A Canadian (in Sg) writes about Singapore

**UltimaOnline** · 31-07-2009, 09:52 AM

July 31, 2009
A CANADIAN WRITES

Be grateful, S'pore

I AM writing to share many things Singaporeans take for granted.

Thanks to years of budget surpluses, when the global financial collapse hit, Singapore was able to use more money as a percentage of gross domestic product than any other country, rich or poor. Now, with its economy rebounding at a 20 per cent rate this last quarter, Singapore has recovered from the collapse faster than any other country. This is something only Singapore, with its deep pockets and years of good economic management, could pull off.

My home city, Toronto in Canada, has its rubbish collected only once a week, yet it is considered one of North America's cleaner cities. It is in the 36th day of a rubbish collectors' strike, with rubbish and foul odours on its streets and an increasingly serious problem with rats and insects. Some people even store rubbish in their refrigerators.

In Singapore, our rubbish is collected every day, no questions asked. For a $40 conservancy fee, we get a clean-up that would cost hundreds of dollars a month in the United States or Canada.

Most buildings in the US and Canada have no sheltered walkways to protect residents from rain or snow, unlike most HDB blocks. This is so even though there are Americans and Canadians who freeze to death outside in the cold every year.

Most North American cities I have lived in are cutting bus and train services just to balance their budgets. Singapore plans to add a new MRT line this year and more lines and stations over the next three years.

If a poor person lives in a building without a lift in the US or Canada, that is his tough luck. In Singapore, the Government is upgrading our four-storey HDB blocks with a new staircase and a wheelchair-friendly lift that stops at every floor.

If a poor person cannot afford to pay his mortgage in the US or Canada, he can be turfed out and left homeless. If an HDB dweller cannot pay his mortgage after he loses his job, he can seek a moratorium on payments from his community development council. This mercy, to the best of my knowledge, has no equal anywhere else in the world.

After living and working in six countries, I have known for a long time that no country takes care of its people the way Singapore does.

Eric J. Brooks

http://www.facebook.com/eric.j.brooks

**Dark.Angel** · 31-07-2009, 10:36 AM

must be PAP fan

**christmas_** · 31-07-2009, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark.Angel

must be PAP fan

if not PAP fan, how ?

kuehtutu · 31-07-2009, 10:41 AM

i never really thought of the things that he mentioned before, maybe we are really starting to take them for granted...

ValkyrieLenneth · 31-07-2009, 10:43 AM

*SIR preparing sg citizenship for the writer

Lindt77 · 31-07-2009, 11:01 AM

Does Singapore really takes care of it people like that. Because I want to move there someday ,but that might be in a next 4 years or so when i get there .

**minjia** · 31-07-2009, 11:06 AM

lol he should mayb tink abt the huge population difference

**specialk78** · 31-07-2009, 11:43 AM

Carry balls to get PR eh

**Ah@Quan** · 31-07-2009, 11:48 AM

Comparing land size, Canada is way bigger than SG. So his facts not really can compare between the 2 countries.

**leemcall** · 31-07-2009, 11:49 AM

he is very pro singapore eh!

**cascade** · 31-07-2009, 12:56 PM

his comparison abit nt rite bt somehow i do realised tt most o us do take things for granted.

shypineapple · 31-07-2009, 12:59 PM

skali nxt yr he is in wearing the PAP white shirt. lolx

FishFuL · 31-07-2009, 01:01 PM

wa seriously , what he wrote is true sia

**AhBinBin** · 31-07-2009, 01:32 PM

our next PM

**AshBaby** · 31-07-2009, 01:55 PM

Well what the writter say its true.

**Huaikong** · 31-07-2009, 02:37 PM

maybe a 'ghost identity'.......

PinkLady · 31-07-2009, 03:07 PM

wah quite true in a way. i cannot imagine the rubbish collection once a week, must be so dirty & smelly

**Rhapsody** · 31-07-2009, 03:08 PM

Canadian but not doing "balanced reporting"? How come only see the good side and not the bad side.

There are always 2 sides to a coin. While his points are relevant and true, don't be entirely taken in. Good points don't override bad points all the time.

**chef@work** · 31-07-2009, 03:12 PM

He can take my place anytime, while I'm prepared to take his Canadian citizenship now.

Wait till his son go NS... then let's see who has the last talk...

**Lethia** · 31-07-2009, 04:23 PM

Yes. I do feel the same way. Singaporeans or people who are born in Singapore are most likely / unconciously take things in here too much for granted. Especially with very good security & conveniencency.

I myself who are already a Singapore PR & Live here for 5 years found its a better place to live compare to my country. But every country always have pro & cons, there is no perfect country. Even If I choose to live in Singapore or Japan, I rather live in Singapore. Japan is a good place to visit but to live I'm not confident for some reason (due to their security & sexuality content exposure in the public / media).

That's why I still dont understand some of my singaporean friends always complaining & keep telling me how much they wanna leave singapore for good =_= gosh ! they never lived in other country so they dont know how much Singapore can provide security & conveniencency compare to other country.

But I guess it's human nature of being unsatisfied with their condition & life thus always think the "other's side" to have better things than their current lives. Though I'm very much satisfied to live in here.