A netizen recently took to Facebook to voice out his opinion on the current administration’s policies amid the Covid-19 pandemic, saying that the ideology behind the current policies is one based on the survival of the fittest.
People’s Voice founder and activist Lim Tean on Tueday (March 17) made a comparison between Singapore and San Francisco, pointing to the fact that whereas cities around the world are declaring lockdowns and community quarantines, Singapore has not resorted to enforcing such extreme measures.
According to the Business Insider, San Francisco has been put under a “shelter in place” order wherein citizens are directed to remain in their homes though they are allowed to leave in order to get food and supplies as well as to attend to medical needs.
Mr Lim cited the order of the mayor of San Francisco, saying, “The mayor of San Francisco has ordered a lockdown of the city for at least three weeks! Nobody is allowed to leave home unless they are going to the grocery shop or to a doctor’s appointment. All workers, unless their work falls under the ‘essential businesses’ must stay at home.”
The opposition politician contrasted such an order to the stance taken by PAP politicians such as Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong and Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong on the measures put in place against the Covid-19 pandemic. “(H)ere in Singapore, Lawrence Wong and Gan Kim Yong still insist we cannot close ourselves to the rest of the World,” he said. He then challenged the PAP by asking, “(W)ho is coming to Singapore at this time?” Mr Lim argued that these lax policies put the well-being of Singaporeans on the line by allowing carriers of the virus who are in search of medical attention to enter into the country.
Many people found that Mr Lim’s statements resonated with them and backed up the People’s Voice founder in the comments section of his post. Many took to calling out the PAP administration, speculating that the party was merely after the protection of its own interests.
One netizen, however, saw a graver aspect of the situation. Facebook user Clarence Paul Lim saw the Government’s current approach as proof of its ideology, which he took to be based on survival of the fittest concept wherein only the “fittest shall survive.”
Another netizen pointed out how Malaysia, which has more than 500 Covid-19 cases, has already decided to go on lock down, while Singapore, which has around half the number of cases that its next-door neighbor, has not done the same.
