Opinions

When I see a minister face to face or in front or nearby me, I want to ask something.

I would like very much to ask that minister, who ever he or she is, this very important question that will affect my vote during the upcoming election.

I want to ask if the minister is willing to continue to serve with a paycut of 50%.

Meaning their pay is reduced by half.

If the minister replied with a yes, regardless he or she is lying or telling the truth, I will make sure to consider carefully my choice of vote.

If the minister replied with a no, then PAPXIT may become a reality in that ward.

I think Singaporeans should do the same before they mark an X on the ballot paper during election time.

Anyway surely the ministers will be coming by soon at our houses to chat butter us up.

Best if we can record a live reaction of the minister when we ask the very important question.

Lastly if they just walk way from us without any response, we can all walk away from them too.

A netizen who claimed to be a foreign domestic helper (FDW) lauded the employers who treat their FDWs with respect.

She was however offended by those who mock the FDWs and treat them as a "lower class of society".

For her, those who do so are usually from the middle-class. She provided a few reality checks for Singaporeans out there.

But I knew for sure those bullies also trying hard to earn a living. I just noticed it, most of the real rich people here treat us nicely but those who are in the middle class treat us poorly. She gave them a few doses of reality.

Excuse me do u have your own house?...

Without us how can you go to work to pay your bills? Your kids expenses? Your food? Etc...

She also maintained that not all FDWs will cling to Bangladeshi foreign workers for money.

And most of all Not all helper here will cling to a bangla for money. For God sake.

Do you think the criticism is warranted?

The middle class in Singapore is a very varied group. While the aspirations may be similar, their values may be different.

Is your treatment of others a representation of class or is it more a reflection of poor upbringing?

Stratis Times just posted an an interview with Josephine Teo (premium article, no less). In the lunch interview, Sumiko Tan, executive editor of Straits Times asked her about the "you need a very small space to have sex" remark she made three years ago.

To which Josephine Teo answered "I should not have said that", "it was meant as a private joke but, you know, when you are in public life, nothing is really private anymore. So lesson learnt."

A joke. Can you believe that? Are we expected to forget and forgive her insensitive remark just because she meant for it to be a "joke"? Come on la, a statesmen who cannot differentiate a public interview and a private conversation? 

And what is this huge PR piece for? Premium article some more. Pay to read this kind of propaganda and PR nonsense. Who's next? Which minister is going to wayang now? How many more interviews to tell us that actually, all the stupid things that they said were meant to be "private jokes"? 

Seems like the elections are really coming. Be prepared to see more and more of these lousy interviews, painting them as the right people to lead us, how they are "connected" to the ground and how how Singapore would fail without them. 

I call bullshit.

Credits: Facebook 

Lee Hsien Yang (LHY) was, arguably, the least high profile of the Lee siblings, which include his brother, Lee Hsien Loong (LHL), and his sister, Lee Wei Ling (LWL).

For a long time, LHY stood in the shadows of his brother.

This has changed.

The family feud over their parents' Oxley residence has rumbled on. As it continues, many Singaporeans have come out in support of LHY. 

They see him as a humble and capable leader who commands the respect of many. Those who worked with, and under him, attest to his good character.

Many have suggested that he is destined for greater things.

LHY is certainy not afraid to challenge LHL in public, including on social media. He doesn't pull any punches. 

He has openly courted the opposition and the opposition have openly courted him, but there has been no move to inlcude him as part of an opposition slate to contest the elections.

He has given his backing to the newly-formed Progress Singapore Party led by former PAP MP, Dr Tan Cheng Bock. Both men have an intimate understanding of what has gone wrong with the PAP, and how it has lost its way.

They know the change that's required.

Yet that is simply not enough. A fragmented opposition is not going to win the elections. A united one stands a better chance.

To take down the incumbent requires leadership, personality, and credibility. These are traits possessed by LHY in abundance.

Only someone like him can coordinate and unite the opposition.

LHY, Singaporeans have supported you.

Do us a favour - please lead the opposition to bring down your brother.

The Singapore People's Party (SPP) is gearing up for the elections with an Ordinary Party Conference (OPC) this October.

At the OPC, the party will elect its new leaders and members of its central executive council (CEC).

These are exciting times indeed for SPP.

The event will nevertheless be tinged with nostalgia as its leader, Mr Chiam See Tong, a venerated opposition figure, is expected to step down as the party's Secretary-General. 

Another party leader, Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss, is also resigning from the party's CEC.

The loss of Mr Chiam will leave an indelible mark on Singapore politics.

For years, he has been the voice of opposition in our Parliament. He has never wavered.

Young Singporeans can learn a lesson or two about resilience, from Mr Chiam's frequent engagements with the PAP. His spirit is truy indomitable.

As for SPP, where does it go from here? Can the new leaders step-out from Mr Chiam's shadow and carve their own legacy?

The high cost of living and the prohibitive childcare fees are just some of the factors why Singaporeans now choose to have less children.

The government realises this issue.

So recently, in a bid to manage the problem, the Singapore government announced a slew off measures. This includes increasing government subsidies for childcare services. 

The subsidies were intended to alleviate the financial burden on parents.

However, this may not necessarily translate into savings for the parents.

A concerned parent shared how the childcare centre (CC) attended by his child announced, in a letter to the parents, the increase of fees for next year. The increase, will help to defray operating expenses.

Some parents understand that the operators are struggling with rising costs too. CCs have to pay rental, salaries for teachers, facilitators, and administrative staff, as well as disposable items.

Nevertheless, there are parents who voiced their concerns and questioned if CCs are attempting to profiteer from this. And rightly so.

Just when they saw thought there was light at the end of the tunnel, you get this. 

How is this helping the parents? 

What else can be done? Will the government step in to freeze the CC fees?