In this article, I am arguing with myself… to see whose logic is more correct in alleviating the financial pressures of my country. My rant is in black text, my counter-reasoning is in green text.
Do you know we live in a first-class first world country yet we are experiencing massive poverty?!
Note: Singapore’s poverty is only relative poverty, not absolute poverty. Most of us have met our basic needs – we have shelter, food, and utilities, but not enough for the finer things of life that we see other people enjoying – (relative poverty). People in third world countries don’t have enough to survive. Their basic needs are not met. That is absolute poverty. So my sentence above is a hyperbolic exaggeration (for interesting writing).
I’m not a rich man… I blew $42,000 SGD on the Australian Stock Market as a university student, and another $100,000 SGD on the US Stock Market as a 40 year old man. If I did not make the mistake of trading the stock market with CFDs and Options, I would be worth $200,000 now. (I ate the rest of the money.)
But what about Singapore Aunty? Who does not have a job? And has no business or income stream…? She has $65.15 SGD in her bank balance. And you know what? There are many elderly hovering around $200 to $600 total in their bank accounts. That’s their remaining life savings! Government, how can you expect them to survive on that?!
They are probably too old to work as the retirement age is 64 in Singapore. Then let’s say you live till 90? How can you do that on nothing?!
Note: The retirement age is the earliest age an employer can legally retire you. But that does not mean you have to retire or that you should retire?! You should keep on working all the way till you cannot move! You need the money. Retirement age does not mean you have to retire. It means the earliest age the employer can fire you because you are old. But if you are capable and fit, why not hire an older more experienced person? The secret is to keep fit and stay physically young, then keep working – even past retirement age!
My poor angel reader bank balance can only last me 2 years without working! Compared with Singapore Aunty, I have much more… but it’s still not enough to survive on if I get any problems like physical disabilities or mental cuckoo-ness.
And who is to say Singapore Aunty is in working condition? She might have health problems. She deposits $20 and that is used up in a day. I wish I could tell Singapore Aunty how to make money in life??
Aren’t you letting your people die of poverty?!
The spiritual government talks to me about CPF Retirement Savings…
Lance’s Conclusion: “Actually, I understand already…. The people who only have a few hundred dollars in their bank accounts or less, did not build their CPF Central Provident Fund retirement savings. If they had let their retirement accounts build up while they were younger and working, they would have a work-free monthly income stream from their CPF monthly payouts once they turn 65 and it pays them for the rest of their life. I am a self-employed individual, so I also do not build up my CPF retirement savings, which would cost me greatly in future if I am injured or too old to work. The solution to surviving old age poverty, is to deposit into your CPF retirement savings plan continuously when young and able.”
These CDC Vouchers… $600 for regular people… $800 for old people… you should give them EVERY MONTH!
(Note on 24 July 2025: I just got my SG60 Vouchers of $600 each for me and my brothers, and $800 each for my parents. So thank you Singapore Government. People can repay a kind deed with good karma. So may you have much good karma for your government for your kind gifts!)
Back to topic…
Your people need constant supplementary income. Especially when there are too many retired folk and growing children to take care of…. A poor angel reader’s $3K salary is only enough to support himself! Grandparents, retired parents, uncles and aunties get nothing… NIL, ZIP, NADA. Sometimes children go hungry as well. There are just too many non-working humans to support on too little income.
“Grandpa! Go get a job at McDonalds! We need to feed the kids here!”
What I want to say is that you need to supplement income for the population to survive. The old people are trying to kill themselves to avoid being a burden to their families. Your family services social welfare is also hard to get anything from. It is basically not geared to giving you money. It gives you lots of loan suggestions and job coaching and re-employment directions. But for the retired or elderly?!
Note: Actually, I highly respect the family service centre. They really can help people solve financial problems and even homelessness. Don’t be shy to approach them for help!
“Grandpa! Apply for road sweeper or toilet cleaner! There is plenty of job space there! Marketer and Banker jobs are too coveted! They only want young blood. You’ll never make it in!”
Our government actually sponsors most of our pressing expenses in Singapore. For example, medical treatment at the polyclinic is heavily subsidised. You pay $20 at the polyclinic… outside at the private clinic, you have to pay $100.
Tertiary education really needs government sponsorship. If not, it can be so expensive, it will cost you your life savings! How much do the schools want for their qualifications really? It ranges. It can be $14K if they are generous… $56K, $72K, $86K or more if they are reputed. The only courses I can afford to join are the government-sponsored ones. In Singapore, that is known as the SCTP Skillsfuture Career Transition Programme, where they sponsor your whole diploma studies for you and even help place you in a job. Singapore Government, you should sponsor as much of the study institutions as you can. Why there is low enrolment at many schools… is because it is too expensive an investment while people are struggling to make ends meet. Only full scholarship will give them the hope to crank up these old brain engines to study a diploma or their degrees. If not, people are so cash strapped, they don’t buy, and schools can’t even get enough enrolment to run their courses. So… maybe become the godmother sponsoring education? (Singapore is a lady.)
Note: The way to overcome the problem of not having enough money to study, is to take a student loan from the bank. You can pay it back slowly after you have graduated. There are no loan repayments before graduation. If you need extra money for living costs like food, housing, and transportation, make sure you borrow that as well. You can’t be a genius on an empty stomach! You need money for brain fuel.
Money is being spent sponsoring the population by subsidies. I can see the government’s effort in trying to help the poor and needy through their social welfare programmes. So I salute them for their initiatives. Most people have not heard of these welfare schemes and do not know how to take advantage of them. Generally, if you have a welfare scheme, you need to inform the population about it. You need teams of social workers and marketers to inform the public of these social support schemes.
The government has been building Singapore with borrowed money from the World Bank. (So do all developing countries.) But they did not put it in your account by direct deposit every month as a supplementary Universal Basic Income.
Note: I think there are rules against giving people money directly. These world building funds seem to be reserved for world development. Which means: infrastructure, education, healthcare, poverty reduction, climate resilience, economic reform. But I think there are secret covenants against giving the people money directly as an allowance. So you got to think your way out of your financial problems. You can’t count on the government to pay for your living.
The solution for Singapore Aunty, who can’t earn her own living either because of age or disability or difficulty in getting employment, is to have a staple monthly income gifted to her by the government without means testing… but just a promise that they will provide for you.
“Singapore Aunty… you did not contribute to your CPF LIFE savings… that’s why you have no money at retirement….”
“OH NO! WHAT TO DO?!” cries Singapore Aunty.
So… read Universal Basic Income. It’s a true solution to world poverty.
Shalom,
Halabuth
Angel Reader
Magic Cross
Money For Singapore Aunty!
P.S. I gifted Singapore Aunty $100 SGD of my own money to help her survive. But… I think that’s not enough. Government, please give everyone money.
