Yishun (Part 5)

I painted quite a perfect picture of Yishun in the last 4 installments.  Maybe enough to make people wish they could uproot themselves and transfer there without nary a thought.  I hope not – I don’t want to be blamed if you do that and find out it’s not as perfect as I described.  Singapore has its good aspects and bad ones.  From the point of view of community and city planning, it is par excellence.  But it has its downsides, too.

I wish not to examine the other side of the coin, since it is mostly behavioral, social, and cultural in nature, and coming out as side effects of trying to be excellent and advanced.  Other countries are experiencing similar dilemmas – the empty churches of Europe, and mainland Chinese not comprehending the concept of “uncle/aunt” due to the one-child policy.  If Japan’s population growth rate continues, there wouldn’t be any Japanese left in year 3000.

A Freeman reader, @kentjohn commented on our second installment about Singapore’s housing program, “Sir, the problem in Singapore with regards to housing/condo rules is that you cannot inherit the unit to your son and daughter, it will return to government, not to your family when you die...”  That is true, but then again, we think it’s a problem simply because we are used to our own laws of passing on property to our children.  In many other countries, the concept of land ownership is stewardship – the State owns all the land and all of us are simply “renting” it or paying for the use.  This is the British concept of real property.

But then again, if the government ensures that everybody has access to housing, why is there a need to pass on your house to your children?  You see, if we follow that trend of thought, we would arrive at where we are in the Philippines where there is that insurmountable divide between the rich and the poor.  Those born to rich families will easily inherit mansions, and the means to make more millions, since he/she doesn’t have to think about buying a house in the first place; the homeless will bear children who are as homeless as they are, if not more.

Singapore’s per capita income is 15 times ours, but each citizen will have to strive to earn more to “buy” a flat; they will pay a third of their salary for childcare and day-care, which probably is why they are not bearing children anymore, to the consternation of the state who is trying its best to encourage people to make babies – they even give hefty benefits if a couple can make more, short of paying for second honeymoons.  In fact I think they do!

In Japan, you return half of your fortune to the government when you die – the inheritance tax is highway robbery.  Its per capita income is 8.5 times that of ours but you don’t see filthy wealth nor extreme poverty.  One is tempted to ask, who is more democratic and equitable.  But problems these countries have, too, no doubt about that, on different fields and different levels.  But as far as structured long-term development planning is concerned, as well as efficient and inclusive transportation, they excel.  That’s the message in this series.

A million thanks to my friend “Neal” and his wife “Joyce” (not their real names), now citizens of Singapore, but erstwhile friends and schoolmates at CIT, 30 odd years ago.  You lent a week for me to see the real Singapore, not just on theory, but what it is, on the ground, away from where the tourists see the glitters.  Yishun will always be that “ideal” in my mind, a reality in that country, but a living place to hope for in this, … where you can enjoy a good life, clean, orderly, efficient, and peaceful.  Probably one of the most livable cities in the world.

To Neal and Joyce – my love-day greetings!  And my special greetings and best wishes to my dear mother, Engr. Delia Calo Villarete, on her birthday, today.