We Love Preaching, Don't We? Let us Get Our Sums Right First

Other Basic Rights Not Constituted, If I Dare Venture
Well, as I have blogged before, I think Singapore citizens could be privileged with some basic education (which is covered by the constitutional rights with respect to education), basic healthcare, basic employment and basic housing with its attendant essentials.

Not forgetting non-discriminatory practices on other bases like sexual orientation, marital and monetary status, among others.

No person shall be required to receive instruction in or to take part in any ceremony or act of worship of a religion other than his own.

This clause by itself, not only spells out how people of different religious faiths should be accorded the proper respect but also how an atheist or agnostic should likewise be treated.

A non-religion that is.

A Certain Minimum Level Of Statehood For The Public Good And For The Public Interest
Increasingly we are seeing many more of the basic functions of public housing, public healthcare, public retirement savings kitty and now the provision of public utilities being devolved to the private sector.

Public housing is now being developed by private sector companies.

So is the case with concessionary interest-rate loans being devolved to private banks which usually charge higher interest rates and there is that less accomodating, less sympathetic, profit-driven ethos especially in cases of arears leading to repossesion.

Our Medishield, Eldershield and Dependants' Schemes are now in the hands of private insurance companies. So will the compulsory annuity scheme when it kicks in later.

Now even the energy market will be in the hands of private companies. It used to be state-owned and provided, then privatised and now being contemplated to be sold to a suit of energy retailers.

It is good as long as there are the perceived benefits of competition, choices and price-competitiveness.

We are not asking for opulence or frills.

As long as prices remain affordable, maybe even declining and not sky-rocket, consumers welcome these moves in the spirit of innovation and betterment.

Land Scarcity Isn't An Excuse Anymore, It Is Now A Matter Of Better Planning For More Control Areas
In fact, come to think of it, control areas sited further away from residences don't just apply to places of worship or to living quarters of foreign guest workers. Funeral parlors, columbariums, parks, gardens, reserves, commerce, industries (like automotive garages for one or granite quarries for another) and highways. The whole works in other words.

It goes to show how far off the mark, to put it mildly, our development planners must be in their urban planning and design. It isn't a matter of land scarcity anymore. I think it boils down to better planning in terms of a seamless integration and flow of housing, exercise and recreation, spirituality, essential services , infrastructure, commerce and industries.

Gosh, Am I Seeing What I Think I Am Seeing
I am also beginning to doubt the ethnic integration policies of our housing authority. Because, right here at this part of Yishun, I really bump into one or two predominant types all the time. In higher probability than usual.

At what must be the smallest of its community libraries, I see so many of our foreign guest workers here, again predominantly of one type.

I hope we have seriously dismantled ethnic enclaves like we have our SAP schools?

Freedom Of Speech, Assembly And Association Do Not Apply Here
It seems that the above solely applies to curbing political opponents and agitators.

Now if they can't gather to address a crowd and speak about policies that impact everyone, how else can such information be disseminated? Apart from the Speaker's Corner and applying for a permit, which as most cases have shown, are usually turned down, there aren't as many other avenues available, are there?

Well, ok in the Information Age, this prolly is now an option. But how widely propagated is it?

Don't forget peaceful demonstrations and marches. That can't be had, can it, under the freedom of assembly?

Even gays who assemble to associate for some recreational fun (a jogathon, in this case) seem to be harassed and driven off by our blue squad.

What political agenda is there here except for a certain sexual affiliation?

Freedom Of Vulgar, Loud And Chatterous Speech Plus Unruly Assembly To Disturb The Peace And Quiet Of The Night And Deprive Us Of Our Rightful Rest And Sleep
Now what about those groupies such as our foreign guest workers, our gangsta students and our local loutish thugs. Those who gather and create a din, drink, chatter loudly and spout profanities. Sometimes right into the wee hours of the morning?

Yesterday night, right here at the central courtyard, smack in the middle of this upgraded estate where moi leases a room, there was a din going on and profanities spouted by our local louts.

Right throughout the night while I was lying in bed getting to sleep.

No action taken here? Freedom of vulgar, loud speech and unruly assembly to kick up the noise decibel a few notches higher especially in the dead of the night?

Ironical And Outrageous
I read this morning how our Singapore Cooperation Program with our Asean neighbors see us extending technical assistance and human resource development in health-care and environmental management.

Whoa! I have blogged about how appalling the fact is that our Infectious Diseases Act doesn't cover bed bugs and the fact that there can be no health nor environmental enforcement on this matter.

Wag, Wag, Point, Point, Preach, Preach
How we still have our very own backyard collection of old, run down, sometimes pest-infested, dilapidated, mildewy (thus health-hazardous) and almost antique fixtures in some of our public housing projects. All the while scrambling to pay to travel to our Asean neighbors to see theirs?

Not to mention siting of food courts near multi-storeyed car parking lots in Punggol and the kinda kitchen preparation area laid out in some of our eateries and its attendant ventilation system without and within air-conditioned or non-air conditioned confines.

Can you imagine, we now wanna preach healthcare and environmental management to our Asean neighbors when we haven't exactly kept our own little backyard sparkling clean and tidy?