Yesterday, we had official statistics confirming that our economy is slowing down – retrenchment and long-term unemployment is on the rise and there are not enough jobs to feed everyone.
At the same time, it was reported this morning that the MD of MAS Ravi Menon called for lifelong learning in view of the sluggish economy and the prospect of dire economy for some time to come.
To quote him, “Almost anything you learn in school is going to be outdated within the first few years [and there is a] need to continually acquire new skills and new technology and new exposures.”
One key thing to note is that more companies are retrenching, restructuring or relocating to cheaper neighbouring countries. And yet foreigners are still being let in to work!
If you travel in public transport, you still see many foreigners dressed in office attire. Make a trip to Changi Business Hub to have a look for yourself if you are not convinced!
Singapore’s high costs of living can be attributed to PAP’s ‘lack of 20/20 foresight’ which resulted in high property prices and an infrastructure.
Now that we are facing a slowdown, can you imagine how people are worried about are losing their jobs with mounting bills to pay?
For all these, I was reminded of Minister Lim Swee Say’s calling for reskilling in order to enable retrenched workers to be more employable.
SDP has called for national unemployment insurance while other countries have similar schemes for their retrenched workers to get through.
Imagine how someone would feel if he has a family to feed! Is this the only thing our Ministers could do for workers when he is receiving the highest salary for beaucrats?
And yet the only group of citizens unaffected by this are of course the ministers and top civil servants whose top salaries allow them to maintain their usual life styles!