Xtra-insights is a new TOC column by Rachel Chung which will feature fortnightly on Thursday. In this debut article, Rachel writes about her recent participation in a dialogue session with the NTUC Chief, Minister Lim Swee Say.
Rachel Chung / Columnist
I found it hauntingly apt that JB Jeyaretnam said this in July earlier this year -
Cast off the slumber into which you have been led into for the last 10 years. Wake up to your rights as a human being, to your proper role as citizens of this country.
It was right about this time when I became politically and socially vocal again. I would like to say that Mr Jeyaretnam played a part in my citizenship exploration. As such, I would like to dedicate my first article in my TOC column, Xtra-insights, to Mr Jeyaretnam and his family.
Recently, I had an opportunity to meet and speak with Minister Lim Swee Say in a dialogue session. As I am neither pro or anti PAP, I can honestly say that there is nothing to dislike about him as he seems affable and modest enough – save for the million-dollar salary and the usual partisan pokes. As a minister, he comes across as being more approachable and genuine than his peers. The feedback from my conversations with my fellow dialogue participants is that he seems more sincere and honest than the likes of Wong Kan Seng or Mah Bow Tan.
I have tried to reproduce his words (in bold font) at the dialogue session as closely as possible in this article – to echo his ability to talk to people from all walks of life. He seldom uses big words and in fact, speaks simply to get his points across.
Background about Minister Lim Swee Say
Mr Lim Swee Say entered politics and joined the labour movement in 1996 to help the rank and file workers upgrade and remain employable. He served as Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) from 1997 to 1999 before he was appointed Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology and Minister of State for Trade and Industry in June 1999. He became Acting Minister for the Environment in October 2000 and Minister for the Environment in November 2001. In August 2004, Mr Lim was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for National Development and served concurrently as Deputy Secretary-General of the NTUC. He relinquished the appointment of Second Minister for National Development on 1 October 2005 to serve full time in the labour movement. From January 2007, MrLim serves as the Secretary-General of the NTUC.
On Country
Mr Lim said :
China has Deng Xiao Ping, Singapore has Lee Kuan Yew and that’s why we have been growing as a nation.
I felt slightly perturbed by the analogy. Here’s why.
- While Deng had never held office as the head of state, Premier or a head position in government (he was the General Secretary of the Communist Party), he was the de facto leader of China from 1978 to 1992. However, even after his retirement in 1992, he was widely regarded as having had “backroom control” of the government.
- Deng kept an iron fist ready to crush any threats to the nation’s Communist dictatorship. Deng orchestrated 北京之春 (Beijing Spring) – a short-lived political liberalization in the People’s Republic of China which occurred in 1977 and 1978. (The name is derived from “Prague Spring”, an political liberalization which occurred in Czechoslovakia in 5 Jan – 21 Aug 1968.)
- Deng is known for his political stronghold tactics – one example being the brutal suppression of unarmed demonstrators in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in June 1989.
In comparing the Minister Mentor of Singapore to a communistic de facto leader of China who ruled with an iron fist, what was Mr Lim’s underlying message?
On Life
Life is a total package – you cannot have the best of both worlds. There are always trade offs. Everything in life is neutral – anything can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it.
Mr Lim then went on to illustrate the issues of foreign talent and the integrated resorts” as examples of how they can be viewed as “good” or “bad” depending on “the angle you look at things”.
I am generally wary of the play on semantics, especially when it comes from someone who seems extremely affable and likable. The likelihood of being lured into a false sense of security and agreement is sadly and frequently real.
A grassroots helper in her 40s once said to me, “Mr Lim is a 好好先生. He won’t lie to us. If he says that CPF cut will help us, it must be true.”
Policies
The Government, in drafting policies, have to consider if it will have good or bad results in the future. Will it be sustainable? Any government can do right today. How about 5 – 10 years down the road? We have to look at the long term perspective.
With that, we will have to question the “Stop at 2″ initiative to curb birth rates in the 70s, which has led to the bleeding population rate today.
We also have to query the long term implication of a short term stop-gap solution of importing foreign talent. While we are suffering from a frail replacement ratio here, with the sudden influx of adults presently, will it not lead to the problem of a predominantly ageing population in 20 – 30 years’ time?
The introduction of integrated resorts might signal economic gains but what of the social impact? We cannot be compared with the likes of Macau simply because Macau does not have the reputation of being a nanny state and babying its people. Are we as a people sophisticated enough to handle the problems the gambling industry will bring?
Gambling addiction, loansharking and family degeneration aside, what about the sex trade? How is the government going to handle the problem of increasing sex escorts and workers drawn to our shores because of big money? Do the CDCs have subsidies in place to help the family members of a gambling addict or a debt-ridden family?
I have many questions but no answers.
The connection between the Labour movement and the government
The companies and businesses have to trust the government. There can be no trust without consistency. Imagine if the government says one thing today and another the next? How can investors trust in such a government?There has to be a Tripartite relationship between the government, the union and the businesses.
My question to Mr Lim is: So where does the People stand in such a tripartite relationship? How is it that a so-called tripartite relationship is missing the most important component – the people?
Questions put forth to Minister Lim Swee Say
In an interview with CNA’s S Ramesh, Mr Lim said,
The worse thing that any country does at a time of high inflation would be for the unions and workers to push for wage inflation. Wage inflation is different from wage increment. Wage inflation means you are pushing up wages to fully offset the inflation.
Using the above as a reference, I asked Mr Lim:
While we, as citizens, help the lower income group by volunteering and social enterprise, how does the government plan to reach out to the lower income group?
Also, I brought up the issue of socio-political bloggers and asked:
What is the official stand of the government towards bloggers?
He reply to me was:
You ask me, I ask who?
He went on to say:
Find your own answers.
How I am to find the answers to my questions, which basically required the information from the horse’s mouth, I do not know. It is almost like a vicious cycle, a Catch-22 to which we can find no concrete tangible answers.
Once again, I have many questions but I get no answers.
He ended the session with the sharing of a quote that had impacted his life -
People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
Perhaps the real question I should have asked Mr Lim was:
“How much do you care? How much does the government care?”
——–
About the author:
Rachel is a freelance writer who also owns a fashion business. A mother of two daughters, she is passionate about issues pertaining to parenting, children’s rights, feminism, health and lifestyle. Her hobbies include baking, reading, writing, playing the piano and watching crime shows. Rachel writes about social and political issues at her blog, covers fashion and lifestyle articles at another site and of course, writes a fortnightly column for TOC. She has a strong academic background in English and English Literature and is currently reading a double majors program at honors level.
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Lim SS: You ask me, I ask who? Find your own answers.
Very simple answer by a multi-millionaire minister. But i still like his hairstyle…looks trendy, though he’s talking simple things.
On country:
The comparison between LKY and DXP blows me away. Is LKY going to sue him for insinuating that he is communist?
On life:
Now we know his philosophy in life is to ‘hear only the good stuff’. One wonders how he managed to pass the screening process of the party that prides itself on ‘people’s action’.
On policies / marriage of labour movement & govt:
Whether pap looks at a policy 5yrs, 10yrs, 20yrs down the road does not matter. The motive is still the same, which is, ‘to build a goldmine like no other’.
“You ask me I ask who? Find your own answers”.
Nitizens and citizens of Singapore – have you found the answer yet?
PAP people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you DARE!.
You’d think after paying a million dollars, and being in a direct dialogue session with him, you’ll get more answers?
Hmmm maybe answers but definitely not better answers, or answer you have hoped for.
It’s a very prominent tactic that LKY uses – give vague one-liner answers to questions he doesn’t like or bring in a whole barrage of ‘look at the bigger picture’ answer. If it fails, bring in the ‘look what has been achieved’ answer and what history had done to Singapore.
If that fails, then defamation and ISA may deter you from finding out more.
That’s why i no longer bother to watch Parliamentary debates, if it was a debate to ever begin with. Look at Obama and McCain’s debate. Look at John Howard and Kevin Rudd’s debate. See how they answer. Fist for fist, no holds barred, debate and putting forth your policies and whatever political category, eg environment, budget, steering the nation into the next 5 years. Allow the whole nation to see who you are and vote you in.
Let the people decide. Not ‘I tell you, you swallow’. If not, you better don’t interview me coz I don’t have time for the likes of your questionings.
I believe someone here in TOC did mention about wasting his time to going to see his MP and being invited for dialogue sessions. So structured and predictable.
Then when opposition party raise questions about oil hikes, a particular minister shot back with: What can the opposition do to bring the oil price down?
Win liao lor. As if he already got answer to bring price down…
Chuckling,
Kaffein
I find it hard to admire a “labour” leader whose only solution is: Working Longer Hours for Less Pay!!!
Lim SS was more sincere and caring when he just joined the cabinet few years ago. But now he has been brianwashed by PAP culture: always speak through nose.
jim (#1):
tomorrow, we go that ah neh barber for $9 haircut, $1 cheaper than the other saloon.. haha..
gemami (#2):
“You ask me I ask who? Find your own answers”.
that is one of the way the politicians avoid questions they do not want to answer. other pap politicians have similar ways of response. i suspect these politicians have been advised on various ways to avoid questions.
ronin( #3):
would your provide reference for the above comment. it would strengthen your stand..
sadman (#4):
would you elaborate more? probably with some background info on Lim SS?
Sadman, it’s not brainwashed – it’s the taste of power!
LKY was sincere in wanting to help the poor. He wanted Singapore to be successful and the people were uppermost in his mind in the early days. Once power was tasted and later enshrined things changed, focus changed, priorities change. People’s action became ‘action people’ and it works as a double-edge sword.
Action people – the elite – full of action, no quality.
Action people – the poor – people called into action to work for the elite till you die,
the samsui women were the first guinea pigs.
gemami (#6):
problems arise when the parliament is occupied by a main party for too long.
Indeed, blade.
Remember what LKY said about Burma some years ago?
“No government should be in power for more than 20 years” and he went on to give reasons like such a govenment would begin to entertain thoughts of clinging on to power and to make laws that would keep them entrenched etc. He went further to say that such a government would lose the mandate to govern because of these restrictive laws.
“Life is a total package – you cannot have the best of both worlds.”
What a lie ! It depends on who it applies to. Our elite gahmen can have million dollars salary and perk pegged to the private world (isn’t they peg compar to top ten earners ?) but yet have none of the risk, accountability and responsbility of the private earners ! No investigation for wrong-doing, only cover-up and move-on, and so much better than private !. Serious offence like Mas Selamat endup in guard dismissal, totally nothing to do with top management, trying doing that in private sector !
So u see, these gahmen have the best of both worlds .
How about Temasek Holding ? The best of both world. Use tax-money yet government says they have no control over decision and investment of Temasek Holding, and yet profit goes into WHOSE pocket ? State owned and government business companies,aka Singapore INc yet behaving like private entity in term of profit. When things goes wrong, just says it is government company , security confidential information that when reveal breach country security, and when earn surplus profit says that they deserves .
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. Trying beating that.
So who says you can’t have best of both world ? It depends on who you are.
WOW..cool…
let see tat party can maintain how long..
i love this part,
No government should be in power for more than 20 years..
a govenment would begin to entertain thoughts of clinging on to power and to make laws that would keep them entrenched ..
such a government would lose the mandate to govern because of these restrictive laws….
i could see tat this minister will fail his oral..
asking Q does not answer de…
genius pp,,i really can see…
pap V workhard lo….NOW I REALLY REALLY CAN SEE..
WORKHARD IN,,SALARY INCREASE…
hai…poor singaporeans..
who will rule singapore in future..??
WP pap SDP still got one,but i forgot..
hahas…
i want to open a party..call what name..
hmmmm….
*SP* stand for singaporeans party.. or singapore citizen party,,SCP
hahas…joke only…but do this name better than rulling GOV??
i wonder…:)
“You ask me, I ask who? Find your own answers.”
What a new answer. Better than Mee Siam Mai Hum.
Can be applied in so many situation.
Where’s Mas Selamat ?
“You ask me, I ask who? Find your own answers.”
What happen to our reserve and CPF, and lost investment ?
“You ask me, I ask who? Find your own answers.”
Are you a S-hole ?
“You ask me, I ask who? Find your own answers.”
Are you really LSS ?
“You ask me, I ask who? Find your own answers.”
Wow I know how to answer.
hahas,,,
cool…
I can imagine what my interview with LSS will be liked.
How is the situation of Singapore be like in 2011 ?
L: “You ask me, I ask who? Find your own answers.”
Do you think you deserve million dollar salary ?
L: This I can definitely give you my answer. You just have to trust the government.
ME: How’s the Fart you deserve such obscene salary ?
L: Huh ? What did you say ?
ME: “You ask me, I ask who? Find your own answers.”
All these years, the govt has been telling us the country’s most valuable asset are its people. But what does it do to this ‘most valuable asset”? Answer: tax it to death, make it pay for its own healthcare and retirement needs, ask its ethnic components to turn to their own community for support, supress wages with FT imports, muzzle its voice, force tompang non-elected MPs on it m ,make every public service self-funding ….
Rachel, please ask him the same question at the next ge.
Let’s try out the approach.
PAP rally, 1st class stage, 1st class lighting, 1st class sound system, group of elite speakers, LSS included.
Midway through his speach, Rachel stands up!
Loudhailer in her hands, she shouts! “Swee Suay! Swee Suay! Swee Suay!”.
The crowd follows: “Swee Suay! Swee Suay!”
He waves his hands like a royalty, smiles and takes a bow.
Rachel continues: “Remember me or not, Swee Suay?”.
Swee Suay is taken aback! The crowd goes into complete silence. Before the police could react, Rachel continues . . .
I ask you what your govt stand is on bloggers, how did you answer me?
Swee Suay couldn’t remember, still dumbfounded, Rachel continues . . .
You said: “You ask me I ask who? Find your own answers!”.
Rachel turns and run away. Rachel supporters block off chasing running dogs. Supporters escort her to safety.
PAP loses election.
Rachel becomes national hero of Singapore.
Congratulations Rachel,
You have written an excellent debut article. Keep up the good work!
You said you are neither pro- nor anti-PAP. That’s good. You can be more objective that way.
Just a few points:
(1) I think he is justified to draw a parallel between Deng and MM because their political philosophies determine the ideological and social foundations of their respective countries using strong-arm tactics.
(2) His philosophy of life is a version of perspectivism, so we can safely say that he does not believe in absolutes.
(3) His positive appraisal of Govt policies is somewhat inaccurate but understandable given his position.
(4) His continued belief in the tripartite relationship between the Govt, the unions and businesses betrays his lack of realisation that such an arrangement undermines the very reason for the existence of unions.
(5) The method he chose to evade your questions leaves much to be desired.
So, to answer the question in the title of your article: How much does the Govt care? I can surmise that the Govt does care about our country in their own way, but care rather less about what alternative voices have to say about it.
“China has Deng Xiao Ping, Singapore has Lee Kuan Yew and that’s why we have been growing as a nation.”
On this point, he is quite forthright on his thought and this really came out from the horse’s mouth. Some freudian slip ? Well, a lot of people are thinking the same also.
As to how the ‘growing’ part is being spread around, I think they know the mathematics better.
Since they so lovingly embrace the need for foreigners here, they should also talk more to foreigners on how they feel about Singapore, à la undercover. Orelse, they will tell them what they want to hear with that kind of difficult-to-hide fake smile.
“You ask me, I ask who? Find your own answers.”
Is this some new riddle. Do not tell me that they are now indulging into this kind of hocus-pocus stuff.
“Wage inflation is different from wage increment. Wage inflation means you are pushing up wages to fully offset the inflation.”
So let us not be so heartless and let us not make it too difficult for them. Let us not ask for WAGE INFLATION, let us change it and make it more easier for them to accept, let us ask for WAGE INCREMENT instead.
“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Are they trying to tell us that they have changed their criteria for admitting civil servants either at junior or senior level.
People who really care will work hard for less or no pay at all, just like volunteers. Maybe he is hinting to us that their compensation package is relatively on par at the level of those volunteers.
singapore has no triptatite to begin with. A workers union that basically does what the govt want. how can a worker union be run a member from the ruling party.
worker union should be and shall be independant from all political party activities.
if we cant have a good year today, why worry about 5-10yrs later? 10yrs later the ruling regime might not be here afterall to be accountable for.
to me they are running singapore like a pte ltd. minister are like managers, they hve no shareholders to be accountable for, just accountable to their own salary package,inventives, please their boss and members of it own party.
Tripartite? More like Bi-partite.
1. The gahmen represent the people who are also the workers because it’s democratically elected. LSS is part of this gahmen.
2. The so-called union represents the workers who are also the people who voted in this gahmen. LSS is part of the union.
So when the gahmen is in the union and the union is ‘over-see’ by gahmen ministers, you want me to consider that 2 separate entities? That’s the greatest joke I’ve ever heard. Here’s an analogy:
When I quarrel with Mr and Mrs Lim SS, it’s always to me a 2-way quarrel because I take the Lim family as ONE, and not deal with its separate parts.
But I guess to them that’s a Tripartite argument. Riiiiiiight!
On top of that… the NTUC owns a building down at Shenton Way next to ORQ (One Raffles Quay). The NTUC also runs a cooperative supermart. The NTUC is a landlord, an employer AND the collective of trade unions. Somewhere, somehow, I am under the impression that some of those functions constitutes a conflict of interest.
teat
Sorry, I had to post under ttt@ttt.com
as when I submit my post as isa@isa.com,
it was noted as UNDER MODERATION.
Don’t know why..
Maybe my perspective is not what they liked.
So it’s like mass media here… they also liked to censore comments that are not to their views.
Do remember this is the writer’s opinion of how she perceives the answers from the Minister. It is quite a bias view to discount whatever is being said or to put words into the horse mouth.
On Country
When he mentioned the 2 nation leaders. He might be saying if I may construed from his mentality. – “China is fast becoming an economic powerhouse today because Deng Xiao Peng started the road to capitalism which was further promoted by Jiang Zhe Ming. The same thing happened in Singapore with Lee Kuan Yew paving the path for SINGAPORE to transform from 3rd world to Developed nation”.
His intention might not have any references or meaning of the method of governance or ironhand control. But Rachael perceived it that way. Putting words into the horse mouth.
The connection between the Labour movement and the government
“The companies and businesses have to trust the government. There can be no trust without consistency. Imagine if the government says one thing today and another the next? How can investors trust in such a government?There has to be a Tripartite relationship between the government, the union and the businesses.”
Again, the question was rather specific on connection between LABOUR MOVEMENT and GOVT.
So, it was appropriate for him to mention the tripartite. For Rachael query on what about the people, it would be more appropriate if the question was about GOVT and responsibility towards its citizen.
Big deal lah. Keep on changing your name and email lah. No one is going to hang you in cyberspace. Unlike in the real world where they will ‘shooooot’ you for false identity or impersonation. Make such a big fuss here.
You are so suspicious lah. Maybe it takes one to know one.
Posts go missing. Normal lah. You think you only one experiencing it. Keep on writing lah.
Policies
“The Government, in drafting policies, have to consider if it will have good or bad results in the future. Will it be sustainable? Any government can do right today. How about 5 – 10 years down the road? We have to look at the long term perspective.”
He is correct in saying that. But Racheal took the effort again to discredit him by pointing out policies that failed. Have racheal considered all the policies that have succeeded? Have rachael considered that would singapore reached a developed nation status without having more RIGHT policies than WRONG policies.
NOte.. apologies to editor.. I believed your moderation is set because my comments are too lengthy.
“China has Deng Xiao Ping, Singapore has Lee Kuan Yew and that’s why we have been growing as a nation, NTUC has Lim Suay Suay.”
Nicely written Rachel
isa, your views, or how you would like us to believe is the actual view of LSS – is exactly what the msm usually does for the pap. When caught out, it’s machinery would jump in to their defence and to explain it in confusing jargons and strange languages.
as a minister, by choosing to answer half the question he cannot but allowi his answer for oen interpretations. the normal thing for one in his position is to give the answer as a whole complete with full explanation to what he means.
“China has Deng Xiao Ping, Singapore has Lee Kuan Yew and that’s why we have been growing as a nation”.
how else could one explain such a statement?
on policies: his tripartite arrangement is totally wrong. how can it be right when it does not include the people? how would you make plans for 5yrs, 10yrs when the people are left out.
‘adolf hitler’ made a good point: this place is no longer being run like a home for its citizens. it is more like business, where wheelings and dealings are the order of the day. . . without due consideration for its people.
Dear isa,
You are not under moderation. However, if you have url links in your comments, the comment may automatically be put under the moderation queue. This is to prevent spam.
Length of comments is also not moderated. There have been very lengthy comments posted on TOC.
Regards,
Andrew Loh
Minister Lim Swee Say and I read John Maxwell leadership books. Amazing.
Quote That Impacted Minister Lim Swee Say Life:
“People don’t care how much you know–until they know how much you care.”
–John C. Maxwell
More of John Maxwell quotations.
“A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position”
- John Maxwell
“Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
- – John Maxwell
“Leadership is influence.”
– John Maxwell
“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten” — John Maxwell
“He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk”
– John Maxwell
Not happy about this garmen?? vote them out loh. wish more drop dead loh. more get cancer loh. so simple. talk so much for fark.
Oh, our garhman do “care”. They care for their salaries!
Wow, I din know Ah Lim joined labur movement last time wor. Sound so bombastic wor. labur movement wor. What is that?
Thanks Rachel, Singapore needs you!
Rare voice for some people like me :)
kudos and keep on writing!
We support you!
GOD… I hope this forum don’t just attract anti-PAPs who can see the light at the end of the tunnel even if it’s infront of them.
Blade, No point go back to the past. You just observe Lim SS’s speeches and actions yourself.
Another minister to watch is Health Minister Koh BW, his buddahood nature is diminishing and his greed is growing.
Gemami : well said! Thanks.
maybe it serves to identify them and then …
“GOD… I hope this forum don’t just attract anti-PAPs who can see the light at the end of the tunnel even if it’s infront of them.”
The same can be said
“GOD … I hope this forum don’t just attract PAP-moles who are paid to turn black into white, and white into black”
what to say…
have a bit of good new..
PAP took V V V fast action.
by slow down oil $ A A BIT BIT..
hai…but still UNFAIR PRICE…
singpore need all singaporeans to vote,and choose a more good good gov..for the GOOD future in sing.
I AM BACK!!!
The answer: I DOUBT VERY MUCH!
Many charities are helping poor students, NOT the government. HDB did nothing for Single Unwedded mothers (either by choice or circumstances) And i can quote from my own personal experience that a child who we physically and emotionally took under our wings was in fact considered under the legal custody of a parent who attempted to strangle him.
I quote: The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 – SI No 2006/1031 – came into force on 1 October 2006 to protect employees from being dismissed unfairly by reason of their age. The Age Regulations make it unlawful to discriminate against employees, job seekers and trainees because of their age – both old and young. The protection covers direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimization. Employers and employees alike must familiarise themselves with these far reaching changes.
I can name at least a few companies that have flouted this very law. But is anything being done for employers who discriminate?
It’s one thing to say that you need someone who speaks Mandarin and wuite another to say I don’t want to employ a non-Chinese.
An experience with an prospective employer when she was 31. 4 pages filled although she sent in my resume, the interviewer asked questions that were already provided in the resume. okie…that’s fine.
The interviewer was on page 3 when she asked for her age, and she flipped the form back to page 1 where my friend’s age was. Oh so sorry we don’t hire anyone above 29. WTF
If you think that you’re gonna be promoted or you’ll get a better job because you took up some customer service cert from WDA, think again.
Beat the ‘bad times’ by:
1. being prepared for recession (it has started in the USA already)
2. not depending on government!
My autoblog sent some info to my blog while I was away. Read it if you want to know the real reason for “poverty”.
Defending our rights? How to unless we come as a group to protest in ways we know we’ll be heard and that actions will be taken?
P.S. And new labour laws didn’t kick in to protect managers of shops and art galleries (hurt while working) till April 2008. There was NO PROTECTION FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME. They told me only maids and construction workers are covered.
Pissed? Yeah….time to get even and the only way to do so if you don’t want to be involved too politically is to GET RICH!
Getting off the microphone now. Thanks for listening to my rants!
Lim Swee Say appearing more sincere than Wong Kan Seng and Mah Bow Tan cannot be a flattering comparison. Both are at the bottom of the barrel.
Can a person who wears 2 or 3 hats actually represent ordinary workers’ interest ? How do one reconcile such serious conflict of interests ?
Only a hypocrite of such magnitude can undertake such a task. The tripartite arrangement is just a govt con job ! and so are many arrangements that involves this govt.
The PAP will go down in history as the most successful political party that pulled off the most number of con jobs. The evidence is in the people, more than 66 % falling for it, line, hook and sinker.
to the congregation of the PAP religion who worships and defends the righteousness of the PAP priests and their teachings i have this to say:
you may think the world of pap and its ways.
you may think the pap high priests are honest and holy.
you may even think the pap clergy is infallable!
alas, these are just thoughts and perceptions.
we will only KNOW when its power is weakened.
we will only KNOW when the pap gets audited.
we will only KNOW when we are able to scrutinise them from the inside.
surely, we will be able to find the same faults it has accused its opponents of.
like LSS said: ” things can be viewed as “good” or “bad” depending on “the angle you look at things”.
I think Lim Swee Say cares..
In fact, I bet right now he is getting his scholar assistants to draft proposals to the cabinet on how much percentage point of CPF cuts we should make to ride through this coming recession amidst a golden era promised by LKY.
“You cannot have the best of both worlds” – this is a LIE. In Singapore you can, depending on who you are, and Lim Swee Say and the other “elites” do have the best of every world. Consider this – top pay without responsibility and accountability, undemanding job scope (just look at the no. of cabinet ministers, MPs, mayors, senior civil servants, stat boards, etc needed to govern this tiny red dot of cowed and compliant citizens), indestructible rice bowl, first class medical benefits for life, and to top it all, on reaching 55 years receive a humongous monthly pension for life. If this is not the best of every world, I don’t know what is!
“There has to be a Tripartite relationship between the government, the union and the businesses.” – this is another LIE. It is nothing more than a self-serving tool to control and take power away from the workers.
“The worse thing that any country does at a time of high inflation would be for the unions and workers to push for wage inflation.” I would like to ask Mr Lim these questions: Why did the Ministers and senior civil servants increase their already huge salaries by another huge amount just before this time of high inflation? And now that Singapore is in recession and salary cuts and job losses are imminent, will the Ministers and senior civil servants lead by example and cut their own pay by a meaningful amount?
“You ask me, I ask who? Find your own answers.” – This is surely world-class and uniquely Singapore!!! On par with “What to do? It’s happened”. And to think that we’ve been and are still paying him/them MILLIONS of $ every year! What a HUGE amount of money down the drain! Money that could have been put to better use helping the retrenched workers and the 70+ year olds who still have to slog 10-hour days so that they have food.
So does Mr Lim and the government care? I don’t think anyone need to think very hard to know the answer.
You ask me
I ask who
Best you ask
Lee Kuan Yew
you ask me?
I ask who?
I handed over to you-know-who,
you-know-who handed over to my Loo . .(ng).
I must say the gahmen do ‘show’ care, they have regular meet the resident sessions. But doe that show their care when recession comes? We have entered technical recession and inflation had kicked in. Yet more statutory board or GLC are raising charges to add salt to inflation and recession.
Come oil price fell, yet pump price does not fall fast enough, not to mention electricity tariff. Electricity and land-line phone charges were raised due to oil price, now crude oil price fell, will the price hike gets denied by the gahmen?
If the gahmen wants to show care, bring down the electricity charges, public transport fare and other public service charges.
Not every citizen is a share holder of these GLCs listed on SGX. We don’t get as much dividend and bonuses as those share holders. So don’t just show your care to the “share holders”, show more to us who are the end of line consumers.
All these years, the govt has been telling us the country’s most valuable asset are its people. – TuLan (#15)
As demonstrated by the recent rejection of Jurong GRC By-election, the country´s most valuable assets are indeed its people, with ¨it¨ referring to PAP. A poll was carried out to see if the Jurong residents wanted a by-election and the answer is yes, but PAP rejected By-election, so that 4 ministers will remain in power.
(4) His continued belief in the tripartite relationship between the Govt, the unions and businesses betrays his lack of realisation that such an arrangement undermines the very reason for the existence of unions. – smallvoice585
Finally, I see there are points that we agree with each other.