Let singles own HDB flats at 25? Why, of course!

Tue, 25 Jan 2011
2 min read
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Oh my gosh, Lau Geok Theng – the problematics of “urbanised Western attitude” aside, I totally forgive you for giving me a C+ in Asian Markets and Marketing Management back in the summer of 2006!

Let singles own HDB flats at 25

WHILE it is gratifying to read that the Housing Board is reviewing the rule governing co-sharing of flats by siblings (‘HDB to review rule on siblings’; Jan 18), the HDB should also lower the age for flat ownership by single citizens by a decade to 25 years of age.

As Singaporeans adopt a more urbanised Western attitude, it would make sense to accommodate their obvious desire to live on their own.

Such a move should not be seen as a lack of filial concern for their parents. My two children do not live with me, yet we have healthy relationships.

Staying out enables young people to grow up and be more independent. It prepares them to be better partners and parents in the future.

Many parents in our Asian culture still mother their adult children and make decisions for them. Many even impose curfew hours for their single adult children when the latter are well into their early 30s.

We can encourage these young single people to get married by providing generous incentives when they upgrade their flats to get married.

Young adult citizens at an early stage of their careers form a large proportion of the group of Singaporeans who face the middle-income squeeze and they would certainly welcome assistance, given the stiff property prices.

Dr Lau Geok Theng

Sweet.

Sun, 2 Jan 2011
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SQ21: Singapore Queers in the Twenty-First Century.

At the National Library now. Decided to take a break from writing by reading something and ventured over to the shelves behind me.

Picked up SQ21: Singapore Queers in the 21st Century by Ng Yi-Sheng and could not stop reading the book because the stories are so compelling.

Here’s a nugget that made me chuckle:

The word [that the interviewee was gay] spread higher and higher up the command chain until it reached my course commander, who was this Senior Warrant Office. He was this big Indian man, a really old-fashioned conservative fella, very regimental. Everything had to be in tiptop shape, our boots had to be shiny, our bunks had to be clean all the time, and he was always telling us, “Fucking hell. You all better run faster! You all so slow!”

I realised this could turn into something big, and I was really afraid for a while. But then once, during a lecture, he was saying, “The weekend’s coming. You all are booking out. Why don’t you all go get yourself a fuck? So how many of you got girlfriends?” Various hands went up. “Boyfriends?” Then everyone turned and looked at me, and I was thinking, “Shit you!”

Then the course commander said, “Why? What’s wrong? Why? Who’s anti-gay here?” A few people put up their hands. He pointed his finger and said, “Okay you. Get out of your seat. You also, get out. You go sit over there one corner. You all can form the anti-gay corner over there. (p. 133; emphasis mine)

Go read it if you haven’t already done so!

National Education Lesson of the Day.

Tue, 9 Nov 2010
1 min read
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Why don’t they teach these things in schools? LOL.

A koro epidemic struck Singapore in October 1967 for about ten days. Newspapers initially reported that some people developed koro after eating the meat of pigs inoculated with anti-swine-flu vaccine. Rumours relating eating pork and koro spread after a further report of an inoculated pig dying from penile retraction. The cases reported amounted to 97 in a single hospital unit within one day, at five days after the original news report. Government and medical officials alleviated the outbreak only by public announcements over television and in the newspapers.

(via)

FYI I chanced upon this gem while reading the Wikipedia entry on “running amok”.

You can read more about the koro epidemic here (downloadable PDF file).