I read with shock and disappointment the protests at HongLin. I understand their grouses, knew the flaws of the system, but the placards and messages on them are outright ungracious.

The main bug, the high minimum sum. The system benefits everyone disproportionally. The middle income whose CPF is not dump on property, should have a amount in excess of minimum sum and has a fat life plan, thus this group should be contented with it.

Those not able to meet the minimum sum should still be better off, given That 90% of Singaporeans own a property, and hence could pledge that property. Assuming they don’t die in the early 70s, they should be better off than if they are allowed to take out all their CPF money.

Why then the amount of angst?

1) trust, and connection. Cold hard cash is always easier to understand than projection of returns.

Shifting ...