Home » Quotes
Quotes
Scrutiny of manifestos – PAP’s double-standards?
Apr. 18 | “Like in all brochures the companies put out, it is beyond just what’s being written there. You’ve got to drill down to the details as to what exactly do they mean by their specific recommendations. When people look at all these items,...
You work the ground, I work the ground
Apr. 3 | “I suppose they are preparing for the General Election. And in a way trying to work the ground so that they can at the General Election truly say that they’ve been working the ground unlike the rest of us who have been working the ground.” Lim...
What constitutes a “procession”?
Apr. 2 | A group of five in whatever formation may not create the impression of a group ‘in a compact body marching in close formation’, but can nonetheless be a procession. Justice Choo Han Teck
Reform Party to test support at walkabout
Apr. 2 | “We also want to use the walkabout to test support for the Reform Party, which has held walkabouts in (other) areas, such as the Hong Kah and West Coast GRCs.” Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam
Electricity charges to go up in April
Mar. 31 | “Electricity will cost more for the upcoming quarter, starting April. It will be the fourth consecutive quarter of increase. SP Services said that is because of a continued increase in fuel oil prices.” Channelnewsasia
Singapore in top ten – for the wrong reasons
Mar. 30 | “Singapore’s extensive trade links and efficient ports have lured opportunistic wildlife smugglers, who use the country as a transit point to ship exotic fauna to customers worldwide, animal welfare activists said. Wildlife trade monitoring...
CPF – we’ve got it right
Mar. 30 | “This issue of balance between housing, health and cash is always on the table. And there’s no perfect answer to that. By and large, we got it right so far. The problem is, we need to make it last a lifetime, because that’s what people...
PM Lee living in a fool’s paradise
Mar. 29 | “Can you blame the pent-up netizens for opening up an alternative media channel to disseminate the truth about the iniquities of the PAP government? The Prime Minister will be living in a fool’s paradise if he thinks that their online crticisms...
Five years to be among top Asian footballing teams
Mar. 29 | “We have identified the gaps between us and the Asian giants like Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Australia.” Zainudin Nordin President of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS)
Singapore best place to be poor – Dr Vivian
Mar. 27 | “If you were a poor person, anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place where you will have a roof over your head, where you will have food on the table. Even if you can’t afford it, we will have meals delivered to you. You will get...
PM Lee on engagement of new media
Mar. 27 | “Mr Lee (Hsien Loong) noted the government must also be cautious of what he calls ‘Astroturfing’ campaigns. That’s where individuals or groups fake identities and orchestrate online movements.” Channel NewsAsia
PM Lee, MM Lee and SM Goh wins libel suit again
Mar. 25 | “In a February 15, 2010, article, Mr. Bowring nonetheless included these two men in a list of Asian political dynasties, which may have been understood by readers to infer that the younger Mr. Lee did not achieve his position through merit. We...
A struggle but one worth fighting for – Chee Soon Juan
Mar. 24 | “To be certain, it has been a struggle financially. We live in a three-room flat. We don’t go overseas for costly holidays, and we don’t buy each other expensive gifts. We eat simple meals and don’t dine in fine restaurants. I...
Ho Ching and western names
Mar. 23 | “One nephew, when he was in school, asked his parents’ permission to adopt a western name. His mother Ho Ching told him: ‘In China, only waiters and waitresses use western names.’ My father also explained how ‘Harry’...
Australian court says presumption of guilt a subversion
Mar. 23 | “In our view, there is no reasonable justification, let alone any ‘demonstrable’ justification, for reversing the onus of proof in connection with the possession offence. As we have said, the combined effect of s 5 and s 72(1) is to presume...
Wage hikes must come with increased productivity: Gan Kim Yong
Mar. 20 | “However, gains from productivity improvements may not necessarily lead to higher wages, and could be in the form of a productivity bonus.” Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Manpower, on how wage hikes must come with increased productivity
Some creative messiness, please
Mar. 19 | “But to become a great centre for the arts and culture, like New York or London, Singapore needs unbridled freedom of speech and expression, and some tolerance for the creative messiness that accompanies it.” Dr Narain D Batra Professor...
Singapore – no grand story to tell the world
Mar. 19 | “But to become a great centre for the arts and culture, like New York or London, Singapore needs unbridled freedom of speech and expression, and some tolerance for the creative messiness that accompanies it. It is freedom of speech in all its manifestations...
Global trend away from non-discretionary state killings
Mar. 17 | “There is a clear global trend away from sentencing people to death without taking their age, vulnerability and other powerful mitigating factors into account.” Saul Lehrfreund, co-founder of the Death Penalty Project
What is a “procession”?
Mar. 17 | “But Mr Bala yesterday argued that the law did not allow any procession of five or more people in any public place to demonstrate support for, or opposition to, the views or activities of any person; to publicise a cause or campaign; or to mark...
Foyce Le Xuan makes police report
Mar. 17 | “I don’t believe it is Jack (Neo) who instigated the calls but rather others who want to watch the show go on.” Foyce Le Xuan, on receiving threatening phone calls
Alex Au on what HDB flats should mean
Mar. 14 | “The policy direction should be not to build costly flats with bells and whistles and then dishing out subsidies so people can buy them. Instead, it should be to build them at an affordable cost, so that no subsidies are necessary.” Alex Au,...
Transport Minister admits he’s ‘very slow’
Mar. 12 | “I’d be very slow in stipulating (to operators) how best to run the concession policy.” Transport Minister Raymond Lim, in parliament
WP Chief Low on homelessness in First World Singapore
Mar. 11 | “Sir, how can we aspire to be a First World country with a world class public housing programme if we have homeless citizens camped out in public parks?” Workers’ Party Chief Low Thia Khiang, in parliament
Not the government’s or HDB’s fault
Mar. 9 | “[Homelessness] in Singapore is often the result of personal irresponsibility, stemming from avarice or divorce and dysfunction.” The Straits Times’ Radha Basu
Nair – the fraudster
Mar. 9 | “If you want to fight for freedom, use the liberties of the new media wisely and responsibly, not abuse it. But then again, this is the same guy who engages in cyber-bullying and who accused a female judge of “sleeping” with the politicians....
Sylvia Lim on GRCs
Mar. 6 | “Group Representation Constituencies can be chopped and changed; Member Constituencies can be created and dissolved with a stroke of a pen.” WP Chairman Sylvia Lim, in parliament
RIP Michael Foot
Mar. 4 | “We are not here in this world to find elegant solutions, pregnant with initiative, or to serve the ways and modes of profitable progress. No, we are here to provide for all those who are weaker and hungrier, more battered and crippled than...
Subhas Anandan on Walter Woon stepping down
Mar. 4 | “He’s (Attorney General Walter Woon) more of an academic, but there’s also a possibility he would stand in the next General Election as a candidate.” Subhas Anandan, president of the Association of Criminal Lawyers of Singapore
Vivian Balakrishnan on protecting homeless children
Mar. 3 | “I have insisted that (to) anyone with children. The children must be put in a proper home; they must continue to go to school. They must continue to get access to good food, good hygiene. And if any family has difficulty providing these things...
Low Thia Khiang on low wages
Mar. 3 | “How long more must our low-wage workers wait to enjoy a first-world pay? Must they wait until our productivity reach two to three per cent?” Mr Low Thia Khiang, in parliament
Who is the police supposed to protect?
Mar. 1 | But when a person is assaulted in public, especially by strangers, how can that be a non-seizable offence?… Surely common sense should come to play and if a person is clearly harmed or has suffered grievous hurt, the police should investigate,...
Going forward
Feb. 28 | We have made good progress in the past in our productivity drive and that is why we have been able to move our economy forward and have good jobs for many Singaporeans. Teo Chee Hean
Who pays for increase in foreign workers’ levy?
Feb. 27 | The hike in foreign worker levy may affect a company’s bottomline but consumers too will feel the heat. “If we are in business we can’t keep on absorbing costs without raising prices, that’s the reality.” Channelnewsasia
HDB to Goh Meng Seng:
Feb. 26 | We are unable to forward you a copy of the survey questionnaire. Research & Planning Department, HDB
Levy hike may hurt those in nursing homes
Feb. 26 | The hike in the foreign worker levy will mean higher operating costs for nursing homes, which have a high proportion of non-local staff – with one home saying that if costs go up too high, it may have to raise fees. Today
Remember the Everitt family?
Feb. 25 | “A bank wants to turn them out of their home for allegedly missing payments on a loan and is seeking a High Court order to possess the property.” Straits Times
Salaries increased for political appointments?
Feb. 24 | “Salaries for political appointments – ministers, ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries – are estimated to be $58.28 million, or 8.8 per cent higher than last year.” Today
mainstream media praised again by minister
Feb. 23 | “He (Minister Lui Tuck Yew) said the mainstream media is accurate, timely and balanced in their reporting.” Channelnewsasia
Rony sticks to his guns
Feb. 21 | He stuck to his guns, made no apology for what he said, and instead reminded gay and lesbian Singaporeans that they were criminals in the eyes of the law. Blogger Kennethism
Lee Kuan Yew the “forecaster” – but doesn’t even know what happened last year. Property prices went down last year??
Feb. 20 | “Let me tell you what happens when we slow down too much. You get the reverse spiral. Low growth, maybe even zero growth. Last year we had minus two per cent. Prices go down, property prices go down, incomes go down, you can’t refurbish your...
Growth at all cost
Feb. 19 | Let me explain what happens when we make progress. HDB prices go up, private home (prices) go up, all asset prices go up. Everybody finds he owns something more valuable in the house, his shares are worth more and he can live a good life. Of course we...
Tiger baby blues
Feb. 14 | I am worried about this year too. Some Chinese couples prefer not to have children during the Year of the Tiger. In each of the last three Tiger years (1998, 1986 and 1974), the number of births dipped by 7%. It is one thing to encourage ourselves with...
Envoy claims he was framed
Feb. 12 | “The work of a diplomat… can inconvenience the Singaporean authorities a great deal. This fact, plus my weak health condition compelled me a number of times to ask for my recall from the post.” Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu
Overheard in NUS
Feb. 10 | I just wonder if there is a possibility for Sg to merge with China, since so many people here are Chinese in race, and a strong hinterland of the Chinese mainland is obviously beneficial for the singapore’s economy. Why not Singapore just assume...
Yet another set of SERS flats – refurbished & to be rented out – in Boon Lay
Feb. 6 | I passed by Boon Lay Ave a few occasions and noticed that Block 216-220 is still intact. The former residents were told to move out due to an “en bloc” development in the estate. Today, I passed by once again and saw this interesting banners....
Stop trying to pick “winners”
Feb. 3 | So far, the government’s efforts to specifically help SMEs have focused on training programmes for SME managers and the grooming of a few SMEs which are deemed to have the potential to become home-grown MNCs. The result is that a few enterprises receive...
Inadequate public transport
Jan. 23 | SMRT has actually DECREASE their train service frequencies by as much as 13%! An increase of 19% of demand couple by a decrease in supply of 13% will naturally result in packing the MRT cabins with more people! This is reflected in the increase of occupancy...
US govt will push harder against web censorship
Jan. 23 | Both the American people and nations that censor the Internet should understand that our government is committed to helping promote Internet freedom. US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton
