From Channel NewsAsia:
PM Lee Hsien Loong:
“If MM (Minister Mentor) had his druthers when it comes to the COEs and ERP and so on, he would say, ‘forget about the ERP, just squeeze on the COEs; don’t let them buy cars; no cars, they can’t complain. Have the unhappiness once, done with it’.
“I say, ‘they all want cars, let them own the cars and we will put the gantry up; beep, beep, beep, they get angry, never mind. But at least they get the car’.”
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He wants to help the poor?
By allowing electricity tariff raised by over 21 percent when Hong Kong reduced their already lower electricity cost by another 3% to help Hongkongers cut living costs??
patriot
Father vs Son, who is wiser:
MM: Have the unhappiness once, done with it
PM: beep, beep, beep, they get angry, never mind
MM: just squeeze on the COEs
PM: they get the car (squeeze both COE & ERP)
MM: Wow son, thats a good idea (squeeze both COE & ERP)
PM: Of course, I learn that from Mr Mah.
MM: What else did you learn?
PM: Oh, I found out mee siam don have hum!
I was really worried when I saw the news that he was going to help the poor. Just hope that it is not same old trick of increasing the GST even further!
He should have listen to his dad to forget about the ERP but I guess the money is just too good!
patriot (#1):
our PM Lee did not mention that he’s gg to help the poor. he said let “them” own the cars. so who are these “them”?
if we look at our car statistics, the car population has definitely increased over the last 10 years, and price decreased.
http://www.lta.gov.sg/corp_info/doc/MVP01-7%20(MC%20by%20cc).pdf shows that singapore car population over the years.
http://www.lta.gov.sg/corp_info/index_corp_facts.htm has other statistics on COE prices, etc..
The reason people want cars is because of their neglect in the upgrading of service standards of the public transport coupled with the never ending fare increases.
But then again these elite people only see things from the other side of the coin.
sorry for the wrong link given. this should be the statistics of number of cars by cc from 1997 to 2007. http://www.lta.gov.sg/corp_info/doc/MVP01-5%20(Cars%20by%20cc).pdf
from the statistics, the increase of car population of 1600cc is 98%. make me wonder if our govt is more concerned with retaining the rich and expatriate to stay in singapore by making car affordable to them.
Straight from the horse’s mouth – he does not care even of you re angry! Can we teach this clown a lesson at the next GE? He’ll see whether to isten or not when we are angry.
talk rubbish again, never heard anywhere in the world where you drive on the same stretch of highway for less than a minute and you hit 2 ERP gantries in a roll, must as well put up 1 gantry each in every 10 mtr distance or better also put 1 up in each of every hdb carpark exit or even still beep beep beep when the car leaves the lot. If you want money, say so and don’t give all sorts of stupid excuses. And also, why all the gantries are still in operations on Satudays and up to 8pm where there are hardly any congestions whereby already most of the companies are already operating on a 5days week, even on weekends you also want to makan the ppl money, this is just plain robbery. Just pity those badly affected shopping centres which already facing bad recession and the garment have to kill them right and there still.
I was flabbergasted at the sneer and slam MM Lee and son PM Lee bombarded Singaporeans who want to own cars just like them, except that the average Singaporean who need to own cars have to cough out more from their hard-earned cash or tighten their belts to make ends meet.
Father and son have never gone through hardship of the small business man or woman who has to depend on their own transport to go about their businesses or parents who need to send their kids to school.
I couldn’t imagine seeing the offensive and dirty looks of both father and son on the internet and hitting out at the ordinary motorists’ complaints. It’s a pity that they have never worn the shoes of these ordinary citizens and those not godsent with millions of dollars paychecks like themselves.
Though they have riches thrust upon them and could jolly well own their own cars, yet they also use state cars to go about their business. How to build a more equal society? and this is the greatest joke of the Singapore Pledge. Aren’t the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer including the middle-income gowing exponentially to be squeezed dry too by unfair PAP policies.
must as well say the garment provide free cars to the citizens, mind you how much money the garment already made when you buy a car and you have to pay instalments for the next 7-10 years, you are allow to made such statement only if all the cars are provided by the garment for free to the citizens, so we all have the same mouths when comes to talking, the difference is you talk too much rubbish.
already squeesed so much blood from the citizens and yet can still slapped us on our face like no body business. Care to tell us how much you collected from each day from all the gantries? we would like to know.
that’s why he’s forever talking down to kiddo…no guts to take on any working adults!
why not ask him to arrange a day at HLP to have a face to face Q&A session with all those ordinary folks and see if can answer all the questions raised instead of hiding behind all these garment controlled medias, not surprising his dad will call in the entire army regiments there to protect him too.
so much of the sweet talks of helping the citizens during this reccession time when the gantries and the SP are working even harder for them, coupled by usual propaganding political issue against having a 2 systems garment to those alternative parties already in parliaments, what is he trying to hint here?
I supposed everyone has sang the national day songs before at least once in their lives? yes no? Well, lets assume everyone has (unless your primary education was one of another country), im sure you’re all familiar of this song, one people one nation one singapore. that has a phrase in the lyrics that goes, ” everyone one and every race, has its role and has its phrase…” That really has to count to something if you really think about it.
It’s definately about maintaining the status quo of the elite and the rest or the “haves” and “have-nots”. And certainly, that has been embeded deep into our sub-concious minds as true-blue singaporeans as only such people would feel immense joy in singing such songs…
His statement has clearly driven the point home. And i still dont get it…why did that reporter look ridiculously happy in reporting such a news when it is clearly a one that instigates anger?
He has sang his swansong. I know who I want to run Singapore.
Is it only me or do others get the feeling that all the cheng hu nang photos tend to be unflattering on this website? ;)
I’m not one to spring to the Govt’s defence easily, but I think on this issue we have to be fair. Either we restrict car growth or restrict car usage during peak hours. The alternative is endless jams. Besides, I’d rather they tax cars and use the money to improve public transport, since the latter benefits the working class, while the former mostly benefits the rich.
lol gerald your idea is a superb idea, but u forget that they will increase the fares for public transport irregardless of any surplus money they have collected. what is to be of the money, im sure you know…..
Either we restrict car growth or restrict car usage during peak hours.
Agree.
Just that PM Lee’s solving car ownership desire issue by creating traffic jam and then use ERP to solve it is really bad and silly idea.
#18
I’m prone to agree with you, but which of the 2 do you think will benefit those other the rich and the working class, who cannot afford both car COEs and ERPs like myself? Thanks in advance.
why should we be paying our govt so much for your ‘not-so-1st-class solution’?
we have been paying 1st-class pay to our beloved leaders that give us primary 6 solution…
if u can’t think of anything constructive to say…then pls keep your month shut….
pls don’t help us cos every time that results to px escalation…..most of us have more than p6 education…..we can help ourselves
go & eat your mee siam my hum….
18) Gerald Giam on November 2nd, 2008 10.35 pm
I’m not one to spring to the Govt’s defence easily, but I think on this issue we have to be fair. Either we restrict car growth or restrict car usage during peak hours. The alternative is endless jams. Besides, I’d rather they tax cars and use the money to improve public transport, since the latter benefits the working class, while the former mostly benefits the rich.
I do agree with your suggestion but I believe a better solution should be restricting the no. of cars travelling on the highways during peak hours by mean of using the alternate odd and even registration no. system of the motor vehicles. eg. odd no. cars can only travel during odd no. hours 7,9,11am and even no. cars can only travel during even no. hours 6,8,10am. this will definately cut down the jams by 1/2 but will the garment wants this system? i.e. less ERP collections for them? THINK!
““I say, ‘they all want cars, let them own the cars and we will put the gantry up; beep, beep, beep, they get angry, never mind. But at least they get the car’.””
Car owner,
the warning and hint has been sounded ! Watch out for more BEEP BEEP coming your way to where you live, right at your doorstep just like those in AMK, Bukit timah.
PM want you to BEEP your way to happiness and Prosperity.
MORE GOOD BEEPING YEARS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What I see is:
LKY’s policy is based on the principle of enforcing obedience
while LHL’s principle is the enforcement of consumption.
Well, vote him out if you are unable to support his policies anymore.
“I say, ‘they all want protest, let them protest and we will put the kangaroo court and police up; arrest, arrest, arrest, charge, charge, charge, charge, they get angry, never mind. But at least they get to protest’.”
““If MM (Minister Mentor) had his druthers when it comes to protest and so on, he would say, ‘forget about protest, just to hell with protest; don’t let them protest; no protest, they can’t complain. Have the unhappiness once, done with it’.
Daniel, Minor amendments if you dont mind:
“If MM (Minister Mentor) had his druthers when it comes to protest and so on, he would say, ‘forget about Speakers’ Corner, just bring in the ISA; don’t let them protest; no protest, they can’t complain. Have the unhappiness once, done with it’.
Does the superbly intelligent and incredulously clever audience here have any solutions to the problem at hand?
Almost everyone I know in Singapore loves cars and owns at least a car. Can our roads support so many cars? Something has to give right?
Eaststopper,
“Almost everyone I know in Singapore loves cars and owns at least a car. Can our roads support so many cars? Something has to give right?”
Okay, fine. Where the money collected gone to ? Can it be used to help the poor ? Not talking about the poor gahmen. Either way, things will not have become more frustrating if the monies collected will have help to reduce cost.
“Does the superbly intelligent and incredulously clever audience here have any solutions to the problem at hand?”
If indeed this is kind of PayAndPay solution they can think of , why should we even need to pay them so much in the first place to think up such solution ? Don’t we overpay them ?
“superbly intelligent and incredulously clever audience”
Who is the audience ? Isn’t the audience is our government who just sit back and enjoying the fruit of their super intelligent and clever PayAndPay scheme ? So what’s new ?
30) Eaststopper on November 3rd, 2008 6.13 am
Does the superbly intelligent and incredulously clever audience here have any solutions to the problem at hand?
First, creating traffic congestion to meet public car ownership desire is not acceptable.
Second, it is irresponsible and poor show of leadership to change policy for the sake of meeting public material desire and cause all sort of trouble with traffic jam like more pollution, impacting business operations.
There is no way to meet every individual’s desire to own cars. This is how the “helped” people to own cars: issuing more and more COE to drive down car ownership cost.
The more rational approach to make car ownership more affordable and possible for lower income individuals is:
1. Continue to keep the number of COE available at the level to control car population grow
2. Set aside a portion of COE, says 30%, for less wealthy income group who want to own cars.
Gov can consider setting income ceiling criteria for bidder of this group of COE.
This is just one way to help cut car ownership cost for some of the nation population who desired to own cars but found it difficult because of high COE price.
Hi folks,
wow, I am impressed by our leader’s bombastication, eg. ‘druthers’. Actually that means ‘if you have a choice’. These thesaurus are so amazing…
anyways, in a Democracy like singapore, are we not glad that
someone can determine your ability to own a car?
Given there are so many types of democracy,
I wonder does anyone here really know
is singapore an Authoritarian Democracy or Participative Democracy or what democracy???
As can be seen, I have no idea at all! you have is zit?
But what I believe is ,
the someone would know.
How can all say they clueless what type of democracy we living in? don’t know kind of democracy? hee heee….
18) Gerald Giam on November 2nd, 2008 10.35 pm I’m not one to spring to the Govt’s defence easily, but I think on this issue we have to be fair. Either we restrict car growth or restrict car usage during peak hours. The alternative is endless jams. Besides, I’d rather they tax cars and use the money to improve public transport, since the latter benefits the working class, while the former mostly benefits the rich.
———————————————————————————
*scratch scratch* eh??? Gerald Giam, you ……… give shocking replies….
*twilight zone music…..*
18) Gerald Giam
Why oh why must we always give comments only on the dictations of the govt?
Can we not think of other ways to reduce car population than to tax the car user?
Why can’t the govt give attractive cash rebates to public transport users so as to entice people to use public transport and to give up car ownerships?
Do you not think that most motorists will give up their vehicles if, say, the govt were to give public transport users a $100 rebate every month?
Why do we even need COE and ERP and what have you? Why can’t the govt give to solve an eternal problem instead of taking and never solving it?
our prince the prime minister is just 1 stupid greedy fool
just because he think he is a bloomin fool
he expect every peasants to be his royal jesters?
asked him
how on earth did he managed to travel the CTE and see a congested MRT train
in his teck ghee phuat constituncy?
and yet the bloomin 66% of angokios peasants who voted for him
was the first victims of the highest beep beep payers
both ways
going/incomings….
How do you solve the problem of congested roads? Tighten the immigration laws, control the population level to a comfortable one so all of us have room to enjoy & live life.
You don’t make your citizens uncomfortable by squeezing in lots of people to increase economy, & then increase the price of driving to “solve” the problem of traffic congestion. That’s as cheap as Wolverine’s 99-hit combo.
28) Daniel on November 3rd, 2008 1.32 am “I say, ‘they all want protest, let them protest and we will put the kangaroo court and police up; arrest, arrest, arrest, charge, charge, charge, charge, they get angry, never mind. But at least they get to protest’.”
Hmmmm……it might sound funny and we can laught about it —— but —— it is very real isn’t it?…….
I actually agree with Gerard.
Many people are literally rushing to car showrooms with the recent decrease in COE and oil price. As surely as the sun rises from the east, there will be too many cars on the road resulting in increase in ERP so that those who want to travel with ease pays. That, to me, is common sense. Any government will do that.
All these talk about helping the poor is – digressing. Totally irrelevant to the car topic we are talking about.
In addition, public transport has improved in Singapore.
hi guys, anybody notices nw if anyone still eligible and want to take HDB loan to buy a HDB flat, you need to declare whether you have any car loan…..hahaha another PAP policy trying to make things TO HELP THE CITIZEN!!!
“All these talk about helping the poor is – digressing. Totally irrelevant to the car topic we are talking about.”
What is not relevant ? What is the reason that money is used to solve the problem ? The very fact that profit that goes into ERP and COE and stuff endup into who’s know where pocket. Used the money generated to help back Singaporean and you will find that government can be lot more creative solving the problem. If this government only think how to take money, and know that this money is for them to keep, do you think that they can generate more feasible ideas ? Look at some of the comments here that generate very good solution but is the gov ready to forego some profit for feasible solution ? Don’t just blame the car owners or whatever, blame on the government’s national policies of penalising and taxing. It is the government that allows materialism happen to increase consumer spending to increase GDP , doesn’t it ? Then why blame the consumer ? Isn’t MSM the one that control by the government that shows latest trend, latest product, give half-truth, give more good years….
Higher taxes for those household who has 2nd cars onwards. Those who has more cars are rich enough to pay higher taxes, less tax for those who owns 1 car only.
I believe the higher taxes should be able to offset any ERP increases planned by LTA.
43) Daniel on November 3rd, 2008 2.19 pm “All these talk about helping the poor is – digressing. Totally irrelevant to the car topic we are talking about.”
Do you know that the tax on cars and ERP collection is one of the biggest blood sucking machines created by our pay and pay leaders, you people will be too shock to know what is the daily collection is like, and in return they put the blame onto us citizens owning cars.
this evenning while attempting to renter into becoolen street @ 6.15pm
shocked of a lifetime
$1.50 erp charges
friends asked me
didn’t know you owned a car
i replied what car?
a blooming motorsikal just for transport barangs barangs on an adhoc job…
my adhoc job is only $5
and our prince the prime minister takes a cut of $1.50 doing nothing?
so what is my balance
after paying for a parking coupons as well
petrol ley?
enough leftover for 1 dinner meal or not?