Comments on: Issues That Matter: Uniquely Singapore – F1 or F9?

By: paradox

paradox — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:37:00 +0000

@Alex the peasant boy
Damn right! I guess you got it in a nutshell. As long as the MM is alive, the status quo will be maintained and no matter how much bitchin and ranting goes on, its business as usual for the PAP. However, over the last 10 years the voices of dissent and dissatisfaction has multiplied a thousandfold and people are not as scared anymore to voice their grievances. It used to be under the specter of the dreaded “ISA” that one says anything even remotely ‘revolutionary’. Now, i hear voices everywhere and soon we will reach a critical mass where ‘they’ will either bend or break.
But how? How do we get rid of something that is so ingrained in the Singaporean psyche? That is passed on over three generations… Good question. I have no answer other than to exercise the legitimate right to voice your opinions be they positive or negative. As long as there is a clear and succinct voice, we will not be ignored.
p.

By: rovk

rovk — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:58:06 +0000

don’t forget the best one of them all

- let’s move on

By: Jason Lim

Jason Lim — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:52:53 +0000

None of the ministers nor MPs are of Mr Leongs’ calibre.
Hope Mr Leong can stand for the coming election.
Our Ministers/MPs can only say
- SG has a long coast
- What happened is very bad
- Go for upgrading
- HDB is affordable
- Long term investments

By: bah

bah — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 06:51:25 +0000

with the Gahmen only contributing the AMAZING $50,000 to Haiti, may I suggest that TOC donate at most 10% of the proceeds to help Haiti? Help is appreciated no matter how small. thanks.

By: cheaper better faster

cheaper better faster — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:30:52 +0000

something to consider will be that some flats have already been paid in full esp those bought when the prices were <100k decades back as loans were much shorter then, as such maybe it's not 1 in 12 flats but 1 in 13 or 14, just a thought…

By: aiyoyo

aiyoyo — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:44:53 +0000

go Mr Leong!!!

By: lobo76

lobo76 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:43:14 +0000

I am thinking if I should buy a copy of the book and send to my MP…

By: Household Expenditure Survey 2007/08: How many poor people in Singapore? | The Online Citizen

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:08:03 +0000

[...] Click here to order a copy of Sze Hian’s book, Issues That Matter: Uniquely Singapore – F1 or [...]

By: Chua Mui Loong

Chua Mui Loong — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:49:12 +0000

F1 or F9?

I will tell them on Polling day.

By: Hum

Hum — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:18:02 +0000

in the older days, it was cheap to support several children compared to now.

I wonder if last time there was no stop-at-2 would we have to resort to inviting so many new immigrants?

why policy like that?

By: Khua Eng Gan

Khua Eng Gan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:15:04 +0000

Singapore is unique indeed.

1. Last Time Stop-At-2 policy. Now, going for 6.5million with 1 million or so already entered. Why last time stop at 2 when the city can accomodate 6.5million according to this 6.5million target?

If can set 6.5million target surely can accomodate them? So why last time did not allow more citizens to be reproduced?

2. based on Expo and Convention halls jam packed situations, how can the existing infrastructure handle so many more people?
So, what is the Reason to increase to 6.5million? To have more immigrant new citizens so that …… ???

Can Opposition question them for us? We need clarity and justification and assurance that the infra can handle.

By: Hanson Tan

Hanson Tan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:02:04 +0000

Thanks TOC team and Mr Leong for this book. Would like to buy some copies. May i know is it still available at Kino book shop?

By the way, talking about F1 or F9, I wonder is streetdirectory A1 or F9 for showing the following ERP rates info:
http://s832.photobucket.com/albums/zz247/hansontan/?action=view¤t=ERPratesbendemeernotfree.jpg

On 1st Dec 2009 Mon: the ERP rate for Bendemeer ERP is shown to be Free at all times.
That morning, I drove past that gantry at between 8:30am to 9:00 am and was deducted $0.50.

Just to share with readers. Let me know if i am missing something why it said free but was not.

By: Maslow Dowager

Maslow Dowager — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:36:47 +0000

I bot 2 last time at the launch.
Very nice reading material . All based on Facts.
Good reference material.
Have been re-reading several articles every now and then. Very thought provoking at times as well.
With this book, I know i have the facts with me.

By: Alex the peasant boy

Alex the peasant boy — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:37:10 +0000

Think the PAP should buy a copy & read what the Regular Joe is going thru! Actually, I am sure the PAP knows about these problems long time ago, just that they think they could push us to the limit & see if where we will snap; just like a coach pushes his trainee to see if he could shave off a one-tenth of a second in the 100m dash!

Problem is, the only person that matters is MM Lee & he is still calling the shots & what he learnt many years ago is been applied here today! He has not changed much & to him, an unproductive person is better off dead or in JB! Many a times, we hear our ministers uttering rubbish like Affordable & Subsidised; do you think these useless million dollar ministers could utter those wisdom without MM Lee’s blessing?

The only thing is that those tricks worked in the 60s, 70s, 80s & maybe 90s, but it wont work now cos of the internet & informations are been passed on at the speed of light. He wont be able to cover up mistakes by this A-Team & even with his tight control of the media, things get leaked out pretty quick. I am sure if MAS Selamat’s Escape happened in the 80s, we probably wont hear about it at all & I doubt the A-Team needs to announce the Town Council’s losses; guess many bad mistakes were made in those lost years & not reported! However, it’s so different now & I really think he should move together with technology & not treat us as idiots!

He’s still the puppet master & Alpha male in the pack; nobody is willing to stand up against him for fear of losing his million dollar rice-bowl or becoming a bankrupt in exile! Therefore, you have 82 PAP MPs doing nothing much but collecting tonnes of taxpayers’ money! When was the last time you recalled a MP stepped up & proved his worth? Honestly, besides shaking hands, planting trees, attending religious functions & appearing every 4years, what has he done for you? And I am not talking just about upgrading the lifts or building leaking covered walkways or state of the art basketball court; it’s expected of them & it’s our money anyway!

I will get the book & hopefully, my humble contribution will help Mr Leong & make Singapore a better place for our children

By: Suzie Pong

Suzie Pong — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:45:27 +0000

Hi Novia Chin,
“Seems like very soon there will be 6.5mil people and no way to Reverse this trend liao. At least new citizens are here to stay.”

There is 1 way.

By: Fleeing Dogman

Fleeing Dogman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:42:52 +0000

issues that matter also can include :

1. Rate and cumulative number of citizens who migrated.
2. Rate and cumulative number of new citizens
3. Rate of influx including FTs.

I wonder would points 1 and 2 affect the Trend of Increasing support for Opposition?

Do spend a minute and think about it.

yours truely, Fleeing Dogman, FD1

By: nonsense

nonsense — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:09:38 +0000

Good expose.
One advice to the team. Do interviews in quieter environments NOT where the interviewer/interviewee has to compete for audio from noisy background. The main objective is to hear the views. If readers/viewers has to strain to listen or some views are lost, then it defeats the purpose. Doesn’t mean the background has to be in the center of a noisy busy bus depot just to illustrate that one is asking about public transport. Background is only cosmetic.

Reading and knowing the evils is one matter. What really counts is VOTING away this evil. Do things that matter. If we waste our votes, it a certainty that eventually, NEWLY created rules will destroy any voting power left. Imagine soon enough, the entire Singapore island will fall under one GRC-Tg Pagar!!!
Anything nonsensical is VERY possible with our current administration.
Be informed and take the right action. Do it for ourselves and those we love down the generation.

By: Tua Kang

Tua Kang — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:45:07 +0000

I liike to hear from our esteemed talent for the job ‘creation’, how does he assure there will be millions of jobs created when the population reaches 6.5mil ?

Definitely i assume there is a masterplan already since this 6.5 million is on target?

By: Novia Chin

Novia Chin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:41:19 +0000

Thanks The Pariah @ #42 for the comparison table.

I noted :
1. The Cost of Livingfor Sg is HIGHER than TaiPei and Seoul
2. But Sg Wage Index is the Lowest among these 3.
3. Also Sg has the Lowest Domestic Purchasing Power compared to all the countries in the table.

4. singaporeans work longer Hours than worker in Zurich, Tokyo, Taipei.

5. Sg Price Level incl rent / energy is higher than Taipei and Seoul.

I wonder, can sg and especially its citizens sustain based on high cost of living and comparatively lower income and influx of cheaper 3rd world ‘talents’?

How much more livable can a city with 6.5million be? Less Congestions? Cheaper ERP? Less communicable diseases? Less Crowded Malls and Exhibitions centers? Less Expensive? Higher Demand but cheaper cost of goods and services?

Seems like very soon there will be 6.5mil people and no way to Reverse this trend liao. At least new citizens are here to stay.

Lets accept this Collectively, as we always have.

By: Puppies are loyal ultruistically

Puppies are loyal ultruistically — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:21:11 +0000

Dear Mr Leong,
Kindly enlighten the citizenry
how will this Dubai Crisis affect singapore going forward to 2010 given that economy is most accurate based on hindsight ?

If Financial Crisis can be known in advance AND can be stopped, would it not have been prevented in the 1st place? Would it not mean there would have been no Financial Crisis to begin with?

Assuming No one really knows the Economy or knows when Crisis will strike again, What Guarantee / assurance is there for the Future?

Anyone’s guess is as good as an economists?