Not quite sure what the question is from reading the CNA report. Is it a question of not being able to cope with a prospering society or if Singapore is shaping itself for the foreigners? Here’s an extract of the report which has the question asked by the NUS student to PM Lee at a ministerial forum yesterday.
And this has led to the country attracting a lot of foreign talent.
But, is Singapore becoming a place for the wealthy? asked one law undergraduate asked during the dialogue.
“Singapore seems to be built not for us but for foreigners. Sincerely, I am afraid that as a middle income person, I am not able to make that jump in social, economic class. My question is this, is this land, Singapore, a place for the rich?” asked the student.
Mr Lee replied that Singapore cannot be a place for the rich, because if that was the case, the government would lose the elections.
“Singapore has to be a place where the majority of Singaporeans, a vast majority of Singaporeans, will enjoy a high quality of life and be able to have jobs where you can earn well and do well for yourself,” he said.
“You may not be able to do as well as the top most successful banker, lawyer or property developer. But you do well for yourself, your career. You have good schools for your children, good healthcare for your parents, good leisure for your family, good opportunities for your future, that’s for everybody,” Mr Lee added.
“To have a society where everybody is equal, that’s a recipe for poverty, it doesn’t work. There will be inequalities in society but we must make sure that the majority of people have a good standard of living and improving standards from year to year,” he said.
