducted
by WDA are “marked up” and to “accommodate” the subsidies.
The “help” given to the lower-income Singaporeans by the PAP is
most unimaginative and does not address the root source of the
problem.
It should revamp the entire economy to lessen our dependence on
foreign workers and allow Singaporeans to earn a decent wage
commensurate with the standard of living here
It is highly obnoxious and undignified to make Singaporeans slog
like dogs for a meager pay and then “subsidizing” them to make life
abit more bearable. Won’t this lead to a “crutch mentality”
too?
Finance Minister Tharman should not simply pluck the figures out
of thin air and treat Singaporeans like idiots. He
must substantiate his claims with detailed calculations on how
he arrive at the magical figure of $460,000.
Though Singaporeans have been decried as sheep, donkeys and
frogs by PAP leaders, many of them are still able to comprehend
simple primary school mathematics.
