GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS
2008 has been an eventful and challenging year. The world is entering the most serious economic crisis in sixty years. The global financial system has seized up, companies are finding it harder to obtain credit, and economies everywhere are slowing down. Europe and Japan have joined the US in a simultaneous recession. Asia too is seeing a sharp slowdown.
As a small, open economy, Singapore cannot avoid being hit. We earn our living by trading with and servicing the world. So the fall in worldwide demand has hit our exports, our tourism sector, and our broader economy. We have gone into a recession, though growth for the year as a whole is still positive at 1.5%.
The outlook is highly uncertain. At each stage of this crisis, events have turned out worse than the experts predicted. Governments everywhere have been implementing monetary and fiscal measures, rescuing troubled financial institutions and key corporations and pumping money into the economy. But no one is sure how the financial systems and economies will respond, or which policies will work. There is a loss of business and consumer confidence and, hence, one thing is certain: things cannot turn around overnight. Quite likely the global recession will be followed not by a quick rebound, but by several more years of slow growth.
We must therefore prepare for a difficult year ahead, and especially the first half of 2009. Our economy will probably contract further. More companies will be forced to downsize. So far we have not seen many job losses, but I expect more retrenchments in the next few months. We must be psychologically prepared.
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO SAVE JOBS
The Government has responded promptly to this economic storm. Our key focus is jobs – keeping people in jobs, helping workers who lose jobs find new ones, and retraining them with new skills. To do this, we have to help businesses ride over this rough period. So long as people have work, they can take care of themselves and their families.
We have already implemented two significant initiatives. The first initiative is the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR), which was jointly launched by the tripartite partners on 1 December. SPUR helps businesses pay for their staff training. The tripartite partners have reported good response. Already, more than 120 companies have come on board, which together will train more than 4,200 workers.
The second initiative is enhancing government financing programmes for companies. This is to ensure that basically sound firms, especially the smaller ones, can still obtain financing despite the tight credit climate, and so keep their operations going. We have also recently reduced interest rates and increased insurance premium subsidies under the schemes. These measures will benefit some 13,500 existing loans worth $550 million and an estimated $3 billion in new loans.
Apart from these two measures, we also lowered corporate taxes in 2008. New enterprises and smaller companies enjoy further tax exemptions, which mean that many pay little or no taxes. For households, the 2008 Budget package included Growth Dividends, U-SAVE, S&CC and Rental Rebates, and top-ups to Post-Secondary Education Accounts. These schemes are helping Singaporeans, particularly lower income families, to tide over the difficult period.
Our next major move will be the 2009 Budget, which we have brought forward to January. The emphasis is still to protect jobs. We will do more to help viable companies to stay afloat and continue to employ their workers. We will introduce measures to help them with their business costs, including rental and wage bills. We are also studying further financing support for companies.
Compared to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, this crisis is more difficult for us to overcome because it is global. Still, it will not last forever. After a few years, conditions will go back to normal, though we cannot expect a quick return to the boom years before the crisis. Meanwhile, a world in recession is not a world without opportunities. In the midst of the storm, we must keep pursuing new growth chances, and look beyond the immediate problems to ensure that Singapore emerges stronger after the downturn. Hence, the Budget will also contain measures to develop our competitiveness and build up new and long term capabilities. Some businesses may not recover from the slump in global demand, but most should survive. We will help them to build up their operations, and also encourage new businesses to grow, so that there will always be good jobs for Singaporeans.
The Budget package will not restore our economy to high growth overnight. But our measures will moderate the impact on Singaporeans, and on our economy. We will continue to monitor closely how events unfold. If more measures become necessary, we have the resources, and the will, to do more to see Singapore through this recession.
MEETING THE CRISIS AS ONE NATION
However, Government help alone will not solve the problem. Every one of us has a part to play. Companies should work with the unions to find ways to cut costs, and consider downsizing only as a last resort. During a downturn, businesses should try hard to keep their core team together, to hold on to their critical knowledge and skills. They should also take advantage of this slack period and the available schemes to build new and better capabilities. Such a far-sighted approach will pay off when the upturn comes.
On their part, workers should go for upgrading and pick up new skills. There are still many good jobs even now. Singapore has attracted exceptionally high investment commitments in the last two years. For 2009, EDB forecasts that investment commitments will be lower, but could still exceed $10 billion. When these projects are completed they will create many new jobs.
In addition, sectors like construction and marine which have not been popular with Singaporeans still offer many jobs. There are also vacancies in the service industry, such as in healthcare and education, the IRs and retail trade, and in the Home Team and security. There are jobs not only for the rank and file, but also supervisory and technical positions for professionals, managers and executives. If you are job hunting, I hope you will venture beyond your comfort zone to take up these available jobs, even if they are not your first choice.
In this difficult period, families must bind together, as Asian societies have always done in times of trouble. We must all fulfill our duties to our parents, our spouses and our children. In particular, we must safeguard our children’s future. Parents must ensure that children continue to attend kindergarten or childcare centre, and keep up their school attendance and school work.
Singaporeans must also take care of one another beyond our immediate families. Community and welfare organisations, as well as grassroots organisations all over the island, have expanded their schemes to help needy citizens – food hampers, Fairprice vouchers, bursaries, and pocket money for needy students. The Government will also continue to play its part, by helping the poor through ComCare. These efforts must be supported by all Singaporeans. If you are able to contribute, do volunteer your help.
TACKLING SECURITY CHALLENGES
Besides the economic downturn, 2008 has also brought political instability and security threats to some countries in our region, making it harder for these countries to focus on their economic problems.
Extremist terrorism is a continuing threat. The recent terrible attacks in Mumbai were a vivid reminder of this. Singapore was not the target, but tragically a Singaporean, Ms Lo Hwei Yen, became a victim. We all mourn her loss. We must also understand what this incident means for our security, and how we can protect ourselves better from the threat of terrorism.
We are doing our utmost to prevent something like this from happening here. Our security and intelligence agencies monitor potential threats closely, and cooperate quietly with their counterparts in neighbouring countries. We are tightening up border security, and taking physical precautions at major events. Ordinary citizens can help in this too, by being on the alert and reporting anything suspicious.
But there is no 100% guarantee that we will never be hit. Therefore, we must strengthen our psychological resilience and our social cohesion, so that should an attack ever occur despite all our efforts, we can absorb the shock, pull together and recover from the blow.
Most importantly, extremist terrorism must not be allowed to undermine our racial and religious harmony. Singaporeans understand that terrorism is a threat to all of us. All religious groups have unequivocally condemned the Mumbai attacks. We need to work continuously to further strengthen this unity, trust and resilience. This is the purpose of the Community Engagement Programme (CEP) – to prepare ourselves to respond to any crisis not as individuals or different communities, but as one nation.
CONCLUSION
Despite the storm clouds, we have good reasons to be quietly confident. Around the world, people recognise that Singapore started with precious little but built a prosperous and cohesive multi-racial nation through our ingenuity and effort. On my recent journeys abroad, I found everywhere a high regard for Singapore. Whether in Latin America, China or the Middle East, people admired what we have achieved, and were eager to learn from our experiences. I was asked many questions about how we tackle our problems, and in particular how we are responding to the crisis. They were confident that we would pull through and wanted to pick up ideas from us. Perhaps that is why the World Bank is setting up a World Bank-Singapore Urban Hub in Singapore, to share some of our experience and expertise with other developing countries.
Singapore’s key strengths are our honest and capable leadership, sound policies which look beyond the short term, social cohesion and talented and hardworking people. These strengths have brought us peace, prosperity and progress for decades, and they will see us through these difficult times. When the environment was favourable, we upgraded and grew our economy, lived within our means and patiently built up sizeable reserves. So when this sudden, severe storm struck, we were ready.
Together, we will overcome this downturn, as we have overcome many previous ones, and emerge stronger from the experience. Together, we can meet the future with confidence.
I wish all Singaporeans a Happy New Year.
—–
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
46) Partisan
Woa…Partisan!WHAT A GREAT INSIGHT! so it is becaushe of PAP, tts why we are having such a “good”life now? please…wake up….all your fawning of the gahmen praising them etc makes me sick….
Dude, it takes 2 hands to clap…you think we get our result purely because of the gahmen and their “Brilliant” ideas and capabitilies? hell no, it is because of the hard work put in by the people and that has been largely forgotten…a country is not built by its leader alone….it is build by the people….so stop helping them claim more credits then they deserve.
“Without PAP, there will be no modern Singapore – we will probably be some fishing village back in the 70s.”
Please….given PAP, but without the hardworking citizen…do you think we will succeed…i know it may be hard for you…but please, just try to use a little of your brain power if you can to think about this before writing it.
“And if you are born in another country, I doubt you would even have the time to complain here and there because there are so much corruption and organised crimes.”
Great… Partisan…within one of your comment, you have just managed to insult all the other countries in the world since you say there are so much corruption and organised crimes over there…well for your info, last i heard, Singapore isn’t the least corrupted country…NZ, Denmark and Finland holds the record…
Partisan, Singapore is what it is today not only because of the Gahmen…it is because of the people. Have you ever heard of any civilization that boom because of their gahmen alone? So please wake up
“Without PAP, there will be no modern Singapore – we will probably be some fishing village back in the 70s.”
Lest anyone forgets, by the turn of the 20th century, Singapore was already a bustling port-of-call for many traders, and many people became successful merchants and philantrophists. The British, for all the evils of the Empire, did a brilliant job transforming this backwater fishing village, constructed many public works, and left behind an effective adminstrative system… since 1816. WW2 may have destroyed many infrastructure, but there was already an established system of trade and commerce, and British-style adminstration, which we should also own our success to.
Of course even we if have inherited all these, we could still end up like Myammar if the government had been nothing but a corrupted regime (Burma, before the junta took over was supposedly the crown jewel of SEA). But to make simplistic sweeping statements like we would only be a fishing village and nothing more without PAP shows a lack of critical thinking and intellectual curiosity to find out more about our history… as well as an insult to the countless self-made and selfless men like Tan Tock Seng, Whampoa Hoo Ah Kay, Munshi Abdullah, Naraina Pillai, as well as effective governors like Farquhar and John Crawford.
“47) Leanne on January 3rd, 2009 6.34 pm
Do you guys think Chee can do better?”
Please refrain from strawman argument like this. Your argument is based around the logic (or illogic) of – So you think Option A is bad. Then think about Option B. Wow. Option B sucks. Therefore Option A is good. Therefore shut up and accept uncondtionally Option A.
You set up your own premise. You make sure than you win your own argument by eliminating all other options. You use only possibly the worse other option, Option B, to make your claim that we should accept Option A. You deliberately leave out other options because you know that to take them into consideration, you won’t have a case. That is intellectual dishonesty.
You didn’t want people to consider that even if Option B is bad, it doesn’t mean therefore that we should quietly accept Option A. It doesn’t mean therefore that we can’t chip in and improve Option A.
Ok? Can? I hope this had been enlightening. Hugs.
51) Taxes
How apt to use a nick like “Taxes”. Although corruption wise, the countries you mentioned are similarly ranked as Singapore but in these countries you pay very higher taxes and high cost of living and, for some of them, they are financially not as strong as Singapore (Finland needed to be bailed out).
Hardworking people we have but without the leadership of PAP, we are like a rudderless boat going nowhere. For e.g., Thailand – I am sure they are hardworking people but look at the mess it is in now – all because of one important factor lacking – strong leadership. Without PAP, no matter how hardworking Singaporeans are, we will still be going about in circles and not achieve the progress that we have now.
Singapore is one of the very, very few countries that placed strong emphasis on re-skilling her workforce to tackle the downtown and this is actively supported by the Government – this effort is admirable. Very few countries are doing this right now.
While PAP is not perfect (and there is no perfect system), they get the job done. I supported LHL’s New Year call for the people of Singapore to stand together to tackle and ride out the crisis instead of criticizing PAP policies or Ministers.
WKS, KBW, MBT, VB, TCH are good leaders and we should be thankful they are willing to sacrifice their own personal careers and serve the nation. They could have stayed in their private career paths and earning more than a Minister.
So for the critics, just keep quiet go back to work. There is too much negativity and it is not good. In about two years time, you should be able to see the fruits of PAP’s policies. You can then vote with confidence for them to rule another 5 years.
Err…Maybe Leanne is really asking a genuine question without any insinuations. If you think he can, then state your reasons. If not then just say no. She doesn’t attach any comments to suggest she is pro-PAP.
To me the speech, should be kept short and simple and provide more encouragement and hope for people, instead of trumpeting praises for his govt and past glories. 2008 is a crappy year full of financial turmoil, terrorist incidents, recession, lets hope for the best in the new year..
Happy New year, to all…
[i][quote="HAPPY"]
At the Teck Ghee Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC) awards, PM Lee said the financial crisis should not distract students from their books.
‘It’s not yet your responsibility to provide for the family, but it is your responsibility during times like these, to continue…doing well in school.’
[/quote]
right smart prime minister
this speech he must have written it HIMSELF
imagined
tryin to tell a primary kid
financial crisis
lehman brother bonds
merry lynch banks…….
when the same primary 1 kid
would have asked
his papa to sign a new ifone singtel line……
WOAH!
p.s.
PLEASE read the last sentenced LOUDLY………….
even a primary 1 kid is being remind to start diggin his pocket….
[i]WKS, KBW, MBT, VB, TCH are good leaders and we should be thankful they are willing to sacrifice their own personal careers and serve the nation. They could have stayed in their private career paths and earning more than a Minister.[/i]
good leaders indeed
mas sala is also a good well behaved toilettrained most dangerous public enemy number 1
he is so well trained to the extend of using toilet paper for a MUSLIM?
davidlim was also a good former welleducated minister
who worked for neptune upon his ^departure^
today is he earning more than $100,000?
so a s shole
want to check with IRA81a for confirmation?
than again
thailand must be dyin of hungers and stravations
right?
if that is so
how come you and your relatives continued to visit bangko ck year after years?
I sure hope Partisan is being majorly sacarstic. This country’s growing bloody rich at the expense of low-middle income folks. The rich & elite gets the sweet fruits. The rest gets nuts. So what if Singapore’s gettin’ richer & Singapore’s reserve funds is one of the highest in the world? Do I, as a peasant, stand to gain anything great from it?
Partisan, you sound as if the country’s gettin’ richer & every citizen is well-rewarded with fair remuneration for their efforts.
Oh, I guess you are probably enjoying the fruits of the labor & are enjoying good remuneration for your work. Good for you, then. Not everyone gets such luxury & fairness in Singapore.
“WKS, KBW, MBT, VB, TCH are good leaders and we should be thankful they are willing to sacrifice their own personal careers and serve the nation. They could have stayed in their private career paths and earning more than a Minister.”
Huh ??????????? how come a normal person can just come out with such a statement after what these bunch of shits has been helping their master in adding up those sufferings and injustice to the citizens of singapore? makes me wonder????????
Poor Partisan , must have alot of Stamps Stuck around the eyes,,,
no…that pathetic Partisan has sai (shit) stuck in his eyes!
Or is he in some way related to these mentioned elites or just trying his luck in bootlicking?
Hi Partisan
“Although corruption wise, the countries you mentioned are similarly ranked as Singapore but in these countries you pay very higher taxes and high cost of living”
Well, aren’t you bringing down their standard? In the ranking, they are one-notch above Singapore, and I will say that isn’t similarly ranked. You never win the silver, you lost the gold. and those countries shared the no.1 rank while Singapore is next one down.
Higher taxes and higher cost of living? well, i won’t mind since in some case, it results in old-age pensions and long-term nursing care.
they are financially not as strong as Singapore, yes, that may be true….but wait, you are mentioning about other countries been corrupted and lawless, and when we find fault with it, now you are saying that yes, there countries that are not corrupted but are financially weaker…gosh, can you please make up your mind before writing this?
So are you saying that they are the only strong leadership? and without them, there aren’t any other strong leaders out there? gosh, please…try to wake up… it isn’t like they are the only one out there…oh, yah, so without them we won’t be making progress? try having them but without the hardworking citizen, and what will the result be? so since you say without PAP, there will not be a current SG, i will say that without the people, there will be no SG even if there is the gahmen.
“I supported LHL’s New Year call for the people of Singapore to stand together to tackle and ride out the crisis instead of criticizing PAP policies or Ministers.”
Criticism is for their own good, it can be consider as a form of feedback. without criticism, nobody will know what’s went wrong and they may just dig a deeper hole for themselves. So if they make mistake, we are suppose to keep our mouth shut and let them continue with their mistake? real smart!partisan, real smart! how about this? this country belongs to the people as well, so they have the right to criticize.
“They could have stayed in their private career paths and earning more than a Minister.” well, ohh…i know, our ministers are earning peanuts right? no wonder you will say this…million dollar peanuts?
“So for the critics, just keep quiet go back to work. There is too much negativity and it is not good. In about two years time, you should be able to see the fruits of PAP’s policies.”
ohh…so now you are asking the people to just keep quiet, not to voice out their ideas? everybody has the right to their own idea…since i never ask you to keep quiet and just go back to work, you shouldn’t do that to others? We never ask pro-gahmen to do that and you are asking critics to do so?
oh yah, so are you a soothsayer? how do you know the result can be seen in 2 years? ahh….it is must be because all results are pre-programmed to bear fruits during GE? since you have the ability of foresight? can you give me the next winning number for lottery? just for once, i will go and buy it to see whether your foresight works. but don’t worry, even if it doesn’t work, you can work for them during the next GE to boost their popularity. what you have written here will really make them look good before next GE.
Lastly, although Partisan sickens me to the very core, i will follow Zefly example. here’s a hug for you Partisan, no bad feelings k? may the hug wake you up, and unplug you from the system.
Hi Partisan,
First I’d like to apologize if you were upset by some of the remarks directed at your comments. I believe you must have been rather stunned by the strong reactions when you were simply stating things you honestly believed in. It also must’ve reinforced your impression that many people here are rabid PAP-haters or something. I shall not go into any explanations why except that perhaps this isn’t the first time that someone came along and wrote comments similar to yours. So I guess it’s kinda like a programmed reaction.
We all form opinions and paradigms based only within our limited experiences. Someone who has benefited enormously from the system would more likely support it than someone who didn’t. And then there are others who may have benefited from the system but saw others falling through the cracks. I believe you agree with me too when you said the system isn’t perfect. There are people falling through the cracks. The difference therefore between everyone here is really the degree of it, and whether you are keeping your eyes on the cracks, or on the ceiling.
I would probably agree with you too that many of our ministers believed they had the peoples’ interests at heart. However, we must also be aware that just because they are sincere doesn’t necessarily mean they are getting the best feedback from the ground. LKY sincerely believed there are no beggars and homeless in SIngapore… but if I were a grassroot leader, and I knew that LKY is coming to my constiuency, I would make sure every flat is repainted, and every single thing that displeases him removed, like beggars for eg. There are many stories abound (some which I have been privy to) where the people who made the decisions were fed a very rosy picture to convince them of the success of their policies, by the very people who are supposed to be the gobetween for the public. Why is there a difference between what we are told of a ‘golden period’ and high employment etc… and the increasing sight of old people hawking their wares, selling tissue paper, collecting refuse etc? Are these stories simply of failed individuals, or do they point towards failed policies? I’m not selling you my opinion. I’m simply asking you to think about them.
Or maybe better still, start asking around. Start with the poorer estates. Speak to the old people. Speak to the people who queue up to get free food from the temples and mosques. In other words, get out of your comfort zone (which you also insinuate about some of the people here). You may of course, after all these exercises, still conclude that your initial belief was correct. But you see, now you have the benefit of credibility on your side.
I mean, at the end of the day, you going “why you all so sour grapes, PAP is good good good” and then another dude goes “you myopic brainless idiot, no! PAP is bad bad bad” isn’t gonna change anything except raising both parties’ blood pressure. You are right to say that we should all unite together and ride out the crisis. Let’s start with yourselves and ourselves first. The first step is always, to be more informed. Then, whatever your feelings about the gahmen, you can give honest feedback which they so need. Our country needs thinking, honest, informed people. You can be sincere in your support of the PAP, but if you don’t keep yourself informed, you will just be another pom-pom waver in the crowd, throwing the occasional middle finger at those who see things differently.
Ok? Can? Hugs.
I want to know what Chee’s foreign, economic, health and labour policies are. It’s no use wanting change when there is no real change like Obama who brought in all the Clintonites.
Besides, if you guys love Chee why aren’t you demonstrating to gain his support?
The PAP garment is no more what it used to be in the 1960s and 1970s, where the heart was for the people.
Over the last two decades or more, IT has become the exploiter of the people, making use of the people to hold on to and prolong IT’s power, only paying lip-service and dishing out cursory peanuts and sweeteners to pretend to show IT still has a heart for the people. From the meaningless and misleading words of the present bunch of incompetent and self-over-rated world’s highest paid millionaire-aspirant ministars, we can easily sense their insincerity and hypocrisy.
It is very obvious that we are all now left by ourselves to fend for ourselves. The superficial measures that they are taking are merely cursory short-term fire-fighting actions to blur our eyes in order to tie them over once again. Their only long-term measure is to prolong and maintain their power of self-serving and self-enriching. They do not really have any long-term measures to ensure our quality of life for the common good in the long run.
Therefore, in the next GE, we should all register a loud and clear response to these self-serving and self-enriching lot of elitists and hypocrites. May the force be with all of us, the common people, in the next GE.
[i]Leanne on January 5th, 2009 12.33 am Besides, if you guys love Chee why aren’t you demonstrating to gain his support?
[/i]
how to lend dr chee a support?
would you cared to demostrate how you support your PAP party?
you meant we go to istana waved a flagcard
donned a kangoroo t-shirt
and get to go to jail
just for you to laugh?
FART U!
[i]Leanne on January 5th, 2009 12.33 am I want to know what Chee’s foreign, economic, health and labour policies are. It’s no use wanting change when there is no real change like Obama who brought in all the Clintonites.
[/i]
since you asked a stupid but funny idiotic question
as though dr chee can talk to clinton/obama…..
[i]“Our economy will probably contract further. More companies will be forced to downsize. So far we have not seen many job losses, but I expect more retrenchments in the next few months. We must be psychologically prepared,” the prime minister said.[/i]
so would you cared
ONCED again
to show us how to psychologically prepared?
or you are goin
to challenge
ME again
to seek dr chee assistance on this 1 as well?
what would you
do if you are given the golden retrenchment handshake?
come on
be a sport
please teach me
how you are goin to overcome this kachang puteh problemo
right?
Look at the facts you nut heads. Obama brought in practically the same economic advisors from the Clinton Administration and is leaving the state department to H Clinton who is also bringing in Clinton colleagues? You cna specify change anywhere but it usally is a big lie! Same with the Eastern Europe states, they are free from communism but theri leaders are just as corrupt as the previous ones!
Leanne,
what’s your point? We’re starting to lose you. As for Chee, I didn’t see anyone here saying they support him and/or see him as a viable alternative. Why don’t you read post 53 first. Then next, you can go buy Chee’s a Nation Cheated from Kinokuya to find out about his vision for SIngapore. It’s a decent read, you can finish in a day. Than you come back and we can have a healthy constructive discussion on policies and their alternatives, instead of despairing there won’t be any change. Like I put to Partisan, if you want change, you have to first change yourself and how you see the world. You can’t change anything if you don’t even believe in change. That’s why you’re sitting there asking about Chee. The right question to ask is, not what Chee can do, but what you can do.
hugs
okay zefly,
that’s just one of the best post in quite a while. =)
and leanne,
don’t fall to the trap that discontentment with PAP means automatic support for chee. What most people want is the best for Singapore, and many here are unwilling to compromise on anything less.
Have to wait for the budget speech on 22 Jan 09? Anyway, how to save jobs; cut pay, take up contract & temp jobs? Not many people like this kind of options.
[i]Leanne on January 5th, 2009 3.36 am Look at the facts you nut heads. Obama brought in practically the same economic advisors from the Clinton Administration and is leaving the state department to H Clinton who is also bringing in Clinton colleagues?[/i]
[---deleted by moderator---}
1st of all
even if dr chee have outside funds to help him to start his political opposition party
onece more
you think the pap goin to LET him
participate
the gentleman way?
how many courts judgement is against him
and how many of this kangoroo judgments in the eye of leekuanyew
deem dr chee a ^qualifed^ candidate?
anywhere in the world
when someone enter politics
its based on their lips
what they can sell
obama for 1…
arnold swazernagger for 2
somemore he ain’t even born in america
heck
if the former hollywood star ronald regan can turned president of the united states and fall asleep while talkin to GOD thru the pope and brin america to progress
what what can dr chee could not do?
dr chee can also says
I WILL BE BACK………..
moshedyan, please do not resort to name-calling of fellow commenters. Tks.
I thank you for most of your comments.
I know it is easy to criticise PAP because they have done so much good work nfor the people that left people wanting more and more goodies. Just last week, MOE announces 7000+ employment opportunities – now isn’t that wonderful news to all to start the year?
I believe a strong leadership, such as that from PAP, is absolutely necessary to bring Singapore to another height of achievement. Hardworking people are everywhere, just waiting for strong leaders to lead the way. And the answer is PAP. I cannot find a country without hardworking people – Taxes – can you? All I am saying is that other countries have so much corruption and organised crimes – that’s doesn’t mean Singapore don’t have – when I used the phrase “so much” it is used in comparative sense.
Sure there are pockets of discontentment here and there and you cannot please everyone, but the majority of the Singaporeans will be better of under PAP’s governance. That’s why democracy works – because you follow the will of the majority.
Because of prudent and sound financial management, the Government is able to once again help Singapore by continuing to create jobs, giving financial help to the need, and preparing the nation for the upturn with all the skills retraining. Yes, these are not popular policies and requires people to get out of the comfort zone, but it will keep food on the table and families together. I suggest to you all to let these policies bear fruit first. Negativity will not lead us anywhere. If you really have constructive criticisms or really care about nation building – join the YPAP.
No need to give hugs or what – it is just sharing of views in this forum. I may not say the things you want to hear, but that’s ok for me because those are my views – just like those are your views.
Hi Partisan,
I have to give you credit for expressing what would be considered an unpopular view here. Though I do not agree with you on most counts, neither do I see the need to blast you or try to convert you from your thinking. I don’t like people telling me how or what to think, and I certain believe neither do you.
I also believe that you believe that you are doing your part for the nation in your own ways, by either being a member of the YPAP or the grassroots, and trying to mobilize all the ‘negative’ people here to support the PAP. That is an admirable effort. It’s always better than doing nothing at all.
Here’s an invitation for you. Why don’t you get in touch with Andrew from TOC (just write to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com) They do regular coverage of many of the stories you see here. Maybe you can take time off your busy schedule will like to join them on one of their stories, you know, see for yourself things you don’t see everyday. And also share your views with them. I always believe that we should be open enough to listen to even views we don’t like to hear.
What do you think? Is that a yes? :)
Hi Zefly
Good suggestion. I will consider it. :)
Cheers!
You have eyes but cannot see, you have ears but cannot hear, you also have mouth but cannot talk. I suggest all you singaporeans to open your eyes, your ears to see and hear what is actually happening to those people down there and open your mouth to start talking about reality and not whats been reported on those local MSM anymore.
[i]If you really have constructive criticisms or really care about nation building – join the YPAP.[/i]
i have
been banned a few times as well
have you ever tried
searchin the nick
moi?
try registerin it onced more…
as though i didn’t cared
with grassroots aroun
you lot sured entertained me
without you lot……..
i am bored to death……………….
so how is bigcannonking?
your chief cartoon ypap/rc supporter?
without him
i wouldn’t had known dr lilyneo breast size and her favourite REd color….
You really can’t counter argue. Obama has brought back most of the the Clintonites. That’s a fact. No change in America. Change in Singapore? Chee calls for change but it could be the same “change” Obama brings.
Yah lor….why you people dun understand Leanne hah?
To her, the ONLY person who can bring change to Sg MUST be Chee.
No one ELSE can do so. (I wonder why?)
Sympathise with her lah.
Hello Guys,
No points to speak from here. If you guys think is ready so bad. Please stand up and challenge them. I’m seeing you guys are wasting of time just to speak from here. At least the PAP, they stand up and they speak up.
We as a Singaporean, we open talk and share our right view to them. Not just write here. This will bring us not far.
Be A MAN.
I will be right back!!!
[i]At least the PAP, they stand up and they speak up.
Be A MAN.
I will be right back!!![/i]
indeed men of the village people
where they gathered in group
holdin hands as part of the grc tag team
no wonder they passed parliaments for invitin gays to be MPs…
eer
how you propose
we talk to our Mps?
must pay $5 or not?
is the $5 include gst and a cup of tea or not?
rai ley
rai ley
share ley………
[i]Leanne on January 5th, 2009 10.54 pm You really can’t counter argue. Obama has brought back most of the the Clintonites. That’s a fact. No change in America. Change in Singapore? Chee calls for change but it could be the same “change” Obama brings.
[/i]
and bush could have sued obama for million$ in insults whatever charges that is handy
right?
dr chee did indeed asked for changes
when he took a taxi
unfortunately
that taximan somehow changed his mind
and redirect to nus dean for clarifcation
and endup in some kangoroo court for petty theft…
is this the CHANGES
you expect?
when our court can never CHANGED @ all?
It is a good PM new year speech from a good man in the present circumstances – what more can one expect ?
Just that the man does not have enough of good people like Ng Eng Hen who has a real heart for the people (or trust fully ? Khaw Boon Wan who with his humble charima, sincerity & ability can easily overshadow anyone.. ) . MPs in the likes of LBW are a dim a dozen , are somewhat naive, light ears ?, and easily manupilated by others even for cheap thrills in STTA politics; Or even some others – are there to try to sell and high light themselves for their own future. How can they ever rise up to support PM in his time of need- they all can only drag him down. SM and the NKF peanut shit cannot be erased from people’s memories .
The Civil Service is really the trusted vanguard ( thank you Teo Chee Hian) – the Civil Service tries and it gets better every year – its PSs are the best ever seen and they are the real thing and why the world is still looking up to Singapore not its MPs or dilapidated baggages.
The Chee era closed with Vasoo long ago – petty theft cannot be tolerated for aspiring leaders even though many practised it anyway. Look forward to new people (TOC people are fresh and good candidates) and not the present bunch of opposition please.
Some government punitive measures are likened to swapping a mosquito with a sledgehammer – you can only hurt yourself with the self inflicted pain and long bad memories – remember the character assassination of the last potential elected presidential candidate . The end justify the means mentality may in the long term proves be more costly.
PM is the best you can have now in his circumstances, (SWFs’ entanglement with the West are not really his doings), world global recession , and the restive regional neighbourhood – count your blessings to have PM still healty, passionate and on the ball.
Say what you like -MM was the best that had happened to Singapore – carry your passport around the world and you know what you mean to others being a Singaporean, never mind the present tough times and perhaps occasional empty pockets.
Guys – say what you like online – but be fair and try to be as accurate and true to yourself, and learn to be appreciative of the good things in 2009. Thank you.
Happy New Year.