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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PM when to practise the advance course of Taiji, beside that he also practises Yin Sheng Shu (invisible martial arts) . Well done PM, keep it up, if your skills improve further, we can consider to give you a pay raise as you’ll be even more talented and unique and irreplaceable with your newly mastered advance skills.
Behind closed doors . . . . PAP meeting for family members.
MM: What the f***? Who’s going to deal with this mess?
PM: Papa, surely you’re not asking me to face the people?
MM: Not to worry son, we have a blockhead with us, remember?
PM: Yes papa, I go talk to him.
SM: What? But I have already handed the baton over to you.
PM: I know, but my papa says you must do it because you are the chairman of MAS.
SM: Shit! What if i get my deputy to do it?
PM: Up to you lah, as long as it’s not me . . hee .. hee .. hee …
LHK: Huh? how come I have to do it?
SM: Because MM’s boy says so.
LHK: OK, i do it but after that, the rest must take over.
SM: Who are ‘the rest”?
LHK: the ‘rest’ lor . . . the newspapers, tv, radio and all the MPs too, they must all chip in. I will just show my face once only.
MM/PM/SM: ok lah, ok lah – better than nothing.
PM: Papa, if the people are still not convinved, how? Must I come out to face them?
MM: We will see boy, we still have ‘Blockhed’, remember?
PM: Oh papa, you’re the best!
49) PAY ME OR I BE CORRUPT on October 22nd, 2008 2.08 am
When it was put to him that people hoped for leaders who were willing to make sacrifices and who were not there for the money, he replied that these were ‘admirable sentiments’. But he added that ‘we live in the real world’.
WAKE UP SINGAPORE ! WE LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD ! no more pursuing your dreams and start not to believe every words you hear, not to believe every print that you read and not to believe any promise that has been made to you, they are meant for those people out there who only wish to hear the good stuff and when bad times come, bye bye and kiss your own arsh!
In view of the recession and the grim outlook for a couple of years at least, it would be good if a General Elections be held soon, to give the government a fresh mandate.
This will also inject some vigour into all the MPs, including those from the opposition parties, to look into the present grievances, serioously.
Perhaps to gauge the feelings of the people / citizens, TOC could have a survey on that. :-)
I am totally convicted that our Prime Minister and the PAP government are solidly behind the people of SIngapore – Yes, very very very far behind…….
I seriously don’t think ANY CEO of ANY company should be expected to keep his job with the same leadership skills as our beloved PM. Seriously, leader of a country……give us a break!
gemani … lol thats a good one, and probably a real one too ;p
with so many things and so many many years gone i still dun understand y pp still vote for them ??? time to change la
use company copy of news and save $0.90 a day on weekdays everyday and save $1 on Saturdays , every saturday and save another $0.90 on sundays, every Sunday.
use library newspapers.
but like this, i worry if more hikes will cum when profitablity is at risk due to lowered buyership.
I do not BUY the news (at $1 a pop, Saturdays). but you might. I am poor. All my savings gone into smoke.
ah loo, time to read other news sources liao … all papers owned by government read liao will brainwash de … better suft toc often to get a clearer picture of wats really happening out there
better call in Scully and Mulder from the X File…
zefly (#1):
our PM is just trying hard to loosen up the atmosphere. but with a joke that the public does not understand, i begin to think if he’s already out of syn with our people?
only an act of … now. nothing else can . either that or when the t-rex no longer pulpit.
#sadam
There’s plenty of Singaporeans below the average income ceiling that needs help! and I am pretty sure that the govt. has been and is handling this issue. There is a much far larger picture to running a stable country then to the queue at the Meet the People’s Session. Apart from people having financial constraints, there are others who queue having many other issues….What is far more important now, as I said, neither the PM or any of his Ministers, will ask or will get any pay rise in view of the global downturn!
Our PM and Ministers draw a very healthy salary compared to any others in any governance and for this they will sail us through this rough time as they did in the past. They are up to the task, no doubts!!!
@Gemami Good script there! Something outta MAFIA! heeeee
@Feline #60. hahahaaaaaa :D
@Kang #62 T-rex! hee hee
When things go wrong, the blame game starts. Being the kiasu and arrogant people that they are, rather than owning up, rectifying the problem and a promise to do better, they took the blame game way out.
As i commented in another post on this site, i think senior folks within the Govt and in MAS are now trying very hard to cover their backsides, distanced themselves from the issue, not show any links to the Govt. Thus it explains why our PM not saying anything, LHK says “Dont politicise this”…MAS says “You have to take it up with the banks yourselves.”
Sadly, it it all linked back to the Govt, or more specific, to the complacency of the Govt. MAS is chaired by SM. DBS is Temasek, run by ex-minister. They want to liberalise the market, to make Singapore attractive, but at what expense? who gets the short end of the stick?
Its not because they’re not proactive, or not concerned, but more of the fact they want to cover their backsides first. once they’re in the clear, that they can show they’ve done their work, or they have someone to blame (eg a gurkha guard or a law clerk or a TT Durai), then you will hear someone senior addressing this.
I bet my bottom dollar on this – too bad the casinos are not opened yet.
So, did i over-simplify the issue here? perhaps i did, but more transparency from parties involved would be great, and give me more reason to see both sides.
We’re not ignorant – we’re not Singaporeans from earlier generations. Quite clearly, some folks up there are out of touch, and complacent. Life’s been too good for them. Thats what happens when you create elitism.
“That’s life. Next time put your money in CPF.” “What to do? This happened.’
How different are these quotes to “Let them eat cake.”?
PAY ME SO THAT I WILL NOT BE CORRUPT
Thieves come in many shape and sizes and corruption has got to do with one’s character and not how many million he has got in the bank. Small thief steals one watermelon. Big time thief steals truck loads of watermelon.
Any high school economics student can tell you money is the lowest form of motivation. Is there any wonder that we have ZERO leadership in any situation where there is no financial motivation for the leaders.
People have to learn sometimes not only how much the heart, but how much the head, can bear. -Maria Mitchell.
The heart has its reasons that reason does not know. -Pascal.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Our Leaders, Our Fellow Citizens and Our Nation Singapore Needs Prayer! Pray for Those in Authority for There is a Higher Power and Authority Above Them.
What LKY said these days does not make sense to Singaporeans especially the young. He seems to be living in a airy fairy world of his own. Claiming that Singapore will sink if the pap ministers are not well compensated is one of those fallacies.
69) Harry on October 22nd, 2008 2.40 pm What LKY said these days does not make sense to Singaporeans especially the young
Hmm, other than the part about our women working as maids in other countries, aren’t the other warnings about security and jobs already fulfilled, many times over? What does that say about the current crop of leaders?
And even the maids warning is hilarious, if not absurd. Are all Filipino women maids? Are all Sri Lankan women maids? Are all Indonesian women maids? What’s the link between maids and a country’s leaders? Is that an indirect mockery of the competence of the leaders of these nations? Resorting to the old trick of using another country as the bogeyman?
South Korea is doing a lot better than Singapore. Despite their regular violent protests and high-profile resignations among political leaders who have blundered, I have yet to see South Korean women work in other countries as maids.
Reminds of some other issues (other than GST increase, transport fee hike, electricity bill up,Serangoon Garden, etc) which hurt a relatively smaller amount of Singaporean families – the closure of UNSWAsia campus etc…….the answer is always to blame the others, make statements of exhortation and try to let time take care of the problems…..it may not acceptable anymore vis a vis the top salaries which breed expectation of good performance by the Government men.
However it seems that citizens’ unhappiness is casading to a big whirlpool, and the PM must step up to show real leadership otherwise he may too be passed off as so so in the history books.
actually i am not very clever. My education is only diploma from ITE. My father and mother kena in mini bomb. But if PM say they are so tokong then why so lau paioh in doing things. Yesterday, I phone up this cab company, it is the one that is using all this hyundai diesel car. A new company. They took 15 min to come. When it came, I had already taken comfort which coming within 5 min. That mean speed is quality, slowness is laziness and it mean people are still reading book, they dunno, if they dunno then how come we are paying them so much money to do nothing? Is this a magic show?
I really no understand!
If you are so tokong. Then you are always number 1. That is why we have gold, silver and bronze medal. That is why USA become the first country to send the astronaut people to the moon. No 1 means you are the best. But how come No1 pay not is coming only after the hongkies people. You mean the hongkies chenghulan is better? Isit. I dunno. Because if you come last then how come can still get gold medal? Waah, this kind of job I also wan, lose also can win and when other win, I also can win when I do nothing.
Have you ever seen a general in command say and act when he has so many junior staff can speak and act on his behalf? So, in any circumstances, less flaw
would the general make.
In china the most cruel general is 曹宇, but even when his own soldiers are suffering he also get on his horse and show his face. When you dont show you face and sit down and keep quiet, you go and think lah where is the number 1? Got meh? I see so many old people like ghost like that in Hong lim park, some crying, some dont even know what happened. If it is so clear, then how come everyone is so blurr? That is number 1 meh?
I think this one is very pariah standard
We complain over the pay hikes given to Ministers. The real question we should in fact ask is: are Ministers being compensated enough for their job?
Consider the PM: he is in-charge of the welfare and interests of an entire nation. Why should he be paid less than a CEO?
Sometimes I wonder whether public servants are being paid too little, and CEOs and corporate hot-shots too much.
While we can argue that a true-blue public servant will not ask for a pay rise because he is serving the people,we need to ask who are the ones sanctioning the pay rise? If it is the ministers themselves, then maybe there is something wrong there. But if the people campaign for it, then I would find it acceptable.
But the quagmire of the situation is this: I don’t think politicians and civil servants are given enough recognition in the first place. While we may often criticise government policies, we tend to go overboard in our criticisms.
Maybe it’s time the people decide how much Minister should be paid.
Let me try to spin on behalf of the ruling party,
“It appears to the public that the PM is missing again but it is not his intention.
The PM is merely practising a hands off approach, call it delegation of duties to his ministers, allowing more hands on experience. This also allows PM to assess the performance of his ministers, relevant to promotions and bonuses.”
The truth to the PM missing again is linked to whether he has any leadership in the first place.
It is even more painful to know why and how he got there.
The person who puts him there has done a great disservice to the country.
It is not strange for them to avoid showing their faces when there is a storm coming, who will volunteer to get hit by criticism and ruin their reputation.
Of course, a capable leader will stand up, get hit by criticism AND solve the problem.
Anyway, they have lots of highly paid subordinates to ‘take the responsibility’, why would they need to show face.
I’ve worked as a temp in a government office before and I can say that the greatest skill that all civil servants have acquired is ‘pointing arrows’.
In the older days in atap house kampong, when there is a house fire breaks out. Some people believe they are helping when they:
1. Run and hide is the best way out.
2. Help by just shouting “Fire” “Fire” “Fire”
3. Some are getting pails of water to put out the fire
4. The brave one are already running into the house to help those trapped
Which type id our highly paid ministars? Shouldn’t the highest rank leader be leading by example most here now in all these episodes of fiasco?
I believe our PM was trained in the SAF leadership course before and in SAF there is a motto: “LEAD BY EXAMPLE”.
66) Kaomangai
- you forgot the professional thieves – they steal in brought daylights, in front of your noses!
PM has lost his mandate. He is to me a good time CEO and when times are bad he go and hide.
Whats left of Singapore? Every man for himself? The poor and needy turning to who for help?
All PAP ministers and majority of MPs are good for nothing as recently their performance sucks!. They are are seriously in need of polishing up their people skills and be diligent in their service to the people.
These leaders are not leading anymore, they are wayanging in public. Please Stop, we had enough of PEKING OPERA!
FG
You are not so much supporting those who bought the minibonds but using their plight as a convenient sapu-lily to beat Govt ministers over what you are afraid may be their impending salary rise. That is crafty and unworthy!
Also, as there is as yet no clear cut evidence on who did what to whom, should the PM join in the cacophony created at Hong Lim Park and every coffee shop and website? That will cheapen his words.
Precisely because he understands the issue far more thoroughly and clearly than most of those talking their heads off about the soured structured products that he should reserve judgment, not rush to untimely n rash judgement.
It doesn’t mean that the Govt isn’t doing anything, as is evident, but because Lehman is already bankrupt, it is no point running around like a headless chicken clucking away. Better that the Govt should work out a fair and equitable solution and use moral suasion to help the truly duped, if there are any.
As for your claim that “An estimated 10,000 investors are on the brink of losing all that they have saved and invested”, I think it’s a gross exaggeration. Indeed, the 10K investors may lose ALL that they have invested but it doesn’t mean that all of them have also lost ALL that they have saved.
Thank you!
80) Gemani – Thanks for the reminder. Ali Baba and his gang! How true!
77) Spin Doctor – I have posted the story below elsewhere but will re-post it here in response to your message.
Post Turtle
While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher, whose hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to one of the political candidates.
The old rancher said, “Well, ya know, that candidate is a ‘Post Turtle’”.
Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a ‘post turtle’ was.
The old rancher said, “When you’re driving down a country road you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a ‘post turtle’”.
The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor’s face so he continued to explain.
“You know he didn’t get up there by himself, he doesn’t belong up there, and he doesn’t know what to do while he’s up there, and you just wonder what kind of dummy put him up there to begin with”.
Terrance (#76):
“We complain over the pay hikes given to Ministers. The real question we should in fact ask is: are Ministers being compensated enough for their job?”
am i hearing things wrongly? do you think our ministers underpaid? if you think million dollars pay for managing a population of 4.5mil is too little, i think george bush and hu jing tao who manage an economy much bigger than the size of singapore and a population much bigger than singapore are earning peanuts.
or would you rather compare papayas to durians, using the salary of big company CEOs as a gauge? maybe you think the salary of china and US president should be increased too, if you’re going to compare their salary to microsoft CEO and CNOOC CEO.
and look at our ministers. many of them have multiple portfolios. some are even chairman of big companies, largely owned by temasek holding. please tell me that they’re not drawing pay from these large organisations, will you?
i do not have much complaints about the million dollars package of our ministers. but by increasing the salary when the economy is in recession tell me how much they care about our citizens..
You sure you want him to help? Everytime the guy says help, we pay…help ease road traffic=ERP….help poor/ordinary folks like us=raise GST. You should be glad he has kept quiet all the time….Might be thinking of a better “help” scheme for us to pay for…Oh dear…I shudder at the thought of that….Besides utilities rise when oil price drop…scandalous…20+% some more …wonder whether they are trying to suck up more money to fill holes elsewhere created by the economic meltdowns here and there. Anyway…stay happy everyone…don’t fret too much and spoil your day.
@Terence of #76 “Maybe it’s time the people decide how much Minister should be paid.”
I don’t think that’s VERY hard for the govt to decide!
When the salary raise happens, there will be another uproar not only against the government but also against employers.
I can name at least one company who has NEVER raised salaries for its managers who served more than 20 years of retail service. One of its managers left the company 2 years ago and is now the employer’s competitor and on the same floor of a shopping centre in Orchard Rd. The ex-employer was pissed but I have no pity for him nor his daughter (who is running the business) – the very same people who never bother to compensate me for my right hand injury during work.
If you are stingy, talents will run. Be over-generous and subordinates will take advantage and take you for a fool.
83) Kaomangai,
thanks for sharing the ‘post turtle’ story reflecting our present political setup. Singaporeans should share this story with the rest of the world and resident TOC cartoonist sei-ji can provide the masterpiece.
“Indonesian Wayang Kulit ” was mentioned sometime back by one netizen to illustrate our political setup. For the benefit of our readers, it is basically a puppet master behind the scene who selects the puppets for his show, pulling the strings and decides the direction of the story. The public does not interfere but watch the entertainment. For the moment we know which puppet is missing.
The early-days SAF Officers were trained by the Israelis and they were told this:
“Enemy in front, Charge!”
The later-days SAF Scholar Officers (especially the white horses) were trained by Singaporeans and they were told this:
“Enemy in front, Take Cover!”
82) auntielucia says:
“.
Well auntie, the people did not need him to come out and start giving them his magic formula for cure. all they wanted was to hear from him one or two reassuring words to convey that he is personally looking into the matter.
So what if he understand the issue? Does he understand the plight of the people especially the investors?
<”…It doesn’t mean that the Govt isn’t doing anything, as is evident…..”.
auntie, what is ‘evident’ ah?
TKL has to give personalised advices from his website, he has to personally go down to HLP to show the investors what avenue of recourse they have and to answer all sorts of queries from these investors. Where is the ‘evident’ during this stretch of time? The only ‘evident’ thing I can think of is MAS copy-catting HK’s every move to protect SG’s own interest.
auntie, you’ve been going to the community centre too often. bad girl!
Haha thanks gemami,
a good one on what is ‘evident’.
Evident is obvious, you can see it.
Don’t hide behind the closet and suddenly come out to give a grand speech.
A public servant should engage the citizens and follow up on what they are proposing instead of hiding behind the scene.
If not, any announcement made by the government would feel like a bombshell to everyone. Luckily, singaporeans don’t have a weak heart.
Terrance (#76):
“Sometimes I wonder whether public servants are being paid too little, and CEOs and corporate hot-shots too much. ”
There is NO basis of comparison. A public servant is, as the name suggests, a servant of the people. It is wrong to use the renumeration of CEOs as a benchmark for ministerial salaries. This because both groups pf people head entities with totally different purposes. Ministers are leaders of the government who are expected to execute the mandate given by the people,and, be accountable to the people who are ultimately their employers. Government is not merely managing public organisation and maintaining their efficacy; it is a social responsibility,an honour, a privilege. On the other hand, CEOs are just hired to make as much profits for their respective companies. The job usually doesn’t include expectations beyond that.
“But if the people campaign for it, then I would find it acceptable.”
Honestly, who would campaign for it during reccession time? It is irrational to do so when many of our fellow citizens (the lowly-skilled, the retirees, the students, even the ordinary man on the street) are having to watch our money carefully.
For Gemami
U wrote: The only ‘evident’ thing I can think of is MAS copy-catting HK’s every move to protect SG’s own interest”
So WHAT’s wrong with that? Surely SG interest shld come over n above everyone else’s or we wld have chaos as every section fights for its own interest.
Evident– See wot Maybank, HLF n DBS are doing? That must have been due to “moral suasion” of MAS.
In a time of high tension and global financial crisis, it’s better to work calmly behind the scenes, rather than incite one another to confrontations. Sure, those “leaders” will get a lot of media coverage n instantly gain high profile but imagine if the anger and panic shld infect many more than those immediately affected, like the minibonds in this instance. Then we cld have mass hysteria and every auntie n uncle wld be wanting to withdraw their investments. Is that what TKL n others like hime really want to see?
Lastly, fyi, re CCs. Never in my life been to one, thank you very much!
@ 92),
don’t talk cock lah !
TKL is more proactive than this govt and where is the mass hysteria ?
Not just TKL but nobody will want chaos. How can you even think that of TKL ?
You say Singapore’s interest should come over and above everyone else’s,
but ah pek here is not going to fall for this BS argument again and again when I can see this govt putting their own party interest first .
This govt copying others cannot claim to be worldclass lah ! except in pay only. Are our leaders working calmly behind the scene or shitting bricks ?
More likely they need time to regroup to come out with some Bullshit. They need to package it nicely so that it is more palatable lah.
Ah Pek and many elderly khakis have live long enough and do not wish to go to our graves as fools, swallowing BS all our lives lah.
@ 92),
I have no problem with it’s better to work calmly behind the scenes, between MAS and the banks. What is missing and disturbing is gov agencies working with and helping the affected investors. It is up to Mr Tan to do the organizing work to help the affected investors.
There is no organizing grassroots leaders to help them with the process but there was such grassroots effort to help the people to sign up for Growth Dividends etc.
There is no organized effort from CASE to help handling the complaints collectively.
The gov just wanted to make the individual elderly and less well-educated customers to face the banks that mis-sold the products to them in the first place. What kind of gov is that.
We have heard of how the banks handled these complaints, not really that responsive, at the first Speakers’ Corner gathering. If not for all these publicity in the past two weeks, we may be seeing this work calmly behind the scenes thing drag on for some more time to come.
92) auntielucia
auntie: are you from this planet or what? or have you just returned from Mars? Is the MSM that powerful that it even reaches Mars?
Everything is wrong about it! We’re not talking about not putting SG’s interest over the individual. We are talking about a bunch of people who publicly promoted themselves as being equal to the top 3% brains of the land and being paid they way they deemed fit to be paid. And, it is precisely this alienation that we have come to expect the best and only the best because they say they are the best! You must have read the numerous posts where Wisdom advises that leaders have to show leadership with wisdom and show it with a balanced view while providing solution to the problem at hand.
What is wrong to ask for a mere word of assurance from the leader of the land? We are not even asking for an immediate fix – something the PM is VERY good at when dealing with the opposition. We are asking that he show his face to ASSURE the people that the matter will be dealt with amicably for all parties’ interests.
auntie
It will be very sad that the PM’s show of face to assure Singaporeans would incite confrontation. You too believe in this. Woh!
auntie:
why don’t you go find out the answers yourself? Go to HLP this Saturday. I’m sure TKL will be there.
about the mass hysteria part:
did it not happened, so much so that SM and LHK had to show their faces in the end just to calm the crowd? did it have to reach this point? would it have reached this point if only the PM came out to assure the crowd, Sgs?
I’m surprised that you’ve not visited any CCs in your life. well; just to share something light with you since you’ve taken an interest to speak your mind. this is what we are here for. right?
well; i do vist the CCs – every Saturday evening to be exact. my son is taking taekwondo lessons there and he is a National taekwondo poomsae champion – and he is only 7.
The gahmen had never taken the citizens’ interest seriously.
They were pressurised to act because of what others (HK, Aust, Malaysia) had done.
Otherwise, foreigners will send their money away. I know, because my dad had.
I am sure he was not the only one who thought of it. His business associates were all buzzing over this.
Singapore is good for the rich, never the poor. My dad told me to always remember this. And forget about being Singaporean. It’s a joke.
I think auntie lucia meant well lah. Problem is, she is more passionate about food and knows where the best restaurants are than how the old and less educated get by in Singapore.
My mother who is 65 had bought some of these fixed deposits. She is still referring to them as ” fixed deposits” …. and believe me, that’s what she thought she had.
I am out of my wits trying to make her understand why she may be losing money. She thinks the bank is robbing her.
She scolds and cries, usually at the same time.
My brothers and sisters have decided to “compensate” her on behalf of the bank in the event nothing is refunded.
Aunty lucia won’t have this problem, I’m sure.
For us who have followed this saga from Day one, we are deeply disapppinted at how the DIV One government had performed and how regulators like MAS behaved like headless chickens the whole time.
No. 95) Gemami
“What is wrong to ask for a mere word of assurance from the leader of the land? We are not even asking for an immediate fix – something the PM is VERY good at when dealing with the opposition.”
Indeed, he had time to write unleash some last words to fix JB Jeyaratnam in the form of a condolence. This, from a world-class leader, a Prime Minister. His actions speak for himself, and I do not wish to say more lest some writers perceive it again as PAP-bashing.
lol Don’t even talk about CASE!
They only handle cases ‘from members who have paid annual membership fees’. CASE is NOT free! And even if you’re a CASE member, complaints against financial services and banks isn’t one of the things they handle. CASE handle complaints against supermarkets, furniture shops, etc They don’t handle complaints about online auction frauds, etc
We have no BBB (Better Business Bureau like the USA). BBB has the right to shut down ANY cheating firm. Singapore doesn’t have that kind of ‘armour’!
@Alex #91 —> Very well-said!
kelly: CASE handle complaints against supermarkets……….
well, except NTUC Co-op. . . . .both named defendants in Stansfield College suit against them as reported by ‘TODAY’.
” Stansfield is suing CASE for “inlawfully” suspending its two schools from a scheme that would allow them to take in foreign students. Stansfield’s suspension came after the two schools failed to buy insurance for 400 of their students. NTUC income is the only insurer endorsed by CASE for the scheme”.