50 reasons why I will NOT vote for PAP.
December 14, 2009 by Field Reporter
Filed under Opinion, Politics
Contributed by a TR reader who calls himself Bitter Singaporean.
1. I want to buy a house without paying a Cash-Over-Value of $100,000
2. I don’t want to be accused of being fussy if I don’t want to live on the first floor or basement bomb shelter, or ulu ulu places like Kusu Island
3. I don’t want keep hearing that flats are “affordable” when I really cannot afford flats.
4. I don’t want to see foreigners flood our condos, HDB estates, MRT trains, buses, schools, EVERYWHERE
5. I don’t want to know about how ministers are getting lots of landed and prime property both local and overseas when I have trouble getting a 3-room flat.
6. I don’t want ministers who get multi-million dollar salaries when I do odd jobs and some months I don’t make more than $2,000.
Ministers in other countries may take bribes and embezzle. My ministers are smarter, they get more money claiming more MILLIONS in salary LEGALLY.
7. I don’t want to pay ERP just because foreigners’ cars are clogging my roads. Especially, when ERP do not solve congestion problems!!! We still have terrible traffic jams!
8. I don’t want to do NS and reservist to protect my country against foreign invaders when:
(A) I don’t have a house to protect
(B) I cannot afford to start a family to protect
(C) I have to protect foreigners and their property with my life when they run away during war.
(D) Foreigner PRs do not have to serve
(E) I get paid worse than a Bangala worker. To think that National Service needed people donation’s in 1967, after a year, it gathered S$ 3 million from Singaporeans when we were all so poor.
9. I do not want to see PRs and New citizens flashing their blue and pink ICs on their national days.
10. I do not want to see the shamelessness of importing foreign athletes and claims that Singapore won when a foreigner won. Oh yes, we pay these foreigners millions of dollars so that Singapore can claim that it won. WOW!
11. I do not want to hear jeering against the SG local soccer teams from foreigner spectators when we play against other countries IN OUR OWN COUNTRY!
12. I don’t want to pay 7% more for everything I buy in my whole life when the government gives my $200 in “compensation” handouts!
13. I want to see a local student being the top student. Not some China kid. Not hearing from ours kids that there is no point to work hard as some foreigner is going to squeeze them down inevitably.
14. When there is public curiosity, I expect my government (especially Law minister) to be transparent enough let us know about Temasek and HDB cost to build a flat, etc.
15. I want my country to be known as a COUNTRY. My country is NOT just a city like some idiot claims.
16. I don’t want LHL’s son to be the next succeeding prime minister.
17. I don’t like how China suckered us in the Suzhou park initiative and we still have to kiss their assess.
18. I cannot understand why local siblings cannot buy flats when foreigner PR siblings can buy flats.
19. Singles are not allowed to buy flats before 35? Are singles supposed to be forced into marriage just because of this? By the time singles reach 35, the flat prices will be higher by $100,000 to $300,000. These singles worked very hard to scrimp and save only to see savings ERODED away by inflation!
20. I do not want to read the paper when it is pro-PAP and there is major censorship and selective publishing and late publishing for what cannot be hidden.
21. I don’t want my life-savings to be belittled as the salt on the “peanuts”.
22. I don’t like it when my country’s reserves lost tens of billions of dollars and the PM’s wife can still head Temasek!
23. I want important national assets key to our security like power stations to BELONG to our country, not sold to foreigners.
24. I like to add hum to my mee siam by the way.
25. I want a president who actually DOES more. Not one which who I seek shakes hands, seldom speaks, does not even pardon and spare a 19-year-old kid his life. Not a president who kids confuse with Mas Selamat (Many kids who know Mas Selamat do not EVEN know Nathan)
26. I don’t want to have my next national day parade at the silly riverside place….AGAIN! How long does it take to make a stadium? We are a country but we don’t even have a national stadium?? How about loaning Malaysia’s Merdeka Stadium for Singapore’s National day?
27. I want job security. A contract for 1 or 2 years, Then look for work again. The cycle repeats. We have to worry for our jobs and livelihoods on a daily basis. When we are over 40 years old, who want us anymore? I might as well join the army as sign on. But wait, that is contract TOO!
28. I don’t want the next generation to suffer like me in university. I had to work part-time to support my uni fees in NUS, while foreign students get free uni education thanks to MOE PLUS $500 allowance every month. After that, NUS still has the cheek to call me up and ask me to donate to NUS. Why they need money? They lost hundreds of millions of endowment in the financial crisis. I can still remember working and saving for 3 months before I could afford a 2nd hand laptop.
29. I want to protest in the streets to voice my discontent without being put to jail by the ISA act or made bankrupt. For goodness sake, I don’t even dare to accept Singtel’s offer of giving me free 6 months internet if I switch from Starhub to Singtel, because I am scared that my IP address and my name will be blacklisted by the government. (considering Singtel’s afflictions with the govt)
30. I want an opposition party in power. Any opposition is welcome. As educated and smart as my current and soon-to-be-ex ministers may be, I want people who CARE and LISTEN. Even if it is a guy who had graduated from kindergarten would be welcomed if he cares.
31. Elites who have been born with a silver spoon, who never had trouble finding a job, who never had money difficulties, who never went hungry, who breezed through NS, do NOT deserve my respect nor should they be in the government. We need people who UNDERSTAND what it is like at the pits and bottom! Not some shortie who claims to understand hardship with a childhood living in 3-room flat but marries an angmoh and lives in a landed mansion.
32. I want a better electoral system! I don’t want WALK-OVERs again. Some of the seniors did not even get to vote ONCE in their whole lives. How is that democracy?
33. I want fairness. Is it a coincidence that certain estates under certain members of our government are especially well-cared for with upgrading etc incentives? Is this fair? Are residents of areas under the opposition similarly cared for? I quote a resident from Potong Pasir “the lifts here are so old and I can’t climb the flight of stairs to reach my place anymore.” I supposed the 60 year old aunty would be forced to vote for PAP to get new lifts.
34. I want a limit to the number of years the PM can hold office, so that as bad and as lousy as the PM is, we can at least have a chance to start afresh.
35. I want small quotas/ratios legislated for foreigners.
36. I want foreigners to be restricted to less than 20% of our population instead of 36%.
37. Horsie actually said that foreigner PRs were under-represented in HDB flats. Pah! No more than 2 flats in a block should be sold to PRs! Otherwise, how can the many old uncles and aunties have pocket money for retirement by renting out flats?
38. I want their CPF contribution percent to be much higher and that their CPF to be forfeited if they leave SG.
39. I want higher income taxes and property taxes for foreigners.
40. I want NS for foreigners.
41. Foreigners who bought HDB flats cannot be allowed to rent their flat out EVER!
42. I want the SGD to be moderated downwards! A higher SGD may benefit those who can afford to holiday overseas, those who are rich enough to send kids to overseas for studies, or PRs and foreigners when they remit money home. BUT overly high SGD deters investments into Singapore.
43. I want curbs on inflation. To that effect, we need to install restrictions on property speculation, raise reserve ratios in banks, and have more stringent criteria before loans are issued. AND OF COURSE, GST lower back to 3%
44. When foreign talent enters my country. I want these people to be REALLY foreign talent. I don’t want my country’s pink IC and PR to be handed out like toilet paper.
45. I want more heavily subsidized birth-delivery, child-care, pediatric health and education care to boost local numbers. If S.Korea can do it, why not us? The practice of replacement diminishing local numbers with foreigner number MUST STOP.
46. Instead of always saying Singapore does not have enough talent, will the government spend more money and effort in education and grooming the young? Every time they say that there is not enough of certain type of people, the government will import these people in masses and hordes.
47. I expect government-affiliated institutions to not indulge themselves with luxuries when other citizens have bread-butter problems:
When NTUC income unilaterally announced major cuts in its bonus for insurance-policy-holders, the MAS allowed this to happen. NTUC income claimed financial woes, but took HUNDREDS of agents to Australia for an exorbitant expense-paid holiday as they made the announcement earlier this year!!! Do they think about the widows and orphans when they dine fine with wine???
At first I could not believe NTUC Income to be capable of this, then I checked on the web and saw the NTUC CEO hugging 2 BIKINI girls and drinking champagne in Australia too.
(i) http://ms-my.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1550459&id=36541001838&ref=mf
(ii) (ii)http://ms-my.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1549575&id=36541001838&ref=mf
48. I expect the MAS to protect citizens financially too:
When thousands of investors lost their life savings in the mini-bond fiasco, where was the government?? Unlike the Hong Kong government which had exerted pressure on its local banks to compensate a minimum sum to its minibond holders, the Singapore authorities chose to stay out of the matter….. MM Lee Kuan Yew even chided Singapore investors for “walking in with their eyes open” and therefore did not deserve a compensation. (quote from Temasek Review 1st Dec)
49. I have 1 more issue with the state Media Press. HOW can they publish photos of people suspected of crimes when they have not EVEN been convicted?? Imagine the tarnishing to the poor suspect’s reputation if he were innocent! It is not as if the guy can sue ST and get $400,000 in defamation compensation.
50. Anyone can give the 50th reason??????????????? Come on my fellow locals. If I can say so much, you can at least say something! Few thousand people viewing this article and so little comments???
Editor’s note: Contributed by a TR reader who call himself Bitter Singaporean on Sun, 13th Dec 2009 8:20 pm
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pap_would_fall_1_day on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 10:56 am
to add, mml is a political gangster
PoorSGP on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 11:08 am
Bro, 50 nice things u have said. No 47 make me shock. NTUC suppose to help singaporean. they are the only union that singaporean had. haaaiii
smallyfly on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 11:18 am
DO NOT FORGET MINISTER IN OTHER COUNTRIES IF TAKE BRIDES AND EMBEZZLE, THEY MAY HAVE TO FACE THE MUSIC AFTER STEPPING DOWN but for miw with millions of dollars of salary and full pension till the day they die, safe from prosecution after stepping down, who are in the better positions for lucative governance jobs!!! For you to judge!!!
Daniel Leong on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 11:52 am
Simple-minded people really think it’s so easy to belong to this club. Everyone knows outside of this club is worse. It may then be 1 000 reasons for sacking the government. Maybe not if it’s a military regime like in N Korea, Zimbabwe, Myanmar, etc.There have to be trade-offs and opportunity costs in life.
IMF advanced economy list (Asia)
According to the International Monetary Fund the following 5 economies in Asia are classified as “advanced economies”:
South Korea • Hong Kong • Taiwan • Singapore • Japan
Singaporeans can think but not outsiders (otherwise they would be in the same club, right?)
poobay on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 12:02 pm
Fortunately, not all singaporeans will ever know about his top50.
I mean the many apathetics.
phew!
citizenofSG on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 12:11 pm
Aiyo you never mention about the world class rating of our great repression. Let it be your 50th reason.
50) I don’t want PAP to continue repress the press and quickly rise up to number 1 rating in worldwide freedom index.- “Reporters Without Borders.”
fair and square on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 12:31 pm
i just need ONE SOLID REASON.
WE VOTED THEM TO SERVE US BUT THEY WANT US TO SERVE THEM WHILST
TYEY SERVE OUTSIDERS?!!!
PREPOSTEROUS,ALMOST IMPOOSIBLE!!!
come to think of it,only stupid people could ever thought and talk like this?
you tell me…
jonny on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 1:41 pm
Enough of cold blooded technocrats who will only serve if paid right. Enough of Singapore Inc corporatocracy. Enough of turning democracy on its head. We need more JBJ, made broke financially again and again, but never broken in spirit.
woody on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 1:53 pm
Lets not forget that NTUC Income is being run by a foreign talent… Tan SC come from the north. Though I dont really fancy the previous Tan, he is after all a singaporean.
singlish on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 2:11 pm
IMO, what LKY and PAP did is the best for Singapore. Singapore is small, has no natural resources and a young nation.
They have built a very strong economic nation by constructing robust systems for
• peace and order
• urban planning
• justice system
• etc etc
With this, many foreign investors relied on this system. They invest their money to do big business here. Singapore economy is very dependent to foreign investments and additional foreign manpower. When this system is amended, expect a huge decline in the economy
The person who did this article has no sense of gratitude to his forefathers and the people involve to Singapore’s development. I don’t see how a Singaporean cannot progress with his/ her current privilege unless he/she is lazy, dumb and a moron.
Moe Gan Thai on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 3:27 pm
The 50th reason is : if they don’t abolish GRC, I will not vote for pap
smallfly on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 3:45 pm
I can assure you that from now till the next GE, True-Blue-Singaporeans will start to hear lots of minor twists and tweaks to the miw’s policies just to appease the gullible-idiotic-steadfast-miw-supporters to gain votes and retain the miw’s strong grip of power to further enhance their insatiable acquisition of wealth and power, as well as social statues!!! Let’s do our future bets in the soon to be opened casinos of the two IR!!! Heehaheehaheeha…………. Believe the miw are likening to believing the pig that make-up with a lip-stick can really fly!!!!!!
A Tan on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 3:47 pm
One reason to vote for the PAP: the price of my hse has appreciated 50% since last election.
Can cash out and migrate.
P P PAP!
Bitter — no one asks you to stay. Remember the animals stayed voluntarily in Animal Farm. They could have fled from the tyranny of the pigs.
cy on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:04 pm
not surprised abt ntuc income acts, AIG did something similar too that enraged the US folks.
lucky the CEO did not a “tiger woods”
dt on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:06 pm
haha re:point 29, singtel AND starhub both have links with the govt. (ie temasek holdings)
dt on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:07 pm
In 1998, a consortium led by ST Telemedia, a unit of the Singapore state-owned investment agency Temasek Holdings, won its license bid and established StarHub Holdings.
jiangbao on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:11 pm
[quote]I don’t want my country’s pink IC and PR to be handed out like toilet paper.[/quote]
Our Pink IC and PR is toilet paper…
dt on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:12 pm
point 49, too bad we dont practice innocent till proven guilty here in SG.
John on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:13 pm
You forgot to add:
51. I want property prices to be low when I buy and high when I sell, otherwise I will complain.
52. I want quotas for foreigners and higher duty for those who employ them but I should be allowed to get a foreign maid for a few hundred dollars per month, working 7 days a week for me with no questions asked.
53. I want some foreigners to work in Singapore but they should not be allowed to live in HDB or in private properties as this will drive up the price. In fact they should be here but not here. Foreigners should not be allowed to take public transport, taxis or own cars. They should not be allowed to walk on the streets when I am there too.
54. We should only get genuine foreign talents but they should not be more talented than me otherwise I may loose my job.
55. All HDB flats should be built in the prime districts and have top floor penthouses only. They should be heavily subsidized and have a MRT station just across the hallway otherwise I will complain.
56. I want PRs to show their loyalty to Singapore by becoming citizens and integrating into society but they should never be true citizens and should always be treated as foreigners.
Foreign Talent on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:47 pm
Thanks John!!! for supporting us FTs and PRs. Are you one of us?
PAP is right. Flats are really affordable.
The monthly installment is nothing compared to the rent I need to pay to rent a flat in Singapore.
At least when I buy a HDB flat, I don’t have to waste money to support a flat belonging to a local. This ensures that Singaporeans do not become lazy and think they can make money by becoming landlords. PAP is helping foreigners and locals alike, so pls be grateful.
It is heartening to know more people have more money. At least, I can be assured that my flat can be sold easily for a good price, and I can retire comfortably at 50. Banks should ease lending so that local buyer can afford an even higher price for my flat. The loan should be totally repaid by at most 2 generations of repayment.
Lastly, I recommend that the 2-room and 3-room flats be rented out to poor locals. It is sad to see so many of without a job that they need to sell $2 lego bricks to survive. I bought a brick to help and to express my thanks that Singaporeans have given me something that they themselves do not even have–a job.
It is the same with homeless locals I see. I also thank them for giving me homes that they don’t even have. I drop coins into their tin cans and smile kindly.
Some locals may say that foreigners take jobs away from locals. This is NOT true. Like the government voted by Singaporeans often say: “Singaporeans (especially young people) are too fussy.” It is their fault that they do not accept salary less than $2000 and less. $2000 is a lot already. Fresh grad in shenzhen only get SGD$400-$500.
In conclusion, PAP is a good government. It is similar to GCT in so many ways. I am a Singapore Pink IC holder now and I will SURELY vote for PAP, so will the hordes of fellow countrymen who have gotten their pink ICs. Locals pls do not blame others if you cannot afford a flat and pls treasure your wonderful government.
Some of Malaysia PR friends say that soon SG will become the 14th state of Malaysia. They say LKY himself has said that SG needs to depend on Malaysia and he cried with SG left the federation.
I think it is more likely SG will become part of China like Taiwan and Tibet and Hongkong and Macau.
What do you think? ^_^
qussl3 on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 5:40 pm
@John on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:13 pm
Way to go belittling real concerns. Bravo.
Perhaps some points are more demands than anything else and possibly also unrealistic and overboard, but they are a reflection of how disenfranchised one individual feels, a sentiment possibly shared by many.
The facts are indisputable
1. The citizens have no way to take the PAP to task for policy and administrative mistakes.
2. The income gap is widening.
3. Our infrastructure is being patchworked to take the strain of over-immigration.
4. Permanent positions are being eliminated and replaced with contract positions.
5. NTUC the is headed by a PAP member.
6. Cost of capital is artificially low. (Look at the underlying reasons for ridiculous SGD deposit rates)
7. Do we need give prostitutes PR? (At minimum someone isnt doing their job)
8. Compound interest magnifies cost of housing increases far beyond the simple 30-40% price rises seen in the last year.
There are many more, of course.
It is unrealistic to expect equality or even simple justice – no society has that.
But for as long as we singaporeans continue to allow ourselves to be governed as opposed to us choosing our government, it is not unreasonable to expect the status quo.
And in recent years the status quo has been inflation, less job security, overloaded infrastructure, regressive taxation and transient paper wealth creation.
fpc on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 5:43 pm
//John
Tell that to the country government where you came from. see what they say.
//Foreign Talent
“Fresh grad in shenzhen only get SGD$400-$500. ”
But their housing is a lot cheaper too.
So it doesn’t matter if the absolute number is low because the things they buy is low too.
If it is that bad, you won’t be seeing the economic miracle going on in China.
Rent in Singapore is high?
Depends on what you stayed in.
anon on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 5:47 pm
PAP can’t help you. SDP, WP, RP or any other party all can’t help you. USA, Korea or any developed country also can’t help you. Nobody can help you. They all got their problems and complaints.
Where got a place with no complaints and people are relaxed every day? Maybe Bhutan loh. Simple life, simple pleasures.
citizenofSG on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 5:53 pm
@singlish -
Quote S “…. With this, many foreign investors relied on this system. They invest their money to do big business here. Singapore economy is very dependent to foreign investments and additional foreign manpower. When this system is amended, expect a huge decline in the economy
The person who did this article has no sense of gratitude to his forefathers and the people involve to Singapore’s development. I don’t see how a Singaporean cannot progress with his/ her current privilege unless he/she is lazy, dumb and a moron.” end Quote S.
The world need one another. If we have nothing to offer the foreign investors, they will leave anyway. The last time your PAP’s master said if we have even one opposition MP, the foreign investors will run away, now we have two opposition MP, the investors still coming. What wool are you trying to pull.
The article is about why we shouldn’t vote PAP and not about gratitude to our forefathers.
If a person is lazy, dumb and even a moron but yet a Singapore citizen, is it he is not worthy to live in your PAP privately owned city. Do you want to cast him in the deep blue sea?
You same as other pappies, very very cocky.
cat on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 7:26 pm
//Foreign Talent
You forgot to mention that education fees in China is low. You certainly should not expect to make 2000 a month investing 10 dollars in your university studies.
S’poreans pay 4500 a year for their Tertiary education. (minimum)
Many pay more.
They should expect a higher salary.
If the salary number is a simple determinant, then you would see companies flocking to China and completely get out of Singapore.
The reason that has not happen is because Chinese in Mainland are not productive (as productive as Singaporeans).
Foreign Talent on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 8:58 pm
As a small country, I think you people should be more humble. Don’t 夜郎自大. Many people in China call Japan 小岛国, so you can imagine what Singapore is referred to as. In case you cannot imagine, I heard many call SG the 小不点. It is a pun that means a toddler as well as a place which is not even a dot.
As a small country without even oil like Brunei, Singaporeans should 装成孙子. After all, Singapore must see big countries’ 脸色做人. Does SG dare to offend China? Or offend Malaysia considering SG is surrounded by Muslim countries?
面子是人家给的，自己丢的。Ok, seems like I am forced to be blunt. I tried to explain but there are still so many who do not understand that Singaporean depends on foreigners. Foreigners contribute more than 40% of SG GDP. Without foreigners, locals have to pay more taxes, more expensive bus/train fares, etc. Without foreigners, SG is really not much, so locals must treat New citizens and PRs like VIP. PAP understands this. Even if I flash my pink IC at the next China national day parade, all of locals cannot make noise.
外国人给你们面子，叫你们一声“新加坡人”
外国人不给你们面子，你们p*都不是
我们说你行，你就行
我们说你不行，你就不行
我们说你不行，你说你行，你还是不行
The days of “there was a time when people said that Singapore could not make it, but we did” is past. PAP should spent more money education the next generation of locals to value foreigners and PRs. The guest is always right.
More worried on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 9:06 pm
John on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:13 pm
One more very important one you overlooked
57. TIME TO CHANGE. SINGAPORE IS HEADING INTO ECONOMIC OBLIVION. You have been reminded, it is a foreign city state, DEFINITELY NOT A COUNTRY, if it ever was one.
All is fair on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 9:11 pm
anon on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 5:47 pm
Bhutan paid their Ministers Singapore 50 cents a year. How much did you pay for yours and get buttered properly in your rear end?
JW on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 9:50 pm
Vote the PAP out. If they lose 2 GRCs in the coming election it would be a blow to them.
China Protege of Deng Xiao Ping on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 10:03 pm
Foreign Talent on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 8:58 pm
So China is very BIG right? Every small town near big cities are full of brothels just like Chang Pin “chicken town” and every big cities has brothels on every street corner not far from the Kong Ann Chi ( police station).
CHINA IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS – full of sh$t, if you are honest with yourself.
Go back to your barber shops with no chairs nor scissors inside, only sexily dressed women looking for street customers to walk in.
You think we Singaporeans (other the MIW baboons) don’t know meh?
Tom on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 10:10 pm
Seems like the mentor is frequently in the news nowadays . Soemthing is wrong somewhere already ..
fair and square on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 10:12 pm
what the heck !
since FOREIGN IS “SO GOOD”,THEN IT MUST BE GOOD?
LET’S ASK MAHATIR(?) OVER?
ON SECOND TOT,MAYBE GEORGE BUSH…AT LEAST HE ONCE RULED THE
USA?
WHAT SAY YOU THOSE SUCK UP NEW TALENTS?
IF NOT,BETTER STILL,THE PRCs may prefer ZHU-RONJI!
TIME TO CHNAGE THE gahMEN!
I SAY PUT IN OUR OWN VOICES,VOTE OPPOSITION!
ANYTHING LESS IS TOTAL NONSENSE!!!
VOTEWISE on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 10:33 pm
With the gahmen and employers’ preference for all things FOREIGN, i am now considering whether it’s MORE ADVANTAGEUOS
to trade my CITIZENSHIP with any willing FOREIGNER for his PR
status.
since some guys here talk so much,how about just a mere sgd 2 million?..for all that heap of praises they lavished for the gahmen,guess it’s a small token/
seriously,any takers???>..huh???
SG Janitor on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 10:37 pm
Foreign Talent..
I am curious what you are doing here, from the great land of China (which you obviously you are from). It’s exactly your “I am from the great mainland of china” and Singapore is just such a “nothing-little-island” superiority mindset that we don’t need here in Singapore.
Go back to where you belong, and stay there.
singlish on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 10:38 pm
@citizenofSG
If you want to cast him in the sea that is your suggestion. But what I advise to them is to take advantage of their privileges. My point is, PAP has done the best thing for Singapore and you should be grateful for that. This country began as a third world country and because of good leadership; Singapore has become what it is now. Can you imagine what your country will look like if this jealous opposition party has taken lead way back 1960s? Maybe you would not be a spoiled brat as you are now. Citizens here have more privileges than foreigners.
Based on my experience here, employers are fair. They give what is due based on skills whether you are a local or a foreigner. If you do not belong to the skilled people who deserved higher salary, why blame the government. That is your problem.
KAM on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 10:43 pm
50th reason: I want to praise and be proud of my country, instead of criticising her on every blog and website I see here on singapore political news.
Why is there so much unhappiness and dissent?
Why?
Why can’t I be proud of my country?
for singapore on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 11:01 pm
@KAM
am sorry this country’s gahmen doesn’t think the same of you,that is,if you are a bona fide citizen?
be grateful by all means but is is wiser to thank the right
people..your fellow citizens?
LPPL?? on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 11:43 pm
Foreign Talent on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 8:58 pm
Hey, you stupid dog’s ar$se licker. Just take a look at how cheap your national pride AND UNWELCOME made-in-China EXPORT are in Hong Kong? .
What percentage of those there are Mainland Chinese compared to locals there?
http://www.sex141.com/en/main.php
SHAME SHAME SHAME AND MORE SHAME OF SUCH TRASH!!! Only shameless Pappies dogs want your business. Go home, bloody foreign trash.
nocolour on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 11:50 pm
reason #50 – I want my real mother tongue to be formally recognised; and recognised for the fact that it is facing extinction. I want Portuguese Eurasians, Peranakans, and Chitty Indians to be able to speak their real lingustic heritage withour fear or ridicule.
I want a Bill of Language Rights that protects REAL minority language and cultures from being extinct. I find the constant chest-beating about the “dire-straits” of Mandarin in Singapore offensive, ignorant and insensitive to the language-extinction situation that local creole communities are facing in Singapore. The time, money and resources spent on the last 30 years of “Speak Mandarin” campaigning simply dwarf the langauge efforts of ALL the other races put together.
citizenofSG on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 12:05 am
@singlish – Have I not being grateful to the PAP? It is because we are too grateful to the PAP, that we have voted in all tom dick and harry that walks in through the PAP’s banner.
The net result is that we find ourself, the citizen, being kicked out.
Every countries have got the good, the bad and the ugly. They also have the weak and the strong. Some are even born crippled. Base on your system of merits, where do our weak go to. Isn’t it you forced them to commit suicide or to die when they can not compete. How can you blame when people get old and cannot compete with the young beauties of China? Of course our auntie cannot sell beer as well as the pretty PRC, as our auntie is not so beautiful and unwilling to be laid upon. Base on merit, they really got no where to go.
Since you call Singapore as “your country”, meaning it is my country and not yours, i have to infer that you are a foreigner. For a foreigner coming here to prick a Singaporean, you really got the cheek.
Why shouldn’t we blame the government, since they are elected by us to represent us and not to own us. They are suppose to serve us, we are a democracy, in case if you are a communist, you don’t know what is a democracy, please go and learn more to improve yourself and your country.
Even now, our government is disgracing us by letting foreigners in to speak down to us. How long more can we tolerate all this?
The development of this country is the hard work of her citizens, who also serve the national service to protect the country, who work hard to make it a first world country.
Most small places with large Chinese population in our region also progress well, look at Hongkong and Taiwan. Please do not call me racist, I am only reporting what I see and know, if it is untrue, please tell me.
Stop attributing it solely to the government of Singapore. The old guard of PAP who had done the good job had passed onto a new group of new PAP consisting entirely of new members except one Mr. Lee. This group of PAP is not like the old group of PAP. This new group of PAP is all about money. They care about money affair and lack in people affair, instead of governing, they started doing business by investing our money. Win they say its their credit, lose the citizen will pay the bill.
Since you are not a Singaporean, maybe you don’t know much of our history. Go and earn your salary, we don’t believe you are sincere in our country.
All is fair on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 12:21 am
KAM on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 10:43 pm
Sorry, you don’t have a country, just a rock infested with too many foreign cockroaches. That is why I will NOT vote for PAP.
After that, we can be proud to call Singapore a country.
Singapore Talent on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 12:33 am
Foreign Talent on Mon …
我们行的时候, 你们还在抓住一本红色小书唱歌.
行不行, 不需要先生评语.
We need foreigners, like my grandfathers before me.
像先生一样的 foreigners, 有没有也无所谓.
Vote of Opposition on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 12:54 am
Hello hello!
You never hear MM Lee today says “economy goes up, naturally flats prices will goes up!” You must listen to the wise and elderly stateman of Singapore.
If not our women will be maids in another countries!
theinkhorn on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:01 am
reason #50
I want articles like this to be published by a national, non-state owned, independent media.
Richard Kong on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:08 am
No gahmen in this world can satisfy any of the 49 reasons of Bitter Singaporean, including the next opposition gahmen in Singapore, if there is one. We are living in a real world and the survivor of the ablest and fittest. Remember, when you point one finger at every one of the reasons, there are 3 fingers pointing at yourself. No outsider can help you, except your goodself. Sit down and reflect deeply where can you improve and overcome the odds. It is always easier to blame others for the problems and not yourself. If others who do not go to the university can do it, there are no reasons why you cannot with your tertiary education.
anon on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:12 am
All is fair on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 9:11 pm,
Got buttered? Better go Bhutan. Low inflation, low immigration. No crisis, no pressure, no competition. Simple life, simple pleasure. Perfect place, 100% fit, will be very shiok.
CA on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:45 am
Another reason: Because I want my children to grow up to be better people than money-minded slaves
Vote of Opposition on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:49 am
I do not want to vote for PAP because of their stupid GRC system in GE and Presidential candidates have to be “screened” by PAP “presidential committee” before “approved” to be a candidate.
I want to vote for volunteers and true MPs who are out there to serve people, and not PAP MPs who are persuaded to join politics. Definitely NO to WALK OVERs!
FPC on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 2:51 am
//John on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:13 pm
//I want property prices to be low when I buy and high when I sell, otherwise I will complain.
I don’t think anyone will complain contrary to what you say.
It has been flat for 2 decades except for a short jump under the old hdb management. go check the hdb website.
//52. I want quotas for foreigners and higher duty for those who employ them but I should be allowed to get a foreign maid for a few hundred dollars per month, working 7 days a week for me with no questions asked.
It would be simpler if we make enough to employ 2 maids so that both can take leave.
//53. I want some foreigners to work in Singapore but they should not be allowed to live in HDB or in private properties as this will drive up the price.
Ask how the Bermudian did it. Foreigners cannot buy flats. They can only rent.
Nobody is complaining when they rent much to your mistake.
//Foreigners should not be allowed to take public transport, taxis or own cars. They should not be allowed to walk on the streets when I am there too.
It would have been simpler to have mrt employ more driver (just one more) and increase the frequency of the trains then trains will be less packed.
Foreigners were here by at least 20% in the last decade and Nobody was complaining until now where they are 36%.
So, congestion is the big issue.
If you are an FT, you are not the kind to be welcome here because you cannot think outside the box.
54. We should only get genuine foreign talents but they should not be more talented than me otherwise I may loose my job.
Tell that to the pigs @ parliament. They want constructive opposition but they don’t want to lose to opposition and that’s why they didn’t debate with them: they bankrupt them.
To tell Singaporeans that the playing field is level against the foreigners is a lie. Singaporeans are disadvantaged.
IF the FT attracted here are so talented, we should have seen the level of entrerprising companies created by them like in the US. But no, we don’t. We only see waves and waves of prostitutes.
55. All HDB flats should be built in the prime districts and have top floor penthouses only. They should be heavily subsidized and have a MRT station just across the hallway otherwise I will complain.
If you can do that at a low price, we won’t complain.
Otherwise staying at a low level at a low price, we won’t mind.
But don’t kid us into buying an expensive place at a lousy place with no monetary subsidy.
56. I want PRs to show their loyalty to Singapore by becoming citizens and integrating into society but they should never be true citizens and should always be treated as foreigners.
Tell me a PR who has contributed significantly to Singapore, I can show you 3 other natives who have done the same.
If you are so successful in getting PR to become citizens, you wouldn’t be getting waves and waves of PR leaving under a short time.
Don’t blame it on us: the PR knows, singaporeans are not treated well and why should they join?
Shawn Teo on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 3:45 am
Daniel Leong on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 11:52 am is absolutely right.
Why the IMF listed South Korea • Hong Kong • Taiwan • Singapore • Japan as the only 5 advanced economies in Asia?
I won’t want to be in those outside this list. Common sense tells me the MAJORITY of the people there must be starving or having a very hard time.
Thank you PAP for these 45 good years. Nothing is perfect in this world and I won’t take chances with what I have here. You will still have my votes and all the rest of those smart & grateful Singaporeans.
citizenofSG on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 4:23 am
@john –
May I adjust your demand to reflect what a true blue Singaporean thinks and not what a sinister Johnny thinks.
(quote)51. I want property prices to be low when I buy and high when I sell, otherwise I will complain.(end quote
We must not speculate in HDB property. Let us regulate the property to ensure supply meet the demand and HDB is always affordable to the citizen so that every Singapore citizen could afford a roof over their head.
(quote)52. I want quotas for foreigners and higher duty for those who employ them but I should be allowed to get a foreign maid for a few hundred dollars per month, working 7 days a week for me with no questions asked.(end quote)
We want job to be given to Singaporean first then to foreigners. Remove maid levy and give it to the maid as salary. I want to give the maid a day off every week but if she runs away don’t make me pay a penalty.
(quote)53. I want some foreigners to work in Singapore but they should not be allowed to live in HDB or in private properties as this will drive up the price. In fact they should be here but not here. Foreigners should not be allowed to take public transport, taxis or own cars. They should not be allowed to walk on the streets when I am there too.(end quote)
Foreigner coming in to work in Singapore must first find their own lodging, committed for the full duration of their work tenure. Companies employing such workers should try to arrange transport for their workers to ensure they travel safely. When they walk on the streets, they must not hog the street for theirs as well as our safety.
(quote)54. We should only get genuine foreign talents but they should not be more talented than me otherwise I may loose my job.(end quote)
Before we get any foreign talent, the company must first try Singaporean and give Singaporean the first opportunity.
(quote)55. All HDB flats should be built in the prime districts and have top floor penthouses only. They should be heavily subsidized and have a MRT station just across the hallway otherwise I will complain.(end quote)
New HDB must be distributed properly and first to Singaporean, last also Singaporean because it is Singapore property. If there is no subsidy simply say no subsidy please don’t say market subsidy.
(quote)56. I want PRs to show their loyalty to Singapore by becoming citizens and integrating into society but they should never be true citizens and should always be treated as foreigners.(end quote)
PRs are not any royalty, they must be given prudently. They must be graded by their contribution before they are given citizenship to ensure we are getting quality. New citizen must serve National Service to show their loyalty.
Johnny are you a pappy? Coming here to jeer at us for the sake of PAP.
Rainnix on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 4:24 am
No Porn Lui is gonna jump after reading this article. Is TR preparing another hamper?
Angry SG on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 7:34 am
@Richard Kong on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:08 am
“No gahmen in this world can satisfy ANY of the 49 reasons of Bitter Singaporean”
Really meh? the gahmen cannot even satisfy 1 of the requests? Not even 1? Sometimes I really don’t know what to say to PAP supporters/fans like you loh.
If so, then we pay them so many millions for what?
If they “cannot” do things that other gahmens cannot do, shouldn’t they be paid like foreign gahmens??
@Shawn Teo on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 3:45 am
You are telling Singaporeans to be grateful to PAP. I want PAP to be grateful to us.
We paid them so many years and so many millions so that they can buy shiok mansions and classy condos, is it too much to ask for them to treat locals well? Instead how come treat foreigners better?
Loyalty and gratefulness goes both ways.
Get Real on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 8:03 am
Richard Kong on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:08 am
You may have got a string of degrees, maybe in different fields. I failed my kindergarden leaving examination in comparison. Not ashamed because I survived till today. Hope you don’t end up one day driving taxi like our very bright citizen A*Star Stanford PHD.
There is globalisation. There is also MANAGED GLOBALISATION. There is also mismanaged economy trapped in desperation whose only unimaginative solution is narcotic-like addiction to population import and power dictatorships at all costs and to exclusion of all other considerations of damage to society. The tobacco (narcotics) may relief tension, distort reality and illusion that nothing is irretrievably wrong but the cancer to come will discover even drastic surgery won’t cure. The country import on this scale and no country without resources are so reckless with the acrimonious climate change agenda now going on in Copenhagen unresolved.
Climate change is population induced – even China pleaded restraint. Migration friendly countries like Australia are reducing QUANTITY and focussed on QUALITY. How do you get quality with DICTATORSHIP WHEN CREATIVE MINDS NEEDS SPACE TO BREATHE, FREEDOM TO GROW FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDREN?
You can’t grow crop on salted soil of autocracy. Have you NOT noticed that everytime the MIW travels abroad, they GOT SHREDDED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES no other Asian countries got such treatment except Burma, Iran and North Korea? Have you ever noticed that democratic societies has the highest successful rate of innovation where talent germinates and flourishes? Talents cultivated there will come to oppressive dictatorship to imprison their lives such to assist in our development? Only 3rd grade materials, with exceptions of course, will come. The Government admits as much – most foreign talent PRs would NOT stay, BUT DO THEY ADMIT PUBLICLY WHY NO ONE WILL STAY IN THIS MAFIA-INFESTED THUG-LIKE RULED THOUGHTS PRISON??
Because of globalisation, your degrees won’t be of much use if business shifts abroad if you worked for MNCs. If you work for GLC, your future is with them only in Singapore. GLCs could not fart a little hot air outside Singapore. And if you are in public service, it is also dead end because the public sector will shrink as MNCs moved out.
Richard Kong, you should examine your own thoughts and niavety instead of lecturing others around.The Government failed its people in 45 years of economic mismanagement.
THEY ARE TRAPPED AND STUCK WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF EMBEDDED IRRRELEVANT ECONOMY AND IN DESPERATION OF NO IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS – IMPORT FOREIGN POPULATION TO ARTIFICIALLY AND TEMPORARY PROP UP THIS ECONOMY. SCREW THE CONSEQUENCES OF OVERLOADED POPULATION WHEN THIS PLACE IMPLODED – the logic is resort to narcotics of smoking lies and deceptions to calm desperation and failure and if cancer struck…oh well..TOO BAD.
You want these people to lead the country or you seek change., Richard Kong???????
Muhamad Nur on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 8:07 am
With such a high influx of foreigners in Singapore, we are heading the Dubai way. The cost of inflation is real (high human migration and reduced salary) while the rise in GDP is inflated(due to the influx of foreigners). The GDP per capita does not reflect the actual earnings of the average Singaporeans. The conundrum is when Singapore does hits rock bottom, which country will save us? At least Dubai has it’s sister city Abu Dhabi and also UAE’s huge oil surplus. Do we sell our foreigners in exchange for money? (This is meant as an irony).
Get Real on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 8:29 am
Shawn Teo on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 3:45 am
SHAWN, YOU ARE WRONG BECAUSE WE WILL DO BETTER WITHOUT THE PAP’S 45 YEARS OF ECONOMIC MISMANAGEMENT AND IF WE STAY WITH THEM, WE WILL SINK INTO OBLIVION. WE ARE ALREADY SINKING VERY FAST and the PAP KNOWS THAT – they speak of restructuring, only you live in denial.
Wake up, Shawn. Your mind is trapped in the boiling frog syndrome. GET RID OF PAP.
ross on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 8:44 am
To Foreign Talent
we do not need 支那人民 here to pollute our country.
smallyfly on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 10:46 am
To foreign talent, you are really foreign talent “that” only knows how to recycle your article posted somewhere else to this “website”!! By the way, what type of talent you really are when the only place you can resident in, is to this little-black-mark? I bet besides than this little-black-mark, no other countries would like you to immigrate in, to the extent of even you butter-up to them? So, before you blow your trumpet so loudly, blow your horn so vociferously, please do some introspections, my dear!!!
May be that’s what ri and nus had taught you, I presume: recycle old articles with cosmetic mark-up and bluff cum blur your way through; I feel really shameful for your, my dear!!! Once again, please do not label me as personal attacking you!!!
Empty vases make the most noise!!! My dear foreign talents!!!
Bird Talk on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 11:38 am
I have only one reason to “Vote PAP Out!”
Viper on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 11:58 am
Listen to the people …
Understand and solve their worries …
You shall have my vote …
Ex-Malaysian on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 12:29 pm
Muhamad Nur on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 8:07 am
Hi Mohd. We don’t go too far lah. There are only 11 countries in ASEAN.
Tell us honesty which country would you really wish to be living in today?
There are 3 so-called Islamic countries in ASEAN with huge mineral resources and seriously we don’t see our Singaporeans migrating there like the non-Muslims who have been uprooting by the millions over the last 50 years from Malaysia. Just last month, the Malaysian Parliament was queried and they disclosed that last year alone 330 000 (non-Muslims) have relocated elsewhere presumably to Australia, Singapore?
This is indeed a blessed place for sure though not perfect. Perfection is only in Shorga (Heaven). Right?
I’ve learnt to stop whining and complaining ever since I came back from mission work in the Phillippines, Sumatra (Indonesia), Cambodia, etc. a year ago. Seeing ius believing. What one government can or cannot do is unbelieveable. More than 80% of the population in these countries really live in SHIT HOLES.
For the utopioans I say go out and see the REAL world first otherwise you’re just “a katak de-bawa tempurong”.
Get Real on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 12:41 pm
@ Ex-Malaysian on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 12:29 pm
Is your UTOPIA walking backward to new chapter of history mired in poverty and failure helped in large part by incompetent Government?
FPC on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:12 pm
//Shawn Teo
//Why the IMF listed South Korea • Hong Kong • Taiwan • Singapore • Japan as the only 5 advanced economies in Asia?
What does it got to do with PAP when there isn’t a PAP in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea?
You mean you receive handouts from PAP?
FPC on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:13 pm
//Shawn Teo
Boneless creature for receiving handouts from PAP.
If life is so good in S’pore, you should see more procreation. Why would you not have offspring to pass the good life to them?
True Singaporean on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 1:17 pm
@ Ex Malaysian,
I would have traveled and known Malaysia more than you would.In Indonesia not only Sumatra but also the rest,Java,Kalimantan,Sulawasi and the rest..Tell me why aren’t the minority Chinese Indonesians moving into SG if their countries are such a shit holes?
Tell me why are Indonesian Chinese who are owning the entire orchard road properties in SG and yet prefer to go back to Indonesia? Or how many Singaporeans do or can afford to own properties in Indonesia as much as Indonesians do in SG?
Tell me ,among the top 20 billionaires in Malaysia.How many are Malays and how many are Chinese? ..Why do minorities get richer in Malaysia whereas people gets poorer in SG regardless of their races?
Indonesia and Malaysia alone has about 15 million ethnic Chinese..Thailand has another 7 million ethnic Chinese..Why can’t SG attract at least 10% of these SEA ethnic Chinese to make SG their home instead of 3rd rate PRC if these countries are indeed shit holes?
坡仔哥哥 on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 2:05 pm
1. Even though PAP did create these 50 issues (and has not readily addressed them) – will any of the new ruling party be able to do differently?
My question – How will voting out the PAP now, solve or reduce or even create new issues?
2. Any pro PAP / Govt can easily raise another 50 or 51 good things which they have done since their 44 years in power – do you really want to throw the baby out with the bath water ?
My question – is it fair to not give credit for the good things which PAP has done? only to criticize them for the bad stuff?
I am not pro govt in any sense…I am working and living in SZ / HK now, but what about my 2 questions?
please consider?
Richard Kong on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 2:10 pm
Get Real on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 8:03 am
I really hope you Get Real in your thoughts and expectations. Go and see the old photographs of your forefathers how they lived and worked. Are your living and working conditions better than your forefathers? If what you say are true, then, all of us must be living in hell! What crowded MRTs, buses, traffic jams, high HDB prices, crowded shopping centres, going overseas for holidays also jam,etc, if there is 45 years of economic mismanagement. If there is oppressive dictatorship, you would not be able to post such hypocritical article in TR already. Get Real! We are living in a real world and not in your dreamland!
qussl3 on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 2:38 pm
@坡仔哥哥 on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 2:05 pm
“1. Even though PAP did create these 50 issues (and has not readily addressed them) – will any of the new ruling party be able to do differently?
My question – How will voting out the PAP now, solve or reduce or even create new issues? ”
There is no guarantee that anyone, PAP or opposition will be able to do anything about perceived problems.
What is CERTAIN is that citizens have little to no real voice in policy decisions now because of the PAP monopoly. The desire for representation and accountability can only be realized when we break that monopoly.
There will, again – CERTAINLY be new problems brought about by a divided parliament, but the question would be can singapore afford to continue down the path where one political party lays claim to a monopoly of wisdom, and all who disagree are marginalized?
“2. Any pro PAP / Govt can easily raise another 50 or 51 good things which they have done since their 44 years in power – do you really want to throw the baby out with the bath water ?
My question – is it fair to not give credit for the good things which PAP has done? only to criticize them for the bad stuff?”
Alot of good has been done, that is indisputable, however because of the political structure the PAP govt has created for itself, blame for any missteps – perceived or real, falls squarely on their shoulders.
Who else are singaporeans to call to task?
Would you too drink the kool-aid – that the govt is infallible and we are just complacent and demand too much?
Take Israel for example, their circumstances are far worse than ours – they are surrounded by countries that deem it a blight, as a result war is a way of life, but they manage a functioning democracy and in the recent years have been able to turn around their previously wretched economy to one which barely suffered from the global financial crisis. Singapore’s success is an achievement, but by no means a singular example.
Israel curiously has a very lively political arena.
The underlying contention here is this, the incumbent would like us to believe that their way is the only way – this is to be expected of course; I like many others believe that for the LONG TERM, greater citizen representation in policy making makes for a more ROBUST community.
There will be a period of adjustment, likely painful, as the power structure shifts.
“There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.”
- John Adams
smallyfly on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 3:07 pm
I really salute you, my dear “true Singaporean”; you are totally insightful and know the South-East-Asia well enough to take-over the miw to form the next government!!!
As I opine so many times, the sycophantic dogs of the miw will only know how to use the same-old-tricks and theories to frighten and mesmerize gullible and innocent Singaporeans to believe that Singapore is the best country in SEA and, at the same time frighten them to be subservient to the miw’s rule, last but not least, giving those innocent citizens the false impressions that if you leave Singapore, there is no other country that is comparable for them to live in!!!! Mind you, are Singaporeans being trapped only in SEA and no-way else? “#$%@&*^*&^” to the miw!!!! Stop all the lies!!!!!!
Get real on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 3:42 pm
@ Richard Kong on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 2:10 pm
You are of niavety at peak. It does not take any fractional wit genius like you to discover that every generation – NOT JUST YOUR FOREFATHER – works harder then the generation succeeding. Why don’t you go and visit to your great great grandfather’s tomb to ask him? Your great great grandfather neither heard of technology nor internet or powered tools. At the same time, they don’t have to live with the kind of complexities of life we live. So don’t brag here about photograph, just go to the most remote and backward parts of China where the poorest live, you see part of that chapter of civilisation.
YOU WANT SINGAPORE TO GO BACKWARD in that direction????
“crowded MRTs, buses, traffic jams, high HDB prices, crowded shopping centres, going overseas for holidays” = 45 years of economic success.
You don’t see the same in London, Sydney, Shanghai, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul or even Bangkok? So, by these observations of yours, only Singapore walks forward in the last 45 years and the rest of the world walks backward in the opposite direction? How amazing of colourful sweeping generalisation or fitional claims of relevance of economic management? If we did wonders, how come we have to restructure the econnomic say for long term future in 2003 and now in 2009 – long-term is 6 years of irrelevance or 6 years of planning or strategy assumptions and strategy fit for consigning to the dustbin of history??
Where is the external economic arm we intend to forge in 2003? How come countries like South Korea and Taiwan came from behind and gone passed us to build huge globalised scale industry like shipbuilding etc and toppled even the Japanese? Have we got one sustainable cluster of economic pillar of our own to secure our future after 45 years of undisturbed development. South Korea is in a state of war tension and still is.
And nothing oppressive about the politics here. You never heard of Operation Cold Store, Operation Spectrum and ex-foreign Minister, Mr. Dhanabalan left cabinet in disatisfaction of such autocracy?. You never heard of Benjamin Bland and Mr. Brown episode and nothing about Alex Tan’s treatment? You never heard about bureucracy totally partisan and highly politicised in the LUP saga and in spite of these domination of power, they still need to silent disagreeing views of Bland, Mr. Brown and others which all Singaporeans are aware and many feel totally disgusted!
Come on, Richard Kong, get out of your hibernation world and admit the blunt inconvenient and unpleasant truths about “democracy” here which our MIW gets regular treatments of discourse in overseas forum. The “doubting thomases” are ALL A MOB of radicals, communists, subversive elements or insanes or IS IT YOU who is a mafia of hypocritical preachings?
坡仔哥哥 on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 4:05 pm
qussl3 on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 2:38 pm – Good Afternoon!
My objective was to illicits thoughts such as yours – insightful and objective. i.e. To ask the Hard Questions and to illicits Objective and Fair responses.
Thanks for your comments and I agree with you.
I hope that both my questions as well as your answers can be fodder for more thoughts…
cheers.
Time for Change on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 4:07 pm
Excellent effort by Bitter Singaporeans.
All I can add is to say: Time for Change is now.
The reality is that Singaporeans are being treated very badly. I may be wrong but it seems like the want to chase us out from this island.
In 2006, they nearly lost Aljunied GRC and maybe even Ang Mo Kio GRC. That must have really given them a shock. If there were sufficient numbers of opposition in parliament, they would be able to open those closet doors and expose the skeletons kept hidden for close to 50 years.
Somehow, it dawned on them that if there were Singaporeans living in Singapore, they could be voted out anytime. To ensure that this never happens, it would be best to replace Singaporeans with foreigners who couldn’t vote. Just keep a few thousand bootlickers and apple polishers to ensure a semblance of a nation and ensure that they win every election.
Then run the place as a corporation. Foreigners will come and go, and they get to keep all the revenue.
Time for Change on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 4:14 pm
Richard Kong on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 2:10 pm
Mr Kong, start looking for a new master to suck up to. Singaporeans are going to vote the opposition into power and it is best that you look for a new master.
Don’t tried to convince us with tired cliches about how our lives have improved. If you would only stop sucking up for just one moment, you would notice that more and more Singaporeans are sufferings. I would even dare say that the standard of living for many Singaporeans have fallen compared to 20 years ago.
Sad that there are still Singaporeans who only look after their own interests and don’t bother about their fellow Singaporeans.
Time for Change on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 4:31 pm
John on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:13 pm
Please stop feeding us your BS. You make it seem that you are concerned about the welfare of foreigners here. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are only worried that your access to cheap foreign labour will be cut off.
“53. I want some foreigners to work in Singapore……”
This is just the BS I am talking about. Since when did you come to the conclusion that Singaporeans wanted the flood of cheap foreigners to continue. It is the greedy and unscrupulous local employers who want to exploit desperate foreigners. As far as I know, Singaporeans don’t want cheap foreign labour suppressing their wages here.
I read your posts and got a big headache trying to piece together all the BS that was said.
I believe that we should help our neighbours to develop so that these countries don’t have to send their people overseas to be exploited.
“52. I want quotas for foreigners…….but I should be allowed to get a foreign maid for a few hundred dollars per month, working 7 days a week for me with no questions asked.”
Singaporeans don’t want foreign maids intruding into their privacy if possible. I believe the majority of Singaporeans would prefer affordable childcare or childcare services provided by employers in their premises. This pathetic situation has been forced on Singaporeans because we don’t want to add extra costs to businesses. The fact is that Singapore is an overly pro-business country and the right of the citizens have been sacrificed as a result.
lim on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 4:54 pm
@Richard Kong on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 2:10 pm
>> Go and see the old photographs of your forefathers how they lived and worked. Are your living and working conditions better than your forefathers?
Sure, our living conditions are better, but don’t give all credits to pap, our forefathers toiled to bring the goodies to us all, and now we have to share our goodies with foreigners, do you know why? Because we are not producing enough, and do you know why? Because there was a 2 is enough policy pushed thro’ by pap governement..
Do you also know that pap has rewarded itself many times over?
Get real on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 8:59 pm
坡仔哥哥 on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 2:05 pm
If PAP can bring up 51 good things, I can demolish the whole lot – EFFORTLESSLY. They know it. That is why I would not publicly debated with local politicians or foreign journalists whose lives breathe all societies, history and cultures to know what is dud and what is sustainable truth.
The complaints in this thread is mostly true of substance. I can add more but NOT neccesary to elaborate. It is HARD NOT TO SEE THIS COUNTRY GOING TO THE DUMP AND THE STATUS QUO IS UNACCEPTABLE.
Anyone who says we had 45 good years gets my boot up his or her rear until all the sh@ts get expelled out. Without the PAP, we could have done better. The last fifteen years was an abject failure – Swiss standard of living promise BUT NOT A SINGLE PILLAR OF ECONOMIC CLUSTER DEVELOPED TO EVIDENCE THAT PROGRESS AND PROVIDE THE BASIS OF REASONABLE SUPPORT OF THAT POSSIBLE ACHIEVEMENT even another 10 years down the track. Instead, we had an economic restructuring in 2003 and this year proposed economic restructuring plan since March 2009 is still in WORK-IN-PROGRESS.
In the meantime, the only cocaine of simplest solution to the most complexities of economic planning and foundation is one formulae – BOMBARD THIS PLACE WITH POPULATION EXPLOSION AND CONSOLIDATE POLITICAL POWER.
They run out of ideas! If economy success = population explosion, why don’t they do that 15 years ago?? And we don’t have even places to bury the dead. How fanatically hypocritical is this political agenda??
Economic direction – ZILCH. Housing crisis – ZILCH. Any moron can tell you that if you added 3% of population, you add 3% to consumptions spending and GDP gorw by 3%. Add another 3% to indexed inflation, you got together 6% GDP growth of year x, Y and Z and the POPULATION SEE NO EVEN SUPERFICIAL GAIN OF THESE GDP STATISTICS.
Who get a big pay rise when GDP goes up, You, me or MIW.
IT IS A POLITICAL HOAX OF THE BIG CON JOB WHICH I DON’T BELIEVE AND WHICH MANY ARE CLAMOURING FOR CHANGE NO MATTER WHAT.
THE STATUS QUO IS SUICIDAL. Forget about the myth of tossing out the baby with the water. The baby is already dead and cooked for dinner !!!
Who disagree with the economics and realities here???
Get real on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 9:02 pm
…”That is why I would not publicly debated with local politicians or foreign journalists whose lives breathe all societies, history and cultures to know what is dud and what is sustainable truth….”
TYPO error
it should read
“That is why THEY would not publicly debated with local
politicians or foreign journalists whose lives breathe all societies, history and cultures to know what is dud and what is sustainable truth….”
Bitter Singaporean on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 9:40 pm
Gosh I had no idea Temasek Review was going to publish my comments as an article, and some people hate my guts, but it’s ok. Everyone has a right to an opinion and vote. If I am inaccurate in my opinions, pls correct me.
@Woody and PoorSGP and cy with regards to NTUC Income (Reason 47).
1) I do RESPECT ex-CEO Tan KL. He has dispensed valuable financial and insurance advice with his blog at no gains to himself. He is also well-acquainted with and active on local social concerns.
2) To be fair, NTUC does have A FEW good initiatives e.g. Used textbooks program
3) However, I cannot find A WORD to describe people who used orphans’,widows’, and terminally-ill patients’ money to wine, dine and go for Australian holidays.
That glass of champagne you see him holding (in my link) could have paid for pocket money for an orphan for a month. Can you imagine the orphan kid starving through recess? I can.
4) I honestly CANNOT see what is there to celebrate and toast about. I corresponded with their PR exec Ms Jessie. She told me something like “when people(agents+CEO) work hard, they should be rewarded”,
YES, I understand their “should”, but I strongly believe orphans, widows, and terminally-ill patients NEED to survive. The less they indulge, the more these unfortunate people may have to make ends meet.
5) In year 2009, 250+ agents were eligible for the holiday to Australia (source: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=19493119978&ref=mf). 250+!!!
The Australian trip was really elaborate and costly: cruises, resorts, performances, specialized menus with ‘NTUC Income’ imprinted, etc etc etc. See the videos here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRYnBlFuTxI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1sZcGQo4Xc
In early 2008, they went to Ho Chi Minh which was not so costly as it was Vietnam. Even if I factor in plane tickets, hotel accommodation, transport, food, travel insurance(ahem), paid leave, Ho Chi Minh Gala Party at a MUSEUM, etc, the price may not be so high:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXPo3NLDbWg
6) Then I got curious. I wanted to know how much the CEO was paid. This is what I dug up:
[NTUC Income financial statements 2008 Page 13: Although the Coporate Governance Guidelines in Singapore recommends disclosure of renumeration of at least the top 5 key executives, "The Board...has decided AGAINST such disclosure"]
7) While meetings were usually held in the plain Kreta Ayer Town Hall in the past, there are indeed meetings in more expensive places: Grand Hyatt, Raffles City Convention, Orchard Hotel, The Rock etc. I saw evidence of this on the CEO’s facebook profile!
Another netizen noted meeting places like “Ritz Carlton, Suntec City, Esplanade, Swissotel Stamford”
9) I would buy insurance from NTUC income if their were frugal, meaning less pay for CEO, no overseas holidays, etc. The less they spend, the more I have for my dependents if somethings bad happens to me.
I would buy from them even if they had no agents and no advertisements. I think most people expect their insurer (especially NTUC) to be frugal. I am the same. However:
[NTUC financial statements 2008 Page 88: Advertising and promotion expenses in 2007 and 2008 were about 6.7 million each year]
SPEECHLESS……
=======
I ask the PAP to exert more care for locals.
Similarly, I ask NTUC Income to care more for policy holders and their dependents, and especially be more careful with the blood-and-sweat money they are entrusted with.
This is a life or death matter.
qussl3 on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 9:54 pm
@Get real on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 8:59 pm
You forgot to mention imported inflation, the soon to be futile managed currency float, Temasek’s now you see it now you don’t magic act, the CPF timebomb…. etc
Breaking the status quo isn’t as simple breaking the PAP hegemony, but a longer process of reclaiming Singapore’s institutions for Singaporeans.
James on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 11:00 pm
All politics are dirty indeed! There must be a good reason why God is still watching PAP and not punish PAP yet, if you accuse PAP is corrupted. Political history would always repeat itself ever since mankind started with an idea how to elect leaders to exploit idiotic followers and not lead them to the right way of success. Let us hope we are not like those idiotic followers being exploited. Anyway, why keep cursing LKY when he is now 86 going on 87 soon and if he ever lives to be 100 preaching the greatness of PAP, then it must be God’s will for a good reason. You may say PAP is bad but when you experienced the life overseas in reality you may say PAP is better than others outside Singapore with certainty. However, I suggest if we aren’t happy of any PAP’s future ideas, we should find a way to present a petition signed by all opposition parties and all supporters in the public with names and IC numbers stated as well to let our President decide what to do best. If our President is not protecting the welfare of his people, I believe a divine retribution should strike him down very soon. There is no such thing nothing would happen to corrupted rulers. What goes around comes around. PAP is not a God to know everything but why is our President for in the very first place, eh? Our President is supposed to be the People’s President and we can still forget to complain to him about our domestic problems. Our President is not handsomely paid to be a puppet of PAP despite some have accused him of being one. It is natural for a ruler to ignore any complaint but if we can get the right screw drivers to unscrew the right screws in the head of our President, then we may see how his brain works, right?
David on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 11:12 pm
If one were to read the blogs, forums and everywhere in the cybersphere, it is not difficult to gather more than 50 reasons why we should not vote for PAP. During the cooling day, we can easily come out with thousand of reasons to tilt power in favour of our alternative parties.
Get real on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 11:48 pm
@ qussl3 on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 9:54 pm
Absolutely. Yes inflation is another input factor of GDP distortion hoax. Just too many myths born out of political witchcrafts have been hyped by MSM as virtue – one example is rising property prices equates to wealth accumulation rather than poverty creation.
Change must come to Singapore soon. It starts with dismantling the power structure and then de-politicise public institutions as working for the people – NOT whoever is the incumbent.
Right now, the “tired” Government is in the blind alley of how to turn the economic elephant loitering in the bedroom around to some future direction of hope.
It was 45 years of trapped mindset of false wisdom and no checks and balances that led us to this quagmire.
Hope that will end when this coming election is over. Time to change, definitely
citizenofSG on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 12:15 am
@Foreign Talent – The rise of China is a very good thing for Singapore, just proven by the recent recession. Sooner or later Singapore will fall to a big brother no matter what because we are too small to exist as a country. Our leader already consider us as only a city. A city of a big country.
With people disguising as foreign talent coming here so freely and easily getting citizenship, the day of losing our country is even sooner. When the time is right, the so called foreign talent will enter Singapore politics and sneak into PAP. Once voted into various ministries and head the country, everything becomes so easy. It is one of the biggest conspiracy.
At the strike of the hour, you start a coup d’etat and seize our little country. Change our flag and the name of our country, send in your people and flood this country. In the end we lost our country. In is simply so easy. No need weapon and don’t need war, just capitalize on this country stupid PAP policy.
So much arrogant from a big country, if you tell us to sit we dare not stand and when you tell us take out our pants…..
Viper on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 12:20 am
http://www.businessghana.com/portal/news/index.php?op=getNews&news_cat_id=&id=118385
Singapore to provide full scholarships to Myanmar students in technology
News Date: 15th December 2009
wah …. so nice
fpc on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 12:35 am
would it be better to have:
1. stable housing prices,
2. stable job prospect,
then the cpf can save up for retirement while house prices are stable.
What we have now is:
you need to sell your place to have monies for retirement.
is this sensible?
fpc on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 12:39 am
I forgot to add the following:
imagine your flat increase by 10% after you buy.
but your salary need to increase by 10% or at least the next buyer need to have an increase of 10% to buy it from you later.
Then you are priced out of the market and lost your job 10 years down the road.
Can you buy a new flat and sell the old one then?
I never find it sensible to have a continuously increasing housing price.
IT is only good for people who has 2 or more appartment i.e. the pigs
fpc on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 12:44 am
//坡仔哥哥
voting out people like mbt and the minister for communications and environment will send the right signals accross.
IT will make the remaining ones work harder and be more responsive.
That’s how they should do to continue the million dollars pay.
Else, ALL of them will continue to receive those obscene salaries and not do anything.
fpc on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 12:47 am
//坡仔哥哥
Like I said earlier, we tried everything except voting these pigs out to get them to listen.
The only remaining way is vote them out.
That’s why democracy is all about.
Else you want people to protest on the streets like the Chinese in ministery of manpower.
Richard Kong on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 1:05 am
Get real on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 3:42 pm
You are so enlightened and can account why so many foreigners want to apply for PRs and citizenships and think of every way and mean to swim or hide in vehicles to enter Singapore when our country has been sinking for the past 45 years and you still remain waiting to sink voluntarily with us? Time and tide waits for no man. Get real! or Poker game?
Padela Arielo Quino on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 7:52 am
I am deepy in love with your country and your governmant.They have given me alot to make my life better. Too bad you locals,i felt sorry for you too, i hope next time you should work harder
Get real on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 8:23 am
Richard Kong on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 1:05 am
“You are so enlightened and can account why so many foreigners want to apply for PRs and citizenships and think of every way and mean to swim or hide in vehicles to enter Singapore when our country has been sinking for the past 45 years and you still remain waiting to sink voluntarily with us? ”
Richard you are either deliberately climbing the Mount Everest peak of niavety or ignorance.
Either way, here is the answer from your no less reliable mouth source than your Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Mr Wong Kan Seng said in Parliament on 23 November 2009.
The specific words quoted include
“Most did not intend to stay long term, but “a good many” are well-qualified, skilled personnel who decided to stay longer and applied for PR.”
and the source is from SPH’s mouthpiece
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20091123-181787.html
You see, these foreigners, are a LOT SMARTER than you this dumbest of liar’s poker player. When prostitutes like your kind spread legs and clinically sterile of imagined virtues of no STDs or condom supplied, which foreigners WOULD NOT COME IN TEMPORARY AND RAPE YOU WHILE YOU ARE EAGER?
And to set the record straight, after 45 years of economic mismanagement, THE ONLY UNIMAGINATIVE SIMPLEST SOLUTION TO THE DEEPEST COMPLEXITIES OF ECONOMIC IRRELEVANCE IS IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN POPULATION to add to consumption and inflation – the twin effects of that must add to GDP figures and adding to whose ever-stratopheric increase in their wages?
THEY SHOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THIS FORMULA 45 YEARS AGO, HOW COME THEY DID NOT FIGURE THIS OUT FOR ALL THE GREAT TALENTS OF ECONOMIC MINDS AND POPULATION CONNECTION????
It is the biggest econmic hoax of mankind and you pretend ignorance or you really that moronic of monumental proportions?
Over to you,Richard Kong, STUPID OR HYPOCRITE!!!
Elfred on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 9:30 am
Read. MM should take a look at this…
nick on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 2:43 pm
damn dude.
i would vote for the sdp if i had the chance.
nncore on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 4:36 pm
Commonsense dictates one would compare against a better bench-march.
Please don’t compare our gahment with that of the communist or third world countries.
Don’t compare prices with those places that charged higher when we ask you to lower prices.
Don’t tell us how foreigners like our country cause they happened to come from a crappier place.
No one would actually uproot themselves to move to a much more crappier place.
TemaSICK on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 7:14 pm
To: Bitter Singaporean
“39. I want higher income taxes and property taxes for foreigners”
I just found out my property tax for my HDB flat doubled!!
3 generations of my family born and bred in Singapore and this is what they do to locals. Sighs…
TemaSICK on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 7:19 pm
@Viper on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 12:20 am
http://www.businessghana.com/portal/news/index.php?op=getNews&news_cat_id=&id=118385
Singapore to provide full scholarships to Myanmar students in technology
News Date: 15th December 2009
>> Bitter Singaporean’s reason no.28 seems to be supported.
FPC on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 7:45 pm
//Richard Kong
There are many who wants to apply PR. I agree.
Singapore citizenship? I don’t know.
Cannot be more than the number of people who wants to get rid of the red passport.
FPC on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 7:48 pm
//singlish
It is LKY who has no respect for those people who contributed.
He took all the glam and monies while those who did the work got peanuts. really peanuts.
How did HK did it without LKY?
FPC on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 7:50 pm
//singlish
How did the Chinese did it since it was bankrupt when KMT left China?
LKY was not there right?
Aiyoyo on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 8:46 pm
■singlish on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 2:11 pm
IMO, what LKY and PAP did is the best for Singapore. Singapore is small, has no natural resources and a young nation.
Hi, singlish, you probably forget that:
Singapore is a very lucky city with
1) lots of natural rainfall.
2) She is surrounded by neighbours Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia with lots of natural resources; be it rice, fruits, palm oil, rubber, sand and so on, thereby giving it the advantage of freeing up land for other purposes.
3)Singapore have the commitment of dedicated Singaporeans who contribute significantly to where Singapore is today.
So, even as the policy-holders keep complaining about Singaporeans complaining, should they not be grateful as well to the neighbours, ordinarily Singaporeans and the tax payers who are really the paymasters of their millon dollars salary?
fair and square on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 8:52 pm
@Padela Ariela Quino
who give you the right to talk cock after you have snatched our jobs?
you think you could seemingly enjoy yourself here because my gahmen worked hard and we F$$K up?
hey! i tell you what,you goT the wrong guys here..maybe that happened to where you came from but this is singapore where long before you and the others came,we were voted TOPS in wolrd polls for work attitude and excellence.
just becos my “sotong but how-lian” gahmen handed you our jobs doesn’t make you smarter or more hardworking than us?
you undrstand,qui NO?
So,go to the streets and thank the people,not the gahmen!!!
Time for Change on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 10:46 pm
Time for change is now!
If not now, when?
If not us, who?
Singaporeans have to end this nightmare themselves.
Vote for change, now!
Bitter Singaporean on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 1:34 am
Reason 50: I want the freedom to watch dialect programs on TV. Dialects are fast disappearing in SG
Reason 51: Don’t want police to install CCTV cameras at the speakers’ corner. I don’t even dare to go near the place without a helmet these days.
Reason 52: I am scared military secrets will be leaked from SAF. Still cannot understand how Alex Tan’s Detention record got released. Is it so easy to get confidential information from SAF?
Reason 53: How come people who blog about NS deaths get 5 days detention barracks? I went there to visit twice. It seems worse than a prison there. Shouldn’t they increase safety, instead of silencing people who are concerned? Will I get into prison for commenting here? Scary sia…!
Since John on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 4:13 pm likes to say that locals are contradicting, let’s have a tit-for-tat:
Reason 54: Gov wants us to spend more to stimulate the economy, but issues 7% GST
Reason 55: Gov wants to reduce jams with ERP but does not limit COE numbers more. The former earns them money but not the latter I guess…
Reason 56: Gov wants more babies but contribute indirectly to lower job security and less housing opportunities
Reason 57: Gov encourages us to live near parents and provide subsides but chide us for being fussy when we want to live near parents, suggesting we move to ulu ahem …new estates.
Reason 58: Ten years ago, they said SG needed engineers and encouraged people to take up the profession to fill the shortage. Once many people followed this path, they imported hordes of engineers from overseas, leaving the misguided lambs dumbfounded. Now they say they need croupiers at the casino, do I dare trust they will not import hordes of foreign croupiers tomorrow?
Reason 59: Gov wants to promote national education and love for the country but ends up telling people SG is only a city.
Many people voice their concerns about SG because they love SG, but we get uncaring faces, closed ears and shrugs in return. We get voices telling us to leave SG if we are so disenchanted…. accusations of being highfalutin and ungrateful, detention barracks, bankruptcies, political prisoner etc etc etc
Reason 60: Oh yeah, and the economy is fine, so fine that local graduates cannot find jobs and makeup a third of the unemployment ranks in SG. NKF ex-ceo was greedy but NKF did prosper during his tenure. Can we say the same for some others who take millions in salary?
Princess on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 10:48 am
No. 42- If SGD is moderated downward, almost everything sold here will skyrocket upward. International trades are done in USD, and Singapore import almost every single things including FT/FW(I don’t believe in FT/FW policy anyway, because no matter how much they are going to import, it still small for local spending.).
Jay on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 2:43 pm
I have never liked PAP, at least for 15 years of my life.
After reading this post, it totally changes my mind. It really highlights how ungrateful people have become. Above are 50 faults highlighted with respect to the Singapore administration.
I hold many of the opposition leaders in high regard. This includes Mr Chiam, who has been an inspirational figure in my life.
What this list is showing is a list of “How to make a perfect world”, something taken out from a comic strip like Garfield. There is absolutely no thought put into appreciating the government for what they have done.
It isn’t easy staying in power for 50 years. And change would be inevitable some day. But I hope that opposition parties are not all just talk, because the list I see above really disappoints me, and questions me if I should put so much faith in the opposition.
Implementing policies isn’t as easy as it seems, and I think the PAP should take credit for that.
There is absolutely no guarantee that another opposition party can do what they have done. I hope that the opposition party will step up their challenge, but at the same time, I hope that for the next GE, PAP will win by a small margin.
With the greater power given to the opposition, we can then evaluate if they are worthy to lead the country – because I don’t want a party who is all talk and no action to lead the country.
Until the first generation leaders are gone, I don’t think PAP is going to lose anytime soon. And posts like this only serve to BOOST their popularity.
Bitter Singaporean on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 3:22 pm
Someone translated this article into 7 different languages. WOW!
http://forums.delphiforums.com/3in1kopitiam/messages?msg=25797.1
Beng on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 3:31 pm
#Princess on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 10:48 am
Hi Princess,
About SGD exchange rate, you are right to say that prices of imports into SG will rise if SGD is lowered.
However, I am more worried about my job and salary. You see: the higher the SGD, the lower the salary FTs and PRs are willing to accept. This is because higher SGD benefits them when they remit back home. When they are willing to take $1,500 a month, what company will want to hire expensive Singaporean grad ME?
Therefore, I think SGD needs to be lowered simultaneously with GST to address both of our concerns. But it is hard to convince the govt to execute any measure that would reduce their revenue. Haiiiiz….
Regards,
Beng
Richard Kong on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 4:37 pm
Get real on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 8:23 am
You cannot stand to scrutiny with your irrational arguments and misguided assumptions and had to resort to name calling and vulgarity which clearly disclose your own portrait and character. It is a waste of time to challenge you with reality. But I would not stoop so low like you and let the sleeping dog lie.
Get Real on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 5:03 pm
Richard Kong on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 4:37 pm
Yes, I am sure it took you MORE THAN 24 HOURS to finally own up to your “irrational arguments and misguided assumptions”.
In between, NOBODY ELSE DISAGREE WITH ME!!!
Unable to refute my compelling points in a robust debate, you attack my “portrait” and “character”
Thanks for displaying your ignorance with implied talent of a graduate. Your degree don’t compare to my “failed” kindergarden leaving certificate.
But I still enjoy trashing you this load of rubbish!
AppleBee on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 6:58 pm
1 000 Reasons why I’ll VOTE the PAP.
All in One and One in ALL – I DON’T want to live in the rest of the 10 shithole countries in ASEAN.
I don’t mind living in HK, Taiwan, China, S Korea and Japan BUT NOT the rest of the 40 developing (poor) countries in ASIA.
Governments make or break the countries.
I’m smart baby. FACTS always speak . . . unless one if DEAF.
Ringo Wee on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 7:02 pm
Can this happen to a tiny, hinterlandless, resourceless island, by whatever yardstick?
http://www.aneki.com/richest.html
Thank you PAP espcially MM.
GDP hoax on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 7:36 pm
GDP Per capita equates to $52,900. GOOD HOAX OF STATISTICS. If you take out MNCs and GLCs and the elite 10% of the so-called ‘ESTABLISHMENT”, what would be the average income per head of WORKING ADULT – not per capita?
Median income is around $2,600 per month and that include top 10% (mainly top professionals and businessmen) which earns an unknown lot more. Take out this cream, what would be the average income per WORKING ADULT, is it going to be nearer to $1,500 or less? And the GDP per capita could be under $1,000.
Those earning less than $20K per year don’t even have to pay income tax, how many percent of wage earners didn’t have to pay tax.
JUST LOOK AROUND OR ASK AROUND – IT IS ALARMING.
Anyone else keen to try any other statistical hoax?
Beng on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 8:06 pm
#Ringo Wee on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 7:02 pm
GDP rose. However, GDP is a measure of the earnings of all domestic people, i.e. locals, FOREIGNERS AND PRs.
Looking at GNI or GNP may give a clearer picture, because the figure gives you the earnings of citizens.
However, even GNI or GNP cannot give us good knowledge of locals’ earnings. “New Citizens” have high salaries, think about Jet Li making a million a month and you’ll get the picture. Therefore, even if locals make the dust on the salt on the peanut, the GDP and GNP may be seen “”rising”".
Furthermore, I quote 2007 Budget report “Although our economy is growing well, incomes are increasing only slowly at the lower end, and income gaps are widening.”
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/sgbudget07/speech3.htm
The GDP increase which you are SO PROUD about is but pretty numbers. I believe that GDP is making SG locals’ lives better, just as much as I believe that HDB is making losses.
Regards,
Beng
Ronald on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 9:16 pm
Here’s a story about a husband and wife:
Husband: Why are you inviting so many men from outside into our house?
Wife: I need them to pump labor into me and give me money.
Husband: But I work hard to do that too.
Wife: That is no good. We need better seeds from more talented people outside. Yours is not good enough. These outside men are smart graduates, strong construction workers, handsome road sweepers, young and vibrant students. They are better than you.
Husband: I am your faithful husband. I love you, lived with you, protect you, stay with you in times of trouble. Doesn’t that count for something? Those men will come and go. Once they see someone better, they will leave you.
Wife: Since some of them will leave eventually, I must invite even more men to our house. I need them. If more men come, maybe, just maybe, if I am lucky, some will stay
Husband: I can fill our house will happy little ones too. Give me a chance.
Wife: You? That will take too long. Even if we have kids, when can they work to give me money. The men from outside are different, they can work and pay me lots and lots of money immediately. When they grow old, they will leave our house and we don’t need to even support them. On the other hand, we need to support our little ones when they age and are too old to be productive.
Husband: Trust me. Life will be better. Don’t invite these men over. I will work hard, and we can afford a nice room in our house if we save for 8-10 years.
Wife: It is no use. By the time you save up, the room prices would be much much higher. Only the men from outside can afford to pay for rooms in our house…you cannot.
Husband: Do you still love me?
Wife: Stay on if you want. It is better you leave. Go to another house. I don’t care. I doubt other houses would even want you. There’s the doorbell……HELLO!!! WELCOME !!! PLS COME INSIDE ME!!
citizenofSG on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 10:10 pm
@Ronald – good satire that removes some of my worry.
For such an unfaithful wife, I send her out in a hurry. LOL … I wanna remarry. Kakakaka…
Ringo Wee on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 10:15 am
Beng on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 8:06 pm
You better go back to school. Now that ‘O’ levels have Economics I think you shd sign up for it as a private candidate and then come back and talk cock if you have an “A” grade.
Talking to an honours Econs grad from NUS.
Perhaps your universal KPIs shd include counting karang guni men, citing exceptions & insignificance. Please lah in a economically dead country like Blangladesh there are more than 1 000 millionaires not just ONE Jet Li. How different do you then think our GNP will look given our massive overseas investments?
Richard Kong on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 11:23 am
Get Real on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 5:03 pm
Ha! ha! Get Real or Not? You make my foot laughs. What a misleading claim “In between, NOBODY ELSE DISAGREE WITH ME!!!”
No need to go far or through the whole text. Just read the 2 postings below yours by AppleBee and Ringo Wee will debunk your irrational claim. I rest my case.
Paul John George Wee on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 11:31 am
@Ringo Wee
Actually, you are very wrong. Beside “ONE Jet Li”, our million-dollar ministers, Singapore has a GREAT income gap.
See Temasek Review’s:
http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/10/21/singapore-has-second-highest-income-gap-among-advanced-economies/
I cite from the article-> “The relentless influx of immigrants has helped to depress the wages of middle and lower income workers while contributing to the inflation of housing prices.”
For the middle class, a decrease of $200-$500 in their salary is a lot. Their standard of living is severely affect. For the rich who become much richer increasing their portfolio by just a median 6% would be a GREAT sum. Therefore, it is hardly surprising to see the ahem…improving GDP.
One does not need to have a Economics degree like you to understand the pains and suffering of the people. There are people who graduate Mathematicians, who also refuse to see the sorry plight of the middle class falling into extinction.
I see jobless friends. Ex-school mates obligated to work overtime every day for $2500 to keep their jobs. More people begging, rummaging the trashbins for drink cans…TELL your GDP numbers to them!!!
Paul John George Wee on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 11:39 am
We need people with a heart. All the education in the world, including Ringo’s NUS Economics degree, is worthless, if the people are just one of the UNCARING “ELITE”
See this article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSIN20069020071109
Singapore’s economic boom widens income gap
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Carol John, 27, doesn’t own a bed. Every night she sleeps on thin mattresses which she shares with her three young children. Outside her one-room flat, a smell of sewage lingers in the common corridor.
Just a few kilometers away, on Singapore’s Sentosa island, Madhupati Singhania relaxes on his $435,000 yacht berthed at the city-state’s swanky One 15 Marina Club.
……
Ringo, pls tell Carol John and her 3 toddlers that the GDP is increasing and the economy is wonderful.
Get Real on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 11:42 am
Richard Kong on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 11:23 am
Wow,what I liar of poverty intellect.
I wrote
“Yes, I am sure it took you MORE THAN 24 HOURS to finally own up to your “irrational arguments and misguided assumptions”.
In between, NOBODY ELSE DISAGREE WITH ME!!!”
The interval is
Get real on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 8:23 am
Richard Kong on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 4:37 pm
And when that Ringo and Applebee wrote their pieces?
AppleBee on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 6:58 pm
Ringo Wee on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 7:02 pm
IN TEH COURT OF LAW, THE HONOURABLE JUDGE WILL SAY TO YOU THESE THREE LITTLE WORDS
‘AFTER THE FACT”
ROTLFMAO
Paul John George Wee on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 12:01 pm
If PAP supporters want to talk about statistics, let’s do that:
“The proportion of Singapore residents earning less than S$1,000 a month rose to 18% in 2006, from 16% in 2002, MAS data released.
At the same time, the proportion of those earning S$8,000 and above rose from 4.7 percent to 6 percent in the same period.”
>>These are older stats. The income gap is getting even more serious now!! Ask yourself: “Do YOU want to be the next person to be squeezed from middle class to outcast?”
Just Curious on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 12:03 pm
@ Ringo Wee on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 10:15 am
” Talking to an honours Econs grad from NUS.”
Better take a double dosage of my Norvacs today. Almost got a heart attack today, Ringo Wee. Please stop throwing your honours Econs degree around here. I VELY FLIGHTEN, U NO!
Two wiser monkeys got their nobel prize in economics in 1990 on CAPM – the core economic model of finance was discredited just two years after the receipt of their awards.
You know what happen to the financial market meltdown and how they related to great analysis and predictions of economists worldwide and now
William Sharpe, one of the co-winner of the 1990 Nobel prize has to say about this economic theory.
http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2006/10/sharpe_rethinks.html
Read on, and don’t shame non-graduates like me any further, PPLLLEEAASSSEEEEEEEEE.
Ringo Wee on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 12:14 pm
Paul John George Wee on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 11:39 am -
We DON’T dispute what you are saying but NO ONE and we mean NO ONE can solve the problesm of the market-place 20% “poor” (pareto principle). Communism thought they could but it’s proven wrong and they have to revert to the market-place as well.
Outside the ony 4 advanced countries (S’pore included) 80% of the rest are really living inside a big shithole. I mean SHIT literally. Check out the slums and squatters in all their cities eg Jarkarta, Manila, etc.
At least, our 20% isn’t too bad BY ANY STANDARD if you can see what’s the PAP has been doing wih your eyes wide open without their taking too much from the mobile wealth creators (private sector taxpayers) in this highly competitive world.
I really think it’s high time for our authorities to make Economics mandatory for aLL SECONDARY schools by the way seeing the naivity & simple-minded of people in economic cause-effects vis-a-vis scarce resources, labour mobilty, economic growth, etc.
They believe the PAP is GOD when it’s in fact performing better than any country on the planet giving that this tiny island IS WITHOUT A HINTERLAND (like HK & now Taiwan), MINERAL RESOURCE & A MARKET!
wat? on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 12:14 pm
If i were to vote. I won’t vote for PAP. here is why.
I came back from overseas after staying there for almost 10years. in the beginning, i felt like SG was my home, and i enjoyed it.
in only a short span of 3-4 years. prices of everything went up. I can’t afford to buy a hdb when i could just 3 years ago. SG has lost its flavor and soul. I’m not anti-immigrant, as my parents were themselves 30+ years ago. I call myself singaporean, as we went through everything from “stop at 2″ to “affordable HDB”.
but this is too much. I want my SG back.
SG Just Gets Worse! on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 12:21 pm
http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/news/2009/11/26793/hdb-property-tax-hiked-to-avoid-larger-increase
“The property tax of all HDB flats is projected to RISE by 2010. According to Lui Tuck Yew, acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, this move is partly to avoid having a larger increase later, if home prices continue to escalate.”
////Mr Bitter Singaporean, you asked higher property tax for foreigners, but it seems locals are going to get it.
////It seems the financial burden to my family keeps rising under PAP.
Historian Grad on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 1:50 pm
#Paul John George Wee on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 12:01 pm
“S$1,000 a month rose to 18%”
18% get paid less than $1000??!? How can these people afford HDB? Even the longest installment plan is not enough!
I think it is IMPOSSIBLE for these 18% of the people to ever get married or have kids or take care of their parents!
I can just IMAGINE Carol John’s 3 children taking the political subject proposed by Law miniStar few years from now.
Carol: Kids remember to write that PAP is the best government in the world in today’s test. You must get an “A”
Kid3: But mom, we live in a 1 room flat with the pooh-pooh smell everyday.
Carol: No choice, people like Uncle Ringo Wee and 66% of Singaporeans voted PAP, so….alas…
Kid2: Yeah, Uncle Ringo Wee’s proposal that all sec sch students study Econs is now realised. Our teachers say 20% “poor” is NORMAL. The economy is very very good.
Kid1: Teachers also teach us that in the Tang Dynasty, rulers promoted Buddhism because buddhism teaches life is full of suffering. Suffering is normal. So when people suffer they shouldn’t blame the emperor and their authority is stronger.
>>Shanmugam wants students to learn “politics”. Ringo Wee wants students to learn “economics”. Why not make “buddhism” mandatory in secondary schools? HAHAHA!
Just Curious on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 4:25 pm
@ Ringo Wee on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 12:14 pm
“….this tiny island IS WITHOUT A HINTERLAND (like HK & now Taiwan), MINERAL RESOURCE & A MARKET!”
Honours degree in economics from NUS or DISHONOUR DEGREE from Voodo Witchcraft university located in Pedra Branca -barren island, no resources, and no hinterland, only bird shits?
Before independence, what was Singapore surviving on – fishing rainbow fish or guppies in your local drainage called “longkangs”?
No hinterland, who did we trade with as an entreport centre? Was it Pedra Branca or the uninhabited Spratly island in the South China Sea?
Or is it your distinguished voodo economics thesis which won you your honours’ degree award?
Or perhaps the “no hinterland” lie is just the close cousin of your economic hoax of GDP per capita?
Princess on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 5:49 pm
@Beng on Thu, 17th Dec 2009 3:31 pm
I get what you meant. But by doing so, it will hurt Singaporean in the long run. FT/FW will happily leave Singapore to another country if this happen, but Singapore is home to Singaporeans.
Where can Singaporeans go then, and most items will be expensive due to reduce value of SGD against USD. This will widen the gap between the rich and the poor.
Not a good method.
Liang on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 6:55 pm
PAP must be out
Clement Tan on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 9:51 pm
Mr Wee, a fairer comparison would be to comparing capital city to capital city, such as KL, Bangkok and Jakarta. While Singapore may be ahead now despite Bangkok being the closest competitor in terms of public transport and cleanliness, if standards were to slide while there is no creativity whatsover, what do you think would happen in the future?
Shinfoo on Sat, 19th Dec 2009 12:53 am
Clement Tan on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 9:51 pm
I don’t think you are well educated.
Singapore is the last city state after bad governance took Venice down.
Monaco and the Vatican cities are namesake city states only being less than 1 sq km in area. One is a French dependency (France is its hinterland), thge other a city of celebate monks & priests within Italy.
You can’t compare capital-cities (supported by entire country) with city-states (souverign)unless you didn’t go to school.
Like comparing an elephant’s trunk with a worm. LOL!
Just Curious on Sat, 19th Dec 2009 9:25 am
Shinfoo on Sat, 19th Dec 2009 12:53 am
How did Hong Kong ( a city) and a colony (colonised state or territory like Falklands) survived and prospered pre-Deng Xiao Ping’s opening up in the 1980s WHEN IT DOES NOT HAVE INDEPENDENCE OF EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SELF-GOVERNMENT?
I been through kindergarden, presumbing you are well-educated.
Zhu Ke lan on Sat, 19th Dec 2009 10:43 am
cooling off day should be on the new citizen. They can only vote after five years being a new citizen and not when they just become a citizen. As we can see that people like the FR N PR why they joint the RC, YPAP so that they can carry the PAP balls. All opp. party should force the Gov. to change and not allow the new FR to vote.
Checks & false balances on Sat, 19th Dec 2009 11:26 am
They preached western “liberal” democracy is NOT suitable for Singapore, the preferred matra is Confucianism.
When it comes to money, THE LOGIC IS PERVERSE, they refused to follow this STAUNCHEST CONFUCIAN PRACTICE to put the country first.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/440680/1/.html
However CONFUSED they have brainwashed me for nearly 44 years (I am a recent convert to New Age thinking), it is against my MORAL, RATIONAL, INTELLIGENCE AND GOOD CONSCIENCE TO SOCIETY to vote for them.
ONE MORE REASON TO ADD TO BITTER SINGAPOREAN WHY HE/SHE REFUED TO VOTE FOR THE PAP.
Richard Kong on Sat, 19th Dec 2009 11:30 pm
Get Real on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 11:42 am
Since you have “failed” kindergarden leaving certificate,it is no surprise the issue is beyond your comprehension or too “cheem” for you. I am sorry for putting you in such a predicament leading in the misquotation of the court of law. Perhaps, I should also let you know that I take some time to respond to your economic mismanagement because my cash till is ringing endlessly this Christmas season due to your glorious 45 years of economic mismangement. I am hopeful that the economic mismanagement will continue at least for another 5 years which my business thrives in such a climate. Merry X’mas and I am flying off for my holiday now!
Get Real on Sun, 20th Dec 2009 12:07 am
Richard Kong on Sat, 19th Dec 2009 11:30 pm
It is a little surprise to see you rising from the dead a few times. You have, by your repeated declarations in this blog, rested your case a few times already.
Go back and rest in peace.
I won’t bother your dead soul nor probing your multiple of trashy degrees of no substance. You could not even figure your date and time correctly, so your proud prosperous business could be only as intelligent as you counting beans INCORRECTLY.
Keep counting your beans in your fictional toy tills. I could almost hear the funny “clack, clack” sound on the blog – not the usual ringing tone though.
Keep counting, the more you count, the more confused your answers will appear.
But one thing is certain, PAP can safely count me out of support. They won’t be getting my vote all for the reasons I find above here.
ECG on Mon, 21st Dec 2009 12:23 am
I think every Singaporean wants a better Singapore. I will vote for someone who does these 4 points best.
1) He/she is constantly in touch with the people. 不隐居深山而远离庶民。So that he/she constantly knows what is happening on the ground.
2) He/She can and will speak up for the good of Singaporeans. 不以墨守成规为自命扶国。So that, having known what is happening, he/she can represent.
3) He/she has more actions than words in serving Singaporeans. 以行助民温饱，不为空谈。So that we can see a series of real and tangible benefits for Singaporeans.
4) He/she possess a method for getting job done for Singaporeans. 成事有其法，坏事有其方 （如肆意抹黑人事为短视下策）。So that our trust and support can be worthwhile in a sustainable manner.