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“好阿公”岂容老弱无所依

by Yee Loon
15/03/2019
in 人情冷暖, 公民社会, 社交媒体, 舆论, 观点
Reading Time: 1 min read
0

日前在脸书拜读网民Suzanne Lim的贴文,其中一则提到,有个老人在提款机前按了好久,后面的年轻人看了屏幕,告诉她不够钱 ; 又再替她试了一次,告诉她,aunty里面没有钱了,不能提款 ! 老人家一脸茫然的离开了。

Suzanne Lim问,是家人孩子忘了转帐给她吗?领不到钱 , 老人家有钱买菜吃饭吗?淡马锡基金总裁何晶,鼓励人民为家里老人家填补公积金,但是,她不晓得还有多少在生活线上挣扎的老百姓,要为了房贷,医药费,教育费和家里老人家的看护费在烦恼 。

Suzanne Lim的小故事令人感慨。说的就是在组屋区里,汲汲营营为生活忙碌、为三餐温饱求存的新加坡普通老百姓。

或许故事中的老人有自己的家庭因素。但之前不是有位议员不是说,我们有个“好阿公”,谨慎处理财务,且“省吃俭用”每隔三五年给“阿成”钱,“这样的阿公哪里找”?

那么,为何比起这些在议会殿堂里的议员,老百姓眼中看到的,却是截然不同的景象?隔壁家阿叔在为医药费烦恼、楼上的40多岁的中年汉还没找到工、还有时常在附近街看到的捡纸皮阿嬷。难道我们是活在“两种新加坡”?阶级就是立在这个小红点的一道高墙?

好政府不必然强大、有钱

好政府不必然是强大、有钱的政府,若人民继续处在水深火热之中,国库充盈却没有善用在百姓之间,又有何用?

新加坡最主要收入来源NIRC(国家储备净投资回报贡献),在新财政年预计为172亿元,有经济学家估计,三年来我国的累积盈余可能已达150亿元。

就连淡马锡基金的股东,2018年4月前的一年期的回报率都高达12巴仙,3年期股东总回报率都有4.99巴仙。

但是我们自己的公积金利率也只有2.5-3.5巴仙左右,根本抵不过国内百物上涨。

政府这种“省吃俭用”,却又吝于社会开支的态度,一直以来都被人民诟病。当权者往往会以担心人民可能变得懒惰、依赖政府为由,不舍得为那些真正有需要的国民拨出社会开支。

可是,政府却不愿谈对政治职务者领取的天价高薪,还有遍布海内外的巨额投资。其中有些还面临亏损。

吝于社会开支

试想想,如果这些储备盈余,都能放在社会开支中,例如普及化的医疗福利,会有多少老弱病患得以从医药成本负担重松一口气?

再比如,可以把人民协会会所造得富丽堂皇,那能不能拨出一些空间,收容老无所依者?或者偶尔为他们准备一些热食也好,渡过寒冷夜晚?

当人民呼吁应该落实财富税,避免国内贫富差距,当权者又说担心征财富税会吓跑外资,外资走了人民就失去工作机会。

但,又不见的瑞典、挪威等西方国家的外资被吓跑?当地工人失去工作机会?反之,政府大量引进外籍专才,政府只要求人民“要与时并进不断提升”,又不见得限制进口外国客工的日本,有陷入严重的人力资源不足问题。

此前,路透社报导就曾提到,为了应付日渐增加的生活费,越来越多原本应该享受退休生活的新加坡乐龄人士,被迫重返劳动市场。65岁以上人口的就业率在过去的10年中,增加了15巴仙。有者甚至在受访时表示,他们必须工作才得以生存。

新加坡人“可以死但不可以生病”,想看病还得思前想后,拿出计算机算算健保、津贴够不够;身在自己的家园,为国家打拼多年还在为生活揪心。不忍加重子女负担,有些老人家只好继续打工,曾经有位71岁清洁工就叹道,“我必须工作到我死的那一天”。好阿公岂容老弱无所依至此?

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