Why should we be grateful to the present PAP?
August 19th, 2009 | 
Author: By Eugene Yeo, Consultant Editor
“Gratitude to the PAP” is a recurring unspoken theme of every National Day. This year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spent almost 20 minutes of his National Day Rally showing clips of Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s to illustrate the tremendous progress we have made for the last 50 years (under the leadership of the PAP, of course).
I concur with the Prime Minister. Every Singapore citizen owes a debt of gratitude, not to the present PAP, but to the PAP Old guards, such as Toh Chin Chye, Goh Keng Swee, S Rajaratnam, Lim Kim San, E W Barker and Ong Pang Boon who toiled selflessly with a pittance of pay to bring social stability and economic development to Singapore against all odds.
I salute these men because during that time, Singapore is facing a very uncertain future. They could have easily left for greener pastures elsewhere instead of gambling their entire lives and fortunes on Singapore. These are men of ideals, principles and vision, who knows and understands the plight of the common men in the street and willing to serve without being paid millions of dollars.
When S Rajaratnam passed away a few years ago, I wept, not because of his passing, but because so few young Singaporeans are aware of his contributions. We hardly heard of our pioneers these days in the papers. Toh Chin Chye got a rare mention last year when her daughter passed away. I have heard nothing about Goh Keng Swee. What happened to these leaders whom Singaporeans truly love and respect? Why are they not present at the National Day Parade or Rally? What do they think about the present government’s policies? Do they still care for the people of Singapore? Or are we going to hear about them again only when their photos appear in the Straits Times (you know what) page? It will be too little, too late.
There is a Chinese saying: “When we drink the water, we should think of its source.” Singapore will not be what it is today without these great men and women, the giants of our time. Not only am I thankful to them, I love, respect and admire them sincerely and truthfully from the bottom of my heart.
Armchair critics like me have always been dismissed by the establishment as an unwanted nuisance or as “bacteria” according to a SPH journalist. We are accused of being ungrateful, unpatriotic and even disloyal to our nation. I served two and half years of National Service during which I had a training-related accident which almost took my life. Have I contributed to my nation any less than those new citizens waving the Singapore flag sheepishly at the National Day Parade?
Anybody who criticizes the government is considered anti-Singapore. Is it easier to be a critic or a yes-man? I have been doing “National Service” for Singapore in every single day of my life, be it eating, working or sleeping, I have been thinking, pondering and analyzing over these questions: What is wrong with my country? What are the problems besieging Singapore now? What does the future hold for us? Can we continue with such a system? Are my fellow citizens getting a fair deal from the government?
If every Singapore man has the duty to bear arms to defend our nation, then it doesn’t make any sense for us not to be allowed to question decisions made by the government and to criticize them when the need arises. In fact, the real traitors of Singapore are not its critics, but those who worship the PAP blindly like God. Hitler’s Germany did not have a single critic. Neither does Stalin’s Soviet Union has. The only two places in this world which are completely devoid of critics now are Burma and North Korea.
Now back to the original topic of showing gratitude to the PAP. Even if they deserve it, they can at most claim 40% of the credit for transforming Singapore from Third world to First. Who then deserves the rest? Your father, my grandmother, our forefathers and every ordinary citizen of Singapore who have contributed to the nation in one way or another. Shouldn’t we be grateful to them too?
It is a fallacy that Singapore will not achieve its dizzy heights today without the PAP. Our economic success is remarkable, but it is definitely not a miracle as protrayed by certain quarters and now spinned into a myth in the national folklore.
When Singapore achieved self-government in 1959, it was already a thriving regional commercial centre, a trading hub and an entrepot with one of the highest standard of living in Asia. Japan was still rebuilding after World War 2 while South Korea had not recovered completely from the devastation of the Korean War. In a way, Singapore is already one step ahead of its neighbors. We did not start way down below, but very near the top. How can the PAP possibly fail?
The Straits of Malacca is the world’s busiest waterways. Over 70% of the world’s trade passes through it. Singapore is the only deep-water port in the entire Southeast Asia that can handle the bulk of this trade, no thanks to the British which has been building and expanding its port facilities for the last hundred years. Singapore is an oasis of peace saddled in an unstable region wrecked by ethnic strife and religious animosity. While Singapore has its fair share of riots, strikes and violence, the bulk of fighting under the Emergency took place in Peninsula Malaya and by 1955 after the Baling Talks in 1955, the situation was more or less under control.
[Some may argue that without the PAP, Singapore will become a communist state. This is impossible for two reasons - the Britain and Malaysia will never allow it to happen and the "communist" leaders accused by the PAP such as Lim Chin Siong are more nationalist than Marxist as evident from archives released by London subsequently. We shall leave this to a future article]
Our small size, though it deprives us of natural resources, was a blessing in disguise in another way as it made governance so much easier, enabling the government to remove the hooligans from the streets, construct public housing for every Singaporean, build sheltered walkways connecting every block and of course ensured that the rubbish is cleared on time. Try doing that in Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand and see if the PAP is able to get anything done so quickly and efficiently.
The British did not leave us improverished or in a mess like some of its other colonies in the Middle East. We inherit the British education system, civil service, judiciary and Westminister model of government (though it was not practised by the ruling party) from them. They are the ones who built Singapore from a fishing village into a major trading center of the world, not the PAP. The infrastructure they left behind formed the basis for our economic development. The British naval base was built at a staggering cost of 60 billion pounds and it was the largest dry dock in the world then. After the British departure in 1968, it was transformed into a successful ship-repairing and building venture by Swan Hunter which provided jobs for thousands of Singaporeans.
Dr Albert Winsemius, a Dutch economist, produced the economic blueprint for Singapore when he advised the government to focus on labor-intensive and export-oriented industries such as electronics and manufacturing which created employment opportunities for young Singaporeans, enabling our economy to really take off. Yet, very few Singaporeans have heard about this great benefactor of Singapore, to whom we must express our gratitude too.
Lastly, let us not forget the “quality” of our people if it is the right word to use. I am extremely proud of Singaporeans. Where else in the world can you find a people so honest, hardworking, disciplined, thrifty and obedient like us? We have one of the highest saving rates in the world. Otherwise, how can Temasek and GIC afford to splurge billions of dollars overseas? The Chinese, Hong Kongers and Taiwanese share the same characteristics as us too, but they are not that easy to “handle”. When ex-Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa tried to make some amendments to the Basic Law, 500,000 Hong Kongers turned up in the streets a few days later hurling abuses and vulgarities at him and his family. Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou suffered a similiar fate too when he tried to move closer to China. 100,000 Taiwanese surrounded his government office in Taipei to protest against him “betraying” their interests. In Singapore, they will surely end up in jail if our jails are big enough to accommodate them in the first place.
44 years after achieving independence, we are on our own. We owe a debt of gratitude to the first generation of PAP leaders, but not to the present batch. If the PAP insists that we remembered their contributions forever, then we might as well extend our “gratitude” all the way back to the British with the founding of Singapore in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles. After all, without the British pouring in their nation’s resources to develop Singapore, you and I may still be ploughing the fields somewhere in China or India.
It is time really to move on. Nostalgia and clinging to past achievements will not bring us anywhere. Rather than wasting time and energy to glorify the past, the PAP should do something more practical and meaningful: give due respect and honor to their founding members when they are still alive. Please lead by example and show us what “gratitude” is all about.
Other articles by Eugene Yeo:
>> Singapore’s limit: an unthinking and unquestioning citizenry
>> Debunking the “constructive opposition” illusion
>> How Singapore manage to lose its opposition over the years
Posted in Opinion
69 Responses to “Why should we be grateful to the present PAP?”
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I think once the old man dies, they will replace Raffles statue with his.
PAP is as much our HISTORICAL PAST SUCCESS and the DISINTEGRATING FAILURES WE ARE SEEING RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES.
History is another factor – without the British making this an entreport trade centre, a region as uncompetitive as it was then and a world much less economically dynamic and ebullient as it was at the time of our independence, we prospered by circumstances of our luck, location and may I say HISTORY because China, India were economic wreckage.
China was wrecked by the dumb Cultural Revolution and India totally obssessed with being the mafia leader of the Third World nations in the global stage even going into war with Pakistan over East Pakistan (now known as Blangadesh) in 1971 and war with China in 1962 instead of focussing on its economic.
NOW BOTH ARE ECONOMIC TIGERS who are eating us away. THE WORLD HAS CHANGED and there is no leadership now of the calibre of the first generation that lead us through dangerous and trying times.
Even the Government PUBLICLY acknowledge that the next PM will come from future election. THEY KNOW!
[...] Social cohesion and religious harmony: Look who’s the complacent one – The Temasek Review: Why should we be grateful to the present PAP? – TOC: SDP ND Message – More substantive argument needed – TOC: WP ND Message – an amalgamation [...]
this call for gratefulness is 吃老本. Certainly, umno, LDP, kuomintang etc. also contributed to their countries growth, but being in power for too long,they suffer from inertia,complacency and big-headdeness. they are/were/going to be taught a lesson by their ppl.
Well, according to LHL mentality, if he always want to pull archives from the past.. he could do this.
he is avoiding responsibility, or at least, pushing it away. No other excuse for all the mishaps??? then ask sgreans to be grateful .
wtf is he thinking? Pay that idiot so much $$ , and get this type of quality…
這叫盜取他人功名
“Anybody who criticizes the government is considered anti-Singapore. Is it easier to be a critic or a yes-man?”
We criticize because we care.
Agree completely with the writer !
Most national day, we have the same crying LKY video ! This will sway the youngs and new citizens to think that only one man has built up modern Singapore !
Will look forward to future NDP, where other ” Greats ” who contributed just as significantly are featured !
At least,they have their integrities and credibilities intact -
for doing so much for so little rewards !
Argh! – Isn’t it like the case of we have done so much in the past, alittle hiccup along the way is fine. Be grateful!
Just like how Tharman argues that losing $56b is justifiable because we still make a net profit of $54b during the last six years.
First, I want to say that I am thankful and grateful to the PAP govt of the 60’s & 70’s for laying the foundation of a modern and well developed Singapore. Those were difficult years and I must give the old guards credit for doing a wonderful job.
However, should we continue to vote for the PAP by always keeping the baseline at 1959 (when Singapore started self-governing) or 1965 (when Singapore became independent) ? No, that cannot be the case.
We must judge the govt today based upon their performnce over the last electoral term, and maybe at most, over 2 electoral terms. We can’t possibly keep comparing with 1959 or 1965.
When we go to ballot box the next time (if one is lucky enough), we should be asking ourselves before marking an X,
Is my life today better than the last election ?
Has Singapore become a better place to live and work since the last election ?
Has the govt delivered their promises made in the last election ?
Has our standard of living improve from the last election ?
Has the govt acted on the citizens concerns since the last election ?
If many of your answers are Yes, then by all means, vote for the incumbent. Otherwise, we should seriously consider alternatives.
Of course, we must also consider the policies and programmes put forward by all parties.
Erections Are Cumming!
So now must shoot their load all over your faces and force it down your throats!
“I think once the old man dies, they will replace Raffles statue with his.”
And they will replace the portrait on the Singapore Currency with his.
—-
PAP MAY be a good party in 1959,1960s. However, like Singapore has changed drastically over the years, PAP has mutated drastically too. A whole bunch of rubbish can just become a MP without any contest. They are damn fxxxing expensive to keep and maintain now. They have also become so arrogant that they think they can refuse to answer the people for their fxxxing mistake.
Patriotism is never just about compliance.
Loyalty is never just about matching on 8 August and hanging some flags at the porch of your house.
Wealth is never just about ever-growing GDP
Care is never just about saying you do yet suggesting that you retire in another country
Gratitude only spring from a heart that has been showered with genuine love, care and sacrifice.
成也霹雳, 败也霹雳.
The ‘lightning’ brought Sg up in the begining, and it’s the same ‘lightning’ that is bringing it down.
絕處逢生 said:
“This is called taking other people’s credit.”
And no I’m not grateful to the present PAP at all. The system they have right now is slow, incompetent and has wasted some of my precious time. Dealing with certain ministries is stupidly time consuming and full of problem pushing. And some funny parts include the need for every Singaporean to get an Online Singpass because my GRANDPA can’t Register a freaking employee’s insurance coz he don’t know how to use the Internet! Good lord they’re telling a 75 yr old man to learn and do something he’s not interested in. LTA has also wasted much of my precious money with the ERP gantries, and some other unsolved problems that’s going on made some friends damn frustrated with their ‘Engineers’.
And I’ve got alot more problems that their grassroots have. Stupid problems, really…but even stupider when I see how ugly a human being can become. Why are there so many people like these in the System? I really don’t understand.
Anyways, Good job with the article. The pioneers of PAP were a good lot, even LKY. KS Goh, is actually mentioned in a few books which I can’t remember the titles. But I remember reading those when I was even younger, around 8-10 years back…but wasn’t really interested back then.
But I’m quite sure PAP has no ideals now anymore. It’s all about the money, and that’s a horribly retarded way to bring in patriots for a country.
yes, i am grateful to PAP all along but not now esp during the of GCT’s reign. they emphasize so much about corruption. the work corruption is rather misleading.
to clearly gets corrupted is simply stupid and naive thing to do esp comes from government. but to hold power and control and run like nobody business, that is a different ball game all together.
My goodness, if LHL really wanted to be nostalgic, his National Day Speech should have consisted of the bulk of the contents in this article. Instead of showing all those clips, he should have paid tribute to the unsung heroes that made Singapore what it is today.
Articles like these really turn the media’s statements on their heads. Those opposition leaders who repeatedly endure unfair jail sentences and defamation lawsuits do so not because of insanity, but because of their love for the country. Hopefully, the day will come when the wool is removed from the eyes of Singaporeans, and they will realise the truth about the PAP.
絕處逢生 on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 12:54 pm …greetings.
This is called taking other people’s credit.” Really???
Are you an unsavoury guest taking over as if you are a host?
Or do you think SINGAPORE AND SINGAPOREANS ARE A LAMP POST SHINING BRIGHTNESS ON EVERYONE LIKE YOURSELF except the lamp post?
We built this place up in the last 44 years or did you built it up before we came in??
Or maybe, you are telling me that
the sun always rise in the West and set in the East in Shanghai?
the real person we should be greatful for singapore’s success. in fact u can see that sg has got absolutely no new ideas after he up lorry.
don’t believe the crap about how pap, lky single handledly brought prosperity to sg and their trickle down economic policies.
the only thing that trickles down from the pap is pain and suffering.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Winsemius
@ Fairplayplease:
errr….nononononono you got him wrong. I believe he meant the present PAP taking credit for what the Pioneers had done.
Well what I did was translate that exact sentence and what it was supposed to mean. But it was actually in a harsher tone due to the words he used.
I believe a more appropriate translation would be, “This is what we call ‘Stealing People’s Credit’”
絕處逢生 has been quite sarcastic in his comments usually, perhaps I’ll also try and simulate his tones, since it could bring misunderstandings.
@pm 絕處逢生 on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 12:54 pm …greetings.
Ok just got a message from randomnessinmind. I got his translation wrong. IO tought you were knocking Singaporeans down unreasonably…
SORRY PAL.. I APOLOGISE.
Maybe you could post in English to avoid confusion
And thanks to Randomnessinmind for translation and clarifications.
Oh, you will be writing an article on Lim Chin Siong? I’m looking forward to it!
From the little I have read, he is the true hero of Singapore, a leader that fights for the good of the working class, and was on his way to become PM at that time, its such a pity that he was “fixed”. My feel is we would be much much better off now had he became our PM then, its Singapore’s greatest loss of all time.
疯狗只会乱咬人。真是狗改不了吃屎的习惯。
Why should we be grateful to the present PAP?
The present is the result of the past. And the future the present.
Without the PAP I would be severly discriminated in Malaysia. If I didn’t have the money to open a business and pay the government taxes I would most probably be commutting to Singapre to work or even migrated here or elsewhere.
The PAP gave me a clean home with potable water & electricity. Gave me an education. Gave me a job. Gave me a good passport that gets me to see the real world out there.
I even know of a growing number of Malaysian Malay husbands sending all their children to study free here being with their Singaporean wives, forgoing the “bumiputera” favours back in Malaysia. This speaks million of Singapore.
The present PAP should be eternally grateful to the people of Singapore and not the other way round.
Most of us have tolerated their self serving activites for far too long.
Fast forward to present years and you can see it is our misfortune to have the oldfart hanging on to power using all the underhand and despicable means. Only those who suck on PAP bananas will never admit there is so much that is wrong with the PAP system of govt.
to Anonymous :
狗嘴吐不出象牙
疯狗爱咬人。走狗爱吃屎。各有所好。
人以群分，物以类聚。
Yes, the people delegated to them the Power to lead
and they are able to do what they do because of the mandate.
So, you people can see how important is the People and their responsibility and duty.
Its actually the people .
to Anonymous :
Still, 狗嘴吐不出象牙
They collect BILLIONS and lost A BULK of IT in just a FEW …??? AND IT IS Alright … AND that hoLY-cOW SAID that WE, ARE LAUGHABLE YOU KNOW OR NOT??? The Wise CAN”T teach the fOOOlisH to be wise haw??? ‘Cause the FooLISH always think that THEY ARE wiser than the wise as they HAV LEARNED fromthe mistakes of the wise. BUT Tthan reality IS – THIS IS the other way around ISN”T IT??? OR IS IT NOT??? hehehe … the fOOlisH StoLLY keeps going one haw! Doesn’t IT …?
[...] Because I care, but that doesn’t mean I agree with you all the time. Read ‘Why should we be grateful to present PAP?‘. [...]
#
//Big Singh on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 11:03 pm//
Well said BS. Couldn’t stop laughing at the last sentence.
To Ricky :
It actually speaks more of the state in malaysia than in S’pore.
And yes, we are very generous to the Malaysians. I don’t think we are that nice to our own people
Is your Malaysian friend keeping to his Malaysian passport or has he converted?
he hasn’t.
To Ricky:
In case, you didn’t know, we are so generous to the foreigners here that we have foreigners telling us in our papers to give them more monies.
We also give a lot to the PRCs mother as in the case with the Wang Na’s mother.
YEah the s’porean citizens are very generous.
发歌油 超级百
To Ricky:
If you ask the same questions to the people from Australia, NZ, UK and US, I am not sure you will get the same answer.
And yes, the future is a result of the present effort and there is no assurance that we will get clean water / food like we used to.
The incident at Geylang is proof.
To Ricky:
Your Malay friend is forgoing bumiputera benefits for the benefits Singapore govt is providing to the foreign PRs.
And thanks for telling us that it is much better than the Malaysian bumiputera benefits.
We are not enjoying that as citizens.
mon on Thu, 20th Aug 2009 3:12 am
chipping in . .
“are not enjoying that as citizens.”
are u ok?
go ahead and get married (if you’re not) and produce.
your chn will get the same benefits as his SINGAPOREAN wife.
nothing more nothing less.
understand?
走狗肚中无墨水，偏要装成书生样。
疯狗伴走狗横行，假扮圣贤霸人道。
Ah Tong
“狗嘴吐不出象牙”
刚说完曹操，曹操就到了。
Does that mean that EVERYTHING that we have in Spore is because of the PAP?What about the sacrifices, blood, sweat and toil of countless citizens? The comparison during NDP 2009 is superficial and selective. Did he compare the cost of living? the amount of FTs?The pollution? The amount of “honest mistakes” made? Please lah, Mr Meesiam mai hum, wake up and do something useful so that all Sporeans can feel assured, safe and confident for the future.
The ‘Pay and Pay’ party has employed so many foreign dogs to defend them.
Well, let’s put it this way….. They paid themselves enough to remove any ‘gratefullness’ I have for them…. Why should I be grateful to anyone who is paid more than enough to do the job they did?… it is not as if they are doing it for free?…
Ricky @ Wed, 19th Aug 2009 10:39 pm
“Gave me a good passport that gets me to see the real world out there.”
IS IT????????
Then you obviously have not seen the real world other than Malaysia. I FEEL SORRY for you. Maybe PAP indeed gave you a chance but you were so gullible not to even know about it. Or dog food made you come back?
@Ricky:
“Without the PAP I would be severly discriminated in Malaysia. If I didn’t have the money to open a business and pay the government taxes I would most probably be commutting to Singapre to work or even migrated here or elsewhere.”
….
“The PAP gave me a clean home with potable water & electricity. Gave me an education. Gave me a job. ”
You are a Malaysian, aren’t you? You love our dog food here. You are so happy with our recycled water that doesn’t come cheap. And the cage which cost a few hundred thousand SGDs is also very nice and luxurious for you.
“Just like how Tharman argues that losing $56b is justifiable because we still make a net profit of $54b during the last six years.”
Nicely said. So according to this Tharman’s retarded mentality, it is ALLRIGHT for his wife to gamble away the 56b which he took 44 years to save because it was ‘profit’ anyway?
Tan Yeong Hong said: So now must shoot their load all over your faces and force it down your throats!
The PaPies are not into Bukkake, they are more into Anal and Sinkaporeans seems to be enjoying it.
SinG Dollar Higher THAN Ringgit to maintain lower COL!!! And this will always have to be or sinKaPOOReans will balme the pap!!! So you malaysians here in WP.TR for pap, work here to GET RICH right or not??? Then retire back to Malacca or some other Malaysian town right or not??? NO??? Have you GIVEN UP YOUR Malaysian Citizenship??? OR, ARE you just Citizen there and only PR here??? DOUBLE HEADED SNAKES HAW???
So for retirement OR things DO GET “Really Rough” here, YOU GO BACK RIGHT??? If sinKaPOOR Dollar still Stronger THAN Ringgit, THAN YOU keep SinG Dollar and Exchange it for Ringgit as and when ADVANTAGE And Conveinient tight or not??? If SinG Dollar become sing-dola, YUO WILL change it for Ringgit OR some other stronger Currencies right and keep it here Or IN Malaysia right OR not???
So now, ALL sinKaPOOReans And those proponents of pap … DOESN’T pap SYSTEM FAVOUR FORIEGNERS And NOT US??? Also FAVOUR the pap too right OR NOT??? Keep SinG dollar higher OSO BALLY GOOD for very highly paid pap ministers and mpS too right??? As one day change to other currencies oso advantage too right ORr NOT???
AIYA and AIYO … you all NUTS about pap and thinking we sinKaPOOReans No No anything AH??? “I NOT Stupid” – A JAck Neo movie!!!
to Clever:
Why would I want my Chinese wife to take up s’pore citizenship?
In 010 years time, china will be much better and I can shift base to China and be their PR .
And leave pap to take care of you and squeeze you.
Then you will know that it is possible to squeeze blood out of rock.
[...] Social cohesion and religious harmony: Look who’s the complacent one – The Temasek Review: Why should we be grateful to the present PAP? – TOC: SDP ND Message – More substantive argument needed – TOC: WP ND Message – an amalgamation [...]
mon on Sat, 22nd Aug 2009 3:42 am …GREETINGS..
With all due respect you and your wife, I don’t think you get a Chinese PR at all by virtue of your marriage to a national of that country.
Just take a look at their visa category published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and their public announcements, EVEN HIGHLY SKILLED CHINESE ex-NATIONALS RETURNING FROM OVERSEAS
are given PRs in the way the same notion applies here. Most would be given residency permit BUT WITHOUT A WORK PERMIT and they need to leave China to renew their re-entry every year and RESIDENCY PERMIT WHICH IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY GIVEN.
They now have very limited PRs scheme requiring very high qualifications and years of contribution to Chinese culture, society or economy. Nothing for marriage reason alone!!
CHINA GOT A VERY TIGHT IMMIGRATION POLICY – much more tighter than us.
I see no compelling reason for them to change that any time soon. Ask your connections of Chinese friends if I am wrong here.
EVEN HIGHLY SKILLED CHINESE ex-NATIONALS RETURNING FROM OVERSEAS
are given PRs in the way the same notion applies here.
Ooops.. should read EVEN HIGHLY SKILLED CHINESE ex-NATIONALS RETURNING FROM OVERSEAS are NOT given PRs in the way the same notion applies here.
PAP pondering how best to fight to stay in power
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/22/focus/4567745&sec=focus
At risks of simplification of compelling analogy, the EARLY post independence formulae for our society is
time, competition,localisation, stable environment, stability focussed mindset = success
Past this century, the formulae
time, competition, globalisation, unstable environment, stability focussed mindset = ESCALATED RISK OF FAILURE.
Escalated risk of failure defined as the two crunches of challenges forward – integration of new citizens and relationship with China.
So why the escalated risk of failures? Time has changed, competition a lot more intense, globalisation & internet changed soceity relevant parameters of engagement to environment for survival and competitive information BUT POLITICAL MINDSET REMAINS THE SAME FOCUS OF DOMINATION AND POWER CONTROL. In highly unstable environment, the contingencies and unknow are full of surprises and changes rapidly and control measure are unlikely to be able to anticipate the change and manage its consequential impacts successfully.
In other words, all the previous “success formulae ingredients have CHANGE DRAMATICALLY and the requisite mindset to work and achieve remains stuck in the rigid caterpillar mode whilst the world works EXACTLY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
It is really like swimming determiningly against the overwhelming direction of change.
The balance of probability tells me that we will get drown – probably sooner than later.
So I doubt if it is a question of owing respect or not to the PAP but whether the political governance is RELEVANT OR IRRELEVANT in the DRAMATICALLY CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES.
Until MM spoke of dramatic shift of focus to managing relations with new citizens and critical dependence on China relationship, the masses are unaware of “strategic change” – how to follow the leaders lock in step even if their policy choice is preferred by the Government????
Anyone disagree?
Singaporeans why do you give so much coverage to PM ’s speech, knowing only too well that he is just GLORIFYING his daddy to the new recruit prs & fts.
They are the ones who will be taken for a deceptive ride for years to come & will one day return to their country disillusioned & empty -handed having lost everything they have earned. Didn’t we lose just lose millions in the T SAGA for trusting our foxy leaders? This is just a vicious cycle with the same players vs different victims!
Thank you VERY EVRY MUCH for … UNCOVERING THE “DEN” OF THE OLD FOX And IT’s Young TOTALLY!!! NOTEWORTH Too IS the old-fox once told a FOREIGN-Correspondence on TV Channel CNA(NOT to Local one Okay!) That HE ..
Does NOT BELIEVE that Either The KORAN OR Te Bible HAS The LAST WORD ABOUT LIFE!!! If he IS truly THAT WISE as he professes to be, Should hhe have said such a thing while STILL EBING A “MENTOR MINISTER” In THIS PRESENT Government??? Especially when HE HAD Been Saying THAT “Government MUST BE SECULAR”!!! Where IS HIS SELF-EXPRESSED Secular Nature IN Government AND AS It’s MENTOR MINISTOR???!!! EVEN IF He HAD said that HE Was talking IN HIS Private Capacity, IT WON”T HOLD WATER!!! Because, THEY TALK Anytime AnyWhere AND With HIS PARTICULAR ‘Unique’ POSITION AND ‘Aura’IN The Present Government, What private opinions can HE expresses without IT BEING seen AS HIS opinion BOTH ways AND SO as ‘MM’ TOO!!!
SMART AND BRILLIANT my foot!!! WISE men DON:T ANYHOW Gap and Gape – EVEN In Honesty!!!
Fairplayplease said: With all due respect you and your wife, I don’t think you get a Chinese PR at all by virtue of your marriage to a national of that country.
That is true, one cannot get a PR of China based on solely marriage to a PRC women. One can only get a VISA good for one year on grounds of visiting immediate family members which is renewable yearly. This is probably the residency permit that you were referring to but an L VISA would serve the same purpose, if I am not wrong.
Immigration policy is also very very tight and if you follow the directions and queued, posted on their official site, it will take you forever to even lay your hands on their Citizenship.
However, there are other unofficial and legal ways to obtaining a China citizenship via faster and easier channels, you just need to now the right person and how.
BRAVO to YOU… on Sun, 23rd Aug 2009 10:55 pm
I am actually extremely disappointed that such a ‘remark’(Equality is highfalutin)- hastily spoken just to ‘SAVE FACE’ coming out from OUR very own MM – whom we looked up to be as OUR FOUNDING FATHER.
(It wouldn’t have bothered me that much if someone else had said it from the “Imperial Household”.
Perhaps it is time to remove all the stars from our flag -one by one starting with DEMOCRACY?
Why HIGHFALUTIN? It defeats the purpose doesn’t it? Just an exhibit!
All along I believed that this is what our National Flag meant…(and used to feel proud of it)
SYMBOLIC MEANING:
The flag of Singapore consists of two equal horizontal sections, red above white. In the upper left canton is the white crescent moon beside five stars in a circle. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two to three.
RED symbolises UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD and EQUALITY OF MAN.
WHITE signifies PERVADING and EVERLASTING PURITY and VIRTUE.
The CRESCENT MOON represents A YOUNG NATION ON THE ASCENDANT, illuminated by the five ideals as symbolised by the five stars.
The FIVE STARS represent the ideals of Singapore –
DEMOCRACY (EXTINCT),
PEACE (rising suicide trends),
PROGRESS (going back to the 3rd world?)
EQUALITY( highfalutin) and
JUSTICE (Kangaroo Courts?).
DECEPTION OF THE CENTURY!
I am grateful to pap of the past but i would say the present pap cabinet is not performing to the peoples’s expectations. of course not all of them. I pity pm as he is not able to look after this country and his party given the sub-standard calibre of his cabinet . We may need to consider an alternative govt. or a two party system like that of the uk or us to bring the nation forward.
to regardlessofrace, good points !
Deception is most appropriate to describe the PAP.
The symbolic 5 stars on the national flag has already become meaningless to these political scums.
We do not need to consider an alternative govt or a 2 party system, it is actually imperative. And there must be a collective effort to make the PAP the opposition party, at the next GE or subsequent GE.
It is the degenerate PAP that needs to earn our gratitude.
They don’t know what is
休养生息
They are making us work like hell while they feed on our labour.
When we cannot work, they tell us that we can sell our organs: Really
飞鸟尽、良弓藏，狡兔死，走狗烹
To Big Singh,
…here must be a collective effort to make the PAP the opposition party, at the next GE or subsequent GE….
I am all for it but how, pray tell me, when we don’t even have a CHANCE TO VOTE?
How are we going to do this, even the current opposition parties don’t seem to be doing anything towards this goal? With ever expnding GRCs, the influx of ‘loyal FT citizens’(who will definitely vote for them), don’t you think the odds are against us? Sheesh…it is so disheartening.
Think
Why should we be grateful when we paying top $$$ for Minister. This is what we pay for and this is their job.
So, please do not try to think we appreciate what you have done, ok.
This is informative site.
Singapore government good. All have food, clothing & shelter.
I come from India 8 years. Now PR at shipyard. There got people caste system discrimination. Very little work for people to do. Not so clean also.
Here government make many, many jobs for all. Government good to everyone religion and race. Good schools. Good HDB. Night also very safe.
I like Singapore very much. Hope you like also. I tell my 3 sons to be soldiers and defend the country in the NS. thank you.
@MuraliS on Tue, 25th Aug 2009 10:57 pm …greetings…
Coming from a highly discriminatory country, you would feel relieved and be appreciative of our secular society. And yes, this is a positive for Singapore – non discriminatory on race and religion. And of course, Singapore is very safe at night, till now but I cannot be sure if we are not careful about who else we bring in here.
You are a good PR, willing your sons to defend this country. But I don’t understand why your aspiration for them is just being soldiers rather than maximising what they can achieve out here.
Could your son’s have different aspirations and strivings to find this place increasing depleted of opportunities as the world changed. Surely, you don’t think your sons be looking at only working in the same role as you are now?
THE WORLD OUT THERE IS A LOT MORE COMPLEX AND CHALLENGING FOR YOUR SONS THAN YOURSELF. YOU MAY NOT APPRECIATE THAT AS YET.
To MuraliS, please surrender your Indian Nationality, take up Sinkapore Citizenship and then come back here and repeat the same story again.
PLEASE go to see for YOURSELF, Worker’s PArty Low Thia Kiang’s “THE NEW POOR” OF At Least 8-YEARS AGO he said in In PARLIAMENT ~~~ like in AMK and ALL The OTHER HDB EStates WIT OLD “1-RM 1–HALL” – Meaning ROOM and Hall All INTO ONLY ONE-NIG(?)ROOM — THAT LKY The GREAT HaD SAID to a FOOREIGN-TaLENT here in Singapore on CNA once a year or two ago … THAT … “We now can’t even see THE POOR” … “As THEY ARE ALL in THE GOVERNMENT HOUSING EStates”!!! BUT WHY NOT TO THE LOCAL-Corrspondence again on CNA some time later about ‘HIS’ SinKgaPOOReAnts??? WHY WHY WHY …????????????
You know something VERY STRANGE about ’singspore’ compare TO India??? — IT IS THAT, OLD AND SICKLY SinKgaPOOReanTs WHO ARE SO POOR and WHO ARE NOT SURE OF THEIR NEXT MEAL WILL GET OR NOT — ARE THE VERY ONES lky WAS REFERRING TO!!! AND ARE NOT BEING PROPERLY TAKEN CARE OF BY HI AND HIS VERY GOVERNMENT!!! Now IS THAT The Strange “THING’ I asked about???
NO NO NO!!! … IT IS THAT THESE THINGS ARE “SO INVISIBLE” IN SINGAPORE SO VERY SMALL aNd NOT BeCause there ARE SO FEW of THEM in PERCENTAGE AND IN NUMBERS too!!!! STRANGE???
NO NO NO!!! … ONCE AGIAN!!! BeCAUSE, a certain woman with MULTIPLE ILLNESSES HA BEEN Going Around in some areas along the streets there with a family member AND her maid WITH A PLASTIC encased LETTER FROM TTSH informing OF HER MULTIPLE MDICAL PROBLEMS!!! WHAT ARE THOSE THREE Going Aorund FOR??? CHARITY!!! $60B — $100B LOSSES ARE ALLRIGHT??? AND SO IS LETTING SUCH POOR SOULS SEEKING FOR ALMS AND CHARITY HERE???
PUT ON THAT THINKING AND OBSERVATION CAP AND “THINK” EVEN MORE PLEASE!!!
Dear MuraliS,
You are working in a shipyard- probably DAY & NIGHT ya?.
Next time on your day off (that is if you have one), go to the heartlands of singapore(not the ELITES AREA), meet the Common Singaporean-(the man in the street) you do not even have to talk to them…just observe to know what is REALLY HAPPENING IN SINGAPORE.
In another 8 years you will be regretting what you have said now. I know someone from India(PR PROFESSIONAL not IT) who is here for 16 years (earning ‘big’ money),he regrets coming to Singapore as THERE IS NO LIFE (VAZHKAI)HERE & just ‘waiting’ for the time to back of course, after making ENOUGH $$$.How is this for you friend?
There got people caste system discrimination….
In Sg we have ‘ a different kind of caste system & ‘discrimination’…open your eyes & ears…don’t just cont $$$$$$!
Very little work for people to do…..
Because you didn’t try enough…how are your other Indian Citizens surviving that you cannot? There is a saying in Tamil…”One who cannot establish in his own country can NEVER establish himself ANYWHERE”…you can be just be a ‘coolie’ (working class even if you are ‘given’fantastic ‘titles) & a 4th or 5th class citizen here even if you become a citizen. Now which is better, to live with dignity in your country or reduced to a even lower state than the lowest in sg? You decide.
OWN COUNTRY IS STILL OWN COUNTRY -THE BEST IN THE WORLD- like our OWN MOTHER(no matter how imperfect she may be).
Those who rebuke their own country to(others) is one who not only REBUKES HIS MOTHER BUT HAVE NO RESPECT FOR HER!
Not so clean also……
Yes how can it be clean when you people dirty it without a care?
You think The Singapore Government sweeping the country & keeping it clean?
Helloo, wake up friend, next time you are in Tekka,try & throw a cigarette butt on the ground…and find out for yourself why Singapore is SOOOO CLEAN!