And if the majority chooses slower development and a lower quality of life, and is willing to accept more tensions within our society in return for changes in the political system, then so be it.
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wow, propaganda and political brainwashing…
“And if the majority chooses slower development and a lower quality of life, and is willing to accept more tensions within our society in return for changes in the political system, then so be it.”
Yes, so be it.
And if the majority chooses better development and an even higher quality of life, and is not willing to accept current situation within our society in return for much positive changes in the political system..
then so be it too!
When you have a narrow minded view of things.. if it is not black then it must be white.. you have a problem.
How I wish the majority do have a real choice. How I wish the majority get to be exposed to all ideas and decide. How I wish the majority are not look upon as “not ready enough”.
A ruling party is a ruling party and not the parent of the majority. Who has the right to decide when a legal adult with voting power is ready enough? Not you, not me and certainly not the ruling party.
If only we can vote for a better law minister… Oh, that is only my opinion, and I’m sure there are people who will disagree, so be it, he say, so be it.
Economic development and standard of living does not neccessarily equate with quality of life. It is possible to have economic development and lower quality of life.
I wonder, does he know what he is saying???
What does he mean by “..so be it.”? It is ALREADY IT without any so called changes!!
I believe the effects that changes will bring is going to be on the contrary – less tension, and better quality of life!
..what is he saying..?
And as for Development; all I have seen so far are Ministerial Salaries…
all the rest pertaining to governing Singapore, is ALWAYS still on the Drawing Board..
nothing concrete just theories & lip services.
Of course so be it Mr Law Minister. When the change comes, you will probably migrate to other country with your millions!!!!!
And I believe majority of S’poreans will be celebrating and rejoicing because we don’t need to waste any more of our hard earned $$$$ just to feed you bunch of greedy pigs only to get in return mediocre performance.
Remember you said that Singapore is only a city not a country, Law Minister? Well, to some extent it is very true that we are a city considering the size. And why is it you need to be paid millions in running a city? You have no shame, don’t you Law Minister?
One thing is for sure, the tide is changing. Singapore will have an alternative party in the near future and I’m absolutely sure the New Party will be ‘Cheaper, Faster & Better’.
Period………….
We have been waiting to attain a Swiss standard of living since SM Goh’s premiership, but realise such a promise is far from it, and only benefits the priviledged few, then I may as well accept a slower pace of development with a lower standard of living, and so be it.
Would the Ministers’ million salaries also come down as well? I wonder.
“And if the majority chooses slower development and a lower quality of life, and is willing to accept more tensions within our society in return for changes in the political system, then so be it.”
The more I read this, the more I need to calm myself down.
WHY would anyone choose slower development and a lower quality of life CONSCIOUSLY?? Why would anyone be willing to accept more tensions within our society?
Majority wants that? If?
A sweeping statement about the collective consciousness of a probable majority. Ahh..the bigotry in this assumption.
Perhaps he might like to reflect this, the majority.. did they vote, in all consciousness, before?
He who thinks he knows all, only THINKS he know all.
Do note, that NOT ALL were given the opportunity to vote!!
I like to believe you were talking through your mouth…
I will vote for the opposition.
If the opposition is super lucky to be able to over thrown the PAP and form the next government in the next election, it will be great. If the opposition screw up the economy when governing Singapore. SO BE IT! I don’t give a damn anymore!
[i]And if the majority chooses slower development and a lower quality of life[/i]
hello mr bigshot lawyer cum cheapskate stupid minister..
we chose the above statement? are you brainDEAD?
do we have a choice or a vote to tell parliament what we NEED not what we want..
who give us this present lifestyle? YOU yes YOU and your fellow lacky ministers!
He is just trying to slow down what is inevitable, political change. He was right to say that no government in modern day politics has stayed in power more than 70 years. The PAP is next in line for replacement. I foresee a sudden abrupt change for Singapore unlike other democratic countries where the people has more freedom of choice. I also believed young Singaporeans are anti-establishment and their voting choice will follow them till they age. It will be a matter of time before this voting blocs become the majority themselves. Yes PAP, finally it’s checkmate!
Our quality of life have already been lowered for years. Ask those “quitters” why they have chose to leave. Rising expenses, falling wages, ethnic invasion of our livelihoods. We have leaders who are on the side of the elites of the society & forgotten about the average Joes. Time for the average Joes to kick ass!
And I guess the majority chooses to pay the high salaries of ministers.
The majority must have chosen to have an interesting GRC system.
The majority must have chosen to have the Internal Security Act.
The majority must have chosen to live in quite a souless ‘city’.
The majority must have chosen not to have freedom of speech.
The majortiy must have chosen not to have the freedom of the press.
The majority must have chosen to study selective history of our own country.
The majority must have chosen to become material chasing society.
The majority must have chosen to class the young in schools, as the majority perhaps would like to know who are the ‘stupid’ kids, nevermind different development speed and interests. Number one is good, participation is only kinda good.
The majority must have chosen to have a paper-qualification society.
The majority must have chosen that rich religious enterprises be tax free.
The majority must have chosen to have almost all estates to be almost identical, so that in an already such a small land, we don’t need to visit many other parts of the country, which could have been creatively different and interesting, that in turn could have encourage good diversity, identities and belonging.
The majority must have chosen, they must have, because they did. So black and white isn’t it? Or is it?
“So be it” says the arrogant. “So be it.” he says.
Vow! Is this for real?
This is the closest the MIW have come to admitting that they might lose the next GE badly.
Come on Singaporeans! Let’s unite and make their greatest fear come true.
Singapore for Singaporeans.
No World Cup matches for Singapore football fans because it is not cost effective??
I consider that a lower quality of life already.
Time for Change is now.
Hey, how about a selfish thought here.
Can the majority choose to have:
1. Faster development
2. Higher quality
3. Change in the political climate?
We could pay the salaries of many in the civil service less. seriously what the civil service is doing is to continue a machine that has been created and evolved from years back. you aren’t inventing the wheel, you’re simply turning it. doesn’t take much brilliance.
we could avoid funny investments that lose billions of dollars. when lose say long term. before a couple of years is up, sell em off!
as for the political climate i don’t know. but i do know that there’s a lot of room for improvement. and it looks to me that improvement will only come if the climate changes
The quality of life is already lower. What is he talking about?
And I don’t believe for a minute that changes in the politcal system would lead to more tensions.
i’m already tensed with the current system.
btw lower development and a lower quality of life = less tensions, i suspect he has low intellect.
he is talking cork, the PAP will never give up their multi millions, let alone chooses slower development and a lower quality of life.
Talk big !! If oppositions win, they will call the army, who can believe pap ??
If its the people’s choice , so be it?
He talks as if his party is playing fair and square in the GE without
resorting to carrots and sticks, gerrymandering, putting obstacles to
oppostions like raising deposits , GRCs , threatening defamation suits
How about having a free media and an Independent Election Commission
for a start?
If you haven’t seen a person talking through his arse, this is it.
just because he a top notch lawyer and now law minister, he can talk like a damn bit shot, just like his master.
wow, what happen if he becomes a PM?
woo, i cant imagine that!
Tensions will always exist. Will liberalizing the political system make them worse? Hard to tell.
Almost certainly, liberalizing the civil space in the Singapore will find a lot of interesting organizations popping out of the woodwork. Can the feminists and homosexuals co-exist with the hardline conservative Christians without the PAP clamping down on both? Will the various religious bodies start going more fundamentalist in the absence of an overbearing state? Will we start imposing more progressive taxes on the rich segments of Singapore – i.e. class warfare?
It does not necessarily follow that political liberalization would lead to heightened tensions, lower standards of living, and slower economic growth, but looking at the specific context of Singapore, I’m not sure. We’re quite different from the Swiss – they with their long shared history, political system of cantons, geographical features, essentially homogenous racial/ethnic mix, and various cultural mores (like being disposed to positive sum games). Those features are what enabled them to have political liberalization AND positive outcomes. Are we capable of the same?
I like to feel optimistic, but I think of Prof Robert Putnam’s studies on diversity and trust in diverse communities, and I shudder.
In any case, the government is certainly not shaping Singaporean culture along the lines of the Swiss or the Scandinavians, like teaching Singaporeans the basics of citizenship and the rules of engagement. It could have built towards a time when we could liberalize politically AND enjoy better outcomes. But of course, the PAP is not particularly incentivized to do so, because doing so dilutes its own grasp on power.
The real shame is that the PAP’s grip on power is diluting anyway, and what comes after COULD be a real mess because it never prepared Singaporeans to deal with the aftermath.
Wow this guy has only been made $million minister for- what, less than a year, and here he is talking as if he owns the whole Singapore city! What arrogrance!
‘So be it’ he says! This is as good as throwing the challenge to all of us that if we do not vote in accordance to their wishes, we are in for some rough rides!
Well, folks we have all been riding the roughs all these while and we are sort of getting immune. This guy must be in slumberland! Inorder to wake him up we will vote for change. Don’t you all agree??
I can’t we’ll paying big money for this white wankers to screw us.. In the end, all this talk in the internet will be useless.. Those white pricks will still win the election by either winning on vote counts or through rigging…
I’m not being pessimistic… Our parents generations doesn’t seems to get the idea that PAP is screwing us big time..Their blind faith will be our downfall.
All we left are empty angry rants on the internet.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – A Singaporean bureaucrat who wrote about taking his family on an expensive cooking course in France has sparked ire from locals, with some accusing him of extravagance given the city-state is in recession. Tan Yong Soon, a senior official at Singapore’s Environment Ministry, learnt to truss chicken and cut vegetables at Le Cordon Bleu cookery school in Paris with his wife and son, and wrote about it in the Straits Times newspaper earlier this month. “Taking five weeks leave from work is not as difficult as one thinks. Most times when you are at the top, you think you are indispensable. But if you are a good leader who has built up a good team, it is possible,” Tan wrote in the newspaper. His article raised eyebrows given the five-week course for three at the prestigious French cooking school cost more than S$46,000 (US$30,930).
Well, not everyone is exactly having a lower standard of living under the current regime. The Minister and his pals have it rather good I would say.
“Can the feminists and homosexuals co-exist with the hardline conservative Christians..”
What can they do to each other? Claw each other to death?
As to religious fundamentalism, would any (overtly) religious party have any chance at the polls?
This show that all our so call elite are just looking after themselves without any care for us. So let’s show them what is the peoples’ power in the coming election.
I just want to remind all our brothers and sisters, if you make up your mind to vote for the change. DO IT!
28) Yang on December 17th, 2009 5.14 pm
I am voting for Change and nothing is going to make me change my mind.
Not even the MIW throwing a lot of money at my face. They will take back 10 times over what they gave you after the elections.
Best thing to do is to take the money and vote for Change so that they cannot take it back.
WTH… they take from your pocket & give it back to you – you call this GIVE?
Another often-used fallacious argument by the PAP based on false dilemmas.
This is just another variation on the theme: if the PAP lose votes or voted out of government, then SIngapore is in peril. In this instance, if PAP loses votes, then the Singaporeans standard of living will suffer, there’ll be chaos in society, MNCs will leave, our mothers and sisters will be maids in foreign countries, Singapore will sink into the sea, etc, ad nauseam.
This is the quality of intellect of a supposedly ‘top talent’ paid millions per year by tax payers!
I am choosing for a better quality of life…I am choosing to have my country back……I am voting for Change..
were the majority even consulted? din the Elites drum it down on the masses they know the best, the masses know nothing.
faster development, so what ? how is the bulk of the benefits being distributed. at the end of the day, ain’t we still paying gst (from 3% to 5% to 7%), income tax, property tax (3-rm also got hit this round with higher amt), etc, etc and have cpf withdrawing age being deferred.
the above is enough to translate to lower quality of life and a tense one indeed.
PAP are the root cause of:
- the lack of roots among the local well educated & socially mobile,
- rise in social tensions,
- lower quality of life for most of the population,
- the lost of jobs for the thousands of retrenched (failed economic policy?),
- low fertility rate
- rising cost of living with the current policy to retrain mid-level workers to a much lower skilled 1.
….
feel free to add, thanks in advance. ;)
the reason that PAP brought S’pore to where it is today is because the previous team were of a different breed, they had foresight, heart, & most (except 1 old man?) are no longer in PAP. now PAP is more form & much less substance.
when China was on the rise economically, they had their share of “little emperors”, likewise S’pore also have. we all know what happen to the last emperor of China right?! sad lah, i think S’pore is going the same way.
Of course so be it la, then what else?
But i wonder, so far, did the majority really has had the chance to make a choice (vote)?
I am prepared to start from square one again as in the 50s.
All these so called fast economic progress; does it benefit the the majority? Does it benefit the poor and destitute (with a measly $320 handout)?
I will vote for the opposition if given the opportunity.
Sick to the bones with the self serving PAP.
please spare us the scare mongering dear minister…..the rising income divide, the pro foreigner policy, ever increasing hdb prices, your team’s inability to deliver in spite of their high pay, mockery of our national pledge and belittling our capability as a nation has caused even more tension in our country than whatever instability the opposition is capable of achieving.
it’s all thanks to PAP’s own effort that we have come to this situation…..i say time to give you a taste of your own medicine by introducing more competition in parliament. maybe when there’s more tension in the parliament chambers, there’ll be less stress for us common folk out here.
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
“then so be it.”
Yeah, so be it. I’m confident Singapore is better off without PAP.
PAP FAIL
39,
Going back to square one will put you squarely against the rest of us who wish for a mutually beneficial outcome of current living standards and improved governance.
Yes, there will be more tension – in parliament, when questions cannot be waved off or finessed. Tthere will be more tension in parliament, but it is not the citizens’ business to make the government’s life easier.
A 10% to 50% reduction in the government’s budget for ministerial salaries (at least) would certainly improve the quality of life for thousands of the poorest Singaporeans. That is not going to happen if the present slate of PAP MP’s stays around, is it? Those talents who find it onerous to serve for less, and cannot find any other reason (I don’t know, a sense of public duty, maybe?) to continue to be MP’s should leave for the oodles of money that await in the private sector.
The Law Minister needs to consider that perhaps voters are also concerned about the direction of Singapore’s development, not just the rate.
And boredom is the least of the reasons why Singaporeans might want a change of government.
Slower development or slowing down development will be good for us, and it should be the way forward from this mess. Slower development translates to better quality of life, not poorer, because quality of life does not refer to material possessions but time with family and time for relaxation and leisure.
When development is fast, we forget all about the purpose of living. Slowing down would give some balance in peoples lives. I don’t see whats so wrong with that.
What is the point of fast development if there is no life? Don’t forget fast development also means importing cheap labour.
If all you want is fast development, you don’t care about sustainability and you ignore the consequences (oh yes, there are consequences of fast development – society changes).
Glib tongue ministar without a tinge of shame utterance and worse not realising that under their incumbency – majjority be soon or some already declining into a swill and swine rather than their proclaimed Swiss standard of living – paranoia compells him into intimidating us at the slightest hint of political change – expecting all to be docile ,subservient and malleable.
Maybe , when he wakes up to realise to the impermanence of things ; non perpetuality of one party governance and the reality of hubris becoming nemesis – will he /they begin to see their own beyond repair ugly images in the mirror.
Meanwhile, let them spin further into their dream and let their arrogance be retarded by the gravity of their own doings.
it’s called fear-mongering…
Haven’t we all heard of this before from our mummy? If you don’r behave huh…the police will come and catch you…ah boy!
we all grow up knowing this is all bs…Do you think this city will be in chaos without MIW ??? Do you need Mummy to change your diaper???
This guy is playing politics of fear.
And, he thinks he’s SO clever!!!
Ha..ha! our living quality is getting lower and lower, now then he knows, it’s the miw who are enjoying the so call better qualities of things, and tensions are building in the main street with the influx of immigrants, so no big deal man, We want a Change!
Immature, uncultured, spoilt, selfish, unreasonable, unrepentant…etc…
Everything one would expect from a rotten child (Law Minister) from a lousy family (PAP).
How to discipline this rotten egg? Hmm…
Answer:
Get to the SOURCE of the problem.
Either boycott or throw this embarrassment of a “so called family” out of the country for them to wake up their bloody idea.
No shortcut.
As for myself, TOTAL BLACKOUT on anything MIW says.
Put a monkey as a candidate for the opposition and I will still vote the monkey. Go green Singapore. Vote nature back. ;)
This is HOW MUCH I DETEST this BS MIW.
what slower pace of development and lower quality of life???
year on year our quality of life have been decreasing and decreasing already with our current system……. no matter faster pace or slower pace of development.