I Am Ashamed.
We, the citizens of Singapore,
Pledge ourselves as one united people.
Regardless of race, language or religion.
To build a democratic society, based on justice and equality.
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.
As kids, how many of us have recited the national incantation daily with pride?
I know I have.
As a working adult, embedded within the very cogwheels of the dotty isle, those words mean little now, if not downright ironic.
Naysayers, hold your horses.
"Ungrateful", I hear you scoff. "Where would this dot be without the Father?"
Yes, the Man's a genius with foresight. Yes, from nothing, we've evolved to be a world-class nation (and they never fail to remind us of that). Yes, our successful free-market economy has cushioned the linings of our pockets. Our streets are safe and you can club the night away peacefully. Yes, we get bread on our table with spare change for dessert. Infrastructure is in place and well-organized. For that, I am thankful to be living in this part of the world. I am incredibly proud that the country has become a brand name abroad that is commonly accredited with wealth in abundance and being a renowned global city. Stability imprints its insignia.
As pretty as our country is, when she sits at the dressing table and peels off the beautified cement, the stark truth is for all to see:
Nonchalant to the shaping of our soil, Singaporeans face the dilemma of putting the bread on the table and standing up against the Lion. For practical reasons, enslaved by housing and vehicle ownership loans, we are distracted and spurred by increased wants to keep up with the Joneses.
Knowledge is power, so they say. In truth, increased knowledge, without an influence to bring about change, creates jarring noise, that of frustration and helplessness and They Who Laugh, continue to chortle their way to the bank. Stifle The Laugh and face stiff penalties, if not extermination. For this reason, minnows have chosen deliberate ignorance, a by-product of apathy and fear, no doubt.
At the end of the day, the statistics and figures one spews bears little weight on the scales. Activists, we are excruciatingly short of. Maintaining the equilibrium is key in ensuring stability. The pressing financial strains on the average Singaporean pocket values undisputed economic supremacy. Nothing, if any, should rock the Boat.
I am ashamed to note that the daily grind for bread forbids the shedding of my passive shroud.
What about you?
Everybody now,
Mari kita rakyat Singapura. (Come, fellow Singaporeans)
Sama-sama menuju bahagia. (Let us progress towards happiness together.)
Pledge ourselves as one united people.
Regardless of race, language or religion.
To build a democratic society, based on justice and equality.
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.
As kids, how many of us have recited the national incantation daily with pride?
I know I have.
As a working adult, embedded within the very cogwheels of the dotty isle, those words mean little now, if not downright ironic.
Naysayers, hold your horses.
"Ungrateful", I hear you scoff. "Where would this dot be without the Father?"
Yes, the Man's a genius with foresight. Yes, from nothing, we've evolved to be a world-class nation (and they never fail to remind us of that). Yes, our successful free-market economy has cushioned the linings of our pockets. Our streets are safe and you can club the night away peacefully. Yes, we get bread on our table with spare change for dessert. Infrastructure is in place and well-organized. For that, I am thankful to be living in this part of the world. I am incredibly proud that the country has become a brand name abroad that is commonly accredited with wealth in abundance and being a renowned global city. Stability imprints its insignia.
As pretty as our country is, when she sits at the dressing table and peels off the beautified cement, the stark truth is for all to see:
- According to the CIA's World Factbook, our GDP (purchasing power parity) is estimated to be $138.6 billion, sitting comfortably at the 58th position, just below Kazakhstan.
- Public debt stands at 100.6%, an astounding 9th position globally. Juxtapose this against the fact that there are 3 million CPF members with CPF balances at S$100.28 billion (as at 30 June 2003, compiled by NUS.) Sri Lanka's nestled at 11th while Ethiopia is 16th. Hong Kong's public debt is the clear winner at 1.00%, which ranks it last. Kudos to Hong Kong!
- The Human Development Index pegs Singapore at the 25th position, missing Israel by a whisker at 23rd.
- A quick glance at the Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index (2006) reveals that Interestingly, we are sandwiched between, get this, Somalia & Russia and we stand closer to Iraq than Malaysia. Our position? An unflattering 146th!
- The latest mid-year estimates for 2005 reveal a nonresident population of 797,900 (out of a total population of 4,351,400). Among the resident population (3,263,209), about 8.9 percent are PRs, over three-quarters of them Chinese.
- The increasing share of the nonresident/noncitizen population is a direct consequence of Singapore's policies to attract and rely on "foreign manpower" — at both the high and low ends of the spectrum — to overcome the limits of local resources. Indeed, foreigners constituted approximately 29 percent of Singapore's total labor force in 2000 , the highest proportion of foreign workers in Asia.
- Singapore's nonresident workforce increased 170 percent, from 248,000 in 1990 to 670,000 in 2006.
- In 2005, 66,000 foreign students (amounting to about 10 percent of all students in the country) came to Singapore.
- 12,900 people became citizens in 2005.
- In 2006, skilled workers and professionals accounted for 13.4 percent (about 90,000) of Singapore's total nonresident population.
- To reach this goal, Singapore has liberalized immigration policies, including making it easier for skilled immigrants to gain permanent residency, and has launched various programs aimed at attracting talent.
- The demand for international higher education alone is predicted to quadruple from around 1.8 million students in 2002 to 7.2 million by 2025. As such, a government economic review panel recommended a target of 150,000 foreign students by 2012 — more than double the 2005 figure of 66,000.
- Citizenship rates have already doubled: In 2005, there were 12,900 new citizens compared to the annual figure of 6,000 to 7,000 in the previous four years. These are significant figures considering that about 800 Singaporeans give up their citizenship each year.
Nonchalant to the shaping of our soil, Singaporeans face the dilemma of putting the bread on the table and standing up against the Lion. For practical reasons, enslaved by housing and vehicle ownership loans, we are distracted and spurred by increased wants to keep up with the Joneses.
Knowledge is power, so they say. In truth, increased knowledge, without an influence to bring about change, creates jarring noise, that of frustration and helplessness and They Who Laugh, continue to chortle their way to the bank. Stifle The Laugh and face stiff penalties, if not extermination. For this reason, minnows have chosen deliberate ignorance, a by-product of apathy and fear, no doubt.
At the end of the day, the statistics and figures one spews bears little weight on the scales. Activists, we are excruciatingly short of. Maintaining the equilibrium is key in ensuring stability. The pressing financial strains on the average Singaporean pocket values undisputed economic supremacy. Nothing, if any, should rock the Boat.
I am ashamed to note that the daily grind for bread forbids the shedding of my passive shroud.
What about you?
Everybody now,
Mari kita rakyat Singapura. (Come, fellow Singaporeans)
Sama-sama menuju bahagia. (Let us progress towards happiness together.)
[ And just for the fun of it, CNN carried a report of 2 polar bears in the Singapore Zoo turning green. ]
posted by whimsical_fantasies at 2:27 AM
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