Tuesday, December 30, 2008 8:20
A look back on things said in 2008 (Update: 8)
In Andrew Loh, Main Stories • 7,011 views • 155 Comments
As the year comes to a close, we look back on some of the more memorable things that were said in 2008.
The situation looks a lot gloomier now than when they went in but these are long-term investments. It looks under water now, but the situation can change.
Let us not pick and choose what endorsements you get, because over all, if you’re trying to show me your standing in the world is that high, you wouldn’t be clutching at straws and producing something from Tunku (Abdul) Aziz.
They (residents) should thank the Town Council for working hard to come up with a diversified portfolio to generate income so that residents do not have to fork out more money.
In Hougang, let us keep Mr Low Thia Khiang on his toes… So, in Hougang, you have to be creative to be an effective opposition. Amongst the things you can do, I suggest you study the annual accounts of the town council to ensure that the funds are properly used. Check whether the arrears for S & C charges are piling up, and eating into their reserves. Make sure that enough money is put aside for cyclical maintenance. In your walkabouts, check on the estate maintenance… In short, play the role of an effective opposition in Hougang.
I wish to thank the residents of Hougang and also many Singaporeans who support the Workers’ Party for giving feedback constantly on the work of Hougang Town Council, without the need for the reminder from SM Goh.
For the information of the Senior Minister, the Hougang Town Council’s accounts are on the website. He may want to take a look himself.
He used to engage in heated debates in the House. Perhaps it was because he and the PAP never saw eye to eye on any major political issue and he sought by all means to demolish the PAP and our system of government.
As Prime Minister, I did not allow the PAP’s fight with Mr Jeyaretnam to affect his sons’ place in society. In reply to a letter from Kenneth, I assured him that we valued talent, regardless of his father’s stand in politics and determination to oppose us. I had invited Philip for lunch, to tell him the same thing.
It’s not within our power to force operators to give concessions – that’s up to the operators…. We can only encourage operators to continue to be generous with transport cuts.
Unfortunately the worst-case scenario has materialised and the majority of High Notes 5 investors will not be receiving anything back.
If we’ve more foreigners than Singaporeans, then the Singaporeans will become like the foreigners, and we lose our basic attributes. We’ll be down the spiral.
If we just send away the foreign workers now, it will do us harm. For example – companies which are already in difficulty and they hire half foreign workers and half Singaporeans and you tell them that foreign workers must go out. And when you take Singaporeans, his cost will go up and the company may close. And if the company closes, even the half who have jobs may lose their jobs.
Change has to take place in Singapore but change must take place not (between parties) but within the PAP….As long as the PAP changes itself, and continues to provide clean and good government, and the lives of Singaporeans improve, the country is much better off with one dominant, strong, clean, good party.
Yes, there was corruption. Yes, he gave favors to his family and his friends. But there was real growth and real progress… Just compare Indonesia to Burma. Look, same time, 1962 Ne Win, 1965 Suharto, both well-endowed and rich countries. Well, you compare. Who is better off? Who deserves to be honoured? What is a few billion dollars lost in bad excesses? He built hundred of billions of dollars worth of assets. I want to pay this tribute to him, and I came here. It is sad to see a very old friend, with whom I worked closely over the last 30 years, not really getting the honours that he deserves.
We must keep the pressure on Mas Selamat.
The answer is that public transport fares are not directly linked to oil prices… We don’t want the companies to be making excessive profits, but that’s different from saying that they cannot make profits at all.
Getting the PhD is one thing, coming out alive is another.
This was a lapse, what to do, it’s happened.
As long as we leave our views in the pages of our manifestos, nothing will change…. Our manifestos will then forever remain as beautifully written, but ultimately academic, pieces of literature prettifying the archives of the National Library.
Ms Sylvia Lim asks for the basis for Police to grant a permit that enabled the Prime Minister to participate in a cycling activity in West Coast Park on 31 Aug 2008.
Let me first clarify that it was not a cycling event but a Family Day Carnival. The only cycling was when the Prime Minister and the other special guests made their entrance by cycling a short distance from where the Prime Minister had alighted from his car to the stage. Secondly, it was not organized by a political party but by a registered charity.
I would not dignify this tokenism by organising anything there. It will have to be at a proper place like here at Raffles Place or down a major street, or nothing.
Principals need to do their job to convey this message to the students and teachers to do their part to challenge them, set high goals and to help them achieve these goals. We will be hit by storms, there will be waves, we will be lashed by the winds… but we can be responsible for how we respond to it.
I am satisfied that the Ministry has taken the correct remedial and disciplinary action, and that the Minister and top management were not to blamed (sic) for what has happened.
We must admit our mistakes openly and honestly, put them right, and act against those who have been culpable. But the last thing we need is a witch-hunt which would damage and demoralise our intelligence and security agencies.
We’ll find a way to have more voices inside the assembly, but not at the risk of voting in a Division 2 or 3 Government.
Indeed a completely security-sealed country is one which will suffocate enterprise and liberty. It is a cure worse than the disease it is try (sic) to prevent.
I have thus been misled into attending the ceremony on Monday.
In Singapore, opposition politicians have the right to criticise the government and government leaders, but that does not entitle them to tell lies or defame.
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is $210 billion, that’s the profit earned in a year. The price earnings ratio on the Singapore Exchange is now 20. If Singapore Inc went for IPO (Initial Public Offering), then this is a $4-trillion company.
To me, the response of the grassroots leaders and the residents whom I had met is a great assurance. They gave us a strong mandate at the last GE (general election) and they knew that we would honour and respect that mandate even after the demise of one MP. They are confident that their interest and welfare will be taken care of. None have raised the issue of a by-election.
There has been a security lapse at the Whitley Road Detention Centre, which allowed Mas Selamat to escape. He was taken out of his cell to go to the family visitation room to wait for his family. He requested to go to the toilet and escaped. This should never have happened. I am sorry that it has.
If the operators’ returns are satisfactory, then it is a win-win situation. If they are unduly penalised, they do not get returns commensurate with their risks … then you would have a new set of problems – too few trains, too old buses.
Singapore Inc’s Temasek meanwhile ploughed A$400m into ABC Learning at $7.30 a share 12 months ago and has watched almost 90 per cent of that evaporate.
The assumption which some people have is – we are now rich, we can afford to spend more. This is a very dangerous way of thinking and worries me a lot. Singapore is where it is today because we have saved, we have been frugal, because we haven’t just thrown money away.
If now we change our mindset, and say we used to save, now that we have money we don’t need to save anymore, then the growth will stop.
Singapore will go down, and we will all be in serious trouble.
You asked how much reserves we have. I’m sorry – I am not able to give you that answer. There are many, many people who are interested in how much we have. It has nothing to do with not wanting Singaporeans to know. It’s only if we go public with you, a lot of other people will know.
No need to buy branded bread. Bread is bread, rice is rice.
And if you already have a great orchestra, you can put a dummy there and you still got great music.
But what you can do is to adjust, go for house brands, maybe go for frozen food instead of fresh food.
The reserves are like a golden goose which lays golden eggs. And if you try and dig into the reserves, you’re actually in a sense not feeding the reserves and the goose gets smaller. So we should, whenever we can, put some funds aside to grow the reserves and then use the earnings in the reserves, which is what we’re doing.
Produce the wealth first and the surpluses before we talk about sharing and never, never dig into the reserves. That’s like killing the golden goose to get the meat. I think better try and fatten the goose, have more golden geese and then have more eggs to share.
When ERP was increased, we also reduced road tax and improved public transport. As a result, many more Singaporeans can now own cars. With more cars on the road, we need to increase ERP to keep traffic flowing.
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.
I had made comments which had been misunderstood and had upset some Singaporeans. I sincerely apologise for causing any grievances and any stress.
Growing with our blue chip companies and our direct investment activities, Temasek now owns a net portfolio of about S$185 billion at market value as at March 31, 2008.
A number of feng shui masters had approached us to tell us that the Flyer is on the perfect site to pick up the good qi (energy) flowing into Singapore, but it was going in the wrong direction. The Flyer was going against the sun and taking fortune away from Singapore.
Florian Bollen (Chairman, Singapore Flyer)
There is a conspiracy to do us in. Why?… They see us as a threat. My question is to them, have you ever run Singapore? Do you know how we got here? What were we? What we are now? And how we can become better?… We are not stupid people. They give us all these advice… Who are they? Have they ever run a country, created jobs for community and given them a life? We have and we know what it requires.
We’ve got to allow political videos but with some safeguards… We have to move away from this total ban and find ways to allow people to let off steam a little bit more, but safely…
Make sure that our young people are hungry. If our young people are not hungry enough, bring in hungrier ones from overseas. Make them feel hungry, increase the hungriness index.
Workers are very practical. If they have to choose between losing their jobs and taking a pay cut, they would choose less pay.
Please don’t destroy the plants, don’t disturb other people…do it within certain hours, don’t make too much noise… Please exercise the freedom to demonstrate. Please do it within the rules. Please respect and recognise that we are a multiracial, multi-religious society.
We remain committed to finding and capturing Mas Selamat no matter how long it takes. We have done it before.
Whether the human rights body we establish will have teeth, I don’t know. But it would certainly have a tongue, and I hope it would have a sharp tongue.
Singapore must be a “cool” place, a “funky” place…
The present A Team is good for another two elections. We do not have the numbers to ensure an A Team and an alternative A Team.
If the salary gap between ministers and the private sector gets wider, will Singapore have a better or poorer choice of leaders? (2007)
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Read 2007’s How many ministers does it take to change a lightbulb?
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Related posts:
155 Comments
Arix
evo09
Jokes of the years
gemami
Won’t it be good for them to review where their words of wisdom stand now that we are closing year 2008?
WKS; How long more is “no matter how long” before we hear news that Mas Selamat is caught? How long, or, wait long, long?
GY: How? Have you found out yet? Whether got teeth or not? Is the tongue as sharp as you have hoped for?
GCT: How? Is Singapore cool and funky already? So cool everyone is struggling with the current economic climate? Everyting is frozen?
LKY: How? You sure you even got one A team? See what your A team has done to your baby? Make me want to sneeze – - – -A-h-chooooooo…….! ! !
LHL: Got the answer already?
BL
talk is cheap.
like the eternal saying goes – action speaks louder than words.
if you are getting a million over dollars a year in emolument and are not embarrassed to keep trumpeting that you are “quality talent”, then show us your worth.
bloody arsewipes.
Pap Smear - check everyday good good
Remember but never forget.
To make myself safe, I clarify: Remember the wonderful thingies our leaders done but never forget them deeds too.
aiyoyo
aiyoyo
not sure if the ELITEs talk about making commoners life easier, less pressure huh?
aiyoyo
puppy
Talk is cheap AND
it is getting cheaper!
puppy.
smallvice585
To LHL,
“If the salary gap between ministers and the private sector gets wider, will Singapore have a better or poorer choice of leaders?”
I think you meant Singapore’s leader would be poorer if the salary between ministers and the private sector gets wider.
Alternatively, you would prefer the salary gap is as big as possible if ministers are paid higher than the private sector. Isn’t it?
It’s time for you to abdicate.
gemami
Wahlau! Abdicate man!
tiredsingaporean
“If the salary gap between ministers and the private sector gets wider, will Singapore have a better or poorer choice of leaders?”
If you want to talk about comparison, here is the comparison for you to follow.
Private sector: They are hired to do the damn job, they are fired as quick as when things gone wrong, any malpractices found, they go by the book.
Ministers: They are being recruited by a party to do the damn job, when things gone wrong, everyone keeps quiet, when being pushed, they come out with all sorts of lame excuse (usually blaming a 3rd party), any malpractices found, they keeping eerily quiet and maybe just disappeared, and they only go by their book when comes to panelising any opp. party that dares to provoke them.
THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE!
hansolo
It’d be good if you can include the date and the context of the quotes.
gemami
“If the salary gap between ministers and the private sector gets wider, will Singapore have a better or poorer choice of leaders?”
The answers to this question lie with the ministers. How would they serve the people if they do not get private sector pay? Where is the integrity, when one is motivated to serve better, only if he is paid alongside the highest paid individuals in the country?
Unless he is insinuating that he is Singapore; and; that Singapore would be a mess without him; like having mee siam my hum.
Monkey donkey
wong tell us is MSK still in sgp or not in sgp? so long already. can find or not?
how long to confirm is someone is still or not still in sgp, a small country?
teo fan
TOC, erm…how could you have missed out ah teo’s words of the year?
Andrew Loh
Teo fan,
These are just the first five quotes. More will come in the coming days.
Andrew Loh
smallvice585
teo fan (#14)
Tsk, tsk, tsk! Teo is not a Minister.
got to http://www.redbeanforum.com and look for ‘Notable Quotes.’ you will get quite a number of quotes there.
SIMPLE
MM at his annual Tanjong Pagar Chinese New Year dinner in Feb 2008:
No.1 Trumpeter – SINGAPORE will do well despite trouble in the global economy.
Asia No. 1 Forecasting Bomb – For the first time, Asia will not tip into recession even though the United States economy is faltering…. and reduces imports from Asia, Asia will not go into recession. ….Vietnam will have South-east Asia’s most lively economy in 20 to 30 years.
Rich Politician, Poor Investor – Boom and bust is in the nature of business cycles. You must be able to ride through a recession and emerge the better for it. This is how the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation and Temasek have been able to increase the value of its assets, he said, focusing on opportunities present in dark times. When UBS, Citigroup and Merrill Lynch needed a cash infusion, Singapore invested $22 billion in these distressed international banks. When the share prices of these banks recover that $22 billion investments, it will be worth $50 to S$70 (I think he meant millions?)
Father of all bombs!!! Yet he globe-trots to spread his wisdom to big countries…. China, India. Now we all know better
Gilbert Goh
Ya 2008 remains one of the worse year of the PAP not only for its infamous laxity in allowing a limping Selmat to escape but also they allowed some junior officers to take the rap on their behalf. If it happened in other countries, the minister or even the PM may have to go. This is sadly Singaporean politics.
This year could be a watershed year not unlike that of the Nixon years or Thaksin regime when due to a series of perplexing mistakes they have to leave office in disgrace.
The crisis came suddenly and many were caught unware. PM LSL I remembered he said last week that there won’t be a global recession as they have learnt their lessons from the past. I have to take a double take and read the lines again for fear that my eye sight has worsened. True to his words, he told an audience of international journalists that there will not be a global recession! We all know how ironical this is and I felt embarassed at how our PM will have to hide his face in weeks to come as the recession reigns it’s ugly head.
Dr Ho is another blooper minister who wanted us to thank him for helping us lose money from the toxic investments made by town councils. This will remain the worse mistake make by the government as they try to avoid the fallout from such investment by not being transparent. The public got a glimpse of how our politcians will try their hardest to confront the ugly truth. Another case of lacking check and balances in our governance.
Clearly our ministers need a lesson or two from HR experts on how to make speeches especially when uder duress. Maybe they really need a solid opposition to challenge them in Parliament so that they can be better wiser speaker. Their lack of check in Parliament clearly shows when they were called to explain certain controversial policies.
My best minister is still Mr Khaw the health minister. He spoke clearly, simply and humbly. He is a former Malaysian and perhaps his humble childhood may have allow him to empathsize with the ground. It is a shame that we need a ex foreigner to show compassion as a minister to our people.
Maybe the cabinet needs foreigner ministers as they all will rise from the bottom and are all ground level people. Our current crop of ministers are mostly scholars and have at least a middle income background. I wonder if they even take the MRT before or even stay in a HDB flat? Could they have understand the aspirations and sufferings of our people?
I can’t in my faintest mind envisage our PM empathsizing with the ground as his childhood is shrouded in luxury and even with some soft pampering. He is chaueffeur driven to school with a body guard, went to Cambridge and then rose to come a general. Though he is capable, smart and articulate, he could never have understand how one feels when he is laid off and could not pay his bills on time. He could never have smell the stench of a rental flat for the aged nor recollect memories of having being bullied in school as a child. He has the life of a prince.
This is why many times he and his regime have advocated a lot of price increases of services these two years when he is in power. He could never have understand how hard the people are trying to cope with all these increases. All he could care about is to top up the govt coffers as if there is no ceiling to how much he can collect.
This year clearly reveals alot how our govt has treated it’s people. Hopefully our eyes are open wide from now on.
tiredsingaporean
The present A Team is good for “another two elections”. We do not have the numbers to ensure an A Team and an alternative A Team.
By then, this is good enough for their entire familees to retire with billions even to buy up a even bigger world soccer club to compete with Thaksin.
MMSMPMMC
What about the “Upturn during the Downturn”?
Steven
Gilbert Goh’s comments could not have said it any better! Cheerios!
pain no gain
Gilbert,once again you have written well…I always enjoy your post…hope you will write more.
But i disagree about you questioning the elite…”I wonder if they even take the MRT before”…of course they do…during the opening of the mrt line and their next MRT trip will be the opening of the Circle line…
yes 2008 is an interesting year…with so many question flying around…I am still wondering why the opposition party haven’t capitalize on it…or at least question all the Hooha regarding the TC investment…
TAURUSBOY
I am sure they said more than these. Let us see the goodness in other quotation by our leaders and not just these .A wise person sees the goodness of man .Don-t get me wrong I am not saying these quotes are wrong as I am not a judge.
mah L P
2008 is also memorable for money laundering case of the guy’s wife being trialed in Hong Kong.
I wonder how many laundering happened in singapore before?
Maybe zero.
Maybe is maybe.
how can I know?
I can only guess.
maybe zero because its a financial hub mah. hub hub and away lor.
Kudos to TW for being competent and ‘Lian Jie’ in being able to discover and uncover its ex-president’s money laundering cases. Numerous cases.
TW people’s culture/mentality may have some flaws.
But its freedom of speech allowed many to understand what is going on with the case and the money laundering cases.
not many country can be as lian jie as TW’s investigation team. With Mah yong jiu taking charge of TW, I am sure TW will be even better in time to come. Many many asian countries need to learn from TW.
TW jia you!
puppy
Leaders’ relationships with their citizens are like that of spouses.
No sweet nothing, no empty promises, no lip services, no bluffings, no playing with words, no cheatings and be sincere. Too good to be true BUT poiticians must be honourable and respectable , they just got to be.
puppy.
foreign talent to be
if you apply pap pay scale on obama’s salary. then he would earn multi-billions judging by the size of his country!!
is a shame that we are still paying over-priced but under-calibre ministers!!
yes…we are world class…stupid fool!
gemami
Hi #26) puppy,
I am waiting for this quote by Vivian Balakrisnan:
“Everything we do is under public scrutiny. In Singapore there are no secrets, if I cock up you will know. At least within the PAP, we select on the basis of merit, and we are also totally unsentimental about dropping people. It’s almost a samurai code. We’re not a group of friends who got together one night and decided we want to run Singapore and enrich ourselves.”
Most men would make the same sort of promises to their spouses on the day they got married. What happens after that is open for discussion.
gemami
Oops! last sentence is not part of the quote.
Hi #26) puppy,
I am waiting for this quote by Vivian Balakrisnan:
“Everything we do is under public scrutiny. In Singapore there are no secrets, if I cock up you will know. At least within the PAP, we select on the basis of merit, and we are also totally unsentimental about dropping people. It’s almost a samurai code. We’re not a group of friends who got together one night and decided we want to run Singapore and enrich ourselves.”
Most men would make the same sort of promises to their spouses on the day they got married. What happens after that is open for discussion.
AhKao
What a difference in culture:
Higher pay isn’t the reward that motivates our MPs
Comments edited by moderator.
Pls do not post entire news reports or blog posts. You can provide the headlines or extracts and the url link to the article. Thanks.
gemami
This is what they freely choose to do and Parliament should comprise a mixture of various types of people.
This is one of the fundamental difference between (PAP) politicians in Singapore and politicians elsewhere. Majority of PAP MPs come into politics as an option; not because they have freely chosen the course to serve. It is an option, to further their own interest, in climbing the social ladder, up to the point of having a luxurious life where others can only dream of having.
It is also true that when you gather together with certain type of birds you will one day believe yourself to belong to the same family of birds that you frequently mingle with. This is why public servants become private servants, in terms of wage renumeration.
Great article, thanks AhKao.
The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Daily SG: 17 Dec 2008
[...] The 2008 Roundup – groundnotes: 2008 Round Up – TOC: A look back on things said in 2008 (Update: 1) [...]
smallvice585
AhKao (#30),
Singapore MPs get paid about S$160,000 p.a and they are only part-timers. That is equivalent to S$77/h assuming a 40h work-week. MPs should be a full-time role, totally dedicating to public interest and welfare of Singaporeans.
AhKao
Re: moderation to change the article to a link instead
FWIW, I think the article bears reproducing in full and the shortened link doesn’t quite carry the same impact of the article.
IMHO the article carries more substance than some of the walls of text I see here :) but I guess that’s the internet. sometimes you gotta get through the noise to get the really important signal.
OmongKosong
Workers are very practical. If they have to choose between losing their jobs and taking a pay cut, they would choose less pay. – Halimah Yacob
Bosses are lagi more practical, if they can get a foreign worker with lesser pay even with the pay cut for locals, they will still choose to retrench the locals.
gemami
agree with AhKao. Sometimes reproducing text in full has greater impact. ;)
How to prove a Conspiracy?
If conspiracy can be proven, why not sue the conspirators?
Can it be proven?
Yes / no / dunno?
Huilip screw driver man
does Ah philip words of wise means that because there are so many many thousands if not hundred thousands of foreigners here, in a tiny place, of tiny market , that the people here are not hungry enough and that is why so many foreigners are here occupying the singapore jobs?
oh recently ah philip son on spotlight also. very handsome wor.
I hungry leh. Got job or not?
he said “If our young people are not hungry enough, bring in hungrier ones from overseas. Make them feel hungry, …”
where is my “check my monthly CPF statement” guy?
he is so funny, he can have the new position of stand-up comic. That would be more productive compared to being a labour chief.
I Can Honestly Say . . .
That the quotes rile me up so much more when you can put a face to them. Really makes my saliva glands work over time.
Thank you TOC!
Tan
Who are those people in the photos? Never seen them before.
Andrew LOh
Ah Kao,
I understand but if we allow entire articles to be reproduced in the comments section, it’ll end up being spammed. I’ve seen it happen and it makes life difficult for everyone.
Andrew Loh
puppy
Hi gemami;
after the promises come suspicions, a third party or a flirty self or an alien suitor trying to do the ‘legal’ spouse in…….. There are always regrets that the spouse is not as responsible and loving as before the marriage.
It is complex, the people tend to idolize the First Generation Leaders some of which are still calling the shots but the same respectful people now feel that they are played out by the said leader. What’s happening? Familiarity breeds contempt or are the people awakening to their own blind faith and loyalty?
The ultimate truth is that, there is a moral dimension to(in) every human deed, including speaking. Hence, speak the truth and be true to ones’ words. Keep your words or they will come back to haunt you. This is quite simple to understand but difficult to uphold because man(kind) will say, to err is human!
The problem with human kinds is that the poor and weak get manipulated, bullied, punished and trampled by the powerful and rich and the Former can only cursed and swore at the Latter. Where is Human Rights and where is Justice??
puppy.
gemami
Hi puppy,
True, very true.
Speaking from my personal experience, what I would normally do, from time to time, is to revisit the reasons why I got married to the woman I loved. Therre are times in a marriage when things do not work out as you expect and it is important to visit these reasons for our togetherness.
In the same way, a government has to revisit the reasons that made it so successful in the past. It is the most important mistake to live on past laurels; exactly what this govt is doing. It had branded itself well and now feel they have the pedigree to breed premium offsprings when you and I know that these offsprings are no better than you and I.
Changi General Hospital is a good place for treatment but I want to comment that the Free Shuttle Service to and fro outside Simei MRT Station needs to be improved. The daily service starts at 9.00 a.m except Sunday or Public Holidays. However sometime Petients’ appointments are fixed at 9.00 a.m. and this is inconsiderate. Once I took a taxis outside the MRT Station in order to be on time, the fare was $5.00 and the taxis driver told me it is “Peak Hour” . The distant is a few minutes walk to the hospital.
On the next visit, I discovered the first Shuttle Bus arrived at 9.20 a.m. for pick-up. Why not operate from 8.30 a.m. then ? Found 4 small children occupying seats and it is like aTour Bus.! I suggest that only those who can show the Hospital Appontment Cards be allowed to board the bus.
I was told that many users are not patients but people living near the Hospital and someare workers of vendors operating in the Hospital Building.
This is an urgent matter for Changi Hospital to improve.
gemami
Hi obamaosama,
Did you send your comments to the wrong place? This is TOC not Changi Hospital leh.
”
Changi General Hospital is a good place for treatment but I want to comment that the Free Shuttle Service to and fro outside Simei MRT Station needs to be improved. The daily service starts at 9.00 a.m except Sunday or Public Holidays. However sometime Petients’ appointments are fixed at 9.00 a.m. and this is inconsiderate. Once I took a taxis outside the MRT Station in order to be on time, the fare was $5.00 and the taxis driver told me it is “Peak Hour” . The distant is a few minutes walk to the hospital.
On the next visit, I discovered the first Shuttle Bus arrived at 9.20 a.m. for pick-up. Why not operate from 8.30 a.m. then ? Found 4 small children occupying seats and it is like aTour Bus.! I suggest that only those who can show the Hospital Appontment Cards be allowed to board the bus.
I was told that many users are not patients but people living near the Hospital and someare workers of vendors operating in the Hospital Building.
This is an urgent matter for Changi Hospital to improve.”
you can write to Changi Hospital for this…I don’t think the CEO has time to read TOC. He needs to make more money for his company. Count yourself lucky now. For all you know, the free shuttle bus will now become paid shuttle bus.
Ah Lan of the P
which one most handsome?
if choose beautiful, only got 1 choice.
smallvice585
Obamaosama (#45),
You post wrong thread lah.. Try this one instead:
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/12/dont-save-face-go-to-c-class-wards-says-tan-kin-lian/
Lee H K
he said “But he was also quick to acknowledge that the People’s Action Party (PAP) will not always have the answers:
‘I’m not saying the PAP government will always be supreme, will always be honest, will always be A-plus.
‘The day it is no longer honest, it should be out. And another party should come in, with equally honest people.’ ”
1. I hope there is ANSWER to TC investments.
2. I think not just A-plus. I think they are the A-Team. Really, A. not b.
3. Oh talk about HONESTY. Look at our leaders . All so honest hor.
Selamat malam,
Lee H K (H K hong kong for sure)
tiredsingaporeans
Papees! HONEST??? HA!
if they are, then those alternative parties would have already reach their “FULL ENLIGHTAMENT”
gemami
Hi #50) Lee HK,
Nice quotes. Let’s put them to the test, shall we?
…the People’s Action Party (PAP) will not always have the answers
LSS: “You ask me, I ask who?
Now we know why LSS said what he said. Someone has to do the job of making MM’s words come to life.
—————————————————————————-
I’m not saying the PAP government will always be supreme, will always be honest, will always be A-plus.
So, what is he saying? How come cannot tell?
This was what Hussin Mutalib from ST wrote: “ “What about other redeeming intangibles such as honor and sense of duty, dedication, passion and commitment, loyalty and service?”
This was MM’s reply: “Those are admirable sentiments,” he said. “But we live in a real world.”
Calculated honesty? Calculated Integrity? hmmm…….?
—————————————————————————-
The day it is no longer honest, it should be out. And another party should come in, …..’
This is Vivian Balakrishnan’s take on the muturity of Singapore’s society:
“ “My own sense of it is Singapore is now a much more mature society and, generally, the vast majority of Singaporeans can be trusted to make up their own minds, exercise their choices and act responsibly.
“The fundamental question is, are we ready as a society to let people make choices of their own, take responsibility for their actions and face the consequences?”
As honest as he is, he needs to translate words into action. Silenced into inaction perhaps? So what happens when you are honest but the rest of the gang are not?
Ho Peng Kee: ‘No one in Singapore should be bereft of someone to turn to if they should need legal advice or help, including those who cannot afford to pay for it.
Tell me honestly, free lawyers in Singapore?
Ho Peng Kee, again: “ ‘You may be well-behaving, but there may be other people whom you come across when you cycle who may stop you, may want to debate with you and that may attract a crowd, and therefore will result in problems the police want to avoid.’”
The highest level of honesty. Only PAP members can ride bicycles and have a very good reason for it while others cannot ride their bicycles because someone else might stop them and ask for a fight.
Ng Eng Hen: ‘I need you to spout poetic lines to convince your constituents that these measures are meant to help them. Spew forth with passion your Hokkien lyrics and poetic metaphors.’
The art of bluffing by NEH. Open (dis)Honesty?.
OK, lah, enough already. You judge for yourself if we should take up MM’s call that: “The day it is no longer honest, it should be out. And another party should come in …..“?
Koo koo clock must stop the ticking
Actually, I am more concerned about how to IMPROVE the system as is.
I ask myself, what or how to improve it given:
1. TC investments.
2. UNemployment statistics w.r.t citizen.
3. Construction Costing of HDB
4. Transport fare hikes by highly profitable near-monopoly GLC w.r.t currently cheap oil price. What gone up would it ever come down if oil price was excuse for hike? Also related : Poly student are students i.e no income. Why they pay and pay more than JC students?
5. etc. etc. etc. ……… too tiring to name all of them.
And after looking at the responses to the questions from the respective authorities, the answer is clear.
There is only 1 way in my mind that i can think of.
There is no more doubt in my mind.
Chen Xing Shuang
F1 and the Flyer depended a lot on expertise from 1st world talents: caucasians and japanese to succeed.
gemami
Is F1 and Flyer a neccessity or a luxury?
Anonymous
This reports the pay rise of NZ PM and MPs.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/vote08/4767247a28435.html
Some interesting excerpts:
##############################################
Mr Key’s salary will increase to $393,000 – the Prime Minister’s salary was previously $375,000, while his deputy Bill English will receive $276,700, up from $264,500 previously.
Ministers in cabinet will receive $243,700, an increase from $233,000. While Ministers outside cabinet will receive $204,300 – up from $195,700.
##############################################
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
The Remuneration Authority said it had considered salary movements in the state sector when it made the determinations.
“It has long been accepted that it is not appropriate for remuneration of those in elected office to be closely tied to the private sector, or to state-owned entities operating in a commercial environment, notwithstanding the responsibilities of senior politicians in particular,” it said.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
farnie
I LOL’ed
Wat to do move on
Selamat,
shall we move on to
mee siam stall
run by our Abang
who suspect competitor enticipate his moves
and then try to do him in?
KPIs :
1. HONESTY
2. ACCOUNTABILITY
3. PEOPLE REPRESENTATION
4. RESPONSIBILITY
5 INTEGRITY
6. TRANSPARENCY
7. FAIRNESS
8. JUSTICE
9. EQUALITY
and that is the way in the digital age.
Nar Si Gua Wu Jit Bah Ban………jit bah ban……
the digital way
talk to my face got nominated or not?
regards
wee wee the belly swee
Sad
Hey, you missed the biggest one “we have not enriched ourselves”, or was it in 2007
Sad
I still can’t get over the fact that they want private sector salary but are excused from private sector performance standards. If this bokes were in private sector, they would be jobless now. I guess in family owned businesses you can’t sack your family no matter how they screw up.
MMSMPMMC
For someone living in an ivory tower, it is always easy for him to give out some senseless speech that he himself thought is well said.
gemami
I noticed a perculiar trait with this LSS guy.
He starts to make a statement in his ‘down-to-earth-gung-ho-man-in-the-street-kind-of-way’, and after uttering the first few words, he realises that he does not make sense and tries to correct himself mid-sentence.
Then he becomes knotted up in his own words.
Somehow he manages to finish his sentence, and somehow still , can smile and thinks he has the kind of wisdom that others do not have.
My advise to him is to stand in front of a mirror and say the same words all over again complete with the same gestures and articulations. He will then see how stupid he is. Just as stupid as his floppy hair.
sucs
#63
cant agree anymore … worst part is his broomy-styled hair … wtf noob minister we have here
tiredsingaporean
The clown in the circle looks better than this guy duh!
Loyola
Hussin Mutalib should go into public service..
Koo Koo Bird
no use wan lah. nothing will work wan.
the only hope is when
the koo koo bird no longer does the koo koo.
the one thingie to do and what can be do is
WAIT …. tick tock tick tock…..4 minutes to live…..
Observer(SG-HK)
Dear leaders,
Christmas is around the corner “a gloomy Christmas indeed for most citizenry this year and perhaps another 2 years down the line ~ I hope not”. If you guys also practice gift exchange, here’s a suggestion to you guys. Buy a full body length mirror and exchange with one another. You will find good use of this gift each morning when you wake up. Look..apart from seeing yourelf in the mirror, did you notice a faint shadow of those desparate facial expression of your weary citizenry?
2009 is not far off either. Come ushering the new year, may I suggest you take a walk on memory lane and search your conscience and think it over. Have you think you had done the right thing “I MEAN THE RIGHT THING”. Besides the chirpy sound of the canary did you also hear the background humming cries of siblings of dire straits parents who had lost all hopes?
2009 Retrenchments more or less ?
my wish for 2009
is for TOC to have parallel commenting by foreigners on
singapore issues
so that citizens can see things from a GLobal Perspective using the inputs from foreigners : 1st worlds and 3rd worlds.
why?
we know that singaporeans a UNIQUE .
why?
why are we so like dat?
have not experienced some things other worlds have experienced?
humans are humans.
why singaporeans scared of this scared of that?
kia si ! kia su ! kia sai!
when slapped on the left, some would offer the right?
why many complain complain like shiiit and in the end switched camp?
why what is their view, they become so shy or appear like seen a ghost?
why 10, 0000 investors lost their precious hardearned life savings and yet only only 10% of them signed the petition? just sign a petition only hor. not asking for the moon hor. tell me this is not unique. foreigner comments needed on this to serve as MIRROR to REFLECT to these citizens.
many complain about no chance to vote. and what happen? what they do?
many wanted to know where their S&CC monies went to which products , how much exposed. what happened? how many tiny size of the population signed the petition? just sign a petition to show they interested to know the answer only. and what happened?
If this mentality is not unique in this world, I no no what is.
Foreigners can help to give singaporeans a 3rd party opinion of why are are so like this.
Dun forget, even if you are bochap, your children will go through the same. and that is when you are old and weak.
cjc
When ERP was increased, we also reduced road tax and improved public transport. As a result, many more Singaporeans can now own cars. With more cars on the road, we need to increase ERP to keep traffic flowing.
The economic rational is this:
The road tax does not consider road usage, so frequent and infrequent car owners pay same. With a fixed cost (road tax), infrequent or short-distance drivers either over-pay or end up giving up the car. Such an inefficient allocation of resources (in economic terms) creates less number of car owners.
The ERP scheme tries to overcome this by reducing the fixed cost (road tax) and charging car owners based on usage. By usage, it means the more “valuable” the road (convenient, faster, near to CBD etc), the higher price. Ultimately, people who do not need to use expensive roads frequently stand to gain, by being able to own a car.
It’s like if there are only one handphone plan, say an expensive unlimited talk-time plan and there is no pre-paid card, then less people will want to own a handphone. The goal of charging by usage gives the chance to more people to own a handphone within their needs. It’s like if one’s budget is $5 per month, then having pre-paid cards in the market at least allows him or her to own a handphone.
cjc
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.
The economic difference between wage increment and inflation is this:
Wage increment is a distribution of increased net profit. By increased profit, it means that it’s something that is actually worth more now, i.e. you can buy more things, or more expensive things. It’s a REAL increased in buying power.
Wage inflation is an artificial change of price tag. Try imagining a day where everyone’s savings is magically increased by the same percentage. Since everyone has the same increase, the increased in money is not real, it doesn’t let you buy more things.
Wages actually increase each year to keep in peg with inflation so that the real worth stays the same. But the tricky part is when prices (like oil) fluctuates irrationally. While increasing wage according to inflation seems logical, the economic lessons of past tell us that it is problematic in practice because it makes correct pricing and valuation of assets hard in practice. Bad pricing and valuation is not just a hairy-fairy story. It actually makes people on the ground suffer.
Take one example, if your pay and also savings in the bank fluctuates daily according to the oil price to “help” you cope with inflation, do you think it is adequate? Can you accept that your pay has to decrease when oil prices drop? You might have bought rice two days ago, so how much is it worth now? How about goods or services the company you are working for is charging? This makes temporary wage increases to combat inflation less predictable than one might have wanted.
Anonymous
70) cjc
Fully understand the economic rationale of fixed charge (road tax) vs usage charge (ERP).
However, there is no transparency regarding govt rebates in lowering road tax versus govt gain in ERP. In the end, does the road users pay more? That is the unhappiness amongst motorists. Charging $2 to enter Orchard Road on Saturday (12pm-8pm) also seem to defy economic logic.
Balajian Skuravi
How much did TC loss in totality?
Transparent this.
tiredsingaporeans
72) Anonymous on December 21st, 2008 11.49 am 70) cjc
Fully understand the economic rationale of fixed charge (road tax) vs usage charge (ERP).
However, there is no transparency regarding govt rebates in lowering road tax versus govt gain in ERP. In the end, does the road users pay more? That is the unhappiness amongst motorists. Charging $2 to enter Orchard Road on Saturday (12pm-8pm) also seem to defy economic logic.
Before I pay the standard road tax of estimated $700/yr for a 1200cc car, now with the ERP, I still have to pay something like $500/yr but my average monthly ERP charges I am paying is abt another $250/month, see how much is the difference? what rebate are we talking about her????? this is cut throat and is extortion business for the motorists monopolised by the garments.
pugdragon
“When ERP was increased, we also reduced road tax and improved public transport. As a result, many more Singaporeans can now own cars. With more cars on the road, we need to increase ERP to keep traffic flowing.”
I don’t get it. I simply don’t. Increasing ERP simply equates to more $ into his pocket. His primary aim, i believed, is to control traffic congestion. By increasing ERP, one could be put off from driving by increased costs. However, wouldn’t reducing road tax & price of cars bring the cost of driving back to square one? That’d be LPPL. (balls hittin’ dick, correct me if I’m wrong.)
He said in an interview, it goes something like this,”I set up more gantries. Car goes by. Beep beep. they angry, nevermind, at least they get their car.”
Eh, isn’t this about curbing traffic congestion in the 1st place? He wants to sucker more Singapore residents to buy cars at their lower initial price & then pay more for ERPs which he’d ultimately earn more from?
The root of the problem is overpopulation. Yet, he still maintains the open door policy. Brilliant.
“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.”
Our forefathers worked hard & long to lead Singapore to where it is today. We guys go through national (dis)service & risk our lives & bodies. We work to improve the economy & accepted suppressed wages. We gave so much & yet, expecting a wage inflation to offset the inflation is wrong?
We build you up, we do you good, you reprocicate. Inflations make us poorer by the dollar & you’re saying that requesting for inflated wages is wrong? It doesn’t matter if we are constantly kept poorer by inflations while you keep growing?
patriot
As a citizen for 58 years, I have yet to witness any reciprocal and altruistic iniative from the Leadership while we have to increasingly slog harder and longer only to face lower wages and increasing costs of livings.
How can we claimed to be lucky to be Singaporean?
I do not understand at all.
patriot
tiredsingaporeans
They don’t need us to understand, infact they are happy enough that we do not understand so they can come out with all kinds of imaginary figures to confuse us so they can and will continue screwing the people further. The scaring part is that we people sooner came to understand what all these are about now, its nothing but just money and more money to them to stay in power over you people.
David
I would like to see what things were said, by ministers, that contradicted each other.
cjc
#74 tiredsingaporeans
Before I pay the standard road tax of estimated $700/yr for a 1200cc car, now with the ERP, I still have to pay something like $500/yr but my average monthly ERP charges I am paying is abt another $250/month, see how much is the difference? what rebate are we talking about her?????.
Assuming the total net profit now is roughly the same as before ERP is implemented, then it is fair to car owners as a whole. Individually, car owners who drive more than average need to pay more now, so that people who drive less than the average can own a car. It might be unfortunate that you belong to the former category.
Nevertheless, we need to make sure that there is transparency in policies and their results. It’s too much to ask that all drivers pay less. But what we can ask is whether the policy is benefit car owners as a whole. In this case, whether the total profit is roughly the same as before, and also whether the average traveling time (adjusted for cost) is the same.
#75 pugdragon
I don’t get it. I simply don’t. Increasing ERP simply equates to more $ into his pocket. His primary aim, i believed, is to control traffic congestion. By increasing ERP, one could be put off from driving by increased costs. However, wouldn’t reducing road tax & price of cars bring the cost of driving back to square one? That’d be LPPL.
As mentioned above, the economic goal is to let more people own cars. So it should bring cost back to square one for the average driver. For people who drive more, they pay more now. And so people who drive little can now afford a car.
The fair question is whether the average driver pays roughly the same now.
gemami
the economic goal is to let more people own cars.
Correct me if I am wrong. Wasn’t COE introduced to limit and control car population? If this policy has shifted to allow for more car ownership, then COE ought to be abolished because it has lost its rationale.
cjc
#80 gemami
Correct me if I am wrong. Wasn’t COE introduced to limit and control car population? If this policy has shifted to allow for more car ownership, then COE ought to be abolished because it has lost its rationale.
I think they are just trying their best to make things “fresh and cheap” for car owners: let as many people own cars as possible (since it is highly regarded as one of the “C”s) and also make travelling as smooth as possible.
They are prudent. They still want a “gate” (i.e. COE) they can use to control the number of cars should things go out of control. Even with the COE, lowering some fixed cost (i.e. road tax) and introducing some variable cost (i.e. ERP) does make cars more affordable to less frequent drivers.
I don’t know whether abolishing COE and transferring this fixed cost to some other variable costs will be even better. May be it does.
tiredsingaporean
80) gemami on December 22nd, 2008 3.24 pm the economic goal is to let more people own cars.
Correct me if I am wrong. Wasn’t COE introduced to limit and control car population? If this policy has shifted to allow for more car ownership, then COE ought to be abolished because it has lost its rationale.
Hi Gem,
This is just an excuse about controlling cars on the road as claimed by them. See how chaotic those jams just outside the ERP eversince the system was effected. They only reported on MSM to show those roads inside which of course will reduced but did they dare show you those massive jams they caused on those roads just outside the ERP gantries? NO of course.
Before introducing the ERP, I paid only about $600/year for my road tax for a 1200cc car. Now, not only I am paying a reduced road tax of 50% lesser per year, but on an average I have to foot out another additional between $200 to $250/month on the ERP. So you see the difference in total I am now paying about $3000 to $3500 per year both the road tax and ERP gantries , see the huge difference? they have already worked out the formula and saw the hugh profit that they are going to make out of the people’s pocket so they come out to say that alot of motorists will benefit from the reduce road tax, which are a BIG LIE. Now we all are caught by their scheming trap and this is hitting the people below their belt.
Rational thought or logic is not welcome in Singapore. I wonder what George Orwell would say if he could take note of this little red dot today…
hi, you need to put this comment in.
”
The money still must come from somewhere, right? It is about a 1.5 percentage point increase of your GST. So, now it is 7%. You want it to be free, do you want the GST to go up to 8.5% to run a completely free bus and train system?”
Anonymous
79) cjc :
“Nevertheless, we need to make sure that there is transparency in policies and their results. It’s too much to ask that all drivers pay less. But what we can ask is whether the policy is benefit car owners as a whole. In this case, whether the total profit is roughly the same as before, and also whether the average traveling time (adjusted for cost) is the same.”
“The fair question is whether the average driver pays roughly the same now.”
The above a fair questions. But you know mandarins, like Singaporeans, are mostly kiasu and kiasi. They would therefore likely err on the side of caution i.e. getting revenue from ERP more than offseting the outflow of revenue from lower road tax. In the end, it is win to the authority and lose to the motorists.
There are Many Jobs for graduates even!!!
how about words of wise from
dulai, walter , belinda and editors?
gemami
cjc #81)
I think this is a case of the left eye talking to the right eye and never seeing eye to eye.
Let me explain. Firstly, COE was introduced under the climate of resentment from the general population but was deemed necessary because the car population was out of control and causing adverse traffic conditions.
Then ERP was introduced to control the adverse traffic conditions because COE was not effective in controlling the car population.
Now, more ERPs are introduced to allow for more car ownerships, resulting in the repeat of the initial condition for which COE was introduced.
Can anyone see what is right with this equation?
aiyoyo
aiyoyo
many many words, not really understand…
commoners need good lifestyle, no pressure etc.
(because commoners paid a lot already…)
is it because ELITEs vs commoners elites viewpoint differ?
aiyoyo
gemami
LKY: And if you already have a great orchestra, you can put a dummy there and you still got great music.
You guys remember the German pop group Milli Vanilli? They were Morvan & Pilaties (I hope I spelled correctly). A fine example of dummies receiving the Grammy which was later returned; disgraced for miming their hit songs. Very much similar to the little Chinese girl who stood in for the original singer who was deemed not pretty enough to grace the Olympics.
Now we know why we are having to adapt to so many dumb decisions being made lately. With so many dummies fronting all the unresolved issues before us, I wonder where the ‘ochestra’ is. Playing golf? Enjoying mee siam my hum? Looking at their cpf statements and jumping with joy?
blackfeline
i think they are all muppets manipulated by a senile old man!
“i think they are all muppets manipulated by a senile old man!”
this kind of muppets i also want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
smallvice585
The ERP scheme tries to overcome this by reducing the fixed cost (road tax) and charging car owners based on usage. By usage, it means the more “valuable” the road (convenient, faster, near to CBD etc), the higher price. Ultimately, people who do not need to use expensive roads frequently stand to gain, by being able to own a car. - cjc (#70)
That rationale would be valid if and only if roads are non-rival goods. The transport infrastructure simply does not have the capacity to take in more people and more vehicles. ERP was imposed on us because the COE policy failed to contain the growing vehicle population in Singapore. Being pro-Business, LTA wasn’t comfortable to let COE prices soar.
Wages actually increase each year to keep in peg with inflation so that the real worth stays the same. But the tricky part is when prices (like oil) fluctuates irrationally. While increasing wage according to inflation seems logical, the economic lessons of past tell us that it is problematic in practice because it makes correct pricing and valuation of assets hard in practice. - cjc (#71)
While there is an increase in buying power in wage increment, buying power is conserved in wage inflation. The problem with high inflation figures is that one’s buying power is reduced drastically.
MMSMPMMC
“But what you can do is to adjust, go for house brands, maybe go for frozen food instead of fresh food.”
Why only “you”, “you”, “you” and not US, WE or SINGAPORE?
So the you is us and we must go for frozen food and house brand whereas the RICH and FAMOUS ministars will continue to live like kings and queens?
Bread is Bread and Rice is Rice, tell it to yourself and your family!!!
Pay me a million a year, I can make even more morale uprising pep talk than this fellow.
WauLau
The rise and fall of an empire… It will happen if too many dummy are in place — it will go out of tune sooner or later,,World History have proven this..
“No need to buy branded bread. Bread is bread, rice is rice.”
The same can be said for politicians. Politician is politician, no need to pay millions for your so-called super talents.
Car Owner
“But what we can ask is whether the policy is benefit car owners as a whole.”
No and definitely no. If you increase your population by making it so easy for anyone with two legs to come in here, hence commuting needs, hence more vehicles, hence congestion, hence the need to control traffic, hence ERP, etc and hence we are back to square one again.
Ask yourself this question if you are car owner, does it benefit you. How.
tiredsingaporeans
LKY: And if you already have a great orchestra, you can put a dummy there and you still got great music.
Is he implying that all his PAP ministers are all DUMMIES being placed there for show only? I didn’t know dummies are so expensive these days!
tiredsingaporeans
LHL: When ERP was increased, we also reduced road tax and improved public transport. As a result, many more Singaporeans can now own cars. With more cars on the road, we need to increase ERP to keep traffic flowing.
When ERP was increased (they not only increased tremendously, they put up more gantries to suck the blood out of all you motorists)
We also reduced road tax (How much is the reduced rate compared to the monthly ERP charges we motorists have to foot out every month now? The Answer: more than 20 times)
Improved traffic flow (where are those roads being improved? inside the zone, correct! but did he mention all those roads just outside those ERP gantries are now causing massive jams?, its worst now than before.)
Its nothing more than just a cunning scheme to rob the people’s money outright!
tiredsingaporeans
LHL: If now we change our mindset, and say we used to save, now that we have money we don’t need to save anymore, then the growth will stop.
The GROWTH WILL STOP? yes those $millions in their personal bank accounts will stop growing.
not a fan of mee siam
If singapore becomes that 4billion company,
who is the CEO and chairman?
let a country be a country and not a company.
companies can be cold blooded when it comes to bottomline.
lets have a country.
lets call a spade a spade.
Erratum
I think the first LHL quote was from 2007. Source:
u left out this very one memorable sentence by Lee Kuan Yew:
“I have explained this. I think I lost votes after I explained the awful truth. Nobody believed it, but slowly it dawned on them, especially the graduates, that yes, you marry a non-graduate, then you worry about whether or not your son or daughter is going to make it to the university.”
cjc
#92 smallvice585
>The ERP scheme tries to overcome this by reducing the fixed cost (road tax) and
>charging car owners based on usage. By usage, it means the more “valuable” the
>road (convenient, faster, near to CBD etc), the higher price. Ultimately, people
>who do not need to use expensive roads frequently stand to gain, by being able
>to own a car. – cjc (#70)
That rationale would be valid if and only if roads are non-rival goods. The transport infrastructure simply does not have the capacity to take in more people and more vehicles. ERP was imposed on us because the COE policy failed to contain the growing vehicle population in Singapore. Being pro-Business, LTA wasn’t comfortable to let COE prices soar.
I agree that even with COE and no ERP, traffic congestion is hard to control. If we restrict the number of COEs conservatively (say, just 1 COE every 2 months) so that even the worst case traffic congestion is mild, then this is hurting people who plan to get a car but is not willing to pay that much. Economically, this is wasteful.
To be practical, the number of COEs issued is going be much larger so that on average more people can use cars, although the worst case is now less contained. The ERP scheme tries to go further by charging based on usage, so that people who has a lower budget can have a low budget option (i.e. drive less) and not be deterred by the high fixed cost. People who drive more obviously pays more now.
I think the fair question to ask is whether usage cost is priced correctly, i.e. the average driver is paying roughly the same as before. If he or she is paying more for roughly the same quality of traffic, then the ERP charges are too high.
If the average driver pays more and yet traffic is even more congested then before, then either the ERP charges are lower than the true usage costs causing roads to be more congested, or there is something strange about some drivers. Maybe some new car owners under-estimated the cost of owning a car when the fixed cost is lowered, and now they “die die” want to drive regardless of the high ERP charges to make the initial splurge worthwhile, rather than keeping their cars in the parking lots at home. Maybe there are more taxis (the passenger pays anyway) now since people used to complain that there aren’t enough taxis during peak hours.
You might think that the old scheme is better at containing traffic. Economically, it is only better for the previous car owners at the expense of infrequent drivers. Non-economically, it just means that there is no “cheap and fresh” solution. The two group of people has to sort it out.
cjc
#102 alex tan
u left out this very one memorable sentence by Lee Kuan Yew:
“I have explained this. I think I lost votes after I explained the awful truth. Nobody believed it, but slowly it dawned on them, especially the graduates, that yes, you marry a non-graduate, then you worry about whether or not your son or daughter is going to make it to the university.”
There is some relevant discussion at
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/12/mother-machine/ (ref #18,#90,#100)
gemami
Is he implying that all his PAP ministers are all DUMMIES being placed there for show only? I didn’t know dummies are so expensive these days!
Good point, TiredSg #97). Now we know the real reason why there are GRCs and the purpose of having them. So that dummies can have a free ride. PAP need these dummies to prop them up.
It also shows the extent by which a father will go great length to, to protect his son.
GoodSingaporean
Today without the ERP during the peak time, surprizingly the traffic are vy smooth. Y? Can anyone explain y the traffic is smooth? Is the ERP a way to control traffic or a money earning tools for the garman?
tiredsingaporeans
105) gemami on December 24th, 2008 7.57 am
When the ole man is gone, those dummies will turn into mummies and the haunt will start among themselves.
cjc
#106 GoodSingaporean
Today without the ERP during the peak time, surprizingly the traffic are vy smooth. Y? Can anyone explain y the traffic is smooth?
Because less people work, so there is less traffic during peak hours.
The problem is that we can’t make everyday today to reduce traffic congestion.
tiredsingaporeans
108) cjc on December 25th, 2008 11.43 am
#106 GoodSingaporean
Today without the ERP during the peak time, surprizingly the traffic are vy smooth. Y? Can anyone explain y the traffic is smooth?
The ERPs are not meant for traffic control in the first place, its just one of their hungry money making instrument to collect that extra billions out of the motorists pockets. If it is so, then they should not be releasing so many COEs onto the market as they have already knew way before hand. Now that the roads are floaded with cars, they took this reason to put up more gantries and trapped you people, simple as that.
ZL
Goh Chok Tong once said something like this – “we are like a yacth, we sail when there is wind, but no choice but to stop when there is no wind (recession), and will sail again when wind start blowing.
Cancer
As mentioned by Gilbert Goh, 2008 is one of the worst year for the PAP. It could be due to bad ‘feng shui’ of the S’pore flyer as mentioned by Florian Bollen ” the Flyer is going in the wrong direction… going against the sun and taking fortune away from S’pore”.
Cm Liew
My Quote :
The public transport fare is not directly linked to the oil price.
it’s somewhat link to the economics factors.. like price of water, electricity, bread, fast foods index or it could be linked to the Weather !
It’s can be linked to the free newspaper circulated during peak hour, and sometime you might get a free ride too.. (WLL : wait Long Long !!!)
cjc
#109 tiredsingaporeans
The ERPs are not meant for traffic control in the first place, its just one of their hungry money making instrument to collect that extra billions out of the motorists pockets. If it is so, then they should not be releasing so many COEs onto the market as they have already knew way before hand. Now that the roads are floaded with cars, they took this reason to put up more gantries and trapped you people, simple as that.
The ERP charges by usage. Unfortunately, car owners who drive more end up paying more.
Under the old COE-only solution, infrequent drivers will loss out.
pancake
I read somewhere that MM said something about husbands and wives should share similar status (reputation, wealth, education, etc) before they can marry. It’s called men2 dang1 hu4 dui4 in mandarin. Can anyone find this quote? I totally disagree with this comment.
gemami
Wong Kan Seng said: “This should never have happened. I am sorry that it has.”
His bosses backed him by telling Singaporeans that we should not fault WKS for
MSK’s escape because he wasn’t at the ‘crime’ scene when it happened. For this, I say, they too have committed a huge injustice to the people of Singapore. They have taken a very light-hearted approach to a situation that has the most serious breach of national security connotations in recent history. They have given very light weightage to an issue that has the most serious repercussions in terms of terrorists payback.
It has also made light of our court of law, which can now be clearly seen as a
kangaroo court by the following examples:
1. A thief:
Thief: Your honour, this should never have happened. I am sorry that it has.
Judge: It’s ok. The store owner is at fault for not keeping his stocks under lock
and key. You’re free to go.
2. A Hit & Run Motorist:
Motorist: Your honour, this should never have happened. I am sorry that it has.
Judge : It’s ok. The victim ought to have know better that he has traversed onto
the road. He should have been more careful. You’re free to go.
3. A Rapist:
Rapist: Your honour, this should never have happened. I am sorry that it has.
Judge: It’s ok, you’re free to go. The victim was asking for it by the way she
behaved.
4. A Murderer:
Murderer: Your honour, this should never have happened. I am sorry that it has.
Judge: It’s ok. The damage is already done, no point killing another. You may
go.
These are just a few examples. You can create your own. Point is, imagine
these people continue to walk alongside us day in and day out? Imagine one of
them being placed somewhere up there controlling our national affairs?
Our Home Affairs?
Even if he is not guilty of the crime, he ought to taken moral responsibility for it. What is moral responsibility? To take responsibility for the wrong committed even if you are not directly responsible for the crime.
DavidSeeLeongKit
Mind-boggling Mumbo-jumbo Mutterings of Million-dollar Ministers:
$2m PMO Minister-cum-NTUC Chief Lim Swee Say: “Our slogan is ‘upturn the downturn’”.
[ NTUC = Never Trust a Union Chief (especially a PAP appointee) ]
S’poreans say: Next thing he may say: “After the DOWNTURN, we will UPTURN our million-loller salaries to even higher levels before the DOWNTURN” !!!!!!
Santa Claus say: HO HO HO
Bozo The Clown say: HA HA HA
Mickey Mouse say: HE HE HE
aiyoyo
aiyoyo
see the flyer news, very shocked!
not sure why take so long to deploy rescuers?
aiyoyo
tiredsingaporean
115) gemami on December 26th, 2008 8.22 am
Wong Kan Seng said: “This should never have happened. I am sorry that it has.”
Even if he is not guilty of the crime, he ought to taken moral responsibility for it. What is moral responsibility? To take responsibility for the wrong committed even if you are not directly responsible for the crime.
Hi Gem,
“To take responsibility for the wrong committed even if you are not directly responsible for the crime”
This statement is only effective when they want to use it to find fault or eliminating any person or party who are being a thread to them.
gemami
Hi tiredsingaporean,
You’re right; and it can backfire on them the day the roles are changed. Whoever comes into power then, will upturn & downturn the PAP’s work with the same helicopter vision, and guess what the result will be? They will be made to account for every wrong, every empty promise, every lie and every sinew of nepotism they think they can escape from with power now in their hands.
Every injustice will be met with the full law of justice without the presence or the need of any kangaroos. The law will be with the people. The people will be the kangaroos. The time will come when they will run but they can’t hide. History has proven it. it will not fail the oppressed. Justice always prevails.
gemami
These are excerpts from LHL’s speech in parliament:
We put the best people we can find in charge at every level in Government and the public service, and hold them responsible for delivering performance and results.
Mr Speaker Sir, we demand high standards of integrity and performance from every public servant, MP and office-holder. We assess them rigorously and objectively, and apply disciplinary rules fairly and impartially to all.
This trust between the Government and the people is crucial.
PM says the best people are in charge. He holds them accountable. He demands a high standard and he applies disciplinary rules fairly and impartially. He claims this to be the reason for the trust the people have for his govt.
Let’s assess:
a. best people: if you allow the biggest fish in the detention history of Singapore to escape, you cannot be the best person in charge – - -FAILED!
b. holds them accountable: by only saying he is sorry? FAILED!
c. demands high standard: for not meting out punishment in severity to the crime is no where demanding high standard: FAILED
d. applies rule fairly and impartially: junior officers taking the rap while letting the minister go scott free: FAILED!
e. trust between people & govt: this, we need to see WKS’s press release to come to a judgement.
This was WKS’s press release:
I urge the public to stay calm and to report any suspicious sightings to the Police immediately. Anyone who renders assistance to him is committing a grave offence.
See the picture? He allowed the biggest prisoner in SG’s history to limped away and he dare to threaten the people with a “grave offence” statement? If it is so grave, he ought to have known earlier and make sure he did not make the grave offence of letting him limp away as if invicible.
For threatening the people for the grave mistake he made and for getting his boss to make the same threat, how can the people trust this sort of people to govern their lives? We are now living in fear of some retaliatory action from MSK and his supporters. : Trust value: FAILED!
Only the PAP can get away with such an offence.
gemami
LKY: “We’ll find a way to have more voices inside the assembly, but not at the risk of voting in a Division 2 or 3 Government.”
“If ever the PAP goes corrupt, weak, it’s finished. You will have to look for a new team, and a new party. That will be very difficult. So just watch and make sure nothing goes wrong with the PAP.”
Precisely the same reason why the two-party advocates have been calling for alternatives. The day WILL come, if not already here, when the PAP becomes corrupt (high salary), and weak (minibonds,TCs & so many other issues); and we are having such a hard time looking for alternatives.
So what if we watch and make sure nothing goes wrong with the PAP?. We can watch but we do not have the power to make sure it does not go wrong. In fact, we are telling them some of the things are awfully wrong and we have offered alternative solutions to them. So what? What can we do if they continue to believe they are right?
Why make an incomplete statement Mr. Mentor? No wonder your mentoring is going haywire with Woody and Sonny.
Why not tell them the plain awful truth? We need a readily available alternative. If this is you division one, then may I suggest you let us try division two or three. Perhaps we might be happier with Singapore football than with Engligh football, if the winner is going to be Man United every season.
To cjc
“113) cjc on December 25th, 2008 12.29 pm
The ERP charges by usage. Unfortunately, car owners who drive more end up paying more.
Under the old COE-only solution, infrequent drivers will loss out.”
With our high petrol tariff already built into the whole scheme of thing on traffic control or what-not, don’t you think that this has already taken care of your pay-for-usage explanation.
Red Baron
Progress of Singapore :
As PM mentioned, more cars > more traffic > more ERP > more $$$$
1. Car under control with tight financial policy…
2. Goverment come up with way of making $$$$$ : selling us a piece of paper for tens of thousand of dollars
3. Then to increase revenue, loosen the leash and allows for loans up to practically 100%
4. As the cars increased and COE begins to drop, introduce ERP, instead of chopping us carrots once, now can squeeze carrot juices out of us carrots….
5. Even better, to increase the constant flow, make COE bidding open and bring down the price, generating more cars ownership and constant income flow…
6. Next stop, remove COE (back to square one and even better, NTUC give out loans to low income family to help them buy car) and charge drivers based on usage, everytime u leave ur zone, start counting $$$$….
Not happy, take public transport lor, that way, the shares will go up and guess who owns the shares…….
Ko
PM – “GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is $210 billion, that’s the profit earned in a year.” is a misleading statement. This is like saying a company’s profit earned = revenue + expenses + capital expenditure + borrowings. Also GDP includes the profits earned by MNC in S’pore even though the profits may not stay in Singapore.
It is weird that top govt officials peg their salaries and bonus to GDP.
As GDP = consumption + gross investment + government spending + (exports − imports). This means that the more you and I spend (consumption), the greater their bonus. And since government spending (which affects GDP) is controlled by the government, does it mean that they can influence their own bonus?
Palpit Countdown
SMEs bosses come up their own business ideas and creative ideas and earned money and contribute to economy.
thanks to SMEs for the GDP.
we must not forget who else contributes to the GDP.
no single person generated the GDP.
tiredsingaporeans
121) gemami on December 26th, 2008 2.14 pm
Hi Gem,
What he is trying to say is asking us to continue watching them to perform like clowns in those circles and we are not supposed to ask or question them even when we find something is not right. Remember they passed it as a law that no one is allowed to check on those MPs background or something like that, right? You want to know reason? because beside being a team as in the father, son and holy goh, they are also holding MPs position in different zone, now is that all clear by now?
patriot
Dear gemami;
the remarks You have posted in this thread are questions , doubts and thinkings of the masses who either do not know how and where to pose them because the MSM will NEVER ALLOW THEM to be printed, broadcasted or telecasted. Luckily for us here in Cyberspace, we have the opportunity to express our frustrations and exasperations, unfortunately, only a minority of our fellow citizens are in here.
On a personal note, I should say You have the gut, the ability and the chilvary towards your fellow countrymen, your contributions will be appreciated by many here.
In this pure capitalist, imperial system in our land, the masters have the power to use as they like much like what tiresingaporean had expressed earlier. They remunerate themselves(leaders) World Record Emoluments, they immune themselves from investigations, whatever this means and they do not account for investing public money etc.
Gemami; You are righteous and forthright and I am very glad to read your postings.
Yours truly: patriot
Gorilla Voice
“This was a lapse, what to do, it’s happened.”
Classic.
Goes very well with “Mee siam mai hum”.
PM, PM… *shake head*…
And the Singapore Flyer has been turning in the direction suggested by the Feng Shui masters since August 9. And what what advise do these Feng Shui Masters have for the management of Singapore Flyer now???
Harrison
We should compile a list of what LKY and LHL had said which had been controversial, wrong or utter rubbish. This will be among the most transparent initiatives to showcase the LEES’ advertised credibility and their self-elevated worthiness.
Dear Patriot,
I am so honoured to hear such compliments from you. Allow me to run to the washroom to pour a pail of water over my head . . . excuse me……………….(pour water over head)……………………………………………..ok…………… I am back.
It is good that we have TOC, a place where the true and innermost thinking of Singaporeans gather together. My motto for change is and has always been: “Small Steps”. Indeed, we meed to take small steps to counter the lies and propaganda of this govt.
Do keep in mind that small steps need not be slow steps. We need to take small quick steps to realise our dream of a completely free Singapore where the citizens are no longer digits to be placed here or there, but are people, human beings, who have choices and the freedom to pick the choices they so wish for a more humane and intergral society that is true, honest and sincere.
We must strive, on behalf of those who cannot speak out loud, to bring this message across as best as we can. It is a small and simple duty we have toward our fellow citizens. We must remain humble and work toward the common good of all.
Thanks Patriot. Your words have encouraged me beyond what words can express.
Gemami P.
Daniel
That is the sad state of affair in Singapore with government’s rampant lies and deception.
A few of aunts I meet in a market thought that ScamBomb issues are already mostly resolved through fair compensation. I ask them where they get those information from. Their Answer: From ShittyTimes.
I ask aunts if they read online or TOC: Their Answer: What is that ?
I tell them what compensation and ask them if they accept $250 out of goodwill compensation in exchange of their upfront investment of $90,000 through mis-selling and mis-representation, the aunt answer: Screw the gov because they knew those money-sucking banks are related to the gov with gahmen holding some of the bank’s high position.
http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/2008/11/low-compensation-offered-by-hlf.html
tiredsingaporeans
129) Ravi Philemon on December 27th, 2008 3.56 pm And the Singapore Flyer has been turning in the direction suggested by the Feng Shui masters since August 9. And what what advise do these Feng Shui Masters have for the management of Singapore Flyer now???
Ravi, first advise to turn clockwise, then oops! wrong direction, then turn anti-clockwise, then oh! oh! wrong again, then starts to breakdown time and again, and now what? . . . . . .. hmmmmm . . . . .(fengshui master thinking hard now). . . . . . . . . . .hmmmmm . . . . . paste multi colored talismans on each and every cabin then . . . . . . . hmmmmmmm. . . . .see how first . . .??????
Francis Chua
Gibert Goh wrote:
>I can’t in my faintest mind envisage our PM empathsizing with the ground as his >childhood is shrouded in luxury and even with some soft pampering. He is >chaueffeur driven to school with a body guard, went to Cambridge and then >rose to come a general. Though he is capable, smart and articulate, he could >never have understand how one feels when he is laid off and could not pay his >bills on time. He could never have smell the stench of a rental flat for the aged >nor recollect memories of having being bullied in school as a child. He has the >life of a prince.
I think this perception is not correct. I heard many times that he has spoken and acted for ordinary Singaporeans, plus the personal tragedies that he survived made him a very compassionate person. I heard that he has helped many persons, regardless of their political affiliation. Like all others, he do not have a choice which family he is to be born into. This is a man who is probably more misunderstood than anything else. This is the sickness of our society, why are we rejecting those who are rich and powerful just because they are rich and powerful? It is like rejecting those who are poor and powerless.
Where are the quotes of the unsung heros in our society? It is us who keep making ourselves feel small by making others seem larger than life. In the end, we should blame ourselves for our own doing. If we do not think highly of materialism, it will not matter that others go to schools in other countries or be driven around. We need to help the poor to help themselves, and not keep blaming rich for the problems of the poor, unless it is the rich who created the problems. By the way, the labels ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ remains just that, labels.
ordinaryman
TOC, great job….. GOD BE WITH YOU .
Gilbert Goh
Dear Francis Chua
I do agreed with you a little on your statement.
Our PM was ok until after the election 2006. He seemed to have make a 180% turn and appeared a totally different man. Perhaps he may be trying to stand up for himself as it is never easy to be a PM when your father is still around in Parliament. He may be trying to be powerful to remove any doubts about his leadership. I don’t admire his position now.
Just after 2006 GE, three months later, he announced a slew of price increases that have never seem to relent. Year after year, there were some increases in facilities here and there. This not only impacted the poor but also the middle income earners. Our pay also stagnanted making the sitatuion worser than post GE 2006. The wage gap seems to widen and many frankly now earns below the $2000 salary mark. We also have to build more smaller flats now confirming the notion all along that though our GDP imrpoves yearly it does not mean a direct proportional improvement in our wages.
A government is only good if it helps to improve the livelihood of our general population. I could not see this happening post GE 2006.
He also allowed the IRs to be constructed knowing that this will have serious moral implications on society. I remembered that he said he will be solely responsible for the decision. LKY also backed up the situation by saying that though there was a split in Parliament, someone needs to make a decision. I felt that LSL at that time was forced to decide for the IRs as it may signal a sign of weakness if he backs down from the IR decision. This is just my personal opinion.
I felt troubled as right now, the decision making operation mow lies with one man only and probably at best restricted to three or four key people at the top. I felt that they should draw in more people so that they will not have groupthink mentality which always happen when a few men decide on a course of action for too long.
Singapore needs a change desperately as perhaps we are being governed by a single party for too long. A staleness seems to have crept in our country. We move abeit slowly and in this time of uncertainty fresh ideas need to be injected into our governance so that we can move on steadily. Unless our top men are very open to new ideas and daring enough to implement them, I foresee the next decade to be a period of suffering for our people. That is why many who can migrate will left the country as there is nothing much that will hold them back.
Reply to tiredsingaporeans @ post #133:
Tiredsingaporeans…you are a FUNNY person…lol…
tiredsingaporeans
Hi Ravi, its something similar to what I’ve seen earlier, take a look at http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_amkacIIwAFE/SRg1n1dD0MI/AAAAAAAAAyU/tScDLkMFCHQ/s1600-h/astrology.jpg
Be Sensitive to other Believers
Juz my 1.987 cents:
TOC comment posters
I urge you to be juz 1 atom more sensitive towards
non-believers or other believers of other religions or no religions (atheists).
For intellectual discussion to thrive, the blog should stick to being neutral when it comes to religion.
While I Respect fully all religions, and the good role religious believers give to the community, we must remind ourselves that in Life, there are many shades of colors as wide ranging as the Rainbow.
Moreover, sgp is multi-cultural and racial and religious.
Lets not post too much religious exclamations for fairness to everyone, to encompass everyone.
Roderic Sng
to be blunt,
i fail to see why some of the quotes are memorable.
there are many more memorable ones not shown.
hope to see more as the year countsdown to a close.
regards
Mee Siam digital age
hi roderic,
you can always suggest. =)
roger then
Just a bunch of old people hanging on to their fortune generated by their offsprings through foreign investors, and talking nonsense. While continuing their asian value of harming their offsprings, they remain to be protected by their preached asian value, a cycle that we must break.
Imagine this…how many asian parenats teach their kids on skills on survival, or ways to make a successful individual?? Morally, Physically, Financially and Intellectually?? I doubt so….base on percentage in asia.
Asia is booming now, 2008. And, most of the time, you see a father driving a Rolls Royce, the son driving a pickup, a typical asian value of treating offsprings as slaves! When the old man dies, his KIDS will be around 60’s, time for retirement, and money needed for their illness. That’s when fights for inheritance begins…….and families fall apart. Morons always create impacts, of great influences to their offsprings, and the judges won.
Old Fart
What about the Old Fart’s “golden” words:
“We are in a Golden Era”
Old Fart
tiredsingaporeans
LKY: Yes, there was corruption. Yes, he gave favors to his family and his friends. But there was real growth and real progress…
Is he referring to something or is he saying that corruption is still acceptable as long as there are real growth and progress in a country?
tiredsingaporeans
LKY: We’ll find a way to have more voices inside the assembly, but not at the risk of voting in a Division 2 or 3 Government.
Oh… he is trying to say that he’ll find a way to have more (PAP) voices inside the assembly, anything outside of PAP is not allowed lah! talk here talk there so long winded still LP=PL mah!
Looni Loon
My favorite has to be the one about
going long term. I wonder what is the definition of long term? does it mean 10 years? 100 years or 10000 years? more ten thousand years!? ??
makes it very interesting and memorable statement.
kudos to TOC for Ginko Biloba’ing the singaporean readers.
Keep those Ginko coming!
tiredsingaporean
LHL: The situation looks a lot gloomier now than when they went in but these are long-term investments. It looks under water now, but the situation can change.
Of course, the situation can change, who doesn’t know? even an idiot will also know. But, the point is change to what? and when? did he tell you that? no answer still?
Voter
The present A Team is good for another two elections. We do not have the numbers to ensure an A Team and an alternative A Team.
By saying this present A Team will “Think” how to make more money from the people of Singapore.
ERP
GST from 7% to 8.5%
Transports MRT, BUS, TAXI, SCHOOL BUS
INCOME TAX
Recession already hurt us, on the way 2009 more worse.
Retrencment news everydays on the newspaper.
The present A Team must help the people of singapore or they just act blur…
If they act blur…….
We have to decide next General Election.
Vote them out.
Vote for more caring party.
Vote for two party system.
Vote for democracy.
Stat cheetstics
I think complete wipe out is far fetched due to ….
i think the consolation prize could be a grz. juz 1 at best.
and that is the way….
in …..
digital …..age.
bluntly,
my hum.
tiredsingaporean
LTK: I wish to thank the residents of Hougang and also many Singaporeans who support the Workers’ Party for giving feedback constantly on the work of Hougang Town Council, without the need for the reminder from SM Goh.
For the information of the Senior Minister, the Hougang Town Council’s accounts are on the website. He may want to take a look himself.
As a matter of facts, residents of those TCs managed by those papees should be reminded time and again to conduct constant lookouts for any misuse of public funds since already so many $millions has already been lost behind the peoples back on illegal investments.
Teo Kueh Liang
It will be great and a pleasure to know if Minister K Shanmugam could elaborate more about the completely security-sealed country?
Bulge Gee
Where is MSK?
Beng Tin
How much were ever invested in toxic products before? all of them.
I dont question reality - i am apathy
Dear TOC,
would it be useful to have a Top 10
list by way of polling?
with all due respect, TOC have not listed the following memorable quotes of 2008 , quoted from FeedMeToTheFish:
1. “Every month, when I receive my CPF statement, I feel so rich and the best part is, I know the CPF money won’t run away. CPF will still be around for a long, long time to come. Not only is it earning good interest, my capital is protected.” (Lim Swee Say)
2. “That is the way the world is. I have explained this. I think I lost votes after I explained the awful truth. Nobody believed it, but slowly it dawned on them – especially the graduates – that yes, you marry a non-graduate, then you worry about whether or not your son or daughter is going to make it to the university!”(Lee Kuan Yew)
3. B C mee.
4. Mr fix it.
5. Touching : “GST hike is to help the poor.”
regrads
Mee Siam
Naiche
No mortal empire had and can last forever. No matter how perfect a system seemed to be, it will not, over time.
No matter how much wealth one can amass and pass on, the only legacies that survive are those which originated from true passions.
A happy and blissful man dies knowing he had loved.
We follow our hearts and do what it says is right. And then, we just let things ride.
Interesting … very interesting