Singaporean pleads with Govt to address disparity between rich and poor

After a Singaporean issued a passionate call for the Government to change the disparity between Singapore’s rich and poor, netizens followed suit and expressed similar sentiments. While some saw the need to vote out the ruling party, People’s Action Party (PAP), others were more pessimistic, doubting the Government would even listen to the plea.

A Singaporean’s recorded plea on Tuesday (May 19) was published in the Facebook group All Singapore Stuff, and caught the attention of many other netizens. The two-and-a-half minute video recorded a man’s rather candid speech wherein he issued a plea for the Government to address the conditions in Singapore that make the rich grow richer and the poor become poorer.

“Dear Government, I hope you are seeing my sincere video,” he began, clasping both hands over his chest. “I really don’t care whether it’s (the) PAP, WP, SDP…I don’t care. Whatever it is, I just hope that you hold to your promises. Come on, we want to live a better life. How long (do) we need to suffer? Come on, dear MPs–you are earning thousands and thousands…”

He then contrasted the large salary of Government officials with the small sum of money ordinary Singaporeans earn, only to have part of it taken away by the CPF for safe-keeping until it is returned to them at later age. Zeroing-in on the reality of life for many Singaporeans, the man laid it all down plainly.  “In Singapore, (there’s no) happy living, actually. I am working and working and working, and I’m still not rich. So I work day and night…”

He then issued a call for the Government to truly change things for Singapore and to give people an “equal life.” “You are earning thousands, my dear MPs and all the government level(s). I hope you all just have mercy to plan what is good for us Singaporeans, that’s all…that’s what I need–a better, happy (life),” the man plead. “(There are too many) things to pay…everything is so expensive…it’s just killing me.”

The man’s plea tugged at the heart strings of many and elicited a response from netizens. While some netizens took the video as a rallying call to sympathise with each other, others were a bit more pessimistic and assumed that the Government would not listen.

One Facebook user even cautioned, “Your plea will fall on deaf ears…”