Scenario 1
Ah Beng works as a supervisor in a computer parts factory in Tuas.
He draws a salary of $1800/mth and has a store clerk wife with 2
daughters.
Each weekend, he will treat his family to a hawker stall dinner
costing around $60 - lemon chicken, steam pomfret, crabs, prawns,
etc, deliciously cooked.
But now, with this current financial crisis, he stops such meals,
and save his money instead, eating at home, worrying daily if he
will get retrenched.
Ah Seng owns that hawker stall. NOw, with his regular patron and
many more others like him gone, he has a problem paying his rent,
workers and overheads. He still has savings, and tries to stay
afloat, swatting flies, hoping for a better day.
His son, John, an intelligent and hardworking teen, had been saving
up to buy a high end computer to spice up and multi task his school
projects for a better grade. But now, his father reduced his daily
allowance, giving only for transport and had to take his meals
either packed or eat at home.
2 mths later
The comp factory Ah Beng works in had to close down, because of
poor sales. Ah Beng had to join 3000 others applying for only 500
supervisor jobs left in Spore.
Ah Seng's savings dried up, and due to his low education and old
age, became an unemployed statistic.
John gave up his savings to help out his familly. That too was
wiped out, and had to quit school and worked as a packer....
Scenario 2
Ah Beng, decides to cut down on his spending to save on a rainy
day, but he does not intend to stop giving his family treats. He
spends instead $35 on dinner treats and save the balance.
Ah Seng, realizing the economy is not so good, decides to cut
prices and not increase charges, rationalize his expenditure to
offer still good food to survive. He manages to retain his regular
patrons. He did not make good profits, but he manages to keep his
stall afloat till sanity returns to the market.
John got to buy a comp, not the high end one, but one equally
good,
Ah Beng's factory did not have to close down, as there were still
orders for computer parts.
This is only a fictional scenario, but a reality many can relate
to and comprehend. Our society, thru its representatives the govt,
had spoken. Save but spend what you can, and we will will get thru
this difficult times together as one.
Who will save Singapore is - YOU, when you spend rationally, just
as your forefathers did in our past difficult national history
facing huge odds to survive as a nation.
It's the simple things that simple folks can do that can
solve the problem. No need to get bankrupt over.
Heros are onlyl ordinary people who perform extraordinarily in
difficult times. You are the hero, just as your forefather had been
in our national history, for what we have today.
