Recession hits Singapore unevenly

Yxxxone SG

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Annonymous Agent 007 SG

"For the majority of workers, jobs have been lost and take-home pay diminished."

"The masses cannot benefit from the growth, and their living standard goes into decline. For many middle-class Singaporeans, these sound uncomfortably like home."

Seah Chiang Nee writes from the heart.

I read a commentary by him in another site and it was also spot-on.

Isn't he the Editor of a defunct Singapore newspaper who had a heart transplant ??

I guess he is writing for a Malaysian newspaper, The Star, as it is unlikely that he will get his commentaries / articles published in a Singapore MSM.

xtreyier SG

First, the plight of the races had been used as being marginalised here in SIngapore. Then proven not true.

Then the poor and 'homeless' are used to attack the deficiencies of our society. That had also been proven not true by our society's funding on social spending and donations.

Now, the middle class is used to stir up pessimism. Is there no end to it all? Why all these attacks? Are they blind that we and the world are in a middle, or at least at the tail end of a crisis? I would agree that the middle class had suffered by a drop in standard of living. Crisis does that to all, and as usual, the rich, who grew rich by saving, will always be able to weather the storms. But look at their depleted amounts - even though still huge by middle class standards, it is a substantial fall to their portfolios.

So why the pessimism as if the middle class were intentionally shortchanged?Can Seah or anyone else offer anything better than derogatory pessimistic remarks with what our society are so hardworkingly and tirelessly doing by getting out of this crisis which is not of our making?

As in any crisis, having a job is paramount and critical. Everyone worries about making the wrong life choices. But the most critical mistake a person can make with life choice decisions is to do nothing and rot at home. Get a job, earn some money and the chance to move up will be there. Restructure your loans or debts. No employer will turn away talents, than sit around at home and rot.

And it is my fervant hope that employers, the minority of them whom are selfish, start behaving socially responsible to spread their wealth and not hoard it, or society and the wider circle of responsibly rich will be doomed and hated, held responsible for taking advantage of the crisis, by the less priviledge in this meantime.

angel7030 SG

"For the majority of workers, jobs have been lost and take-home pay diminished."

"The masses cannot benefit from the growth, and their living standard goes into decline. For many middle-class Singaporeans, these sound uncomfortably like home."

Seah Chiang Nee writes from the heart.

I read a commentary by him in another site and it was also spot-on.

Isn't he the Editor of a defunct Singapore newspaper who had a heart transplant ??

I guess he is writing for a Malaysian newspaper, The Star, as it is unlikely that he will get his commentaries / articles published in a Singapore MSM.

That's just a comment, everyone can gives comments in everything, but coming to responsibility, it is different.

Yes, i agreed that economy is not as booming as the earlier years, so what, during that time, people also grumble and comment on high cost and low pays, now that economy is uneven with uncertainties, people still do the same, except now they got more basic with regard to the poor economic to support their comments.

My take is simple, all things changes, be it up or down, left or right, good or new....we must learn to adapt and survive, keep complaining and doing nothing to upgrade oneself and yet blaming foreigners competition here is not going to send money down from heaven to you. Be realistic, go out, look for a job, learn a trade, upgrade your skill, retrain your profession, strive to lead and dun let age, foreigners and paid affect your road to success. If you all keep grumbling and cursing, in another 10 years time, you life will be the same or even worst..so start now. 10 years is enough for you to get a degrees or skills.

ahbeo SG

That's just a comment, everyone can gives comments in everything, but coming to responsibility, it is different.

It shows the people are feeling the strain of ecomonic burden. If its already felt in good times, bad times are even worse. Probably their purchasing power has dropped. If we take into account housing loans etc, there are people in negative equity and face an even tougher time just to keep up the payments.

You are illustrating a macro problem with a micro view. This is not an individual problem. Solving unenployment and ensuring a certain quality of life of the population is the responsibility of the government. Lets keep to the topic, recession. A recession will inadvertably result in higher unemployment. People will be retrenched, money supply would drop, economy would shrink etc. Your take as above would not solve any problems, the solution would probably lie with govt policy (e.g. like england's policy that locals must be given preference for jobs, diverse economy, minimium wage etc etc. etc.).

Just a thought about your talk on adaptation with sight on foreign immigration. If sg is attacked, would you surrender without fighting and adapt and assimilate into their culture? or would you prefer to fight for your motherland? (its similar in that thats where your interests lies)

mancha SG

Just while away your time at regional centres like Tampines, Woodlands and Jurong, and see the people spending. And assess for yourself the if the people thronging the malls are the upper class, middle class, or third class, or even yuppies.

No need for statistics, just go and open your eyes.

There is money changing hands, circulating. That means business can be viable, that means goods and services are being produced, that means people have employment, that means people have money.

Go and see who is spending.

Don't swallow any selective crap of others, whether the crap is agreeable to you or not.

Rooney9 SG

those who have jobs, they are not affected by the recession. only those who do not have jobs or about to be retrenched, quitted or sacked, are the ones affected.

even if your earning 1.6k a month, if you are not overspending and spend within of what you earned, you are not affected what.