Minus the political agenda (of the link at the end of this status). I believe that the system of meritocracy has, in much sense, placed us in this state. No, I'm not saying that meritocracy is not a good trait, for there should be rewards/incentives for good performance to drive a progressive society, and merits are highly tangible and easily accessible as an indicator. 

But does meritocracy really works when you are constantly shifting the benchmark? Think about it, offering fully paid scholarships to capable foreigners to study in Singapore is really just shifting the benchmark; it's like taking our 80th percentile students and placing them in MIT, and tell them that they're stupid. But are they?

As someone who is relatively academically inclined, I find it disturbing that little is done to look after those who are less academically inclined. We complain about how our (even undergraduate interns) salary is low, about how it takes the 'double salary' of couples to cope with the ever increasing cost of starting a family. Then, what about the people who are working in McDonalds, how do they really survive when they are bringing home <$1000 each month?

Even so, what I find ever more disturbing is the fact that our educated population appears/choose to be oblivious to the pain and suffering behind those that are less educated. Or have we reached a state of mind where we subconsciously tell ourselves that this problem has its roots sunk too deeply in for us to do anything?

If you agree with the flaw of the system, please do me a favor. You know that friend who appears to be a little thrifty, but you know that it's really because he has less spending capacity; that friend who is studying but also working in his/her free time to support his/her family? Bring them out for a meal, talk to them, and maybe share this status to share my cause. Sometimes, a small gesture of kindness and a little understanding goes a long way.

Take a little less, give a little more. It is within our capacity to make this country a little better than it is. Life is not a rat race to riches, nothing like what we have been made to believe.

http://thehearttruths.com/2013/11/19/singaporeans-are-poor-because-the-pap-makes-us-poor/

Disclaimer: No offence to any foreign students, don't get me wrong. Singapore offered the opportunity and you took it, that's really all about it.