“Can you imagine walking to every HDB block and every floor that you go, every 12 flats that you count, one of them is in arrears by more than three months? And at the end of the day, if they cannot pay and they default (on their mortgage loans), they lose their homes, they may lose their life CPF savings as well.”
In 2009, Mr Leong Sze Hian published his book, “Issues That Matter: Uniquely Singapore – F1 or F9”. The book is a compilation of letters which Mr Leong had sent to the local press on issues such as public housing, healthcare, CPF, education and public transport. Nine issues are covered in the nine chapters in the book.
Mr Leong, a very much in-demand expert and commentator on financial and social issues, delves into the intricacies of policies and problems faced by Singaporeans and asks some intriguing questions.
The book is a must-read for anyone who is concerned about these issues which affect all of us.
You can order the book – at S$15.90 – by sending us an email at: theonlinecitizen@gmail.com or via Paypal (scroll to the bottom to order)
All proceeds will go towards the upkeep of this website, courtesy of the generosity of Mr Leong.
Thanks TOC team and Mr Leong for this book. Would like to buy some copies. May i know is it still available at Kino book shop?
By the way, talking about F1 or F9, I wonder is streetdirectory A1 or F9 for showing the following ERP rates info:
http://s832.photobucket.com/albums/zz247/hansontan/?action=view¤t=ERPratesbendemeernotfree.jpg
On 1st Dec 2009 Mon: the ERP rate for Bendemeer ERP is shown to be Free at all times.
That morning, I drove past that gantry at between 8:30am to 9:00 am and was deducted $0.50.
Just to share with readers. Let me know if i am missing something why it said free but was not.
Singapore is unique indeed.
1. Last Time Stop-At-2 policy. Now, going for 6.5million with 1 million or so already entered. Why last time stop at 2 when the city can accomodate 6.5million according to this 6.5million target?
If can set 6.5million target surely can accomodate them? So why last time did not allow more citizens to be reproduced?
2. based on Expo and Convention halls jam packed situations, how can the existing infrastructure handle so many more people?
So, what is the Reason to increase to 6.5million? To have more immigrant new citizens so that …… ???
Can Opposition question them for us? We need clarity and justification and assurance that the infra can handle.
in the older days, it was cheap to support several children compared to now.
I wonder if last time there was no stop-at-2 would we have to resort to inviting so many new immigrants?
why policy like that?
F1 or F9?
I will tell them on Polling day.
I am thinking if I should buy a copy of the book and send to my MP…
go Mr Leong!!!
something to consider will be that some flats have already been paid in full esp those bought when the prices were <100k decades back as loans were much shorter then, as such maybe it's not 1 in 12 flats but 1 in 13 or 14, just a thought…
with the Gahmen only contributing the AMAZING $50,000 to Haiti, may I suggest that TOC donate at most 10% of the proceeds to help Haiti? Help is appreciated no matter how small. thanks.
None of the ministers nor MPs are of Mr Leongs’ calibre.
Hope Mr Leong can stand for the coming election.
Our Ministers/MPs can only say
- SG has a long coast
- What happened is very bad
- Go for upgrading
- HDB is affordable
- Long term investments
don’t forget the best one of them all
- let’s move on
@Alex the peasant boy
Damn right! I guess you got it in a nutshell. As long as the MM is alive, the status quo will be maintained and no matter how much bitchin and ranting goes on, its business as usual for the PAP. However, over the last 10 years the voices of dissent and dissatisfaction has multiplied a thousandfold and people are not as scared anymore to voice their grievances. It used to be under the specter of the dreaded “ISA” that one says anything even remotely ‘revolutionary’. Now, i hear voices everywhere and soon we will reach a critical mass where ‘they’ will either bend or break.
But how? How do we get rid of something that is so ingrained in the Singaporean psyche? That is passed on over three generations… Good question. I have no answer other than to exercise the legitimate right to voice your opinions be they positive or negative. As long as there is a clear and succinct voice, we will not be ignored.
p.
Rightly so. We want the old guards to retire gracefully, and let much younger people to take the top post, to inject fresh ideas to address our concerns.
Our MM Lee, Goh Chok Tong and all other SMs, why need so many SMs, to step down.
We are tired of the same old, staid ideas, the same old faces. Just like the employment scene, they are far too old with rigid, inflexible minds. Why so money faced, time to smell the roses.
Even China change their leaders frequently. Even PM Lee is considered too old.
Jeez..the background noise.
if got $15.9 then better go donate give charity, can help the poor people, what for buy this type book? simple as that!
You will be surprise how many Singaporeans are apathetic and don’t know what is happening in terms of finance. Schools don’t teach financial intelligence and HDB wants you to buy 5-room so that they could milk more cash from you. This is not subsidised housing. This is not public housing. The sooner you wake the better. Mind you, you obviously don’t need this book because you’re a senior experience old guard. You don’t need a flat. You’re already old. But we, young Singaporeans are struggling to pay these exorbitant prices for public housing. Public housing, my foot! Who is the government trying to kid? No one trust the government anymore.
Mr Leong,
You are very good, with heart for the people.
Please run for MP or as President.
Thanks.
I supported Mr Leong by buying 2 copies.
After reading his book and attending several of his live speeches, I am convinced this man is more than qualified as Minister. So, of course he is over-qualified as MP.
If have chance i will vote for him, for sure!
Channel 8
2010-11-09 Tuesday
8pm
Gatekeepers 小兵迎大将
*****
Mr Leong and Auntie Lucy.
Yeh
And thanks for not choosing questions on Maths (your expertise)so as to give chance to students.
PM’s Office – F9
Ministry of Home Affairs- F9
Ministry of Transport – S8
Ministry of Foreign Affair – S7
Minisrty of Education – S8
Ministry of Health – S7
Ministry of Environment – F9
Ministry of Comms – P6
Ministry of community, youth and sports (MCYS) – G10 (failed terribly to be graded)
There are many reasons why households defaulted payments. Investigation revealed most of them were either not prudent or simply being irresponsible in their financial affairs. Yes, we know you are shocked to read about it, so did we when the finding came to us.
Gambling and extravagant lifestyles are common cases. Other cases included refusal to take up jobs which seemed to have low status, buying flats bigger than one could afford, selling flats and squandered away the proceeds, etc. How do you expect the government to help them with tax payers’ money?
there is this company , it used to hire more singaporeans. during or after the financial crisis of 2008, it started to hire mostly from China and Philipines.
They hired tens and tens. in Total about 100 staff. Majority of these from the 2 countries.
And not only that before the crisis, the salary was about 2499, now its 2199 for the same position. Somemore, they need to do more than before in terms of skills required.
Which company am iTalking about?
Everything is politics.
(Loeng T H) (F1 or F9)
Everything is politics.
(Leong T H) (F1 or F9)
Hi Mr. Leong.
Maybe you can try to filter out the noise in the background of this video while you are speaking? I tried to listen but i couldn’t follow very well due to the noise in the background. :-)
Yes, it will be good to see Mr.Leong as President questioning in parliament. Our beloved OTC tried but gotten nowhere but Mr.Leong may fair better with more oppositions in parliament this time.
Heard from a friend applying for a 3-room HDB flat in Sengkang for close to $380K. Out of curosity, asked those neighbours who bought theirs 2 years ago and was shock to learn the price then was $180K.
Over 2 years, this HDB unit went up 100%.
As mentioned, heard from a friend. Wonder any others also encounter such cases.
“Can you imagine walking to every HDB block and every floor that you go, every 12 flats that you count, one of them is in arrears by more than three months? And at the end of the day, if they cannot pay and they default (on their mortgage loans), they lose their homes, they may lose their life CPF savings as well.” Is this phenomenon be a direct or indirect result of upgrading which I believe was propagated with good intentions many a time?
I am very proud that someone like Mr Leong Sze Hian continues to the sane and passionate advocate for the people! He is truly the Ralf Nader of USA. Please don’t stop and continue to be the peoples’ voice.
On the other hand, we need more people to voice with their votes. 1 man 1 vote, if you truly want to put a stop to these inconsiderate policies. Otherwise, you will end up being the pity party.
God bless everyone on polling day! May the force be with you
That’s why they make you get loans from banks now – so that the banks can evict you when you can’t pay, leaving the government “blameless”
Jason Lim
‘None of the ministers nor MPs are of Mr Leongs’ calibre.
Hope Mr Leong can stand for the coming election.
Our Ministers/MPs can only say
- SG has a long coast
- What happened is very bad
- Go for upgrading
- HDB is affordable
- Long term investments’
===================================
thats because people of mr leongs calibre would not want to be yes men and mediocre.
only opportunists and mediocre would choose the easy way out of riding on coat tails of ruling party to enrich themselves without conscience.
hope the people know the true color of those cowards who prefer serving the gang than the people
the stop at 2 policy was dont on purpose. so that they can mass import foreigners like the plague. PAP is smart and cunning. just see the presidential elections put in 4 candidates. saturating the votes for TCB and TJS. disgusting!
Cant interview at a quieter place? Background sooooOOO irritating! Please be more pro with an interview! Makes the producer & video team looks so noobish!
We shouldn’t place side by side policies that span across some four decades. There was once a fear that Singapore would not be able to accommodate the increase in population, hence the stop-at-2 policy. Later we find that (a) the people responded so well to the policy that we cannot even replace ourselves (meaning that the population will actually decrease at some point), (b) the economy actually needs the manpower to carry on, (c) with what we learnt in the meantime about urban planning can help us accommodate the numbers, if growth is well managed. The confusion today is that the economic resurgence after the Lehman Brothers years has led to a much higher than expected need for manpower and therefore a resultant influx of foreign talent, hence the inadequacy of the infrastructure. Incidentally, the 6.5 million is not a *target* but a projection. It’s not what is wanted but what can be expected based on current trends. We should get the facts straight …
can these interviews be held at less noisy areas??
Too many of these interviews has such noisy background, can’t even hear properly. Please be more professional in filming interviews… Thanks.