Wednesday, June 10, 2009 9:46

PM Lee doesn’t take private jet

In Quotes • 1,602 views • 57 Comments

Mr Lee said he did not think Singapore was an affluent country, the Korean daily reported. 

‘Besides, as a government official, I have to lead by example. Singapore’s senior officials fly economy class, not first class, for flights under six hours,’ he was quoted as saying. 

PM Lee, quoted in South Korean paper Chosun Ilbo

Related posts:

  1. A response to MM Lee’s private secretary on dialects
  2. Report: Private educational provider threatens online forum with defamation
  3. PTW Week: The private public transport
  4. From public to private?
  5. SIM is “private institution”, so no fare concession



57 Comments

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

blackfeline
Jun 10, 2009 10:10

he didn’t mentioned how much he and his group of merry men and women are getting world class salaries while peasants like us have to live with crumbs…what hypocrisy!

PennyWPoundF
Jun 10, 2009 10:14

Wow, so prudent to save money for the country. Hope this applies to all areas of government expenditure and not just air travel.

smallvice585
Jun 10, 2009 10:15

Don’t you know club members get free upgrade from economy to business class?

whjho
Jun 10, 2009 10:20

This is call Pennies wise, Pound Foolish.

81 (forget how many now) MPs, mayors, how many MMs, DPMs, cabinet ministers, PMO’s ministers, minisiters and seniors ministers of state etc? Their total salaries?

How many fly compared to this cohort group?

blackfeline
Jun 10, 2009 10:26

next time…try budget airlines….bring your own “bento”…shop at “This Fashion” for your kids….groceries at “sheng siong”….yes..lead by EXAMPLE!

lisachiobu
Jun 10, 2009 10:27

Not an affluent country ? Really ? Then why you make the citizens pay you the highest political salary in the world ?

ram
Jun 10, 2009 11:26

It is hard to believe that our multi-miilion dollars ministers, especially MM, ever fly economy for official trips.

Maybe it was true in the 60s.

Victor
Jun 10, 2009 11:30

Serve Hup Lee fried beehoon at state functions, collect free tissue at Raffles Pl, rush for free newspapers in the mornings, collect coupons at supermarkets, take the crowded cattle pens called trains during peak hours, etc. Join S’pore Idol and sing so well that the judges do not even know they are talking c**k.

ErniesUrn
Jun 10, 2009 11:40

The S.Korean Minister ask the wrong question.

Should have been,

“What? You are not in a board of directors in a private company owned by your family? How come?”

‘Besides, as a government official, I have to lead by example. Singapore’s senior officials should be involved in more politics and, not business’ he was quoted as saying.”

This would have been more meaningful

lobo76
Jun 10, 2009 11:42

IT may be economy class, but there is nothing to prevent them from booking the whole plane’s economy class seats. lol

Daniel
Jun 10, 2009 12:03

Please lah, the life of Lee’s family is worthless and is great liability to Singapore, and having them around make no difference, only create more problem for Singaporeans. Every honest or unhonest mistakes they make, the citizens are made to pay. Their life are worthless and useless to Singaporean that I doubt anyone will even care if anything happens to them. Singapore is better off without them. So whether they have own private jet or sit in commerical plane, it don’t matter. No one cares. Oh, still using taxmoney to pay for first-class for useless junk ?

Wynnx
Jun 10, 2009 12:05

I can’t help but recall Mrs Lee flight back from London. :D

cclassflight
Jun 10, 2009 12:25

sured boss
you says under 6 hours flight
meanin if go hylam island fly 3rd class lark?
even malboroughtan flies economy on tigerairways.com
the only privilegeges he get
was upon arrivals in budget terminal
he got to get 2 free wheelchair rides
if he deem its a long walk
which coincidentally
budget terminal was approved and designed under his lta ministry….
leekuanyew
please for Heaven sake
retire
you have never lead by examples
if you had
how many cardboxes or coco colas empty tins have you collected?

What to DO
Jun 10, 2009 12:39

Singapore senior officials fly economy class, not first class?

Sure or not?

Why your mother could travel on one whole chartered SIA plane with special nurses and doctors, etc. hah?

Any minister travel on economy class or not?

Ministers paid how much har? World’s highest salaries and bonuses, right or not?

“It has happened …. ah…. what to do?”

leslie
Jun 10, 2009 12:44

my friend who is an air steward said that he served a minister of state on an official visit to france in first class.

so anything above 6 hours is first class? why the discrepency? why not business class?

Lead by Example = Grandstanding?
Jun 10, 2009 12:45

Ask them to cut pay, they say they are not here to grandstand.

Now take economy class flight, they say they are leading by example.

Just what kind of bollocks are our elites sprouting again? Sheesh!

David
Jun 10, 2009 12:56

He dares to say that to Korean but kept his mouth shut in Singapore, If need be, he will convert SIA airbus into clinic for his famiLEE.

lee
Jun 10, 2009 13:06

They always boast about their altruisms to their foreign audience without giving
them the full picture, like their astronomical salaries.
Like how they boasts that they are popularly supported and elected in every election without telling his audience the obstacles he put in place against the oppositions and that many of the electorate never got a chance to vote in
every election.

Gilbert Goh
Jun 10, 2009 13:18

He should ask for a pay cut of himself from 3 million to maybe one million dollars.

His merrymen can also get some pay cut to be in line with the world best ministers.

For the work that they do, it is not worth it.

We only have 4 million population and compared to many other countries with tens and hundreds of million handling a whole range of complex issues, we have a cabinet that is too well paid and not on the ground facing the people.

notalone
Jun 10, 2009 13:42

dont need him to lead, many people have been flying economy class for the sake of their company’s well being already.

lousy example.

Richard Tan
Jun 10, 2009 14:26

Ya fly by aeroplane sit economy class, but he never say he book the whole plane up for him to sit only. Bullshitting WHO?

aiyoyo
Jun 10, 2009 14:30

aiyoyo

so high pay (elites), talk also the most, contribute the most?

saw today news :

Economists expect Singapore economy to shrink 6.5% this year
Posted: 10 June 2009 1306 hrs

what’s the results of having so many elites??

is the commoners tax paid 物超所值??

aiyoyo

aiyoyo
Jun 10, 2009 14:50

aiyoyo

remember – recent trip my colleague inform me when he fly back from shanghai,

a minister on same flight (the person who lost Mr MAS thru toilet hole),

my colleague did not see the minister in economy class leh…

so how does this statement work? (shanghai to sing; < 6hours ma)

Singapore’s senior officials fly economy class, not first class,
for flights under six hours

aiyoyo

self trumpeting
Jun 10, 2009 15:59

I don’t believe that Sin Ministers fly economy on -6 hr flights. Can you imagine
LKY, GCT flying to KL or any SEA countries getting window seats and got to
tell the next guy to move his legs as he needs to go to loo?
Give me his 3 million plus pay and I would even cycle to Korea to save
on air tickets>

Ak
Jun 10, 2009 16:36

Hey! Don’t you people know that Singapore is also known as ‘Lee Garden?’

mike
Jun 10, 2009 17:22

LHL forgot to tell him that if you have a choice of 3 million plus and the empire of singapore control and a economy class ticket….what should you should, moron??

this is a piece of crap news done on shithead!!

whjho
Jun 10, 2009 18:24

Wondering why are there so many who skeptical and doubt LHL’s words?

Is it because of credibility? On this topic, there seems to be witnesses and evidences that it is not happening, then why LHL is making such statement boldy and un-embarrassingly? Has he lost touch with what is happening on the ground and worst to the practises of the team? Or he was mis-informed/misled and it is a genuine mistake?

Or have I entered into wrong website to find so many nay sayers? Maybe I should check PAP websites to find support and praises for LHL.

Michael
Jun 10, 2009 19:03

I am waiting for the ‘flu’ that is that expenses scandal in the UK to drift over to Singapore and for someone to pass on a thumbdrive all the expenses that ministers in Singapore spend on…to TOC of course…surely you didn’t expect the ST to report on it?

Thinktok
Jun 10, 2009 19:53

We should not misbehave and anyhow throw accusation, because when that happens they they loose respect for us. When they loose respect for us then they do all their nonsence. Gopalan Nair from America writes regularly to discredit the Govt. Most of it is rubbish. So in one breath they will zone us as Gopalan Nair and just write us off.

Please if you can, don’t throw smoke. Say only those things that are correct and that they cannot reply. In that way they will begin to take us seriously. More importantly the majority will take us seriously. Antics like TBT, Chee Soon Juan, Seelan Palay set us back and make us look like fools.

They are well educated and WELL PAID people. You cannot anyhow hantam.

LikeReal
Jun 10, 2009 22:33

Korean president: “Huh!? You fly SQ? Not the kind that just crashed into the sea, right?”
LHL: “Boh pian lah! My woman lose so much money so cannot buy own jet like my Burmese kakis. But SQ gave me free upgrade. Served me hum-less mee siam some more. Song ah!”

kingrant
Jun 10, 2009 23:08

He only said senior govt officials don’t fly first class but he didnt said he doesnt. Or his father or the wooden Goh. Even the senior officals can upgrade to business class redeeming frequent flyer miles portion of their previous first class flights! So, on record, they have flown econ class and no mention of their upgrades. This is something the govt needs to clarify – accumulated frequent flyer miles belong to who? The individual civil servant or the govt? I personally know of the practice in GLCs where senior managers kept their flyer miles for upgrades on personal travels. Since the first class fares (fromwhich they derived most of their flyer miles!) were paid out of taxpayers’ pockets, why shldnt the flyer miles accrue back to the general pool so that junior officials on official travel can also benefit? This is something the Auditor-General Office should find out.

hmmm
Jun 10, 2009 23:12

i’ve met lee kuan yew on first class singapore airlines to hong kong when he went there for a diplomatic meeting. He sat behind me with his wife, quite friendly. Can take picture and ask him sign autograph. (still have his autograph).

also got one of his entourage sitting in first class behind him. the rest of his entourage in business class. once touch down, he got escorted off by hongkies.

kingrant
Jun 10, 2009 23:19

Maybe it’s an airline rule that the flyer miles go to the individual, but the govt being a big customer, if it wants, surely it can impose their special arrangements to allow flyer miles to accumulate into a central pool in the govt’s account name. Then anybody travelling govt budget can benefit. But in reality, those who enjoy these miles quietly do so and so dont shoot themselves in the foot by rocking the boat. They all therefore gang together in security by the numbers, and in some form of freemason cult sworn to some hidden ruleof secrecy.

Yang
Jun 10, 2009 23:22

Hello Guys, PAP own SQ. Which classes of seat also can. Please don’t argue. This is their Co. Take it easy. Cheers.

kingrant
Jun 10, 2009 23:23

#33, Right. Who’s going to protest if the employee or his boss processing the travel arrangements saw that the great fearsome MM is flying first class to HK? Does he want to get the sack or be victimised for as long as he works in the govt? So again, self-censorship by fear….officialised terrorism!

kingrant
Jun 10, 2009 23:25

#35, A good test of whtehr the PAP owns SQ is to vote them out of govt, and see whether they can suka suka.

kingrant
Jun 10, 2009 23:33

MM Lee has argued and rammed thru his policy of paying high salaries to Ministers. Whta’s to stop him from arguing for a private jet for his Cabinet Ministers? Why not? On grounds of efficiency, security, privacy? Oh well, he always has a private reason and he has the oratorical skills to con the Sinkies into accepting his public reasons. Hitler has said,”If you want to tell a lie, make it a big one!” Small lies are not worth the trouble and in fact, more likely to be disbelieved!

spineless comparison
Jun 10, 2009 23:35

The Billions lost by father and wife could have paid for Airforce One A380 to be used exclusively for PM Lee, with a Squadron of F117s as security escorts.
There will still be plenty of Billions left to upkeep one Battalion of Gurkhas, convert Sentosa Island for PM Lee’s retreat and still enough change to improve the lives of many Sporeans.

So whatever claims made by PM Lee about his govt saving money or being prudent in spending is laughable.

kaopehkaobu
Jun 10, 2009 23:52

Terrorists are more likely to strike on planes carrying impt govt personnel and thus he is risking the lives of innocent by travelling with the masses. It is better for him and his father to travel by pte jet. In the event that it crashes like Air France 477, at least there’ll be more ppl on ground to mourn for the father and son team.

kingisher
Jun 11, 2009 4:59

#39,
Sori, did you say “at least there’ll be more ppl on ground to mourn for the father and son team.”

Who cares? I thot there’ll be parties everywhere?

kingisher
Jun 11, 2009 5:10

For those here who still think we shld not badmouth the PAP govt, may I offer this quote from Bertrand Russell:

“The man who has fed the chicken everyday throughout its life at last wrings its neck instead, showing that refined views as to the uniformity of nature would have been useful to the chicken.”

As chickens, we shld guard against being lulled by the usual routine apparent “goodness” under PAP. One day, it’ll just snap like the chicken’s neck. It seems to be happening already. Also, don’t expect to wake up when you’re a boiled frog!

tick
Jun 11, 2009 5:51

they did not say that it’s economy class on SQ…which could end up more expensive than some business class of some other airlines…

remember some TT Durian trying to exploit and compare the price of air tickets??

aiyoyo
Jun 11, 2009 7:52

aiyoyo

those elites talk talk talk

got time recover/save the economy la..

benefit all ma..

aiyoyo

Alex the peasant boy
Jun 11, 2009 9:36

Somehow, all these wayangs remind me of WWE! Always entertaining & providing a few laughs!

plopp
Jun 11, 2009 10:14

6 hours economy class — > sounds very nice and generous ah, but how often do they fly 6 hours and how often do they fly more? If only need to fly 6 hours , usually they come here not vice versa. O.O Pretendgames.

more and more of their faces in the msm videos and prints
Jun 11, 2009 10:46

like this people can see they working .
so comforting.
i wonder is it coming soon?
why non-reply of losses?

GABRIEL
Jun 11, 2009 11:55

Aiyoh, that Korean chappie was just trying to generate media publicity for himself by talking about his guest. He was trying to project himself a a good host by singing the praises of his guest, while at the same time, gaining media mileage.
Just take what he and other media-savvy politicos say, with a big pinch of sale. No need to get worked up over such worthless proclamations. Not worth it — tackle bigger issues.

tew ah seow
Jun 11, 2009 12:09

Fly economy with 1st class treatment, what is the difference ? Pot calling the kettle black.

ST_fan
Jun 11, 2009 12:19

This SHOULD BE in Mediacorp’s “Incredible Tales”

ST_fan
Jun 11, 2009 12:24

Did he told the Korean he saved wasting 15 sticks of satay…

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/277178/1/.html

Yamasam
Jun 11, 2009 13:53

“lead by example” ?? Haha . . . my toes are laughing.

If he’s serious, first thing first, cut those out-of-this-world salary to be more aligned with international benchmarks for political leaders.

You Win Liao
Jun 11, 2009 14:11

liar! liar!
tell lie will have his tongue to be cut off in hell……

red_dot
Jun 11, 2009 17:21

Let’s have a Parliamentary investigation
to the truth!!!!!!

Teo Kueh Liang
Jun 16, 2009 17:21

Ministry of Trade and Industry had earlier made an economic performance forecast. It predicts and expect Singapore GDP to contract between minus 2 and minus 9 percentage. Hence, we can clearly draw an correlation that Singapore’s economy cannot avoid the disaster and influence of the global economic/financial crisis.

In view of this respect, our Cabinet can’t really do much to turn the table around by reversing Singapore’s economy to a better state. The most they can do for now , is to dip into reserve to tide over the adversities of the businesses and workers. Thus, it will be good for all ministers and high ranking officials to cut their official travel pattern and expenses.

PekChek
Jun 27, 2009 20:45

Aiyah PM does not fly by private jet because SIA is more comfortable and safe. What is wrong with it? Anyway LKY, JYM Pillay, pilots, stewardess, SATs etc and many others are responsible for SIA’s success. In the early days when SIA was penetrated by Australian pilots, I remembered he sent Devan Nair to handle the case. Thus the phrase: “This meek and subservient man will give you the marching order….”

Life is not easy. Singapore was a slum before. Now it is a beauty and suddenly everyone has something to say.. But the bottom line is we must still thank the old guards under LKY and the people of Singapore and Dr Winsemius too.

Please give them a break!

Too Sure
Dec 15, 2009 9:14

He does not take private jet but he inconvenient every passengers and crew when he takes SIA. he made sure his foreign affair team check every single item of your bags before you check in and a thorough body check at the counter.

He is not paying himself just $3.84M, there is a 12 months discretionary decided by himself!!!

Utopia
Dec 15, 2009 9:50

Sissy Lee, GrandPa Lee, and the Jinx of the same ONE Family can afford to lose more than $100 billions dollars nonchalant, and even to pump in more untold amount of money into their own pet investment, and you telling me that Singapore is not affluent ? How much do you need to become affluent ? 200 Trillions ?

Who need a private jet when he and his pathetic family treat the whole of Singapore as though belong to him ?

Leave a Reply

Comment


theonlinecitizen on Facebook