Comments on: Foreigners pay more, but what’s in it for Singaporeans?

By: The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup: Week 05

The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup: Week 05 — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:51:42 +0000

[...] the 6 major flaws in the PAP’s immigration policy [Recommended] – Gerald Giam’s Blog: Foreigners pay more, but what’s in it for Singaporeans? – The Temasek Review: Policy Face-off: Immigration policies – how many is [...]

By: c-p-k

c-p-k — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:10:37 +0000

Exactly my sentiments, couldn’t have put it better myself.

Who do they think they’re fooling in an election year? How
does it benefit me or my fellow citizens when they charge
foreigners more? Am I daft?

By: lee

lee — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:20:32 +0000

I agreed with you. Citizens won’t benefit a dime from
cutting subsidies for FTs and PRs.
When would the money go? You think they are going to
increase the payment to those on the dole?
I hope people can see their insincerity and deliver them
a bloody nose this coming GE

By: Fran

Fran — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:31:30 +0000

Dear Gerald,

Thanks very much for your interesting blog. It’s always nice to see how people on the other side of the globe live, how they share the same joys and sorrows, what they do in their free time, etc.

I actually have a question about your blog. Would you mind helping us with a linguistic research project? We’re compiling data from various Singaporean weblogs. All it requires is checking a few boxes. If you want to take part and/or have more questions, drop me a note ( hack2301@uni-trier.de RE: Question ) so that I can then send you the ‘official’ project eMail. We’d really appreciate your help.

Thanks very much in advance!
Best regards,
– Fran

By: aurvandil

aurvandil — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:22:44 +0000

Actually the main beneficaries are:

1) Pte Sector hospitals who have become relatively cheaper
2) MOH which will now have to give less subsidy per person. Given that it is unlikely the MOH budget will be cut, it is unclear what will happen to the savings.

There are very interesting numbers to be found if you look at population growth, hospital beds and hospital profits.

But there is a post for another day.

By: Lim Chih-Yang

Lim Chih-Yang — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:18:17 +0000

This is the clearest sign that the government is clueless on the feelings of Singaporeans, yes, the same people whom the government is suppose to serve.

Singaporeans boast of friends and relatives in PR and FT. We certainly do not delight in seeing them cough out huge moolah to see them pay hefty hospital bill. What we want is the government to recognise us as citizens and to give priority to us.

Why not provide more hospital subsidy to citizen instead of increasing hospital fee for PR and FTs.

This is the same with the issue of schooling education fees.

Frankly, the government is always trying to sweeten the ground ahead of election. If Singaporeans are so daft, maybe they really deserve the government they elected in.

By: The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Daily SG: 29 Jan 2010

The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Daily SG: 29 Jan 2010 — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:30:16 +0000

[...] in a Strange Land – Gerald Giam’s Blog: Foreigners pay more, but what’s in it for Singaporeans? – The Temasek Review: Policy Face-off: Immigration policies – how many is [...]

By: Same Same

Same Same — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:28:52 +0000

This reminds me of the means-testing — those who are perceived to be able to pay more are squeezed but the money saved are theirs to keep instead of being redistributed to those who can’t afford. They want you to be happy by making others look worse! Judging from what they have announced here, I guess they must have thought that you are still not happy so they had to “work hard” to make others to look still worse.

I guess the money they squeezed from these poor people should help justify their million$$$ pay!

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:59:56 +0000

To Our Beloved Mini$ter,

You can’t make a poor man rich by making a rich man poor, can you?

By: Aw Alvin

Aw Alvin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:08:18 +0000

I cannot agree more with you.
I’m a singaporean but I’ve got no issues with PRs or FTs.
Not their fault for wanting to come over here to make a living.
Problem is our gahment, the foreign intake is really too fast, too furious.
Elections coming so the gahment will pretend to listen to our feedback.
When elections over, the gahment will screw us again.