By AG — I have always been on the fence. I am not fully satisfied with the PAP, but unfortunately they have been the better choice in my ward. However, it has gotten to a stage where I don’t even want to vote for them either.
They are forgetting the middle class.
The rich are getting richer, and Singapore has always been trying its best to attract even more of such people. Of course it looks good on paper – our average income increases, and the government has some ability to redistribute the rich’s wealth to the poor. Some rich people also start companies here and allow people to have jobs. I can imagine if Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Dyson etc. pulls out, many people will become unemployed.
However, the middle class are not direct recipients of the distribution of wealth. They are not poor enough to get help, but they are not rich enough to have substantial savings that will change their social economic status. Coupled with inflation, the minimal income increase they experience will go towards coping with inflation.
Look at our catastrophic birth rates figures.
Think about those who cannot afford down-payment for housing. Especially those who are unable to purchase HDB because of various rules in place, one look at private housing prices and they will decide to give up. This is no environment for them to start a family, they are barely surviving themselves.
And then we have the Ridout scandal which to me is so clearly they are all out of touch with the ordinary citizens. Really, can we still trust pap?
