Once you are over 40, you are supposed to be dead, not out looking for a job. If you are looking and got retrenched, must be your fault, you are non-performer; full-stop!

Declare a operation for a torn ligament (does torn knee ligament makes you a medical risk?) and they deem you unhealthy. What about surgery for wisdom teeth? Ah-ha, everybody assumes it is part and parcel of life and did not even stop to think that wisdom teeth extraction is usually perform under surgery and deem as a surgery! How does a torn knee ligament from a bad fall/sports etc restrict your area of work if you need to sit mostly all day? Granted you cannot climb/or have difficulty climbing upstairs, but so would most people when they reach a certain age

Managers are getting younger coz of a beautiful degree and parents who can literally sent their child to some some foreign U to get some some (maybe not well-recognised degree). They then deem you a threat simply coz your resume of 20yrs of working experience is worth more than their experiences? Why do well-experienced/qualified persons had to re-start their salary just coz of economy problems? This all had to do with mind-set of employers not employees. For the same amount of work and responsibilities, the newly hire 40-overs person find himself/herself being pay in the same range of a 20-overs employee with lesser experience!

Even when you are willing to take such a “pay-cut” coz its more impt to keep bread on the table than to stare at bread in some vendor’s window, the hiring managers still may deem you “un-teacher” or may “revolt” coz you probably know all the tricks about performance review etc

Have anybody study performance review at all? I used to work in an US company with CHINESE culture. The email from HR state CLEARLY guidelines and performance being tie to increment or extra bonus. Eg if you get 70-100 then you get 10% increment, 50-69: 6% etc. Yet the director of that particular department miscalculated his budget (or used up his budget to buy new servers) than he re-adjusts this percentage. Eg I got 60/100 so I should get 6%. If my present salary is SGD3000, than my increment will be SGD180, yet the actual increment maybe “accidentally” reduced to SGD120 without any explanation whatsoever. In this sense, after 2 years of being “play-out” by this illogical deduction, I got really sicked of being in that company! How is performance being tied to increment when you have a person making illogical decisions regards the increment despite the HR guidelines? When I actually ask my manager abt it, he replied “Its a guideline, so managers can adjust this figure” Does this mean I got lousy performance or still good performance??? It makes you confused and sad to realised that since increment is a number, if that HOD makes a fool mistake of asking for budget, and he don’t like you (coz you are always asking questions that strips his colours and exposes him for the coward that he is), thus you get “reduced” increment

When I checked with the HR, they reply that the percent is fixed to the performance marks. When I took my salary slip and talked to the regional HR manager, her answer was the same and that I should get 6%. But if HOD deems that it is too high and wants to adjust, he can do so at his discretion. When I asked how is this going to reflect based on my performance, she replied that performance is not affected by increment, increment is affected by performance. So if I had 7/10 for performance I still get 7/10, whatever adjustments the HR leaves it to HOD.

SO after working for lousy 25yr, I decided to do my own stuff. I have been doing forex trading since I left the “corporate” world in Aug/2008 and I have never look back. Within 6 months (from Apr2009 to Oct20009) (ahh…I was still out looking for a new job from Aug2008-Apr2009), my initial investment of USD5000 has turned into 6-digit account of USD130,000. I also promote the free web trading platform and earns a commission from the broker

In dec 2009, I finally had the “funds” to buy a new PC, PC table (the old one was 2000/19997), a new bed+10-inches King Koil top-of-line pocketed spring mattress (my old bed+mattress was 1998).

Those interested to find out how I survive 2 years with enough money for my family, PUB, myself etc I can sent jpeg of my Live account statements and let you know more about web trading. This is NOT MLM or some cheap-skate b***-s***. It is no obligation and FREE. If you don’t sign up you don’t lose anything. If you sign up you DON’T pay anything to me!!!

Perks:
1) I have a personal manager assigned to me by UOB
2) I have no boss, no alarm clocks, no bitchy, back-stabbing colleagues
3) No need to rush for transport
4) No need to face another lousy interviewer EVER!
5) Can work till I decide when to stop. Over 40s, I am about as old as Singapore. No issues at all. At least there is no need to have a nice looking knee in order to trade

Will Singapore can survive without foreign talent, or what so ever you mention “3 World Farmer? I don’t think so. I am not saying Singaporeans are not talented but you can’t refute foreign talents as well. Singapore’ 1/3 workforce is covered or over-whelmed by foreign talents. No matter where they come from, even from the 4th world or 5th world, it doesn’t mean they don’t have talents or skills. You are degrading too much to other nations, by reading your comments, your attitude is so little standard as well as the perspective towards others nations with unfortunate political situations. Please think twice before you say filthy words or humiliating things to others.

Beware Singapore Brothers, I may be a few cm from all of you soon……

Do I want to be a change agent?
Do I want to be part of the change team? ‘

Many mistake that unless you take to the streets and get arrested , you are not helping the process.

To me, I feel and urge those who , due to whatever reasons like job security , retirement or career progression or business, dare not voice up do so by way of reading and or posting comments here in TOC to help clarify for people what they need to know and or debate with those with ulterior motives from which they derive their prosperity .

All can contribute to the Process. Its certainly worth the effort.

In the name of Righteousness. Justice. Equality. Progress. Transparency.

These people are smart, they know one simple theory…
“If you can’t beat them, join them!”

There is a new theory in the making for PaPee’s followers..
“Just be obedient and you will be taken care of!”

////It is interesting to see so many people here complaining and criticising about the Singapore government and its governance.
I am not sure if it is entirely reflective of the overall sentiments of Singaporeans as if indeed it is so, it is a puzzle how the Singapore government can be in power and claim to hold the mandate of Singaporeans.//////

I have posted this before, but I hought this may shed some light on your question of how reflective of the overall sentiments of Singaporeans are the views posted here at TOC

Allow me to share this perspective of the TOC community

Based on the TOC’s most popular post with 19,423 post
Assuming none of the 19,423 are repeat views from same people (which is unlikely)
If we can assume this number represents the TOC’s virtual population.
This number will works out to be 0.5% of the population of Singapore of 4 million people.

The reamining 99.5% are not in TOC perhaps for the following non exhaustive list of reason.

1. Those who are illiterate
2. Those who do not read/write English
3. Those who are literate in English but are IT illiterate
4. Those who are literate in English and IT literate but unaware of such on-line community sites as TOC
5. Those who are literate in English and IT literate, aware of the site, but do not wish to be part of the on-line community
6.Those who are literate in English and IT literate aware of the site, but do not wish to be part of the on-line community as the do not support the general views of TOC community

Another point is the about the number of Singaporeans who “flew the coop” if I may be allowed to borrow the terms used by a poster here. I am interested to know what is the actual numbers.

I noticed there are quiet a number of regular posters here who are the “flew the coop” category.
Quite a few poaters are currently without a job but presumbly still in SG. And these may also soon “flew the coop”

I would think it is only natural that these people will harbour opinion and sentiments of complaints and criticism that are skewed towards anti establishment, otherwise they would not have “flew the coop”.
They must have felt they got a raw deal here.

So much is this reflective of the sentiment of entire population?
0.5% ?

Questions we have to as ourselves are:

Do I want to be a change agent?
Do I want to be part of the change team?
Do I dare to speak my mind unmasked?

If our answers are “yes”, then change can be possible. Then perhaps, someone can start to create a facebook group for the “Change Advocators”. If there is unity, there will be strength.

So Lawrence, you are not alone. :)

Thanks for your comments.

I can understand your frustration and agony. But I still feel that we should not resort to unrest and violence even when all possible avenues have been well blocked out in advance. To illustrate my point, the struggle that India went through was much worse than the situation facing Singapore now. However, Ghandi did not resort to violence or unrest in order to achieve his objective to bring change to his people.

I am afraid that I am only one person and therefore am limited in my ability to offer an effective avenue where change can be brought about. But I am sure that something can be done.

I feel it doesn’t really matter whether it is the opposition or the PAP. What matters is whether they are really doing what’s best for Singaporeans. I am not an extremist. I am being objective.

Ultimately, what we want is real change which is beneficial and sustainable to Singaporeans.

Yes, it is sad that many citizens had left Singapore due to the loss of faith and trust in the government.

We have seen how a dis-united opposition can lead to nowhere.
We need a UNITED front to bring change that we want.

To me, its Now or never.

In the name of PATRIOTISM and PROGRESS.

Majulah! More Good Years!

Dear Lawrence,

I think, no amount of elaboration can help you better understand what I’ve said, apart from allowing time to illustrate my points.
I am not for unrests or violence, neither am I advocating it.
But what avenues are there in solving what MANY wants changed when all possible avenues have been well blocked in advance?
Those who recognized this condition have flown the coop – and many are still flying the coop.

Thanks for your comments. They are thoughtful and rational.

Hi (60) CJ,

I am not assuming that unrest can never happen. On the contrary, I believe it’s prudent to never take things for grant and allow complacency to get the better of us.

That said, I feel that there can be and there are other avenues that offer a better solution to the problem facing Singaporeans now. If those avenues can be turned to effectively, why is there a need to turn to violence and unrest. I feel that would not be in the best interests of Singaporeans. Also, I do not feel that it is absolutely necessary to go to such an extent. You mentioned about immigrants who will not be as docile compared to local ‘born and bred’ Singaporeans. Do you mean to say that the unrest mentioned by you would be caused by the new citizens? If so, why do you think so?

I am sorry, I had only recently started to post about this article, would you mind explaining to me about what you had said about MJ’s passing? I am afraid that I am unable to comment about the relevance of MJ’s passing to this issue before your explanation.

I agree that nothing is definite, rational and logical. However, I cannot understand why would someone prefer unrest and irrationality where there is clearly a better way of solving things.

while it is great to have the chance to serve, the fact remains about the competition (age, labor cost, cost of living, time etc) the singaporean have to face in such an environment we have ACCEPTED.

injoy more good good.

mr goh of ct scan

Dear Lawrence,

The problem that Singapreans face, is very much like that of harbouring a bad tooth, which is slowly decaying. Aching mildly at first, and procastinating a dental visit until a real painful and fever inducing infection sets in.

DON’T ever assume, that unrest can never happen here, or any other form of unexpected negative turn of events. It may not happen in the near future, but I can assure you, as the population gets displaced by increasingly more immigrants, these NEW foreign citizens WILL NOT be as docile.

Mark my words, as did many who have marked my words about MJ’s passing.
You may think my mention of MJ is irrelevant, but do think deeper.
Not everything in a human’s life the existence of the human race, is governed by your familiar rational & logic.