Rachel's posts with tag: tak boleh tahan
A video shot and edited by a new cyber-video activist Shafie on the Tak Boleh Tahan Campaign at Toa Payoh. Import.flv (11.2 MB)
Last year's May Day was spent in celebration of my hard labour and contribution towards the early childhood industry. I slept the whole day, nursing my fatigue both mental and physical. My mum sighed and called me lazy but to me, I deserved it and it was MY DAY to rest as part of the (underpaid, overworked) labour force. It was great, and I felt great. However this year's May Day was spent in a more meaningful manner and I am glad that it wasn't spent in bed indeed. I went down to hang out at Toa Payoh for the sole reason of signing two petitions. One was the Tak Boleh Tahan petition, showing my displeasure at the raising cost of living and the disgusting increment in the salaries of our ministers and the other, a petition to call for the resignation of Wong Kan Seng. The whole campaign was organised by the Singapore Democractic Party and the party leaders and activists were there to hand out flyers, man the campaign tables and talking to passer-bys.
Although many people might think that they were wasting their time and effort and that the people who went to sign for the petition were whiners and SDP supporters but on a personal note, I thank the SDP for organising this campaign as well as trying to raise awareness among the citizens by going onto the level of civil society. Majority of us as a society have been asleep under the spell of blind patriotism for way too long to realise that things are going in a ridiculous direction. At this point of time whereby citizens from the lower income level have to count every penny, toil long hours to make ends meet (with some taking up two or more jobs), ensuring that there is enough food on the table for all to eat, the ministers have increased their salaries with the excuse of attracting talents to the public sector. Now one might say that the increase in prices of basic foodstuff and essential daily products have been due to the increasing cost of petrol (blah blah blah), and there is nothing much the government can do to control it. However my opinion is that they can actually decrease the percentage of GST that we have to pay. We do not need a one off or three time installment of monetary assistance (re: GST offset package rubbish) but we need something to ease us of our daily expenses on basic necessities such as food, water, electricity and transport (*correct me if I am wrong but SMRT has been profiting, not making any losses by the way). Increase in prices plus the percentage of GST that we are paying right now just kills some of us from the lower income group.
Another issue is the hiring of foreign "lower paid" talents. According to THE SON,
"... foreign workers are hardworking and willing to work long hours. By hiring them, coffeeshops can open late or even round the clock... with the help of foreign workers, the airport, seaport, factories, offices, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets here can offer better service and business hours..."
What makes him think that our locals are not willing to work as hard as the foreign workers? There are people around who get retrenched or who have been asked to retire for some reasons and they are willing to go for any jobs as long as they get to earn a little to help them survive. Many of our locals, especially the senior citizens, have been reduced to become illegal hawkers and can collectors just to earn a few extra dollars a day because they have not been able to get any jobs that will allow them to work legally and in comfort (well, sort of...). Do not get me wrong however, I am not xenophobic but I feel that hiring foreign workers when there are suitable and willing workers available locally is seriously not necessary. Shouldn't the thought be on the locals first before outsourcing?
The last issue is about the accountability of government officials and ministers when it comes to "honest mistakes". The COI report on Mas Selamat's escape made me laugh so much that it hurts. Yes, I have tried to move on and yes the whole thing is getting so old but I am appalled that the government has been so arrogant about it when it comes to accountability. Sure, Wong Kan Seng wasn't the one who was present at the scene of escape BUT there are a few things that just do not seem very right and one of it was his very attitude about it. From his half hearted apology to his presentation of the COI, it seemed as if he was just trying to contribute to a scripted wayang show in his uniquely bland style. I mean... why was he presenting the COI in the first place when it was termed as an INDEPENDENT inquiry? In the end he got off the issue of responsibility so easily! It is bloody ridiculous. Anyway he should seriously step down not only for the MSK issue but for many other issues one of them namely, the foreign talent issue.
By the way please take note: Mas Selamat was detained and labelled as a terrorist without any trial so we cannot call him a terrorist but an alledged terrorist. Any detention without a trial in my books, is illegal detention but of course, what do I know? (Think for yourself.)
*I am not great at reading statistics so if I perceive the annual report wrongly or have linked it to the wrong report please do enlighten me*
Ohh and one more thing before I go to bed! Something extra. My advise of the day (actually week) is: NEVER go to Tan Tock Seng Hospital if you are in pain or dying because if you are in pain, they will only prescribe you with Panadol and if you are dying, you might just die in the observation ward because it will take 23 hours or so to get a bed. However take my mum's example. She scolded the nurses at the observation ward after about 12 hours of extreme pain in the back and boredom and suddenly got a bed! Brilliant wasn't it?
Read also:
Tak Boleh Tahan @ Toa Payoh Central
More of Tak Boleh Tahan @ Toa Payoh Central
SDP marks May Day by distributing flyers in Toa Payoh
S'pore opposition politician stages May Day protest
Why so serious?
SDP's May Day message
Tak Boleh Tahan, SDP says it again
The people drive us on
| |
