Sometimes, you need quite a bit of interaction before you see someone’s true colours. Take for instance “James Low” (most likely a pseudonym) one of the most active members on my group Red Dot Rants. A little background info before I touch on his comment below.
Those of you who have been invited for dinner at my place know that I can cook but I’ve also said that I won’t survive in the F&B business. Why? Because I don’t know how to “cut corners” and that’s pretty much what every F&B business needs to do in order to survive selling economical food. Our hawkers have a very tough time. 30 years ago, there were two white Mercedes parked in car park behind my block in Hougang. One belonged to the char kway teow seller. The other belonged to the tau hway chwee seller. There was no more tau hway chwee after the owner passed away, but over the years, the char kway teow stall had been taken over by two other owners. The last one took a bus to work.
By highlighting the struggles of our hawkers today, KS Seetoh is doing what I would call public service. After exposing the exploitative nature of hawker centre management companies on social media, we’ve seen gas prices have come down. Clauses in the contract requiring hawkers themselves to subsidise a minimum number of “budget meals” have also been removed from the contract. Yet, we have people like James Low mocking our good samaritan while claiming that his comments are “fair and honest”. Check out this one.
Sometimes, I wish there is a “fair and honest” way to exclude such people from the benefits that the efforts of those who fight against unfair practices. They should stand up to be identified and proudly take the more expensive option – if they have any pride (or shame).
Then, there’s a video of an uncle talking about the issues that he had been facing vis-a-vis high medical insurance costs and inadequate coverage. Those of us who bought the highest integrated plan expect to be fully covered. This poor uncle realised that it isn’t.
I’m sure it’s in the policy’s fine print and bear in mind that this uncle had cancer. It’s not the kind of illness that will affect everyone at this age. Neither is it the kind of illness that you wouldn’t mind having yourself, but take a look at what James Low had to say.
James Low obviously hadn’t had a “run-in” with his Medishield yet but make no mistake, the uncle’s video is a cautionary tale. It tells us that in spite of all the money we’ve pumped into our integrated plans, the coverage could be inadequate. I’ve used my Medishield twice and in spite of having the most comprehensive coverage, I had to top up with cash the second time I made a claim. Luckily, I was still able to afford it, but if my issue were as serious as that uncle’s, then I will have a problem as well. The problem may not have hit you yet, but are you going to hide your head in the sand and pretend that nothing is wrong? People who have brought this up are doing us a favour. If you don’t care, then have the decency to exclude yourself from any positive changes that arose from the actions of those who do.
Unless you’re a PLP, you would definitely have noticed that the opposition has made remarkable contributions simply by keeping the government on its toes. In the past, the PAP faced little risk of losing a GRC. Not anymore. Do you think we would have any CHAS, PG or Merdeka cards if WP didn’t win Aljunied? Do you think we will have things like CDC vouchers if fewer constituencies were contested in GE2024? Or do you follow our general’s “logic” and believe that we’re would be getting all the goodies even without putting the PAP at risk of losing another GRC?
Like the majority of kiasu, kiasi, gian png Singaporeans, James Low has finally revealed himself to be a happy hamster running headless in our nanny state; not ready for a vibrant democracy along with all its problems and benefits meaningful citizen participation. But the most impactful and revealing statement has to be the last. It pretty much blows his denial that he is mocking people who care out of the water. He had the audacity to pronounce that Prof Paul Tambyah is “politically naive” and say that he doesn’t want “naive” politicians. I see. Someone who forgoes the riches of the PAP camp to stand by what he believes in is “naive”. James Low doesn’t believe in principles. His definition of “smart” people are those who sell their souls to the highest bidder. Once again, to be “fair and honest”, I wish people like James Low (whatever his real name) can be excluded from the benefits if the government somehow backtracks on a policy and make things better for everyone.
Like I’ve said before, you can say that you don’t care, but don’t mock those who do.