Search the Community

WTF..if i have money i buy lor....why shd what i work as dictate that i get one? COE: Consider driver's occupation as well THERE is another factor that the authorities should consider in a revamp of the certificate of entitlement (COE) system, and that is the car owner's occupation ("COE: Time for a tune-up?"; Thursday). Many drivers use their cars just to get from home to work. They park their cars for the whole day at their workplaces, then drive home. Such drivers do not really need a car and can get around easily with public transport. The exception is those who work in areas where public transport is not readily available. Then there are those whose occupations require them to be on the road very often, and relying on public transport is neither efficient nor productive. For example, it is not uncommon for people in sales to travel from Pasir Ris to Jurong, then to Sembawang and Tiong Bahru, all in a single day, to meet clients. For them, taking taxis may actually cost more than owning a car, and taking public transport can be very time-consuming. For some others, like those in pastoral care or social services, a car is necessary because they have to travel far, often to provide important services to the people they are looking after. For such people, having a car is a necessity, not a luxury. Making COEs very expensive hurts them - and society at large. I hope the authorities take these factors into consideration if they review the COE system. Alex Yeo

REPRESENTATION BASED ON OCCUPATION INSTEAD OF LOCALITY I suggest a system of electing representatives to look after the interests of the different major occupation groups instead of a given locality. This can be based on the Singapore Standard Occupation Classification. The number of seats will be determined by the quantity of the citizens that fall within a given classification. Members of Parliament should serve a legislative function instead of focusing on administrative functions in estate management. We have the Town Council and Mayors for that purpose. The MPs are elected to act in the best interest of their voters, to introduce and debate on bills which may eventually pass to become law. They should not be allowed to find themselves trapped in a situation where estate upgrading and maintenance gets intermingled with political representation. By representing a constituency defined in a geographical area, conflicts of interest are undoubtedly experienced by the unfortunate representative. Should I vote in favor of the bill that benefits the blue collar or the white? Propose a consumption tax, or a luxury tax to boost the national coffers? It also gives rise to a situation where the upper class congregates in a locality as seen in our real estate classification. While concerning ourselves with preventing racial divide, we should not overlook the even more important social division that slowly tears away at the fabric of our society. Representation based on Occupation Classification instead of Locality will truly ensure, in the words of our PM Lee Hsien Loong, “No Singaporean gets left behind.” Major Group 1 Legislators, Senior Officials and Managers Major Group 2 Professionals Major Group 3 Associate Professionals and Technicians Major Group 4 Clerical Support Workers Major Group 5 Service and Sales Workers Major Group 6 Agricultural and Fishery Workers Major Group 7 Craftsmen and Related Trades Workers Major Group 8 Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers Major Group 9 Cleaners, Labourers and Related Workers Major Group X Workers Not Classifiable by Occupation

Hi all, What do you guys think? We seem to see many Negative FR about Taxi drivers in MCF. Do you think Taxi Drivers are despicable lot or is a career that you are considering taking up? Regards,

Sorry Wrong posting.