We have noticed that of late, government ministers & officials, and People’s Action Party members have been criticizing Singaporeans and their attitudes towards a myriad of issues – from employment to public housing.
We thus would like to collate all of these into a single thread here.
Our hope is that the government will see for itself the callous, unfair and condescending attitude it and its members have adopted towards Singaporeans and do some soul-searching. Singaporeans work hard, very hard, and gives the PAP government its vote of confidence at every election since independence.
Are such remarks towards Singaporeans justified?
If you come across any such Singaporeans-bashing remarks, please do email them to us at: theonlinecitizen@gmail.com.
Please read also: Bashing Singaporeans – PAP gets in on the act.
We begin with Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean’s remarks in the Straits Times on 8 April 2010:
INADEQUATE
“Employees must not conveniently use the excuse of perceived discriminatory work practices to cover up their own work inadequacies.”
DPM TEO CHEE HEAN (Straits Times, 8 April 2010, Page A6)
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MOLLYCODDLED
“A boy who is mollycoddled is a very different person from the one who is physically tough and takes spills without fear and whining.”
MP FOR MARINE PARADE GRC, SAM TAN (Straits Times, 25 May 2009)
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SLOW
“I think the spurs are not stuck on your hinds. They are part of the herd, why-go-faster?”
MM LEE KUAN YEW (National Geographic, Jan 2010)
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LESSER MORTALS
“Mr Tan didn’t “brag” about how expensive the trip was in the article. Maybe it made lesser mortals envious and they thought maybe he was a bit boastful.”
MP FOR PASIR-RIS-PUNGGOL CHARLES CHONG (Jan 2009)
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UNREALISTIC
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NO SELF-CONFIDENCE
“How can this be? People are coming to learn from us, see how we teach, why we are successful. Yet our teachers don’t have self-confidence.”
DPM TEO CHEE HEAN (Straits Times, April 2010)
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IRRATIONAL
“THE Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday acknowledged Singaporeans’ concern over immigration issues, but urged them to avoid ‘developing irrational fears’ towards new immigrants.’
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SENSITIVE
“People are sensitive.”
DPM TEO CHEE HEAN (CNA, April 2010)
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COMPLACENT
“Complacency sets in when a people have not suffered any shock or setback for a long time, as in Singapore without jihadist terror attacks… [Singaporeans] are being complacent when they believe that the Government will take care of all security matters.”
MM LEE KUAN YEW (March 2008)
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DEPENDENCY MENTALITY
“This has bred a dependency mentality in our population who will blame the civil service and Government if any of their needs are not met.”
MP FOR SEMBAWANG GRC, LIM WEE KIAK (March 2008)
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IMMATURE, WHINY
“I don’t want whining Singapore boys. They are not mature even though they have done national service and are over 22 years old when they take up undergraduate studies.”
PHILIP YEO, EX-CHAIRMAN, A-STAR (Straits Times, 2005)
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BEMOANING
“[A] well-educated university graduate who works for a multinational company should not be bemoaning about the Government and get on with the challenges in life.”
MP FOR ANG MO KIO GRC, WEE SIEW KIM (Straits Times, 2005)
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DOGS
“If you can select a population and they’re educated and they’re properly brought up, then you don’t have to use too much of the stick because they would already have been trained. It’s like with dogs. You train it in a proper way from small. It will know that it’s got to leave, go outside to pee and to defecate. No, we are not that kind of society. We had to train adult dogs who even today deliberately urinate in the lifts.”
MM LEE KUAN YEW (“The Man And His Ideas”, 1997)
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CHAMPION GRUMBLERS
“Singaporeans are champion grumblers.”
MM LEE KUAN YEW, (National Geographic, Jan 2010)
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PROTESTING TOO MUCH, VOLUNTARILY UNEMPLOYED
“SINGAPOREANS who complain about foreigners taking away their jobs may be protesting too much… [Some Singaporeans] are voluntarily unemployed.”
TAN KHEE GIAP, Associate Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (Straits Times, Mar 2010)
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BANKRUPT
“A SEGMENT of the Malay community has been likened to bankrupt English soccer club Portsmouth by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Education) Masagos Zulkifli.”
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LAZY AND TOO OLD
“I know of one family who complain the cleaners in their precinct are lazy and too old. They don’t want local workers who are old, they want young foreign workers. To satisfy the demand, I changed the local workers to foreign workers.”
ONG AH HENG, MP FOR NEE SOON CENTRAL (Straits Times, Mar 2010)
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CHOOSY
“The problem of choosy workers is still with us.”
THEN-MINISTER OF STATE FOR MANPOWER, NG ENG HEN (MOM, 2003)
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MAIDS
“Your asset values will disappear, your apartment will be worth a fraction of what it is, your jobs will be in peril, your security will be at risk and our women will become maids in other people’s countries, foreign workers.”
MM LEE KUAN YEW (Straits Times, 5 April 2007)
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“DAFT”
“It adds to their wealth and this is asset-enhancing policy Mr Lee believes citizens should not find fault with. If they do, they must be ‘daft’, he said…”
MM LEE KUAN YEW (CNA, January 2010)
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“IRRESPONSIBLE”, “SPREADING FALSEHOODS”
Dr Balakrishnan also berated “irresponsible websites” for circulating the clip. “Now that the facts are out, let’s see whether these people who’ve been propagating falsehoods have the courage and honesty to set the facts right,” he said.
VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN, (Straits Times, April 2010)
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“SMALL-MINDED”, “UNFAIR”, “VERY, VERY SELFISH”, “UNSPORTSMENLIKE”
“To deny them [new citizens sportsmen] to call themselves Singaporeans is very, very selfish. It’s very unsportsmenlike…”
VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN (Straits Times, 23 June 2010)
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CROWDED TRAINS – SINGAPOREANS’ FAULT
“People can board the train – it is whether they choose to.”
SAW PHAIK HWA, SMRT CEO (Straits Times, 27 June 2010)
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IGNORANT
“The Taiwanese are ruthless, Hong Kongers are shameless and Singaporeans are ignorant.”
LEE KUAN YEW, (Today, 14 July 2010)
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“GRIPE”… “VUVUZELAS”
“This is far healthier than to live the Singapore Gripe and drone on like vuvuzelas.”
GOH CHOK TONG (7 August 2010)
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SINGAPOREANS COMPLAINING TOO MUCH
SENIOR Minister Goh Chok Tong has chided Singaporeans for complaining too much about overcrowded trains and the lack of carpark spaces and public housing.
GOH CHOK TONG, Straits Times (4 Sept 2010)
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[We'll update this page on a regular basis.]
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Singapore has well and truly debunked the thinking that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys.
It is proof positive that you can well and truly get monkeys even when you pay the highest salaries for politicians in the world, and all for running a county with just over 3 million citizens.
The Australian Prime Minister earns $350,000 a year, one-tenth that of LSL’s!!
Blame ourselves for voting them in! We are indeed stupid
If they are thinking of the poors, who is complaining. It boils down to screw up policies, that landed us into this state.
The gov wants us to work long long. Be cheaper, faster & better. The Gov must also walk the talk. Be cheaper, better & faster. Only through complaints, then they can improve. But looks like they just bash through with their holier than thou attitudes. They hve definitely lost touch with the ground. Problems highlighted are brush off and no innovative solutions that justify their million dollar salaries.
without complaint, how do you think the old NKF and Teh cheang wan corruption case come to light?
the gov need to listen and be accountable to their social responsibility and actually solving people’s problem.
HBD cost skyhigh – not solved
Low birthrate – not solved
Crowding in hospital, MRT, shops – not solved.
Stressed education that needs tuition to get results – not solved.
No work-life balance – not solved
singaporeans disadvantaged with NS liability – not solved.
Not enough uni places for singaporean – not solved.
Singaporeans not able to focus more on sporting achievement – not solved
Not just blame locals and solve things by going out to buy with money. That is a no-brainer stop-gap measure, not a solution becoming of a milliondollar paycheck.
the other day, i was queueing behind in front of some aunties at a popular hawker food stall. the aunty in front of me was saying “so bad nowadays, SG everywhere flooding”. her friend replied confidently “yes yes no way to avoid, the whole world facing the same problem, natural disaster”.
MM is totally right, SG are totally ignorant
What can I say…they says that singaporeans complained too much when they fail to do their job well…which is worse…they are the cause for the complains
perhaps we need some ‘FTs’ as government officials and ministers, lets see if they sing the same tune.
This time we will tell them to fly kite
The MIW need to be really bashed by us at the next G.E., in order to be given a “clear message” from all of us.
The PAPpies have forgotten who their real masters are (all of us ordinary folks), since we are the ones paying for their million dollar salaries and pensions.
Time for us to teach them a real lesson in manners and make them understand how public servants should behave.
This is the biggest irony about Singapore politics. We pay loads of taxpayers money to have then solve our problems and whenever situation gets too serious, they blamed it on ordinary Singaporeans for whining too much. Try doing this in other countries and I will guarantee they will be voted out even before their terms ends.
( NOTICE how SM Goh Chok Tong [aka Mr Peanut, husband of Mrs Peanut] conveniently and cleverly AVOIDED mention on S’poreans complaining about the FLOOD OF FOREIGNERS.)
> SM Goh say (ST 5.9.10):
“We are the victims of our own success.”
> Disgusted S’pore Voters say:
Oh Yeah? Oh Yeah?
This is the Real Truth:
Singaporeans are the victims of PAP GREED & INCOMPETENCE !!!
Hate to admit it, but some of the comments about Singaporeans being “Complaint Kings” do hold a little water. We do tend to have this innate ability to complain quite a fair bit
The rest, however, doesn’t make any sense. Perhaps the ministers should devote more time into interacting with the common folk like us. We’re not as “immature”, “daft”, or “ignorant” as they like to portray us.
I have this to say about our Politicians ALL 30 of the World’s obscenely highest overpaid Public Servants:
1) They have forgotten that they are there because the citizens voted them
2) They have forgotten they are there to serve the Public….they are like the TAILS of the Dogs that think that they are wagging the dogs….not the other way around
3) They are mecernary
4) They are self adulating
5) They are in constant denial
6) They never admit their mistakes
7) They are to conceited and arrogant to ever admit their mistakes and APOLOGISE to the People for their utter inefficiencies
8) They have wrong priorities…..
9) They deserved to be VOTED OUT in the NEXT GE and if not succesfully removed the next GE will do.
10) The current bunch of politicians are totally out of touch with the ground sentiments and must be removed by ALL Singapore Loving Citizens.
SHAME on them SHAME! SHAME!
Seriously if we taxpayers need to pay so much just to listen to the gov just to do singapore bashing… i rather use to same amount of money, vote in the entire playboy calender girls from 2007 till 2010. and get them to say the same things above…. Does not really help the problem but at least they look good on paper.
I would rather vote a rubbish in; at least, it cost only S$8.00 at Ikea!
Alien> lol…..but rubbish bin cannot talk…. morever u can tell that that is a joke when it coming from a group of blondes
Where does the money to pay their salary come from?
Its time to show them who is the boss!
Well, i hate to admit this, but Sg’reans are a tad whiny. But if u ask WHY we are whiny, perhaps it could be due to:
- govt having created a nanny-state, where they control your every movement from cradle to grave. Who created this sense of expectation in us?
- govt only encourages selective creativity & certainly does not promote diversity, preferring instead to pander to the more conservative & ignorant segments of our population. MOE’s stand on sexuality education is a good eg. I think where you have creativity & respect for diversity, people tend to help themselves & others more.
- We are taught never to challenge authority, or to question (“harmless whining” is permitted by ordinary citizenry, but the likes of Catherine Lim, JBJ & CSJ etc found out the hard way where the OB markers were). Didn’t MM Lee long ago once said that without confucian ethos, Sg wouldn’t be where it is today?
- Isn’t the govt the one that attributed large ministerial salaries, to the excellent results that these top talents can bring to bear for Sg as a whole?
Yes, we are whiny… but I think there is little else Sg citizens can do. The only ‘safe’ way of getting heard is…. to get invited to join the PAP… Yes.. n we are back to square one.
Terracotta>
If u ask me , i wonder why are we to discuss this in a serious tone at all. Please get our highly pay ministers and Us to ans this question….which citizens in the world would not complain about certain policy about the goverment??
Look at US…u will get the picture they got the anti war ppl , warmonging ppl, u got the fark care ppl and tons of other ppl around…. those Obama go and start a topic of.American are a group of whinny ppl….blah blah blah…??
Instead he would enagage the ppl in positive conversation and try to resolved the differences (any countries that don do that???).
Interestingly we got highest paid leaders in the world that don resolved the problem but they to complain to the media about singaporean complaining about them and the policy they made that cause the complain in the ist place.
I would sugguest we take the chill pill and laugh at them.
Dios
Very good/relevant comment you’ve made above.
There’s only one point I like to correct. We got highest paid leaders in the world that CREATE problems for citizens. Forget solving, if they don’t create the problem, citizens won’t have anything to whine about in the first place.
Like allowing ANY foreigner to work in SG, artificially increasing population, re-drawing boundaries, grcs, pegging HDB price to re-sale market (note: its not because they cannot cover building cost), lots & lots more, I’ll be here all day if I carry on. If you think about it, if they don’t do these, will SG still be ok? Of course it will, & better! So I say, they CREATED the problems!
Its partly because they are good-for-nothings, partly ‘yes-sir-yes-sir I will do anything you say’ fools, and partly greed. Bloody Sg presidential nerds taken over this ‘once a peaceful place to live in’.
Taking peoples blood money and still complain about the people whose blood money you took…
No shame…and no respect for your betters…
You are sick Woody.
Really really sick in the brain and soul.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2AhjhYWDUM&feature=related
The Boss>
So we can go on all day. and I still want my Playboy’s Miss July 2009… Like i say before, look good on paper….
RATIONAL
Pls show us the context. Just point out ONE will do. You need to show us what is taken out of context if you are sure it is.
It’s the Govt’s duty & responsibility to balance the inequalities of life for its citizens. But PAP contributes to such inequalities, and become part of the problem. Unable to extricate itself from the task of justifying itself, it lashes at the very hand (the people) that feeds it. The servant has now become the master. It’s now a very dangerous stage, because the PAP believes that the People are subservient subjects with no right to complain. We are now witnessing the consequence of unbridled, naked power in the hands of neurotic “leaders.” Poor Singapore!!
We are no at a stage where the FLEA (PAP)thinks it OWNS the Dog and that the DOG exist because of the FLEA not the other way around.
Bobby, nicely put.
But I think we are already at the stage where the flea thinks that it owns not only the dog but the dog’s living environment.
How to get rid of the flea? We have to shear off the dog’s pelt. Or the dog has to lap it up with its tongue.
There is a chance on the horizon, coming up shortly, and we can’t afford to miss this opportunity, to get the fleas off our backs.
rwkc, bobby,
even if the current party do lost the upcoming election. there is nothing the new governement can do…..if u ask me if that happen, they will find they are in a big shit hole and resolve … all the current party need to do now is wait for 5 yrs and claim that the new governement not effective and vote them back into power. unless singaporeans change our mindset.
It is because of our mindset they stay in power for so long. It is of our mindset they can ignore the plight of the ppl it is because of our mindset that they can write themselve a fat paycheque every month. It is also our mindset that we didnt respond that allow all the “FTs” to be imported to SG.
Dios, you have a point there.
We just have to vote in all the opposition candidates. That’s a stating point.
But we can be sure there are people who think the fleas have performed credibly and thus even with a sizeable no of opposition candidates on board, the rein will probably still be held by the remaining fleas.
The best way for people to voice their dissatisfaction is to vote against the fleas.
And we can say that we have succeeded in no small way when our votes brought in the results we aimed for.
corrigendum: the word “stating” should read as “starting”
so if alternative/opposition parties get 66.6% votes they get 98% seats in paliament?
hmmm… =D
Even if the Opposition collectively does not win enough seats to form the next Government….it is alright….as long as they persevere!
Afterall the PAP was once a POOR AGAINST POWERFUL party which represented the Poor and disadvantaged…..
PAP has morped into a POWERFUL AGAINST POOR party….they have completely lost their way.
Taken off wiki:
“Having taken Chinese and Japanese lessons since 1942, Lee Kuan Yew was able to find work transcribing Allied wire reports for the Japanese, as well as being the English language editor on the Japanese Hodobu (報道部 — an information or propaganda department) from 1943 to 1944.”
“During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, Nathan worked for the Japanese civilian police as a translator.”
I never have any respect for grassers. These people only think about themselves. This is why the late Mr Goh Keng is in a completely different league to them.
It’s funny that almost all the responses I’ve read fall perfectly in line with the comments made by this ministers.
You may not like something, but that doesn’t make it untrue.
This post works because it’s preaching to the choir. It’s always helpful for anyone to be able to see things from another perspective.. the fault doesn’t always like elsewhere.
Ps. Australian PM earns $350,000. true. They also enjoy a lifetime of benefits post-retirement that we as taxpayers do not afford our leaders. US president earns less, also true. You have to be ridiculously rich to afford the campaign trail to get you there. Oversimplifying something doesn’t clarify the issue.
Putting up comments from various ppl, regardless of position, without the context, is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Films do it, so do books and products when plugging for themselves.
Comments must be taken in their entire context if they are to be without bias. Example: Critic A calls Book XYZ, “A riveting read! Dramatic sequences make for a nail-biting experience…” What fails to be published on the back cover is this, “The author could have toned down on the sex and violence, as this book may fall in the hands of a young reader.”
This article is just a bashing that appeals to bashers, and not an honest citizen who wishes to be informed.
An honest citizen
(and no, not a govt spy, civil servant or crony, as many on here would undoubtedly speculate)
Tan Kee Giap – a flip-flopper?
http://www.funkygrad.com/forum/read_msg.php?tid=1005&forumid=yourshout&goto=newpost
Josephine Teo on Singaporeans have “poor stock” is a good one to have. Very important to have Khaw and his “rich relative” as well as sending elderly to foreign lands.
But the best is LKY on numerous occasions saying that the government wants to ensure that Singaporeans conitnue to work and not have time to think about politics and such matters.
Singaporeans only know how to whine n complaint,and the people that does it best,our govt PAP.Thanks but no thanks.Time for change.
Former PM said losing a GRC is not a big loss to Singapore. What he should have said is ‘losing a GRC is not a big loss to the PAP’. Let’s be very clear about this.