by: Ravi Philemon/
The mainstream media which picked up stories on Tan Jee Say’e email being hijacked, Tan Kin Lian’s Toto, 4D app, and Tan Cheng Bock’s Facebook notes, have so far failed to pick-up the story about Tony Tan deleting his Facebook post after netizens pointed out to him the contradictions with his son’s resume. Why?
The blog ‘Thoughts of a Singapore Statistician‘ claims:
The time that Dr Patrick Tan (Tony Tan’s son) took to obtain his MBBS is abnormally long (8 years). Most people get a MBBS from Stanford in 6 years. There is speculation that Dr Patrick Tan probably took a 1 to 2 gap years off. If this is true, this would be an anomaly since SAF is not known to approve disruption for gap years.
In his Facebook note, Dr Tony Tan commented on the topic and said, “I regret that, for the first time since this page’s inception, I have had to delete a post. It was a repeat post, the content of which you may read below. Our response is also below. The rumour is without basis.”
Even if it was only a rumour, the mainstream media has a responsibility to highlight this exchange between Dr Tony Tan and the netizens, so that the electorate can make an informed decision when the time comes.
–
This article was edited on 29 July 2011 at 12.15pm, after it was first published to better reflect Dr Tony Tan’s response to the issue.
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Tony Tan’s corrupt media organization is showing it’s true colors again. Hiding the Truth is business as usual.
to winnie ole boi
Tan Jee Say, a poor Hainanese washerwoman’s son as example………..
you wouldn’t 1st me to probe deeper
would you?
i decided not to probe tan jee say past lives simply because when he finished his bond as a government scholar
he went out to fish on his own ability
for that i show me upmost respect
as for blockhead peanut senile x-minister himself.. he is too GREEDY(ole yes this senile minister is also related to the lee clans(well on hs mother side lark) and he simply know TOO much..which is why he got the rank emule..
Winnie, I am afraid you have been misinformed regarding the deferment policy at the relevant time. In any case, in the rare cases when deferment was granted, the scholars were required on their return on completion of their studies, to complete their MILITARY training if such training was disrupted, or to MILITARY appointments as uniformed officers. They were first and foremost military NSmen.
Tell people about the tt hyprocrite and Also about tr and toc and yah oo, yawning bread, Make Sph and their newspapers and media alterntive media…
Time to reclaim our rights of democracy
@Tony Tan 29 July 2011
Double disruption is very rare and almost unheard of if you switch from one course to another
Not true.
Su Guan Eng, President of NTU did his Masters in Alberta, Canada, followed by Phd in Caltech, California. He got double disruption. Like Tan Jee Say, he was from humble origins. I think he also did not served in uniform on return to complete his NS.
Nice article, TRE also have same article.
All this PAP elites are getting Emperor treatment.
Just like LKY wasting our tax money with his private army and secretaries
And held his golf sessions in the katana..
@Redemption 29 July 2011
All this PAP elites are getting Emperor treatment.
Actually, you begin the journey to be a PAP elite, when you are an outstanding A-Level student. You are offered a prestigious scholarship (President, Colombo Plan, Overseas Merit, etc). Nothing wrong with that, as many top students of humble origins may never even have a chance for an university education if not for scholarship, like washerwoman son Tan Jee Say, or sacked ex PUB CEo Khoo Teng Chye and many others. On return after graduation, after completing NS, you are then placed into the prestigious Administrative Service or some GLC. IF you are good, your career takes off like a rocket. By mid 30s and certainly 40s, the top ones are likely Permanent Secretary, CEO grade already. Million $ salary and perks. At this stage, how can you not be pro PAP? They fed, educate and groom you. You are heart and soul into the system already.
Tan Jee Say is an oddball. He went thru’ that same route, rose to the pinnacle of power, and then became a turn coat. Either he is a saint, as he seems to be projecting himself to be, in vying for the Presidential position. Or there is more than meet the eye.
If his son got PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT,
then the public should know.
If above is true and the MSM did not cover this part of the story, but cover TKL not so nicey bits, then
1 way is to let more naive citizens know about it.
Time is running out. The EP will be held soon.
Dun forget the lesson just learnt. 60% did not wake up in time.
Most likely , these will never be saved unless we do something about it.
Wait for no one for Change.
Change Now with Action!
We are the Change Agent.
Learn to Question Everything.
Scrutinise Everything.
Leave no stones unturned.
You will find the Truth.
PAP is well known for hiding the truth from the people. This doesn’t come as surprise to me. How many times have their lied, only themselves will know. Talking about transparency and accountability is just an aspiration PAP will never believe in. Singaporeans will forever live in the land of liars until we became a first world parliament. A liar will not want a first world parliament and will continue to bash Singaporeans with their own-made constitution and thru their own media.
@Yeoman July 29, 2011
is DR TONY TAN more well-versed in ECONOMICS than TAN JEE SAY?
Definitely. Dr Tony Tan was Minister of Trade & Industry when Tan Jee Say was just a rookie at MTI, reporting to Dr Tan. Moreover, Dr Tony Tan had also been Minister of Finance, Deputy Chairman of GIC and Chairman of OCBC Bank.
Dr Tony Tan has a PhD in Applied Maths from Adelaide, a Masters in Operational Research from the prestigious MIT and topped his Physics class in NUS for his Bachelor degree. Tan Jee Say only got a Bachelors degree in Economics from Oxford. One degree only and no more.
Clearly, Tan Jee Say is a midget by comparison (pun intended). Dr Tony Tan is more Presidential looking, with his distinguished mane of flowing silver center parting. Tan Jee Say, ahem, is katek (short), looks like a hainam tow. The women are flocking to touch Dr Tony Tan’s flowing mane for good luck. Hair salons in Orchard/Tanglin have reported that more Singaporeans men are sporting center parting these days. I certainly am. So vote for Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam
Let’s be sane and fair.
1. The posting wasn’t deleted.
2. Medicine is a graduate course in the west – all medicine students will go through a bachelor course before medicine itself. This is a standard and well known requirement.
3. PSC scholars CAN BE granted deferment for graduate studies according to their merits.
It doesn’t reflect well on alternative media’s credibility if they are not up to cut in fact-finding and verification.
The online media, especially TRE (lesser extent TOC) is intentionally creating a mountain out of a mole hill to discredit Dr Tony Tan, and influence people to vote for Tan Jee Say. TRE even placed a huge photo of Tan Jee Say on every page of its web site.
I am no PAP, nor Tony Tan fan. I hate TT’s center parting and his effeminate way of speaking, barely audible at times.
But I want to be objective. A careful reading of the eligibility criteria of EP will convince even a kid that Tan Jee Say does not qualify. You d’ont need law profs from NUS, NTU or SMU to tell you so. Read the criteria yourself; it is in plain English.
John Govett Asia , later AIB Govett, where TJS worked, was a second rate, declining asset management firm by 1997. It was rapidly going downhill. It was eventually sold at a huge discount to Gartmore .
See : http://atans1.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/some-background-info-on-tan-jee-say/
TJS may have a big title Regional MD, but a check with friends around town, revealed that he was only managing a division of 5 mid to junior level people of average age in mid 30s. Assets managed, which are the clients money, may well exceed $100mil. But the job scope and skill sets of managing just 5 not very senior staff, hardly qualifies the scope of this job as “equivalent to that of a corporation with paid-in capital of $100 million”.
It is entirely disingenuous of TRE to launch article after article, with a huge photo on its site, touting TJS as President, with finance experience greater than Dr TT.
Why did’nt TRE ask for TJS’s financial performance at AIB Govett. TRE is manifestly biased and one-sided to keep pounding Dr TT, but conveniently forget to ask for TJS’s money management abilities at AIB Govett. It was clearly a disaster because it was a fact that AIB Govett was sold at a huge discount to Gartmore.
It is almost certain that given the ignominious demise of AIB Govett, TJS had to leave or was forced to leave.
My fellow Singaporeans, is this someone of Presidential caliber? TRE’s blatant answer seems to be anyone who has a rabidly anti PAP view can be President. Shocking. TOC to its credit is more circumspect about outright touting TJS.
AIB Govett went down like many other Singapore-based asset management firms (concentrating on Asian equity) in the late 90s because of the Asian financial crisis of 97. I can’t think of an asset management company in Singapore then that did not suffer any losses.
@Fox 30 July 2011
AIB Govett went down like many other Singapore-based asset management firms in the late 90s because of the Asian financial crisis of 97. I can’t think of an asset management company in Singapore then that did not suffer any losses.
Hedge fund run by AIS’s Wong Kok Hoi made good money then.
Okay. That’s one. What the other asset management firms in Singapore then? Most firms took substantial losses during that period. It doesn’t reflect on TJS’s competency. If not, then we have to question TT’s competency since GIC lost substantial amount of money in the 2008-2009 crisis.
@Fox 30 July 2011
It doesn’t reflect on TJS’s competency. If not, then we have to question TT’s competency since GIC lost substantial amount of money in the 2008-2009 crisis
Yes, of course, we should question TT’s track record at GIC as well. The GIC, in fact, has released details of their 5, 10 and 20 years performance last week in a press conference given by Group President Lim Siong Guan and CIO, Ng Kok Song. The results were compared against several well-accepted benchmarks. While not spectacular, TT’s track record, thus, was not a disaster either. Unlike AIB Govett, GIC, at least, did not tanked as a result of the Asia financial crisis.
It must, however, be recognized that, it may not be fair to credit every achievement (nor blame every GIC blunder) on TT, because he commands GIC from the top of mount olympus, and, frankly, has little knowledge of what is going on.
Tan Jee Say, by contrast, commands only 5 staff directly involved in the buying and selling of securities. Performance attribution is more direct. It is no panacea to irate clients who lost their savings to be told that this was due to the Asian financial crisis. Clients will surely pulled their accounts and never support that fund manager again
This NS issue of TT’s son, while worth noting, is a deliberate distraction by the SDP camp to discredit Dr Tony Tan, abetted whole-heartedly by TRE. TRE is not only anti-PAP, but single-mindedly pro SDP. Chee Soon Juan surfaced on TRE few days ago with an article spewing his usual anti-PAP rhetoric.
TRE is not pro-Opposition. It serves the interests of the SDP. It has never featured anything good about WP. It always dramatizes WP’s slips, but ignores SDP’s gaffes. Just look at that ridiculous photo of ex-SDP dropout Tan Jee Say displayed on TRE’s every web page. Why not photos of Tan Kin Lian or Tan Cheng Bock? They are just as credible.
TOC, by contrast, seems fairer. WP’s Gerald Giam consults for TOC, while Tan Jee Say is TOC editor Leong Sze Hian’s RI class mate and close chum.
The 60% pro PAP voters, who holds the crucial key to this EP, must unite solidly together, against the SDP spoilers. If you are thinking of defecting to the other side, think again. The 40% hard core anti-PAP must also see how to split the vote. D’ont be mesmerized by the TRE or TOC biased reportings.
@Vote Wisely 30 July 2011
TRE is not pro-Opposition. It serves the interests of the SDP. It has never featured anything good about WP. It always dramatizes WP’s slips, but ignores SDP’s gaffes
Hmmm…this is true. When WP’s made that remark about a coalition govt. with PAP, TRE was the first to blow it all out of proportions, inciting a rabid mob of TRE readers to pull WP down. And it devotes lots of coverage to SDP’s activities, but hardly anything on WP. TOC is much more objective, with about equal coverage.
One would expect a ‘newspaper chief’ to know better than give an answer which begs even more questions. His son’s brag worthy CV reveals that Patrick still doesn’t understand the common man’s disquiet about the way he managed to fulfill his NS liability. Perhaps had Patrick spent more time interacting with real singaporeans by doing NS the traditional way and less time in the hallowed halls of foreign universities would have afforded him a perspective beyond the ivory tower.
All these aside, the larger question remains- just who should be the next EP?
TKL’s ‘overseas mission’ to Batam is so laughable it makes Palin’s ‘I can see Russia from my bedroom’ sound wise.
I reckon as long as Dr TCB keeps his mouth shut and no skeletons come out, he’s a shoo in to Istana.
Or else, it would be up to good old george Yeo to save the day.
BTW, it’s good to see that Patrick has a less greasy approach to hair management than his old man. There is hope in the next generation.
Sorry you got dragged in, but such is the new order of the world.
Good luck with your research- seriously.
There are white horse…..if you have any big shot or son of big shot in your BMT…..there are footabll at 4pm, they called game period…the life for this batch of recuit will never complain…..
I think Jessica is asking why there is double standard, why his son was getting all the special?
They should show us the good example of my son gone though the same as all cititzen, you need to go through all the NS before further your education.
more over you are son of Defend Min at that period….
The replied is my son did serve NS? but it was not like ordinary sons of Singaporean, most sons of Singaporean required to server NS after they completed theie A level/JC or O level, you only allowed to further your education, after you completed your NS, most of them only disrupted after SISL or OCS, or the timing of the term being 6 months or 3 months before the ORD.
In his case, he did not gone through the actual NS life…it is very tough at time. We had gone through….
This is what we citizen call it special treatment.
If he had completed the 2 and 1/2 years and disrupted after serving 2 years….such story will not pop up.
NS in uniform and NS in civilian clothing are very different.. you need not to have to do duties and weekend burnt. You do not have to report to camp at 2359hrs.
If you said that he has completed NS, what about his 13 years reservist…did he has re call like us?
We served up to 40 years old……did he serve up to 40 years old like us?
However, officer has to serve til 50years old.
He should have his reservist green book, if he is 40+ now
All citizen do you think we need an answer for this NS enlistment act 196x ?
Nobody said that he was not called up to serve NS, we are talking about special treatments he got., and at that period his dad was the DEF Min. HE came back to serve in an “aircon office camp” not in hot army camp.
Patrick Tan Boon Ooi could not have gone to MOCC to become an a medical officer because he was and still is not registered as a medical practitioner with the Singapore Medical Council. You have to be a registered medical practitioner in order to become an SAF medical officer.
SMC maintains a public list of Singapore-registered doctors and his name does not show up in the list, which can be checked at http://www.smc.gov.sg/PRSCPDS/scripts/profSearch/profframe.jsp. Therefore, Dr. Patrick Tan was never licensed to practice as a doctor in Singapore.
In effect, Mindef gave him 12 years of medical school deferment from 1988 to 2000 to become a non-MO.
It does not matter whether it is Tony Tan or Tan Jay See as President. I just want CHANGE. I am stretched to the maxim, find myself in perpetual catch up syndrome, always in a state of restlessness and mental hunger to keep pace with the speed of development dictated by the growth policy. If Tan Jay See can promise me a vision of change as President to reform the decision making process of government in prioritizing the overall welfare and mental well being rather than maximize their own utility. He has my vote
@Perry
Unlike AIB Govett, GIC has substantially deep pockets to ride out most financial crisis and wait for things to become cheap again. Notwithstanding the fact there is a substantial lack of transparency over how GIC gets its funding.
Now is that a fair comparison? By contrast, if GIC had access to only $100M in assets just like AIB, don’t you think it would have gone down under as well during the financial crisis? Did you think that AIB Govett had the luxury of being able to reach out and tap an entire country’s reserves just when it needs it most?
People are getting confused.
Dr Patrick Tan has been granted disruptions for TWO different degree courses, BA at Harvard plus his courses in Stanford. Altogether, a total of 12-13 years of disruptions. Not just 8 years for a normal PHD course but 12-13 years. Can anyone point out another soul in Singapore getting such privileged treatment getting 12 years of deferment from NS, be it scholars or otherwise?
Secondly, the disruption given was supposedly for a medicine course which will eventually make Dr Patrick Tan a doctor who will qualify as Medical Officer in the Army. However, after granting 12-13 years of disruption from NS, SAF end up with a research scientist which was not registered as a practicing doctor!
This eventually put them in a fixed position because they couldn’t put Dr Patrick Tan back in to OCS MO course again! (Which is the norm).
However, they put him in a research lab as an NCO… but wait, is there an official vocation for NCO as research scientist? (Point raised by Goh Meng Seng in his FB)
Another interesting point raised by Goh Meng Seng in his FB is that, Dr Tony Tan is unsuitable to be President because this incident, no matter who is right or wrong, has evoked strong emotional response from Singaporeans, especially from the men who have served NS.
For those of us who have served NS, we know what White Horse means and what kinds of “special treatment” White Horse company gets during their training or army days.
Apparently and unfortunately, this incident of Dr Tony Tan’s son has further enhanced the general impression that Super White Horse like Dr Patrick Tan has been given preferential and privileged treatment totally out of the norm.
This will further split Singaporeans apart instead of unifying us. Thus, Dr Tony Tan can hardly become a good President who will provide that unifying force to Singaporeans even if he wins the PE.
Strong emotions from layman like me have been evoked for the perceived unequal and unfair treatments to his son. Whether this is real or not, doubts have already been created and will be deep rooted among Singaporeans.
@perry
You cannot compare GIC to private funds. GIC has the staunch support of the PAP govt, regardless of their performance. On the other hand, private funds need good returns every quarter to appease their fickle investors and attract new funds. The real counter-factual is whether GIC could have done better with TJS or vice versa with TT managing John Govett. Obviously this is a hypothetical question that cannot be answered… hence we are all free to draw our own conclusions.
Another thing I’ll like to add to the above is that unlike private mutual funds, GIC gets to decide on the terms of compensating investors. Every single CPF depositor is an investor in GIC not by choice but by default, but they have no say or any knowledge of how it works. GIC gets to decide exactly how much to pay out to its investors and when. Do you think AIB Govett had that luxury? Do you think TJS could have come up with a scheme without being laughed at called AIB Life which restricts all its investors to an annuity-like monthly return of a few hundred dollars?
Of course not. The comparison isn’t even fair.
@js 31 July 2011
@perry
>>> You cannot compare GIC to private funds. GIC has the staunch support of the PAP govt, regardless of their performance. On the other hand, private funds need good returns every quarter to appease their fickle investors and attract new funds. The real counter-factual is whether GIC could have done better with TJS or vice versa with TT managing John Govett. Obviously this is a hypothetical question that cannot be answered… hence we are all free to draw our own conclusions. <<<
Dear js, or Jee Say
I guess it is you defending yourself. First of all, let me apologize. My remarks were not personal. I accept your point we should not compare with GIC. Actually if you traced the thread of discussions back, it was reader Fox who theorize that to assess Tony Tan's competency, it would be necessary to check GIC's performance.
Dropping the GIC issue, I believe citizens would still like to know your esteemed record as a boutique fund manager of only 5 staff. We have all seen how the Asia Financial crisis has created a convenient opportunity for many mediocre fund managers to conceal their mediocrity. Moreover, it is common knowledge that since your departure from the lofty pinnacle of the government, it has been a downhill progression in the private sector, from Morgan Grenfell, Peregrine to AIB Govett.
Of course, one could take the charitable view that you were the unfortunate victim of lady fortune. Morgan Grenfell almost broke up in the power struggle between the foreign and local management, Peregrine went bankrupt andn AIB Govett was sold for a song to Gartmore. It's been lightning hitting the same place thrice.
So you see, citizens have a legitimate right to satisfy their curiosity as to how good a fund manager you really are. They are, thus, eager to see you shed more light on the subject. Thank you.
Perry
So you see, citizens have a legitimate right to satisfy their curiosity as to how good a fund manager you really are. They are, thus, eager to see you shed more light on the subject. Thank you.
……………..
i am talkin to the REAL perry right now not clones or andrew himself…
as you can see why jaysee/govitt failed/collapse..simply because if a REAL business xhaust its funds..it goes into solvent/bankrupcies unliked temasek where it just did into OUR cpf’s $avin$ whenever a monopoly give you a fine/go2jail card
if you are as good as your thinkin is
there was onced a great spanishbased/hongkong run a buyin house in singapore in suntec city
the investment overnight went BANGRUPT when sukarno daughter renegade on her guranteed loans usin the indonesian government as collatral…
the indonesians government says
SO..
lu mau bikin apa?
now you know WHY i will never do buisness
with ANY indonesians in their HOMEGROUND!
According to PSC website “President’s Scholarships are awarded concurrently with another PSC Scholarship.” Wonder why this President Scholar was allowed to take a private, bond-free Loke Cheng Kim scholarship ? Perhaps PSC should explain.
Charlie
Is it fair to blame Dr Tony Tan? Some sycophant at Mindef wants to please his Minister just chop disrupt without even the Defense Minister knowing. The decision to defer or not to defer can be given by an Administrative Head and need not go up so high to the Defense Minister himself.
………….
How do we run a government where ministers can simply and conveniently push a problem like this one to a junior. In the government or cabinet deliberations surely a minister takes part and is also collectively liable for any error of such nature. Even if the minister has not directed the deferment, he cannot really be said to be unaware of the happening. He should at least have the right sense to ask whether his son has enjoyed any special privilege not written in the rule or in breach of the norm or the rule.
Don’t tell us that MINDEF and all officeers involved could just make such a decision on their own without going through one of the key ministers or cabinet taking into account Dr. Patrick Tan’s incredibly long and unusual deferment which is not part of the norm.
A number of people here whose sons have been awarded scholarship have already expressed surprises with such 12 years of deferment from active service which their own sons have not been able to enjoy.
Thus the explanation by Dr. Patrick Tan and backing of his reason by MINDEF on the ground stated – MINDEF requires someone to study some special course on soil diseases affecting NS men does not cut an ice with parents of other NS sons.
This rationle does not seem to have been backed up by deferment granted to bonded government scholarship or any other permitted disruption from active service on record.
Can we have further comments of Dr. Tan to clear the air?
IMO, we shouldn’t drag the candidate’s family into the campaign.
Not that I support Dr. Tan though.
>> @Jack Koh 1 August 2011
IMO, we shouldn’t drag the candidate’s family into the campaign. <<
It is not a question of dragging Tancho Tan's family into the campaign.
But Tancho junior has pissed on the whole NS process by evading NS for 13 years. Who has confidence in the integrity of NS any more?
Tancho junior’s actions also signaled to citizens that the 2.5 years is a low priority activity – a waste of time.
You know, the Defense Minister who over-seers the NS process itself, must surely be held to a higher standard than that of ordinary citizens.
However, when the Defense Minister himself pisses on the whole process by conniving to his son’s evasion of NS for 13 years, citizens’ rage is legitimate. It is righteous and holy anger.
@Robert Teh 1 August 2011
>>Don’t tell us that MINDEF and all officeers involved could just make such a decision on their own without going through one of the key ministers or cabinet…<<
Dear Robert, d'ont be confused. Let me shed some light into the inner workings of the elite Administrative Service, as I used to work there. All the Ministries are part of this elite Service. The highest ranking decision maker there, below the Minister is the Permanent Secretary or PS. He almost single- handedly deals with most of the issues affecting his Ministry, unless it has great political or national dimensions.
Now Mindef routinely receive huge number of letters weekly, if not daily, requesting for NS deferral. Such requests are routinely handled by an AS officer of mid-level seniority grade. In unusual cases, he will likely refer to his PS for decision. Ditto for Tancho junior's case. As a highly paid & powerful PS, he does not bother his Minister with something like NS deferrals. Especially, when thousands of deferral cases are received routinely, and many are crack pot ones. The PS, therefore, exercises his discretion decisively to move the case along efficiently.
Hence, it is a gross misunderstanding and exaggeration to impute the responsibility of allowing Tancho junior to evade NS for 13 years to Tancho Senior. He probably didn't even know till after the fact.
If, however, you must hang someone, then go after the PS at the time. Tancho Senior is innocent.
Jack Koh 1 August 2011
IMO, we shouldn’t drag the candidate’s family into the campaign.
Not that I support Dr. Tan though.
…………..
didn’t the peanut senile x-minister says
a presidente must hav honour and dignity to hold the most highest position in singapoor?
yes no?
and without a doubt mrs tanlianhong and daughter is not family? ow come they too become homeless?
@Charlie 1 August 2011
>>If, however, you must hang someone, then go after the PS at the time. Tancho Senior is innocent. <<
Charlie, even if we accept your tall story to pursue the PS as the original source of sin, the irrefutable fact is still Tancho Tan committed a sin of omission. He omitted to stop junior from seeking to evade NS for 13 years. He could have easily put his foot down as a family matter, avoiding any fuss. Tancho Tan’s inaction convicts him just as much as if he had approved the NS evasion himself.
Does hanging the PS get to the root of the White Horse cancer, that is corroding the integrity of our NS process?
How do you think commoners like us, who had to carve out the best 2.5 years of our youth serving NS feel? To boot, some of us are still doing our reservist. Are we not all citizens of the same nation?
How in the world can Tancho Tan still face citizens, and claim that he will be the President who can provide a unifying force, to bring about a healing of the rifts that separate different segments of society?
NS men must be revolted by his shameless exhibition of such flagrant hypocrisy. Honorable men will surely hold the Tancho clan in contempt.
Dear Charlie
Thanks for your clarification. However in view that this particular deferment is unusual, as many NS men and their parents here have pointed out, it becomes a matter of public interest.
Whatever the usual run-of-the-mill procedures may be as quoted cannot exonerate the ministers and cabinet of scrutiny by the people to the fullest transparency and accountability.
Just look at the latest case involving News of the World’s phone hacking incident, people all know very well that the PM hardly has the time to be looking over his shoulder all the time to look out for a phone hacking scandal.
However in a parliamentary democracy, PM Cameron has to answer for it as if he is the person responsible to prevent such a scandal.
Is Dr. Tony Tan capable of living to such a standard of integrity required in a parliamentary democracy?
it’s nice to see an objective tony tan supporter in “Perry” once in a while, to break the monotony of Tancho-bashing.
in my opinion, the detailed questioning of “who is smarter at managing money” is somewhat tangential and unnecessary. So what if “Mr A.” is more intelligent than “Mr B.”?
Guidelines are guidelines. The guideline is that the candidates should have business acumen, that is the spirit of the guideline. Just look at Nathan. What kind of acument he has? Nothing. Yet he was deemed a fantastic president for 10 years.
Does it not make mockery of the entire system?
The answer is this. A good President deserving of citizen’s support, is one who is able AND WILLING to ask the right questions. Of course, a certain basic level of intelligence and Financial knowledge is necessary (And President Nathan has none)
I am looking for a PResident who will set a path. Not necessarily one to work out details. Not necessarily one who is smarter. But just one who has enough guts and passion to do what is right for the People rather than the Party.
So all that is needed of a good PResident is one who has some basic common sense and financial knowledge, is brave, and definitely not one who was part of a system which he is supposed to audit from time to time.
Dr Tony Tan is automatically disqualified from being Predident of singapore in my mind, from Day 1, just on that count alone. No need to talk about other things, wastes time.
Only PAP people will vote for Tony Tan.
zero
I was initially upset with long disruption of Dr. Patrick Tan but after mulling through it, I think perhaps there may be issues surrounding his disruption and research that cannot be openly discussed because of various security or national/ regional sensitivities. Meliodosis is a bio-terrorism agent and was used in the two world wars and most recently in Afghanistan. I read up more about it in the following article:http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/published_volumes/biological_warfare/BW-ch07.pdf (reference to singapore and the use of meliodosis for bio-terrorism on pg 149-150)
In fact, if you google meliodosis AND bioterrorism AND singapore, you will find lots of interesting articles to read. Hope this is relevant to the discussion.