A Response to the National Day Rally Speech

While it is imperative that Singapore addresses the lack of manpower situation in the near and medium term with augmentation by foreign talent we should not overlook local talent as well. All this chatter of foreign talent should come with strings attached to those who are first Singaporean. Recognition and retention of local talent should and always be foremost in the minds and hearts of the government and the people of Singapore. There must exist a dual standard for labour in Singapore - Singaporeans must come first.

The dearth of birth rates are a result of our progress in one way or another. That cannot be denied. The thrust of the globalization argument in the local context is that it leaves Singaporeans with perceived little time for family since we are all in constant pursuit of the best, the brightest, the highest and other such world class achievements. As a people we need to take stock of what is of true importance to us in the spectrum of life and not just passing material requirements though they are important. It is my belief that the behaviour and policies of the government and the PAP, written and otherwise, have played a large part in the shaping of what Singapore is today. Credit given where it is due along with its attendent consequences.

One also wonders if the low birth rates is a result of the PAP's Stop-at-Two programme of the 1980s? You reap what you sow. The PAP is not always correct. It is human and makes mistakes. This underscores the need for a responsible Opposition in parliament to challenge and check the excesses of government policy before it is too late.

Relaxation is required in the out-of-control rat race that we are immersed in and it does not bode well that the ruling party, the PAP and its ever efficient and well oiled machinery are constantly pressing all the competitive buttons at all levels of society. The PAP has been wonderfully successful at imposing and inculcating all the 'right' values to make Singapore what it is today.

That the digital generation needs to be engaged via use of technology simply points to the fact that policy makers are out of touch. Engagement with the populace, no matter which generation, should remain a constant activity of a self-professed democratic government. Technology is the great leveller of the 21st century and it is telling that a policy needs to be crafted to utilise it for engagement. It simply demonstrates a strictly top down mode of governance where the court awaits the mandarin's orders.