Current Affairs Desk
The government’s latest exercise in newspeak.
NEWLY-minted acting minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, has announced the formation of an inter-agency steering committee to “take stock” of Singapore’s progress. With the theme “Our Home, Our Future, Our Singapore”, its remit is apparently to draw lessons from Singapore’s past success so as to provide a guide to building on those achievements.
The government is taking advantage of 2009 being the symbolic 50th anniversary of Singapore’s self-rule to launch what seems to its latest project to try to engage citizens and strengthen their roots in the country.
(Photo: Singapore should learn from its failures instead of just its successes, as in the case of Singapore’s ageing population, which was partly caused by its Stop-at-two birth control policies. Courtesy of foodinmouth / Creative Commons)
In making the announcement on 5 June 2009, RAdm (NS) Lui – who will be chairing the committee – said that the most important aspect of the enterprise was to make “people feel that they have contributed and they have been part of the collective memories of what we have achieved in the past”.
Despite this, it is open to question whether the new project will bear out the acting minister’s optimism. Committees of such nature have become a ritual of sorts: each incarnation of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) government has apparently felt compelled to form one with the overt purpose of defining some sort of national perspective or purpose, though inescapably these have been buttressed by political motives.
Lee Kuan Yew’s government produced papers on national ideology and shared values in the late 1980s which largely reflected Mr Lee’s conception of “Asian values”; nearly a decade later his successor Goh Chok Tong churned out a “Singapore 21” blueprint to try to consolidate his attempts to soften the hard edges of the regime. It now appears to be Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s turn to oblige.
Still, RAdm (NS) Lui’s new undertaking could prove to be potentially more ambitious than previous ones, and not necessarily in a positive manner. One interpretation is that, by focusing only on what the government defines as “successes”, it could wind up – intentionally or not – as a subtle means of reinforcing in the populace the PAP’s own historical view of Singapore’s development.
Instead of “collective memories”, the result might very well be confined to the PAP’s own recollections. Admittedly details about the project are still vague, but such an interpretation would not be out of line, given that some historians have criticised the government for playing down the contributions of its former foes and focusing only on its own.
Furthermore, concentrating exclusively on supposed “successes” seems to border on hubris: surely the government has learnt at least as much from its failures as it did from what went well. The recession of the early 1980s, for example, were caused in part by the government’s premature attempts to discard low-wage manufacturing for higher value-add pursuit. The “stop-at-two” birth control policy of the 1970s was also something that the government came to regret.
That does not preclude that the work of the new committee might potentially be useful. There is certainly something to be learnt from the manner in which Singapore has continually adapted in the past four decades. But the reality is that committee is unlikely to be widely credible unless it is seen as being more than just a creature of the government. Ideally, it should also include comprise more than just faceless bureaucrats and incorporate those from Singapore’s fledging civil society; it should also consult and draw upon a diverse cross-section of society.
A document that reflects honestly on the government’s historic successes and failures might even be to the PAP’s advantage in helping to dampen its usually haughty and aloof image. Otherwise, it would probably wind up as just another self-laudatory exercise that is unlikely to appeal to many outside the government’s circles.
The Current Affairs Desk is a collection of The Online Citizen writers that specialises in sharp feature articles and opinion pieces on the latest in current affairs. The Desk consists of the following writers: Ng Ejay, Khairulanwar Zaini, Leong Sze Hian, Gerald Giam, and Tng Ying Hui.
The latest initiative has politics written all over the face. Can anyone please tell if any of the policies, drives. campaigns etc since the PMship of GCT have been truly people-centered? Even the numerous rebates like GST credits and workfare bonus were all initiated with a calculated motive to strengthen the foothold of the politics of PAP. Every little thing that comes out from the PAP these days can be attributed to vote-buying.
I do not know if I had read wrongly but I think I came across an article in the ST recently that there is going to be a drive headed by the same Lui, to bridge the divide between the senior citizens and the younger generation.
What I do know is that the PAP can no longer continue to give LKY credit without giving credit to the generation that had worked alongside him. It can no longer hide the fact that the older generation deserves credit as much as LKY and therefore some form of reward and recognition must be given to their generation for sticking by the man they had come to believe so strongly in and supported their whole life.
I sincerely hope this is a sincere act of recognition and I further hope that Lui would steer clear of all political motives. I know the temptation will be there for him to heighten the profile of PAP while campaigning for recognition for our older generation. I hope he bears in mind that any attempt to use it to benefit the PAP’s political agenda would be a very huge insult to our older folks, and it would have been better if such a drive had never taken place.
The ball is in your court Lui. We’ll be watching you!
There is nothing wrong for any political party to work towards winning the competitions against other political opponents. However, it is not conscionable to use unfair strategies and resort to underhand tactics and political sophistries to remain in power.
Ultimately, no regime remains in perpetual power, that is as far as history goes.
In any case, a leadership that remains in power without the support of the citizenry is as good as a rogue regime, nothing to crow about.
I have made a comment here and again it disappears into thin air.
Seems like I am not welcome.
Many r indeed critical of the “Stop @ 2″ policy but honestly speaking if u r in power then, I would like to ask “How would u solve the problem?” Faced with high unemployment, with tens of thousands of sch leavers graduating each yr and joining the workforce let alone other problems. Many economists nw agree tht high birth rate would stifle economic growth, we dun hv to go v far, philippines is 1 gd eg, catholic church against use of contraceptives, babies born yr after yr. Even china with its high economic growth is still practising 1 child policy.
Hi ah soh,
we did not receive your comments. Can you post them up again?
There is nothing wrong for any political party to work towards winning the hearts of the people, it is its’ duty to do so. But, to resort to sophistry, unfair strategy and underhand tactics to hold on to power, is unconscinable.
In any case, to be in power without the support of the citizenry is as good as a rogue regime.
Ultimately, no regime stays in power perpetually, that is as far as history has shown us.
Correction to the above post.
The word unconscinable should be unconscionable.
Sorry for the above typo mistake.
no regime may last forever but it is enough to affect one’s lifetime
it seems like the government is adopting the “look, it’s recession. yeah you have it bad, but look, it isnt that bad cause there are people who are worse off than you”
With due respect, what can an ex-military man do for the country? Except to give orders!
Some more, so old-fashioned and stereo-type in thinking, and has yet to show originality, political acumen and sympathy and empathy to the people.
Some more, so obvious, a yes-man through and through.
Is it possible for someone like that to think out of the box?
I am sincerely very doubtful of the intention of this project and and capabilities of the people appointed to take on such a major task that will have far-reaching consequences to the whole nation and the future of all our children.
It really speaks volumes of the political manpower management ability of the current leadership. Putting a square peck into a round hole!
I think one thing that will pull down the govt for today is the foreign talent policy.
It was brought up succinctly in the ST where Gan Kim Yong had to defend why PR were entitled to Job Credit Scheme and SPUR programme, and why these people were not ‘encouraged’ to take up citizenship. Really what are the advantages of citizenry – except to serve NS?
What is more – if we look at the university requirements and how foreign students are invited here on scholarships while our Natoinal servicemen are not given a cent – I too cannot take that crap.
Another military man given a ministerial job post retirement. I can’t really trust anything from such leadership.
Gan Kim Yong speaks much better than Lim Swee Say.
However, both appear to be liabilities or sad to say almost all our parliamentarians seem to be liabilities to the citizenry now. As for military men becoming leaders, it is like using poor grade iron to make nail or as the saying goes ‘hou tia bu ta ting. hou nan bu tang ping’(Hanyu Pinyin), ie good iron are not for making nail and good men are not in the military, chia liow bee(Chinese-Hokkien) ie wasting one life doing nothing productive.
“With due respect, what can an ex-military man do for the country? Except to give orders!”
You know why they carry a big stick. Their only competence is to show you the big stick when little else fails.
Unfortunately, this competence of using the big stick will sometime become their first resort of application for some who may be too enthusiastic to show off their representation of authority as being the good guys just because they are putting on their uniforms.
I thought we learn more from our mistakes and not from our successes.
I guess when we lament that Singaporeans are forgetful during election about the mistakes that the Government has done; this forgetfulness also spill over the “good” things that the Government has done. So better get a Radm to chair the “Don’t you forget my goodness” commitee.
“The government is taking advantage of 2009 being the symbolic 50th anniversary”
There is no advantage … any time would have done nicely and … non-symbolically speaking.
Why must it be this particular rear adm, why could it not be one of the leading older ministers? Is it because the old cannot change and the new asked to try to change?
Govt overlooked many systemic problems for so long already. After ERC, now ESC … it sure goes with the ESC button on the keyboard …
Celebrating 50th anniversary of self-rule showcases at taxpayer expense the gd PAP has gone (50 yrs of PAP rule). S’pore = PAP, PAP=S’pore
Then GE in Dec 2009 or in first half of 2010.
I have a feeling that the theme is to encourage locals esp those living in other countries to keep in contact with Spore. I mean let us face it, plenty of locals already moved to other countries. There is a survey some years back in which local youngster want to migrate to other countries.
Whether the new shenanigans will work depends on it’s effects on the younger generations. Mine born in the years before Independence, I’m not talking about the merger years here, no longer see any difference in being under the gun barrel of the PAP or that of any conqueror.
With the economy forecasted to contract by over 12% http://www.asiaone.com/News/The%2BBusiness%2BTimes/Story/A1Story20090418-136056.html , it will be interesting how the government is going to make it work. Experts in the US are making analysis that the economy may see its recovery as early as September 2009 (I will take this with a pinch of salt), I am sure the government will use whatever predicted good news to entice the citizenry and if I do not assume wrong, they will take credit for their self praised prudent strategy that they had put in enough to help Singaporeans and the likes.
The surrounding economies are very different from the older days. It is more competitive now than ever and our neighbors are fast catching up in all aspects of the developments. We also have the world to compete with. I do not believe the influx of foreign workers will slow down (as long as greed is still at the helms of things), neither would I see a lax in social policies. I certainly hope they give the people more voice and take ground sentiments seriously and come up with a prudent plan to aid common citizenry. Most apparent, the recognition of older generations who had made substantial sacrifices. Give more priorities to native Singaporeans. Whatever you have in plan, this is what I would ask the government to consider:
1) Re-look at the basic necessities (such as HDB Housing, prices should be adjusted to ensure affordability by all without bleeding, restructure the associated CS charges and public utilities tariff to make it less expansive).
2) Re-examine employment policies with regard to foreign import. Make a point to reprimand with heavy enough penalty to errant employers who flout the laws. I think 1:5 ratios is reasonable. i.e. every foreign employee, there must be at least 5 locals employed.
3) Support local entrepreneurs with government fund. Help common citizenry who are interested to be entrepreneur to create our very own Singapore brand. Do not under estimate the ability of our common citizenry creativity.
4) Higher tax rate for foreign workers and any person making over SGD150K per year (all inclusive besides basic salary, close any possible loop holes for tax evasion).
5) Extend free education for native born Singaporeans through high-school.
Until the plan is reveal, any speculations and assumptions are just untested ideology. Will have to wait and see the blue print (if it ever gets published) before making any plausible comments. However, I believe one thing is quite clear, common citizenry at large will take whatever being dish out by the government with a large pinch of salt (well, may be apart from the top 20 percentile).
18) Observer(SG-HK), the points you mentioned are what would push Singapore towards being a truly 1st world, democratic country that takes care of its people. Unfortunately, these are what the PAP want to avoid at all costs for their own selfish financial gains!
I no longer care about what the Singapore gov says. They usually spell nothing good for locals. Or that bad news (for locals) are sometimes usually disguised as good news (glaringly obviously bull). Like how foreigner workers are to help us keep our jobs & the GST increase is to help the poor when we feel the utmost ill effects of these unwelcome situations in Singapore.
I just feel like jeering whenever I hear “PAP.”
19) pugdragon , on contrary, I think you should make your voice heard. My generation had no outlet then to voice our opinion (even if we had, most unwanted opinions are censored before it sees the light). Now with the advent of new media and Singaporeans are better educated, well read and travel, I think peole should not just keep their silence.
I seriously urge people to voice their concerns and have a say. We are of the same genetic make up, we are not saying something that is against the laws. We are merely voicing our opinions of what we think is right. We own a piece of Singapore as well. Never mind if views, opinons expressed were not taken in or considered for implementation, at least we have achieve an objective. Let the people’s voice be heard. Agree?
I think if the government (regardless of party line in future) wanted to do something for the people, they will have to take the people’s voice seriously. Like wise, if we people wanted to see and hope the change for better, we too have to participate regardless of our status in this nation.
Ya, may be we will not see change progressing fast enough within this decade, but if we the people are uited with the same voice and objective, it will happen. At least, the future generation will benefit. If we remain apathetic and do not even try, we are sure to not see any change evolve. Of course, we have to exercise rational thinking as well. There is never best of both worlds. Something has got to give.
aiyoyo
hopefully all commoners live happily… no pressure etc..
price not high…
aiyoyo
While ““take stock” of Singapore’s progress”,
will there be report on just the successes or inclusive of all failures as well?
for example, investment related? how’s this? got inclusivity or not?
To Current Affairs Desk, TOC
This exercise to take stock of Singapore’s progress after 50 years of self-government has merely been announced. But you have taken the liberty to predict its content and intent with your usual anti-PAP prejudices. The generally cynical and skeptical tone of your premature verdict is evidence of your inability to provide a constructive platform for citizen participation in Govt projects.
By highlighting our nation’s perceived failures, you are not going to instil national pride in our citizens nor inspire us to greater efforts for a brighter future. Your sense of optimism and idealism is nowhere to be found.
“Our Home, Our Future, Our Singapore” should instead provide a rare opportunity for all citizens to reflect on and evaluate our recent history. It’s a good time to come to a new national consensus for determining our future directions.
Rather than allowing the exercise to degenerate into an account of “PAP’s own historical view of Singapore’s development”, we should take possession of this project as one that does not only belong to the Govt or to PAP, but to all Singaporeans.
19) pugdragon on June 9th, 2009 3.06 pm
remember, garment is just a group of elected representatives if the latter themselves also believe what this means in a true democracy.
you are the power and you give them the power. if you do not like them, just change them like what you would do with your own garment (literally). if you think they are not representing your interests (may not be purely benefits but could be your ideals, hopes and aspirations) good enough, just get someone who you think will do the job best as far as you and him are concerned.
there is no gurantee that the newly elected representative will do a better job but you have seen what the current (old) one has already been performing. it is up to you to give the chance to a new person to test it out or to retain the old one giving him second, third, forth, etc chance to improve.
“it is up to you to give the chance to a new person to test it out or to retain the old one giving him second, third, forth, etc chance to improve.”
it is not about giving anyone a chance to test it out or improve, we just need more REAL opposition voices in the parliament all the time. Even if one day, PAP is not the majority in the parliament, we still want them around as opposition to incumbent party.
“Our Home, Our Future, Our Singapore”,
Our home is in JB or Batam if you cannot afford nursing homes in Singapore.
What future are we talking about when we cannot even determine our future but is wholly dependent on USA’s fate. If USA recovers from recession, we tag along. If USA does not recover from recession, we are in deep sh_t.
Our Singapore is like temporary home for Foreign Talents to make money in Singapore while Singaporean males are security personnels to ensure that Foreign Talents make their money in a peaceful environment.
The above is an executive summary of the ” inter-agency steering committee to “take stock” of Singapore’s progress”.
“it is not about giving anyone a chance to test it out or improve, we just need more REAL opposition voices in the parliament all the time. Even if one day, PAP is not the majority in the parliament, we still want them around as opposition to incumbent party.”
Why not anyone ? The candidacy criteria is already strict enough right ? REAL opposition ? What do you mean ? How are you going to know with so much noise & smokescreen going on ?
Deliberate balance. Just enough (3 parties or even 4 ?) to put everyone on his toes. Transition must also be smooth, real bread & butter of families are involved. Present situation is not healthy as we have seen excuses rather than humble admission (perhaps not necessary for them as they are still dominant) for some oversights.
BayesianThinker@23: Where is the ‘anti-PAP’ slant in the article? It merely cautions the government against ‘self-laudatory exercise’ and gives an opinion as to how the PAP may turn such an exercise to its advantage. Your mathematical theory of probability does not (in this case) apply to the degree of plausibility of your statements.
#Observer….
Your points are excellent….the way forward for Singapore….
but unfortunatly, I don’t see it with this PAP leaders and govt…
This propoganda drive… going back to 50 years..blah..blah..blah…is just a gimmick, a feel good factor…for people to feel they belong and think back about the trying times they have experienced…..
when times are tough….
A deep sense of belonging must be churned out from the people,
management theorist everywhere would agree to this….
This is what is happening….they know how to play the game…..however, I don’t think they (the govt) will be able to escape the economic impact.
In my opinion,
This govt, is not apt enough to lift Singapore, to new economic heights….
#23 Bayesian Thinker…
Remember…. Remaking Singapore 21…..after all that talk…mmmm…
I honestly don’t see much change……
I am slanted…I want to be slanted because I participated, so did my friends….and today …most of my friends have left Singapore to live and work overseas….
Dr Vivian…..finally he did come up with something…..THE CASINO….
and I must add, he has done quite abit for sports.
Remaking..mmmm
BayesianThinker #23
Temasek non accountability, no transparency. Rewarding the underserving elites. Creating obstacles for the needy. Paid CDC staff 8 months of bonuses. Boasting about spending obscene sum in french cooking class. Blaming Citizens for Mas selamat escape and than self-crediting for Mas slemat recaptured. Locking grieved citizens in IMH. Calling Singaporeans lesser mortal. Not bowing to Singaporeans for the sake of foreigners. Making up stories about golden period and swiss living standard. Inflating HDB property prices and profiteering by forcing people to sell HDB at 90% value. Calling oppositions non-transprent in managing funds and self-appreciating pap town for losing millions in minibonds. Sending Singaporeans to overseas nursing home when their time is due, Mean Testing the patients in hospitals. Sold our national assets to foreigners without our approval. Locking up our CPF and forced annuity down our throat. Displayed high degree of arrogant in Olympic saga. Increase their salaries immediately after GST hike. No solution during this global crisis. Job Credit scheme did not save retrenchment. Foreign labour cheated with MOM inactions. NEA blamed Singaporeans for rojak poisoning……….the list goes on which truly reflect PAP ” THEIR Home, THEIR Future, THEIR Singapore” which has indeed given Singaporeans such rare opportunity to reflect and evaluate and what other craps pap has in store, for us again, in the pipeline.
What TOC has written, is highly moderated. I still believe they can go further to be more harsh without limiting themselves for what pap has brought upon the sufferings of our citizens.
29) prettyplace
I agree with you (with current ministry) on the point that this government is not apt enough to bring us forward. We the people therefore will play a role in helping the government to do just that. Granted, our voices may not carry weight in the eyes of the current ministry, but I think they heard us as well and if they are wise enough, they will have to do something. At least I hope to see the benefit goes to our lesser fortunate fellow brothers and sisters if not future generations of fellow citizenry. It is not against the law to hope.
I am indeed glad to read that when you said: “This is what is happening….they know how to play the game…..however, I don’t think they (the govt) will be able to escape the economic impact”. You see, people of today’s Singapore are smarter and more educated and it is not too presumptuous of me to assume that we would have made the right choice when time is up come election (with a catch, the government will have to listen to the ground sentiments seriously). I am saying government as in whichever party that is going to be, may not be next election but it will somehow, someday change if the ground sentiments are ignore over and time again. Most importantly, we the people have to have one common voice. Don’t get me wrong, I am neither pro-PAP or an advocate of the alternative voice. I am just an ordinary old man that if given the chance to cast my vote, I would want to see where the next government is taking us to.
Yes, today and tomorrow still belongs to PAP, but if we kept on ranting without actions to make our voice heard, things will stand still and why should Singaporeans be complaining then. As I have penned in my earlier comment and in other articles, my generation of people at large were naive to have believed to leave everything in the hands of the government that we had given our mandate to. It was working then and common citizenry did benefit somehow, but things changed over course when the country gets more affluent comparing to neighboring states. But, is there a possible chance that the people could make a difference? Yes, if you believe it can happen and every little steps and every little accumulative effort will pay off someday.
I like to end this comment with this phrase that I pick up from a documentary I saw in Discovery Channel sometime back: “[The earth] Singapore did not change, we, the people did”. I also think this compilation of quotes from the highly regarded and respected President Franklin D. Roosevelt is worth for us to ponder:” Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds. The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.” The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Wow, David #31,
You have listed a thousand sins of the PAP in one breath. I hope you are ok. I’m worried for your health.
Anyway, I may or may not agree with some of those accusations. But they are irrelevant to the issue this article is alluding to – that is, after 50 years of self-government, it is a convenient time to re-assess our progress.
By rubbishing this effort, we are unwittingly falling victim to what we abhor – that only the Govt has the right to set the tone of the re-assessment! Absolutely not. We, as citizens of Singapore, will reflect on the state of our nation in our own way, at our own time, in our private discussions, at school, at our family dinners, at the food courts with our colleagues and especially at the ballot box at the next GE.
Take heart, my friend. If you truly believe in democracy and if you believe that the people are not stupid, then the votes never lie. If the outcome is not in our favour, so be it because that is how democracy works.
Could a merger with Malaysia be the new chart to a brave new world ?
Many things from the past actually hindered and impeded our moving forward, e.g. relations with Malaysia, the abuse of the ISA against innocent youth activists, blurring of the line between executive and judiciary branch, obstinacy taken as iron resolve when solving social problems etc. Communism is broken and bankrupt, so LKY’s experience in this area is already so passé. We do not need to congratulate ourselves all the time for whatever good that was done, but must also take stock of the bad mistakes too, as in our investment losses, and not being accountable and transparent with our citizens. We more than ever in this knowledge society, need to unlearn, and relearn to move forward. LKY was always boasting he learnt to use the computer when he was old. That is so yesterday, so last decade. The last Malaysian elections were already half won on the Internet before actually going to the polls. Have our leaders learn anything? Can RADM Lui do better than the last time when he moaned about the ‘lawlessness’ of the Internet fora community? Instead of freeing his mental model of a control freak acquired from his masters, it is about time (since he is from the so-called new gen of leaders deemed able to connect with the younger set) he actually unlearns and then tries to relearn new habits!
The economic model is to have growth. The side effect of growth is inflation. To some extent inflation is not bad. Price adjusts as real wage has to adjust accordingly.
However, how I feel is the gahman let in cheap labour to work in Singapore and hence instead of the real wage to be adjusted upwards, probably it went down. Low income workers got the hardest hit as they might experience double bad hit.
Surprisingly, the gahman reduced corporate tax and increase GST. Everyone should know regressive tax hurts the low income worker the most. Wow this time triple hit.
At the same time, Male Singaporeans have to compete with the foreigners when all male Singaporeans have to serve National Service. This is so obvious that Male Singaporeans can no longer stand a higher chance of being recruited in the labour market. Singaporeans tend to lose job opportunities which are never recognized by the gahman.
When the economy is good, you forget about us. When the economy is going from bad to worse, you remembered us. Who do you think am I?
Treat Singaporeans better before talking about “Our Home, Our Future, Our Singapore”; rubbish!
As far as I am concern it is “My Home, My Future, My life”
Some excellent posts that not only pin-point the shortfalls of the PAP but also give suggestions to make Singapore a better home. I particularly like David’s compilation for capturing the impact of the recent failures of PAP. Put together in a list, it reflects clearly why the citizenry is up to their heads with this government.
I also like Observer(SG-HK)‘s take on what’s happening around us in the region and how we can compete without disadvantaging our own citizens.
To those like pugdragon, I would like to call upon you to take up the challenge, as suggested by Observer(SG-HK), to make your voice heard. There are many avenues available these days and even the old coffee-shop style may not be as outdated as it may seem. It is still just as effective as before.
To BayesianThinker , TOC is an alternative news platform to that of MSM. It represents the untold and unheard voice of the people of Singapore. If it is guilty of being slanted, then the same verdict must be applied to the MSM. TOC is only 2 years old and you are already worried. You ought to be worried with the MSM for the slant they are guilty of for the past 50 years.
The slogan should read: Our New Home, Our New Future, Our New Life.
33) BayesianThinker on June 9th, 2009 11.15 pm
“Take heart, my friend. If you truly believe in democracy and if you believe that the people are not stupid, then the votes never lie. If the outcome is not in our favour, so be it because that is how democracy works.”
Very reflective statement indeed, but you have fall short of mentioning the statistics on how many of us get a chance to vote (including walkover GRCs). “Hypothetically”, if you factored in the numbers of walkover GRCs, do we still see 66% of citizenry support as claimed? Is this a true representation of democracy? I have my reservations.
You know my fellow Singaporean, story of truth can be presented in a creative way and citizenry who are less concerned with developments of her nation or politically implied matters that affect our live may just take the easy way of accepting headlines that had been dished out from the MSM like the following example (fresh from the stove):
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_388337.html
There is nothing wrong with the title (above caption) and it is indeed an accurate statement in its context, but when you scrutinize further, you will realize where Singapore stand. We are at 54th out of the 140 cities surveyed (preceding link is the source published).
http://www.eiuresources.com/mediadir/default.asp?PR=2009060801
We are first world nation indeed. I like to know how many first world nations are there in South East Asia? Does it make us feel proud as Singaporeans? You be your judge.
I just want to point out that there are always two sides to a coin. Of course, each one of us is entitled to our views and perceptions on any issues made public. It so happened that the representing government for the last 5 decades wore white. Are there no good deeds done? Yes of course, but I think the past 15 years, Singaporeans at large (at least 80% of those that I had personally came in contact with), reflected on this question:”Do I feel proud being a Singaporean?” This to me signal “doubt” and it is good enough alarm to start to ask why we have such “doubt”. And this is why we need to reflect on the good and the bad sides of things and made our voice heard.
I think as a concerned Singaporean, we should all voice our opinions (in whatever medium that accorded us the avenue) and make it a collective of ideas (from the people’s voice) to help whoever the leaders that we gave our mandate and endorsement to select and execute (with one very important principle and message: it must be for the people’s benefit and Singaporean priority comes first). It will certainly be very grateful of you if you could also share with readers and posters of TOC what you would like see change for this nation. I certainly hope you will think of it as helping your fellow citizenry who may not be as educated, articulate, as well read, travelled and exposed as you are. Many may not have the luxury of owning a computer and literate enough to browse the net and pen views on issues that caught your attention. We are Singaporeans, right? If Singaporeans do not help Singapore and her fellow Singaporeans, who will? You can also take it as a charity cause to help our less fortunate and weak suffering citizenry who are too frail to let their voice heard. Some may have already conceded that their voice is unimportant and that they had lost all hopes and confidence that the government will ever listen.
“Some may have already conceded that their voice is unimportant and that they had lost all hopes and confidence that the government will ever listen.”
Don’t give up hope; if you give up hope, you give up your future.
hi gemami #37,
Actually ST and other newspaper were highly critical of PAP until the late 70s when Lee Kuan Yew started a campaign against all the newspapers. ST was the sole English-language newspaper that survived the campaign at a hefty price – an editorial reshuffle that kept it pro-PAP till today.
“If you truly believe in democracy and if you believe that the people are not stupid, then the votes never lie.”
and you know why msm is so controlled. you only make decision based on what you know. some people may search for info themselves and they do not take wholesale as truth of what is being fed to them.
And there are also people who are very trusting of authorities and their work (and what is fed to them) given the very good impression (conditioning) always being painted of them by msm.
one believes in democracy but one also believes that powerful people can make it either a true democracy or a pseudo one just to impress.
Hi smallvice585,
Thanks for pointing that out. I think, in a very significant way, that the early signs were there, that the moment LKY tasted power, he immediately knew he had to exert control in order to ensure the retention of power.
If there is one word that can sum up the PAP – it is ‘Control’. In two words, it will be ‘Absolute Control’. It was necessary, in the early days of Singapore’s struggle for survival, for our fore-fathers to lend support to LKY’s reformation program.
Unfortunately, the lend-of-support became a mainstay, through LKY’s infamous long arm of injustice – not limited to the establishing of the state-controlled media and ISA. Total control came about after the walk-out of the Barisan Socialis MPs.
The ink-and-paper age had helped the PAP tremendously. The fear-factor was like a nail to a coffin that never closes and the MSM became the hammer than knocks on this nail. This has been all of 50 years already.
However, like the saying goes: “every cloud has a silver lining”, the age of ink-and-paper now has a digit to it. With the advent of the internet, and platforms like Facebook and Twitter, we can finally count down the days when the ‘control’ factor that has seen the PAP cling on to power, become a thing of the past.
It is now a case of every action having an opposite reaction – never mind if it is equal or not.
What a good way to make people feel good and to show the citizen that the government appreciates them.
Again, it is a desperate action to win back support by bringing people back to the good-old days and broadcasting what they have done for EVERYBODY.
This is also a good chance to coat honey on unpopular or unwelcome policies that the government have imposed. To cast a new light to the questionable mistakes and actions that the government have committed over the years.
To me, it is JUST ANOTHER COVER-UP JOB.
I really looking forward to see how thick-skinned they are.
“Again, it is a desperate action to win back support by bringing people back to the good-old days and broadcasting what they have done for EVERYBODY.”
Harping on old glories ? It is like showing off your 7 As in your ‘O’ or ‘A’ when your current work may only need you to serve tables as waiter (because of this financial crisis) and retrenched people (some of whom may be already professionals themselves) are encouraged to upgrade, sidegrade, leftgrade, rightgrade, retool, uptool, downtool, sidetool, lefttool and right-tool, etc and to capitalize the opportunities when the economy recovers.
Does past performance, contributed by people of the olden era, guarantee future performance?
A party is only as good as the people.
What happens if the people stepped down or ‘retire’ completely? ;) ;)
but i am assured of continued performance by the calibres that exist like Wee, LBW and Thio among others too many to mention.
Well done. more centuries in a row.
The Brave New World I see is
singaporeans NITEC grads are being paid hundreds only and not even a thousand Based on my recent E2i experience.
That is so much progress from a cost competitiveness perspective.
1st world singaporeans, price hiked leading to inflation we seeing now and salaries have become downward competitive Based on my observations.
I wonder why?
I also wonder why the whole netosphere no one discussing singaporean salaries after the failed event at HLP over 1 month ago?
Instead , other ‘AHEAD OF TIME’ issues are being talked about and discussed?
What is the REALITY?
Fatt Yew
speaking for a segment of singaporeans.
To clarify, i do not have salary info of all NITEC cert holders as this info is not accessible by me. I only have this particular e2i job info as I went for interview.
Costs, not even 1K a month , 6 days shifted work. Every weekend is work day. Can work till 4 am.
no govt = brave new (old) world?
land of the lost? lol…