the following is Sylvia Lim’s speech (Debate on President’s Address):
–
May I first thank the President for his Address and the government for making the promises contained in the Address.
The Workers’ Party welcomes and supports the statement that Singapore’s success is defined not just by material progress but by our values and ideals. The Workers’ Party is ready to work with the government towards a better life for all.
However, it is important to point out that over the last few years many Singaporeans have faced harsh realities that do not match the sentiments contained in the Address.
A country’s headline figures, such as GDP growth, mask the realities of life for certain groups. Thus, to have segmented updates, such as the recent joint report by the Ministry of Manpower and Department of Statistics (released Oct 11), is helpful. One disturbing fact from that report is that after accounting for inflation, wages of Singaporeans at the 20th percentile of income have stagnated over the last decade. In other words, the real incomes of the bottom 20% of working Singaporeans have not increased in 10 years.
On the ground, we see that there are Singaporeans who feel unfairly treated vis-à-vis the foreign workforce. Divorces leave many families homeless. The demand for rental flats has risen. Seniors worry about healthcare costs. There are chronically ill patients who have even sold their homes to pay medical bills. As Dr Lam Pin Min said earlier, there are Singaporeans believe that they are better off dead than sick.
These issues, and the fact that they have been around for years, may lead some Singaporeans to question whether the vision in the President’s Address, will be translated to reality.
The Address is titled: A Home We Share, A Future We Build Together. With a vast divide between the haves and have-nots, how do we nurture such a shared home and future together?
At the Opening of the 12th Parliament, I believe that the government is seriously pondering over how to alleviate the ill-effects of certain policies. But moving forward, how should the government assess whether it is going in the correct direction and making a positive impact on people’s lives?
The Bhutan royal wedding hogged headlines over the weekend. As many of us know, the kingdom of Bhutan has an unusual way of measuring the country’s development. It is called GNH or Gross National Happiness. This indicator is garnering international attention, even among developed countries.
In July this year, Bhutan initiated a resolution at the UN General Assembly titled “Happiness: towards a holistic approach to development”. There were a total of 66 co-sponsors of the resolution and the General Assembly adopted it without a vote.
The resolution’s preamble states that “the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal”, and that “the gross domestic product indicator by nature was not designed to and does not adequately reflect the happiness and well-being of people in a country.”
Member states have been invited “to pursue the elaboration of additional measures that better capture the importance of the pursuit of happiness and well-being in development with a view to guiding their public policies.”
With such international interest, is it now time for Singapore’s government to conspicuously focus on happiness as a national goal? Should policies be articulated to show how they will ultimately achieve happiness for Singaporeans as a whole?
This may sound too warm and fuzzy for some, but in fact our government supported the resolution at the United Nations. Indeed, Singapore was one of the 66 countries that co-sponsored the draft resolution.
Since Singapore was a co-sponsor, may I ask the government to elaborate on what will be the practical effect of the resolution on Singapore? What indicators does it it intend to put in place to measure whether Singaporeans as a whole are achieving happiness and well-being? Might the government also tell us how its policies over the next 5 years will be guided by such indicators?
In fact, the concept of happiness at the national level is not new. The American Declaration of Independence states that among the unalienable rights of men are “…Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.
Back home, our children pledge every day to achieve “happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation”.
Since independence, Singapore has focused on achieving prosperity and progress. Has happiness been forgotten, despite the words in our pledge? Or maybe it has been assumed that once there is prosperity and progress, happiness would automatically follow.
But has it? Does prosperity and progress come sometimes at the expense of happiness? Prosperity and progress are certainly important, but they cannot be ends in themselves. Surely they should be the means to an end – the happiness of Singaporeans as a whole.
What difference can this make? Let me give an example of an issue that might need to be dealt with very differently by the government if it pursues happiness, rather than maximum GDP growth, as the overarching goal: Singapore’s low fertility rate.
Singapore’s total fertility rate (TFR) should concern us greatly if we are worried about preserving our culture and identity for future generations. I note that surprisingly little emphasis was placed on this in the PMO’s Addenda.
In recent years, home prices have risen sharply. For couples who want children, one of the factors they consider in deciding when to have children and how many to have, is the affordability of housing.
A young couple who wants children but who is stretched by high housing payments over a long repayment period may delay having them, and may even have fewer children than they would ideally like to have.
In Hong Kong, a study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong suggests that housing price inflation could account for up to 65% of their decrease in fertility over the past forty years. (J Yi and J Zhang (2009). The Effect of House Price on Fertility: Evidence from Hongkong. Economic Inquiry, Volume 48, Issue 3.)
In Singapore, analyses by local economists show a similar link. Assoc Prof Tilak Abeysinghe, Deputy Director of the Singapore Centre for Applied and Policy Economics, NUS, has been studying the issue of housing affordability for some time. He notes in an article in the Straits Times on September 1st this year, that in Singapore, the data showed that between 1977 to 2010, there were generally “fewer children when house prices head(ed) north”.
He notes that the total fertility rate of Singapore has a close link with how affordable housing had been two years earlier. When housing was more affordable, the fertility rate in Singapore actually rose two years later. He concludes the article by saying: “Although the fertility rate is stubbornly less responsive to many factors, it is possible that sustaining housing affordability may help at least in arresting the decline in the fertility rate.”
Improving the TFR is a critical issue if Singaporeans are to remain the core of our society.
If economic growth is overwhelmingly the government’s goal, then achieving higher housing prices at the expense of fertility may not be considered a problem.
But if the happiness and the sustainability of Singapore society is the overarching goal, then there is a need to unravel the exact relationship between high property prices and fertility, and what responses might arrest or even reverse the decline in fertility rates. We will have to look beyond immediate procreation incentives to the bigger picture.
My point is: Since the government has co-sponsored the resolution to stress the importance of happiness and well-being in guiding policies, what tangible changes can we expect in the government’s general approach? Will government policies from now on be framed to focus on whether they lead to happiness and contentment for Singaporeans as a whole? Will we be coming up with our own national index of happiness and well-being?
Our founding elected leaders believe that happiness is important to be included in our national pledge. Let us continue to put these beliefs to action. We have been achieving progress and prosperity; let’s give happiness the rightful place in our pledge for this Parliament – “so as to achieve HAPPINESS, prosperity and progress for our nation”.
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Govern with a heart, and do not squeeze the last drops of money from citizens. Treat children of common citizens and children of the Elite equally, no favoritism. Stop immigration. Respect Opposition Members. Care for single parents. Put money second and not first in all you do.
A BIG ” F” word to both Cedric & Heng.
Hypocrites who r jus “self serving”
A BIG ” F ” to Pappies & their dogs!
Listening to parliamentary debate- I can’t help concluding that PAP MPs are waiting for every opportunity to whack opposition MPs whenever they deliver speeches- it’s pathetic! They are arrogant because they command majority in parliament – sigh..if only we have more opposition MPs …
first thing first,is GRC a meritocratic practice?
second thing,are FAKED TALENTS going to destroy jobs or create jobs for singaporeans as promised?
can disenchanted SINGAPORE CITIZENS sell their citizenship fora fee and convert to PR?
YA?
Cedric Foo’s response typifies PAP’s modus operandi. His reflex, upon hearing alternative views especially those from opposition, is first to think of all the reasons to justify against that view only to plagiarize parts of it in the long run.
In his zest to claim air time, Cedric has shot himself in the foot when he compared Singapore’s per capital GDP against Bhutan’s. What he has effectively put across is that higher per capital GDP does nothing to people’s “happiness”. He must have thought he was being clever by pulling out these numbers from his hat, but he was making his nemesis’ point even more louder and clearer.
actually,no need to look toward Bhutan as an example for HAPPINESS.
to be fair,even our OLD GUARDS like DR GOH KENG SWEE,HON SUI SEN AND OTHERS UNDERSTOOD THAT,as the people’s ELECTED MPs n govt,they have to serve the people and MAKE them HAPPY.
nowadays,our miws only try so damn hard to find ways to ‘make themselves’ HAPPY like bangning on HIGH DGP numbers to get BIG FAT BONUSES so that they could then buy a BIG HOUSE AT SENTOSA OR ORCHARD to make theemselves and their wives and kids and even their pet dogs ‘happy’?
衣食住行，三餐温饱，healthy, living standard affordable, ok 了
LKY ignored the income inequality and ESM Goh preached nett happiness. They are incapable and incompetent. They can’t even keep 3 million locals happy while taking the highest salary in the world. PAP clamp down on unhappy protesters at occupy Raffles Place. They are going for another round of unhappiness voting at 2016.
Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen said citizen’s quality of life and their wellbeing should be considered as a measure when looking at the overall economics success of a country particularly in developed countries where citizens facing unemployment despite economic growth.
Fellow Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz recommend using happiness quality of life and distribution of income to assess economic growth.
For Singapore, we should not be afraid to lead the way to revamp old and outdated ideas of measuring economic growth to attune with citizens wellbeing. I think SL has researched well and brought up a salient question at this crucial juncture of our nation progress.
Barking dogs never bite……they never do anything else except bark. Woof, woof, to you.
Sylvia Lim belongs to the new breed of leaders we need. Cedric Foo’s answer just made me realize how mediocre he was. With the GRC system the PAP has managed to get several mediocre people elected. The PAP confirmed this when they admitted that they did not get their first choices as many talented individuals were not willing to join the PAP. In the end they ended with a mixed bag of the usual high flying public service scholars, NS dodging new citizens and wives of well connected people. I have always respected the wisdom of LKY and he has categorically argued that Singapore unlike Norway and Finland cannot afford a mediocre government. Well it’s about time people realized that talent is not the sole monopoly of the PAP and that the opposition is no longer mediocre as the PAP would have us believe. This new era in parliament will expose who the mediocre members so that we can make a informed judgment the next election
WP just need to give the ruling party some ropes and their MPs such as Cedric Fool will know how to get themselves entangled with stupid comments that will clearly signal to the citizens that their end is near.
Just give them more and more ropes and they will not know how to get out of the rut. It will soon become a Gordians knot that will seal victory for the WP in the 2016 elections.
With due respect, my concern is more for the avoidance of suffering by the poorest of our citizens. Happiness? If you get it, God Bless You. If not, make sure you do not cry for your next meal.
Mark, 18 Oct 2011
Bhutan is a monarchy, but is S’pore really a democracy? which democratic countries are as draconian as S’pore regarding public protests? silencing the people does not equate to happiness.
your retort to Selfdestructive is lame at best, LKY have often romantised the past, his glory days in the early days of S’pore’s independance. have you not noticed the slew of TV programs trotted out every year these few years about the 1960′s – 1970′s?
is Selfdestructive even romanticizing the period during the Japanese Occupation?
you really way off the mark!
:P
@Mark
Robert Teh: Let’s be honest here, the majority of Singaporeans are hedonistic by lifestyle. If you want them to be internally consistent, they’d have to accept a constitution that maximises pleasure and the absence of pain as happiness. They already have that.
……………….
Agreed fully with you that it is in our human nature to be self-centered. Citizens care for themselves pursuing the 5 Cs – cash, car, credit card, condominium and club membership.
In a way, there is nothing wrong with that as long as people do not cause harm to others.
However, a government is elected to serve the people, provide for their needs and aspirations with justice, fairness and equity.
Unfortunately power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We all have seen the leaders have tasted power which is like heroin. They seem unable to give up their drug. They are so addicted to power that they basically have lost their moral compass. People are ceaselessly being exploited by all kinds of draconian rules to serve the self-interests and to keep them in power.
Change is the only solution. It has been promised by none other than PM LHL himself who was forced to apologized out of fear of loss in votes. Now he is seen to be back-peddling. There is no attempt to stop the money-sucking policies and prices of transport and essentials and housing keep going up.
So Sylvia Lim is right to ask for change. She will be thumbed down with hypocrisy from Papies MPs and ministers.
However as Albert Einstein said, the highest duty of an individual is to serve rather than to do as well.
In a sense, we should not just sit back and don’t care about such happenings and immorality in our government.
We have a duty to ask for change to our leaders’ mindset from the current legalistic wrangling of laws and regulations to one of serving people, with good personal honesty, integrity, virtues as advised by Confucius so that all could live happier and fulfilling lives with justice, and fairness.
Perhaps, finally in 2016 – by our votes.
opps missed out an important detail…
have you not noticed the slew of TV programs trotted out every year these few years DURING NATIONAL DAY about the 1960′s – 1970′s?
-_-”
Now I can’t wait to see that stupid lady doing her “stomping dance”.
A very obvious case of “Croynism ” & “Nepotism” at its best !
A house full of “ass lickers” ( except 6 worthy of recognition )
Dear Mr Foo,
I will come straight to the point. Do you believe that happiness is a state of the mind applicable to all people in the world and not only to the people of Bhutan? And do you believe that achieving happiness for Singaporeans is a noble objective that all politicians should strive for? While these 2 questions are rhetorical for the majority, it is certainly not for you, which is a shame and a shock,judging by the way you had responded to Miss Lim’s question and by your position as an elected MP.
Negating the issue of happiness by comparing Bhutan and Singapore is a totally irrelevant argument because happiness is not specific to Bhutan. It is obvious to all that you were merely diverting the issue. Specifically, what were the measures that your PAP have put or intended to put in place in order to enhance the happiness of all Singaporeans? Can you answer this question because the people of Singapore want to know. And stop going around the mulberry bush. We are not playing games here. Your response to Miss Lim has been at best pathetic although it typifies the kind of response that we used to get from your party over the years. Not this time, my friend. Please answer the question.
Thank You,
From a very concerned true blue Singaporean,
When our politicians speak in parliament they are for the most part glued to the paper and really just reading from it. Contrast British and American politicians, and even malaysian and Indonesian ones, they do speak their minds, composing their words as their thoughts unfold and this keeps your attention riveted to the speaker. Before our politicians become parliamentarians, they were lecturers and other professionals who did make speeches from time to time.When we compare their speaking style then and now in parliament we find this new style: stick- their -noses- to- the -paper style. There is no aura of confidence, instead I discern a fearful spirit carefully treading its way through an awful lot required declamations. Then at the last sentence you will be sure to hear ” and this depends on the Prime Minister.”
This lot of parliamentarians of 80 odd people are not the equal of two men because everything that they say and will ever say must have been already spoken at one time or another by the PM or LKY. Nothing in the permutation of their words can ever be novel. What boring and cowardly personalities are we nurturing in our highest Institution of the land!
There is a Cybernetic Theory which says that the controller must be equal in diversity to the thing controlled. That is, there must be at least equivalent variety among the brains of the parliamentarians compared to the society it is controlling. With the 80 brains cut down to two, we shall never have requisite variety in the brain power of our Government compared to its object; the running of Singapore.
I think the PM and powers greater than he should not threaten the parliamentarians with loss of job or with imprisonment whenever they come up with something which has not occurred to themselves.
In this connection, the extra-planetary salaries do not serve to brighten up the minds of the Ministers, it instead shuts down their minds to the mode:don’t rock the boat.
All the shit pappies like Cedric Fool guy who only sees $$$ or GDP as a country growth measure had yet again showed their fox tail on the welfare of general normal Singapoeans like you and me. They cared about the top 1% of the population only because they too belonged to that class. Just like the US, people started to realize that the govt primary role is to protect and enrich the rich under the capitalist society.
Watching how that Cedric piece of shit talk, I almost wanted to puke… Why can’t Singapore be compared to Bhutan? The concept of happiness cuts across the human race… Is he trying to mean that Bhutanese are simpler folk and we are more superior and complicated hence cannot use Bhutanese way to measure happiness level. He just want to clamp down whatever opposition raises in parliament.
Just when my sentiment against pappies starts to improve a little (sorry I am not hardcore pap hater)… Stupid fool like cedric showed that pappies never change.
Isnt it a noble idea from Sylvia lim whose inspiration of course comes from bhutan and UN? Isn’t it the role of a MP to increase happiness for it’s citizen, if not cedric for f we vote you in? Sylvia, if you are reading this, I thank you for raising this issue and exposed the pappies foxy tail. Jia You!
Worker Party 1 Pappy Acting Party 0
I hope all those Aljunied GRC people see this and feel proud that they had voted in a credible MP.
SL hits the nail on the shit head. lol!
the two goons miw shot back thought they run her down with such topic – happiness and came up with such irrelevant reply which is pap usual and childish justification. if i were u goosn(foo&heng) recall and watch SL meanings again and its really make u guys a stupid fool.
what SL saying is to remind singaporean and ruling pap regime of how UNHAPPY we all really are on such issues as follows:
- influx of fts
- shortage and exobitants public housing
- big gap in wages and stagnate esp for average and below.
- singaporean deprived of university locally which given to foreigners so easily.
- miws are arrogant and self-served instead of people
- all costs rocket up across the board.
- lop-sided parliamentary systems.
- lop-sided in most policies.
- a only 30% elected president instead of majority.
- GRC napotism boundary system.
well. if any more, you guy fill in :).
I am earnestly waiting to see how the PAP-controlled mainstream media will “package” Ms Tin’s maiden speech in parliament.
I would venture a guess that the PAP has engaged a team of spin doctors to repair Ms Tin’s image.
And I am not surprised if it turns out the these spin doctors are now working closely with the PAP-controlled mainstream media.
Majority of the PAP’s MPs, including the ministers, “oppose” the oppositions for the sake of nothing else but, opposing. From all these, you can see that they can’t or won’t change but continue to be self-serving. There is really only one way to make them change, and believe me, only one, and that is to turn them into opposition MPs come the next election. So, lets do it.
Anyone here wonder where PAP gets so many despicable people to join them? In my books, this Cedric FooL is on his way to replacing MBT as the most hateful S’poreans!
Cedric Fool will be our next “target” to be “kick out” or “write off”.
I puke when I heard him “putting on his act”.
LC face indeed !
Dear Mice is Nice,
But can you be confident enough to say The People who kept voting for them regardless have not given them the power to implement those policies?
Are they 0% accountable or responsible?
I hope u can clarify once and for all.
Anyone here wonders where PAP gets so many despicable people to join them? In my books, this Cedric FooL is on his way to replacing MBT as the most hateful S’porean!
If all of them continue to never criticise the policies, why the people accept paying so many of them?
Is the people totally blameless?
Opposition “gunning to score points” by “taking Populist approach” ?
By “taking Populist approached will Bankrupt the Country ” ?
What “shit nonsense” are Pap Leaders talking ?
So, it is OK to “squeezed” Citizens with “ridiculous Hdb pricing ?
Why can’t HDb be “100% reserve only for Citizens”. Let the Pte market play to “market forces” and leave it to PRs and Foreigners to “play” .
Funny & Irony to tell People you have every right to “squeezed” and when People are asking for some…very little , jus a change of mindset…and immediately you see a sea of Pap members “ganging up” to “thumbs down & ridicule” the suggestions.
Is Pap ,still a “for the People’s interest” or is Pap only for the “elitist”?
Btw,is Million Dollar Salary really acceptable to you or will a “Pay cut” to “realistic level” also considered as a “populist moved” ?
Cedric what? FOOL? That sounds more like it!!!!
Next time don’t be late for functions! And all of you PAP three-legged RC,CCC and PAs
make sure the residents don’t sit in the open while you guys and the VIPs sit in aircon room!!! You guys are a disgrace to our society!
Sylvia .. You touch us cos you speak from your sincere heart. They cannot touch you cos they speak with no soul. Keep it going for us … It is heartwarming to hear a true Singaporean speak .
Did anyone see Cedric’s CV? He has a postgraduate degree from MIT! A disgrace to MIT he is!
Cedric, oh boy, let me explain it for you. Bhutan put up a resolution in UN General Assembly about happiness, and 66 nations co-sponsored the resolution, including Singapore. So Sylvia’s question is: Since Singapore co-sponsored this resolution, it must mean that Singapore believes in it or take it seriously. So then, how is the Singapore govt putting into practice this belief in Singapore?
Cedric, oh Cedric. Is that too difficult a question for an MIT graduate like yourself?
the PAPies either don;t give a damn about LESSER MORTAL SINGAPOREANS’ HAPPINESS or they do not understand what HAPPINESS really mean?
the ONLY WAY for singaporeans who kow-peh-kow-boo EACH TIME after a cleanly swept GE is for the daft 60 pct to wake up and VOTE FOR THE OPPOSITION come GE 2016 or any by-election,if ever there be any.
that way,the DEFEATED PAPies will FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT UN-HAPPINESS is all about.
if singaporeans cannot even help themselves to help the PAPies better understnad them,then,they should stop their kow-peh-kow-booing and suffer UNHAPPINESS in total ignominy n silence.
there is no to-ways about it unless the PAPies wake up themselves but i doubt so…
As we are now witnessing most PAP MPs are second rated n piggy ride to be MPS like TPL n unknown last minute MP in LKY ward .With more debates going on PAP MPs will show their core weakness:insincerity to serve the people ..They were selected by LHL n his close colleagues after most professionals in private sector turn down their tea-party invitation…It is not so much loss of privacy in political lives that most turn down which LHL has badly mistaken.The exclusive but silent misgivings is that Spore Govt is now with many LKY family members n close relatives that really make one worry that it is a Lee Dynasty now in spore last five years .George Yeo may hv resented this though he is silently frustrated.
cederick FOOL…
just because the king of bhutan married a chio queen.. you also 1s 1 har?
take mpress hochinx.. i am sured she would take you as a POMPASS arsh O
since you wanna compared YOURSELF with bhutan governorships…
ow much do a bhutan mp makes/month?
you better go find a rambutan tree and lift up your hind legg to pee…
you sured look/act liked a belove pappy..
Just because we live in a island ruled by a dictator who imposes his pee water for us to drink, sends ISD to put us in jail, doesnt mean that we dont even deserve happiness and contentment. Or are they voted in to torment, denigrate and deprive us of our own blood money through Cheating Peoples’ Funds, and other pay-and-pay fines, penalties in order to fund their happy spending on themselves crony party??
Down with Cedric FOOL, who is showing contempt for the electorate. He should be hanged, quartered and cooked into satay for us to feast on.
HAPPNESS IS SINGAPORE’S VIRTUE!
I’m impressed by what the WP chairman elaborated in her comments.
I feel the government should mount regular public campaigns to promote happiness! We should also have a song like “I am H A P P Y” using our children in pre-school and kindergartens to start the day by singing the song.
But, seriously, how to convince people to be HAPPY when the majority are faced with financial difficulties with the aged worrying about escalating higher costs of medical treatment and buying medicines for chronic ailments, not to mention higher cost of living, high prices of HDB homes, higher public transport costs with prices of everything shooting northwards.
Only the government with good policies to benefit all and not just a few people can make Singaporeans HAPPY!
I really envy the people living in the kingdom of Bhutan, the last Shangri-La on this earth. Instead of pursuing GNP growth relentless, that tiny country had embarked on developing GNH.
If Singaporeans can really be happy, it would help improve our birth rate and promote good health.
HMV HIS MATER VOICE
Ever heard of HMV? Not the company selling VCD music or the old gramophone label. It simply means HIS MASTER VOICE.
Frankly, PAP MPs in the house must echo and try to show their best support in parliament they are of one concerted voice to the party.
It may or may not prick their conscience!
Indian are the happiest. They have nothing better to do just reproduce.
Want learn from these trash?
The contrast in the quality of the speeches (on this happiness issue) shows how our MPs spent the 5-month break from parliament. No doubt both sides will be coming out hitting some partisan stance but in this case it is obvious SL has done much thinking/searching to reflect the needs of Singaporeans, while the other side just talking LC for the sake of talking LC. Though from the point of the latter side, one could understand where they are coming from – I mean, sit there, collect high salary, scratching their balls, taking turns to make some ANY speech to justify their existance, sit down, scratch balls again…. who wouldn’t be happy? Just have to have skin thicker than an elephant.
Anyway, I’m glad one MP brought up the Happiness clause in our national pledge. Parliament beginning to looks like it is not filled with bonzos afterall.
I thought the pm pronised that there will be more debates in parliament. I am not seeing it ? Why didn’t anyone reply SL ? Do we need an excessive amount of time to prepare another script for this ? or the promised debates aren’t going to materialise because all policy makers can do is to ignore her ?
@Give Them The Gordians Knot Ropes
Could not agree more, that has been LKY’s fear and in the past he has always sprang to the rescue of his pathetic members, the most memorable being the clash with LTK over the ministerial wages and his comment on mediocre government, which resulted in a noose bleeding rebuke for LKY from a Norwegian and as a final nail his son accepting that it needs to be reviewed.
With a strong opposition in place, the ruling party cannot afford to have useless parrots and I believe after the episode with LTK and the present political situation, LKY will think twice before putting himself in the firing line of the proven talent from WP. Furthermore if he does that, the present leadership would lose its credibility, especially the Prime Minister and provide confirmation that LKY is in fact still in control.
As for the MSM, they do have a difficult task ahead, trying their best to portray the pathetic MPs and Ministers as elite political leaders. With the web world dissecting and analyzing all the debate, like it should be done, this is going to be an uphill task for the MSM. So do not expect to see more live debates on TV.
To: theforgottongeneration, I quote:
“I mean, sit there, collect high salary, scratching their balls, taking turns to make some ANY speech to justify their existance, sit down, scratch balls again”.
I cannot fully agree with you. What is missing is, “pricking their noses” to be inserted after “collect high salary”.
They are busy with directorships which pay more $$$, where got time to think, research n make convincing arguments for poor citizens. Perhaps, initially they did but over time find them useless as nobody cares to listen so laid back n collect big check. Now, SL n GG are big threats to their cosy position. Time to report for real work, don’t just wayang.
dear Rickie van bastern, 18 Oct 2011
interesting line of thought, though you are not wrong to say that people have been giving them (PAP) the power to implement policies.
but to say that people give them the power whole-heartedly may be quite far from the truth. why so? because PAP has been in power since S’pore’s independance & history does not lie. the intimidation, coercive powers they wield (SPF, ISD, MSM, PA, HDB, etc), fear mongering (that if other parties get into power S’pore will be doomed)… to get people to vote for them.
let me give you an example on how to derive % of accountability.
should a robber not under the influence of alcohol or drugs pass the buck (blame) to the knife salesperson, the knife manufacturer, or the victim for resisting being robbed, if a person was slashed for his act of robbery? the knife can be a kitchen knife, or paper cutter.
you could go buy a kitchen knife, rob someone with it (without the influence of alcohol or drugs) in the presence of police officers & tell them they should arrest the person who sold you the knife, maybe look up the manufacturer or wholesaler?
i hope i am clear enough.
Quite many of my friends who are couples or married said that the seeing SO MANY
PRCs and other nationalities coming into our country make them so uncomfortable and unhappy that they worry more if they have babies!!
agree – human need to live happily
We must not have a petition to request the gonmin make quality of life or happiness their kpi. It is almost taboo and sinful to even think so.