While scanning through some of the blog posts on the “no-frills” HDB joke (at least I like to think that MPs Lim Wee Kiak and Lee Bee Wah were just kidding when they suggested in parliament that HDB builds housing estates with no playgrounds, covered walkways and BBQ pits to reduce the cost of housing), something suddenly occured to me… can we have a “no-frills” Government instead?

So if my idea of a no-frills Government is adopted, I would like to see less luxurious building materials used for Government buildings and facilities (I feel like I am walking into the lobby of a five star hotel whenever I visit most of the newer buildings), less “landmark” architectural projects that are just wasting taxpayers’ money (e.g. the Supreme Court’s “UFO” design), less frivolous spending on Government departments’ family days and other functions… the list goes on.

I think this would save plenty of money that can be channeled towards subsidizing housing costs for lower-income Singaporeans… although I still believe the first step is to prick the housing bubble by lowering the profit margin HDB is earning.

And if all my suggestions are not good enough for our Dear Leaders… if they think that as “top talents”, elite Singaporeans who have seats in parliament, their suggestions must be good… then poor Singaporeans should brace themselves for the new slums of Singapore that are being proposed, by the very people who are supposed to advocate welfare for the poor. Perhaps we should have communal toilets at the foot of each block instead of private ones, so that the poor can save on the outrageously expensive conservancy fees that the town councils collect so that their “top talents” can help them invest the funds in “prudent”, “long-term investments” like Bukit Panjang-Holland Town Council’s investment in Creative Technology’s shares?

Related posts (auto generated):

1. Reflecting on the future
2. Getting a Reality Check – Cost of Basic Survival in Singapore – S$20 a day