Friday, December 21, 2012

Singapore. The most miserable people in the world, says Gallup poll

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The internationally respected Gallup Poll has just released a report on happiness in the world.

Not surprisingly, if you know the island like I do, Singapore has earned the dubious distinction of having the most unhappy people in the world, even less happy than war torn Iraqi, poverty stricken camel grazing terrorist infested desert Yemeni or vessel hijacking Somali where there is simply nothing.

See report http://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-%E2%80%98least-positive%E2%80%99-country-in-the-world--survey-072026104.html

Not only that, in fact just a few weeks ago, the same Gallup poll had given Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore the other dubious distinction of being the most "emotionless" people in the world.

Gallup poll report is read worldwide, highly damaging for the image of Singapore, which its authoritarian government touts as an island of paradise whose image has been brought down by another two notches.

What is Singapore anyway? It is simply a tiny overcrowded place with over 5 million people packed like sardines one above the other in high rise apartments because they have no space left.

With overcrowded trains buses and roads clogged up with traffic and chocking with pollution, you can hardly move, let alone breathe.

It is an island where you live in fear. Fear of the government which will arrest and sue you if you criticize. Fear of government secret security watching you round the clock. Fear of a judicial system which is corrupt and makes judgments favoring the government. Fear of losing one's job anytime and become indigent, as there is no minimum wage, no job security and no social welfare or unemployment insurance. Fear of getting sick because there is no state medical help unless you have money. Fear of racial discrimination because there are no laws against it. Fear of voting or speaking against the government for fear of reprisals. Fear of not being told the truth as all newspapers and media are state controlled like in the former Soviet Union. Fear of speaking loudly for fear that government goons may overhear.

In Singapore you live every minute not knowing whether the next minute you would be destitute.

In such circumstances, how could people be happy? For happiness you need a sense of security, a sense of justice, a sense that tomorrow you will still have your job and not be thrown out unjustly and left to starve.

To be happy you need to have hope, and that is the one fundamental which is lacking.  Unless you are a government crony, and even that is not entirely secure, you simply don't have hope, no hope of advancing, no hope of a bright future, none at all. You are lucky to keep your present position without regressing two steps back.  

These difficulties faced by Singaporeans are loudly manifested in, if you know the island like I do, Singapore’s insurmountable problems. It is well known that the people have the lowest birth rate in the world, not even enough to replace those dying. The population size is only being maintained by continuous importation of foreign labor mainly from China in the thousands. A friend of mine with whom I spoke over the phone yesterday said after his recent visit, that he found ever single person working in Singapore Recreation Club a Chinese foreign migrant worker. There were no Singaporeans.

As the hopelessness continues, birth rate will continue to fall, even more foreigners would be imported and the island would simply change forever, leaving only the Lee family and cronies and a foreign migrant workforce.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Goh Chok Tong lambasted by netizens for ’shame’ comment on S’poreans




http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/12/23/goh-chok-tong-lambasted-by-netizens-for-shame-comment-on-sporeans/




Anonymous said...

Why Singapore Lacks a Real Heart


And the most shameful thing is Malaysia, which is supposed to be ‘less’ prosperous than Singapore, decided to help the refugee ship instead.

So, if the Singapore Govt is already being labelled by international press as “heartless”, what right does ESM Goh have, to say that we are “shameful” and that we need a “caring and gracious” society when our leaders aren’t caring and gracious themselves?

http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/12/23/goh-chok-tong-lambasted-by-netizens-for-shame-comment-on-sporeans/

ex-Singaporean said...

Dear Gopalan,

If you link up all the things you have said about passive Singaporeans and their inaction in the face of political bullying from Lee Kuan Yew and his obedient dogs, there has to be only one conclusion about the people that inhibit that red-dot island. The least happy, unemotional and one of the less charitable people on Earth.

What a great job Lee Kuan Yew and his PAP cult did for Singapore. That is his legacy.

It will be a unemotional and unhappy 2013 for Singaporeans who have been robbed of their political representation and living in a country that feel are not theirs.

To be or not to be. Mike Palmer saga and by-election indecision just add another poison feather in PAP's cap.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.

Anonymous said...

I am surprised by how the swiftly the scene has changed. 10 years ago only highly skilled foreigners had a place in the workforce in Singapore. Nowadays I am told that foreign talent with fake qualifications can worm their way in easily.

I am very much in my own world, having lived in isolated Potong Pasir under Chiam See Tong. I have never voted for the PAP, and was often despised for it. Now the very people who voted for PAP, and who used to walk around with a smirk on their faces, are the same ones condemning them.

I think these days a lot of forces are at work and beyond the control of PAP. So they cannot deliver on what they promise, and their supporters are disappointed and unhappy.

Anonymous said...

There is something really fishy about the use of CPF money, and the returns that GIC (Chairman LKY) and Temasek (CEO LHL's wife) claim to deliver.

Just waiting for some brave soul to release this information.

In the meantime, congratulations to all the ex-Singkies who have gotten their CPF away from the Lee Familees clutches.

The current Singkies, especially the young will not be so luckly.

Keep voting for the PAP!.

Gopalan Nair said...

To Anonymous who said

"There is something really fishy about the use of CPF money, and the returns that GIC (Chairman LKY) and Temasek (CEO LHL's wife) claim to deliver."

Thanks your view on CPF but as to your refrain not to vote for the PAP, I am not sure that will do any good. If they do vote for the opposition, it will be for WP. And doing that is as good as voting the PAP. The WP have turned collaborators. Sady.

Yes do vote. But what you need is a revolution or something like it. Or you can wait for Lee's Singapore to disintegrate slowly. That too is on the way.

Anonymous said...

There is something wrong about Singapore and the way it is run. Foreigners and Visitors may not be aware, but ask those ex-Singaporeans who experienced life living in political matured countries and they will know what is wrong.

Singaporeans are unhappy, unemotional and miserable. Beneath the forced laughter and smug look is a tired nation which is marooned with no idea where its future lie.

This post you wrote is back to haunt Singaporeans.
http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/singapore-regime-in-denial.html

Anonymous said...

Singapore is a overpriced dump.

Is it any wonder the REAL singaporeans are unhappy... slaves to bankers, forced to live in shoeboxes with n overpowering rule book and racially segregated.. nice!