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One
side of Singaporeans are poor.
The other side are Civil Servants. Part 1
of 2
When
I was in secondary school, I was (and still am) an ambitious guy.
I already made up my mind on what I want to do and I know exactly
how to get it. I was so persistent and determined to get myself
into design that I was already ditching subjects that was irrelevant
to my ambition. I paid no attention to my Math, History and whatever
lame bull crap subjects MOE threw at me. My strategy was: to study
and get enough credits so I can get into an Art school, which I
did, thanks be to God. Fast
forward to NS. When I was in Civil Defense, I got into some trouble
and my Mum had to meet up with this particular Malay Captain to
discuss about my conduct. The exchange was heated and to cut the
drama short, they were discussing on why I cannot really conform
to this NS way of life. My Mum said that I have no desire to be
a Paramedic and to work for the Government. Then the Captain retorted
and I still remember his words till today and he said; |
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didn’t think much about his statement and I went on about
my life and got a transfer.
Fast
Forward to working life. When I was done with my NS, I was very
determined and eager to get into the workforce. I mean, I waited
so long to finally make some money to do the things I like. But
as I have discussed in my articles like “Design
Hell” and “Miserable
Workers”, I was hit hard by the realities of the working
culture in Singapore (note I say Singapore.. some Singaporeans
think that life in Singapore is the same elsewhere) From “Mandarin
Speaking” ads, sleeping in the office 3 days in a row, no
time offs; working in the private sector was grueling because
of the lack of basic laws. Soon, I find myself job hopping like
no tomorrow.
So
after all those tough job experiences, working freelance and dealing
with ngiau customers, I have made the conclusion that Singapore
is a tough place to earn a living. And most of my friends had
it worse because some of them are unemployed. And just when I
thought most Singaporean shares the same fate.. I had the opportunity
working as a Relief Teacher. |
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experience working for the Government was like night and day. Don’t
get me wrong, the students gave hell, and the long meetings were
atrocious, however, I did enjoy some perks I never experienced before
working for the private sector. Firstly, I have access to the best
of facilities. Laptops, overhead projectors, art materials, everything
was paid for. I also had the chance to attend free lunch buffets.
When I asked who is paying for all this food, I was told that the
school is paying. I even can rest my legs and use the foot massager
in the teacher’s lounge… when was the last time you
see a massager for any bodypart in a private company? |
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thing that I notice is that ALL of my friends who are university
graduates choose to work for the Government. They may work for the
private sector for a year or two but in the end, all of them became
Civil Servants. Their number 1 motivation was a higher paycheck.
And
when I asked a well-off pakcik neighbour who lives in a massionette
(2 storey apartment) and ask him what he was working as.. he said
he is an Immigration Officer… another Civil Servant!
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After
asking around and just being plain attentive, below are top reasons
why Singaporeans are flocking to the Government for employment:
Better
Pay
You have to come to terms that in Singapore, the ONLY entity that
has the most money is the Government itself. The Singapore government
is like a fat cow with a variety of revenue streams from collecting
your CPFs, taxes, HDBs, GSTs, ERPs and whatever schemes they manage
to come up with. So that means, they are able to pay you better
than any private company can.
Stability
Apart from better money, Government jobs are stable. Right now
as I type this, jobs from the private sector are taken up by foreigners.
From graphic design, to 7-11 cashiers, to programming, to waiters,
admin etc., private businesses need to lower their overheads so
they opt for cheap labor resulting in Singaporeans having lower
pay in order to compete. However, the army of foreigners seem
to stop their low-wages rampage at Government jobs. You may have
seen a couple of Chinese Nationals in the Government sector but
it is not the trend as yet.
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Open
to Malays and Indians
Another upside working for the Government is that they open their
positions to Malays and Indians. The private sector is one bad racist
rojak. Even though the current Administration turn a blind eye at
“Mandarin Speaking Only” jobs classifieds that are shamelessly
being published on newspapers.. over at the Government sector, Malays
and Indians can take up jobs and enjoy the same perks with their
Chinese counterparts. I mean where else can Malays and Indians go
if the Government don’t take them in.. that is just a riot
waiting to happen.
Reservist
Liability
Over at the private sector, some companies will have to think
2-3 times to hire a male Singaporean because they know he needs
to fulfil his reservist liability. But at the Government sector,
going to reservist is as simple as telling your supervisor. The
supervisor cannot give you a dirty look because part of his job
is to accommodate time for your reservist obligation.
Other Perks
From bonuses, to fully funded lunch buffets, to discounts for
Government chalets, Medical Benefits, Dental Benefits... Civil
Servants right now seem to have it all.
So
after 2 to 3 years of being in the workforce, it finally dawned
upon me; if you want to live a comfortable life in Singapore,
working for the Government is the way to go. That is a major reality
check for you students right now.
I gotta
admit that I had mixed feelings when I learnt of this reality.
When I was young, I thought if I worked hard and be good at my
work, I will be rewarded. But now I know you will only be rewarded
if you are a Civil Servant.
However this heavy reliance on the Government
for jobs also come with its own unique repercussions / problems
and I plan to write about it soon.
Last worker from the private sector,
Evil Bunny
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