I refer to the article “Foreign worker supply tops Ask Tharman list” (Straits Times, Apr 11).

Only ask economists and analysts?

It states that “compiled questions from economists and analysts that they wanted to pose to the Deputy Prime Minister.”

Why not ask ordinary Singaporeans too?

I have a suggestion – wouldn’t it be good to have ordinary Singaporeans to ask questions too?

Aiyah! Cannot find my questions?

As I often ask questions, I looked at the 20 questions that Singaporeans are being asked to vote for the top 10 questions.

I was quite disappointed as almost none of the questions that I have been asking (which I think many Singaporeans have also been asking) were in the list.

My 10 “unasked” questions

So, here’s my 10 “unasked” questions:

1) How many Singaporeans have enough to retire? How many Singaporeans who turned 55 last year were able to meet the CPF Minimum Sum of $139,000 in cash, excluding those who pledged property and including inactive CPF account holders?

2) Have HDB BTO flat prices really stabilised? How do we explain the fact that the cheapest 3-room flat in Sengkang increased by 25 per cent, from $120,000 to $150,000, from 2010 to 2012?

3)What is the Ministers’ bonus for last year?

4)Why is our public healthcare spending so low? Is our public healthcare spending at 1.6 per cent of GDP in the previous fiscal year, the lowest in the world?

5)Can you explain the terminiation of town council’s software after the last general elections? (“Town councils’ new IT contract has “boundary change” clause?”, Apr 3)

6)Can you explain and justify increasing university tuition fees by as much as 11.2 per cent per annum, for the 27 years from 1986/87 to 2013?

7)Can you explain how and why the job placement rate changed from 18 to 49 per cent in 2012, after the change from “Job seekers attended to” to “New registrants” in the statistics? (“Job placement rate increase (magically) by 2.7 times?”, Apr 4)

8)Why do we allow private operators which are primarily majority-stake – state-owned monopolies to make so much profits from essential basic goods and services? (“Collection of “electricity tariff” issues – 2007 to 2013?”, Apr 1)

9)Can you explain why Singapore is only positive in 1 out of the 9 areas in the Social Health report? (“Social Health: Only 1 positive out of 9 – shocking?”, Mar 28)

10)Why is it that the employment change (jobs created), total employment statistics, etc, cannot be broken-down into Singaporeans and PRs, when the unemployment rate can?

theonlinecitizen, TR Emeritus, etc – ask Singaporeans?

Perhaps socio-political blogs like theonlinecitizen, TR Emeritus, etc, can also ask their readers and ordinary Singaporeans to ask their questions too.

Leong Sze Hian