The Online Citizen raised Social Justice and Fairness issues at its 2nd anniversary event at Speakers’ Corner. Here are the videos of the speeches.
Opening Speech by Choo Zheng Xi:
- TOC guiding principle: Transparency, Accountability, Active Citizenry.
- TOC – a platform for Singaporeans to tell their stories and shape the nation’s development.
- Human Rights – HDB residents’ views deserve as much respect as the ministers’.
- Town Councils reply on investment prime example of lacking in transparency.
- Make elected representative accountable with creditable candidates contesting coming election.
- Active Citizenry – our duty to build the nation as written in our National Pledge:
to build a democratic society
based on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.
- How we treat the poorest and weakest, the minorities reflect our true values.
—
HDB policies and how they are affecting the poor by Leong Sze Hian:
- 33,000 HDB households (8% of HDB concessionary loans) can’t pay HDB housing loan.
- Total figure of households with payment problem unknown – missing figures on compulsory acquired homes, foreclosures, selling flats because of payment problems.
- Are HDB flats still affordable when 33,000 HDB households can’t pay housing loan.
- HDB policies make low income families hard to afford a flat.
- Rising HDB flat price and stagnant low income wage make situation worse.
—
“Distributive Justice” and our education policy by Ravi Philemon:
- Human Rights is about prosperity and progress of “ME and MY FAMILY”.
- DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE – fair share of the society’s benefits and burdens for everyone.
- Growing income gap is tearing the social fabric of Singapore.
- Our education system disadvantaged lower-income families is root cause of deep divide between the haves and the have-nots.
- America has a culture of learning that challenges conventional wisdom; even if it means challenging authority. These are the areas Singapore must learn from America.
- Poverty inflicts permanent scars on the psychology of a person.
- Government’s policies of excessively streaming educational system, cheap foreign labour need to be addressed.
- A living wage provides disadvantaged segment of population with minimally satisfactory living conditions.
- Living wage is responsibility of the government as foreigner worker policy artificially suppressed wages.
- “We the citizens of Singapore!” should be the guiding ideology of the society.
—
Egalitarianism and why our elected leaders should represent the people by Tan Kin Lian:
- Singapore was a very different society then.
- A little rain will not hurt.
- Raised questions on these structured products 1 year ago.
- Petitions aim at seeking fair treatment for misled people who lost life savings.
- Surprised and shocked by attitudes of government leaders. Their remarks made Mr Tan more angry.
- Social justice – continue to fight until there is fair treatments.
- Social justice means we help each others even when we are not affected just because it is not fair.
- Do we want Singapore to carry on like this.
- Want to encourage others to come forward with 100,000 signatures.
- Need elected representatives that really represent the people, make them act for people.
- We must fight for a Living Wage policy.
—
Mr Tan Kin Lian updates audience on Minibond issue:
- Three groups considering legal action.
- Best solution is negotiated settlement.
- Call on public to petition good people to come forward.
—
The Online Citizen team thanks readers and friends for their support.
***
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
brave hearts.
warriors.
heroes.
saints.
gods.
well, i wouldn’t go that far, but many congratulations on the anniversary–TOC has fixed its place among my daily readings and i look forward to many more years of its focus on overlooked, or more often, ignored topics.
With regards to TKL’s speech on the Lehman Saga, I find it puzzling that the securities firm which offered 30% compensation should actually impose a deadline for the acceptance.
Hi,
I need to make a correction to my speech.
When I started writing for The Online Citizen, there was an average of 3,000 visitors a day.
Today, it is 15,000 visitors a day (in my speech, I said mistakenly 1,500 visitors a day). TOC now has 5 times the visitors daily, compared to 6 months ago.
Congratulations on the success of TOC. It is making great stride within two years.
This is a voluntary effort of about 60 people – young and not so young. It is a great effort.