Friday, August 21, 2009

Singaporeans underpaid?

For those whom had followed Majulah! (this blog) closely, you would have noticed that I am very concerned and conscious abt the lack of "development" in the amount of our pay for the past 10 years+...

This issue had become glaring in the latest survey by UBS on wage levels and living cost in major cities across the world.

Read abt it here: http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/news/story/0,4574,346842,00.html?

Singapore is the SECOND MOST EXPENSIVE CITY IN ASIA after Tokyo. But workers in Tokyo are earning MORE THAN TWICE of what we earned in Singapore. And this is happening while Singaporeans are working longer hours (2088 hours per year) than people of Tokyo (1997 hours per year).

Thats is pretty astounding.

So even when Tokyo people are facing the most expensive living cost in Asia, they can easily deal with it because of their pay. But in Singapore, the case is extremely different. While we had to work harder, pay more for our daily expenses or for entertainment; we are actually "enjoying" only 50% of what the Japanese are enjoying.

And no wonder Singapore ranked so low for happiness and people in "The Online Citizen" hates PAP so much... = \


But for those who read: Dun start criticizing. Think of solution. Complaining is like solving an algebra by chewing bubble gum. So dun comment without thinking thru how can we make it better. Thanks.

2 comments:

fievel said...

We didn't get here by chance. We got to this state of affairs by design. The system is at fault. We need to change the system to effect any lasting changes.

As long as MM Lee's belief that not all men are created equal stands, our capitalistic policies will continue to form the shape of Singapore, and with that, the continued growing divide of social gap between the haves, and the have-nots.

We need a new system, period.

Lim Mingji said...

I do agree there should be a change to the way we do things. Although I'm not exactly clear what you mean by system (as it can mean almost anything).

All men is indeed not created equal, but the government SHOULD provide equal chances to all citizens. If the students have disciplinary issues or bad at studying, more should be done to ensure that "dropping them out of sch" is not the only option.

I have friends kicked out of sch during sec 2 time (a number of them). And to me its ridiculous.

If someone just cant study, then we must teach them survival skills and entrepreneurial skills so to ensure that will contribute just as much as those graduates.

Capitalism works, but not without moral obligations and tight regulations. Numbers are not everything, but every one counts.