A govt ready to abandon its people

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Friday, 28 January 2011

Muhd Shamin

Youths have always been a pillar of strength and progress, be it in terms of a country's economy, defence or social life. Due to the high level of enthusiasm for life and adventure, the curiosity for exploration and the great amount of energy, youths are often relied upon to bring society forward.

A leadership that recognises this and is capable of influencing and motivating them would be able to harness this energy and unleash their potential.

Such a leadership would have to understand the psyche of youths, provide the vision and necessary training, and encourage them into action.

The late Indonesia president Sukarno used to say “100 orang hanya bermimpi, tetapi berikanlah aku 10 pemuda maka akan kuguncang dunia!” (100 people only dream of, but give me 10 young people, and I will shake the world!)

Despite the sacrifices made, the uncertain economic conditions have had an impact on youths seeking employment, stability and to settle down to build a family. This can be seen in the latest report on the population whereby the fertility rate has gone down to an all time low of 1.16. This is a reflection of the low level of confidence that youths have in the future of the country.

Against this background, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has made a clumsy suggestion that Singapore would need “young immigrants to save its economy from long-term decline as a result of a falling birth rate”.

Let's not forget the fact that the problem of population growth started with the “Stop at Two” policy that was ruthlessly implemented by Mr Lee himself. He has no moral ground to tell the people what they must do and must not do to ctify the demographic debacle.

Already the ongoing influx of foreigners is posing a serious problem to Singaporeans in terms of employment opportunities. Mr Lee is now displacing further our youth with his quick-fix of bringing in young immigrants to settle here, a solution that will inevitably lead to more problems.

This is a Government that has total disregard for its own people and its youths. Looking at the trend of their policies, it seems that they are comfortable on a path of abandoning their own people for political survival.

The PAP has proven itself to be a party of old men with ossified ways bent on protecting their vested interests, none of which resonates with the idealism of the young people in Singapore. The youth in this country feel that they are not getting the respect that they deserve and that the Government has readily abandoned them to their own fate.

Throughout history youths have been at the forefront of change. The fall of the dictatorships in Central Europe to Asia to Latin America were often precipitated by students who dared to speak up against the regimes that shackled them.

It is not an overstatement to say that youths have made great contributions to the progress of Singapore. The peace and stability that we have here would not have been possible without young people. Male Singaporean youths spend at least two years of their lives in military service to the nation.

Shamin is a member of the Young Democrats.

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Comments (8)

Sat 29 Jan 2011 9:41 AM | maxchew

Just look at the front page of ST today (29.1.11).......

Our sole national daily newspaper puts the winner of a $1m lucky draw in full color prominently next to a small column of Eqypt in turmoil....a nation of 80 million people rebelling finally against their authoritarian govt and dictator President Mubarak.

Where is the sense of news priority? What are they afraid of? That S'poreans will imitate and rise against our PAP Govt and strongman LKY?

Or is materialism so much more important than anything else in uniquely S'pore?

Sat 29 Jan 2011 11:51 AM | rubbishcrap - I sincerely feel that...

Dear all,

I sincerely feel that all political parties should show a proper appearance to the public. Considering the public, not to upset them.

Appearance is very important.
Behavior is very important.
Lifestyle and uprightness is very important.

Thus, to win more credibility from the public, please take note of these few points.

We must be cautious in politics. It is a world where we tread cautiously because human is primarily complex beings.

All oppositions no matter how smart or how ingenius their plans are, if they cannot gather clout from credible and honest people, they fall like dominoes.

All political parties, must deliver what they say. And do the right thing.

Henceforth, if opposition parties are going to present themselves without order and structure, an atmosphere of raucous members, they will lose at least half the votes before election.

Please think carefully about this first before throwing money into the next election.

Appearance and the inside are all equally important.

Sat 29 Jan 2011 12:11 PM | BryanT - MERELY a lamenting youth...

It is ludicrous for Shamin to say that the people are being “abandoned” and that the youths are not being respected just because new citizens are being allowed into the country.

I’d agree that bringing in immigrants is not an ideal solution, but he has not offered an iota of suggestion on how the imminent population shrinkage issue can be averted.

This is not untypical of the Singapore Opposition – lamenting about public policies, but very shy in providing a workable alternative. Shamin is just affirming what we expect from the Opposition lot.

Or rather, not expect.

I’d agree with Shamin that our youths have “made have great contributions to the progress of Singapore”.

But in this article, he has surely and not unexpectedly, not.

Sat 29 Jan 2011 2:04 PM | BryanTi - Lamenting "old" man who hasn't got a mirror!

It is amusing how this malicious internet troll BryanT continues to attack the SDP here. Two weeks ago he tried to attack Tian Jing but then scuppered away like a coward! Today he goes after Shamin, trying to link him with his party's uh...non-alternative economic program and failure to provide alternative policy!? Bravo! He has got it......ALL WRONG!

People, look to the right of this webpage. There is a link to buy the SDP's Alternative Economic Program. But the old, senile and vitriolic old man BryanT is too stingy to fork out $10 to buy a copy of the program! And should i say, he has decided to ignore the rest of the alternatives proposed by this party on the website, from Defense to Education. Instead he selects, like a troll usually does, articles and writers whom are worth his time attacking!

Today he attacks Shamin for lamenting! But alas, BryanTi often laments on his own Facebook account to good effect, often bringing some comedic value to his non-constructive character attacks! Oh, and i just realized: YOU still haven't gotten yourself a mirror!

Sat 29 Jan 2011 2:06 PM | seebeng - Where is the population shrinkage?

BryanT,

A few decades back, the PAP govt refused to let in the boat people from Indo-China to land in Singapore, giving the reason that the country was too small to take in more people. It was at a time when the population was below three million. The refugees finally found sanctuaries in other places like Australia where they are now successful.

Now, Singapore's artificially boosted population is 5.1 million and the govt wants to increase it to even further to 6.5 million in an already over-crowded Singapore.

Why is it being done, BryanT? For whose benefit such an influx of aliens into the country? Is it due to population shrinkage or for something else?

Suggestions and solutions could be forthcoming provided there is transparency and accountability on the part of the government.

Sat 29 Jan 2011 11:32 PM | Robox

seebeng, according to the PAP, Singapore is too small physically to accept refugees, hence the reason for not signing the UN Convention on Refugees.

Sun 30 Jan 2011 10:36 AM | BryanT

Seebeng,

First, let me state that, as a matter of principle or on humanistic grounds, I think Singapore should have provided more assistance than what it did to the boat-people then.

But that need NOT have included having to allow them to stay in Singapore permanently as residents or citizens. I do not believe that that is an obligation stipulated under the UN Convention on Refugees, even if Singapore had agreed to it.

Secondly, I believe that there is a vast difference in the type of people whom we ideally want to take up residency or citizenship here, as compared to those who were arriving from Indo-China during that period.

I believe that if Singapore had started accepting the boat-people then, it would have opened a flood-gate to even more arrivals.

Lastly, I am not sure whether your statement that the "refugees finally found sanctuaries in other places like Australia where they are now successful" is empirical information or merely your own conjecture.

Wed 09 Feb 2011 1:06 PM | quantum - How did Egypt become so corrupt?

Please watch.

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/insidestory/2011/02/201128111236245847.html