Comments on: 2009新加坡模式何去何从？

By: anomynous

anomynous — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:18:45 +0000

When will TR give the English translation a more prominent position on the front page of the blog so that more English educated Singaporeans will read and start to think about the issues brought up by the author?

Right now, this is hidden in the Chinese Section. Most English educated Singaporeans will simply skip it and miss this gem!!!

By: for singapore

for singapore — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:07:08 +0000

It’s a good article,that’s all.One man’s views,rightly or wrongly..only time will tell.
Even the communist system is not entirely devoid of corruption.

Mr Zhu Rong Zhi-whom i admire greatly-did what he could but i am not too sure about the fruits of his sincere,honest and hard labour.Can Andy XIE give enlightenment,please?

That said,we need good opposition and more importantly good
leaders-men and women of integrity and SELFLESSNESS-to steer
us smoothly in these current rough seas.

Bright and talented singaporeans who have a heart for the people and country -not just self-interested scholars-are needed to help us survive and prosper as a nation just like
some among the OLD GUARDS have faithfully and quietly done for
our parents and also for us.

By: a man

a man — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:33:58 +0000

a coin has 2 sides, likewise to the critics of the article! People always like to vent their anger on governtment for policies they dont like or hate including me.

which developed countries do not have the problems mentioned on Singapore? see the facts and reality, certain things you have to do your best to overcome it.

easy said than done. remember. although there are some things going on under the table for years. spore performs still far better than neighbouring countries. Nature will take its course, one day if the party really cannot perform, it will come down for sure, no doubt and worry about that.

By: amy

amy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:43:27 +0000

Excellently critical. Unfortunately for all of us, it is also the truth as many here knows.

By: At THE END Of THE DAY...

At THE END Of THE DAY... — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:15:32 +0000

1. When “A NATION OF A ‘LKY SinkGApoore’ WITHOUT VISION disappears”…

2. DUE To THE UNREALISTIC ‘ENLARGEMNET’ of oNe OF it’s founding leaderS… THIS NATION call Singapore will HAVE FALLEN TOO…

3. DUE To TOO… the Unrelenting and MOSt UnReaListic PERSUIT OF… OnE man…

4. Who findS DEEP and RUDIMANETARY self-GRATIFICATIONs… in PROCLAIMING… past ‘achievements’in his history WITHOUT ever giving any credit TO his now old COMPATRIOTS in gvoernment… WHO ONCE… CONTRIBUTED… MOST SIGNIFICANTLY TOO… TO his Prime Ministership… in the days OF OLD.. and IS NOW history!!!… So HOW???… DOES???…

5. THIS nation of singapore MOVE FORWARD… IN and WITH True NATIONHOOD-UNITY… “AS ONE NATION”… as he himself love to remind US ALL in THE National PLEDGES… and other PLEDGES… he gave by handing them DOWN… to us???…

6. SO… It IS WITH UTTER DISMAY of My Own DISALLUSIONMENT… Derived FROM… his OUTDATED THINKING and PSUEDO… disallusions ABOUT… OUR DISALLUSIONS ABOUT the FAMIlee…

7. The WISDOM in the quote I repeat here in TR.WP once again “A nation without vision IS soon GONE”…

8. ABOUT… ONE NATION… AS A “CIVIL Sosiety” WITHOUT DIVIDING DEMARCATIONS… OB marks UNSPECIFIC drawn UP by a nation’s leaders… and which OPPRESSES THE Nation’s “CIVIL Society AT-LARGE…

9. MORE simply put… “A nation”… clearly means ALL OF IT”S CITIZENS… comprising of IT’S CITIZEN… AND IT’s CITIZEN CHOSEN leaders…

10. WORKING… IN CONCERT… TO ENSURE IT’S SURVIVAL… “TOGETHER” IN ABSOLUTE UNITY… WITHOUT ExCEPTIONS.. and/in/with UNDUE… FAVOURS TO… ANY CITIZEN IN TOTALITY…

11. THIS ALSo… In simple TERMS… CLEARLY MEANS… “MUTUAL RESPECT… WITHOUT THE “ENCUMBRANCES” OF… any of the… “I Am holier THAN thou” kind OF DEFEATING ATTITUDES IN EVERY Sector of A Nation’s “CIVIC SOCIETY”!!!… FOR…

12. CIVIC… AS IN… CIVILITY… is NEVER THE Province Of A SELECT FEW… NOR… SHOULD IT BE also SELECTIVE OF anyone… FOR “CIVIL SOCIETY” TO… TRULY FLOURISH… INTO “CIVILITY”… IN EVERY SENSE… OF THE WORD…”CIVIL”. Oxford English ENGLISH… BECKONS… ALL Singaporean great AND small to BEHAVE IN… CIVIL Obedience!!!…

13. FOR… OUR Nation OF SINGAPORE… NOT TO… “INADVERTENTLY” FALL OUT OF GRACE ‘IN EACH OTHER”… And so… “Soon BE GONE”… from the face of this Mother EARTH…JUST TO PUT IT ACROSS… SUCCINCTLY and maintaining… The PRISTINE Meaning OF THE WORDS… “NATION”… and CIVILSOCIETY!!!

14. God Blees YOU Singaporeans… and NOT ONLY LKY and PAP!!!

By: Seng Hong Woo

Seng Hong Woo — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:11:34 +0000

The Chinese saying means: “Earthen ware budhdahs after crossing river will disfigure whereas the porcelanic budhdahs will remain intact” and that Singapore’s success is Singaporeans’ success and not one single individual’s great ruling.
Raffles had foresight and Singapore lies at the cross-road of
East/West passage – natural strategy – also free from nautral
disasters like typhons, earthquakes and tsunamis.
After being kicked out from Malaysia, we survive with the help of advisors of economics (Dutch advisor) and military advisors (Israeli advisors). Without natural resources and land expense to help us to survive in the world struggle we have no solid assets (mudbudhdahs) and we survive so far due the true blue patriotic Singaporeans with determinations to stay afloat.
We toil to save some meagre income (CPF) and finally to be
postponed to return the payments via HDB housing, Insurance
schemes and to advanvce the withdrawal dates.
We witness our national resources being drained away through
unwise and due deliberation via overseas investmens – astronomal figures.
Constitution is amended to allow to use natural resources to
cover unwise investments.
Increase population size, GST, ERP, other duties & excises,
COE, land sales to beef up revenue to compensate unwise
expenditures or failed overseas investments.

By: KK Chan

KK Chan — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:26:50 +0000

The Chinese article is the best I have read in the past 20 years. The writer has real in-depth knowledge of governance and social structure.

Thanks for the good anylisis

By: Thank you Leng Hiong for your translation effort!!!

Thank you Leng Hiong for your translation effort!!! — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:57:35 +0000

1. Your translation can and does make for ‘better’ or “easier” sense of the Article in Mandarin context. And IT IS especially so for those who do not read Mandarin at all. I am one of them. But then…
2. The reality thing is also that, if one’s age and background with immigrant grandparents and parents too… those with keen ears couple with a humble and deep to learn cultures, traditional and ethnic experiences… they are in a better position than most… to even decipher the original English translation.

Although not thoroughly, but perhaps to gather enough GIST of the original Mandarin written article. Please don’t get me wrong, but I am fortunate and happen to be one of this type of person with many CHOSEN truly good friends who are Chinese educated and with university education too. So I’ve learned and am still ever learning.

3. And you wrote somewhat rightly from a certain viewpoint view that what I wrote before you was “What a scathing critique!”.
Indeed It IS!!! And yet TR Admin let it be. And I know why too. I can only hope more sane and ‘Critical Thinkers”…NOT in the sense of being critical please… but of “ANALYTICAL and “METICULOUS” sense in an arena of TRUE and OPEN “CIVIL SOCIETY”… thus let me explain why I wrote the way I did… an in what I consider as appropriate response for the furtherance of SINGAPOREANS” “Freedom TO EXPRESS”. So, in THIS LIGHT… I wish to elaborate FOR sharing… that…

4. Should IT BE the “ABSOLUTE PREVILEGE” and “PROVINCE” OF LKY and Co. to DETERMINE VALUES, Civil Society NORM and CONDUCT Without Questions and/or DOUBTS… That no one else CAN BE RIGHT???… So…

5. Firstly LKY HAD BEEN Most “SCATHING” towards those who even just DIFFER with him fundamentally. Doesn’t he also “maneuver” and many Singaporeans think that IT is acceptable simply because it is all part AND parcel of politics??? WHY SO???…

6. When Lee himself and son led scathing attacks alike Or tantamount to “hooliganism” tendencies about “Fixing” OF the Opposition, Challenging the Opposition IN Parliament to repeat what they said Outside of Parliament… meaning IN The Streets WITHOUT Parliament Privilege!!!

7. It common knowledge that everyone has weaknesses AND failings. But then… for Leaders of a NATION in the highest levels of Government AND IN its VERY Venues and Arenas OF POWERS AND OF RESPONSIBILITIES… To even just utter words of other than USED in A DECORUM, EDUCATED and INFORMED Meeting Setting IS NOT ONLY Uncalled FOR… BUT Degrading OF Our People!!!…

8. YES! We DON’T go that far wrong AND rowdy as in Taiwan. But then, to Chinese and some Asian Cultures… RAISING “A HAND” literally against someone… it IS Considered AS having delivered THE Act of INTENDED AGRESSION…

9. Because… It IS “THE INTENTION” that COUNT!!!… In fact… This IS THE TRUTH… Of human actions… Unless of course… when it IS known to be… either and “honest or inadvertent mistake”.

10. The encouraging part out of all these pro and con arguments put forth in TR.WP… is that we’re ARE in s sense EVOLVING… and most hopefully… into the “Open and Inclusive Civil Society” this present PM LHL most BOLDLY spoke about…

11. So… should he and PAP “See US Otherwise” and accrue acrimony when we DO SPEAK UP in Critique of their missteps and/or failures?… Like with regard to TRANSPARENCY???… An example of TH again but from a fresh perspective of the HC failure is not out of line and in keeping of “Two heads are better than one” thing!!!…

12. In the light of public DISQUEIT concerning TH’s Multi-Billions of losses under HC CEO-ship… Mr. Chip Goodyear WAS First “TOUTED” Most Enthusiastically AND Exuberantly by MM & MAS Chairman GCT… and MORE OF THIS followed by TH Chairman Danabalam… Et Cetera… And AS…

13. Having THE BEST SET OF Track Record AND Experience TO “HELM” TH into a new era of Investments Strategy. Having said ALL of THESE THINGS…

14. He became TH-CEO Designate. And then just as Fast AND Furious… Mr. Chip “announced”… “his departure”!!!… TH Chairman explaining of “Strategic Differences… MM… father-in-law SM… hubby PM… then FM.. ALL explaining in different ways, views and front perspectives FOR Mr. Chip’s SUDDEN EXIT even before taking up the TH-CEO HELM!!!… BUT…

15. What RILES US thinkers MOST… up to now… IS… “Why were WE TOKLD of his EXPERTISE as THE In-Thing FOR TH’s new Investment FRONTIERS in Strategy”.. And then… We WERE ten TOLD… THAT IT IS “STRATEGIC” Differences that led to TO HIS deciding TO LEAVE TH!!!… FOR…

16. When Mr. Chip’s appointment was announced as described in Items 12 & 13 above… There WERE also public disquiet about Mr. Chip being a foreigner would come to KNOW MORE of TH’s “SECRETS” THAN… WE AS Singaporeans were ever informed of… and will never know with PAP in power…. And that…

17. Led to ALL THAT furore about Mr. Chip’s REAL Capabilities and HOW HE CAN… BRING TH Forward as “touted”…

18. At the end of the day… it all showed UP ONLY One Thing!!!… That all of that SEQUENCE of EVENTS… REVEALED a REAL and SIGNIFCANR LACK OF “Administrative FORESIGHT, VISIONARY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY AND METICULOUS PLANNING”!!!… THIS says VOLUMES of LKY’s UTMOST CONVICTION of “Pay TOP HIGH WILL GET TOP TALENT”!… Kind of FLIES INTO his FACE again DOESN”T IT???… And so…

19. With due respect… BUT… ALL of Singapore’s SUCCESSESS… ARE Not due to you alone… For..
20. IF they Are and should be ACCREDIT to you… Then it IS ONLY fair THAT the failures of PAP Government… BE accrued to you to.

Last but not the least… All SHOULD BE fair in contests. So that results ARE CREDIBLE and BELIEVABLE… as no man is an island.

By: Chia Shu Sien

Chia Shu Sien — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:56:32 +0000

Lim Leng Hiong thank you for a very good translation of the interesting article. For your information Xie guozhong also known as Andy Xie is not a taiwanese. He is a very well known economist from Shanghai.

By: Lim Leng Hiong

Lim Leng Hiong — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:42:29 +0000

Thanks Admin, I have a minor correction to make in this paragraph:

“So, what is the essence of the Singapore model? During an interview on Dec 2006 with 财经 (Channel 8 TV show) Lee Kuan Yew frankly said: “The Singapore model has no essence to speak of but has the ability to continue to change in accordance to changes in the world…”

财经 more likely refers to the website (www.caijing.com.cn) than the TV show; I think original author can verify.

Btw I’m Leng Hiong and not Heng Liong. I’ll be glad to do translations if your team encounter other Chinese articles.

Cheers!