If Mdm Lim takes no glory collecting the $330, do ministers take glory in collecting their millions?
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Why CPF not cut ?
Can they disclose where and how will the $600 mil be spent to help companies over in this SINGAPORE RECESSION ? Can we have clarity on how much of these $600 mil is finally spent? How are PMETs helped in a concrete way , measurable way ?
why budget pushed forward from Feb to Jan 2009 ? What could be the reason?
Very heartening article written by Feed Me To The Fish. One silver lining of this whole episode (including previous one) is the genie is finally being release from the bottle and that there are so many can of worms. dirty laundry and closet skeletons being uncovered as each day unfold. I believe there are more to come. LTA, URA, HDB, CPF what else? I recalled MM once said citizenry have no sense of proportion of money (referring to the additional 46 million to fund the ministers pay hike over the billions “claimed” to have made). Anyone remember this episode? Then I would say to this bunch of TC civil servant and those MPs running it, they have no sense of the proportion of the Investment Risk and the magnitude of the problem.
It suddenly dawn on me that Christmas is just around the corner. Contemplating what Christmas gift exchange to purchase this year, it would be good to send these Ministers, TC civil servants a full length mirror. As the expression goes: Mirror is a true friend of man. I just wonder what they see into them.
2009 is just around the corner too. What would your New Year Resolution be dear Ministers and TC civil servants? Might I ask too, what would you write in your diary when you reflect what you have achieved in the year 2008? I cannot help but have to repeat this time and again: Remember folks, you were voted in by the people. You have taken your sacred pledge to serve the people and the nation. Show us all that you all have live to your pledges. You can hide behind the iron curtains, but you cannot hide from the conscience light. Remember this too, Nothing is perpetual. Even Emperor Qing met his day.
Oh…I forgot to clarify, the Christmas gift exchange thingy? I meant to say, use some of the sinking “blood and sweat” funds contributed by the hard working, disciplined citizenry to purchase the full body length mirror for each one of you please. I believe we citizenry can confer you the rights to do so without the need for you to be transparent and be accountable for this. Just our merry wishes to you.
Actually lets not make this into a anti-gov thread….. For this poor lady, she has 8 daughter and one son and they don’t even visit her ….
Give me a break….. how can these people be so heartless…that is your mother for god’s sake. If each of these people contribute even $100 monthly..she will have $900 to live comfortably…but no, they chose to lose touch with her.
Its no good when people complain that gov is heartless then they themselves treat their parents like this…..
2) Observer (SG-HK) on November 21st, 2008 11.24 am
But do you live in singapore?
Do you know singaporean mentality?
Have you talked to strangers about social issues?
the response is?
sad… there may not be CHANGE other than change from within….as they clued us in….1 putty?
Many are indifferent even about TC and leehman.
4) Putty 1st or Ration 1st on November 21st, 2008 12.48 pm
To answer your three questions. I left Singapore for more than a decade to work overseas but occasionally will take home trips and yes, I do talk to strangers that I have met when I am back home or friends who came to visit me in Hong Kong. And no, people whom I have spoke to are aware of the changes that had affected them and they do believe change can happen if the game rules changes. Since the mid 90s, Singapore took on a different path.
I do not expect mentality at large that you cited will change in an instant, but I do believe given enough exposure and sharing from within concerned people, it can happen. We do not have to wait for government to change (that will take ages), if each one of us who expressed concern over issues that matter and share it with relatives, friends, colleagues or even strangers that we met in social circle (like in a club, community….etc), make an effort, and I think the mindset will be changed gradually.
Ya, you can say, old habits die hard, but have you tried too sharing and talking about your concerns with your closest relatives to begin with and then expand it to the other circles of your friends and colleagues? If people are not willing to try to make this effort, then obviously the change we hope to see is at the mercy of this current ruling party (this is a fact that none of us can change for now).
Having said before, alternative parties who expressed interest to take office needed to do their ground work as well. They too need to show their worth if they seriously wanting to help the citizenry make a difference. Assessment of able leaders by citizenry at large is no different to current ruling party. True, it is not an over-night task neither it is expected to happen in a single election. If it did, it is really a miracle. It takes time as well and time needed to change the outlook of current Singapore relies very much the participation of its citizenry. We needed to start somewhere don’t we? Every little steps and every little contribution made, accumulated over time, change can happen and be seen.
Have fate with your fellow citizenry. You can make a difference too.
Can one buy dignity with money?
I believe the only people in this world who believe it can be bought are those that wear whites. They believe that the fake purity of their white coverings will be able to see them through every problem.
Even for one so advanced in years, dignity is the last precious gem that cannot be taken away from her.
By showing us her resolve, it falls back on the giver (the whities) to take a real good look at themselves as suggested by Observer (SG-HK), and, to seriously question their own dignity.
Here’s the latest hit (a song borrowed from the late Bob Marley) from the PAPSTIR, a home-grown band, famous for their trumpeting talent.
No money, no life
No women, no cry
No MB, no drive
No khaki, no fly
No chen-hu, we like
Lose money, we hide
Caution:
This is a sneak release for public feedback purpose only. All copyrights belong to the PAPSTIR under ERRORPRONE RECORDS Co. Illegal copying or unauthorised public broadcasting is prohibited under PAPLEE’s laws.
Actually lets not make this into a anti-gov thread….. For this poor lady, she has 8 daughter and one son and they don’t even visit her …. – playboy_rick (#3)
Isn’t there a law that makes it compulsory for children to take care of their parents’ needs in old age? Now this is where legal aid should come in to demand responsibility from her children…
7) Harrison on
See for yourself.
Even a simple song has so much restrictions. What is this PayPee govt doing to us?
Errorprone or Brittlebone or Telephone and whatever ~one, give us back the freedom!
Pointless..
The story is indeed quite haunting and I certainly hope it is not a common case and a common scene in Singapore now. To have 8 siblings in her life and yet during her twilight years she is living alone (never mind the money issue). Something is wrong somewhere. Although it is hard for outsiders to know and neither it is right for us to probe into her family issues as it may be construed as an intrusion of her privacy, this is at least the dignity and respect we should show her, but purely from a fellow Singaporean point of view, it is sad. You have got to take your hats off for her courage. I sure hope her sons and daughters (whatever feud you might have in the past, she is after your mother and still she is, regardless).
Someone commented not to make this article an anti-gov thread. I agree to a degree. I don’t think readers and posters here like to make every article published an anti-gov thread deliberately. It doesn’t do anyone any good and neither it is constructive if we purely object for the sake of raising our objection. But then, the government cannot be rid of this responsibility to ensure the betterment of the people. The government can reject suggestions and ideas raised by common citizenry, that is acceptable but not without an explanation as to why those ideas and suggestions were rejected. Are their current plan really served to benefit a majority of the citizenry or it is designed to widen the gap between the well to do the less fortunate? You decide. The past decade and a half, things had gone seriously wrong as far as the betterment of the citizenry is concerned. I used to have that perception like many that Singaporeans like to rant and complain even on trivial issue, but the question needed to be asked, why did this happen? Some can chastise MM being senile and out of touch and have made multiple mistakes in many of his decisions and being hard on dissidents and what not, but at least he make himself known whether we like it or not. Look at this current team.
The writings are over the wall since the past few years and it is not hard to imagine if situation persist without any definitive change and make the citizenry feel inclusive again, then I think it is time for all to get united and make our wishes known loud and clear come voting time or even before voting time. When your reasoning has fallen on death ears year after year, there is nothing to loose even if your decision made to give your vote to someone with less capability, inexperience and that may not be able to lead well but just as figure head to maintain the check and balance and make a real difference in people’s life. That is what really matters and that can only happen if the people wanted things change stand united and take that little first steps to share your concerns with your family, friends, colleagues and yes, even strangers you have met in social circle. Unless you are telling me that we are living in a world that sharing our cocnern is a criminal offence and firbidden by the written constituion.
If you do not believe in yourself, you can never convince others to believe in you regardless of what you do or say, professionally or personally. Things do not just happen, there is always a reason and cause.
The government and town council thinks nothing of losing billions of dollars in risky investment but will not even increase the spending on these people. They may argue it on the basis on increasing the incentives for these people to find work, but come on, some of these old folks are so poor and old and the economy is so bad, what work is there for them?
One CHANGE can come in a DEFINITE way.
Alas, I cannot mention it.
Clue : something like an Act of Gawd.
That will be the Mudder of ALL Change.
That event will Trigger the Domino of all Changes to come.
But then , for now, its status quo baby!
Talk is really cheap, I guess! All those reasoning, seem like everyone had became awareness of it surrounding. But actually, facing the monitor and holding on to the keyboard is the further each will go.
I see there has been praises all over the place for Tan KL action, yet i am shock to see that the crowd at the speaker corner does not do justices against the number of praises that were actually written here! Which is much inferior to that half of last WP GE rally. Then again with that number of people attending the last WP GE rally, PAP still get 66% mandate! I think Singaporean in general are hopeless and can only stay home and wait for old man to die first and then look beside you anyone move beside you before you move. Pathetic really….
I dare ask all people here, “when Gandhi do walk in front of us one day to speak on our behalf, how many of the people here will walk beside him and march to LEE KUAN YEW house”? I say none, and that is exactly why PAP never lost! Don’t blame the opposition, look at yourself and do some soul searching! For that, it will be my last comment on this blog and search for some ground work I can do for whatever I may contribute.
IMHO i dont think singaporeans are really hopeless during voting – there are many of us who are stuck in constituencies without any opposition – i live in Bt Batok and have wanted to vote for opp for years but no chance.