In the United States of America, even after several increments within the decade, the issue of minimum wage remains an essential topic for debate. In the United Kingdom, even in the unprecedentedly difficult economic climate, the minimum wage was raised from £5.73 to £5.80 an hour in May 2009. Conversely, in Singapore, one of the few developed countries which do not have any regulations stipulating a minimum wage, the segment of society consisting of the poorest paid are exposed to the exploitation of business operators.

The 20th century witnessed waves of feminism in which women across the globe championed for their empowerment in myriad spheres such politics and the economic front. Compared to the past, women today appear to be bestowed with a greater amount of rights. An important caveat, though, is that relative to men, women still appear to be lagging in certain aspects such as filling managerial positions at the workplace. Moreover, by subsuming women under a single category, the statement fails to question the fact that women across the globe have different life experiences and these differentials in class, race and nationalities will also impact women and their rights.

As Singapore’s National Day draws ever nearer, I am subtly reminded of lofty notions such as National Unity and Harmony, tenets upon which the stability of our social fabric so essentially depend. On the other hand, apart from all the warm fuzzy feelings that the impending National Day has drummed up, a Straits Time article I read earlier in the week had a chilling effect. Titled “Civil servants rapped for sloppiness”, it reported that various lapses by government ministries/agencies were found, leading to a loss of $9.8 million dollars.

Recently, I read an article where Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew stated that he wanted Singaporeans to speak more Mandarin, especially at home. He opined it is easier for the younger generation to speak English as it is the medium of instruction for most subjects in school. Therefore, parents should speak with their children using Mandarin when they are at home. Now, I shall look at this from the perspective of a foreigner who has been living in Singapore for some period of time.