MINISTER for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing's initiative to coordinate and consolidate the various helping hands in the community highlights the expectations Singaporeans have of the Government in helping the poor and vulnerable ("Coordinating the 'many helping hands' "; March 14).
While the Government is doing its utmost to strengthen the social safety net, it must not neglect the importance of fostering self-reliance among citizens.
With rising expectations, we see a trend where citizens expect the Government to bail them out even after they have made unwise decisions.
For instance, some appeal for rental flats after squandering the proceeds from the sale of their HDB flats ("More public rental flat applicants used to be home owners"; March 12).
Others have poor budgeting skills and end up asking for social assistance.
The scenario of the Singapore electorate voting for politicians espousing a welfare state is not an impossible one.
This is evident in modern Western democracies, where governments have been providing fiscally unsustainable subsidies to their populations in order to remain in power.
As a country, Singapore's survivability for the next 50 years could very well depend on the mental model of its citizens.
While it is acceptable to expect a high service standard from the Government, it is not feasible or realistic to expect the Government to offer aid because citizens made poor decisions or failed to plan.
The Government must have the moral courage to stand firm against dependency.
Otherwise, we could just diminish into obscurity once we lose our competitive edge.
Lee Yong Se
While the Government is doing its utmost to strengthen the social safety net, it must not neglect the importance of fostering self-reliance among citizens.
With rising expectations, we see a trend where citizens expect the Government to bail them out even after they have made unwise decisions.
For instance, some appeal for rental flats after squandering the proceeds from the sale of their HDB flats ("More public rental flat applicants used to be home owners"; March 12).
Others have poor budgeting skills and end up asking for social assistance.
The scenario of the Singapore electorate voting for politicians espousing a welfare state is not an impossible one.
This is evident in modern Western democracies, where governments have been providing fiscally unsustainable subsidies to their populations in order to remain in power.
As a country, Singapore's survivability for the next 50 years could very well depend on the mental model of its citizens.
While it is acceptable to expect a high service standard from the Government, it is not feasible or realistic to expect the Government to offer aid because citizens made poor decisions or failed to plan.
The Government must have the moral courage to stand firm against dependency.
Otherwise, we could just diminish into obscurity once we lose our competitive edge.
Lee Yong Se
