I agree that everybody should help themselves out and not depend on handouts.
I, and most reasonable Singaporeans certainly do not want a society whereby the jobless are picky or the poor don't bother to work and become reliant on handouts or go around with the notion that the government will and is obligated to feed them using tax payer's money.
What all of us feel is that the Ex government ( since parliament is dissolved and results out tonight) here has totally alienated themselves from the ground up and when people raise issues the general impression to everyone is that it is always brushed off or we feel "why bother, they don't listen anyway"....which reflects their holier than thou attitude.
The environment is such that even when people spend hard earned money to improve their education level or work hard, the costs of living rise and with far more competition from foreigners who are willing to accept less pay ( employment passes and work permits seem to be of no issue).... the poor get squeezed, they can't get out of their situation... the FTs don't have a mortgage hanging over their heads and most of them share a flat or room rent with a few fellow FTs as well so their costs are lower... and that's just the tip of the iceberg of a very sensitive issue. We are not an anti immigration country and most singaporeans are reasonable enough to acknowledge that FT is GOOD but how MANY must there be And why so easy to get in? PR/Citizenship is another thorny issue. Seems so easy mainly because there are no clear guidelines as to how someone can earn their stripes in Singapore. Perhaps in this sense the singapore government should look to Australia and their immigration PR/Citizenship criteria to get some idea how to move forward.
Money talks.. yes that we all know.. but there's a limit as to how far a government can run a Country like a corporation and when it should show more compassion and heart to it's policies.
My personal opinion is that the Corporation GDP KPI way of running a country has gone too far.
There is an immense sense of unfairness on the ground.
The poor get poorer ( even when they put in the effort to work hard and try to get out of the endless cycle, they are stuck with little help much less with a the minister in charge who asks whether the 3 meals a day be at a hawker center, cafe or restaurant ) and the rich get richer.
We do our part but when you're treated or FEEL as though we are 2nd class citizens in one's own country then something is surely very wrong.