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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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.”
#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.
#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)
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.
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?
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.
#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.
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.
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.
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”.
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 !!!)
#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.
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.
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.
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
see the flyer news, very shocked!
not sure why take so long to deploy rescuers?
aiyoyo
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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…….
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?
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.
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?
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
“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???
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.
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
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 . . .??????
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.
TOC, great job….. GOD BE WITH YOU .
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…
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
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.
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. =)
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.
What about the Old Fart’s “golden” words:
“We are in a Golden Era”
Old Fart
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?
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!
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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
It will be great and a pleasure to know if Minister K Shanmugam could elaborate more about the completely security-sealed country?