Chinese Joke - Part V

This will be so funny if I didn't get the letter on Sunday. Am I being spoilt and complacent asking for paid leave in the first year of my service to go home to my dog for Chinese New Year ?

MOM, please don't penalise businesses

I REFER to Mr John Ng's letter. I own a Chinese restaurant. Like Mr Ng, I faced huge difficulty finding Singaporeans to employ as waiters. For every 10 who responded to my job advertisement, only one was Singaporean whose first concerns were: 'Pay good or not? Must work weekends or not? Got MC benefits?' Singaporeans are becoming more and more complacent. [Molly: Complacent with what?] Singaporeans just cannot take hardship these days. [Molly: Yeah. It's only right for employers to make employees go through hardship.] It is best portrayed by the Chinese sitcom, Just In Singapore on Channel 8, in which the characters Robert and Mary, live by the precept, 'Why work when the Government will take care of us?' [Molly: If that's the case, why would they care about how much they get paid? They would simply wait for the great government to take care of them.] The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) imposes the workforce levy and quota entitlement to prevent an influx of foreigners, be it to maintain social security or retain jobs for Singaporeans. I agree with the concept, but this is hardly applicable in real life. I urge MOM policy makers to step out of their cosy offices and take a good look at the real world. [Molly: Nonsense! Employers are getting more and more complacent. Now they are expecting the government to take care of them. Employers cannot take hardships nowadays.] If Singaporeans refuse to take lowly jobs. why penalise business owners? I think the authorities should acknowledge this and make necessary adjustments to accommodate business needs. Jerry Lim Hwee Leong