Andrew Loh
Remember that time in the 70s and 80s when our mainstream media, playing lapdog to the government, exhorted all Singaporeans to not have too many babies, that “Two Is Enough”? It is testament to the effectiveness of the campaign that Singaporeans can still remember the details of that policy – some 40 years on.
Déjà vu.
This time, however, instead of babies, our mainstream media is playing lapdog to a new social engineering effort by the government in allowing the flood of foreigners onto our shores. At the last count, there are 1.68 million foreign nationals here in our tiny island. The local media has been exhorting (as it did decades ago with the “Stop At Two” campaign), in big bold headlines, for Singaporeans to be “grateful” for what we have, and to “embrace foreigners” , to be kind and “welcome” them and how we must understand that foreigners are “vital” to us!
Well, of course we know foreigners are important to our economy. What we want to know, as Pritam Singh so eloquently articulated in an earlier article on TOC, is this:
It is precisely… the very prospects of economic decline and the necessary pre-emptive measures to meet this alleged challenge, which compounds the discomfort among Singaporeans. For some, the FT policy underwrites a population surge on a very small island to a population figure Singaporeans have little clarity about…. a relationship based on transparency and openness with the public vis-à-vis the FT policy must represent the central pillar of the government’s efforts rather than one that sees the intermittent release of government data providing selective details on the FT policy, with no interest in revealing the guidelines that has and will shape that very policy.
What we also want to know are answers to some questions posed by Leong Sze Hian in this article.
What it feels right now is that the government, as it did in the 70s and 80s, is trying to jam an unclear policy down the throats of Singaporeans.
It is also sadly unfortunate that an unthinking media is again lapping it all up, without so much as a squeak of a question about what the government is doing. Singaporeans are left helpless with regards to clarity on such a divisive policy. The danger here is that such blatant promotion of the policy, which Singaporeans are unclear about, by the media may give rise to even more anxiety and unhappiness than there already are.
These are some bold headlines we’ve seen in the Straits Times in the past few weeks alone:
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If a govt manages a country in a way that it needs to depend a lot on foreigners, then this type of country has failed. In addition, govt cannot say that foreigners coming to Singapore is akin to that of more than 60yrs ago. Back then, there was no Singapore, no national identity. Now is different.
To (49) JC ” I dare say a majority of us would point our rifles at the enemies and not our fellow Singaporeans. We are oppositions to PAP, not opposition to our Nation. We are patriots, and that’s why we debate on what’s best for the country, not kowtow and be pussy-whipped by PAP into a Yes! man. Are you?
It burns me to have someone accusing opposing ideas as unpatriotic or question the patriotism of another who supports the opposition. Who gives you the right to question, just because you’re a PAP lapdog?”
Thank you Sir, you are spot on. Once again let me declare;
SINGAPORE IS NOT PAP. I will defend my Homeland against ANY enemy, and no ardent Patriot of the republic will ever bear arms against his own country. Also it is Because I am a Patriot that I so declare: Should the ruling party itself become a threat to the Republic and openly defile the sanctity of the Constitution or attempt to usurp the basic liberty of the common citizen by armed force it is the duty and right of every Patriotic citizen to deny such a party right to govern and to bear arms in the defense of our family, friends, neighbors and to protect the legacy left us by our forefathers lest their sweat,toil and freedom be defiled.
Sic Semper Tyrannis!
What could be the difference if singapore is now replaced by china nationals 70%, 15% Malaysians + Indonesians, 10% India Indians and 5% Others ? I mean NEW CITIZENS?
Would they accept?
Analyse China.
Analyse India.
Analyse Indonesia.
Analyse Malaysia ( they repeatedly denied the ruling party since last year to now.)
I welcome new citizens as the existing may potentially lack the right GENES.
just my 0.9cent, less than 1 cent only.
35) True Patriot Down South on August 26th, 2009 5.33 pm
“Hi all. Alright now 1st of all I am no fan of the ruling party that appears to rule from another planet considering how out of touch they are with the people.”
While i would not say i agree with you,
I like to ask you, is what you said not what many have said before the last 2 elections?
And tell me honestly what happened in those elections?
Are you living in denial?
If the PAP govt claims that it remains in power for fifty years because in every successive election it receives overwhelming majority, then Singapore voters would be the first in the world to gladly vote in for dictatorship.
To 55) Hoong Mui Mui of the Moo
“35) True Patriot Down South on August 26th, 2009 5.33 pm
“Hi all. Alright now 1st of all I am no fan of the ruling party that appears to rule from another planet considering how out of touch they are with the people.”
While i would not say i agree with you,
I like to ask you, is what you said not what many have said before the last 2 elections?
And tell me honestly what happened in those elections?
Are you living in denial?”
Pleased to meet your acquaintance. If you think the overall election results is the only credible yard stick for approval by the people then it may appear that you m’am are the one living in denial.
Fact is, there has never been a level playing field.Granted a number of opposition candiates have failed in the past due to their own strategic incompetance but what about Opposition leaders who have had the chance to serve on a long term basis? Have their margins not gone up in the last election? Without upgrading perks and handouts mind you.
Many people also conveniently forget illiterate older folks who simply vote “establishment” by default. It exists! Add to that Singaporeans who vote for the establisment by default out of apathy or ignorance rather than making informed or convicted choices AND Singaporeans who don’t know that living in an opposition ward is not like living in Hades and there you have it. Bottom line its the ruling party has the most powerful weapon: Electorate Infrastructure.Look, I am not a politician, many of us here are average working Citizens.
Leave the policy making to people with know how but the fact is when the people in power start ignoring the fact that people on the ground do not appreciate seeing things like huge wasteful posters with 24hr spot lights and large unnecessary LCD TVs at town councils then something is very wrong.
Take the internet for instance.The fact that this website and many others and the many like-sentiments expressed in said websites exists while similar expressions are no where to be seen in the main stream media says alot. To me it says that we may very well have the beginnings of a very justified underground movement. The internet is feared by the powers that be and feared it should be because once people have an avenue to finally reveal their true sentiments and find out that hey, they are not such freaks after all, we will all start to see the cracks in the system for what they are. Change is coming my friends.
Thank you for expressing interest in my comment, please feel free to share your thoughts on my reply.
Your servant
True Patriot Down South
Almost forgot. Back in 2006 while on a 6 month overseas work assignment I was Denied my right to vote at our overseas voting stations because I was not on Govenment linked study or work assignments. Go figure.
Is this the new Singapore pledge?
“I will defend my Homeland against ANY enemy (FTs?). No ardent Patriot of the republic will ever bear arms against his own country.
I so declare:
Should the ruling party itself become a threat to the Republic, and openly defile the sanctity of the Constitution, or attempt to usurp the basic liberty of the common citizen by armed force, it is the duty and right of every Patriotic citizen to deny such a party (the) right to govern; and; to bear arms in the defense of our family, friends, neighbors and to protect the legacy left us by our forefathers – lest their sweat,toil and freedom be defiled.” :
True Patriot Down South.
To 59)gemami, Haha, can it? As much as I would like that it is just my personal conviction. I dare say however that chances are a significant number of our fellow citizens may very well have more or less the same sentiments.
Your servant
True Patriot Down South
The discussion between lky and pap
PAP: boss, singaporeans going to vote us out soon,what to do?
LKY: don’t worry,i will bring china national and give them PR an they will voted for you.
PAP:hmm… good idea, but what if still can’t make it?
LKY: I will give singaporeans extra goodies then before and make them busy shopping while we do the tricks and shifting.
PAP: boss….! good idea. but what if this also can’t make their mind change?
LKY: i will threating their future and make them think if they vote opposition they will regret and suffer.
PAP: but we already make them suffer and earn millions from their pockets and now they already found out. what if they question us?
LKY: who are this singaporeans to question us??? they talk much i put them in the lock up!!
PAP: hmm..that is not good idea as people see you are cruel.
LKY: ok if we know we going to lose then some of you and me will report sick and post pone the election and we find other ways to gain power.
PAP: ok we report sick and we travel to china to seek for our people there to come help us.
LKY: no worries, singaporeans are below my feet just squeeze them and they will beg me and vote me. they know they can’t fool around with me, over 50years i have been stepping them so no worries. you go sit and they will come and vote you.
PAP:OK SIR!!! thank you boss. then our pay how?
LKY:haiya…that one small issue……..how much you want?
PAP: maybe around monthly 8millions can boss?
LKY: no problem at all la…. make it 10millions a month enough?
PAP:wow boss thanks you so much!!
LKY : after election i will bring up everything and tax our slave then you take 10millions each and the rest is mind. my wife want to buy another 4 lamborgini just for fun to drive around our garden.
PAP: wow boss you can buy me also lamborgini?
LKY ok you come and take one at my home. i give you la…no problem.
PAP:then our singaporeans how?they suffering boss.
LKY: you want to pity yourself or them?
PAP:of coz myself boss.
LKY: then fu#k them aside, let them go do their work and pay us.
@40) PAP SUPPORTER on August 26th, 2009 8.28 pm
“…Dear all, should there be a war, where/who would you point the gun at if you are called up and are issued a rifle with live bullets?…”
Dear PAP SUPPORTER,
My unit was chosen for a survey on the morale of our NS/Army personnel. Maybe they thought we were pretty gungho, so the results will be shining. Unfortunately some of the questions were on leadership and esp. on our higher commander(s). This brought about impromptu discussion and derision amongst the participants. You see, our commander was obviously a white horse — absolutely incompetent, unbearably arrogant, the A**H*** word must have been invented for him. He was obviously also from an elite family or connection. Anyway, the true results of the survey showed that this “meritocratic leader” (as carefully selected by our meritocratic system for our outfit) will go down fast upon the first encounter with the enemy — being hit by either rifle, MG, grenade, bayonet, RRL, SAW, LAW, M203, maybe even a rock. Of course the enemy might get him first. Without him, everyone agreed we could go about our intended roles & have a better chance of survival.
After the survey, the invigilator was shocked with the answers. She then told us that the survey was being voided because the comments were unacceptable. She just couldn’t hand in those results. Maybe they got another unit to redo the survey. So, what was your question…or which result did you read?
[i]PAP SUPPORTER on August 26th, 2009 8.28 pm ‘37) True Patriot Down South on August 26th, 2009 5.47 pm
Another thing Gentlemen, should there be a War I don’t care who will or will not fight to defend
[/i]
the LEE family would not be aroun simpLEE because the prime minister would be in china seekin the chinese PLA for assistances, the mental minister would not be aroun for he will be in australia directin the tank units to be flown to singapore, the daughter herself would be in swizerland livin on a swiss standard joinin the red cross to ensure that the redcross marks would be flown to all our mobile medic units in the battlefield…
meanwhile the daughterinlaw would be in india to make sured our boffer 106mm canon guns finaly worked and can fired from bangolor to singapore against the agressor in our singapoor SOIL…
we the peasants/defenders are expendable lots…
the fastest you all die the earlier they do not have to account for our cpf withdrawals…
so who should i point my sar22 @?
or waved my crocodile white underwear to surrender?
It is not true that the foreign workers are doing jobs that Singaporean do not want to do… I happened to know a few china’s engineers in Singapore working in HP. They said there is a whole pool of them there.
So please do not fall into the make-believe lies that was being told to us.
To 55) Hoong Mui Mui of the Moo and ALL:
Ever wondered why it is mandatory to vote in an election whereas other democracies, even in Afghanistan or Iraq, it is considered the civic duty of the people to vote BUT NOT mandatory?
PAP holds the majority because of this mandatory clause. Here’s why:
1. Older generations in their 50s and 60s only know to vote for the one party that gave Singapore prosperity through the past decades of independence and skeptical to any changes in the leadership;
2. 70s and 80s know of only one party and the turbulence years leading to statehood in Singapore would vote to err on the safe side;
3. Majority of Singaporeans (last time I checked, it was about 70%) live in a government-subsidized home or HDB. A vote to the opposition would expose him/her to back-lash and stripped off of the upgrades, perks and such on the HDB he/she holds dear. Repercussions a bitch!
I have not seen a demographic breakdown of the Singaporeans who voted for PAP but I am confident to say that PAP cruised to victory in the past two elections carrying the above three major portions of Singaporean voters. You get their attention and pry them off the PAP wagon, you’re half way to victory!
My maid is the only FT that I give some credit to.
hi Commentator,
“My maid is the only FT that I give some credit to”
fair enough. they are a different class altogether. i am sure there are enough families who share your sentiments. because for some maids, they are an extension of the family they serve. of course, i am refering to the honest & hardworking ones.
;)
yes the honest and hardworking ones and not those in orchard road, geylang, serangoon road. this are the FT bring their talent that the lky is refering to.
we singaporeans are not against foreign or any races or religion. we share and respect the interest of chinese,malay,indian that we hold our hads together and call ourselve singaporeans and work to archive a better life for singapore and to bring archivement too for our younger generation in future. those days malay and chinese even indians will visit speak to each other in malay,english and even chinese, we don’t put piority to any language and it is a free will for our people to speak to each other in any language depending on whom their fellow singaporeans is. in those days singaporeans chinese can speak malay very well ad even tamil don’t be suprise. even malay can understand chinese as they trying to learn and understand each other mother tongue and as a family they singaporeans sit side by side each day and welcome each other with happiness and from there they archive peace and harmony and as they archive and climb hard towards success where LEE KUAN YEW is nothing but just sitting at his backyard but then this singaporeans those days put every trust and every blood be given to lee kuan yew believing he will hold their hands as they hold their fellow hands together we strive to archive. but all that was wrong!!!!
it is in the mind of singaporeans that they sweat their blood for each other but what’s in the mind of LEE KUAN YEW?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
he feel the power he gain from us and with it he fail to keep his words that been giving to our late fathers and mothers who bring him up who support him with tears and with a strong heart endure all the suffering they face. what had LEE KUAN YEW proof us singaporeans? is this the best he had done for us in ((50)) YEARS!!!!!! no joke. 50YEARS that is not days but years!!!! so this is the best we get after 50years we almost gave out of money to them?? with a high standard or living cost we still walk the path of burning fire and force to absorb believing goverment is having difficullty too and we singaporeans should gave them a change and simpathy towards them and keep holding their hands and voted them continuosly as a result we are force to absorb even deeper mishandling of singapore by the goverment and with continously increase of living standard we are force to accept that the salary that we earn will not be increase accordingly and there is nothing goverment can do about it.
]
why?!!!!!!!!
because we singaporeans had given them the power all this while and it had reach the time that they are in full control of us and therefore he will no longer need us or for them to hold our hands. who are we to depend on the goverment???? indirectly said by LEE KUAN YEW :you singaporeans are too much!!!! and look at other country and you singaporeans should be grateful that you fellow are not living the life like them!! you fellow should be grateful for what i have given which is peanuts!!! just take and live with it even you like it or not.
what about the time he is no one but just people like us and we carry him all this years up. how painful is our shoulder? does he even think of that? do we think that who is he and his people so call PAP for us to carry and adsorb so much of pain? we never!!!!!
why at the first place those days they want our support?? if MR LEE KUAN YEW thinks that he is smart enough then he should be running the goverment those days onwards without the help of his singaporeans. just he and his familee by their self, then see how he is able to archive after 50years!! guess he will archive peanuts in 50years without us!!!
so why
Actually, even if a GRC or SMC is not contested, it doesn’t mean the ruling party will still retain that place. In fact, people still need to vote. The way the PAP is doing things is that if they want new people in their parliament, they confirm put the newcomers in walkover GRCs.
Anyone can be a journalist or editor in Singapore. No need to go college to study so much. Local media work is so easy. Just write what the govt asked them to publish.
Once a lapdog, always a lapdog. ST is indeed a paper not even fit to wrap shits.
Another unspoken truth – keep wages low to compete with China & India. FT don’t vote- Sinkaporean do. Maybe they are right but there are ways to help those unfortunate Sinkaporean who had fallen on hard time. For those who read the book “The Singapore Story -memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew” may see parallel in what the current regime are doing. Total control through fear. The Jap did it by chopping the head of those who dare to oppose them. The PAP had use the laws and Justice system to do likewise to those who dare to offer an alternative to their cruel rule. Stand up and be counted fellow Singaporean. The PAP regime may put some people in prison for exercising their democratic rights under the constitution but could they imprison hundred of thousand at the same time? Learn from history, Gandhi had used civil disobidience to bring the mighty British rule of India to an end. Surely Singaporean could as well. What is stopping you guys out there. On your own you have no chance but as a group, even the SAF will not be able to stop it. After all members of SAF, especially the foot soldiers also suffer as much like all other Sinkaporean. Would they shoot their fellow citizens? PAP regime may be able to buy a few opportunist to do their dirty deeds but could they buy enough Sinkaporean to do so? They may but greed had the better of them, they preferred to keep as much as possible for themselves and their croony and lap dogs.God Bless.
My maid is the only FT I give some credit to.
15) Economics 101
I thorughly agree with you. Especially on the competition part. Its going to be very very very tough for our minorities to make it big. All these things doesnt give you a feel of being wanted in your “homeland”.
SINGAPORE: Singapore has made a head start in business and trade in today’s globalised world because it has chosen English as its working language, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.
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Launching this year’s Speak Good English Movement on Friday, Mr Teo said Singaporeans must continue to speak good English in order to maintain its competitive edge
what is now?back to english? hello DPM, TEO you and LEE KUAN YEW are playing wayang here is it????? now singaporeans and burning with fire you lap over this stupid issue of english to cover up ??? what about the madarin compulsary??mandariin is a must in all job and because of mandarin now singapore archive. what is wrong with you two?? DPM TEO and LEE KUAN YEW???
who is next to wayang??? LEE HSIANG LOONG???? singaporeans you vote still then you also wait looong looong
let we ask simple and a very simple question.
thousands of people come to this site they read what?? ENGLISH
do they read chinese here?lol
as foreign increase soon or later LEE KUAN YEW and his PAP will say:
the money that they gain is not from singaporeans but from foreigners and singaporeans must be grateful that because of foreign the goverment gain so much of money to help you singaporeans! you singaporeans should indeed treat the foreign with respect and value their hardship instead of trying to treat them like a slave!! or disrespect them! for those who do so the law will not hesistate to take legal action against you singaporeans if this happens!! you singaporeans understood!!!!!!!
so now lky play different game, he had play our money for 50years and we already wake up. so now he put us down and start a new fresh game this time with foreign money and foreigners but slowly as it is a new games. all are the same but different citizen and country and this can be drag another 50years before lky and pap family get blasted from both citizen and countries upon knowing they are being use like a slave!!
so if ever this happen who is the most affected ones?? singaporeans!
again it comes round and on to our back and we carry the load for the cause of our dearest LEE KUAN YEW and beloved PAP.
Can someone please tell me what bloody right do we have being a Singaporean?
the right to pay & pay!!
economy up no goodies, but MIW & friends are rewarded. economy bad just bear the brunt of retrenchments & higher cost of essentials like bills, food & transport, etc….
Do U kown the motive LKY inflood Foreign Citizen, Long B 4 he has try 2 practise
this own way of “Democracy” to show the world by mix blood. 2 show the world he is a great man. 2 show the world of this own “Formula” But fail. Italy was form by various race of people no doubt Spain & others European Country. 2 show Asia he is the first to create this. He is trying 2 B smart. Panic & Perish Party