Politics
Kenneth Jeyaretnam calls for S$500 monthly cash pension for seniors instead of CDC vouchers
Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Reform Party’s secretary-general, in a recent Facebook post advocates a S$500 monthly cash pension for seniors rather than distributing CDC vouchers.
Netizens stress CDC’s insufficiency amid GST rise, urging for hollistic action against inequality and high living costs.
SINGAPORE: Kenneth Jeyaretnam, the secretary-general of the Reform Party, proposed that the government should provide senior citizens with a basic pension of at least S$500 in cash each month instead of distributing Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers.
These vouchers, perceived as a marketing tactic according to Mr Jeyaretnam, divert 50% of their value primarily to entities affiliated with the ruling party.
On Wednesday, the Singaporean Government rolled out S$500 (US$376) worth of Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, providing Singaporean households access to these vouchers for use at participating supermarkets and local businesses.
As reported by Singapore state media the Straits Times (ST), shortly after their release, several listings of these vouchers surfaced on the online marketplace Carousell, priced at around S$440, just hours after becoming redeemable.
Some sellers mentioned preferring cash over vouchers to address their financial needs, such as paying bills. These listings had been removed from Carousell.
In a Facebook post, Mr Jeyaretnam highlighted the CDC vouchers being sold online for less than 90% of their face value, prompting questions about the actual cost to the government for these vouchers.
Earlier, it was revealed that approximately 1.27 million Singaporean households were eligible to receive the January 2024 CDC vouchers, incurring a government cost of S$635 million.
He criticized PM Lee’s New Year’s message for what he deemed as “misleading and disingenuous propaganda” regarding the government’s assistance to lower-income Singaporeans
“Yet he is silent on the cash surpluses accumulated by his Government almost every year for decades. In the period 2004 to now only one year was a deficit and the accumulated surpluses amounted to more than S$400 billion.”
According to the Singapore government Factually, over the last two decades excluding FY2020, the Government recorded on average a fiscal balance of S$2.2 billion per annum.
Furthermore, he criticized the massive asset base underpinning the Net Investment Returns Contribution (NIRC), denouncing it for saving wealth intended for future generations while Singaporeans experience tax hikes and are advised to adopt frugal lifestyles despite the perceived abundance of state resources.
Urgent calls for holistic action addressing inequalities and soaring living costs
Comments on Mr Jeyaretnam’s Facebook post resonated with the need for the Singaporean government to tackle inequalities and the rising cost of living more effectively than the CDC vouchers.
For instance, a comment highlighted the imbalance in wealth distribution in Singapore, despite its status as one of the wealthiest nations globally.
He pointed out that despite a high GDP, the benefits don’t reach the average Singaporean, resulting in an inability to enjoy a standard of living comparable to countries like Switzerland.
“It simply means that the distribution of wealth must be fairer and more equitable, ” the comment added.
The netizen echoed Mr Jeyaretnam’s stance, suggesting that Singapore could afford to provide senior citizens with a more substantial monthly allowance, suggesting figures of S$700-800.
Expressing concern, a netizen shed light on the stark reality that many Singaporeans are grappling with hand-to-mouth situations, attributing the escalating social issues to the policies implemented by the governing party.
Inadequacy of CDC vouchers to mitigate the effect of GST hike
Furthermore, a different comment highlighted the inadequacy of CDC vouchers in mitigating the increased expenses due to the rising Goods and Services Tax (GST).
The netizen pointed out that some local coffee shops have already raised their prices to $2 per cup, illustrating the limited impact of the vouchers.
Additionally, netizens expressed their views on The ST’s Facebook post, emphasizing that vouchers are insufficient for essential bill payments such as utilities.
They suggested reducing CPF rates to enable individuals to bring home more cash instead of having their funds locked up in CPF accounts.
Moreover, certain discussions advocated for cash handouts, arguing that vouchers have limited usability, being applicable only at specific locations.
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These CDC voucher lot of places cannot use because they don’t have qr scanners. Ask them why they say it’s expensive to buy these gadgets.
$600,000 is peanuts. what about $500.00? tsk tsk tsk
Indeed a worrying development..why is it taking so long? Whitewashing the uglier bits so PAPs come out still looking whiter than white..
Is Iswaran taking the fall for something bigger?
Singaporeans will never vote for Kenneth Jeyaretnam. He married a Brit woman and a spy for the British. He is a traitor to our country. Please take note.
No wonder I have not been able to use it to buy prata and biryani stall as these entities are not related to them
Note that the Pension scheme had been discontinued by the Loong administration for EVERYONE AFTER the 3G batch of ministers/civil servants – probably just to make sure nobody can benefits from the system after themselves. They are also entitled to CPF payout in their retirement – effectively double rewarding themselves while many commoners struggle just to meet the BRS (Basic Retirement Sum). Very good looking after themselves, hor?
Since Every household gets $500 in CDC voucher, is it fair for :-
A household with only 1 mouth as compared to a household that has more mouths to feed ?
69% Sinkies love NTUC vouchers and why NOT?
Ken is right when 50% of the vouchers goes back to the party’s coffers. No wonder these high number of sinkies love vouchers. Vouchers is the NEW MONEY …….bigger and stronger than MAS lousy dollars.
Excerpt from the new book,
“From Hougang kedai杆儿店sundry to a G(ood)CB & beyond… perhaps Istana next?? And why not!?”
by (pen is my middle name) “Lim Peh ish nok your Lau Peh”
… Yew stinkypoorlangs just gotta stop whining here and learn to be like me & my familee – oops, familim, I (am) mean – get on with (the) busine$$ of working harder (to squeeze out ever more Singsongtokkok$$$ from your fellow whining stinkypoorlangs) instead lah, hahahahaha~
Hee hee hee hee, rip(2024-2-10)rip🪦🙌🏻ho(ching)lay!
M Excerpt from the new book,
“From Hougang kedai杆儿店sundry to a G(ood)CB & beyond… perhaps Istana next?? And why not!?”
by (pen is my middle name) “Lim Peh ish nok your Lau Peh”
… Yew stinkypoorlangs just gotta stop whining here and learn to be like me & my familee – oops, familim, I (am) mean – get on with (the) busine$$ of working harder (to squeeze out ever more Singsongtokkok$$$ from your fellow whining stinkypoorlangs) instead lah, hahahahaha~
Hee hee hee hee, rip(2024-2-10)rip🪦🙌🏻ho(ching)lay!
Excerpt from the new book,
“From Hougang kedai杆儿店sundry to a G(ood)CB & beyond… perhaps Istana next?? And why not!?”
by (pen is my middle name) “Lim Peh ish nok your Lau Peh”
… Yew stinkypoorlangs just gotta stop whining here and learn to be like me & my familee – oops, familim, I (am) mean – get on with (the) busine$$ of working harder (to squeeze out ever more Singsongtokkok$$$ from your fellow whining stinkypoorlangs) instead lah, hahahahaha~
Hee hee hee hee, rip(2024-2-10)rip🪦🙌🏻ho(ching)lay!
Do you mean ‘work till you drop (dead)’? so be it, why not?
CDC vouchers are required for the ruling government to justify the existence of the CDC and the four unelected “mayors” of Singapore which are paid a hefty sum of $660,000 a year. To put that into perspective. The salaries of these four “mayors” can provide 5,000 people an additional $500 of vouchers. A Ministry already exists to deal with these matters. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (a.ka. the Social Engineering department). Why are these schemes not provided directly by the MSF to those in need? What exactly is the MSF doing? Nobody knows, because Singaporeans are not willing… Read more »
i agree. cash straight into bank accounts is safer than some lag app. and less annoying than asking thousands of people to line up at CC to print out vouchers. but i would prefer lower tax and BTOs that were 20-30K. even in ireland where property became outrageous, it was due to high wages, not bullshit gahmen/HDB selling and buying their own land at inflated cost. not by flooding ireland with commies and “south asians”.
No way pap will be that generous and pay $500 per month to seniors, though it is absolutely fair to do so. But in the case of Singapore, if pap were to do that, you can expect higher coe, absd, gst, erp, property taxes, utilities and whatever they can from other poor citizens.
Singaporeans are already in this pathetic situation living on crumbs from the PAP.
How did we come to this situation? Living on government handouts and vouchers, for fuck sake, Singapore is among the wealthier countries.
I am sure the PAP’s members are looking down from their ivory towers laughing.
Singaporeans, do you want your dignity back, if don’t want, at least think about your children’s.
If all opposition parties do not contest in the General election
except just one, will people vote for that single opposition party?
Imagine every single seat or GRC has only 1 opposition party contesting against the PAP.
Will it make decision simpler for voters here..?
Will it make that opposition be first-past-the-post?
The measurement of wealth should not be the GDP but how much assets are held by citizens. 80% in public housing says it all. I agree with KJ, a $500/- monthly allowance should be given to all citizens from the age of 65 years. Transportation and medical fees should be free for this group of Singaporeans.
In any country or political system, the pyramid of society exists. The top will always be the ones with power, and authority. The middle will always be beholden to the top The bottom will always be the worker and slave for those 2 above. The top is there because the bottom voted or allowed it to be the top. The middle is there because they carry the lumpah The solution is simple. The bottom chooses who can be at the top. The bottom can make the top fall & even disappear. There are many more people at the bottom that… Read more »
Are you telling us this:
70% Pineapple Lovers:
This is GOOD FOR YOU:
1) Increase GST
2) Increase PUB utilities
3) Increase COE, ERP
4) Increase Food Prices
5) Increase Housing prices
6) Increase Cost of Living
7) Increase Transport fares
8) Increase Hospital and Medical costs
9) Increase Foreigners intake, increase job losses
10) Increase Prices on Chicken, Eat Fish
11) Increase in Ageing population, collect carton boxes, a good form of
exercise.
We need solutions not price increase!!!! What do you think?
they cant solve job problems. expect $1000 a month for you to work then tell u are choosy, dont want to work?
Ask the ministart\s try $1000 salary lor
$500 is too little.
the ministars are drawing $million….from the Singapore taxes and reserves. What do you think?
really? seriously? for this dud to exclaim such payouts? and the monies come from him? Seek him out where his domain is and how much he does for Singapore beside appearing as Shadow Ghost every other four year or so. While there are many of imbeciles abound, surely the voters ain’t stupid enough to cast him any how as shown time and again while He DECLARED dead about caring enough for voters not giving him the number.
How could it be possible?
– Empty state coffers
– SG highest debt vs GDP, world’s top 10
– SWF keeps losing $$$ thanks to her ‘midas touch’s
– No reserve
– By far world’s highest mini stars + cronies celleries.
Voters will only learn when their jobs are replaced with foreigners. What do you think?
So long as this regime holds all the cards and pulls all the purse strings, … … …
So, go on then, … give them an~nother solid and strong mandate, to do more, of the same !!!
Vote against PAP
Vote for any other party
Enough of all ” lets give them another chance” rubbish
Enough of all “lets teach them a lesson” crap.
If you are willing to give any chances, give that chance to the opposition.
The nation will not fall.
PAP will still pull strings from behind
They have cables to pull and the puppets are just that.
They are not idiots.
There has been many “lessons” for the PAP
But voters have not learnt… that voters themselves are the real idiots.
Who the fuck wants to listen to a psudo ang mo hiding in UK and talking cock online. This mother fucker is a big loser. He even lost his deposits in election. No wonder oppies who follow him are losers themselves too.
They prefer Chicken Backside lah .
In addition to the monthly cash pay out ,all retired SG senior citizens should be given free basic hospitalisation and health care, thereby releasing moneys in their medisave accounts to help defray the ever increasing COL.