Just in case anyone missed this article in the Straits Times on 4 Feb 2009:
Mouse who barked
A MOUSE met a cat. The mouse barked like a dog. That scared the cat away.
To great levity in the House on Wednesday, labour chief Lim Swee Say recounted the tale to get across a solemn message: it is important to upgrade one’s skills.
In an impromptu speech to rebut criticisms of the Jobs Credit scheme, Mr Lim said: ‘We must never hope for a no-pain solution because there’s no painless way out of global recession.’
He then told the tale of a kingdom of mice that ‘lived very peacefully’ until a cat appeared. The mice Parliament convened to discuss how to overcome their new fear.
One mice MP proposed a very simple solution: hang a big bell on the cat’s neck so that it can be heard wherever it goes. Another suggested that it be big and heavy ‘so that by the time the cat sees us, it will be so heavy, it cannot keep up with us’.
But there was a snag in implementing it. Who will bell the cat?
‘There was no volunteer,’ said Mr Lim.
The idea failed and the cat continued to move around freely while the mice lived in fear. One day, a mother mouse and her baby were hunting for food when the cat cornered them.
Trapped, the mother did the unexpected: she stared at the cat and barked, sending the feline fleeing.
To laughter from the MPs, Mr Lim said: ‘The mother mouse turned and told the baby mouse: ‘See, now you understand the importance of upskilling and re-skilling’.’
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Workers are suffering under this madcap.
Retrenched workers are suffering the most.
They have no opton now. Just suffer and without help in concrete jungle, just slowly starve.
LSS continues with his mice story in Parliament.
How to get a new joker?
Our ministers are arrogant and out of touch with the ground. The things they say and do during this time clearly illustrates their incompetence. They are supposedly paid well because we expect them to be capable of ridding Singapore out of the storm; yet they failed, and they failed miserably.
I’ve lost confidence and trust in the current group of ministers. If we could bring back the old guards, I might consider voting for PAP again. Otherwise, I rather bet my taxes on the oppositions who have some far, showed restrain, patience and spoke with intelligence.
Sylvia Lim for PM.
#103) WeC
I’ve lost confidence and trust in the current group of ministers. If we could bring back the old guards, I might consider voting for PAP again. Otherwise, I rather bet my taxes on the oppositions who have some far, showed restrain, patience and spoke with intelligence.
Sylvia Lim for PM.
Why not? at least she talks sense in parliament, unlike those pinky idiots who can just only come up with their unconstrutive arguments just to show their master that they are working. Don’ you notice the reaction of the peeps whenever questions are raised by the opp party? they just gang up to attack like mad dogs one after another, and worse they can just laugh their head off instead. Sick isn’t it?
Why nobody in NUS, NTU, SMU study whether retraining leads to better employment prospects for workers?
All these cowardly academics!
Ask the workers who retrain and see how many like the cat and mouse story that Minister Swee Say tell. A lot of bullshits.
tiredsingaporean
agree, and these are the people turning back the pendulum, and leading sgp down the death spiral. they assume that the pass success formula will work again and again for them, but by the time they realize it, it is 2 late
We need more MP like Mr. Low & Sylvia Lim to dare to ask tough question and not afraid.
Our govt MPmust not always thinking of protect themselves & look at self interest but always at the interest of the people. By the way, the people voted for them is for them to work for the best interest for Singapore & Singaporean. They are highly paid and if thy can’t contibute, them should step down and let others lead. No point holding to their position and the people suffered.
If there is no changes, more people will migrate and left Singapore….
well, re-skilling is nicer sounding than down-skilling which is what we are supposed to undergo and also pay from our own pockets to down-skill!!!
also whenever there is a bus/mrt fare increase they say it’s an adjustment!
what next? always felt like writing on those bus/mrt fare adjustment notices that this is not an adjustment but an increase! but then i’d be caned for vandalism!
politicians never call a spade a spade do they???
I think, ex-army or defence people, can “GET” into the LONG term GIC ?!
maybe those High General of Ex- sooo fast track,that they don’t need any interview and to the Position of GIC…
Something soooo conspirarcy here! hmmmm…..
[i]110) NORTHGATE2007 on February 15th, 2009 9.06 am I think, ex-army or defence people, can “GET” into the LONG term GIC ?!
maybe those High General of Ex- sooo fast track,that they don’t need any interview and to the Position of GIC…
Something soooo conspirarcy here! hmmmm…..
[/i]
if a retired high court judge
who is already so old
yet can be recycled into sph CEO
what so conspiracy about it?
LSS, you are embarassing the workers by being the union chief.Your analogy is being read all over the world.But then again, you are also embarassing the gov’t as you are a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office( whatever that post means)
106) SZ on February 14th, 2009 2.54 pm
It is a very big mistake of MM to use money to buy loyalty in the first place. Never in my entire life of 50+ years have I seen so many MPs whom are drawing so much salaries and instead of solving the nations problems, they are creating more problems to the people. The worst can happen these days is that many MPs who are afraid of losing their jobs are actually more worried of speaking the truth to their master of what’s been happening at ground level,ever fearing that they will have to forego their $million, they prefer to report only the good stuff. Thus, I believe when alot of problems start to surface, they will just either brush them off or just ignore them as if nothing’s happening, and all these unsettled issues are now causing the papee to start losing their popularity, and I believe MM position is now as good as facing the devil and the deep blue sea, should he sack those MPs, he is going to lose more votes this time round, or should he just let these incompetent parasites to continue more messed up?
I cringed and my hair stands on end whenever he speaks. A moron who thinks he is smart and telling retarded jokes….
No wonder Election is not anytime soon.
Regardless of how the election department wanted to change “routine boundaries” by “well-known authouities” from above but having this sort of minister, health minister Khaw Boon Wan or transport minister Raymond Lim around (1 currently on MC due to burn), the election results will be catastrophe.
Stay Tune.