This is the third and final part of a comparison between Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) election manifesto against its actual policies and official statistics over the last half-decade.
Public Transport
PAP Manifesto: “Make public places and public transportation more accessible to senior citizens”
For the first time in the history of Singapore’s Public Transport Fares Formula, the result was a 2.5 percent decrease in fares. However, by changing to a Distance Fares Formula, and reversing Singapore’s only ever 3 percent fare reduction in its history during its worst recession, an estimated 37 percent of commuters may end up paying more.
Senior citizens’ and feeder bus fares suffered the largest percentage increase over the last five years among all fare types.
From 2008 to Dec 31, 2009 SBS Transit’s operating profit increased by 32 percent, from S$47.1 (RM113) to S$62.3 (RM 149.7) million.
Singapore Mass Rapid Transit’s (SMRT) operating profit increased by 4.5 percent, from S$188.7 (RM453) to S$192.2 (RM461.9) million, from FY2009 to FY2010.
Some commuters ended up paying less, some paying more, but transport operators always ended up earning more.
In Kuala Lumpur, one can purchase a Rapidpass Integrated for RM150, that gives unlimited travel for a month on buses and trains. There are also concessionary travel for senior citizens and disabled persons.
In contrast, there are no bus and train integrated passes in Singapore (although all services accept the use of a store-value card EZlink), and there is no concessionary travel for disabled persons, while senior citizens’ concessionary travel is available only during off-peak hours.
In Johor Bahru, JB Central Line buses provide free rides to disabled persons. KL bus and train fares range from RM0.70 to RM2.80. For Singapore, it is from S$0.71 (RM1.70) to S$1.94 (RM4.65).
Helping the poor
PAP Manifesto: “Build up the Comcare Fund to S$1 billion (RM2.4 billion) to help those in greatest need”
Last year the five Community Development Councils (CDC) received more than 48,000 social assistance applications.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports’s (MCYS) budgeted operating grant decreased by S$52 million (RM124.9 million) or about 11 percent from S$478 million (RM1,148.1 million) in FY2009 to S$428 million (RM1,028.7 million) for FY2010, in the midst of Singapore’s worst recession.
A survey in August last year found that only about 20 percent of vulnerable elderly are getting financial support from the CDC or other help agencies. One in four did not even know whom to approach for financial assistance.
Meanwhile the Malaysia government gives a monthly allowance of RM1,050 to disabled workers. As of 2008, there were 220,000 disabled and hardcore poor people registered with the Malaysian Community Welfare Department (MCWD).
In Singapore, disabled workers do not receive any allowance, and earn as little as S$300 (RM720) a month. There are only about 3,000 recipients in the Public Assstance (PA) scheme that only pays S$360 (RM864) a month, and about 50 percent of PA applications are rejected.
Singapore has the second highest income gap between the rich and the poor, as indicated by the Gini coefficient, among the 38 countries with very high human development, according to the 2009 United Nations Development Report
Malaysia’s Gini coefficient at 37.9 is much better than Singapore’s 42.5.
According to the 2010 World Bank’s Development Indicators, the lowest 20 percent of Singapore’s population accounts for 5 percent of the country’s income whereas the top 20 percent accounts for 49 percent.
Singapore’s Ambassador-at-large Tommy Koh has said that one of the signs of poverty at the bottom of Singapore’s society is the number of children who go to school without any pocket money for lunch – Singapore has 70,000 such children.
Despite raising Goods and Services Tax (GST) to seven percent to help the poor, CDCs like the North West CDC still resort to various fund raising activities every year, such as the S$500,000 (RM1,199,000) needed every year for North West’s Food Aid Fund that supports about 550 needy households every month.
In terms of helping the poor with housing bills, seven PAP town councils said they write-off only a tiny amount of unpaid housing maintenance fee Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC), typically 0.1 percent.
There are 14 PAP town councils in all and for example, Aljunied town council (not one of the reported seven) in its annual report indicated that its Conservancy and Service Receivables Provision for Impairments is at S$4,837 (RM11,626), 99 percent less than the previous year’s (2007/2008) S$467,922 (RM1,124,690).
3 to 9 percent of households in HDB estates run by PAP town councils have payments outstanding over three months – I estimate the number in total to be over 50,000.
In Malaysia, the monthly maintenance fee for public and low-cost housing is minimal, whereas S&CC in Singapore ranges from about S$35(RM84) to S$60 (RM144) for 3 to 5-room HDB flats, plus a monthly season parking fee of about S$70 (RM168) for car owners who require parking.
The Government Investment Corporation
PAP Manifesto: “Pursue policies which strengthen confidence”
GIC’s 2010 Annual Report said it has significantly recovered its losses from the previous year, but no figures were given as to how much was recovered or how much the said losses were.
Bank Negara gives monthly updates of Malaysia’s official foreign reserves, that increased from US$88 billion (RM211 billion) to US$101 billion (RM242 billion), from March 2009 to September 2010. Its worst decline in value during the recent financial crisis was about 28 percent , whereas the worst losses by Singapore’s GIC and Temasek Holdings were estimated to be as much as 40 percent .
Casinos by any other name
PAP Manifesto: “Strive to keep Singapore a safe, stable and harmonious multi-racial society, united by shared values and purpose”
Following a Singapore Straits Time’s special report on the local casinos, it is estimated that more than four million locals (Singaporeans and PRs) have visited the two casinos since their opening.
So, do the casinos really cater to tourists, or are they attracting more locals instead? An estimated one-third of the visitors to the casinos have been Singaporeans. In this regard, what proportion of the visitors to Genting are Malaysians?
In contrast, the Genting casino in Malaysia does not allow bumiputeras to enter. In Singapore, locals have to pay either a S$100 (RM240) entry levy for every 24 hours, or S$2,000 (RM4,800) annual membership for unlimited entry
Population issues
Singapore has seen140,000 new Permanent Residents (PR) and 40,000 new citizens in the last two years.
The number of PRs has almost doubled in the last 10 years, from 287,500 to 541,000 this year, and the number of foreigners has increased to 1.31 million.
The influx of foreigners continues, with about 4 in 10 persons in Singapore now being non- Singaporeans (excluding non Singapore-born new citizens).
For Malaysia, its foreign born population is less than 20 percent.
However, over the last five years 33,500 Singaporeans’ foreign spouses’ application for long-term visit passes or PRs were not successful.
The ‘Malaysia My Second Home’ (MM2H) programme was extended to foreign spouses of Malaysians in June. Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen said her ministry and the Immigration Department would study the terms and that foreign spouses would get a 10-year visa like other MM2H participants.
Amongst the differences is that they will not be entitled to purchase cars duty- free, a perk enjoyed by other MM2H participants where both are foreigners.
S’pore polls coming too: Time for a report card (Part I)
S’pore polls coming too: (Part II)
