In my humble opinion, it is no smart to think that 1 model works forever.

Who would challenge me if I say ‘no one knows what is happening in the world economy or any economy.’

my guess sometimes is as good as an economist’s, to my surprise.

this video busted wide open the Myth that someone knows for sure what is going on.

“In June 2007, OECD said economic condition was best in years and two months later the crisis began”

The above statement sums up everything in 1 short concise statement.

anyone feel like challenging hindsight?

Can’t agree more! Yet you want people to be mandated to take assessments by NTUC, CDC so that MOM can tell us what we are worth and dictate what we should do with our future?

Almost anyone who has working experience in or with the govt institutions can testify what sort of people staff these establishments.

Singaporeans wake up! Our “leaders” are not conscious…

Just a little comment here on manufacturing comparison between Taiwan and Singapore.

One possible explanation is the number of NMC and talents in respective countries. In Singapore, the NMCs absorbed the talents and there is little incentive for people to start their own company. In contrast, Taiwan may have the critical mass of talents to start their own business.

I do not expect Singapore to change the world, as changes beyond our shores are out of the control of our our government’s capabilities. Realistically, do you expect 4.5 mil. people to change the mind of 1.3b people in China? So let us be realistic with our expectation.

Globalization is a reality for the future… and as we become more technologically advance, we will have an increasing integrated world. This happened during the last industrial revolution and I believed it will happened again in the coming participation age. However, Singaporean are ill prepare for the changes… and unfortunately our government only knew about how ill prepare we are in 1997 financial crisis. Good for us, they started preparing the workforce since then.

Now… I see this as an opportunity for all Singaporean to wake up and start preparing for the future again. We need all citizens and PR to have a career plan… a direction in life so that you know how you can be prepare for future crisis…

Since NTUC Learning Hub and CDC provides free career assessment now, why can’t we mandate all Singaporean and PR to complete an assessment so that MOM have a clear picture of what is missing, what can be done to help, and how we can create a cohesive workforce for Singapore that can handle future recession? It is not important whether you are working or not working now.. The question is whether you will be Employable in the future… what additional skills, knowledge, and network do you need now to ensure all of us are employable in future…. Like health screening for all citizens and PR, we should all take a “health screening” for our career preparation to ensure we are healthy in meeting future challenges.

In addition, I like to see all students get similar screening prior to graduating from college, polytechnic or schools. The purpose is to help them see the TRUTH about their market values before they join the workforce. Have a plan on how they will compete with foreign talents and be provided with career coaching support to implement those plans. None of us are perfect, and through the assessment, I hope all of us reflect on the true picture and see our own weaknesses in our career development.

Like cancer screening, not knowing the truth does not make it better. Getting the true picture now before you lose your job, will allow you to be better prepare for the future. Ignoring it will only causes us to fall prey to future retrenchment. I felt NTUC Learning Hub should take the lead, help all Singaporean to develop a career plan and implement a career plan. If we can get 98% of Singaporean and PR into such a mindset, we will be a force in the global economy in 2010 and beyond.

The bloated Singapore population may come to present a very serious problem. What to do with thousands of FTs out of work.? Ship them back to China? As in the last recession, Singapore can begin building to create jobs. It was a good plan then, and it could be a good plan now – so long as the depression (and that is where we are at) does not last too long.

If the depression lasts too long, what are we looking at?

Singapore boat people?

Even if Singapore’s export-dependent growth model “works”, it doesn’t mean that it is better than most other potential alternatives. There is, in a sense, no alternatives to compare to. Discussions on this will be impoverished, at least initially.

“Would it be wrong to start hunting for greener pastures as backup plan? I mean just as a backup plan in case?
any comments?”

Personally, i don’t think it is wrong. we live in a Darwinian world, very realistic where the strong will survive. It is good to keep your option open, and i think some of our great leaders has already create the backup plan if something occur

Singapore ought to be putting up a lot of effort to build up our domestic and regional (Southeast Asia) market to create a self-sustaining solution for our economic future.

ASEAN integration would be the key effort to create an ASEAN Common Market. Market integration will come slowly but surely. Perhaps at this time of economic difficulty, all ASEAN member states ought to be promoting “Eat ASEAN, Buy ASEAN, Hire ASEAN”.

However, the problem ASEAN faces is that all ASEAN economies are export-led and they export a similar range of products. There is lack of complementary economic activities among ASEAN member states now and it is definitely now we ought to be building complementary economic sectors to accelerate the market integration process.

But does sg really have much of a Domestic Market?

Singapore has domestic market. The problem is that the domestic market depend on imported stuff to operate. This domestic market can function only because Singapore also export out stuff.

In other ASEAN nations, they have self-sustainable domestic market. The key is self-sustainable, with local resources and production activities to fuel the domestic market. Singapore has no such local resources. It only resources, the port and people need international trade to generate financial gains.

Domestic Market?
Is the world gonna shift paradigm to Domestic or local market to be self sustaining?

The remarks about domestic market is in the context that economies like Singapore is putting too much dependency on export in the rush towards globalization. No one is calling for isolated domestic economy like N Korea.

Yes, it will be a big challenge and almost impossible for Singapore to have a self-sustainable domestic market.

It’s got to be America First. I recommend that you listen to this song, America First sung by Merle Haggard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-m94nVwZO4

Oh my lord! what would happen to singapore if that is the case?
Unlike Taiwan and S.Korea, who are not yet in Recession, Singapore is extremely Dependent or Reliant on Export market. Can Sg be self sustaining at all?

Sg, HK and Japan have been in recession since last year.

Maybe Leong S H and Tan K L can share their personal take on the paradigm shift, if any?

Is Sg Model still relevant in this modern times?

What talk you?

Need new glasses?

Singapore should do the same, starting with farming.

Are we that successful in China?