(See video clip below)
It has been a frustrating year for many Singaporeans.
Although our GDP has grown significantly for the past quarters but the decline in the retail sector speaks volume of the kind of growth we are getting.
Our purchasing power is either stagnant or unable to catch up with the inflation caused by various factors. Any GDP growth that doesn’t benefit Singaporeans in terms of higher purchasing power and quality of life is meaningless. It is at best just another justification for the ministers to increase their own pay.
On the other hand, we have to ask ourselves while our Nation achieves almost 20% growth in GDP for the last quarter but have our income achieve even half of that growth?
Besides, the cost of having such high GDP growth is tremendous. We are just increasing more and more foreign labour to achieve growth. This may result in suppressed wages for Singaporeans and at the same time, a more crowded place for everyone else.
According to our study and research, the PAP government has consciously embarked on a very aggressive foreign workers policy to help boost the economy since 2006. However, many ministers, including the Ministers for Transport, Health and National Development are basically “Caught off Guard” by such explosive population growth.
Our public transport system could no longer cope with the excessive increase of population over such short period of time. The growth in train and bus services is lagging far behind the growth of population over the years. This results in over crowded MRT trains and buses during peak hours.
On top of that, the fares have increased for many of us since July, for as much as 7% or more!
Our HDB flat prices are shooting off the roof. HDB failed to build enough flats to cope with the population growth. The need of paying a 30 years mortgage for a simple HDB flat is definitely not a sign of affordability.
Hospital care is the most important matter of life and death. However hospital beds are in great shortage as the building of the new hospital is delayed for nearly a decade. It seems that the Ministry of Health does not plan ahead. The problem could be so acute that sometimes patients have to be left lying along the corridors of the wards!
But yet, our Prime Minister has just declared that we need another 100 thousand more foreign workers! Are we supposed to endure a further deterioration of these problems?
The recent floods that we have are creating doubts on the competency of the highly paid PAP government. We do not want to hear excuses from “once in 50 years”, “it is impossible to be flood free” to “it is an act of God”. When we are paying the world’s highest pay to the ministers, we expect such fundamental problems to be solved.
To suffer 3 or 4 floods within a couple of months is totally unacceptable to a small island that prides itself as a modern world-class city state.
All these happenings come under the charge of the world’s most expensive ministers in Singapore. We need accountability but there is none. We need proper checks and balances but there is little.
Singapore needs to progress both economically as well as politically in a balanced way. We should not just aim for some huge GDP growth at all cost. We should also build a political system whereby accountability is effectively in place.
It is time for us, my fellow Singaporeans, to reflect upon all these happenings during this National Day. We have to ask ourselves what kinds of living environment and quality of life we want for our children. High GDP growth no longer guarantees better quality of life but in contrary, lower our overall standard of living.
We also have to ask ourselves whether we want our children to inherit a political system that is based on total dominance of power by a single ruling party, which will use every means to fix its opponents and those who hold alternative views. Do we want our children to inherit a government which only demands the highest pay in the world but shy away from accountability and responsibility?
We need a change to this system and we need courage to change it.
Wishing you a Happy National Day.
Source: NSP website
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The local msm and mediacorp should allocate newspaper space and timeslots for all political parties to broadcast their national day messages.
We do not want to read and hear only the pap’s message. Pap is not Singapore. Singapore belongs to all Singaporeans and opposition parties.
My National Day’s wish is for the local msm and mediacorp to play fair and stop being a mouth piece of the pap only. I look forward to the day that my wish will come true.
My fellow Singaporeans Happy National Day.
Very well presented and logical argument for alternative views. I agree with the facts presented. The NSP also celebrates National Day with Singaporeans like us and deserve our full support.
Hi playfairplease,
We cannot rely on the msm or expect them to fulfil your dream of allocating more space and times slot for opposition, it is too big a risk for the ruling party.
We can say the preceding few years have been a starting point of the new media. Granted the new media, for which we are very much a part of, has not been effective so far. Nevertheless, it has created an impact to a certain extent. I somehow agree with the view of the old man. The current ruling govt will still be around for the next 10 years (i.e. 2 more elections). Thereafter, young blood will come into politics, wanting to make a difference to the current sorry state.
Lets stop asking the msm to play fair, it will never happen. We just have to stay together and do whatever little bit we can to act as the media to convey messages which the msm will never want us to know.
National Days have not been the same for many people for the last few years. In any case, we are still Singaporeans, so instead of a Happy National Day, I wish everyone Happy Holidays.
And when the meaningless YOG is over, attention will be switched to the presidential election and the general election, an election to kick out Generals from the current govt.
We, (the citizens) are the BOSS of PAP, whom they are drawing their exorbitant salaries from the tax payers.
When they the Employees refused to listen to their Empolyer, its time to get them remove.
steffi,
I know that my wish will never come true as long as the miw are in power. Besides it is an open secret that all our local msm are state controlled.
More importantly, quite a lot of those post 1965 have already been brainwashed by the local msm over 20-30 years. When you speak to them they will just parrot those those things that were reported in the msm such as pap is the best to rule, without them singapore will be ruined in no time, etcs. *sigh*
However, there is hope thought. When my mother who has been a die-hard supporter of the miw since 1963 started curing them recently I see some hope of a wind of change.
‘Fairness’ does not exist in singapore.
Pls remember there is only one newspaper authority in singapore. They only tell you things they want you to hear. Their views are superior.They are God. All other views are suppressed.
Definitely, high GDP means nothing. It means a very, very big year-end bonus for PAP ministers, that it period.
VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT VOTE PAP OUT
VOTE FOR NSP VOTE FOR NSP VOTE FOR NSP VOTE FOR NSP VOTE FOR NSP VOTE FOR NSP
national day?? what a mess. LHL speech is just a piece of trash and stupid!
vote Reform party! vote Reform party! vote Reform party! vote Reform party! vote Reform party! vote Reform party! vote Reform party! vote Reform party! vote Reform party!
Singapore must have a two-party political system to rectify all those bad and erroneous policies adopted by a one-party government!
All Singaporeans must support a two-party system and make it a reality!
my apologies to those who may be offended by what i points i may raise…
eh, this is a National Day Message? IMPO, it skews more towards a party political message. anti-PAP rhetoric could be reduced, in keeping to the topic of National Day.
highlighting a few families from the last election to this day may have connected the audience a little more perhaps? having an example of a family that fell from mid-middle class to lower-middle class could give a sense of how things are worse off since then? showcasing a few families that have their income reduced & showing how problems are creeping up the social ladder may get more attention & keep them glued for a part 2 (during the election campaigning?)?
technically (nitpicking, but if can improve- do it?), if the voice recording could be clearer, people listening to the speech would not need to strain their ears. maybe a recording done in the comforts of home with aircon switched on would cut the noise. a portable backdrop (a large movie poster, 8-feet by 6-feet can be considered?) can be easily installed with 2 wall-plugs drilled into walls or ceiling.
btw, the speaker’s voice seemed a little strained at times. it affects the tone, which in turn makes him seem less than polished. if its up on YouTube, attention to details cannot be overlooked- the world is watching. image is important.
personally, i think the issue of foreign workers could be dwelled into deeper, afterall is NPD. it not a company’s dinner-&-dance. also because the demino effect it has, that, is alot carries many sub-topics. highlighting a few in keeping to National Day would top off nicely.
good effort, i too am learning how to critic without going out of topic. lol…
c;mom u think u can do better. its so easy to talk NonSense. untl u can do betterer than what we have do not confuse the people. why dont you just go do volunteer work like helping the poor.
icon u, 10 August 2010
eh, our dear leaders are supposed to bring prosperity & wealth to its people. they are paid to do a job, now that they have fall way short of target shouldn’t they be fired?
the lack of professionalism speaks volumes about how they are not up to the task, yet they do not step down. they are clinging onto their seats because of the high pay. this not only shows how shameless they are, but a national disgrace.
how to swell with pride on National Day?
The Role of a good selected MP should be that to see the NEEDS of its OWN CITIZENS, and all efforts should be directed towards SOCIAL SERVICE for the good of its citizens.Evn infrastructure like public transport should be that of providing social facilitation, not to raise fare hikes and make profit.
However it is not like this here in sinkapor. Our this government is seeing the needs of foreigners and new imigrants, our MPs are working for the its huge pay package, our SMRT CEO is getting high pay and yet making insensitive remarks.
Is this the kind of governance we want?
Is time to vote the PAP OUT
@Mice is Nice,
Thank you for your critic. Personally, I am not satisfied with this recording and will practice more to improve it for the GE.
Goh Meng Seng
Goh Meng Seng, 10 August 2010
you are welcome, any improvement means that PAP will have less flaws to pick on. any flaws will be emplified out of proportion, simply because they have the means to do so.
also, keep in mind that any video clip is just a means to forward a message, so ultimately the message is still more important than the speech.
m.i.n
Agreed that it could be a more optimistic message, but lets face it; under the PAP, the future for Singaporeans (except for the Million Dollar Minister and their syncopants) is bleak and getting bleaker every day.
GMS,
this time, i am impressed by you.
Well Done!
Keep fighting!
Its clear to me, singaporeans are not against Foreigners per se but the SITUATION.
Well done singaporeans! You are focussing on the right things and your thinking is clear and logical and undiscriminating of foreigners.
This is an achievement.
@Goh Meng Seng,
Hope you will be able to voice and help the singles in singapore. This group is the most ignorable and neglected group. And no one is there to help us singles.
Currently, im a single. I dont even have a rooftop of my own. I rent a room in singapore. im a true blue singaporean. HDB policy restricts singles to buy flat directly from HDB, thus making the singles not able to afford from resale market due to skyroketting prices. Now even the HDB flat is getting more costly. If continues like that, singles in singapore will forever be doomed. We need a rooftop of our own also. We do contribute for our own native born country. We need a affordable HBD housing flat for ourselves. Hope Goh Meng Seng will voice for us singles in singapore. Thanks.
Hmmmmm…. there were no ND messages in the MSM. They have nothing to say or MSMs dont want their msgs?
Hmmmmmmm……..
No wonder Mah bow tan not scare next election. How come? because goh meng seng want fight there mah! You all see how he talk inside his video? Where got standard? Mah bow tan any time talk better than him lah! He seow fellow go scold gov on national day! National Day is time we all enjoy & remember what gov do for we all and thank all gov & sg peoples for cooperate make sg successfull, where got people criticise others? Simple as that!
senior experience old guard, 11 August 2010
every time when economy is on the bright side how come only civil servants got bonus, pay increase? you say got cooperate to bring about success, then govt agencies must compel the private sector to follow suit.
when the fruits of the labour are not shared fairly of course feel conned. the govt got a duty to ensure the efforts are noticed, only then it has the moral suasion to unite its people. govt cannot ensure the fruits of labour is shared, then how to spur people on? just look at govt’s obsession with GDP, they work for that only.
PM’s National Day Speech is more like GDP rally. its all about the $$$…
On any Saturday or Sunday evening,at around 10 pm,try to board a public bus in Little India,near Mustafa Centre.See if you can.You are lucky if you can.
I always have to wait longer than usual for service 857 to Yishun,as almost all the buses are packed around this time.When the last bus was packed too,I would camp near the bus-stop til next morning,as I am too poor to take a cab.
Does the transport minister know about ordinary true-blue Singaporeans`plight like mine?Probably not,as he does not have to take buses,with his sort of salary….
I also noticed through the window that when squeezing up service 67 at the aforementioned time,many foreigners successfully avoided paying,as the driver could not see properly when the bus is that crowded.Many of them were smiling when they moved further back without having to pay.
More foreigners mean for native Singaporeans less comfort,one of the `Cs`that the SM mentioned.
More fare-cheating too………..
Hello, true blue Singaporeans. We are facing so many problems and the elected government by the true blue Singaporeans and the media is not voicing our concerns.I suggest and hope TR and TOC true Blue S’poreans come together and do what we can. We have the venue, Speakers Corner. Let us all meet and do the best for all true blue Singaporeans and for our children. Peace N Love
NSP needs to come up with concrete propositions to counter PAP’s policies, instead of just regurgitating gripes and rantings that can be picked up from any of the political forums here.
We need substance, not complaints.
I’d have to check with you here. Which is not something I usually do! I enjoy reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!