Interesting view concerning present Singapore
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/opinion/singapore-lee-kuan-yew-election.html?unlocked_article_code=1.EU8.n5jx.FVKDzqbpzrbg&smid=url-share
Yes, interesting view by the youngest son of LKY, but to understand what is behind his views you have to know his (LHY) history and the background for his falling out with his brother (LHL), the former PM of Singapore.
It is not a pretty history, with a lot of twists and turn. Family feuds are never pretty, nor necessarily easy to understand by outsiders.
PS> I lived in Singapore when this unfolded and watched the goings on, both through public channels and more informal ways.
The view from BBC World News:
My view: the opposition is too splintered to have any hope of winning seats in a “first across the line” election system inherited from Britain.
PS> Nothing from Trump himself, though.
Well, maybe PAP should thank HIM for their unexpectedly big win. 
New attraction opening soon at Santosa:
ASEAN going against the trend:
Easy for Singapore to say, nothing to protect.
The voters will love tariff free car prices, oops that wont happen.
All taxes up in Singapore ( gov must need the money)
More then ever Goh Keng Swee’s observation about how the economy should look or else( that the PAP didnt agree with) is so true and ignoring it is the slow death of wealth for Singaporeans such that the gov is doing food voucher handouts to all citizens and bringing in more unskilled cheap workers.
Ah yes, PJ Thum, a swimmer who represented Singapore in the Olympic Games in Atlanta in1996 at the tender age of 16. (He didn’t win any medals IIRC.
He also swam across the English Channel as the first Singaporean to do so.
(Can’t remember when)
I understand he has had a few run-in with the PAP Government in the last few years.
That was after my time in Singapore, so I don’t know a lot about his activism, or his points of view.
I DO know about Dr. Go Keng Swee however, He was Lee Kuan Yew’s righthand man and go to Mr. Fix it in the years after self-government in 1959 and independence in 1965. He was the first Finance Minister, the first Defence Minister and the one tasked with changing the education system from a colonial mishmash to a modern system, based on English as the media of teaching, with the other three official languages as compulsory second language (“Mother thong”) depending on the pupils racial origin.
PS> He was Deputy Prime Minister in the late 1970s and 1980s
Here is a biography of Goh Keng Swee:
Source: In Lieu of Ideology: An Intellectual Biography of Goh Keng Swee | ISEAS Publishing
I have great admiration for Dr. Goh and for what he accomplished for Singapore and Singaporean in the early days, when most though that Singapore would fail as an independent country, with no natural resources and no hinterland.
PS> I watch it first hand from 1967 - 2016.
problem is the PAP didnt want to listen to him for the future and here we are
Did you actually watch this video to the end?
It is not all gloom and doom and the GST (VAT) In Singapore it help collecting tax from consumers of luxury goods, be that citizens, residence or tourists.
At the same time there are programs to lower the burden on pensioners and low income citizen.
In fact the GST in Singapore is much lower than VAT in most other developed countries.
And while we are at the BA website, have a look at their explanation of your other pet grievance about the “massive depth” of Singapore:
PS> See it to the end if you can.
More about Behind Asia here for those who are interested:
If that were true you could just tax luxury goods if the road to wealth is taxing the rich
Tourists get tax refunds when leaving.
Its just propaganda to fool the fools.
See if you can find any data on the cpf pension fund liability the gov has
The gov never mentions it.
If pays out a percentage ( after taking 30% of your salary) twice the size of the average gic and temasek rate of return.
More retiring so the payout bill growing lots hence all taxes rents and issued debt etc up up and up.
Trust us we are doing well, we are making lots from ai thats why business parks empty, factories empty and you have no jobs, but gov ok..lol
You forgot to quote the next sentence in my post:
It is in the video you posted, if you don’t believe me.
Only for goods purchased at selective shops and only if they have a receipt for their purchases from such shop: Tourist Refund Scheme.
It is mentioned in the “Behind Asia” video I posted, in case you missed it.
CPF is not just a pension fund, it is “forced saving scheme”. What you and your employer pay in is on your account and earn interest higher than your bank savings.
How much you and your employer pay in depend on your monthly income and age:
When I gave up my Permanent Resident (PR) status in Singapore, I withdrew the balance on my CPF account. No hassle and no questions asked, except proof that I was leaving and when.
PS> Not a lot, since I had been mostly self-employed while PR in Singapore and had not made voluntary contributions.
Your savings in CPF can be used for a lot more than just pension payment at retirement. it does not work like socialised pension, but more like a mutual pension or investment fund,
Here is an overview of how CPF work in Singapore:
Oh and than the question of what happens to you CPF nest egg when you die?
No, it does NOT go to the Government:
IOW distributed among living relative according to inheritance law.
All true but my question was the gov pays back interest on the loan, that is growing when the govs income isnt growing.
lets hope they make money from the loan?
No surprise they never talk about it in any financial disclosures.
Its a huge debt like bank deposits plus the interest liability.
Then they accidentally let slip when talking about the debt increase from one trillion to 1.5, that some of the money will be used to top up the cpf system. huh, what went wrong?
Cant make the interest payouts?
PS the tourist eat in hawker centres so no vat income for the gov.
Oh I have seen some tourists eating in hotel restaurants and other high end eateries.
The adventurous ones you find at places like Lau Pa Sat or Satay Club: Makan Place – Lau Pa Sat & Satay Club – The Heartlander Tourist
Or Newton Circus:
NEWTON HAWKER CENTRE, Singapore - Newton Circus - Restaurant Reviews & Photos - Tripadvisor
PS> Backpackers eat in Hawker centres and Coffeeshops though.
So do I . What is not to like about an oyster omelet for 10 bucks Singapore.
No guessing my size order.
I was pointing out the farce that to sell raised vat the gov said dont worry we get it all from tourists, now they have to keep handing out food vouchers to the population, well before the election anyway.