For once our Know-All Politicians from the Ruling Party that
form the Singapore Government was stumped by the reported sharp
decline in our economy during the Second Quarter of 2003.
There now seems to be a noticeable silence, or deliberate low
profile being kept, or lesser high profile public appearances of
politicians making further condescending speeches.
Our Finance Minister, the future PM, patiently wait for further
signs on the wall before he is willing to show his brilliance - if
there is anyone left to admire him after 2003.
Why do we accuse the bosses or employers of a poor attitude of
taking advantage of the jobless situation ?
The bosses / employers are no better than ourselves as workers, or
the jobless too - as most of the bosses / employers are nervous and
highly concerned with the present state of affairs.
With the passing of each month, when more jobless join the ranks of
unemployed, the businesses of the bosses / employers will soon be
affected in one-way or another.
With a Government that contradicts itself on so many issues, most
bosses / employers are confused as to what to expect, or how to
plan their own manpower requirements.
Neither can those who are employed be certain of the permanence of
their job, and fearful as to when the axe will fall on them; and
neither can many of the unemployed make any plans to get themselves
out of their predicament without any strategic decisions from the
Government with regards to the CPF savings that have been held
relentlessly away from the unemployed.
It is amazing that while the Government allowed the use of CPF
monies for the investment in the highly volatile stock exchange,
they will not allow CPF to be used to assist the unemployed to fund
their period of unemployment.
Can the Citizen fend for themselves without depending on the
Government ?
Starting a business will require the Citizen to communicate with
the Government the Registrar of Companies and Businesses to start
with, and who has the confused audacity to demand that the CPF
Medisave Account is paid to-date before a Sole Proprietorship
registration can be approved; and for each subsequent annual
renewal, the renewal fee will be made through the CPF - WHY this
unnecessary complicated linkage ?
If one is to start up a business as a Food Operator (or Hawker),
one will have to be in communication with the Environment Ministry,
Health Department, besides the Registrar of Companies and
Businesses.
If the Premises is the size of a Food Court or Restaurant, then one
will get entangled with the Fire Department.
If the Food Operator desire to work on a 24 hour basis as a Pub
or Food Court, the Police will have to be pacified.
Can we survive without the Government being involved ?
Unfortunately, the Government has made themselves involved in the
Lives of all and sundry in Singapore.
They continuously monitor the ground, taking straw polls, and
sensitive to the coffee shop talk of the topics and events of the
day.
Singapore as a physical entity is small; its population of 4.5
million is small when compared to our larger neighbors.
Its petite size has both advantages and disadvantages, and
depending on ones effort in understanding ones desired objective,
and tailor it to the different niche areas that is unique to
Singapore, one can still make it through this hard times.
Brainstorming is the key word.
Too many unemployed tend to work their problems out silently, alone
and despair.
Try to shake this off, and see the situation from a different
angle, start a fresh, sit on the opposite side of the table from
where you are used to sitting, and the world will look
different.
