'Best city for expats' but is it the best for S'poreans?

I REFER to ECA International's poll that showed Singapore has again topped the list as the best city in the world for Asian expatriates.

I am not surprised as I have always felt that our low-crime streets, English-speaking retailers as well as an efficient service sector would be almost like heaven for expatriates, whatever their origin.

However, the more important question to most of us is, 'Is Singapore the best city in the world for Singaporeans?'

I am afraid the answer is less obvious, especially for the lower-income strata of our society.

When we see elderly Singaporean men and women forced by circumstances to work beyond their economically active age, either collecting cardboard along back alleys or competing with foreign guest workers for low-paying jobs as table cleaners in our food-courts, we cannot but feel sad.

The lower-income strata would again be told by our political leaders that their plight is the result of globalisation. These uncles and aunties must be quite tired of hearing the same old story.

Will Singapore ever be theirs to enjoy?