Former Chief Economist at GIC and former adjunct professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Yeoh Lam Keong lambasted a statement made by the Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing recently, questioning the lack of “concrete and effective policy action” by the upper echelons of Singapore’s leadership.

Speaking at a public policy conference last week, Mr Chan — who is rumoured to be the top candidate to succeed Lee Hsien Loong as the next Prime Minister of Singapore — urged Singaporeans to not “make all-encompassing generalizations about each other.”

Mr Chan also reminded Singaporeans to “make a clear distinction between “elites” who use their success and wealth to give back to society, and those with an “elitist attitude” who do not reach out to help their fellow man.”

Mr Yeoh, in his Facebook post on Wednesday (31 Oct), raised a pertinent question: “If our top leadership are really so keen for elites to help the underprivileged in society and create more equality of opportunity, why is it [that] our basic income policy support for the absolute poor is still so pathetic?”

He suggested the implementation of economic measures, such as raising the Workfare Income Supplement and Silver Support Scheme “by $600 a month to meet most of the basic needs” of low-wage earners, which “will cost us less than 1% of GDP and require no rise in taxes,” adding that “studies show that extending these schemes will not reduce work effort or motivation and would greatly increase the ability of the poor to help themselves.”

“Yet policy makers stubbornly refuse to adequately fund these two schemes that between them automatically reach most of these working and elderly absolute poor,” lamented Mr Yeoh.

Mr Yeoh also cited Singapore’s “misguided policy of excessive immigration over the 1990s and between 2000-2010,” which he explained resulted in “depressed wages,” and as a consequence, “created a huge class of working poor who form the bulk of our 300-400,000 absolute poor in Singapore.”

The former economist further questioned: “Rather than all this sophisticated talk on how elites should give back to the less privileged or be less conscious of socioeconomic status, how about some concrete and effective policy action to put our money where our mouth is, and to largely eradicate the scourge and shame of absolute poverty in Singapore?”

Mr Yeoh also criticised Mr Chan, who he suggested “is a smart, personable and generally well-meaning leader,” for not having done “anything substantial enough to sufficiently help the poorest of the poor in all those years of relevant high office that had the most responsibility and say in such matters,” being in charge of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) as well as heading the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) “for nearly 3 years.”

“For our governing elites, true intelligent charity and compassion should should begin with a deep policy mindset change and social policy reform at home. Otherwise, all this kind of talk is just empty sophistry,” concluded Mr Yeoh.

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Attorney-General stresses need for more lawyers to deal with increasing and complex cases

Attorney-General Lucien Wong says there is a need for the Attorney-General’s Chambers…

Monetary Authority of Singapore asks banks to keep quiet about inflow of wealth from China

Singapore has reportedly asked banks not to discuss the origins of significant sums of money flowing into the city, particularly from wealthy Chinese individuals, according to a report by Financial Times.

Desmond Choo & Png Eng Huat Factsheet

~ By Howard Lee ~ Desmond Choo Pey Ching 朱倍庆 Png Eng…

巫统伊党号召50万人 赴隆出席反ICERD集会

马来西亚最大反对党兼马来政党巫统,联合伊斯兰党将再明日下午二时至六时之间,在马国首都吉隆坡举行反“消除一切刑事种族歧视公约(ICERD)”嘉年华会。 巫统最高理事达祖丁,放眼巫统將有20万人出席,而伊党则有30万人,加上非政府组织成员,预料將共有逾50万人出席这场集会。 马国警方对该嘉年华会严正以待,于今晚开始就封锁吉隆坡独立广场附近的六个路段,也会派出联邦后备队待命。 吉隆坡总警长玛兹兰则警告,现场进行演讲的人士,亦不得发表任何有煽动成分的言论,否则警方將展开適当的行动。 人权嘉年华会被迫展延 另一方面,原本也将在明日早上8时至3时,在雪兰莪州八打灵再也市政厅草场举办的“为人权而立”(Stand Up 4 Human Rights)嘉年华会,也在警方的劝告下,展延举行。 人权委员会主席拉扎里今午发表文告称,警方通知人权委会和首相办公室,指明日的活动“受到足以威胁国家安全的安全风险”。 人权委会在文告中表达失望,指致力於人权的政府似乎因受到极端主义的压力及战术影响,导致需要推迟这项活动的进行。…