If you get capable people forming the next Government, people who know what they have to do to make Singapore work, then I’m not worried.
… I’m worried about the quality of the people who get into power. Integrity? Crucial. Ability, experience and a willingness to do what is necessary for the people and not for themselves.
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Ability, experience and a willingness to do what is necessary for the people and not for themselves. -> If someone can list all their friendsand family investments etc, would that be shocking? Not to mention their multi million pay.
LKY, you are obviously blind to your own words.
what defines capability and ability?
I don’t think its just governement scholars and snr civil servants or the people from pap cadre.
Many middle class people may not be talented civil servants or students. But I am sure some of them have the talent to serve us as MPs. Moreover these people can better represent us.
With due respect to MM Lee, the earlier he step down, the better it is for long term Singapore which need urgent/ serious political reforms.
Singapore is run like an SME, and everybody is waiting for one man or one family to talk.
The more MM tries to tie the fact of Singapore to PAP, trying to make himself, his family, PAP indispensable, the bigger will be the pain when the reform comes. No party, no dynasty can last forever. He knows that.
This is called sales pitch…GE is coming.
Time for some marketing sales pitch to young first time suckers…errr…I mean voters.
“… I’m worried about the quality of the people who get into power. Integrity? Crucial. Ability, experience and a willingness to do what is necessary for the people and not for themselves.”
Those are not the current government’s descriptions. The current government does not listen to the people & only focus on filling its own pockets.
get real. this is politics, singapore-style. You cannot win unless you stand on the “right” side. long-live LKY
“…to do what is necessary for the people and not for themselves….”
Really ? then why pay yourselves exorbitantly & obscenely huge million dollar salaries ?
GE DEFINITELY COMING.
FEAR mongering every other day in the MSM.
No more GOLDEN PERIOD speeches.(Worse prediction in HISTORY]
“Government need “enemies to frighten their people with……frightened people being more easy to lead”….ALBERT SZENT-GYORGYI…NOBEL LAURETTE ,1937
This tactic has been used for the last 40 years.
So, there is no solution out of an Export Model limitation?
So, like this till Eternity even with new government?
So, wait for USA?
Credit is whose?
Debit is whose?
Move on.
habitual liar!
“Ability, experience and a willingness to do what is necessary for the people and not for themselves”.
I think the opposition ward demonstrate when managing the town council sink fund. Look at the CDC and how it is managed. Investing like a fund manager, then paying themselves 8 mths of bonus.
Is this doing what is necessary for the people, and not for themselves?
Are CDC capable and experienced to become a “fund manager”?
Thus, there is a fundamental error in the selection of the A team.
What is the Reason for this crisis from a Singapore perspective?
If it is not Export what is it?
So, is he saying that from now till ETERNITY like 1000 millions years later, still need to rely on EXPORT?
Trading is Artificially invented. No law in the universe dictates that economy must rely on Export even for a 4.5million population.
To be fair, I would say maybe it is the limit of our ability in this era that we have to rely on export? How fair is this saying?
I believe Export is not the only solution.
“Crucial. Ability, experience and a willingness to do what is necessary for the people and not for themselves.”
AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
*stops to take a breathe*
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA
Could we give him a raise please? He’s definitely talented as a stand-up comedian. Give that man a raise!
Integrity, propriety ?
Serve the people, the country ?
We never see it, we never feel it.
Except hearing some big shots singing propaganda
every now and then so often.
My foot to those conceited fools.
xcuse me is god or the devil recruiting?
The question put forward to MM was whether we will see another party emerging within the PAP.This will not happen and if it did, the cadre members would have been sidelined in the initial ‘tea sessions’.I wish that the fence sitters be more realistic about this false hope.The disease is within the PAP itself and in its cadre and membership.
I know of acquaintances who were called to serve in the grassroots but because of their convictions not being aligned with the parties’, they were sidelined or had to leave. I salute these people who did the morally right thing and I hope the alternative parties recruit them or they serve with the alternative parties in the near future.Singapore needs these people.The PAP is not the solution to Singapore’s future success.
Have you met any card carrying members of the PAP?Or cadre who work the grounds in the grassroots.I know of many who do it for financial reasons, business contacts and personal benefits.Are these people serving their MPs or serving the people?I think it is an opportune time to expose these people.
MM Lee Kuan Yew knows that there are people within his party and the cadre who are doing it for themselves.He reiterated this in the article above.The PAP of today is filled with cadre and members who join not to serve people but for themselves.I presume that there as much as 80% who lack integrity.Just look at their posting in the PAP related websites or just visit the MPS sessions.We already have a few MPs who speak more about the protectionism of their respective professions than the pressing concerns of Singaporeans.
It was posted in the ST forum earlier this week by Jasbir Singh probably a PAP member himself that there are a lack of Singaporeans joining the grassroots. The Singaporeans of today know that they are beholden to a party that does not represent their interests, the hopes and dreams of Singaporeans.Why should they join the PAP then?
..
Our view:
http://civicadvocator.net/our-observation-on-lee-kuan-yew/
Erm , anyone retiring in 6years or thereabouts time?
With Export model, how secure do you feel about retirement ? As you grow older, what is your market value compared to younger ones? Will there be recessions in future or near future like 5 years time? If USA down again, how to retire if due to Export, every time USA go down or Asia go down, we WAIT for their recovery?
So, how many more times need to switch line of work?
How many more retrenchments may come?
How many more courses to take just to keep or get a job?
Retire? I hope mc donalds open tomolo u know?
How the come last time when khakis worn
people no ask for million can work?
Actually we are all worried over MM Lee’s integrity, ability, experience and a willingness to do what is necessary for the people and not for themselves. The same can be said for his descendants and family members, including in-laws
What MM said is true! How can we consume billions of chips produce by the wafer fabs but how can PAP not subject to competition when ordinary Singaporeans are competiting with Foreign Talents with S pass of $1800.
Is it fair! Only competition will drive the high salary. Can America be a great and innovative country with only single party?
The sooner MM pass away from the political scene is better for Singapore in long run as we don’t know what will happened when he is not around,
Singaprean let grow up!
he is really good ,no change in fascial expression at all , after such talk….kekekek
His moral compass did not mention accountability and humility.
I think this 2 values are even more important in light of what we have seen from our current crop of elites. Especially in an Asian society like ours.
My toes always laugh non-stop nowadays when old man open his mouth !!! Hahahahaha . . . ….
What integrity when the limp, condemned man walked out of freedom from the toilet [ which facilitated just, with a large-enough-size escape hole, when there is a ledge to climb onto that hole which a baby also can crawled up to] and old man has the lying guts to BLAME the escape purely ON COMPLACENCY (complacency only to him that occured on lower paid employees)
What integrity when senior capable 3-legged ‘pohs’ are not personally responsible for this simple daring escape as evidenced by a half-baked statement blaming the escape on circumstances AND CONFLUENCE OF FACTORS !!!
WHAT NUTS ABILITY IS HE trumpeting sooo loouudly when SO MANY HUNDREDS of security cannot catch a limping condemn man – BUT ONLY WASTED SO MUCH OF TAX PAYERS MONEY by printing countless of waste-time posters, ‘vandalising so many pte and public buildings’ via these pasting of posters everywhere, CAUSING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOST via the hundreds of daily jams caused by WORTHLESS (AND STAGE-SHOW) of lorries checking which the govt knew to be thankless going-through-the-motion-needed-to-show-the-whole world acts…
And in the end , stage an INTEGRITY-LESS show of enquiry to determine WHO SHOULD NOT BE FIRED, AND WHO WAS JUSTIFIED TO KEEP HIS OR HER POSTS NOT LOOSING their rice-bowls.
Can we have answers, please.
very transparent financial system wan.
Just a pitty the bian involved money depo into a bank in here.
maybe its a rare incident only. no more like this wan. very transparent wan.
no need wolly about the talents now. just look at tc and t investmt.
where got wolly?
grasping: –adjective
1. greedy; avaricious: a sly, grasping man.
2. being used to grasp or tending to grasp; tenacious.
acquisitive : –adjective
tending or seeking to acquire and own, often greedily; eager to get wealth, possessions, etc.: our acquisitive impulses; acquisitive societies.
avaricious: –adjective
characterized by avarice; greedy; covetous
covetous: –adjective
1. inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions; greedy.
2. eagerly desirous.
rapacious:–adjective
1. given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed.
2. inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate: a rapacious disposition.
3. (of animals) subsisting by the capture of living prey; predacious
To sum it all up, to me they are no different from mercenaries.
Compare Taiwan many years ago, now they are far ahead of us. When the old Chiang was gone, Taiwan becomes a better place. Ask the Taiwanese, they will tell you what it is like without the old Chiang. They can even dig out the wrong Mr Chen has committed and sent the ex-president to jail. Hope one day we will see this in Singapore.
“quality of the people who get into power. Integrity? Crucial. Ability, experience and a willingness to do what is necessary for the people and not for themselves.”
We have lot of the local talents waiting to serve the people not because of $$$ but with passion and this will come once the time is right. But the society must always have the right balance of checks even how honest the politicians are. They don’t join the PAP because they dont share their thinking and not we cannot find them in singapore.
Come on, Singapore is not about LKY. It is about our country and how we want to make it better for the people. it is about people who can freely speak up to contribute and make singapore a better place.
“… I’m worried about the quality of the people who get into power. Integrity? Crucial. Ability, experience and a willingness to do what is necessary for the people and not for themselves”
Agree with you. Just look at some of those in power now. Worrying isn’t it?
Only insecure people needs to reiterate the point over and over again. If what is said is the truth, e.g sun will rise from the east, saying it once is enough…
MM Lee said: “If you get capable people….”"
“Capable people” are a threat to the existence of the PAP and as stated by PM Lee during the last election, he would ‘FIX” them.
#4 Peter Tan said:
“Singapore is run like an SME, …”
Nah, more like a family owned organization or a triad.
In this world, no one, I repeat, NO ONE is INDISPENSABLE to ANYONE.
MM Lee said: “If you get capable people….”"
“Capable people” are a threat to the existence of the PAP and as stated by PM Lee during the last election, he would ‘FIX” them.
#4 Peter Tan said:
“Singapore is run like an SME, …”
Nah, more like a family owned organization
29) HaiGong on March 22nd, 2009 1.13 pm
TW is said to be small economy and one of the ‘asian tigers’ .
But unlike sg, TW have a much larger local market.
I believe, TW can rely on its local market.
Alas, if only sg can also.
Can i say that TW is more sustainable and resilient in this aspect?
If there is no way out of this Export constraint, how ? What is the future gonna be like? Wait for usa , china and india?
Sorry is the quote by the Mr Lee himself or is it by someone who is not a PAP person ?
Am sort of confused……
We are living in a “Money Trap World” …..Don’t know when to retire? Each time there is a financial crisis or a recession, the retirement age goes up …….But on the spiritual side “What does it profit a man who gains the whole World and suffer the loss of his soul”………….better retire and and enjoy SOUL music.
I’m confused with Quality and Inner Circle. Assuming you have Quality and not in the Inner Circle so who dictates Quality in you? So I always believe in not What you know but Who you know and vice-versa…….Chosen Quality or handpicked??
#35) peanut
‘If there is no way out of this Export constraint, how ? What is the future gonna be like? Wait for usa , china and india?’
LKY & son LHL will give you the same answer – wait for US to recover and SIN wil recover.
I also can give the same answer.
LKY wrote in the Newsweek magazine a few months ago that China’s economy has decoupled from the US’s and would not be affected by the US’s recession. He was absolutely WRONG.
By paying themselves the highest salaries in the world, we expect MM, SM, PM & the ministers to solve our economic problems swiftly instead of waiting for the US to recover first in order to solve our problems.
MM is very visible and high profile these few weeks. Reading carefully everything he is saying and in so concise manner, I am confident that things will shape up well. MM is still part of the team and coming out from his recent medical episodes, his family members’ health concerns, – his sharpness undimished and with honesty, reasonableness, great vision & skillful placement of issues, it cannot be denied that Singapore still needs him as much as ever from our early Malaysian days.
Salaries of the establishment are slowly going down; the citizens’ strong views are gradually taken into account.
While respecting the present political oposition, it is to be deduced that they are in no position to form the next government.
PM has shown his passion and pushes very hard to do his best for the country. But what about some really good deputies who can help with the workload and especially breath creativity in the present difficult downturn? Seasoned and experienced “fighters” are still around.
Thus finding the next potential PM within the PAP will be indeed the nation’s top concern, agenda and crucial to Singapore’s survival. It may not be far fetched to suggest (a plea) perhaps older new induction PAP members in the coming election if the best is to be chosen – choices would be in the form of Ho Kwon Ping, Tommy Koh, Lim Chee On, Gerald Ee, etc, if they are prepared to step forward or step forward again. Older talents must not be overlooked in our small pool and especially in the present global economic crisis which shows no sign of any recovery.
My humble two cents opinion above, and suggestions stand to be dismissed or supported or expanded upon in the interests of a good future for Singapore.
Thank you.
“If you get capable people forming the next Government, people who know what they have to do to make Singapore work, then I’m not worried.”
Even if there is a new gov, the only way to know if they can make sg work is when they have tried for similar period of time of learning curve.
If based on experience and people say no other party have experience running the country, would this mean therefore there is no need for them to even try to contest since people will not choose them as they have never been given the chance before?
If a party is voted in based on their experience, then, is it right to say there is no need for election since there is only 1 party with the experience to run a country and people choose parties with the experience?
How many old guards that still exist?
How many are new guards?
How do they compare?
The PAP will continue to see a fall in people who are of integrity amidst their membership.A person who loves this country and acts for its interest will know that the PAP party is not the party to be associated with.This elitist party cares for its own well being.
Today the PAP reeks of Greed and Selfishness.They are completely out of touch with the common Singaporean and have resorted to increasing the population through immigration so as to dilute Singaporean votes in the non-election exercises that take place every five years.
Why should the PAP arrange a two party system when it completely destroyed this opportunity in the 60′s,70′s and 80′s?We now have a non-functioning democracy that will only serve the elite.There is this huge void which unfortunately cannot be rectified.A two party system or a multi-party is not possible in our lifetime.And the PAP is the main culprit.
The PAP has driven away talented Singaporeans from our shores and is driving out more Singaporeans by the year. This mass exodus will ultimately cause Singapore’s downfall in the not too distant future.The Country or City state will cease to exist and it will become a pretty little 3 star hotel used for transit in the not too distant future.
I do not understand this overemphasis on engaging the Chinese leaders.More pressing should be our relationship with our neighbors within Asean.The Chinese don’t need us.Asean could use us.When are we going to be the fulcrum of Asean growth to compete with India and China?This flirting with China will only antagonize our relationships with our neighbors.Our local papers are ‘poking’ daily into the affairs of our neighbors though their editorials.Shouldn’t we be prioritizing about Singapore for Singaporeans?
We are going to go through pressing times in the next couple of decades.There is a serious void of good leadership at the top.A new Singaporean leader has to emerge and he has to come from another party and only then we will see a ‘golden age’. The PAP has officially run out of ideas and talent to take us to the next stage.All they have are excuses.
Where are our new ‘agents of change’?
To Just Retired on March 23rd, 2009 12.24 am
The PM has shown passion?
How.. By being MIA? He did not address the nation during Mas Selamat fiasco, he failed to address the concern over the economy, he did not made a peep for the GIC and Temasek losses, he was invisible during the Lehman minibond, he disppeared again when Khaw wanted to send our parents to JB and where is he now for the CDC bonus?
He is the leader of this country and should be at the forefront of any major issue to address the public. Being the highest paid leader of any country, not deferring his duties to his father, Thurman, Khaw… etd. Granted he did address these issues inevitably through the media, but he chickened out and did so after the heat as off. Compare him to Obama, Hu Jin Tao, Ma Ying Jiu, Gordon Brown .. etc and he is outclassed big time.
43) Roy
Just retired is most probably someone who pops into to places like this to sign praises for our dear MIW.
“I am confident that things will shape up well.”
gosh, jus retired, without US economy recovering, you are confident that things will shape up well? even your dear compassionate PM Lee has to wait for US to recover and it is highly doubtful it will recover soon.
Aren’t you like the chinese saying “Telling blinded words with an open eyes”
“it cannot be denied that Singapore still needs him as much as ever from our early Malaysian days.”
you know just retired, if you depend on the same old formula, it will be the spiral of death and by the time the wall hits you, you are dead…go read up on some John Hayes please.
43) Roy
oh yes, to add another thing, yes, dear LHL is outclassed by those world class leaders, except in one area.does his paycheck outclass them…
insider65 (#42),
Where are our agents of change? You are right they are not working inside the PAP. No civic-conscious individual would want to identify himself with a self-serving organisation. I totally agree with you that PAP has not only chased away talented Singaporeans, but also left Singapore with a dominant-party system that is unable to renew itself amidst of the evolving international and local environment. We only have agents of inertia. What Singapore is not PAP reform, but the complete destruction of PAP as party and idea. Only then, our country can reborn.
Thank you Roy & SZ for your clear views.
Orderly change takes time; one has to be practical and clear minded given the present circumstances.
Yes I am 60 years old and came from the old school – of duty, honour and country and collectively our generation has sacrified much for this red dot , and for you guys too- Roy & SZ ,and it is true that upon reflection, this red dot has taken much from me. I also now do face the prospects of having to re-locate to JB or Batam, and perhaps having my bones buried in Melbourne. These are the real decisions I have to make in due course.
Apparent MIA is a relative thing; many would say that Kennedy was front line MIA in many crucial issues… it should be a team effort in appropriate response and not just on one person ; of course the PM is the passionate leader. in my view.
By the way John Hayes is slighty out of date, and I recommend you Thomas Freeman, even though he does not tell you well how to fix the problems.
A new book on ” Deceit, Greed & Shamelessness – The American Way” is coming up at year’s end. Do not miss it.
Thank you.
Why does one need to justify his team’s credibility? Is there no smoke without fire?
How often have I heard from ex-president George Bush justifying his team? Nut much actually. That said, even for UK, or AU’s incumbent party. Bush may have made some debatable decisions, however i”ve never heard him trying to justify his team’s performance. If all, I believe he wished he could have undo what he had done, or changed certain policies. If one of his member’s ministry allows a terrorist to escape, I’m quite sure that’s the last we’ll see of him in politics.
So if you are so confident of your team’s winning of the election by a large margin, you wouldn’t even be trying to ‘convince’ us about your team’s credibilty in the looming discontent among the people.
Let the people decide.
Kaffein
A man overflowing with hubris – that’s LKY.
I am in tune with the comments by Peter Tan [#4], megan [#8] and Freddy/Brady [#32/#34].
Why is LKY [at 84/85?] still in the employ of the government and thinks he has a right to continue working for as long as he wants to, when others are under compulsion to retire when they reach a certain age? Because he thinks he is the kingpin in the governing body?
What about the other ministers, can they, too, continue for as long as they want to?
The law does not apply to LKY because LKY thinks he is the law?
That’s what we call hubris.
Singaporeans hardly have the choice to decide on anything, their livelihoods are at the mercies of the System, their employers. Their abodes/dwellings/shelters are allocated according to his/her eligibilities.
The Choice for leaders(State Administrators) are limited by so many factors, it might as well be considered no choice to be more accurate and appropriate. Not all citizens are allow to run for political offices, they have to be of certain educational qualifications, occupations/professions, age and ridiculously, even Race could be an issue. A huge sum of deposit is required for contesting and other barriers such as GRC participation etc.
The Leaders decide the fate of this country with the directions of the people internally and diplomatic relations with the World. How wise the leaders are, is not difficult to gauge/determine. The Leaders only need ask themselves ONE QUESTION and that is: ‘Am I respected as a person, a leader and a politician, do the citizenry loves me ?’ If the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’, the Leaders need not question their abilities and consciences.
Conversely, leaders that are hanging in the mouths of the citizens for swearing, cursing, accusing and venting of frustrations, such leadership will lead the country to imminent downfall.
The Quality of the men is for the Men(in political offices) to work for and achieve themselves, they will define themselves ultimately. May we Singaporeans have quality men to lead us.