Chee Soon Juan's Redundancy Insurance Plan

Where is the $2b coming from?

Dr Chee Soon Juan has said a lot about this redundancy insurance plan that he intends to introduce. I thought it sounded wonderful. As a PME who was retrenched a few years ago, I thought what he proposed could have indeed helped me through those rough times.

That was before I went to read his proposal in detail. (It’s in the SDP manifesto, you can read it for yourself.) I had wondered how this $2b dollar scheme will be financed. Turns out, he intends for 80% of it to come from the Government (meaning taxpayers’ money right?), 10% by employers and another 10% by workers (meaning you, and me). So if I’m not wrong, this means we not only have to pay higher taxes, we also have to fork out 10% of our take-home pay?

But there is one big problem for this retrenchment insurance – the money will only go towards those who are retrenched, and stay unemployed.

My money may go towards helping some lazy bum to continue relaxing at home, rather than looking for a job. I managed to get another job within two months of being retrenched, but I had to really go out there, apply many times and attend many interviews. I even took a small pay cut. But I also had ex-colleagues who just sat on their retrenchment package, didn’t put in much effort, and only started looking for work after many months, and had a lot more trouble than me. I think if they had redundancy insurance as well, they may still be slacking at home.

I’m not going to give my hard-earned to someone else to enjoy himself for a year instead of looking for work. No way, this scheme is not worth it at all.

Bukit Batok By-Election ... Chee Soon Juan

The SDP we know now is a shadow of its former self. It used to be the leading opposition party in Singapore, with the most opposition seats in Parliament, when it was led by Mr Chiam See Tong. Mr Chiam was well-respected and a force to be reckoned with.

All of the SDP’s achievements started to crumble the moment Mr Chiam brought in Chee Soon Juan in 1992. Mr Chiam mentored and guided him, but Chee Soon Juan repaid Mr Chiam by betraying him. Eventually, Mr Chiam was forced out of the very party he founded in 1980. After that, SDP under Chee Soon Juan never won a single seat in Parliament ever again.

Karma’s a bitch.

So no matter how much Chee Soon Juan tries to say he has changed, I honestly cannot get over how he backstabbed his own mentor, and tried to make all kinds of excuses. How could he turn on someone who had brought him into politics, groomed and mentored him? To me, that says a lot of his character.

I think it’s hard to trust someone who was capable of that.

Who knows if he will next turn on the people of Bukit Batok, after they send him to Parliament?

PM Lee vs Lee Wei Ling ... "Damn if you do, damned if you don't"

Poor PM Lee Hsien Loong found himself in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" position yesterday (10 April). 

Some may feel he should have kept this a family matter and not rebutted his sister in public. 

Others may think that as Prime Minister, he is answerable to Singaporeans as well.

It is very sad this ended up a public feud, but she forced his hand by calling him a "dishonourable son", and of establishing a dynasty. In the end, he chose to be accountable and upfront with Singaporeans.  

It is not easy for him - he also has to balance between his role as a son, a brother, and the Prime Minister of Singapore. Whether or not he agreed with how the commemoration was done, he respected the wishes of Singaporeans to commemorate the first death anniversary of our founding father. Mr Lee is her father, but he was also more than just that. I do not think that it is right for her to deny Singaporeans the chance to pay their respects should they wish to, and to belittle their wishes. 

By making those damaging statements, she gave PM very little choice and caused him pain and embarrassment. 

Whether or not it was an emotional outburst or calculated move on her part, she must know that her father and brother aren't ordinary Singaporeans. 

And she cannot expect to be treated like any other sister in a family squabble when the shit hits the fan.