My Personal Opinion on Growth at all Costs

Many Singaporeans if not most are against the Govt policy of growth at all costs.  This is clearly reflected in the blogsphere and social internet sites.  Sharing limited space and resources is a stressful existence.  I believe there is an optimal balance and everyone of us is probably different in our needs for space.  Having lived in Canada, I loved the space.  It is a lot more relaxing and personal. Personal in the sense that it is you and nature.  I grew up in a 3 room flat with 4 siblings.  It is really cramped and we have to kind of sleep around the house and not just in the bedrooms.  I could not imagine my boys living in the conditions I grew up in.

It is a culture shock coming back to live in Singapore.  While Singapore is well known for clean and green city, the HDB flats are messy, smelly and quite dirty.  Maybe the weather made a difference.  The garbage dumps in Canada are not so smelly.  All garbage are bagged properly.  The crowded conditions and lack of privacy in HDB flats and condominiums make living in Singapore a lot more stressful.

8 years ago, I move to my current home.  TPE was the only expressway that does not have traffic jams.  3 years maybe 4 years later, TPE is like other expressways once the residents moved to their new flats in Sengkang and Punggol.  Traffic jams every workday mornings and evening.  While with lower growth, we may earn less money, our quality of life will be better.

Looking across the border, Malaysians with all their "problems" have a much better quality of life then us in Singapore.  They start work later, have breakfast together with their colleagues and spend plenty of time socialising in the evening.  We have to keep working to pay for mortgages, car loans and hawker food that cost 3 times as much in KL.  Singapore govt makes the employers the king.  Malaysia protects their citzens and employees.  Singapore laws protects the employers rather than employees.  It is protects the strong and vanquish the weak.  The strong shall enslave the weak and make them dependent.  Meritocracy at its best!

Simple lifestyle, green living, caring for others and happiness for all Singaporeans instead of the almighty dollar and growth.  We need choices and not one size fits all where we all have to keep running on the treadmill to keep up with our neighbours and get ahead of our friends and colleagues.  Yes, the Govt must take a breather.  Stop pushing Singaporeans out of the country they grew up and loved.  Give us Singaporeans a chance to choose instead of competing with all the foreign imports and talent.  Stop increasing our stress level.  It is becoming NOT a good life.