Latest news with #AjaxCooperwater
Independent Singapore
20-06-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
'Do Singaporeans think that giving money to the poor makes them lazy?' Redditor asks
Photo: Reddit screengrab/u/michuang74 SINGAPORE: When a local Reddit user asked if Singaporeans disapprove of giving money to the poor as it sends the wrong message, it sparked a lively discussion, with many commenters bringing up important points for and against such a scheme. In a post on r/askSingapore on Thursday (June 19), u/AjaxCooperwater wrote, ' Generally, do Singaporeans think it is a bad idea to give money to the poor because it encourages laziness and de-incentivises job hunting?' They added that they personally do not believe that giving money to the poor 'encourages any form of stereotype behaviour,' but genuinely wanted to know the reason behind such perspectives, asking also if anyone has personally seen such a case occurring. The post was somewhat similar to another one from u/AjaxCooperwater earlier this week, when they asked how Singaporeans feel about Universal Basic Income . 'If you see a very old lady or an old man who is handicapped with one leg or one arm, do you think that even if they try hard looking for a job, any boss would want them? So, try to give them some money whenever you come across them. Sometimes, due to dignity, they refuse to accept your money without you taking something from them, such as a packet of tissues or a lottery ticket. Just take it, and say thank you,' one wrote. 'Just help if you want and in a position of being able to afford to.. most importantly, from the heart. Even one word of kindness is a type of charity,' commented another. A Reddit user outlined the reasons why a person may be hesitant to give money to the poor, which have nothing to do with being encouraged to be lazy. People are afraid of getting scammed, or are concerned that the money they give will end up in the pockets of crime syndicates. Another reason is that people from neighbouring countries might end up coming to Singapore to beg. This is why they prefer for social workers to reach out to people in need instead. 'Meritocracy can drive us to be unkind and elitist. When we work hard and land a good education and job, we believe it's our hard work that led us to be successful, and those who are poor are poor because they did not work as hard as us. But reality is never as simple as that. Success requires connections, hard work, and luck. If you're born well off, it's easier to focus on your studies, easier to build good connections,' another observed. /TISG Read also: 'JB businesses will be happy' — Singaporeans debate pros and cons of Universal Basic Income
Independent Singapore
18-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘JB businesses will be happy' — Singaporeans debate pros and cons of Universal Basic Income
SINGAPORE: When a local Redditor asked what Singaporeans think of Universal Basic Income, a commenter took somewhat of a left turn and said it would certainly make business owners in Johor happy. In a June 17 (Wednesday) post on r/askSingapore, u/AjaxCooperwater wrote, 'With people getting retrenched and AI replacing jobs, what do Singaporeans think of Universal Basic Income (UBI)? Can it be implemented in Singapore?' They further explained that UBI 'is a regular, unconditional cash payment given by the government to all citizens, regardless of their income or employment status, to cover basic living costs.' Certain countries around the world have used or launched a trial of one form or another of basic income, such as Brazil, Kenya, and South Korea. The advantages and disadvantages of such a scheme have been widely discussed. On the one hand, UBI would significantly reduce poverty. On the other hand, it may be too expensive for countries to sustain. As for u/AjaxCooperwater's post, many commenters had a lot to say. The top comment, however, was this: 'If you give cash as UBI, the business owners in JB will be very happy.' A Reddit user replied that this illustrates the biggest problem with the scheme. 'For an economy like Singapore, a lot of such money will flow out. Be it foreign investments or overseas trips/shopping. We will be essentially paying taxes to stimulate other countries' economies. I would very much prefer CDC vouchers. At least we keep the money within the country,' they wrote. Another seemed to agree, writing, 'I'm starting to think of things like CDC and NS Home credits as extremely limited forms of UBI, with the limitation that we need to use it in the local economy. Yes, they're not universal, but if I'm not wrong, it's actual usable currency, which is very different from tax rebates, etc. Plus, receiving these is very hard to game, and at the very least it's NOT disproportionately putting money in the hands of the rich, which is a very common complaint for how governments redistribute wealth.' Others also said that they believe Singapore already has a form of UBI. 'Your CDC vouchers, GST credits, and the slew of new fanciful vouchers are UBI dressed in different names. The government won't suddenly announce that everyone will get $x unconditionally because they don't like sudden shifts. They like to give a bit, look-see monitor, then shift a bit more, etc. Evolution, not revolution. Who's gonna pay for it? We are. That's why they had raised GST ahead of time,' one wrote. A commenter, however, was blunt in declaring that they are not in favour of UBI at all. 'Money is not free; you are just taxing more on those who are productive and not in a good way. Prefer for the government to actually invest more in education, financial literacy, and support schemes to help uplift those who are in need. At least these have very clear ROI and impact. Also with the mindset that some SG people have, confirm will have some that will exploit it/be damn entitled kpkb too little, want these and that. Very hard to determine a good threshold and will breed complacency. Our only resource is people and hard work, take away the motivation and SG is gonna lose competitive edge.' /TISG Read also: Universal basic income: is it really what today's youth need?
