From PAP to Singaporeans: “You die, your business!”
December 29, 2009 by Our Correspondent
Filed under Opinion
OPINION
It has been 5 days since we broke the news about Lee Kuan Yew’s disparaging remarks about Singaporeans made in a recent interview with the National Geographic magazine and none of the SPH papers in any language have reported on it.
Speaking to journalist Mark Jacobson, Lee spoke about the ruling party’s liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies as if he was their principal architect.
Though he said he was aware of the fact that “many Singaporeans are unhappy with the influx of immigrants”, Lee continued to insist that it is for the “good” of the nation:
“Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving. This is why it is a good thing that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants.” Lee was quoted saying.
Lee described the country’s new subjects as “hungry,” with parents who “pushed the children very hard.”
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,” he quipped.
There are 82 PAP MPs in Parliament and none of them have come out in the open to dispute the remarks made by Lee. Can we therefore conclude that all of them agree with Lee ?
This is as good as saying to Singaporeans in Hokkien – “you die your business!” which should not be a surprise to Singaporeans anyway.
Despite being the richest country in Asia after Japan, Singaporeans enjoy few social welfare benefits which explain why the country continues to suffer a brain drain of its brightest citizens yearly to other countries like Australia, Canada and United States.
The government can afford to lose billions of dollars in failed overseas investments without blinking an eyelid, but unable or unwilling to provide a basic social safety net for Singaporeans, especially those from the low income group.
The PAP has long eschewed any form of “welfare” for Singaporeans on the grounds that it will retard our competitiveness by creating a “crutch” mentality in the populace.
As such, Singaporeans are exhorted to work for as long as they can till the day they drop dead. One minister even urged local workers to be “cheaper, faster and better” when he should walk his talk first by reducing his own bloated salary.
Our per capita income is the fourth highest in the world, but our income gap as measured by the Gini Coefficient is the second highest in Asia after Hong Kong whose figures are skewed by a disproportionately higher number of billionaires. On the other hand, Japan has one of the lowest income disparity between the rich and poor.
This discrepancy is hardly surprising as the PAP has opened the floodgate to immigrants who flock to Singapore in search of a better life.
One does not need to be an economist to figure out that the influx of cheap foreign labor will increase the profit margin of big businesses and companies thereby raising the income of their owners and directors while helping to depress the wages of ordinary Singaporeans.
At the same time, business costs are lowered contributing to GDP growth without necessarily increasing productivity which explains why GDP is a very poor reflection of the distribution of wealth and the overall well-being of the citizens in a country.
Furthermore, a certain percentage of PAP ministers’ multi-million annual salary is pegged to GDP figures which may explain the PAP’s perpetual obsession with the GDP.
To the average Singapore worker eking out a living in the streets, GDP means nothing to him or her at all. All he/she cares for is whether his/her pay is sufficient to support oneself and family, to start a family, raise the children up and to retire comfortably when he/she is old.
20 years ago, it will not be too difficult to achieve the Singapore dream. Young couples are able afford a HDB flat relatively easily, they face little competition from foreign workers for jobs, the cost of living is low compared to today’s standard and before 2003, they are able to withdraw their CPF in one lump sum to enjoy life in their golden years.
Today, Singaporeans are facing an increasingly bleak, uncertain and insecure future. The monthly median wage of a Singapore worker is only $2,600, about the same 10 years ago while inflation has more than tripled, especially that of public housing.
A graduate fresh out of school will earn no more than $2,800 a month. After paying the tuition loan, one will have little savings left to buy even a car, let alone get married and start a family.
A new four-room HDB flat in Seng Kang cost less than $200,000 in 1999. A similar-sized flat in nearby Punggol now fetches close to $300,000. In the recently launched Dawson BTO project at Queenstown, a five room flat cost on average $666,000.
Acccording to a financial consultant, a couple should earn a minimum of $7,500 monthly before they should even think of buying such a flat and even then, they have to cough out a few hundred dollars every month in cash in addition to their CPF to finance the property which leaves very little for their retirement needs.
Life is never smooth-sailing. What if we are retrenched and replaced by a foreign talent in our mid 40s, met with an accident which renders us permanently unfit to work, afflicted with an incapacitating disease like kidney failure or get embroiled in some lawsuits? How are we going to continue support ourselves and families?
A netizen, Tracy Tan shared this heart-wrenching story on the Vote PAP out facebook:
“I know of a lady who has kidney problems, heart ailment and is half blind. She can’t work because of her health problems. She is 40yrs+, a single parent with a Sec 3 daughter. She is poor, sick and helpless. She approached Family Service Centre for help. FSC saw her need and helped her to pay her HDB rental, utility bill and conservancy charges. In addition, she received $300 per month and $250 school pocket fund for her daughter for meals at school. After helping her for two years, FSC recently told her that it can’t help her with the $300 per month and her daughter’s school pocket fund although her situation remains the same. She was referred to Jayakumar’s MPS. They wrote her a letter to SE CDC to support her case. The reply from the CDC was that “she had been helped for two years already and they can’t help her anymore”. She went back to her MP and he said that he can’t help her anymore as he had already written to CDC for her.”
The above story is not an isolated case, but one which we can easily identify with in our everyday life and it can well happen to you or me one day.
The PAP does provide temporary forms of financial assistance to the needy in the form of NTUC vouchers, utility bill rebates and waival of conservancy charges, but these are stop-gap measures which address only the symptoms of the disease and not its underlying cause.
If this lady is unable to find or hold a long-term job, then it is the duty of the government to step in to help family for as long it is necessary till her daughter complete her studies and start working.
There are many needy Singaporeans who are in dire straits and yet not able to qualify for state support due to its stringent criteria: one must be certified either permanently unfit to work forever by a medical specialist or completely destitute meaning that one has no living relatives left before one can apply for Public Assistance (PA) and even then, it is granted only on a case by case basis.
Another real life story: a 73 year old lady has to pick used cardboards for a living in Toa Payoh Lorong 7. She has a fifty year old son who is mentally challenged and therefore unable to hold on a permanent job. She could not qualify for PA because she still has a son, never mind the fact that nobody wants to employ him!
The PA scheme which is run by the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports, offers only $330 monthly to its recipients which is surely insufficient to maintain a decent standard of living fit for a human being in Singapore.
A few years ago, the amount is only $290 and when PAP MP Dr Lily Neo asked MCYS Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan to increase the sum so that PA recipients can have three meals a day as an entitlement, he shot back: “How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?”
It is not as if MCYS is so cash-strapped that it is unable to provide more to the PA recipients. Dr Vivian just unveiled a $10-million dollar Community Integration Fund to make new citizens and PRs feel “welcomed” in Singapore. Why not spend it to help Singaporeans who have contributed to the nation in one way or another?
The primary role of the elected government of the day is to take care of its citizens who voted for it, not to compete with other nations in terms of some obscure economic indicator, flaunt one’s wealth to the world by saving distressed foreign banks or jet around the globe at the expense of taxpayers to lecture other leaders on how to run their countries.
Lee’s latest remarks will demolish any future attempts by the PAP to portray itself as a party which cares for Singaporeans. He has already stated very clearly in no uncertain terms: if Singaporeans are unable to keep up with the immigrants, don’t ever expect the PAP to help us – it is our business, not theirs.
For a young graduate struggling to start a family due to sky-rocketing costs of public housing, it is not the business of the PAP to bring the prices down.
For a middle-aged man who is retrenched because his company manages to find a younger and cheaper replacement from China or India, it is not the business of the PAP to help him find another job.
For an elderly man who has to work as a cleaner to support himself because he has no savings left in his CPF, it is not the business of the PAP to ensure he has three basic meals a day.
This is the kind of society Singapore has become under 44 years of uninterrupted PAP rule – cold, unfeeling and materialistic. Can such a country ever hope to attract the best talent in the world to settle here? Is it little wonder that Singapore is getting the “discards” from China and India and not their crème de la crème who prefer to migrate to U.S, Canada, Europe and Australia?
The PAP’s economic policies have already taken a toll on the low income group and are now affecting the middle class. The rich businessmen, doctors, lawyers, accountants and engineers may think they have “prospered” under PAP rule, but wait a minute – stop and ponder over the future of your children.
Do you want them to grow up competing with foreigners over a coveted place in a Singapore university? Do you want them to fight tooth and nail with the more “hard-driving and hard-striving” immigrants for a job which pays no more than $2,000 a month? Do you wish to see them perpetually stressed, frustrated and unhappy because they are unable to make enough money to finance their lifestyle? And lastly, do you really bear to see your children working for as long as they are able to because they are unable to retire?
Even for PAP members with connections inside the system – your futures are not as secure as it seems. Unless you belong to the elite, you may soon find yourselves replaced by their new “pets” from China, India, Malaysia, Philipines, Bangladesh, Timbuktu and god knows where.
The PAP is not even a political party now after the departure of the Old Guards in the 1980s. It is nothing more than an empty shell filled by department store dummies whose only purpose is to masquerade Singapore as a “parliamentary democracy” to the rest of the world.
As Lee puts it succinctly himself:
“To be the prime minister, you don’t have to know every instrument, but you got to recognise, ah, he’s a good violinist, he’ll be the first violinist, he’ll be the double bass. He will play the viola, he will have the trumpet, he will do the drums. Then you coordinate them and then you have great music. And if you already have a great orchestra, you can put a dummy there and you still got great music.”
Now we know why none of the 82 PAP MPs dare to contradict the old man – because they are all dummies who do not deserve a seat in parliament in the first place.
So Singaporeans, the next time some PAP MP come up to you and promise to voice your concerns in parliament, just remind them of the PAP’s mantra to Singaporeans:
“YOU DIE, YOUR BUSINESS!”
Related articles:
1. MM Lee slammed by netizens for callous remarks
2. MM Lee: good to welcome Chinese immigrants as Singaporeans have become less “hard-driving”
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jiangbao on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 9:30 am
When potential new PAP MPs are interviewed, they say they want to serve the people, that always get me laughing.
It actually means, i want the ppl to serve me so I can have more money and not do anything. After I am done with my ’slaves’, they can all go to hell and stay there while I replace them with the communists.
I honestly think that many PAP MPs actually dislike the communist in our country but the boss wants them so they have no choice.
quabilee on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 9:31 am
the later the election is held, the more time is available to reach out to the apathetic who may not know what they are missing, like the nat geo interview.
this is a window of opportunity to inform the apathetic.
Rainnix on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 10:04 am
How can a Singaporean be hard-driving while being laid with 2 burden namely NS and high-cost housing? Singapore under PAP becomes Singapore Inc.
In a corporation, it requires its employees to be productive, works hard for the least amount of monetary value it rewards. But in Singapore Inc. the govt rather employ cheap workers from overseas than to improve the skills of its own employees and blames them for not running hard enough (with 2 baggage).
youdieyourbusiness on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 10:04 am
We are living in a society where everything is economically driven and has to be measured, be it academic performance, wealth, etc. Attributes that cannot be quantified (such as passion, compassion, graciousness etc) are not in the MP/ministers KPIs (key performance indicators). This is what the leaders are advocating and exemplifying, and if this continues, Singapore will NEVER progress to become a true first world country.
nick on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 10:20 am
i could not agree more.
this is very sad.
Mustdo on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 10:56 am
Do we really need more time to reach out to the apathetic . Its being already donkey years and all of us knows what they did . Time for change and they cannot go against nature .
no way on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 10:58 am
Good article. PAP MPs’ silence means guilt to agreeing to what MM Lee has said. It is little wonder PAP MPs are dummies, an example would be what “freak accident guy” has said..
Political SalesMaN on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 11:07 am
Dear Singpaorean—-U kept a dog which bite the owner.
sbkaslan on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 11:11 am
If it is true that MM Lee said we Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving and for that reason, it is a good thing that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants…then there is a total disconnect between the ruling government and the people!
It is extremely heart breaking to see many Singaporeans “worked like donkeys past their retirement age” or forced to work very very hard, having no time to engage or think of anything else! There are many of us – younger ones -out here just trying to cope with the high-cost of living (and trying not to complain too much) to bring about some semblance of sanity and normalcy to our lives! We are the folks who rarely rise above the radar screen, and we go about doing our things in our quiet ways!
I do hope it is not true….truly!
smallfly on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 11:20 am
To all my dear readers of “Temasek Review”, before lky utter rubbish again, please get your yourselves protected first, so as to prevent your “beautiful-asses” from getting “shoot” by the “human-water-tubes” of the despicable miw and their cronies!!!
Here, the miw and their cronies go again, by mesmerizing the gullible-main-street-men in using illogical and idiotic theory to CHEAT the general public!
How can Singaporeans be hard-working and hard-striving when their normal lives are being “bolted-down” by Singapore’s stupid policy in favoring the fts and prs over its born and bred citizens?
First and foremost, please differentiate between individual success and national development, nobody dispute that NS-the “blood and sweat” by born and bred Singaporeans, definitely contribute fully to the prosperity and security of the country but, yeah hang on, who is the one benefited the most from the contribution of the NSmen, not the main-street-men and their families but, the miw and their cronies. After lagging behind for a solid two and a half years all NSmen have to compete with fts and prs on equal footing but more mature in-terms of age and less working experience, next come to the annual reservist training that piss the employer off by paying the NSmen half the salaries without proper contribution to the development of the companies. Worst, have to reshuffle other employees to cover the NSmen’s duties and responsibilities. So, if you are the employer who will you choose to employ? You have the choice, a ft/pr or born and bred Singaporean?
And now, truly born and bred Singaporeans are out of jobs because of unfair competitions from the fts and prs, but how to survive with no income and saving with all saving being used-up due to high cost of living and paying for housing loan, look to the social service, sorry, Singapore is not a welfare-state so, no unemployment benefits, no social safety nets, no food because no money to pay, no shuttle because no money to service the loan installments, lastly get evicted out of the hdb-flat/HOME that has been assiduously and diligently built-up over the years and end-up in the rental flat and finally, get evicted-out from the rental flat due to no money to pay the rental and end-up in destitute-home for the homeless, **TRUELY YOU DIE YOUR BUSINESS in this mercenary and soulless country**!!!
So, all born and bred Singaporeans do not be hypnotized by those idiotic-miw-assholes in using the stupid statement proclaimed loudly and vociferously by the imbecile of America that “Don’t ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for the country?” Stupid you, the Americans do not have compulsory National Service and Reservist duties for its born and bred citizen only voluntary-PAID-service in the arm-forces! Mind you, my dear stupid nerds of those miw and their cronies, please shut-up, keep-quite, pack-up and butter-up for the idiotic-Americans as your favorite pass-time!! Cease cheating Singaporeans as true born and bred Singaporeans, we are telling all of the cronies of the miw that we have enough of your non-sense and we are going to say “NO” loudly and clearly this time round!! Heehaheehaheeha…, the miw especially their cronies are just sycophantic “suckers” of the fts, prs as well as the idiotic-Americans and nothing else!!!
To the main-street-men, it makes not difference whether Singapore is ruled by the miw or somebody else-inclusive of foreigners or other country’s government; because with “present” policy, they still have to compete on un-level playing fields, slave to the day they die with pittance salaries and contribute to the defense of the country without even have the chance to voice their unhappiness!! Last but not least, the main-street-men have nothing to lose except the miw have annual million-dollar of remuneration package to lose!!
Kowtow to TP for having the courage to take the ungrateful Million-Dollar miw to task!!!! Long life TP!!!!
fair and square on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 11:23 am
even the strongest criticisms i read thus far on TR are so much milder than these condemnation on singaporeans.
i strongly believe that the average singaporean citizens are
still one of the most honest hardworking WORKERS even in this globlased wolrd.
is cheaper n faster always better? i sincerely hvae my DOUBTS!
LOOK AT ALL THE INFERIOR DEFECTIVE GOODS that folks in some
cheaper faster economies churn out and the health and safety hazards they caused consumers including innocent babies of even their own kind?!
in truth,it is GREED that has so far been the fore-runner in
all these globalisations we witnessed over the last few years;even at the door-steps of so-called leading nations whose regulatory controls the rest of the globalised wolrd
imitate?!!!
at times,i wonder why are the honest hardworking people with
honour and integrity brand as “dinosaurs”…indeed virtues
seem to have lost themselves in this maze of greed so omnipotent in this globalsed village.
Sinkapore on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 11:41 am
In Japan, employees of a corporation is always so very productive without being constantly reminded to do their part, why?
In a Japanese corporation, the employees are part of the FAMILY because they are given shares in the corporation according to their length of service.
In a Sinkapore corporation, the employees are NOT part of the famiLEE but merely DIGITS to be USED and ABUSED until thry are no longer of any use, then replaced with FOREIGN IMPORTS and left to fend for themselves.
See the difference?
Cheeze Off on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 11:53 am
The mind boggles why we should pay PAP ministers so much money for literally doing nothing to help the local population. Political leaders can be classified into world, regional, national and party leaders. So what are PAP leaders? Nothing more than party leaders who clearly put party survival above national survival. MM is nowhere compared to world leaders like Obama, Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, Gordon Brown etc etc who can be constantly seen on the world stage fighting global terrorism, climate change, world economic downturn, poverty, etc,etc besides managing their national agendas and local population which is much more than our meagre 3+ million people. Who cares about the views of an old man who does not participate in the forums of major world events/crisis that will decide the destiny of the world?
Credos to world leaders who truly deserve our respect and certainly more pay than our our party leaders who are liked drowning men clinging to last straws to stay in political power. I say to them, it is clear that you do not have the capability to be world leaders but at least try to be be good national leaders of, in their own words, a small city that pays you millions to deliver what you have, to-date, proven incapable of doing.
I love my country on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 12:25 pm
Well, we are all worthless in the eyes of the political eyes of the elite. They are only interested in making us pay and pay, if you are of no economic value, you rot and die in some corner of society for all they care.
FPC on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 12:47 pm
Don’t have any illusion.
If you look carefully, you will see the pattern of the old pig.
When he thinks he is losing, he will strike down the leaders that are opposing him.
He did it first with the leftists using the ISD after PAP was losing elections.
Then he did it again with JBJ and CSJ with law suits.
The tide is against the old pig now.
So we need to make sure nobody get anything until elections.
We need to wait until the old pig is so sick and weak before we show anything.
In the mean time, it is best to keep passing the real information while staying with an alias.
" NO ONE WILL BE BEHIND " - http://news.asiaone.com/News/NDP+Rally+2007/NDP+Rally+2007.html on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 12:57 pm
………………………………………………
” NO ONE WILL BE BEHIND ”
http://news.asiaone.com/News/NDP+Rally+2007/NDP+Rally+2007.html
evileye on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 1:01 pm
I always wanted to ask where one can source LKY’s quotes and whether they can be verified. It is very important to know we are not putting words in his mouth and that his quotes are not taken completely out of context. This will be important in stating a case against his party durng the election
ilovesingapore on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 1:40 pm
http://www.news.gov.sg/public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/pmo/transcript/T-20091228-1
Straight from the gahmen!
Cool Heads Required on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 1:41 pm
I think this article is a prime example of why our country has not reached the political maturity that is needed for a reasoned, sensible, cool-headed discussion.
Baiting and stirring up the electorate with the politics of envy is a dangerous thing to do. Before other readers start slamming me about being pro-PAP, I can say that I do not agree with some of their policies. However, I do think that they are, unfortunately, a necessary evil.
I have lived in the West before and I can see how their politics have degenerated into nothing more than vote buying for continued political power. And look at how their society has continued to degenerate. Rights without responsibility. Everything is about MY right and nothing about their duty to their country as citizens.
Singapore is an interesting experiment that is still evolving. I do understand that quite a substantial number of Singaporeans are suffering and feeling left out by the economic policies of the PAP. But purposely stirring up the readers with the politics of envy is totally irresponsible and frankly, some self restraint is needed by the author of this opinion piece. Saying that it is only an opinion piece is not a valid excuse. The author should actually reflect on his responsiblity as a commentator instead of a rebel rouser that he is attempting to be.
Some people have written that compare to the... on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 1:44 pm
Pappy Controlled MSM… Temasek Review (TR), The Online Citizen (TOC), Sammy Boy (SB), etc are limited in reader outreach and impact. it has even been suggested here in TR that reader propergate comments in TR by forwarding them as emails. And TR has indicated we are free to do so so long as the TR Link is included.
However, I would suggest that all those blogs which bring out other views about the pappy’s performance and failures… SHOULD ALSO include links to all other similar blogs to spread the “cakes”. As I am sure that there are amny without sure references will only or end up reading only those friends have introduced them to.
For example, I’ve found that generally, comments in TOC command better linguistic skill sets and expressions. Even from the same person who comment both in TR and TOC on a similar topic.
I thus hope that the most popular blogs can really get together to agree to provides such “inter-links” like was susggest here in TR for Oppo Political parties to “Join-Hands” in the next GE.
i hope my suggestion will “As Seed” to carry significance here with TR first and others will also carry it to other blogs in suggestion for “planting” too. We still have time and let’s hope we will not waste the opportunity.
Any comments TR Admin?
Again&Again on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 2:00 pm
As I had mentioned, the whole idea of FT policy is not about creating jobs, replacing declining birth rate ….
Its about getting enough votes to win election after election. They think the new citizens will repay their gratitude by voting for them.
All their policies are crafted in order to gain advantage against in the election.
Example:
1) GRC – so that all the Tom, Dick and Harry can sneak under the minister skirt to get into parliment.
2) HDB upgrading scheme – no need to mention, only nuts don’t know what is going on here.
3) CDC – well, so folks in their constituency will get better care. In their own words: “Vote for me, or else …….” you know what happen.
4) FT policy – already mentioned above.
5) School fee increase for PR and foreigners – well so that they can apply for citizenship in time for the coming election. Since when our Ministry are so generous to give one year notice in advance. Our bus fare, PUB and whatever price increase are always and almost immediate. HDB don’t even anounce on price hike the last time.
I am sure there are plenty more. In term of political openess, we are even worst off then China. In China, they are even allow to demonstrate in the street to have their voice heard.
To our new citizen and soon to be citizen, for whatever reason you decide to take citizenship here, let me tell you this: Singapore is not a greener pastures you think it should be. You may be able to get a decent job here. But you will sure to work harder than your buffalo back home sacrificing your social live, family live and even sex live.
I am not joking when I mentioned sex live. Singapore is among the countries in the world that have lowest sex frequency. Thanks to our highly stress society.
So if you want to continue to have erection, do what you have to do in the coming election.
admin on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 2:14 pm
Hi Some people,
1. Your suggestion of cross-links between blogs is good, but technically not feasible. We don’t keep track of what is happening elsewhere. Just searching for newsworthy stuff to write about from the MSM is taking us up a considerable amount of time. However readers are most welcomed to post links from other blogs here.
2. TR does not place a lot of emphasis on “linguistic skills” and neither do we expect our readers to do so when posting comments on our site. We aspire to be a site for the common man in the street. Everybody has the right to express oneself, regardless of one’s academic qualification or profession. Our readers are encouraged to contribute actively to the discussion regardless of their proficiencies in the English language so long others are able to grasp the gist of their message.
3. We still have a few more months to go and by then, we should be able to get TR’s readership to about 25 per cent of Straits Times which will give us at least some clout to counter the spins, half-truths and lies it is churning out. Unlike Malaysia, Singapore has too few socio-political blogs to work together. The onus is on the big players to lead the way and blaze a path ahead for the rest to follow.
singaporean on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 2:44 pm
So much had been read and said. All thanks to Temasek Review.
Encourage more people to think carefully :
If the ruling still win the majority seats even though losing few GRC, most singaporeans will still be suffering under such kind of government.
Guarantee more new citizens.
******************* For the sake of Ourselves and Children we need to VOTE PAP OUT !!! ********
SeeWhoDie on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 2:53 pm
What!!!!!! ” You Die, your business ”
Hey !!! my business is going to be your business.
You don’t take care of my business, you are out of business !!!
lee sg on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 3:05 pm
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,” he quipped.
Even if we assume that LKY say the above sentence, falling behind does not mean that u die. Falling behind means u will earn less than most people. Earning less does not lead to death.
Nowhere did PAP or LKY say that “YOU DIE, YOUR BUSINESS”. Is TEmasek review trying to put words into PAP mouth? TR may plead that it is just trying to translate the above sentence to Hokkien. I know English and Hokkien and the it is not a translation, it is twisting a person word and adding spice to it.
Political SalesMaN on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 3:26 pm
With GIC/Temasek Holding + our CPF total came out to be one trillion $. Return of only 5% that is $50Billion interest.
$50Billion interest More than enough to cover the Minister fat salary & Bonuses.If $50Billion giving to 300million true Singapore, Each Household can get @ lease S$10,000 instead of S$200.00. So who will die first. Of cause the citizen will die first.
cy on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 3:47 pm
朱门酒肉臭 路有冻死骨
The maestro is rusty and his orchestra member can’t even play ‘doreme’, yet some audience still listen to their music, if you can call it music, i call it noise pollution.
ayama on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 4:46 pm
No point vending your anger or your frustration here the MIW and their boot licking cronies will not listen.
You want to teach them a lesson,easy when you tick the ballot paper at the election boot.
Please Remember to tick any symbol except the one with the red circle and a lightning.
Our action will speaks louder than our words.
li ling on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 4:53 pm
i really like your piece of article!!!!
angry_one on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 6:22 pm
How many have realised that the PAP has always supported foreigner from Day 1? First it was foreign MNCs and investments, then expats, and now cheap labour from 3rd world countries. LKY himself is Malaysian-born, and some of our male foreign-born MPs have never served NS. The PAP sees sg people as fodder, to be exploited and disposed of in their great nation-building experiment which is failing by the day.
Cpt on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 7:10 pm
Lky is a realistic person. As long you can catch a mouse (Pay taxes) then black or white cat (pr, new or native citizen) does not better. You are a good cat to him.
sturmtruppen on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 7:35 pm
oh no…
from the “great” leader…intelligence without true wisdom.
dumb as dumb sucks yet again.
sturmtruppen on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 7:41 pm
I re-interate this quote again from a real intelligent and truely wise leader…so far the majority of the so called leaders of singapore are either a bunch of clowns, jokers, yes-men, leeches etc etc…what a let-down!! No real men or real hands on lead on leader type at all…and this is the best singapore can get? I don’t believe…there are good men/women out there…singaporeans need to just look harder and further if we must.
Quote from Thomas Jefferson
“We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.
We must make our election between economy and liberty
or profusion and servitude.
If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and
in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and
our amusements, for our calling and our creeds…
[we will] have no time to think,
no means of calling our miss-managers to account
but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves
to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers…
And this is the tendency of all human governments.
A departure from principle in one instance
becomes a precedent for [another ]…
till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery…
And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt.
Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression.”
If only they make singapore a real home.
Instead of a hell-hole.
How much money is enough for you…1 million….100 million…1 billion…so what…it is all blood money.
Shameless…no decent human being will do so much at the expense of another human being.
Sad.
Fuck_PAP on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 8:01 pm
DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,V,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,V,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAP,DOWN PAP, DOWN PAPDOWN PAP, DOWN PAP
Demoralised.. on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 10:43 pm
Sian…sibei demoralised after reading all these..
beng on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 12:47 am
Who dare to stand out and raise question. This economy is run like a family business and only those who could contribute are the members. Once you are not economically viable then you are not welcome.
Tony Pang on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 1:27 am
With a heavy heart, I can relate to the statements made by Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Taking his statements in context (minus all the emotions), I have to agree that there are some levels of truths.
“Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving.”
Hypothetically speaking – If we were to take an average current Singaporean and compare them side by side with someone of our founding forefathers’ generation – we do see a distinctive difference. Logically speaking, people of our generation blessed with a significant higher level of living and education and thus should have being better prepared to drive for success – challenging the ideas of the present, forging a road to a better future.
Sadly, the truth is far from it.
Unlike over forefathers somewhere through the past 40+ years, we started to fear change – we lost the drive and courage to challenge ideas, to chart ourselves to unknown waters – failure in all matters (education, business, career, family) became a social taboo – as a Society, we lost out tolerance for failure. Instead we were reduced to a tamed and conservative bunch – unlike our forefathers, we no longer dared to do things differently – choosing to be the sheep and follow the crowd in all matters of life – any deviations are generally frowned upon and socially strongly discouraged.
Note – things like public housing, education and jobs are NOT entitlements. Being a native bred Singaporean, does NOT warrant that you are guaranteed to be able to afford public housing, get the education place of YOUR choice, a choice for the job that YOU want and get the benefits that YOU demand.
You have to earn your right to afford housing, study SMART and HARD to get the education places of your choice, FIGHT with the GLOBAL talents to get the job of YOUR dreams. As Singapore progress, things will only get harder as the playing fields get MORE competitive – its becoming more competitive because we ARE moving up the ladder and that in its very essence, attracts competition. Singapore is not alone in this – ALL global metropolis are facing the same situation (i.e. Hong Kong, London, NYC, etc..). In fact a friend of mine working in New York City once joked that, if you throw a stone onto the streets of Manhattan, you will actually have a higher probability chance, hitting a foreigner than a fellow American.
Think about it – do you want to compete the entire world and its people in your OWN backyard? Or do you want to compete the entire world and its people in SOMEONE Else’s backyard – we are officially playing with the BIG boys now. Its high time for us to grow up and wise up.
Somewhere in the past 40 years – something change – maybe its the “successful” PAP “population domestication” policies – maybe we have been getting such an easy life that we have started taking things for granted – etc. I have covered this cause of Singaporeans’ downfall in a previous blog entry – you can reference them over here http://tony-gonewiththewind.blogspot.com/2009/12/singapores-dilemma-foreign-talents-my.html
There could be a million “maybe”s; but the truth is still the same – the current “us” is a definite shadow of our former selves.
*note – this was based on my personal experiences, as a Singaporean growing up in Singapore. I acknowledged that there are exceptions to the above generalizations – but the truth is – these exceptions belong to the minority and not the general masses*
Having recently travelled to both our Asian giants – India and China; I was awestruck not by their size, nor by their recent modernization developments – but by the local’s desperate hunger for success (especially for the Mainland Chinese), even to the extent of chucking their morals aside. Its evidently clear, that these people thirst for success borders on the margins of insanity – something which our founding fathers had and used, with great effect to build Singapore to what it is today – a success story – a so-called “Pearl of the Orient”
Given the current rate, it is no longer a question of “will” India and China become global major economic powerhouses and give the Western nations a run for their money; but a matter of “WHEN”
Problem is – Are we ready to accommodate the shift for these 2 giants? Are we able to strategically reposition our littoral state and continue to challenge and reap the benefits from all sides?
Mr Lee Kuan Yew was correct in this aspect. We are NOT ready – nor are we even near. But that’s NOT the killer blow – its the fact that we continue to be IGNORANT to these global phenomenon, still holding on to the false beliefs that Singapore is STILL better than most part of Asia and is a niche above the rest (pretty much like Hong Kongers before the 1997 Asia Financial Crisis).
Singaporeans in general, are still living like sheltered frogs within a well – blinded to the changing forces out in the cold, harsh world.
We cannot afford to loft around and be reactive – we as a community, has to buckle up, pre-empt and embrace this global economical tidal wave – channelling its power into our advantage, as our forefathers have done decades back.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew has meant well when he made that statement – the problem lies in his communication skills which is surprisingly lacking for a politician of his calibre. One would have expected someone as experienced as him, to be more “diplomatic” when making such points on the global stage (reminds me a lot of Malaysia’s Mahathir – then again, they are pretty much “birds of the same flock”).
A point to note – though the points and efforts by Mr Lee Kuan Yew are grandiose – they strongly depict the attitude of Mr Lee Kuan Yew (which by de facto, translates to the political stand of the People’s Action Party), as someone tremendously out of touch with the concerns of the common men in Singapore.
The actions undertaken by the PAP-dominated Singapore Government, though beneficial to the nation – are tremendously strenuous for the local average Singaporeans. Its akin to teaching children how to swim by throwing them, head first into the pool’s deepest end – with NO floats. For those who managed to learn and swam, they will survive and emerge stronger – for those that could not learn in time – they will literally drown and its shocking that the Government is willing to stand by and let all this happen.
From a leadership standpoint, this is acceptable and even possible to eulogize upon; for it signifies one’s willingness and determination to undertake tough decisions for the better good of the nation and ultimately its people – Singaporeans.
But the PAP-dominated Singapore Government, in all its “wisdom” (compounded by its hordes of “scholars”); seemed to ahve forgotten a critical foundation block of Governance – the SOCIAL WELL-BEING of its Citizens.
In its desperate strive to elevate the survivability of Singapore’s economical health – the Government has chosen to worsen the social health of its citizens (i.e. unrealistic population growth, through artificial lax pro-foreigner immigration policies, inadequate housing, transport, education and heath infrastructures to deal with the resulting population, an unrealistic Government-induced inflation that which defies the current global economic health and its totally unsustainable in the long run, etc…)
In brief, Singaporeans were treated like trash and shoved around in our very own backyard.
In the very same way, where 40+ years of peace and prosperity, have made general Singaporeans less hard-driving and hard-striving – ignorant to the World. 40+ years of unchallenged political rule have rendered the PAP-dominated Singapore Government proud, arrogant and ignorant to the feelings of the common Singaporean – a significant disparity is ever growing between Singapore’s PAP leaders and the average Singaporeans.
Its correct to state that Singapore needs to urgently handle the global economic power shifts and prepare this tiny nation for the next few decades – but like ALL problems in the world – it can be SOLVED with more than just ONE way. Rather than pushing ALL the blame squarely on Singaporeans’ shoulders – a RESPONSIBLE, EFFECTIVE and HUMBLE Government should have explore other alternatives before resorting to the harsh “swim or drown” approach.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, in his blaming of Singaporeans for Singapore’s plight – is akin to a “Parent blaming his/her children for their lack of family upbringing.”
Singaporeans are what we are today – because of the policies undertaken by the PAP dominated Singapore Government, we are a generation brought up in a unilateral party Government – ALL of us have NEVER heard nor experience any other alternate political party Government before.
Thus to say “Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving.” – wouldn’t that mean that over the past 40+years of UNCHALLENGED rule, the Singapore PAP-dominated Government has FAILED? Instead of making the nation and its people stronger, proud to stand tall on the global stage – the opposite has happened??
Mr Lee Kuan Yew – are you trying to tell the WHOLE WORLD that you – as Singapore’s FOUNDING FATHER and the most SENIOR minister in the Singapore PAP-dominated Government, have failed? And what you have done over the past 40+ years is nothing but a mistake?
*think about it*
Anonymouse on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 3:37 am
Well, the comments are expected from a person who controls virtually everything in the nation. Dig deeper and you will find either him or his family member is in the board of directors to everything; power, water, communication, media, transportation and etc. He virtually controls everything, like an emperor who is not afraid of any repercussions.
On top of all that, why are Singaporeeans being made to pay a salary to someone who only forecast, a position that Singaporeans did not even agreed on? It is to my knowledge that government is made to SERVE THE PEOPLE and not the other way around. Have hell freezes over that we too daft to think straight?
john on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 10:07 am
We Singapore have to do NS and all these years we are paying tax. The tax money is use to keep very old people in the government. Surely we don’t deserve this kind of remarks.
Tan Koh Seng on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 11:32 am
Things are taken for granted that we stop asking, even PMs are not asking up front and difficult questions, sometime we see ministers watered them down and these elected PMs retreated back to their seats. Are they afraid that when they write request letters to fellow ministers seeking help for those “meet the people session” heart-lander, they cannot get support when they ask too much questions ?
I think all policies should to be rigorously evaluating potential outcomes, provides an essential anchor for the hard work of option generation and deliberation before putting them in place. No ministers like to be question, but it is YOUR JOB. Mr. & Mrs (Ms) PMs, Singaporean is watching and they are not stupid, you know.
PoorSGP on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 11:48 am
Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving … So are the PRC is better than us?
They are more hard driving and hard striving cause the want make money and retired at they homeland. Ask layman they know what happening on the ground. If gahmen interview the F.T,they will said. Oh, i will work and will make singapore my home oneday. When they talk to the groundman. they will said once i got many,many money i will go back and make business. See who smart?
As singaporean i think i have driving harder and striving harder than the so call F.T.
ilovesingapore on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 1:31 pm
Nuggets from the interview!
“I always thought that humanity was animal-like and that Confucian theory was Man can be improved. I’m not sure it can be but it can trained, it can be disciplined. I’m not sure you can actually change the character of a man but you can discipline him and make him, you make a left-hander write with his right hand but you can’t really change his natural born instincts to use his left hand.”
“Well, we’ve got ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indians here. The settled ones have become less hard-driving and hard-striving and we’ve got recent migrants, they are hungry, they’re determined to succeed having uprooted themselves and they’re doing better.”
“No it worries the old citizens. They say look this is fierce competition, my children won’t be getting the scholarships because they’re doing well in schools, they push their children very hard. In fact, they need no pushing. They come here from China with no English language and they know that without English, they won’t get along. So there are many cases of boys and girls aged 12, 13 who come into our secondary schools and by the time, they finish the schools, they top the class in English.”
“No, I think the spurs are not stuck on your hinds. They are part of the herd, why-go-faster? But when you’re lagging behind, you must go faster to catch up with the herd. I’m quite sure that there are children of the migrants who strive arduously. When they grow up in the same schools as the Singaporeans, the same playing fields, same environment and they begin to adopt Singaporean habits in the ways of living and thinking. So I’m quite sure they’d become like us.”
Q: “What would you say the parents of the second or third generation of Singaporeans and their children are not able to compete with the new people? How do you tell them?”
Mr Lee: “We tell them look they have got to work harder or they’ll become stupid. It’s just that they don’t see the point of it. Why race when you can canter and save your energy and do other things? Art, ballet, sports whereas these new migrants, they spend all their time slogging away in the library or at home.”
Q: “You’re not saying that arts, sports and ballet are not important, are you?”
Mr Lee: “No, I’m not saying they are not important but an inordinate amount of time is spent on extra-curricular activities.”
“Well, I think it’s an inevitable evolution of any society and therefore, a regular inflow of migrants without too huge a deluge will keep that society on its toes.”
Q: “You have 25 per cent here of people who are expatriates. Is that too much?”
Mr Lee: “Well, there’s a little discomfort in some areas because in some areas, they seem to congregate, the new ones. The Indians somehow find the East Coast congenial. They concentrate there, so they become very obvious. The Chinese are more scattered, not so obvious except in the food courts where they are doing the hard work because Chinese cooks from China are willing to work for $1,000 less a month and they’re just as good. So the employer looks for them.”
“We have a more homogenous and more homogenous in the sense that they haven’t changed their religions, the Malays are still Muslims and they go to the mosques every Friday and they’ve slightly different habits. The influence from the Middle East has made them have head-dresses for no rhyme or reason.”
“We are not going to tie ourselves to China to the extent it makes us hostage. I mean, we have many investments there because the older generation are Chinese-educated, they feel comfortable but the younger generation, they have enough Chinese who want to go there and do business and they can ramp it up if you want because once you are able to listen and speak and read without writing, you can pick it up. And not everybody wants to go there and we’ve been offering scholarships to their top universities, Beijing, Qinghua, Hudan, very few takers. They say nah, I want to go to America or Britain because they know they’re coming back here and competing in English.””
Q: “Do you think that, I mean, one question I wanted to ask you was building a country from scratch is obviously an enormous achievement, accomplishment.”
Mr lee: “No, it’s not a nation. It’s a society in transition. You need a few hundred years to build a nation.”
Q: “Oh really?”
Mr Lee: “Yes.”
Q: “You have a lot of countries running around claiming they’re nations. You don’t think they really are nations?”
Mr Lee: “Well, we make them say the national pledge and sing the national anthem but suppose we have a famine, will your Malay neighbour give you the last few grains of rice or will she share it with her family or fellow Muslim or vice versa?”
“I don’t want to take more of your time. Let me just ask you a couple more things. How would you like to be remembered?”
“I live my life in accordance to what I think is worth doing. I never wanted to be in politics. I wanted to be a lawyer and make a good living, to be a good advocate but I was thrown into it as a result of all these political earthquakes that took place. So I was saddled with the responsibility and I just have to be responsible to get the place going. That’s all and I mean we’ve got here and I can’t decide what posterity is going to do.”
“All I can do is to make sure that when I leave, the institutions are good, sound, clean, efficient and there’s a government in place which knows what it has got to do and is looking for a successive government of quality. That’s all I can do.”
“Look, I once had to make an impromptu speech in Sydney. So what do I say off the cuff? I said I’ve just come from New Zealand and I’ll tell you what my thoughts were. In 100 years from now, I go back to New Zealand and there will be the grass, the sheep, the cows, the tornados or hurricanes at Wellington, and there will always be this green pleasant place and not industrially developed because it’s the last stop in the bus line and in 100 years from today, I’m not sure that there’ll be a Singapore. It depends on what my successors do. I mean that’s the cards we were handed. So it’s not up to me. What is up to me is make sure the place is ticking, make sure the institutions are there, the systems are in place, make sure there is a government that is fit for the job and then it is up to them to ensure continuity. That’s that.”
“Singaporeans have to decide. Do you want to underpay a minister and you have the kind of shenanigans as you have in the British Parliament?”
“So everything is above board and the public knows that. So whatever they grumble, they know that they are not being shortchanged.”
Q: “There are grumbles but there are always grumbles.”
Mr Lee: “There must be. Singaporeans are champion grumblers.”
john on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 4:53 pm
“You die, your business!”, the concern party should use this as their slogan in the next election. Then we will see who would die first!
anon on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 5:00 pm
Re: Cool Heads Required on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 1:41 pm
“I think this article is a prime example of why our country has not reached the political maturity that is needed for a reasoned, sensible, cool-headed discussion.”
What “political maturity that is needed for a reasoned, sensible, cool-headed discussion” when even PAP MPs in Parliament were exasperated at the stone walling by the Finance Minister over the loss of 30 to 40% of our combined reserves managed by GIC & Temasek amounting to hundreds of billions? “Discussions”?, Yeah right.
What sought of “reasoned, sensible, cool-headed discussion” did the PAP Internet brigade member, Sear Hock Rong, resorts to when all he could do was try and character assassinate this Alex Tan by revealing the latter’s being sent to detention barracks while serving his NS without bothering to reveal the exact nature of the offence, and then removed comments on his blog not favourable to him, if what I read on TR is correct?
Oh by the way, does MM considers Sear Hock Rong to be “hard driven and hard striven by what people here describe as conflict of interest way of making money?
confused on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 8:44 pm
Thank you tony pang for a balanced review of the above article.
Personal comment: Singapore is like a big complicated factory where machines have to keep working day and night to maintain good production.
And when some of the machines failed to produce, they are quickly replaced by new machines.
Reminds me of this movie named Artificial Intelligence where the roborts were dumped when they were deemed useless.
Cold and heartless. DO we all have to be highly efficient like roborts before we are considered useful to this society?
LeeKeeSee on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 10:01 pm
Let PAP use this motto :
*** If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,” ***
Guess Who Die First , PAP or lee kuan yew ?
Exposer on Wed, 30th Dec 2009 10:12 pm
““You die, your business!”, the concern party should use this as their slogan in the next election. Then we will see who would die first!”
This slogan is only half-true. The true slogan of PAP is “You die, your business but your money, my business !”
Ceph on Thu, 31st Dec 2009 12:37 am
I have not read all comments, but personally, I can tell why the MM will say we are not working hard enough. I am currently a student in a local university who works very hard to maintain decent grades. However, everywhere I look, I see fellow students slacking off, going to clubs, partying, spending on luxury goods with their parents’ money and generally doing almost everything except study. Yet, the pay difference between a 2nd lower (easily obtainable, with the moderation system, you just need to be an average student) and a 1st class honours graduate is so minute! Most 1st class graduates do not earn the spectacular 8000 starting salary, probably closer to 3300 while a 2nd lower can get 2800 easily!
We also look at the distribution of grades in the university. Local students take up the majority of the poorer grades. Why? They never had half decent A level results to begin with! And seeing how they spend their time in school, it is no wonder how badly they are doing! Why are they even in the university? If our local universities want to be world class education centers, we cannot have 25% of every cohort being admitted! In the days when policemen wore shorts, a degree is something valuable, now it is just a useless piece of paper!
Now, if we can make all young Singaporeans work and study like they should, we will not need foreign talent. Personally, I have many friends who are overseas scholars and I can tell you straight that they are more motivated and more talented than most Singaporeans. Just because they are born in another country does not mean they should be denied the chance to live in our fair country! If they can contribute better, pay back our society better, I do not see why we would not want to replace our poorly Singaporeans with them!
Some of you mention that our brightest minds are leaving town. That is a real problem! The government should work to address that issue by retaining talent and at the same time expel rubbish (pardon me)! This is why a minimum wage law is absent. To do better, we need to widen the wage gap so that Singaporeans who do not do well will migrate!
What I have said is obviously exaggerated, but that is the basic idea of what I feel the government would want for Singapore.
japrpg on Thu, 31st Dec 2009 6:48 pm
The correspondent speaks for the government to adopt a full welfare state policy like Scandinavia and some European countries. I think it does sound logically good, but you have to agree that it is not easy to screen out those who will definitely take advantage of the situation and exploit.
Anyway, I think even such a free country like the US, will not even consider such policies. Their prominently highlight Healthcare reform is even HOTLY DEBATED and for so long, it is NOT the government’s business to take care of its citizen’s well-being. You no money, you better sleep one side and die. And it is preferably NOT in the government’s business to save individuals and businesses in a collapsing economy. You cannot make it, please die.
Ah Lian on Fri, 1st Jan 2010 11:29 am
Dear Ceph,
When, and if, you come out into the working world, you’re realise that many Singaporeans put in long working hours. White collar, blue collar alike. I dare say many of us “out-work” the foreigners (not counting the domestic workers or construction workers, who are simply being exploited and abused).
If a person is not given a meal in his own home, and the food is instead given to outsiders, is he still part of the family?
Singapore is well-positioned and connected as a hub. Unless you are talking about a specialised field of work available only overseas, our brightest minds need not migrate. People leave because they are not treated and respected as part of the family. You don’t treat brightest grown-ups like kids.
“To do better, we need to widen the wage gap so that Singaporeans who do not do well will migrate!”
What do you mean by “do better”? Higher GDP growth every year? Expensive living for everyone?
“We need to widen the wage gap”? – How do you do this – depress the wages of the lower income? Is there anyone restricting the top-end people from earning more in the first place?
To do better is to create conditions to allow everyone a chance to live in contentment (not complacency) and at ease, not in fear and insecurity each day. Within a family, different members have varying skills and capabilities – some more, some less. Lower-educated and lower-income people, the old people, the handicapp etc are our fellow people – they have a right to a fulfilling life in Singapore as much as we do. Every team is only as strong as its weakest members.
Singapore is big enough for any bright foreign talent to find a place here if they want. But please don’t tell me all of the 1 million over foreigners here are BRIGHT. If anyone’s truly talented, he does not need our government to artificially create openings for them to enter our society.
Our future and happiness lies not in how many “bright-minded” people we retain, but how big our heart is towards all Singaporeans -OUR OWN PEOPLE.
Randoman on Sat, 2nd Jan 2010 4:01 pm
This is a very provocative review, yet very sad
The fat salary the ministers get for sitting at home/office drinking coffee while looking upon the peasants suffer through the recession, the decision to allow a “cooling day” during the voting, the bullshit that LKY gave to National Geographic and the subsequent media blackout of the event. Oh, not forgetting we allow our ex-Senior Minister to be promoted to a Minister Mentor, which does nothing much but farts through his teeth.(Seriously, what next? Senior Minister Mentor? Or Supreme Minister Mentor Of Singapore?)
These nonsense that Singaporeans have endured… we complain, we disagree but in the end, we end up in the same shitty position we begin with, only worst. The government always has its way, no matter what we tell them(just look at the IR). Why cant we DO SOMETHING instead of just complaining shit and still vote for the SAME STUPID, TOTALITARIAN, MEDIA CONTROLLING, FASCIST IDIOTS that go about doing everything and nothing at the same time?
anon on Sat, 2nd Jan 2010 6:49 pm
@Ceph
If a second lower is so easily attainable, why do you have to work so hard to maintain decent grades? If you have to put in effort to maintain your grades, surely others have to as well. Quite possibly you just don’t notice others studying, because partying and going out (what is wrong with having some fun, by the way) is a lot more visible than studying at home/library.
>> “If our local universities want to be world class education centers, we cannot have 25% of every cohort being admitted!”
What is the point of a university that produces great students, if it only takes in great students to begin with!? A truly good university would be able to take in a range of students, and consistently produce quality graduates.
There’s also a lot of other reasons, involving taxpayer’s money, and education for everyone, but I’m sure you’re aware of them.
>> “Personally, I have many friends who are overseas scholars and I can tell you straight that they are more motivated and more talented than most Singaporeans.”
Interesting. Here is one of my university experiences. I was a teaching assistant in my final year for a freshmen course. The brightest and most hardworking student I had, was a Singaporean. I also had a foreigner, who was taking the same module for the 5th or 6th time (remember, this is an introductory module we’re talking about). She came in for about 3 weeks, skipped the midterm test without any reason, and I never saw her again.
By the way, that happened 2 years ago, so it’s a recent thing.
“If they can contribute better, pay back our society better,”
Yes, of course. The key word here is ‘IF’. Many of the foreigners who come here either can not, or do not. Heck, a lot of them cannot even speak English.
>> “I do not see why we would not want to replace our poorly Singaporeans with them!”
This is a vile and arrogant viewpoint of yours. The word ‘replace’ is especially offensive. See Ah Lian’s post above for a good response.
If I were to hold that view, I would ask you: Since you acknowledge that foreign scholars are more talented and motivated, and you only have ‘decent’ grades despite working hard, why shouldn’t the university kick you out and give your place to another scholar? It would certainly help to make our universities more world class.
But I don’t, so I will not ..
Ceph on Sun, 3rd Jan 2010 4:16 am
Thanks Ah Lian and anon (whoever you are) for your comments to my post.
@ Ah Lian
Referincing what you wrote about Singapore as a team, and regardless of skills, capabilities and education, everyone deserves the same, I feel you are talking about a communist state which actually is not a bad idea, just that it is terribly hard to achieve. Communism is a concept too good to come true, so many countries tried it and failed, none of them even got close to pulling it off without much unhappiness.
If you are talking about the foreign talent such as some people I have encoutered during my short work experience that draw monthly salaries of SGD 20000 along with a housing allowance of SGD 8000, yes, I agree there are locals can do the same job for less. However, very often, such senior positions go to foreigners with a great deal of experience in that area (for instance, leading the IT department to refresh the tech infrastructure of the firm).
You speak of Singapore as a family, and I am pretty sure you would be familiar with instances where the father would tell a son to leave home if he did/didn’t do something. Its the same with out country, shape up, or leave.
Our brightest minds leave precisely because they are not getting what they deserve! For their talent, they are paid alot more overseas than here. For example, a software engineer gets paid 3 times in the USA than here. In Singapore, software engineering is a crap job and the person gets the nickname “code monkey” depsite his job involving a great deal more.
I apologise for my misuse of the term “wage gap”. When I said “widen the wage gap”, I meant the gap between those who perform, and those who do not. It is a very broad and general statement directed at how well fresh grads performed in university and the starting pay in they get in their various industries.
I must note that while I am strongly loyal to my country, I do not feel the same to its citizens. To me, Singapore is not made up of people, but instead, of ideals.
@ Anon
In my opinion, second upper is barely decent. I can also assure you that my lack of participation in such activities is also extremely visible to them (those who go).
A university should take in great students, and make them greater. It sounds good to say that a university makes a student good, but hey, in reality, it really depends on the student.
I have always wondered, are there students who do poorly in universities like Harvard and MIT? It is already hellishly difficult to get in there, so their starting grades must be really stallar! And the answer to that is yes, there are students who screw up. Who? Primarily local Americans! Why? Because of lower entrance requirements (or the equivalent due to quota).
The problem with Singaporeans being so unhappy is due to expectation. Because they are graduates, they feel they deserve more. You do not really see as many polytechnic graduates complaining as much.
The direct cause is the intake for local universities and the graduating cohort overwhelming the job market (not the actual job market, but the market of high paying jobs all graduates think they deserve). If local universities cut the intake down, there will be less competition for those jobs!
Curb the obsession for degrees and move the students more suited for polytechnic from the universities. Polys flooded? Expand ITE. Simple stuff!
About foriegn students, aside from having them as friends, I also served as UDL for a freshmen course twice. And yes, it is also an introductory module in Programming Methodology. The brightest students included locals, but it is very disproportionate compared to how many locals there were.
There was also a case of a scholar who disappeared. Apparently flew back to her homeland suddenly (in the middle of semester without informing anyone) due to some stress issues. Came back eventually if I am not wrong, but dropped the course. Happened 1 to 2 years ago too.
Anyway, the point is proportion, not instances.
About my vile and arrogant view point, yes, I too feel it is vile and arrogant, which was why I added a disclaimer at the end. I didn’t want to reword the phrase or to pepper it with sugar, because the essense is the same.
Singapore was a migrant nation, it can very well continue to be. Who belongs to the Singaporean family? 2nd Generation citizens? If foreign talent obtain citizenship, are they part of the family? How about their children? Perhaps our government is planning for the nation’s future. To me, our nation is not made up of people born here, but is made up of ideals and people who uphold them, strive in their direction.
lauks25 on Sun, 3rd Jan 2010 10:38 am
There is only 50++ comments? where is the rest of the critizens? We, regular reader, have to help to people(2million vs 50 comments) read into TR. I did mine. I copy and paste and send to my groups…
fpc on Sun, 3rd Jan 2010 1:03 pm
we don’t need many comments. at least not 2 million.
We just need good ones.
Scherzo on Sun, 3rd Jan 2010 6:48 pm
Towards the end when the article urges the “rich businessmen, lawyers, doctors, etc” to stop and think for the future of their children, and I really scoff at his pathetic advice. This isn’t even about politics.
I’m not even a parent yet, but I am wise enough to know that I have to teach my children to be hardworking and disciplined regardless of studies or at work, to be able to earn a living. Do I want them to fight tooth and nail? If they have to, then so be it. Singapore is not the only country with this problem, globalisation makes it such that everyone living in our world better be at the top of their game at all times in order not to lose out. Stress, frustration and unhappiness? Handle it. This is life.
Champagne on Sun, 3rd Jan 2010 11:31 pm
Isn’t the PAP always “right” ???
*sigh*
Elson on Mon, 4th Jan 2010 1:51 am
haha.. I really had a good laugh at the ending note.
As Lee puts it succinctly himself:
“To be the prime minister, you don’t have to know every instrument, but you got to recognise, ah, he’s a good violinist, he’ll be the first violinist, he’ll be the double bass. He will play the viola, he will have the trumpet, he will do the drums. Then you coordinate them and then you have great music. And if you already have a great orchestra, you can put a dummy there and you still got great music.”
Now we know why none of the 82 PAP MPs dare to contradict the old man – because they are all dummies who do not deserve a seat in parliament in the first place.
So Singaporeans, the next time some PAP MP come up to you and promise to voice your concerns in parliament, just remind them of the PAP’s mantra to Singaporeans:
“YOU DIE, YOUR BUSINESS!”
Freddie on Sat, 9th Jan 2010 12:03 am
The people deserves the government they get.At every election the PAP has won at least 60% of the votes.
So why keep complaining about the govenment when it has 60% OF THE VOTES.