“I’m glad the PAP won.

45 good years.

(1) Developed city state.
(2) 7th highest per capita income in WORLD
(3) Largest foreign reserves in ASEAN
(4) Airport amongst world’s top
(5) Seaport amongst world’s top
(6) Transport infrastructure amongst world’s top
(7) Communication amongst world’s top
(8) Education system amongst world’s top
(9) One of the few safest cities in the world
(10) Healthcare amongst world’s top
(11) Public housing amongst world’s top”

Also add:

1 Second most densely populated country in the world (and rising)
2 Congested streets, despite having raked in billions on a scheme to ‘regulate and keep traffic free-flowing’
3 Amongst the most expensive public housing in the world, making it prohibitively expensive for entry-level buyers; others have the illusion of owing expensive assets but have nowhere else to go
4 Falling real incomes of the bottom 20% of society (dropped by 20% in real terms) over the past 12 years
5 Glaring security lapses and non-admission of responsibility by those in charge
6 Glaring investment losses and ditto
7 Most highly paid politicians in the world, bar none
8 Amongst the most skewed political playing fields(electoral systems) in the world
9 Amongst the most restrictive personal freedoms regime in the world (reductio ad absurdum – an assembly of one person can be considered illegal)
10 Amongst the most restrictive media in the developed world

And so on.

What’s the score?

We don’t live in a two dimensional world. Have we forgotten how to look at things in multiple perspectives? Here’s some of mine, hope it helps.

(1) Developed city state.
How do we claim to be developed when low income families feel humiliated when they seek financial and other help such as housing. What happened to dignity and compassion?

(2) 7th highest per capita income in WORLD
What can high income bring to you and me? So we can all spend it in the many big malls, splurge on food, over-run our credit cards. End of the day, many Singaporeans work their butts off so they can have more. Question is, more of what?

They have less quality time with family, don’t want children, don’t want to become MPs, don’t want trouble, don’t talk to neighbours. In gaining income, what also have we lost?

(3) Largest foreign reserves in ASEAN
And the favourite question is, how much is our reserves? Followed by the next popular question, who’s accountable for the investment losses made by Singapore, Inc.? What are the repercussions of such losses?

(4) Airport amongst world’s top
The best countries to live in don’t need a top airport. All the “top”s following this are for financial gain. I don’t think humans find meaning in life just through financial gains. Whatever happened to culture, tradition, community, history and the arts? Where do we rank (though I hate to use the word “rank”, it’s become so much our lingo in Singapore)?

(5) Seaport amongst world’s top
(6) Transport infrastructure amongst world’s top
(7) Communication amongst world’s top

(8) Education system amongst world’s top
And what comes out of the education system? More people to feed into the economic machinery. Those who don’t fit, where do they end up?

(9) One of the few safest cities in the world
It is so safe that few dare to voice divergent opinions. Social work students from HK on exchange in Singapore had wanted to share on how to plan peaceful demonstrations. They were perplexed when told it’s not allowed.

It’s so safe, you can’t even take your own inflatable boat for kayaking because some folks think it’s too dangerous for you.

Be a good boy/girl, stay home play the Wii or go to the big malls to spend more money.

(10) Healthcare amongst world’s top
I have come across poor people who avoid seeking medical help because they cannot afford it. They’d rather work till they drop than confront an illness.

KS culture to the extreme? Or are they just wise in knowing that there will be little help given to them. This is a country where disadvantaged citizens need to fend for themselves.

(11) Public housing amongst world’s top
What does “top” public housing mean?
Flats getting smaller? Growing taller? Better market price?

Why should there be a queue for rental flats?
Why are there feedback that it is becoming less than affordable?

>Fren, all the others are fake speaking as an earthling.

Everything is real if you observe carefully your own surroundings, what’s “fake” or rather exaggerated is the good news and statistics that are spoon-fed to the public.

To 30) prettyplace on December 28th, 2009 2.49 pm
>> I believe the intention of the author(s) is to let as many people understand their perspectives of what actually happened in Singapore during that era. I hope everyone buys a copy, irregardless whether if you get it through TOC or Kinokunia or some other online portals or bookstore.

PS: It’s so embarrassing when foreigners ask you about your country’s history and most Singaporeans don’t even have a clue of what has actually happened in the 50s-70s.

It is sad the way lky consolidated power….he must be wondering now…after marcos, suharto…and the likes of dictators….what happens to them towards the end.

I wonder what else, he did, but I hope he too repents and we Singaporeans accept and reimburse the people done wrong.

The PAP party must be maturing at a very fast pace or will certainly be left behind.

Thanks for putting this touching video of a man still full of knowledge and strenght. I hope to get his book with his signature on it.

For those complaining and comparing the price of the book….19years and 8 months should be able to make you the money times over.

Post 21 is right. They have a distribution network that is proven. It is insulated like a swedish tank as it can be retrieve in any part of the world, thus circumventing censorship laws. And most importantly many people have already got used to reading from either their iphones or on the move.

The day of a physical book with printed words on a page is dead and gone. I dont really see the point of publishing something if it doesnt even have the penetrating reach to enable readers to sit down and give it a good brush with the brain.

too bad the 20% storewide is only for today (27/12)

Politics is about doing battle.

I’m glad the PAP won.

45 good years.

(1) Developed city state.
(2) 7th highest per capita income in WORLD
(3) Largest foreign reserves in ASEAN
(4) Airport amongst world’s top
(5) Seaport amongst world’s top
(6) Transport infrastructure amongst world’s top
(7) Communication amongst world’s top
(8) Education system amongst world’s top
(9) One of the few safest cities in the world
(10) Healthcare amongst world’s top
(11) Public housing amongst world’s top

Fren, all the others are fake speaking as an earthling.

They lost their liberty and spent years and decade in a dark place and you say this is too expensive to pay?

The later it comes, the more may become members of opposition, the more may see the Insead-LSS video on foreign talent policy. The more may realise what kind of future awaits them. How much more hardworking they are asked to be.

I remember that it was long known that singaporeans workers were very hardworking and working long hours is what was commonly used to describe them. Also, they were used to be characterised as highly skilled, highly productive and competent and well trained and high quality.

Now, they have become not hardworking?

thats it man.

interestingly part 4-6 mentioning that our economics model coping from taiwan and FT ideas.

what interest me from my taiwan friend that our singapore FT policy different from them – that is taiwan foreign talent policy is to invite their own talented peoples from different parts of the world to return to their proud country to contribute to its present economics relevancy and politic vibrancy ie. economics drive politic not politic drives economics.

really kudos to my taiwanese friend knowing their personal democratic rights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEYjcn_HMc4&feature=related

Maybe you are not aware of the following:

http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/3081-they-stand-tall-among-us

http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/3083-dr-lim-hock-siew-speaks-a-must-watch-video

Lord Selkrik wrote to his superiors in London imploring them not to listen to Lee:

“Lee is probably very much attracted to the idea of destroying his political opponents. It should be remembered that there is behind all this a very personal aspect…he claims he wishes to put back in detention the very people who were released at his insistence – people who are intimate acquaintances, who have served in his government, and with whom there is a strong sense of political rivalry which transcends ideological differences.”

[Source: British National Archives]

If only everyone knew who he really is.

Gradually, one by one fell into his net. Operation Cold Store nailed the coffin tight and ISA did the rest. Hence, when Barisan Sosialis disintegrated, PAP’s hegemony survived till this day with all the dirtiest of dirty tricks.

Dr Poh Soo Kai gave a poignant inteview in today’s (27.12.09) Sunday Times. I admire his courage to ignore LKY and would not shake his hand. Who would under such circumstances? Many of us can forgive, but we can never forget the injustice done. A deep scar can never be smoothened. We are only human.

As History unfolded one after the other on LKY and his years of ‘glory’. The ugly side of midnight is illuminated by the amber of the flame, gradually burning into full revelation of the true facts of political dominance of the one and only PAP for 50 years
and how low they can scoop to strike at everyone obstructing their (PAP’s) way.

‘The true light is showing at the end of the tunnel’.