Well said.
Unfortunately, sometimes, it's not just about trying to stay healthy. Try as one might, a threatening illness could still come up seemingly from nowhere. It is this sort of situation that people are afraid of. Yes, there's insurance. But how much? It can be depleted depending on severity of illness. And frankly, it's always easy to say on hindsight that one should buy as much insurance as possible. But insurance also can be a liability if not planned carefully.
That's when I feel countries with an aging population but whose governments takes care of their citizens lead a more dignified life. I've been to several overseas medical institutions and have friends working there. You can see the difference what is meant by "first world" service and dignified living. Patients there are more relaxed, they can wait at their doctor's office patiently, have more time to consult with their doctors, and even when they are suffering from terminal illnesses, they don't feel as stressed or worried as Singaporean patients. That's because these overseas patients have their medical bills taken care of by their governments.
Contrast that to Singapore, unless one is financially rich, I've seen too many patients delay their treatment because of lack of cash. Government hospital doctors are usually underpaid and have to work long hours. Seeing patients is like working in a production line. Patients' families are sometimes frustrated when they have to take leave from work to accompany their parents to see a doctor but got to wait for more than an hour because their leave is wasted or that they have to rush back to work in the afternoon.
So although citizens in other countries have to pay a lot more taxes than us, when a health disaster strikes, they know they are taken care of and still lead a dignified life.
Some health care workers here are also stressed up that they need to serve so many patients. If you all think it is only a one off incident that the elderly patient in a nursing home was "thrown around" by their staff, think again. There are many such unreported incidents from my own working experience, even in a fairly well-known nursing home. No choice. Lack of staff to do this labour intensive job, so got to get foreigners. They are not terribly well paid and have to serve too many patients.
Then for the poorer patients, they worry about not being able to afford the expensive medical expenses. The government here may say they will subsidize this and that, especially for the pioneer generation. That's good. But they are not dealing head on with other issues.
Think about it. Why are HDB flats now so expensive? Why is there a lack of hospital beds to the extent that patients got to wait in queue for a bed and even if they have one, they lie in some makeshift tent. Is that a dignified way to be treated as a citizen who needs medical treatment?
Why are the MRT trains so crowded especially during peak periods that we have to miss 2 or 3 trains everyday cos we can't get into them?
All these point to the fact that the Singapore government has brought in too many foreigners too soon and make them Singaporeans. The infrastructure is not well-prepared for it. Have you ever seen one whole "jing-gang" of foreigners (who are likely PR or already Singaporean) walk around with their kids and parents? When these foreigners come, you sometimes have to x2 for their kids to be raised here, or even x3 or x4 if they bring in their parents (either on social pass visit or even made Singaporeans themselves!) I have waited for more than hour in clinics before and I observed that many patients are foreign-looking.
No, Singaporeans are generally not xenophobic. But if the government does not plan well to cope with the changing social landscape, it is not surprising why there are so many unhappy people here.
In case the government supporters here are going to say: "If you don't like Singapore, you can pack up and leave", I'd reply that by saying, Hold it! We are Singaporeans and we deserve to air our views. Like some said it b4 here, Singapore does not equal or belong to the ruling government.
Too many times, I have heard ministers and the PM say, Come! We are listening to you. Give suggestions on how we can make Singapore better. Yet, when so many Singaporeans air their views, have their voices been heard by the government? NO!
We sometimes have open forums and discussions which have pre-selected participants and audiences. Everything looks so wholesome. But the problems and suggestions Singaporeans are trying to raise for the longest time have never been dealt with directly by these politicians. How can you blame us when we say all these dialogue sessions by the government with the people are all "wayang"?
I know the government is constantly trying to make more money for the country. Boost our economy, that's what we always hear. But are the common citizens enjoying the rewards of all the hard work? I don't think so. It's the rich getting richer.
In the light of the CPF issue, the government says the minimum sum is for us to tide over for our retirement. Ok fine. I think many sensible people can accept that. But that's not the main issue. The government THINKS all of us want to abolish the CPF or the minimum sum. Not really. If the ministers and PM are saying the minimum sum has to increase every year to cope with inflation, then let me ask them point blank in the face: Are our salaries necessarily increasing to cope with inflation also?
There are people close to me, and they are Singaporeans. They take on jobs that pay them $x amount which was the same as some 10 years ago. So how are we to survive? And whoever said that Singaporeans don't take on jobs which are lowly paid for long working hours? Don't be misled by everything they say!!!
So what we are asking now is: Can the Singapore government at least study to see if they can give us better interest rates on our CPF money to cope with the rising costs? Can they also introduce more flexibility on how our money can be withdrawn? Can they also be more transparent with how our money is being invested?
For many many years, we have been suppressed and not obtained answers to these important questions. And I doubt we will have them anytime soon.
Ladies & gentlemen, ultimately, we're discussing about our retirement, this is what the CPF is set up for. The government does not and will not look after us so it's a forced saving.
There's nothing much we can do about it unless we vote them out & put someone more resourceful in taking care of the citizens. Do you think it's possible in the near future? Not likely because even with a new government, they need at least two terms to overhaul or fine tune to see results.
Meanwhile, instead of banging & shouting. I suggest that we look into taking care of ourselves while you're able & healthy. I don't sell insurance or MLM products but please spend some spare time to study how to enrich yourself & accumulate assets so that you can have a more comfortable old age.
The lifestyle depends largely on your expectations, requirements & of course the cost in the place of settlement so it may not be in Singapore. It could be in a 3rd world country or perhaps a metropolis. US$1K a month may be enough for some while others require ten times more but it's a choice & be realistic. It's a future some distance away for some & very near for others. So instead of whining, why don't you take it by the horns and overcome the issue?
Personally, I have not given much thoughts to my CPF as it's there only as a bonus. What happens if I'm ill, will the medisave be enough? Will my savings be enough? Recently, a friend told me that his brother just passed away after 2 years of fighting with cancer. For the last few months, it cost a staggering S$40K a month just on hospital bills. S$40,000.00. I didn't ask how much it cost in total since the brother passed away but it can't be less than 6 figures. I've also known a friend who sold his semi-D to nurse his sick father and still lost him but money did give them some extra time together.
So, stay healthy & eat well.
Trivia:
Do you know that parents are by law required to take care of their step children as well even after divorce? And Vice Versa, because there are many abandoned old folks out there and the State has to take care of them especially when none of the children wants to or willing to. This is where the Maintenance of Parents Bill come in, it falls under MCYS and they are a powerful department. It is one of the few ministries that can make you declare all your assets, freeze your account with court order then dispose of your assets to assist in settlement of outstanding hospital bills. Even illegitimate children must bear responsibilities.
That is another horrible way to burden our children so please beware of that. Good day.
