Andrew Loh / Deputy Editor
In March this year, I questioned the silence of the Prime Minister over the escape of terrorist suspect Mas Selamat Kastari. Indeed, it took the PM 11 days before he made any comments on the incident. (See here: Has our Prime Minister gone missing too?)
It is October and there is a new issue gripping Singaporeans – one which perhaps is even more deeply felt than the toilet window escape of a limping terrorist. An estimated 10,000 investors are on the brink of losing all that they have saved and invested.
Yet, more than a month after the issue came to light, the Prime Minister is – as was in the Mas Selamat case – totally silent on the issue. It is left to the investors, sympathisers such as Mr Tan Kin Lian, and now Minister Lim Hng Kiang and MPs to try and “do the right thing” vis-a-vis the minibond issue.
Eminently qualified, so why so silent?
When 10,000 investors are affected, which include many retirees who are on the brink of seeing their life-savings wiped out, you would expect the leader of the country to say something. But, as with the Mas Selamat fiasco, such assurances from the Prime Minister do not seem to be forthcoming. Instead, in the Straits Times of October 21, we see a picture of the PM smiling and holding up a “stuffed panda” bear which he was presented with at Mercy Relief’s fifth anniversary celebrations. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Mercy Relief does excellent work. The report at least showed us that the PM is still around.
It has been observed by not a few people that the silence of various agencies of authority is deafening. I would say that none is louder than the Prime Minister’s seeming nonchalance. This becomes even more stark if you consider that Mr Lee was the Finance Minister from 2001 to 2007, and was himself a former Chairman of the MAS for six years as well. (See here.) So, there is no question of him being eminently-qualified to not only speak on the issue but also to understand the issue intimately. Indeed, Mr Lee spearheaded some of the important changes in the financial sector, including its liberalisation, “relying more on disclosure and caveat emptor (“let the buyer beware”).”
Hence, his silence, as Prime Minister, is especially conspicuous.
Does the Govt take the issue seriously enough?
One other thing to note is the absence of any statement by the Chairman of the Monetary of Singapore (MAS), Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, in the Parliament sitting of October 20. Instead, it is telling, at least to me, that the ministerial statement was left to the former Second Minister for Finance and Deputy Chairman of MAS, Mr Lim Hng Kiang.
Why was the statement not made by the Finance Minister or the minister who is also the Chairman of the MAS (Goh Chok Tong)? What does that say about the importance the Government gives to the issue? Alas, Singaporeans are left with the rather curt – and regrettable – earlier statement by SM Goh which said that Singaporeans who didn’t want to take risks should leave their money in the CPF.
And lastly, on the subject of silence, no Member of Parliament was present at the two Speakers’ Corner event so far. Hundreds of affected investors took the time to go down to Hong Lim Park to find out what they could do – some elderly and obviously unsure of what recourse they have. Yet, despite the media covering the events and giving prominence to the issue, no MP – from either the PAP or the opposition – bothered to seize this opportunity to go speak to the investors themselves.
This is truly a sad state of affairs, when Parliamentarians avoid or ignore such a great opportunity to help ordinary Singaporeans who are facing uncertainty and indeed, anguish.
Salary hike in spite of fiascos?
Minister in charge of the Civil Service, Mr Teo Chee Hean, is expected to announce the third increase for ministerial salaries anytime now. This will be the third and last step of the increase announced by the Government in Jan 2007, to bring salaries to 88% of the benchmark.
The question Singaporeans will have to ask is: With the economy slowing down into a recession, the unemployment rate expected to rise, inflation at record highs (even though ministers had earlier said inflation would ease in the second half of this year), and the lack of leadership in at least two major instances this year (Mas Selamat and minibonds), do our ministers deserve a third pay hike?
That will be the topic of another article here on TOC.
For now, however, it would be good if the Prime Minister provided some leadership. As I said in an earlier article, 10,000 investors deserve better.
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Thank you Gemami for that extra info. Hugz 2 u! Yes, you are right. Only NTUC Income!
He escaped to China yesterday and his father is as quiet as a mouse, does he dare to say golden years again ? His predictions are all wrong, better quietly withdraw and retire if not many singaporeans will kick you out in the next election !!!
To whoever: nothing wrong with asking for a word of reassurance but not when it’s demanded. PM isn’t yr touchy feely PR type who does things for effect n to raise his profile. If you want that, you shld next vote in a PM like the SIA PR manager who jumped up and hugged the man who had just lost his brother in the SQ82 crash. The world’s camera was on the conference and wow what a wonderful foto op!
Better to deliver the goods than just “TC” as the old uncle said!
I’m deligted that Gemani n son make plenty of good use of CC’s. Good that some people do get to enjoy the goods delivered by good government. I don’t begrudge them or those who make full use of HLP. Just that they r not my kind of scene, thank you!
auntie
people only demand when the needs they seek are absent. it should not even have gotten to this stage.
the ‘demand’ that you speak of is nothing compared to the pap’s method of total annihilation of whoever cross their paths.
it is this same measure that the ‘demand’ tis taking place – if you can call it ‘demand’ in the first place.
you are right in your observation of pm as one who is not touchy-feely. it is why he is not in touch with the citizens that he serves – yes, serve, not govern . . . for a leader has to serve its people while he governs the country. both must be balanced.
sadly, this pm has lost his sense of balance.
“103) auntielucia on October 23rd, 2008 7.01 pm
Better to deliver the goods than just “TC” as the old uncle said!”
Another fire fighting creature.
Are you kidding, aunty Lucia. Which needs photo ops. It won’t fill much of your stomach.
And if it is REAL delivery of goods, who is complaining. Most people have come to develop an uncomfortable aversion and are making jokes over this “delivery of goods” where somehow this funny thought of “I-take-2-from-you-and-I-give-you-back-1″ always comes across the mind.
Unless, you are so into your own cocoon that this kind of common jokes has bypassed you and a lot of your feloow kaki.
Aunty Lucia, you should spend more time doing shopping and talk to more people. If you want to be real fire fighter, join our Home Team – they need you more.
#105)
let’s be gentle with auntie . . . cannot blame her if she has been cooped up for far too long with only the tv and radio for company. . . . she has only recently ventured out into the world of online discussion and maybe wants to make a statement or two. we’ll allow her that . . . ok?
now, we are not against the pm’s governance of the country aren’t we?
he has shown himself to be so competent and capable of ‘fixing’ broken and unbroken things alike with $$$ as the incentive (did i miss another $?) for doing so.
let us go back into history a little to see where this pm came from.
i think he was an SAF officer earning about maybe $15,000 a month?
now let’s scratch our head to see what else he had done …….mmmmmmm………………mmmmmmmm………………..oh yes ……..cable car …………. ok, let’s credit him for this ……………….. even though we know who was behind it ……………….. he just had to show his face on one of the nights the SAF came out in full force to save the dangling cable cars ……… i know this episode, i was there ………….. so many generals putting their heads together but he took the credit.
has anything changed? well beats me! maybe he rides the bicycle better than before. what else has he done ……………….mmmmmmmmmm……………mmmmmmmmmmmm……….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz………………………..
U r right.. I shld go back to my knitting than entangle with pple with absolutely closed minds like yrs…and yes Paragon suits me better than getting my kicks in HLP, thank you!
arriverdeci
Yes, Gemami – some things have changed. I LOOK OLDER as compared to when he was in SAF. Oh no wait, was I born yet? Getting muddled! lol
One thing bugs me you know? 3 murders in Bukit Batok and none solved! Kinda bugs me that there are murderers out there LOOSE!! What’s happened to our best ‘criminologists’?
Its about time we have a peoples poll either weekly ,monthly on how we perserve how our PM SSM SM and ministers are doing. No point asking how our President is doing. He is the highest payed in the entire world so he must be doing well!
Other countries have it why not us. They our government should be able to accept constructive feedabck after all they accept exhorbitant pay every month and cant wait for their imminent pay increase!
And if you cant find any minister in sin they must be overseas travelling round the world free and trying to make sin a better place for themselves first and foremost!
Well, it is good that people should be doing the real fire fighting just like our Home Team.
But for aunties to come here trying their luck by practising a little bit of magic , you must extremely be wary and send back to their place of original belonging – and that is shopping centres.
This kind of aunties who know how to meddle with keyboard & internet are the classy type and probably glib tongue from many years of “low-soh” experience – and they hope to apply their luck on innocent uncles like us.
Of course, we are not against the pm’s governance of the country. I love him and his buddies so much that whenever they make any statement, I cry bucket full of precious tears. Long live pm, mm, sm, m&m, just fill the rest for me as I am getting tired.
109)
it’s ok, we can loosen up now – the coast is now clear – the auntie has gone back into her cocoon to catch up on some knitting …………..
I always said that everyone of you can stand up for the next General Election come 2010/2011. If you have the guts, the show of good face and speak the right thing during the 7 to 10 days of election campaign, you stand a good chance of being carried into Parliament! Many people in Singapore want alternative voices to be heard in Parliament. YOU are the ONE! Stand UP NOW# Do not just waste your time blaa, blaa and write rubbish here and now – pick yourself up and prepare, you have just 2 years to hit the road. Look at the country just north of us, any new faces putting himself/herself up for the GE 8 Mar 2008 suddenly got into Parliament/Dewan Rakyat. If you do not file the papers(no wayang, wayang business) to try on Nomination Day, you will miss the chance to serve the people of Singapore.
Man, we need an Obama in Singapore. It will happen.
Just as Colin Powell (Republican) supported Obama (Democrat), I believe from the ashes of PAP, someone will rise up and be a beacon of light for all of us.
Minibonds divide and conquer the minions to support the FIs
Power and electrical tarrifs that feeds Singapore power billion dollar profits and govt refusal to change structure even with recession looming
Mas Selamat Jalan-ed and how minions got whacked
Just as I believe in God, i will not migrate and I believe Singapore will be better – better than the current PAP and what it has to offer
God Bless Singapore.
109) Gemami, how are you my friend. on October 23rd, 2008 8.39 pm Well, it is good that people should be doing the real fire fighting just like our Home Team.
But for aunties to come here trying their luck by practising a little bit of magic , you must extremely be wary and send back to their place of original belonging – and that is shopping centres.
Don’t have to blame the aunties for what they are. All these years, majority of our folks are somehow being conned into believing what they hear and see on our garment control media like ST and on TVs, always hear the good stuff. Even my own folks are like them all the while. However, thanks to the younger generation who are now more open and dare to speak up for their rights. Good work new singapore, be united and stand up for our country!
just focus on kicking these money grabbers out in the next election. simple.. don’t need to talk so much
The income divide is very huge and real in Singapore.
We have a group of well-to-do singaporeans, the likes of auntie, who will staunchly support PAP’s governance because they continue to benefit at the expense of those below that divide.
The elitist airs exhibit themselves and the sad thing is, they clearly want to show you they are above you. Going to CC is not their cup of tea, they are the PARAGON crowd, remember?
These people will never empathise with the ordinary man like me. Earn a mere 2k salary, 2 kids to feed and live in a 4 room pigeon hole.
If one auntie that goes to Paragon can’t understand the pain of an ordinary man, how could I expect our PM to do so?! He was born with 2 golden spoons, one from mum and one from dad.
PM has not demonstrated his capability to lead. All his so called talents are just hearsay, from dad’s pal and some fancy media reports.
Given the current minibond saga, he had not appear to make any contribution at all, but chose to fly to China to jiak hong instead.
To me, he is more “shadow puppet” than Pu Yi, the last emperor of China. And I hope, he will bring the downfall of the Lee empire. No one will cry, perhaps auntie.
112) tiredsingaporean (Gemami, how are you my friend)
very well, thank you.
and thank you too for the piece of advise – i can be quite naive at times, i admit.
ordinary man – you forgot the third golden spoon, much bigger than the 2 golden spoons of daddy and mommy . . . yes, that one …… i repeat ….. THAT one!
the same one he is continuing to dip into . . . the bottomless golden spoon.
jokes aside, you’ve put across a very good point. i must add that the divide is not simply between the top and bottom. The Singapore divide is more like what I would call, the ‘KUEY LAPIS’ divide.
There are so many layers of divisions …… there are the outcasts who sleep in homeless shelters anywhere they could find on the island / the poor, overly taxed and over-worked illiterates / the ordinary folks like you & me / the ‘have-a-bit-more-than-you’ types / the Paragon types like auntielucia – probably semi-retired with nothing much to do other than to go shopping at Paragon and never be seen at OG, knitting as pastime activity / there are the executive Singaporeans who lord over the rest of us and demanding that they be treated like royaties / and the top tier aliens who call themselves ‘servants of the land’.
there are other divides of course, eg educational & political – pro or anti PAP, pro or anti govt, pro or anti SG, opposition supporter or critic etc.
sadly, most would behave differently depending on the layer they are at – to keep up with the jones of that division.
fellow Singaporeans, which layer are you?.
I have never considered a political career or showing my face. But you can collate ideas from those who write here. Otherwise there would be no purpose of posting comments here.
We have a few good people here including but not limited to Tan Kin Lian, Andrew Loh and Leong Sze Hian. Do I see a show of hands to support them to serve our nation in the next election? Show your support!
100% behind them, Kelly – all of them, in fact, not limited to these few only. Others like Pearl and Joel can be groomed for the future too.
119) kelly on October 24th, 2008 12.15 pm
120) gemami on October 24th, 2008 3.08 pm
yes, we should encourage more ppl to speak up here, LOUD and be heard, even to the extend of arranging meet up for discussion, there only 1 way to rescue ourt beloved country, i.e. through the unity of its own true blue singaporeans, no matter which race and color you are from, you are still the citizens of sg, so be active and start speaking up, let the world hears you if possible.
119) kelly on October 24th, 2008 12.15 pm
I have never considered a political career or showing my face. But you can collate ideas from those who write here. Otherwise there would be no purpose of posting comments here.
We have a few good people here including but not limited to Tan Kin Lian, Andrew Loh and Leong Sze Hian. Do I see a show of hands to support them to serve our nation in the next election? Show your support!
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please factor in the possibilities of what party they may or may not join at the last minute.
Gomez ring a bell?
“you can ring my belllllllll llllll llllll ring my bell! ring my bellllll ring a ring a ring…”
Ministerial issue again…..we have been through this many times. Our politicians’ and top civil servants’ salaries are pegged to the top earners among 6 professions, including bankers. We now know that bankers for many years have been taking risks with “other people’s money” in order earn higher bonuses for themselves.
If that is the case, in principle how can our ministers’ and top civil servants’ salaries be pegged to the unscrupulous bankers’ salaries ?
Today I met a civil servant, 25 years service as a support staff, earning 1800 a month. As always there is a tendency to lump the whole lot together. But in the end its the elite Ministers and superscale who are paid the most. Anyway are MPs and Ministers civil servants or elected officials whose term shoul be detremined by the people. We have a situation where they enjoy pension when is been taken away from the bulk of civil servants whom it was meant for. Come on , lets see it in perspective, majority of the civil servants here are not well paid but if we are given the average than it looks good. Its just like the country where the top 10% earns what the rest earns. Sometime I feel sorry for the poor civil servant slave.
We need to take back the power. We surrendered it and now we cannot retrieve it. We forget we emply them and not the other way around. Lets kick the arrogant b……. out
while the son has gone missing, the father had just passed an unbelievable insult on “assortative mating”, what is going on with this familees now, its totally rediculous!
126) tiredsingaporean on October 25th, 2008 2.12 am
while the son has gone missing, the father had just passed an unbelievable insult on “assortative mating”, what is going on with this familees now, its totally rediculous!
might this family be proof that “assortative mating” is disastrous?
Our PM is World Class one !!! Why …
World Class Pay – even George Bush US salary cannot beat him !!!
World Class Disappearing Act – even David Copperfield slower than him !!!
World Class Job – attending tea parties at Mercy Relief while the country is in recession, wah no wonder he is at number one, cos he is the only one doing this !!!
We are in awe … he brings a brand new meaning to the word “‘World Class” !!!
The thought that came to my mind having read the above blogs was ” a total lack of responsibilities of senior officials”. Although they were highly paid and quick to take credit when things are fine but failed to take responsibility when thing goes wrong”. Is this a good example to set for the country? Time will tell. Singapore may be rich now but the world is changing fast and over the next twenty years or more, our neigbours will catch up with us. The shortage of land and natural resources will remain a serious problem it had always been and million dollars ministers/official will never be able to resolve these problems. Investing the money wisely is only a partial answer to a long term problem. I am not sure our current group of ministers will be capable of finding solutions to these problems. All Singaporean should be encouraged to debates these issues but deep down I know it will never happen.