By Gerald Giam
Workers’ Party chief Low Thia Khiang has slammed the PAP government for seemingly suggesting that Singaporean workers have only themselves to blame for their low incomes, because of their low productivity and skills. He said it was easy to blame our local workforce for low productivity when it was the Government which opened the floodgates to foreign workers.
Low was speaking Parliament on Tuesday in response to the Finance Minister’s Budget 2010 speech last week.
The Opposition leader pointed out that manual workers like cleaners and garbage collectors in developed economies are paid so much more than their counterparts in Singapore, attributing this to those countries’ more compassionate and effective policies to ensure that workers at the bottom of the economic ladder enjoy a decent and dignified life. Referring to the Government’s latest productivity drive, which is to grow productivity by 2 to 3 per cent each year over the next decade, Low wondered if low wage workers had to wait another 10 years for the wage increases which they had not seen in the last 10 years.
Low lamented that Singaporean workers are constantly told by the Government to “up-skill, re-skill, multi-skill, be cheaper, better, and faster”. He accused the Government of “squeezing every drop of effort and energy from our workers to achieve its desired GDP numbers”. He felt that the ‘growth at all costs’ strategy initiated since the late nineties resulted in the present state of our economy where low wage earners are growing dependent on state-funded handouts to subsist. He charged that for Budget 2010, the Government is using their same conventional wisdom to address the fundamental problems caused its policies of the last decade.
Abolish the foreign worker levy
Low called the Government to take a bold step to remove the foreign workers levy completely, and instead use the Dependency Ratio to control the growth of foreign workers in Singapore. (The Dependency Ratio sets how many foreign workers a company is allowed to hire for each Singaporean worker. The current ratio ranges from 1 Singaporean for every 7 foreign workers in the construction sector, to 1 is to 5 in the marine sector.) He reasoned that employers will save on the foreign worker levy they currently pay, and this could be used to benefit their local workers, including providing more training for them to improve their skills to become more productive.
Low also questioned whether the proposal to increase foreign worker levies was a revenue-enhancing exercise. He calculated that the Government collects about $1.6 billion in foreign worker levies each year.
Continuing education for older workers
In order to provide more adult continuing education programmes to cater to the needs of older Singaporeans, Low suggested starting a community college for citizens of all ages, especially older Singaporeans. He said the college should have no or minimum entry requirements, offering courses that are totally modular. This would allow senior citizens to earn credits towards a degree or simply for self-enrichment purposes.
The PAP’s response
Responding to Low, PAP MP Josephine Teo criticised his suggestion to remove the foreign worker levy. She said: “To try and introduce an alternative system to a pricing mechanism is a very dangerous suggestion to make. It opens up a whole pandora box (sic) of the difficulties we have to overcome.”
Teo was dutifully following the PAP’s modus operandi of labelling any bold idea suggested by an Opposition MP as “dangerous”. She said that without the levy, foreign workers will be cheaper and more attractive to businesses, and some will find loopholes to get round the quotas, to get cheaper workers, “affecting jobs for Singaporeans”.
She did not explain what loopholes businesses would find to get around a higher dependency ratio, in a country which is renown for very strict enforcement of laws. She also seemed oblivious to the fact that it was the PAP government which opened Pandora’s box of troubles by allowing in so many unskilled foreign labourers over the past decade, and in the process depressing Singaporean workers’ wages and our nation’s productivity.
In a flash of presumptuousness, Teo declared: “I can speak on behalf of the union leaders that we totally and firmly reject Mr Low’s disastrous suggestion that we remove the foreign worker levy as it will harm our workers’ interest.”
This article was first published on Gerald Giam’s Blog
My Views seems to be someone on the payroll of the Government to balance the views of the netizens on the blogs. His Views seems very remote from the norm and reality.
Josephine Teo holds a senior leading position in NTUC. If she is no good, do you think the labour force would allow her to lead them?
1. Everyone knows that senior positions in NTUC are not elected by the workers; they are just people who are placed there so that the Govt has some influence over the workers through the union. I knew this since my school days and that has been 20+ years ago.
If getting more foreign workers to compete with Singaporean workers is not in the benefit of Singaporeans, do you think Josephine Teo would be silly enough to scream for more foreign workers to be allowed into Singapore? Josephine Teo is no fool; so do Singaporean workers!
2. She is not silly, she is just doing her job. It is a fact that many Singaporeans workers are upset with the huge increase in the number of foreign workers. If this statement is not a fact, why would the Govt start making some lame policies to make Singaporeans feel better? Like schools fees, medical subsidies higher for PRs? Why do people like you get paid to water down the negative feelings on the internet? My advice is that when you are doing your job, please produce better arguements that are closer to reality. It is more believable that way.
To: My Views
@ Mar 5, 2010 4:31
Dear Friend,
After reading through the posts here, I just have to mention something.
Do you know that as of NOW, the cost of hiring a FW, including the levy, is already significantly lower than the cost of hiring a Singaporean. This is the unfortunate truth. The cost is not equal, or comparable. The very simple reason is that Singaporeans need to have a certain minimum wage to survive, and that is already higher than the wage FWs are willing to accept.
So no matter what the employer is still highly dependent on FWs. LTK’s suggestion that we use the dependency ratio, rigorously enforced, is a far better way to protect Singaporeans’ jobs.
I concur with LC that the way to go is a minimum wage for Singaporeans in order for them to be proud of the jobs they are doing. It will give them the basic needs to survive and live decently just like what our fathers in the sixties did before.
No point in mentioning over and over again that these are jobs that Singaporeans avoid.Under those conditions and you cannot put three decent meals on the table with salary provided, why should we be slaves to the Towkays that play golf but cannot string together a decent sentence in English to announce that they have arrived.
The govt. and NTUC is to be blamed for repeatedly saying that Singaporeans are avoiding such jobs.
Pay a min. salary and the advanced tech. used by the developed world and you will see whether Singaporeans are proud to do these menial jobs currently done by the FWs
The picture in today’s ST regarding one Fw working and four watching is worth a thousand words of explanation from MPs ,MOM & NTUC and last but not least the BOSSES.
Five workers pay up front $+- 8,000 for a 2 year contract =$40,000 in pocket by agent & (HR or Boss)???split 50-50 depends on nego, very difficult to pin but well known fact.
Salary +-$800plus levy x 5=+- $5,ooo per month
With+-$20,000 upfront received by Employer/Boss/Hr?? Bonus of 4 months work from FW for free.
What productivity and all that shit for when I can get 4 months of free work from FW.
Multiply that with the hundreds of thousands of FW and imagine the free work or free money.Simple as ABC no need degrees & phds just simple common sense human exploitation.
Singapore bosses play golf,drive Merc,BMs, FW suffer and exploited. Jobless Singapreans??
Your guess is as good as mine.
The picture in today’s ST regarding one Fw working and four watching is worth a thousand words of explanation from MPs ,MOM & NTUC and last but not least the BOSSES.
Five workers pay up front $+- 8,000 for a 2 year contract =$40,000 in pocket by agent & (HR or Boss)???split 50-50 depends on nego, very difficult to pin but well known fact.
Salary +-$800plus levy x 5=+- $5,ooo per month
With+-$20,000 upfront received by Employer/Boss/Hr?? Bonus of 4 months work from FW for free.
What productivity and all that shit for when I can get 4 months of free work from FW.
Multiply that with the hundreds of thousands of FW and imagine the free work or free money.Simple as ABC no need degrees & phds just simple common sense human exploitation.
Singapore bosses play golf,drive Merc,BMs, FW suffer and exploited. Jobless Singapreans??
Your guess is as good as mine.
LC
Mar 12, 2010 13:28
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Do you know that a system of minimum wage will lead to a black market of labour supply? The Reform Party has been trying to market this idea as though it is a great discovery of the century. No, it is nothing new and economists have been telling us for many decades that such a system adds more problems with disastrous results.
You see, adopting a minimum wage means setting an artifical price; you ignored market forces. The Reform Party only looks at the supply side of the equation – adjust the minimum wage level and labour supply will increase. How naive? What about the demand side of the equation? Demand for labour will fall because businesses will either relocate, employing less employees or outsourcing to low-cost contractors. People who are desperate for jobs will join the black market to supply low-cost services (e.g. in the name of freelance consultants, trainees or part-timers). It happened in so many countries which tried the minimum wage system. The results? It doesn’t work! More jobless, lower income, employers cutting corners on staff welfare and finding ways to avoid paying statutory or pension contributions.
PeterC,
you know why? the construction industry is a major pillar of S’pore economy mah, must take care of them lah. this industry grow at all (somebody else’s) cost in some ways. otherwise how to explain the lax safety record compared to other developed countries some years back? the lack of safety itself already is a risk when considering job, add low pay, poor image & the unglamourous work environment how many will want to go into this industry if people have a choice?
for safety’s sake i will not.
the tide is changing, for too long the blame has always went to those at the bottom of the “foodchain”, now its creeping upwards to middle or upper middle management. for some, attention may be at CEO level, just not sure when it will reach national level. lolz….
Seow
Mar 11, 2010 10:41
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Most Singaporeans understand the need to have more foreign talents in Singapore; they recognised it is a matter of survival and are willing to bear with the inconveniences or sacrifices to support the government’s policies.
Recently, the government has raised school fees, increased medical fees and cut down subsidies of permanent residents living here. It is a clever though cunning strategy which was plotted decades ago. When times were good, the government dangled a big carrot to attract talented foreigners to become PRs of Singapore. Over the years, these PRs began to settle down and get used to Singapore. They brought their families over and persuaded their country fellows to come over too. All the while, the government knew that a day must come when the economy would have its down-turn, and when that happened, it would provide the government an excellent excuse to give priority to its citizens than the PRs. Foreigners and PRs who have been so used to enjoying the carrots during good times are now being forced to convert themselves to Singapore citizens. The government has finally pulled its net and now we see plenty big fishes are caught! Indeed, a brilliant strategy based on great patience and excellent execution!
This is a great advantage for having a single party ruling a country for a long period of time; and it shows how important it is to keep former prime ministers on board.
To ‘My Views’:
Are there really ‘plenty big fishes get caught’? Do you have the figures? The raise has only just been implemented. Don’t you think many will also start to plan exit strategy.
If single party Govt is good to you, don’t you think the ‘big fish’ who got trapped in the net (become citizens) might show disapproval of their betrayal in the elections? We will then have 2 or 3 party syste which is good for the masses but not to you. So doesn’t it contradict that the strategy is good?
My Views
Mar 14, 2010 3:18
LC
Mar 12, 2010 13:28
————————————————————————–
Do you know that a system of minimum wage will lead to a black market of labour supply? The Reform Party has been trying to market this idea as though it is a great discovery of the century. No, it is nothing new and economists have been telling us for many decades that such a system adds more problems with disastrous results.
You see, adopting a minimum wage means setting an artifical price; you ignored market forces. The Reform Party only looks at the supply side of the equation – adjust the minimum wage level and labour supply will increase. How naive?
is it naive? which part of the opposition party makes a mistakes when it seek a fair minimum wages for ALL includin foreign talents?
is it a fair wages when 1 rulin party demand over $100,000/month just to be a corruptfree minister? thus this implied any countries ministers in other part of the world are corrupted from new zealand thru south africa includin china? ok liked you mentioned we have to think and adopt a lower cost of runnin 1 company with adequate workers..is that right? so far? if this is the scenerio you want to print…do we need 1 president..1 mental minister..1 senile minister and 1 pollock minister to run the singapoor tiny reddot..not forgettin the numbers of shakeleggs untitled ministers in the pollock minister office?
now you want to discuss on blackmarket foreign talents?
about 6 or 7 years ago.. 1 indian contractor brin in 108 talented indian scuptorers skilled craftmen into britian to build a holy authentic indian temple in the indian domained town of wembley north london..you do know where is wembley? right? the football stadium of the british footballs leagues olympic championships…the indian contractor bein a fair and just man paid his 108 talented workers a fair sum in wages in ruppees accordin to the indian market wages rates..the 108 indians workers DID NOT complaint @ all..they were happy of bein employed for a 5 years overseas sting…
but not so accordin to the locals workers who is unionsed by LAW.. they expect the indian workers to be paid accordin to the british market rates..and guess what? the britiah government enforced the LAW which resulted the 108 indian foreign talented skill craftmen became overnight millionaires…
so my views..if you don’t know the situation just shut up..nobody will brand you a FOOL…
try to be streetsmart butt don’t attempt to be smart A S S instead…
My Views
March 14 2010, 04:06
“All the while, the government knew that a day must come when the economy would have its down-turn, and when that happened, it would provide the government an excellent excuse to give priority to its citizens than the PRs.”
if the govt knew when the downturn will hit & it hit S’pore, then there must be some serious professional negligence.
give priority to citizens like 1st to be retrenched while keeping foreigners employed? now i understand what “S’poreans 1st” means.
rofl…
hdbmasterbuilder@
Well written but for a fact in the Singapore Scene.Workers from India very SKILLED and rare.NO ISSUE, Singapore would welcome them for their skills that can passed on to our less skilled.Pay them above $1,800 to avoid WP and circumvent,thats the name of the game.
We are discussing majority unskilled labor in construction,cleaning and service sector with WP and what is your golf handicap?
what is your golf handicap?
don’t liked golf butt like tigerwoods ex mrs… neigh..just do a bit of contributin here and there..bein a ex-foreign talent meself…i know what is feel liked not bein protected butt jeered @…..
//My Views
March 14 2010, 04:06
“All the while, the government knew that a day must come when the economy would have its down-turn, and when that happened, it would provide the government an excellent excuse to give priority to its citizens than the PRs.”
How does he know this?
The govt cannot even predict demand for hdb flats or cars and they know the above?
what a joke!
//My Views
Mar 14, 2010 3:18
LC
Mar 12, 2010 13:28
————————————————————————–
Do you know that a system of minimum wage will lead to a black market of labour supply? The Reform Party has been trying to market this idea as though it is a great discovery of the century. No, it is nothing new and economists have been telling us for many decades that such a system adds more problems with disastrous results.
As if the current system of massive importation of foreign labor is any good?
minimum wage or not, there HAS to be a limit on how many foreign talents that’s coming in.
and i do not mean the banglas that do the jobs that nobody wants to do.
only stupid and/or greedy people thinks that taxes will be enough.
To mockingbird (March 3)
i) If the PAP government really has the Singaporeans at heart they should limit the number of foreign workers coming to work in Singapore. When the employers can’t find cheap labour they would have to pay higher wages to the attract local workers.
The PAP government has the obligation to look after its citizens (to a certain extent). The current low birth-rate and mass migration to Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK etc. shows that the policies of the PAP are ‘genocidal’ to S’pore. To avoid the demise of S’pore we need to vote out the PAP.
ii) Increasing the coffers of the government is OK if the money is passed back to S’poreans in terms of subsidies for the high cost of living. Instead money goes to Temasek, GIC, etc and huge sums are lost because the funds are very poorly managed. There is absolutely no accountability and transparency because they are run by famiLEE, their friends and partners. By voting the PAP out we are going to stop crony capitalism at its source.
@ JW
the PAP has heart problems; it does not have a heart.
Now who said My Views was being sarcastic? I am slowly being blinded by his shining light so much that I better go back into darkness, at least I can observe better from the dark.
My views on My Views, do you write scripts and excuses for PAPs? Because according to you our dear gahmen are heroes and super intellects who deserves every bit of money they “earn”. They are great forecasters and planned to do things ordinary gahmen will never do. They like to be lethal, unorthodox, and full of ideas for the future.
Thanks man, I’m not buying it. Because I’m an idiot who can still see the fact that our gahmen is also working idiotically. Talk about superior ability t cover their arse. Please, there are definitely better excuses than “planning to catch big fish”.
Also, IF what you said is true, they would’ve failed miserably as a government anyways. Because Big Fish eats small fish, so instead of growing their own big fish they bring in sharks to finish the small ones up, and leave the middle sized ones to fend for themselves. We didn’t get to where we are today with dummy mps and stupid policies. We got them with proper work done from all levels in the government, untill the past 5-10 years.
I personally hope the next generation is filled with Creative and innovative people, such people are effective at creating solutions, and I’m seeing none now in parliament. LSS is NOT creative. He has proven himself an idiot, and shall continue to be.
@My Views
“All the while, the government knew that a day must come when the economy would have its down-turn, and when that happened, it would provide the government an excellent excuse to give priority to its citizens than the PRs. ”
In case you did not read the Straits Times, the Govt has been reporting that the economy has recovered and they have up their own salary by 8.8% and TC up their charges, etc. What down-turn are you talking about? The ”tweaking” of policies in slight favor of Citizens is something done very recently. Please do not justify the Govt’s intent blindly. They are simply reacting to public opinion as the GE gets closer..period…
“Foreigners and PRs who have been so used to enjoying the carrots during good times are now being forced to convert themselves to Singapore citizens.”
See, exactly why some citizens are saying that the PAP has no heart. We are bursting at our seams and crying out as our identity and country is being lost, they are getting more PRs and even converting them to citizens.
It is already a sham if our old folks still have to clean tables, mop toilets, clear rubbish and collect old stuffs to live by their old age. What kind of gov treat their workers these way for all the past contributions they had for the NATION? In china, I am surprised to find that old folks there can enjoy life playing chess, dancing in the park, qi gong, tea sessions and playing with grand children. You can hardly find any of them doing such tough and low paying jobs in china compare to our gov here gives such jobs to our old folks and even replaced them with FW like an MP who did that. Saying our old folks lazy. What kind of MP Mr Ong is, asshole? Our GOV has treated our older generation like an old spare parts that can be discarded away once the useful life is up. Contrast this to china where they treat their older folks with respect and care.
What kind of GOV do you want? One that treats you like a human or a spare parts and even fully utilise you when u are dead by using the HOTA scheme to really take away your working organs to help the rich patients. What the F**K? Vote wisely for a government that cares for you when you are old.
feverguy
aiiyah.. the gomen don’t care how old you are as long as you can still work and contribute to the economy! And i f you cannot work.. got lots of foreigners to take your place.
FeverGuy
Mar 17, 2010 0:04
In china, I am surprised to find that old folks there can enjoy life playing chess, dancing in the park, qi gong, tea sessions and playing with grand children. You can hardly find any of them doing such tough and low paying jobs in china
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You got to have a sense of proportion.
China is in a much higher league. It is a superpower blessed with more than 5,000 years of history, enriched with so much resources and gifted with unlimited talents. It has a foreign exchange reserves of US$ 2.4 trillion – yes, you read it right, more than two trillion United States dollars! Enough to destroy the American economy!
Singapore, on the other hand, is an island with limited population. It even has to rely on China for trades and resources. Lets be reasonable in our expectation of the Singapore Government. It has done a great job despite all the natural disadvantages of the country.
mice is nice
Mar 16, 2010 1:39
if the govt knew when the downturn will hit & it hit S’pore, then there must be some serious professional negligence.
give priority to citizens like 1st to be retrenched while keeping foreigners employed? now i understand what “S’poreans 1st” means.
—————————————————————————————
All economists know a down-turn must come sooner or later because no economy can be in perpetual growth. It is the timing that is not possible to predict accurately.
Given the same levels of skills, wages and attitudes, Singaporean workers would not be the first to be retrenched.
@My View, you must be kidding. With our MIW getting a sky high salaries despite all the natural disadvantages of this country, how to be reasonable in our expectation of the Singapore Government. Our government has failed Singaporean miserable. Our MIW is suppose to be more superior than anyone on earth. With the current rate of money loss from our GIC and Temasek, very soon our stock, house will become worthless.
We invested in US finance company right after Lehman and Bear Stearns collapse. Investment Guru, Jim Roger immediately comments that our government is going to loss money. Any Tom/Dick/Harry will short the market while our GIC/Temasek happily putting their head in the chopping board. So why shouldn’t singaporean be retrenched when FT can do a better job? I said we should start retrench from the top management.
@My View
Let me bring you back to time when LKY in slippers address the crowd on National Day and the respect he received from the general lowly educated population was tremendous.He was my Hero than for his simple down to earth ways.I am referring to the period 1959-1965.
Today things have changed we are 1st World with Swiss Standard so claimed GCT his successor.Have you been to Switzerland??? I have.The standard during the early nineties tells me a lot of what Swiss standard is all about.You don’t see poor crawling the streets half bend,elderly cleaning toilets and clearing tables.
We never expected to have such standard but the least we expect is to ensure that the generation of 59-60 be taken care of till death do they part for the role they played in Singapore’s Nationhood regardless of their role.(imagine the millions they reward themselves and the nothingness the poor and elderly received after all their sacrifices with their poor education.)
After watching Ann Tsoi on TV my heart bleed for our elderly and the role the Tsoi Foundation play is beyond mere praises God bless grandma Tsoi.This govt. has no heart and GCT &LKY especially lost the respect of the generation that help put them where they are today.I am definitely one of them.
PeterC &the poor,sick elderly of Gen.59-65
Tonight: march 17, 2010. It was reported on yahoo! news the following:
Quote:
SINGAPORE : A Malaysian worker was killed when the boom of a tower crane toppled and hit him at a construction site in Punggol on Wednesday evening.
Three others who were near him escaped with minor injuries. One is a Thai, another is from China and the third is from Bangladesh.
One broke his right arm while the other complained of pain on his left hip. They were sent to Changi General Hospital.
Unquote.
Is this productivity? Dozens of cranes have toppled the last few years. Modern Singapore? This is third world construction practice. Shame! Shame! Shame! Singapore
My Views
March 17 2010, 03:25
going by your line of reasoning that a downturn is unvoidable, were there plans to cushion the blow when it hits? if there is what are they?
“Given the same levels of skills, wages and attitudes, Singaporean workers would not be the first to be retrenched.”
i am not sure about this, because the reality (or if you prefer, perception) on the ground contradicts your claims (reported in MSM too). if the number of retrenched was that small, would govt agencies want to spend the money & effort to set up widely publicised job retraining programs & organise job recruitment drives at neighbourhood centres?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
though i often do not share your views & IMPO your replies often throws up more question, i must say you have a high level of perserverance & do not engage in flame baiting.
the MIWs & their ardent supporters should learn from you, how to engage critics instead of taking a defensive stance. ;)
but i would prefer if each time i ask a question, i dun end up asking more questions… -.-
//mice is nice
You have high tolerance.
If MY VIEWS is a minister, don’t think you will change his policies.
Coz it is decided from above.
FaceTheFact
[[ said we should start retrench from the top management. ]]
I agree. I totally agree. Great one.
hi fpc,
thanks for the compliment. ^.^
“if MY VIEWS is a minister, don’t think you will change his policies.”
woah, if i succeed, i will buy Toto (toilet bowl)! :D
getting replying is straight answers is good enough for me, & i hope i dun end up needing to ask more questions. *pengz* if this goes on will it ever end (somemore this is 1 topic, others how)? lmao… -.-”
It would not come as a surprise if the post by MyView is a minister or one of his senior subordinates.
No matter,lets engage him(them)with commonsense,logic and rational rather than the usual rhetorics found in other blogs.
@mice is nice, Mar 18, 2010 1:51
@fpc, Mar 18, 2010 1:54
@PeterC , Mar 18, 2010 8:38
@etc…….etc…..etc…..
Good luck on your continuous engagement of certain Views. I like the humor in such engagements….
//my views
//Last week, a friend made an interesting comment : if Chiam See Tong has the courage to leave
//his Potong Pasir ward and try his luck in a GRC, why is Low Thia Khiang hugging to his Hougang
//ward? Either he is not as brave as his counterpart in Potong Pasir or he thinks Chiam is pure
//stupid? Which is which?
LTK thinks Chiam is smart and courageous to test bring down a minister led GRC for the future of Singapore.
And
Chiam thinks LTK is responsible to the citizens in Hougang because LTK has not found a suitable person to succeed him to take care of Hougang in order for LTK to do the same.
Just because one mother goes to work doesn’t mean another one should do the same because the latter’s children might be too young and vulnerable to be left alone to a foreign maid.
hi fpc,
“Just because one mother goes to work doesn’t mean another one should do the same because the latter’s children might be too young and vulnerable to be left alone to a foreign maid.”
this is a very good way to put it, in context somemore! ;)
Guys…with all this budget talks….anyone taking notice bout how much money is allocated for the military? At the risk of being branded a traitor etc etc…is the sum allocated for the military still very high (yeah..yeah we know….national safety, terrorism blah blah) or maybe they scaled it down so that the money can be put to better use for the ordinary citizen?
@10sen, Mar 19, 2010 22:28
The military budget is a concern for many, & I admit I am not the best person to discuss it. However, I do know that our neighbouring countries have or are aquiring modern weapons that seems an overkill to just “peace-keeping” purposes. A forty-year-old AMX-13 will not take out the latest or derivative of Soviet tanks like T-80, T-90, etc. One need a 120mm gun, like that of the Leopard 2 (Leopard 1 is only 105mm). Similarly Su-29, Su-27, etc. needs F-15′s to counter. Same with our Bionix IFV, cos’ Malaysia has IFVs (why, I don’t know). Another point is our move towards a 3G army – using technology to compensate for our declining NS-serving population. All this gizmos cost money. Of course it is too bad our UAVs & sheath patrol crafts couldn’t even spot MSK swim across to Johor on improvised flotation devices.
What is really pissed about the budget is that obviously TH & GIC are unconcerningly losing tens of BILLIONS, while only tens of MILLIONS are allocated to social help. Even the various charity drives, with good intent, are raising a couple of MILLIONS only with all the efforts and risks involved.
fpc
Mar 19, 2010 2:07
Chiam thinks LTK is responsible to the citizens in Hougang because LTK has not found a suitable person to succeed him to take care of Hougang in order for LTK to do the same.
Just because one mother goes to work doesn’t mean another one should do the same because the latter’s children might be too young and vulnerable to be left alone to a foreign maid.
——————————————————————————————-
You surely made a good point.
After so many years, the Workers’ Party failed to find a suitable person to relieve Low Thia Khiang in Hougang so that he could try to win a GRC for his party.
Presumably, Sylvia Lim is not a suitable candidate for Hougang. Since she is perceived by her party secretary as not suitable to take care of a single ward, how could Low Thia Khiang see her having the ability to look after a GRC? Where is the logic?
//my views
//You surely made a good point.
Thank you very much.
//After so many years, the Workers’ Party failed to find a suitable person to relieve Low Thia Khiang in Hougang so that he could try to win a GRC for his party.
Tell that to LHL, he seemed to have a lot of difficulty finding a replacement for his wife in TH or his father in GIC that why in spite of the massive losses in these investment firms (more than the wealth of the wealthiest man in Singapore who took more than 40 years to build in a few months), LHL had to keep them there to the point where even LKY had to ask if LHL would find him a liability or an asset.
Talent is rare and Low is humble and responsible. He don’t see the point of rushing in case he had to do what LHL do with his father and wife – keeping them when they failed again and again.
//Presumably, Sylvia Lim is not a suitable candidate for Hougang. Since she is perceived by her party secretary as not suitable to take care of a single ward,
Oh no. Sylvia was tasked to lead a GRC team against minister GY which demonstrated her ability to all Singaporeans.
In just 6 days, she managed to avoid being sued by pap people and GY was so stressed that he had to promise to upgrade his ward with 10 million on TV with NO business plan which he declared on TV.
Great display of leadership and poise.
Apparently you don’t need to go to Harvard or Cambridge to have that.
That was a great responsibility – no smaller than a single ward.
//how could Low Thia Khiang see her having the ability to look after a GRC? Where is the logic?
If you want to see a spectacle in 2006, but you didn’t see one, you should have blamed Goh CT.
Goh wanted his party people to challenge Low in Hougang. which Low accepted.
What is the point of accepting a challenge but in the end, go for election in some other wards?
See, Low is courageous and logical.
//my views
//You surely made a good point.
Thank you very much.
//my views
//After so many years, the Workers’ Party failed to find a suitable person to relieve Low
//Thia Khiang in Hougang so that he could try to win a GRC for his party.
Tell that to LHL, he seemed to have a lot of difficulty finding a replacement for his wife in TH or his father in GIC.
that’s why, in spite of the massive losses in these investment firms (more than the wealth of the wealthiest man in Singapore who took more than 40 years to build in a few months), LHL had to keep them there.
even LKY had to ask if LHL would find him a liability or an asset to keep him for the next election.
Talent is rare and Low is humble and responsible.
what is the point of rushing in case he had to do what LHL do with his father and wife – keeping them when they failed again and again.
//my views
//Presumably, Sylvia Lim is not a suitable candidate for Hougang. Since she is perceived by //her party secretary as not suitable to take care of a single ward,
Oh no. Sylvia was tasked to lead a GRC team against minister GY which demonstrated her ability to all Singaporeans.
In just 6 days, she managed to avoid being sued by pap people and GY was so stressed that he had to promise to upgrade his ward with 10 million on TV with NO prior business plan which he declared on TV.
Great display of leadership and poise.
Apparently you don’t need to go to Harvard or Cambridge to have that.
That was a great responsibility – no smaller than a single ward.
//my views
//how could Low Thia Khiang see her having the ability to look after a GRC? Where is the
//logic?
If you want to see a spectacle in 2006, but you didn’t see one, you should have blamed Goh CT.
Goh wanted his party people to challenge Low in Hougang. which Low accepted.
What is the point of accepting a challenge but in the end, go for election in some other wards?
See, Low is courageous and logical.
My Views,
March 21, 2010 04:45
“After so many years, the Workers’ Party failed to find a suitable person to relieve Low Thia Khiang in Hougang so that he could try to win a GRC for his party.”
is that as bad as saying MM cannot find anyone to replace him (that is why he not yet retire from politics)? compared to LTK, how old is MM? PAP so big, have so much reach cannot find, you 1 2 compare LTK?
“Presumably, Sylvia Lim is not a suitable candidate for Hougang. Since she is perceived by her party secretary as not suitable to take care of a single ward, how could Low Thia Khiang see her having the ability to look after a GRC? Where is the logic?”
what’s so bad about that if its true? its about serving the people, & maybe her forte lies elsewhere. just look at how our dear leaders treat its people, yesterday engineer tomorrow is security guard, frontline service staff…? if HR professionals (Labour Movement, MOM) does not know how to leverage on personal strengths & individual differences, how to increase productivity? any logic?
why dun you try picking up a skill you are poor at & attempt to bring your standards up to par in 3 months for a good measure?
“To try and introduce an alternative system to a pricing mechanism is a very dangerous suggestion to make. It opens up a whole pandora box (sic) of the difficulties we have to overcome.”
Is that it? There might be a lot of difficulties, so we don’t want to even think about it?
Josephine Teo was saying that Low Thia Khiang’s idea was what the government had been doing previously and it did not work well.
//my views
//Josephine Teo was saying that Low Thia Khiang’s idea was what the government had been
//doing previously and it did not work well.
she did? really? it was not obvious from the tv debate.
My Views,
“Josephine Teo was saying that Low Thia Khiang’s idea was what the government had been doing previously and it did not work well.”
i din see you stand up to correct Josephine Teo on TV leh. now you say oso no use…