The hidden agenda of MM Lee’s visit to Malaysia (Part 2)
June 11th, 2009 | 
Author: By Fang Zhi Yuan and Lim Siow Kuan
In part 1 of this article, we touched on the winds of change which have blown across Peninsula Malaysia since the March 08 elections, heralding a new era in Malaysian politics.
Change has come to Malaysia, but has it arrived in Singapore? If online postings are an accurate reflection on the real sentiment on the ground, there is a considerable segment of the young IT-savvy population which will form an influential voting bloc in future elections who yearns for change in the political status quo.
Though Singapore is more highly wired than Malaysia’s, the impact of the New Media on influencing public perception and opinion of the government is limited due to the following reasons:
1. The alternative new media is not as developed as Malaysia’s. Singapore does not have a credible, widely read news daily in the mould of Malaysiakini which is run by full-time journalists. The pittance of socio-political blogs dotting Singapore New Media landscape has little muscle to fight against the mainstream media’s extensive network and resources.
2. The opposition is not only fragmented, but lacks the collective will and purpose to mount a challenge to replace the incumbent. The elected opposition MPs eschew civil activism as a means to act as a catalyst of change to increase the political awareness of the electorate while resorting to breaking “unjust” laws to show how tyrannic the PAP is fails to win any meaningful mass support for their cause.
3. The political system is heavily stacked in favor of the PAP which continues to attract the best talents into its ranks. The dominance of GRCs in the electoral seats highly tip the playing field to the side which is able to field a stronger team.
4. Singaporeans are generally apathetic, disinterested and ambivalent about getting involved in politics. Even prospective PAP candidates have to be “coaxed” repeatedly to enter politics. There is little incentive or motivation for one to sacrifice time and energy to “serve” the nation.
5. In spite of all its flaws, the PAP is a relatively capable, efficient and shrewd government which is constantly in tune with the sentiment on the ground – PM Lee’s latest tweak to the electoral system to allow more “alternative” voices in Parliament being a case in point.
Unlike the Barisan Nasional, whose race-based policies such as the New Economic Policy (NEP) had segregated the different races in Malaysia and benefitted only a small group of well connected cronies, there are no compelling reasons for Singaporeans to vote against the PAP.
The elites who are plugged into the system are contented to let the PAP run the show as long their interests are preserved.
The middle class are busy making a living to move up the social ladder. Though life is tough in Singapore, everybody is given a chance to succeed, regardless of race, language or religion.
The lower-income group will be struggling to fill their stomachs daily let alone think about politics.
MM Lee will surely be consulting Malaysian opposition leaders to learn from their experience in engineering the March 08 political tsunami. It is certainly not a coincidence that Minister for Information, Communication and Arts Lui Tuck Yew is in the delegation as well.
Though Malaysia and Singapore are similar in many aspects, the political tsunami which struck our neighbor last year is unlikely to be replicated here any time sooner simply because Singaporeans are not prepared for change.
How many Singaporeans are ready for a life without the PAP? Singaporeans deserve the government they get because we lack the political awareness, maturity and determination to reform the system to return ownership of the state to the people instead of a group of self-serving political elites who are obsessed with perpetuating their hegemony.
In most societies, the middle class is the kingmaker. Without support from the middle class, any attempts to change the status quo will be futile.
The middle class is perennially preoccupied with their livelihoods and future. They are more concerned about progressing in their careers, moving up the social ladder, accumulating material assets, ensuring a bright future for their descendents instead of lofty values like human rights, democracy and social justice.
The middle class’s ‘revolt’ against the ruling coalition at the ballot box is not due to a sudden enlightenment or paradigm shift in their collective political consciousness towards the need of dismantling the system set up and perpetuated for 50 years since independence under the UMNO-led coalition.
The Malays voted for the opposition to protest against the rampant corruption, cronyism and nepotism in the system which has benefitted only a small group of well connected elites.
The Chinese want to see an end to the race-based New Economic Policy and to secure the future of their children in a land where they are increasingly marginalized.
As for the Indians, their support for the BN dipped drastically as a result of the backlash against the incarceration of the HINDRAF leaders under the draconian ISA.
Taken in this context, the push factors for the middle class to change the PAP’s system are even weaker which explains why civil activism and disobedience do not find considerable support among the majority of the population.
In the face of the a largely apathetic middle class which remains contented at the current state of affairs, it is unhighly that calls for change will gain any traction from Singaporeans.
Public pressure, together with a relatively free press can serve as a useful check on the excesses of the ruling party.
These are the two necessary pre-conditions for the growth and development of a mature, astute and responsible electorate who understands their rights as citizens of the state.
Unless the PAP reforms itself and allow more room for genuine alternative and dissenting voices to be aired openly in society, the political tsunami which hit Malaysia last year will never find its way to Singapore.
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55 Responses to “The hidden agenda of MM Lee’s visit to Malaysia (Part 2)”
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so are they using tax payer money to learn strategy more for PAP election strategy?
why not opposition and new media activists go up and learn from the malaysian opposition and new media activists as well?
Rome was not built in a day and chinese saying – little drops of water can form a river, may be the stream will come first but better than none.
Your article is highly pessimistic and dispiriting for the anti-establishment populace;;;u are repeating the same old stale ideas;;;can we hear something courageous, fresh-line of thinking from u;;;otherwise u are wasting our time!!!
not quite right to compare Malaysia with Singapore lah…..racial composition quite different leh….plus LKY is in complete control of singapore, unlike across the causeway.
singaporeans have been brainwashed from the time they are born esp those born after 1963.
i doubt the best join the gahmen…….even though many of those who joined have perfect scores from the best U……as can be seen in the multi-billion $ losses of GIC & Temasek, people should ask, where is the talent?
tragedy is that people still don’t realise that earlier mistakes jeopardise our future………keep being blinded by the propaganda & false hope of the inept oppo as capable people fear being FIXED
Well if anon online postings were a guide to anything then
PAP would have lost 2006 GE
TKL would have got more than 1,4000 signatures for his 100,000 signatures petition.
Anon postings do not mean anything.
“Public pressure, together with a relatively free press can serve as a useful check on the excesses of the ruling party.
These are the two necessary pre-conditions for the growth and development of a mature, astute and responsible electorate who understands their rights as citizens of the state.”
Gentlemen, what hallucinogenic substance are you on? Has there been no public pressure over ministerial obscene pay, the Minibond debacle, Mas Selamat’s escape – to name but three recent failures of government? And what has been the result? Absolutely sweet f***all, right? Kindly stop babbling about those easy options which we both know are ineffectual and have about as much chance of working in PAP’s Singapore as a snowball in hell.
And whence cometh this ‘relatively free press to serve as a check’ that you so blithely speak of? Do you imagine for one nanosecond that the PAP will release its stranglehold on the MSM out of the goodness of its heart without determined action by citizens? Your article seems to be rather confused in its focus. Are you pontificating about MM’s reasons for visiting Malaysia or advocating that Singaporeans give up the hopeless struggle for a civil society?
“Unless the PAP reforms itself and allow more room for genuine alternative and dissenting voices to be aired openly in society, the political tsunami which hit Malaysia last year will never find its way to Singapore.”
Huh? That sentence is an sloppy double-negative. Did you mean “UNLESS the PAP reforms…the tsunami WILL find its way here?”
And anyway, since when did change depend upon the PAP reforming itself to permit change to happen? Like it or not, natural change will eventually come about irrespective of what the ruling party does. Stasis is simply not an option if an organism wishes to survive, as events in Indonesia (and now Malaysia) are involuntarily demonstrating to us.
If Part 2 of this article is supposed to be the culmination of the two part series, this is not only an anti-climax, it is a letdown.
86 yr-old AhPek Lee aka LKY is going about it as if he is going to live forever.
Hi All,
go to this link & see how interesting it is.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/29272-lky-looks-into-malaysias-future
majority of the U.S “middle-class” has taken the Obama route to change for the better, what about Taiwan Ma-Yin Jiu sweeping win in the last election? Nothing is constance, time will tell.
No one can read another man’s mind intentions 100%. And not too of his heart’s primary serving purpose. Wisdom has it that it pays “To be watchful of a woman’s front, a mule’s hind and all sides of a priest”. SO, minding every man’s fallible nature in pride & passion fo self, this alone IS Wisdom to want sufficient Oppostion numbers to engage in counter any incumbent govt/authority with wisdom. That said …
Yet, though me and a couple of friends are not pap (notice the lower-case) supporters per se for sane reasons, we do feel that harrylky (never accept ‘mm’ conoctation) isn’t altogether bad. As few really are or altogether right. For we’re all wiser in hindside. And so meaning as one of my friend said too that he has done a lot of good and does have good intentions for Singapore to a “certain extent”. To be fair too, his many gaffs, misteps and at times over zealous verbage tell us he is too self-righteous, but that’s his nature inborn.
Having voted in pap till they could use GRC and despite their unfair constant last minute electorial boundaries redrawing to advantage self, who’s to be blamed? Singaporeans who succument to harrylky’s ‘threats’ and ‘drilling in future worries” and went for the STATUS QUO. Many of them are just to naive or too lax in NOT THINKING further down the road for their own and thier children’s future. Another Wisdom says that, “A nation without wise leaders is soon Doomed. The same goes for families. Fear of risks, really or not are contributing factors. As in EVERY nation AND family, needed are also Obedient as well as Creative and Contributing (”Inculsive” per LHL’s lingo – But does he mean if only in words?) for the Indvidual AND Common Good. ON THE BALANCE then, how has the 3 PMs, 2 SMs & harrylky done in these areas?
The BIGGER and more important consideration ALL Singaporeans who CAN (I’ve NOT in 6/9 GEs due to GRC!) vote at the NEXT GE
in 2011 IS, “Should I again heed the ONEsided AND LOBsided arguments of harrylky about “Revolving Govts” AND “Freak GE Results” with a PINCH-OF-SALT? AND so BE less RISK-AVERSE with wise conderations for my Constituency AND Singapore’s FUTURE AS a WHOLE??? Rememebr too that Wisdom Comes AND also GOES!
Never belief any man or woman who consistently tell you in contention that, “I AM A Person of Integrity, Homest, Sincere, MOST ABLE to be MOST WELL-PAID far above even 1st-World Class what is this?), I ALWAYS AM For YOU w/o BUTS & DOUBTS. A Chinese Wisdom says that, “Honesty AND Sincereity is seen through a man’s deeds and NOT By words from his mouth”! Understand AND heed these WISDOMs AND WE WILL COME OUT THE WISER AT THE COMING GE my Singaporean Friends.
Sincerely,
Ron
I’ve put my trust in PAP for 45 years and this tiny, resourceless island has gone from bad to good. With the global financial meltdown, I will still put my trust in the PAP.
This is a dangerous region and and dog-eat-dog world.
I should know being as old as the PAP. Our neighbours want us ruined cos we stand as a sore thumb amidst their minorities. We can either implode or explode and the poor Singaporeas know the majority have really NOWHERE to go to. The curry campaign is now on in AUSTRALIA. Next, tim sum campaign?
Gurmit says dont pray . . pray . . with politcs. Our children’s lives. Our childrens’s future.
Indeed Dear Roland, you’re right about trusting pap for certain things. But be mindful of “The Realities?” caution about giving away TOO MUCGH POWER!. As you being as old as the PAP, you AND I should know too that, “Absolute Power Corrupts ABSOLUTELY”.
That said, I wish to remind one & all that Common Sense begets US TO BE ABSOLUTE mindful of NEVER PERPECTUALLY and COMPLETELY ENTRUST ours & our children’s and their children’s TO ANY SINGLE ENTITY. FOR, what was done well yesterday AND Today IS NO PROOF that Tomorrow they wille be able to achieve the same Dear Roland. And those who think like him too. Please don’t get me wrong. Know that “Asolute faith IS BLIND FAITH”!
Thus I am surprised that Roland replied the way he did at his age. Because I am older than pap is. Though not yet as old as harrylky yet. And am in GCT’s league and sure snr. to ah loong. Yet age IS also guarantee of wisdom. Reality Check is:
DO NOT be complacent by wishing to remain in YOUR COMFORT ZONE. BECAUSE Everything is always in a STATE of FLUX!
I have 101 issues against the government over many of its policies. Some affect me very badly and unfairly too but I take consolation in the fact that in any policy implementation concerning the interests of citizens, most may benefit and some may suffer. There is such a thing as ‘for the common good of all’ principle.
The Malaysian situation cannot be replicated in Singapore for many years to come, I am pretty sure. But Malaysia becoming like Singapore any sooner is possible if politics there takes a quantum leap change for the better though this may spell trouble for Singapore. Effective governance, efficient administration, able political leadership and long term view and planning to ensure the country’s survival, security and prosperity are the hallmark of Singapore. Corruption, cronyism and race politics is the order of the day in Malaysia. The twain shall never meet for some time to come!
It is not only the young IT-savvy and professionals are waking up. The old ones who reads the blogs in the Internet are also waking up.
The days of day dreaming and the nights of fear cannot be allowed to linger on and on.
The power of the country must go back to the people. It cannot rest in the hands of only a few power crazy and greedy people. Serious reform is needed.
“Gurmit says dont pray . . pray . . with politcs. Our children’s lives. Our childrens’s future.”
There are no longer checks and balances to the ruling government, LKY has seen to that very nicely. The next opportunistic tyrant that deposes the weak and ineffectual LHL will have all of Singapore’s reserves and every single lever of state power in the palm of his hand.
He will have your children’s lives and their future at his mercy too. It will be far too late for them to hit reverse gear then, thanks to you and Gurmit, won’t it?
But not to worry – after 45 years it could NEVER happen in Singapore, right Roland?
Is there a necessity to lobby for a change of politics in S’pore ? Just like in Malaysia ?
It is an emphatic no ! In Malaysia, the Umno-BN has screwed up the economy and are arrogant and pursuing a discrimination policy.
In S’pore, the PAP is giving the people a good life and is not corrupt. What more do you want ?
Remember in 1965, the currency RM has the same value as S$ but today what is the exchange rate ? 1 : 2.4 If Malaysians do not vote the opposition, they are stupid.
On the other hand, if the PAP continues to be incorruptible and manages the country well, it will be stupid of Sporeans to vote against it ! Simple logic.
Those who continue to ask people to reject PAP are not having our interests in heart and mind.
Unless we have more good, capable and selfless people in the one or two erstwhile opposition party(s) who are at least equal to those in PAP, we shall vote for opposition just for the sake of haveing more noices in parliament. We do not need wayang in our august house. Only 3rd world countries need that because their governments are more often than not corrupt and cultivate cronies.
It will be too late if we lose what we have, for so long and so good
When generations where Roland came from goes 6 feet under, then onyl can Sinkapore hope for the better.
Thoese peers of Roland dates back to LKY’s time and it is hard to instill in them what we want the country to be like instead of their basic worry, which is as long as my Master can give me food, Children can go to school, got a roof over my head, all personnal wants.
“We don’t give a shit if the famiLEE siphon from our CPF and wasted billions of our country’s resources, its not my concern anyway!”.
Its this generation of citizens that have kept the famiLEE in power. This generation of slaves are comfortable with being slaves as Roland puts: “We will have no where to go” even if our Masters set us free.
My guess you guys are reading too much into LKY’s visit to Malaysia. He is building a bridge for future Singaporean leaders to Malaysia. Like Lau Lee said, Singapore and Malaysia fate are intertwined, both countries depend on each other. Therefore, leaders of both countries must talk to each other regularly. To do that both countries must have cordial relationship, Lau Lee is trying to promote this relationship. He is also aware that there is a possibility that the opposition might form a Government in the future, that is the reason why he visited opposition states. There is no secret about that.
I am not sure Goh Chok Tong or Lee Hsien Loong can do as good as Lau Lee in public relation.
Why are we only focusing on the negative views of MM Lee’s visit to Malaysia.
Why cant we look at the impact of this visit and the merits to both nations and the people of both nations going forward ?
Personally, I feel there is much to gain from many perspectives arising from MM Lee’s this visit to Malaysia.
At his age of coming close to 90, MM Lee could have taken it easy and just lay back and do nothing. What is there more for him to take with him to the next world when he calls it quit to this world? None, I think, but a conviction that he feels he needs to unwrap a less than cordial and heartfelt relationship the people of both nations have been baggaging for more than half a century.
Singapore and West Malaysia are geographical closely connected, and the people are related and similar in many ways. It was political differences and sovereign rules that drove the two lands separate and kept the people apart, notwithstanding many carrying the same family ancestries.
People of these two nations have lived under different sovereign rules for half century in quite different social ecosystem, Singapore adopting English as its main commercial language, whilst Malaysia sticking on to Bahasa Malaysia as the dominant language for all aspects of government and official communications. This led to divergence in international relation and affected the gradual drifting apart of the relationship across the straits.
This is a landmark visit, the way the tour had been arranged with visits to both the ruling party leaders and opposition party leaders and respective state rulers.
The visit is heartfelt in many sectors, and it sure has cemented many crevices, closed ranks, buried hatreds, eliminated suspicions, made new friends, and paved ways for the beginning of a new relationship for the next generation of people to come forward, come open, to work together for common good, for win win strategies.
New governmental cooperations and new inter-governmental projects will be taking place with greater blessings from leaders of both nations. More businesses and commerce will be carried out. Tourists and visitors from both country will enjoy a higher level of peace, comfort and trust, knowing that from now on there will be less animosity and more cordial help we can all expect from our neighbours across the straits should one runs into trouble.
There are so many more benefits that can arise from this synergy of joint cooperations with trust and faith that was not ever possible in the last decades.
Going forward, I am hopeful that both sides will be more than willing to progress forward together in a more sincere, open, willing and brotherly manner.
20 years down the road, this visit of MM Lee and his delegates will be remembered as a historical milestone of the NEW JOURNEY for Malysia and Singapore Politics.
Agape Xue.
Dr Mahathir is dead against Singapore and will not waste any opportunity to us in.
He would be the happiest person if he sees what those so-called IT-savvy guys in s’pore critized our leaders, without basis.
Do these people unwittingly playing into Dr Mahathir’s scheme?
Mr Fang and Mr Lim who wrote this article seem to be quite ignorant of the political dynamics between S’pore and M’sia.
The Malaysian people, especially the non-Malays have very good reasons to say no to the Umno-BN government.
The same cannot be said of Singaporeans who are having one of the least corrupt governments in the world, much to the envy of other Asian countries.
If MM Lee had a hidden agenda as the title of the article suggests, the Umno politicians would have come out to attack him. Dr Mahathir did. Why Mr Fang and Mr Lim need to do the same ?
to Roland:
another senile attempt by mr. roland.
We invested billions in defence.
We invested time to reservists.
Yet when pap screw up, we still need to sacrifice our right to boot them despite having all the other defense system in place.
As if we only have pap to push the buttons?
Funny thing is hk never had that problem and they are almost always to be eaten up by communist chinese. else why was there an emigration wave from hk.
roland is the face of unimaginative singaporean who expects to be fed.
“tanjong8″ and a similar few after him are disappointing NON_VISIONARY peoples. They do not seem to get what “The Realities” and “The Realities2″ CAUTIONed about Complaceny in ENTrusting SINGULAR POWERS, the falliblity of man and corruption of absolute powers in all the annals of history has taught us. It’s written TOO, that History has a habit of repeating itself. People with ONLY immediate thinkings ARE they not Comfort-Chair and Potato-Couch type thinkers. Where’s their “Critical Thinking” Caps??? They may have rearched middle age, BUT have they grown wiser too as so EASILY phsycoed!
These ARE people who indulge in their make believe world ofhat lky & his pap people ARE forever incorruptible. They ARE Absolute exceptions to THE LAWS OF HUMAN NATURE, they Fallibly want to believe! There’s no more foolishness than in one who sees but sees not, who hear but heard not. These are the very NANNY brought up COMFORT-ZONES Classics that “no cigar” and “sit talent” wrote about. Me thinks they are likely the pap MPs or their henchmen who replied as they have ONLY self interests at heart. OR ARE just too weakness and non-courages to face the unknowns. Status quo and self-comforts at the very COSTS of their OWN Dignities ARE WORTH slaughtering for their self-motive gains we would believe!!!
For them, It’s pragmatism that lky always talk about. We DO NOT DOUBT HIS SINCERITY AT ALL in Singapore’s economic spheres. What we here in WP find and Wisely Note is his ‘cunning’ brand of Draconian activities against Civil Liberties under the guise of Secirity.
For them pro pap ones, just go to http://www.sph.com and http://www.straitstimes.com and also asiaone.com and see if YOU CAN EASILY FIND lists of their of their TOP MANAGEMENT STAFF AND CONTACT INFO?????????????????????????????????????????????????
Then return to WP with ALL of these info to beg once again your differ to other views non-agreeable BUT Visionary stated. And wich you prefer OR failed to see the light OR rather the darkness at the end of the tunnel!
Umno would rather ‘burn bridges’ than sell sand.
Those who are unenlightened should read more news reports from across the causeway to get a glimpse of the threat we are facing.
The communalists up north will do us in in whatever way.
For a few years, they had banned the sale of sand to us just to make us buy more expensively from elsewhere. If they can, they may also do likewise for other commodities.
Wake up and read more to know where you are in boy !!!
Some shit talents question why SAF !
Without the strenght of the SAF, people like Habibie, Dr Mahathir will have eaten up Singapore long before you know it, boy
Some naive guys appear to be so ignorant that they do not know what kind of place we are in. We are surrounded by sharks which will gulp us up any moment our guards are let down !!!! Wake up, boy
K Das, you said: “I have 101 issues against the government over many of its policies. Some affect me very badly and unfairly too but I take consolation in the fact that in any policy implementation concerning the interests of citizens, most may benefit and some may suffer. There is such a thing as ‘for the common good of all’ principle.”
I wont bother with naming too many so-called policies but just one: The raisig of the CPF minimum sum and age.
How does that do good for “the common good of all”?
tanjong8..
“In S’pore, the PAP is giving the people a good life and is not corrupt. What more do you want ?”
where have you been ? or are you are blind ? You must be a PAPpy.
“On the other hand, if the PAP continues to be incorruptible and manages the country well, it will be stupid of Sporeans to vote against it ! Simple logic. ”
with a multi-million dollar remuneration package the PAP does not have to take under table $$$$$. in fact they want to take the $$$$$$ openly.. its called daylight robbery.. then pay tax and wash it clean. better than under table money. Singaporeans are not stupid. Only peeps like you got no logic or stoopid.
“Only 3rd world countries need that because their governments are more often than not corrupt and cultivate cronies.”
hey you very presumptuous. Firstly, the most developed nations and democracies have an OPPOSITION that according to your post is all “wayang” . The rest of the world calls it democracy and accountability . Secondly, you think there are no cronies and vested interest groups in Singapore, who benefit from victimising the people ????????? .. PLEASE LAH !!!! crawl out from that rock that you have been living under and see some sunlight. YOU may not like what your eyes tell you then.
“Dr Mahathir is dead SET against Singapore and will not waste any opportunity to DO us in. ”
AGAIN you are wrong. DR. M just hates LKY. He couldn’t careless for YOU or any other person.
From your posts, you seem caught in a time warp. Keep talking about communist here, there and everywhere. That era has long past this little geographical spot of Peninsula Msia and Indonesia.
“Wake up, boy” . You damn rude. Hence, I return the favour .. SHUT UP OLD DICK !!!!!
Roland said: Gurmit says dont pray . . pray . . with politcs. Our children’s lives. Our childrens’s future.
It is PRECISELY the very reason why I choose to leave the system and the country altogether and settled somewhere else.
If I had remained in Sinkapore, I am sure my children will get a good education, a roof and decent meal but they will grow up FOREVER as slaves. They will have no country to call their own, They will have no laws to respect and no system to trust.
Although where I am in now may not be the best democratic country in the world and I cannot proudly call the country my own(there is no such thing as full democratic anyway), BUT I live my life the way I want, run a decent business, pay my taxes and can sleep well at night knowing that my CPF (they dont have it here) won’t be “stolen”. I can manage my money the way I want, spend it how I want.
Me and my dog roam FREELY in the streets and park, no cops to tell us “to move on”, honest mistake don’t concern me and authorities don’t haress me as long as I obey and follow the law that everybody does.
Leaving Sinkapore was the best decision I made in my entire life and when the time comes, I can leave contended knowing that I have left my famiy with what Sinkapore would not have been able to give if we had remained there, FREEDOM.
IREALLYHATESTOOPID, just a note on your above comments regarding the communist country.
I have lived in China for a couple of years and know what, its nto purely communist idealogy thats in play now, they have changed and infact, I dare say for the better over Sinkapore’s so-called democracy.
Also, don’t bother to waste time with those that lives under the rock or in the well all their lives, they have not heard of the Internet and certainly cannot find the tilda key on a keyboard. So all they can depend on is what the Shitty Times gave them, how not for them to be naive and “uagu”
Tanjong8 said: Without the strenght of the SAF, people like Habibie, Dr Mahathir will have eaten up Singapore long before you know it, boy
I say: Hello, wake up lar, which century are you living in? You think SAF big fark meh? Use your brain and think ok? We have all been into the army, you think the training we got so “tokong” issit?
Go sembawang catch a few snake, bukit timah climb some hill and can act “garang” liao ar?
Tell you something ok, SAF all underpaid slave soldiers who (like me) die die won’t fight for the country if kenna attack one lar. A few hundred dollars which a beggar won’t even take want me to die for my country? Siao ar? If really got war, let the million dollar soldiers fight lor, sure not me.
Anwyay, cut story short, Sikapore weapons and guns and rifles all 2nd world war quality, if really any “shark” want to “tekan” Sinkapore, they will walk right into the island with or without SAF!
i agree with certain points mentioned in this article.
There are several push factors that have resulted in a swing in votes for Malaysia’s politics.
i.e rampant corruption within its system, racial discrimination against the Chinese and Indian,
and the Government seems to be disconnected from its people.
We can see that the Singapore government placed heavy emphasis on these sensitive areas.
i.e anti-corruption, racial and religious harmony.
These are sensitive touch points that we must always handle with care.
Personally, i observed that our Government has been pro-active in engaging its citizen thru policy changes, increase in transparency etc.
These are good changes that are commendable, however more needs to be done at a faster rate for it to win the hearts of its young and educated voters.
And your DECIDE memory-Lapses TOO. DON”T Feint Ignorance you! As you are beginning to reaveal where YOU ACTUALLY come from. I normally don’t thrash others. But enough if ENUFF!
“IREALLYHATESTOOPID”, YOU are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT about Tanjong8!
So, tanjong8 …
Have you ever been to HDB’s so-called “heartlands” by GCT? AND see the poor in 1-room and 1-room & 1-hall govt flats? Don’t just go look-see-looksee too as that’ll be like a nit-wit too.
Ever seen the poor scratching for their next meals?????????????
So go and do some charity work!!! Donate food, clothings and useful husehold materials to the poor and personally. Do FREE Repairs too.
Seen real frail old folks too cleaning toilets and collecting 10 cents per entry making lees than $400 a month as well? Those frail old man and woman too cleaning table wares and getting mistreated by young and old WHO NEVER THANK THEM?
YOU must be living pretty OKAY HAH! DON”T just look down at your own TWO little ‘pretty’ feet and get out there into REALITY to SEE, SENSE and GROW UP with some EMPATHY man! Look to open skies and MORE around you – FAR and Wide too – in Our TINY TINY Island In The Sun.
Don’t remain a darn ugly caterpillar and die in YOUR cocoon. Metamorphsis into a MOST BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY for other less fortunate THAN YOU to enjoy YOUR Blessings of having BEEN BORN with a BETTER BRAIN man! People who talk too Smart also talk far too SMUG isn’t it? Do you even have this wisdom???
GRANTED LAh! Ours is a tiny little island. Ever heard harry and he band of guys & gals ever say that “THIS! My FELLOW SINGAPOREANS, IS Also OUR ADVANTAGE”??? YOU HAh, sound like the proverbial baby who is stil one in adulthood haappily living off wealth parents’ gifts and inheritance?
So YOU THINK that a man a MAN Or a woman a woman, because that’s lots in “ME” bank? And whichever you may be, man or woman? SO, never mind if a “celebrate” man or woman lose BILLIONS of OUR Monies and don’t have own up to is IS OKAY TOO??? And then supported by family aas well in controlled media? Tell US who’s your aunty or your uncle?
YOURSELF IS OKAY, then who cares there ARE some who ARE NOT? Isn’t Singapore tiny small and so this should NOT BE SO. How long can the BILLIONS feed and cloth those poor and destitutes? TEN (10) LIFETIMES OR MORE? Tel US Tell US please YOU who knows BEST!
Public assistance Scheme I repeat again went up from $260/mth to $290. Rounded off from 10% increase of $286 great. Then pap MP who has heart asked “IS $10/day ENUFFFF for THREE (3) meals and Utilities”? MCYS Bala YOU MUST KNOW replied, “Tell me, you want kopitiam, food court or restaurant”? Are such typical Responses DIGNIFIED OF MINISTERIAL LEVEL to even own caring MP??? TELL US LAH LEH??? And answer came even the ministrered had be announcing $30 increase had said that like up to 20%-#0 increases will be implemented if necessary! Did PM & FM disagreed ’cause he did consult them first? OR they know SinKaporeans like YOU, DO have VERY SORT MEMORIES?
Now you are most welcomed to MENTOR US as MM2 Tell US Tell US! Thank you very much.
And your DECIDE memory-Lapses TOO. DON”T Feint Ignorance you! As you are beginning to reaveal where YOU MAY ACTUALLY come from. I normally don’t thrash others. But enough if ENUFF!
“IREALLYHATESTOOPID”, YOU are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT about Tanjong8!
So, tanjong8 …
Have you ever been to HDB’s so-called “heartlands” by GCT? AND see the poor in 1-room and 1-room & 1-hall govt flats? Don’t just go look-see-looksee too as that’ll be like a nit-wit too.
Ever seen the poor scratching for their next meals?????????????
So go and do some charity work!!! Donate food, clothings and useful husehold materials to the poor and personally. Do FREE Repairs too.
Seen real frail old folks too cleaning toilets and collecting 10 cents per entry making lees than $400 a month as well? Those frail old man and woman too cleaning table wares and getting mistreated by young and old WHO NEVER THANK THEM?
YOU must be living pretty OKAY HAH! DON”T just look down at your own TWO little ‘pretty’ feet and get out there into REALITY to SEE, SENSE and GROW UP with some EMPATHY man! Look to open skies and MORE around you – FAR and Wide too – in Our TINY TINY Island In The Sun.
Don’t remain a darn ugly caterpillar and die in YOUR cocoon. Metamorphsis into a MOST BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY for other less fortunate THAN YOU to enjoy YOUR Blessings of having BEEN BORN with a BETTER BRAIN man! People who talk too Smart also talk far too SMUG isn’t it? Do you even have this wisdom???
GRANTED LAh! Ours is a tiny little island. Ever heard harry and he band of guys & gals ever say that “THIS! My FELLOW SINGAPOREANS, IS Also OUR ADVANTAGE”??? YOU HAh, sound like the proverbial baby who is stil one in adulthood haappily living off wealth parents’ gifts and inheritance?
So YOU THINK that a man a MAN Or a woman a woman, because that’s lots in “ME” bank? And whichever you may be, man or woman? SO, never mind if a “celebrate” man or woman lose BILLIONS of OUR Monies and don’t have own up to is IS OKAY TOO??? And then supported by family aas well in controlled media? Tell US who’s your aunty or your uncle?
YOURSELF IS OKAY, then who cares there ARE some who ARE NOT? Isn’t Singapore tiny small and so this should NOT BE SO. How long can the BILLIONS feed and cloth those poor and destitutes? TEN (10) LIFETIMES OR MORE? Tel US Tell US please YOU who knows BEST!
Public assistance Scheme I repeat again went up from $260/mth to $290. Rounded off from 10% increase of $286 great. Then pap MP who has heart asked “IS $10/day ENUFFFF for THREE (3) meals and Utilities”? MCYS Bala YOU MUST KNOW replied, “Tell me, you want kopitiam, food court or restaurant”? Are such typical Responses DIGNIFIED OF MINISTERIAL LEVEL to even own caring MP??? TELL US LAH LEH??? And answer came even the ministrered had be announcing $30 increase had said that like up to 20%-#0 increases will be implemented if necessary! Did PM & FM disagreed ’cause he did consult them first? OR they know SinKaporeans like YOU, DO have VERY SORT MEMORIES?
Now you are most welcomed to MENTOR US as MM2 Tell US Tell US! Thank you very much.
Any government who abandon a country’s Values, Self Respect and Rule of Law is destined to fail, its just a matter of time.
mating@inbox.com said:Personally, i observed that our Government has been pro-active in engaging its citizen thru policy changes, increase in transparency etc.
I have only heard billions of losses by GIC, Temasek, GRC but ain’t seen any “transparency”.
Pardon me, I didn’t noticed any major changes that’s good for the overall, care to point me in the right direction?
XisD Tay on Wed, 17th Jun 2009 12:15 pm wrote:
…..I choose to leave the system and the country altogether and settled somewhere else.
If I had remained in Sinkapore, I am sure my children will …grow up FOREVER as slaves. They will have no country to call their own, They will have no laws to respect and no system to trust.
XisD Tay,
I wish you goodluck. If you are so happy where you are now, why are you still complaining so much????
why are you still throwing stones at the glass house we are living in here???
Why dont you live in your paradise and let us alone to fight our war, if there is one.
Why must you instigate, and write so much rubbish, and not reveal your truth??
If you believe so much in your words,,, why did you not stay back in Singapore and join the opposition party and try to take over the government of Singapore openly?
The reason is :
You are a loser.
You are a sour grape.
You are a narrow minded person.
You only care for your own benefits, you join the party when there is fun and benefits for you, but when you dont get your way, you run away, and you sabotage.
I do not find your thread contributing to the goodness of our fellow reader, fellow citizens, because you are so full of malice.
Agape Xue.
Agape Xue, I am happy where I am right now but I still have friends there and SInkapore whether I like it or not is still where I was born. I love my country as much as you do and hate to see it being runined, get it?
Just because I am not in Sinkapore and is not relocated elsewhere doesn’t mean that I have to let go of the friends I had, the country that I love.
You mentioned about joining the opposition party which is what most highly educated Sinkapore loving citizens would have done if there was a LEVEL and CLEAN playing field. The PaPpies are literally killing off the opposition and anyone going against them, you think we are all stupid?
Sinkapore’s ex-solicitor general who are much more qualified than anyone presently in the opposition party had intended to join the opposition and contect against the PAPpies, what happened? Instructions came from the top and some “house cleaning and fixing” was needed, so it was done. You wanted truth, THIS IS THE TRUTH but of course don’t hear it from me, ask Francis Seow personally, he is not difficult to contact. As for my identity, you may also ask him personally.
As a point of clarification, I am not here to incite war or riot, I am here to impress upon willing readers that it is time that the country belong to the people. The government MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE to the people, is that wrong?
You said: do not find your thread contributing to the goodness of our fellow reader, fellow citizens, because you are so full of malice.
I supposed you havent been reading much of my postings at all. If you have read a few, then other than the pun at times, I provided information as to how the system I used to know work. Of course these information will be of no use to the famiLEE worshippers as they are used to being slaves and will remain so.
Agape Xue claims:
1. You are a loser.
Correction, in the words of the great SM Goh, I am quitter. Loser or not, I DID MANAGED to get away from Sinkapore with the fat bonuses I got from being in the system for good, but you are still staying behind, either you are still trying to make enough or you have nowhere to go.
2. You are a sour grape.
There is nothing material in Sinkapore that I cannot find here where I am, whats there to be sour about?
3. You are a narrow minded person.
If I had been narrow, I wouldn’t have left the system and will be living in the well as your neighbour.
4. You only care for your own benefits, you join the party when there is fun and benefits for you, but when you dont get your way, you run away, and you sabotage.
I am not God, I am in no position to sabo Sinkapore. Whatever happnened to Sinkapore is all in the hands of the famiLEE and the people (like you) who put them there.
I merely stated facts I can recollect to the best of my knowledge and expressed my own opinion FREELY about things and policies in Sinkapore which unfortunately you cannot claim to be able to do FREELY, being in Sinkapore.
If YOU think THAT you’re living IN “A Glass house” here in Singapore”, then you’ve caught YOUR feet in between the GLASS doors and the glass walls of your glass house! And you risk getting cut everytime you rush IN or OUT! So “wsie” Agape Xue, “Do YOU know THAT, people who lives in glass house should NOT through stones” themselves?
Thus you’ve unwittingly admitted too THAT you ARE indeed living in A rather FRAGILE Island of a Singapore, jealouly guarded by one and only ONE Security Guard! And who is in his later 80s with a heart pacer, and a “bedridden”(?) wife. Yet ‘impressively’ still globetrotting for our nation’s econmic good? Why? As what ever has happened to his “Self-Renewal” process after so many GEs? IS it befitting of one constantly talking of Self-Renwal and still dashing around the world? What’s happen to his SUCCESSION plans implemented??? So, how do you think he fits into Lao Tze’s 3 catogories of Leadhsip Qualities? Do you need an update for this one? Well, Lao Tze said of a LEADERSHIP … this way …
“A good leader, when his work IS DONE, when his work is done, no one remembers im. And they all say “We did it OURSELVEs”! Is he done yet?
XisD Tay,
on Thu, 18th Jun 2009 12:05 am you wrote “Any government who abandon a country’s Values, Self Respect and Rule of Law is destined to fail, its just a matter of time.”
- I fully agree with you on this. I think our government leaders do recognize this too. But what is your point?
On Thu, 18th Jun 2009 11.14am, you wrote “ I have only heard billions of losses by GIC, Temasek, GRC but ain’t seen any transparency”
- I think you lack a sound financial knowledge of global economics and how assets are managed. In an economic crisis that had happened recently, how on earth you think any country will not lose 40-50% of their national wealth especially if the country has assets managed globally? I don’t wish to give a finance lecture to you here, but if you think this is avoidable, then I think you are better than Dr Tony Tan and the rest. You might as well take over GIC and run it yourself.
On Thu, 18th Jun 2009 9.42pm, you wrote “….Of course these information will be of no use to the famiLEE worshippers as they are used to being slaves and will remain so.”
- Honestly, you go on writing gerberishly, and run down your readers, then you deserve a rope to hang yourself. Because you have no respect for others. You are not able to respect others who do not share your views. And in the way you call others famiLee worshipers and slaves, you have shown how jealous, how sour-graped, how narrow minded you are actually. And you force your readers to take a view against you. So, you must as well just shut your big mouth up.
On Friday, 19th Jun 2009, 4.23am, you wrote: “ …Thus you’ve unwittingly admitted too THAT you ARE indeed living in A rather FRAGILE Island of a Singapore, jealouly guarded by one and only ONE Security Guard! And who is in his later 80s with a heart pacer, and a “bedridden”(?) wife. Yet ‘impressively’ still globetrotting for our nation’s econmic good?”
- Definitely, we are indeed living in a rather fragile tiny island. When the British withdraw the soldiers in 1967/8 ( if I remember the year right), I was a student then, and I lived in a one room HDB with 6 siblings, all having to lay newspapers on the floor as our beds. Our nation had no natural resources, no manpower skills, we had strikes, gang fights every alternate days, we have no jobs. The future look bleak. And we were such a small tiny red dot on the map, that the world did not give us any attention. We were so perilously located amongst people who may not want to see us do good. This has changed, our lives gotten better, education, work, skill, political stability, international recognition,,, etc etc,,, we have come a long long way to achieve much,, so much that no other man could have imagined this was possible,,, yes, one man’s dream, vision had transformed a tiny little fishing village into a world class nation that today catches the attention of all leaders in the world. But there is no room for complacency, because, we are just a small little island, and of course we need to continuously safeguard our nation, have the best people to continue running it. This is not “jealously guarding it”. This is a love for the things one has painstaking built it, nevermind the approach is overzealous, sometime highhanded, but there is care, concern, there is love…. Even the new ministers who take over are groomed to take the running of Singapore government with heart, this you can see how fast and how much they grow their grey hair after they become ministers.
I also find you such low down in the way you insinuate the government system of Singapore as a ONE Security Guard operation. Actually, the way you write brings down the standard of Wayang. You have done nothing but just talk gerberishly.
No reason to write things like heart pacer, bedridden wife…
The fact that our MM Lee can still globetrotting for our nation’s economic good, yes, some of the things he is doing, you and I would not have done it if we have come to his age and well-being. But why is he doing it???? You better read my earlier thread (on Mon, 15th Jun 2009 3:53pm)
I don’t need to repeat.
But of course, you are now living overseas, you will not want to see Singapore do well, as it will only mean you have made a wrong decision to have migrated.
I must clarify that I do not belong to the PAPs. I am just an ordinary citizen, having to take home each day my earnings to tend to my family’s living expenses. But I am grateful for what MM Lee & others have done for Singapore. I might have been shortchanged in some ways, but on the other hand, I am grateful for many other things done for us.
Agape Xue
XisD Tay on Thu, 18th Jun 2009 9:42 pm wrote: Agape Xue, I am happy where I am right now but I still have friends there and SInkapore whether I like it or not is still where I was born. I love my country as much as you do and hate to see it being runined, get it?
Just because I am not in Sinkapore and is not relocated elsewhere doesn’t mean that I have to let go of the friends I had, the country that I love…..
XisD, you are a real hypocrite. You claim to love Singapore? You still claim Singapore is your country? then why are you making a mockery out of the name of your country? You spell Singapore as Sinkapore so persistently consistent, for no less a hundred times in all your threads. You are a shame to Singapore. You have friends in Singapore?? I am really sorry for your friends, and i am sure none of them who are thoughtful and responsible and proud citizens of Singapore will acknowledge and endorse your action to abuse Singapore.
You know in ancient China, you would be considered as a traitor for having committed treason for your persistent act of insulting your own country, and the penalty is DEATH SENTENCE, with people casting stone at you on the way you are sent to the execution square.
So, please save your own soul, if you still have anymore left there is, or save the ties for your children as one day they may need to return to this home land.
Please make sure they know how Singapore is spelled.
Agape Xue
Tunku Abdul Aziz, the former Transparent International Malaysia chairman had just published an article on LKY.
I am often asked the reason for my being such a loyal Lee Kuan Yew fan. It goes a long way. As I have said, he is not without a blemish or two, but no man has done more to curb corruption in public life as Lee, to the eternal gratitude of his people who are well served by a corruption-free civil service and political leadership.
The benefits for Singapore have been enormous in reputational terms. Investors know that their investments are safer in Singapore than in many other jurisdictions because Singapore operates a justice system that is incorruptible.
Singapore has succeeded in curbing corruption to a degree that is rarely achieved elsewhere in Asia, except possibly Hong Kong. Singapore does not need a bloated anti-corruption bureaucracy such as we have with our ineffectual Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that is a drain on public funds.
Agape Xue, the reason why I choose to spell Singapore as Sinkapore is not because I not love the country where I was born, BUT just that people like YOU have aided the famiLEE in allowing it to SINK. I called my dad old man, does that mean that I don’t love him and is insulting him? Its a fact that my dad is getting old, it is also a fact that Singapore is “sinking”. Whats wrong with telling the truth?
I DID NOT in any of my article called you named or comment about your character out of respect for YOU, so I would appreciate the same from you if you have any self respect left in you.
How much I love the country I was born is not for you to weigh or comment on, if voting for the opposition is considered not loving Sinkapore or speaking against the system is treason as you defined, then you are certainly lined up in front of me.
You left the very country you were born in, the very country who provided for you and went to another country and sing praises of it instead of YOU OWN country, if that is not treason by YOUR OWN STANDARDS, then I dont know what is.
IT IS BECAUSE I LOVED MY COUNTRY that if given the chance I would vote for the opposition for the very reason that I am keen to see changes in the SYSTEM (which is being abused now).
Frankly, I don’t feel proud to be a Sinkaporean now and whenever anyone asked me where Sinkapore is, I would say that its a province of China.
Only persons who truly love their country will understand the frustration we are going through and how much we are keen to see changes for the better.
You on the other hand, is a women and also an “import” talent, we cannot espect you to digest our thoughts. It will be asking of you too much.
Agape, now point to point in case you say I avoided answering your questions, comment, whatever:
- XisD, you are a real hypocrite. You claim to love Singapore?
Yes, I still love Sinkapore.
- You still claim Singapore is your country?
Correction, I said I was born there, I did not say Sinkapore is my country.
- Then why are you making a mockery out of the name of your country?
Correction, I did not say Sinkapore is my country.
- You spell Singapore as Sinkapore so persistently consistent, for no less a hundred times in all your threads. You are a shame to Singapore.
- So I am a shame if my english is no good? Tsk Tsk
- You have friends in Singapore?? I am really sorry for your friends, and i am sure none of them who are thoughtful and responsible and proud citizens of Singapore will acknowledge and endorse your action to abuse Singapore.
I did not abuse Sinkapore, I merely cited a matter of fact. You are certainly not my friends and you are in no position to speak on their behalf. But just to let you in on our secrets, my friends are also uneducated as me and they use words like famiLEE, PaPies, SInkapore and Chinapore when posting.
- You know in ancient China, you would be considered as a traitor for having committed treason for your persistent act of insulting your own country, and the penalty is DEATH SENTENCE, with people casting stone at you on the way you are sent to the execution square.
Yes, I am aware of the penalty for treason and I wonder whats the penalty for treason in your country of birth whom you intentionally betrayed, abandoned and sang praises for ANOTHER COUNTRY?
- So, please save your own soul, if you still have anymore left there is, or save the ties for your children as one day they may need to return to this home land.
If I had no soul, I will care shit if Sinkapore really does sink or float. Bu then, with people like you around, I must consistantly remind myself to warn others of people like you, whose only “vison” of a country and mission in life is: roof over the top, meals on the table and procreation.
- Please make sure they know how Singapore is spelled.
With people like you around, it will forever be spelt as:
S I N K A P O R E
YOU ARE INDEED A FRAUSTER And TRAITOR To “DEMOCRATIC Processes AND MUTUAL DIGNITY AS IN MUTUAL RESPECT”!!! AS YOU REPLIED TO XisD Tay this way:
“On Thu, 18th Jun 2009 11.14am, you wrote “ I have only heard billions of losses by GIC, Temasek, GRC but ain’t seen any transparency” – Words replaced in CAPS in your reply ANDwithin BRACKETs ARE MINE …
QUOTE
- I think you lack a sound financial knowledge of global economics and how assets are managed. In an economic crisis that had happened recently, how on earth you think any country will not lose 40-50% of their national wealth especially if the country has assets managed globally? I Don’t Wish To Give A FINANCE LECTURE To you here (Din’t YOU reply to ME in “Brotherhood” that YOU ARE NO Finance expert, lawyer, etc?) but if you think this is avoidable, then I think you are better than Dr Tony Tan and the rest. You might as well take over GIC and run it yourself. (Agape Xue – Can Tony Tan NEVER EVER Make Mistakes TOO? AND FOR The Matter, EVEN UNDER Pressure FROM Above? I Said BEFORE “That there ARE At Least TWO Sides to ANYTHING. So, The side of it IS, WHY WAS The Investment Into USB MADE IN The HAste of ONLY 10 ‘BLESSED’ Days and SO SOON After Dr. Tan joined GIC AS it’s Deputy Chairman? Knowing ALL of the 50 years of goings on, YOU THINK that WE ARE SO STUPID Mare? Was HONEST Dr. Tan there for used as a ‘buffer’ of sorts. ISN”T THIS Also a Scenrio Possibility AT ALL? Woukld I NOW GOING TO BE HAULED IN BY THE SB JUST BECAUSE I AM POSTING HERE A COMMON SENSE PROBABILITY IN WISDOM FOR HAVING THE “INTELLIGENCE” AS YOU HAVE “PRAISED ME ME FOR???
DO YOU NOT know that Francis Seow WAS The Attorney-General AND THEN WAS The EX-AG WHEN HE Courageously went INTO The Oppositin Camp? Do YOU NOT even have enough sense to think OF The VERY POSSIBILTY THAT XisD Tay IS Francios Seow??? AND to us the lesser-mortals ARE NOT-STUPID THAT YOU AND tanjong8 MAY ALSO BE ONE & The SAME PERSON AND FROM the PApies Camp! So I’m iINSinKapore IS NOT SAFE? And XisD Tay IS surely SAFE. For HE ISN”T as Stupid AS recent Gopal Nair & Chee Soon Juan cases! AS their kind of courage IS The FoolHardy Types YOU GET IT!
In closing, know this simple and reality Mechanical First Principle of “For Every Action, Ther IS and EQUAL And Opposite REACTION”! WHY Am I writing these things here AT MY own VERY RISKs IF I DON’T CARE FOR TRUE, BUT WITHIN REASON CONTROLS AND LEVEL-PLAYING FIELD DEMOCRACY HERE. YOU WANT THIS FOR YOUR CHILDREN OR NOT. OR YOU DON’T MIND THEM GROWING UP TO LIVING IN A SUBERSERVIENT SO-CALLED CIVIL SOCIETY WHERE THE HIGHEST LEADERSHIP WILL ALWAYS SELF-PRAISE AND NEVER-EVER BE SAID TO HAVE MADE MISTAKES???????????????????????????????????????????
(Right NOW, you look more like a mom who’s NOT of “The COURAGE is The Better PArt of Valour” sort for YOUR Precious Children, Are You???!!! It IS NOT difficult AT ALL from your replies HOW You CUNNINGLY ‘SPIN’ Around and TRY you UTMOST to Skirmish, Skittle and Skate pass REAL ISSUE!!! Thanks for your praise of my intelligence mam. BUT IT’s LOTs of Emprical Wisdom That I have and NOT Intelligence. For I’ve Written Elsewhere Too that WISDOM IS HIGHER THAN INTELLIGENCE!!! YOU KNOW WHY! BUT AREN’T YOU’RE USING IT FOR SELFISH INTENTIONS? Some of the blogs have ended with mine comments as the last. Because when I saw that ENUFF of ALLOWING WP here to be “vumpoos” By People like YOU, it IS rather more sane to end the UNsubStantiated Volleys!!!!)
I flew out on Vietnam Air to holiday last month.
There were some 50 home-bound Vietnamese civil servants on the same flight who had spent some 3 weeks here at Lee Kong Chian School, NUS under our governemnt ASEAN schorlarship plan.
They marvelled at Singapore. They couldn’t stop prasing Singapore through our conversation in halting English. From the transport to the HDB flats to the potable water to the education system. They were absolutely impressed beyond words. Some had even been to Moscow, Prague . . . before. And we at home think it’s a GIVEN!
They thought I had the answer. They simply couldn’t imagaine a tiny, resourceless island can do all these things! They have government(s) that fight and win battles but alas not in providing the kind of decent livlihood that they long for. I’m sure upon return they will be an instrument to change for the better.
There is no PERFECTION on earth. But our government, has made all these possible despite insumountable problems and envious neighbours. Thank you PAP.
@ WILIAM SOH..
this is not a criticism of your post…
the gret majority will accept that progress has been made, even incredible progress…. this however is not constructive.. it is just looking backward..
the question is WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE.. & HOW TO GET THERE
your line of thought is exactly what the PAP wants from the masses.. keep telling the people that things are indeed GREAT… it is NOT…
also, we are NOT the only Asian economic miracle.. & not the best example of economic progress..
Singapore is A LOT easier to govern and control than even Malysia, indonesia, vietnam, thailand,etc..
it doesn’t help if we keep looing backwards .. keep patting ourselves on the back.. keep reminding ourselves that we have come so far… when the reality is that we have only just begun & there is so much more we have to do..
I simply do not understand what and why Agape Xue and Xisd Tay are talking about in this forum. This space is not for both of you to show your writing skills. Please get on with the issues at hand.
I SPY on Wed, 24th Jun 2009 10:58 pm
“Singapore is A LOT easier to govern and control than even Malysia, indonesia, vietnam, thailand,etc..”
Just passing by. Interesting . . . Can’t help but like to ask given that not all quiet readers here are uneducated and can’t think for themselves.
Is there another city-state (without the economies of scale) that’s in the 1st world league on the planet today?
Without a hinterland like HK (China), French-speaking Monaco (France) or Luxemborg (EEC), etc.
You don’t see a provision shop beside a mega mart, do you? Simple logic. Wonder if you did Economics at school?
Seems things need to be put straight a little.
Look, if you’re going to compare with worst off countries and praise yourself for getting 80 marks over and over because the rest of them are worst off. Then I suggest perhaps you should stop evolving and stay happy for the rest of your life. North Pole might be a good choice to live in since there’s no war, poverty, control and plenty of air-conditioning to enjoy, besides the fact the land is getting smaller as more ice melts everyday.
What some people are trying to achieve, is to make a better place out of everything. “Things change, people change, only ONE thing never change, once a KIASU, always a KIASU.” Live up to the aspect of being a KIASU, you only want the better, not the worst. And thus stop comparing ourselves with countries that’re doing worst…it comes down to nothing. Compare ourselves with our better counterparts, only that way can we progress, evolve, whatever.
QUESTION:
When self-praise is international disgrace, why do you think Singapore is touted as an economic miracle by the WORLD?
From the Dhamapada:
Follow not the vulgar way,
live not in heedlessness;
hold not false views;
linger not long in worldly existence.
One who look upon the world as a bubble and a mirage,
him the King of Death sees not.
Blind is this world;
here only a few possess insight.
Only a few, like birds escaping from a net,
go to the realms of bliss.
Better than sole sovereignty over the earth,
better than going to heaven,
better even than lordship over all the worlds
is the supramundane
Fruition of Stream Entrance.
( Supramundane = Being or situated above the world or above our system; celestial.
Stream Entrance = First stage of supramundane attainment ).
Why does a company’s stock value drop when they’ve announce a hefty profit in the last financial year and even after their biggest project has been deliver to most happy clinets?
Very much doubt you do know the answer to this. And I’ll tell you that, it is because, they have no new projects in the “pipeline” to match or even come close to the last one!
Waht’s sold and delivered it HISTORY! It’s the problems of the FUTURE that needs to be known by VISIONARIES and and PROACTIVE
Leaders who knows how to lead us FORTHRIGHTLY Forward. And NOT LIKE the CONTROLs and CURTAILMENT pattern of the past!
What recent laws WERE put into place recently are in the name of ‘Security”, BUT gives the Police & hence the MOHA “open-end discretionary powers of arrest or detention without even invoking the the ISA Act”? Is this a retrogressive OR a progressive step in the name of an “Open & INclusive” Civil Society in the word of the current PM?
They HAVE alluded and said that they will not use the wide ranging discretionary powers indiscremately, unjustly or unfairly. But aren’t they like the other “Broad-Stroke” OB Markers? For Politics and voicing in ‘certain’ public arenas and circumstances and subject to relevant Minister’s and related agencies under MOHA to interprete. Am no lawyer. But by plain common sense can’t one make head and tail of whether such “discretionary” powers of law administration CAN be abused or not? Come next GE and you WILL see a different poiltical Scenario AND gallible people like you will once again be lulled into giving the incumbent better support than good for our childrenss’ future!
Why do Singaporeeans never learn for experince a Hong Konger and a Taiwanese asked not too long ago? Well behaved parliament here anyone? Like, would you say this outside parliament privilege? What style is this please tel us! YOU and those like you don’t mind at all to be ALWAYS reminded of someone’s past achievements. BUT what you all can’t ever see is WHAT”S their present potential NOW for lifting up to a better plain for OUR children? Laurels of the past is HISstory!!!
And those Vietnamese guys are from a much larger and much more populated place whose war torn & landmines inmfested country came out out not too long ago from more than 1/2 a century of ardious strife of war. Still much backward in infractructure and developments spread over SUCH A MUCH LARGER LANDMASS! Where such improvements ARE thus LESS PHYSICALLY Visible right!
Were practical and humble enough and wise too and pointed this comparison to the visiting Vietnamese?
AM NOT SURPRISED THAT MANY SINGAPORE HAVE MINDS AND VISION AS SMALL AS OUR TINY TINY ISLAND IN THE SUN. Perhaps its an effect of the glaring tropical sunlight? More backward come to small and more easily visible material progress her will sure GASP AT OUR MAJESTIC ADVANCE IN MATERIAL PROGRESS! BUT what off our Civil Society Creative and Shared Values in OUT “National Creed” in the name of the late SR Rajaratnams “National Pledge”. ARE YOU William Soh and those like you feeling YOU ARE EQUAL to the incumbents or TOTALLY subordinated??? Be frank and perhaps the courage to tall us sincerely how you incumbent proponents really feel AND EXACTLY WHY TOO!!! Thanks you.
@ JASRIL..
the statement was “govern & control”… you are going off in a tangent .. economics… unless you equate them..
and what makes you think Spore doesnt have a hinterland..??..
have a kopi and think a little more.. maybe your understanding of economics will allow you to derive the answer …
and I reject your classification that Spore is 1st world…
you might be thinking only in economic terms… even then you are not necessarily correct… which 1st world economy has suffered 3 recessions in the last 10 years.. and is dependent on such a narrow scope of economic activity…
dont presume to educate others when you might need more education yourself…