Graded Article 6: Win, not lose, when you draw later ...

This article is about CPF, one issue deeply related to us Singaporeans (coupled with our aging population, the concerns for the elderly seem to be more frequent nowadays.)

Link: http://www.todayonline.com/articles/207442.asp
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CPF… one topic tied closely to our hearts, and something that we will most probably need to lean back on when we are old and, most importantly, retired. Well, as an active Singaporean, we should focus more on local affairs, and the issue of Singapore’s aging population is one such issue. Many articles have been written across the month about Singapore’s policies on retirement, particularly pushing the actual age of retirement from 62 to 65. This is a sign of the increase in the number of elderly in Singapore, and how the government in now trying to push back the retirement age so that the elderly can be occupied.

Throughout the years, Singapore has been promoting the idea of keeping an active lifestyle even as an elderly. This is one major policy that Singapore has been keeping to for a rather long amount of time. The elderly have been encouraged to partake in courses and activities to upgrade and occupy themselves, and many of the government campaigns are centered around that too. This is enough to show how the government views this trend as a challenging one to settle, and how the government is trying so hard to take care of the elderly.

And yet, the problems are still not settled. The increasing number of the elderly is causing an economic imbalance. When the elderly retire, they do not receive and ‘salary’ except for some money from their children, or if they choose to do odd jobs like collecting metal cans. One worrying trend happening in Singapore is the disowning of the elderly by their children, which may cause a polarization when the younger generation gets richer and the older generation depletes their savings bit by bit. In order to counter this worrying trend, extending the age of retirement is one way to slowly increase the independence of the older folk. I daresay that the age of retirement will be pushed up even higher over the ages.

And yet, is there really a need to make the old work even more? Singapore is pushing for the old to retire later, but why should the old work even more? Many Singaporeans consider working well late into their 70s as one of their most primarily concerns. Many Singaporeans express willingness to work till the 70s, which is actually quite worrying for Singapore itself. Yes, Singapore has been established as one great economic hub in the world. And yet, something within the lives of the people seem to be diminishing. People are now becoming robots that work all day, and want to work all day for just a bit more money.

Monetary concerns rank high in our current society, and many work hard in order to enjoy a good life later. However, with the pushing of retirement age, when is it actually time for us Singaporeans to slow down and enjoy life as we should? Maybe we have forgotten how to get a life…

Maybe we should learn to slow down for a bit, instead of pushing the retirement age furiously.

(508 words)