PAP MPs attack Low Thia Kiang for his call on govt to scrap foreign worker levy
Written by Our Correspondent
Workers’ MP Low Thia Kiang shed his inhibition and went for the jugular during a parliamentary session yesterday with harsh criticisms of the ruling party’s liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies which have brought untold hardships and sufferings among ordinary Singaporeans.
Contrary to what was said by Finance Minister Tharman in his Budget speech earlier that the wages of Singapore workers have grown over the last few years, Mr Low felt that the low-wage earners are left behind:
“When the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) has to be revised upward and the qualifying monthly income limit increased to $1,700 to ensure low-wage earners are not left behind in our foreigner-dependent economy, doesn’t that raise an alarm in the Government about the meagre salary our low-wage workers are getting? ‘The growth strategy… for the past 10 years has definitely not made these Singaporean workers feel any sense of progress with the nation,” he was quoted as saying in the Straits Times.
He blamed the government for opening the floodgates to foreign workers which provides few incentives for companies to boost their productivity:
“It is easy to blame our local workforce for low productivity but who opened the gates to allow foreign workers to flood the labour market in the first place? Easy access to cheap foreign labour offers little incentive for companies to up their productivity… The Government has to assume some responsibility for the low productivity in the last decade” he said.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal, the relentless influx of foreign workers has depressed the wages of Singapore workers, increased the cost of living, especially that of public housing, decreased labor productivity and led to an overall decline in the standards of living.
Foreigners now made up 36 per cent of Singapore’s population, up from 14 per cent in 1990. Of the remaining 64 percent who are citizens, an increasing number are born overseas.
Mr Low also urged the PAP to take ‘bold step’ to scrap the foreign workers levy completely and use the dependency ratio to manage the growth of foreign workers in Singapore.
“Based on reports that there are about 856,000 work permit holders in Singapore as at December – excluding the 196,000 domestic helpers - a $10 to $30 monthly increase in levy would bring in an additional $79 million to $238 million per year for the Government. And using the low end of the work permit levy, which is $150 a month, the Government is taking in about $1.2 billion a year from this payment,” he added.
Mr Low opined that the hike in foreign worker levy will not affect large companies and “‘this whole exercise could just end up fattening the Government’s coffer with little results to show in controlling the ever-expanding foreign workforce.”
As expected, Mr Low’s comments brought a barrage of criticisms from the PAP MPs who dominate parliament.
Ms Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) claimed that foreign workers will be cheaper without the levies:
“Without the levies, foreign workers are even cheaper and even more attractive to businesses. And some of these businesses will find loopholes to get round the quotas, to get more of the cheaper foreign workers,” she said.
However, she ignored the fact that Mr Low had already suggested refining the dependency ratio to control the inflow of foreign workers.
Ms Irene Ng (Tampines GRC) added that “any move to tighten the dependency ratio as a way to raise workers’ wages could also lead to higher cost of living for consumers.”
She forgot that there is a limit to which companies can raise the prices without losing their clients. At the end of the day, the onus is on them to find ways to boost productivity while keeping prices low at the same time.
It is evident that the PAP’s growth strategy for the past few years has disastrous consequences for the low income earners in Singapore whose wages had remained stagnant. In fact, Singapore now has the largest income gap between the rich and the poor among the thirty most developed economies after Hong Kong.
With no opposition in parliament to check on the PAP, Singaporeans will have little choice but to be led by them through the noses like a flock of “sheep”.
86 Responses to “PAP MPs attack Low Thia Kiang for his call on govt to scrap foreign worker levy”
Alex Tan Allan Ooi AWARE Chee Soon Juan Chiam See Tong Claire Lee David Widjaja DBS Dr Allan Ooi Dr Silviu Ionescu Foyce Le Xuan George Yeo GIC highnote5 highnotes5 Hong Lim Park Jack Lin Xinli Jack Neo Jack Neo affair Jack Neo press conference Jack Neo scandal Josie Lau Josie Lau Meng Lee Lee Kuan Yew Lehman brothers Lighthouse Evangelism Malaysia MAS minibonds Miss Singapore World NTU stabbing Pastor Rony Tan Ris Low Romanian diplomat in hit-and-run Rony Tan S-League Sex silviu ionescu Singapore Tan Kin Lian Thio Su Mien Tiger Woods affair Tong Kok Wai Top 8 Wendy Chong
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.









@Ms Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) claimed that foreign workers will be cheaper without the levies:
“Without the levies, foreign workers are even cheaper and even more attractive to businesses. And some of these businesses will find loopholes to get round the quotas, to get more of the cheaper foreign workers,” she said
Ok, foreign is cheaper , faster , hard driving. We should also replace MP with cheaper, faster and hard driving one.
Truthfully, although i see so many people criticising on PAP’s policy, but how many will actually dare to vote against them? Especially the civil servants. And thoes people doing business with the government.
People nowadays still have a mentality that if you vote against the PAP, you will be marked by them.
I hope / wish somebody can write an article on this.
I can’t believe the type of infantile rebuttals from the PAP MPs… Are they f’ing moronic children??!! This is the calibre of MPs the PAP has?!! I thought Singapore has smart people, and PAP MPs are supposed to be the smarter lot. What the f are we paying these people for??
Good article, but the final statement is abit funny..Not saying that the sentence is false but it really dun tie in with the article..
Can the correspondent stop copying and pasting paragraph from old article without editing?
“Ms Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) claimed that foreign workers will be cheaper without the levies:
“Without the levies, foreign workers are even cheaper and even more attractive to businesses. And some of these businesses will find loopholes to get round the quotas, to get more of the cheaper foreign workers,” she said.
However, she ignored the fact that Mr Low had already suggested refining the dependency ratio to control the inflow of foreign workers”
Actually I was also confused, when watching the parliament highlights last night, about what this arMPit was crapping. And I thought I am the one with slight hearing problem… That’s your “hearing without listening”
Is this one of those many “from the backdoor” arMPee? (ie GRC)
There are many ways to control the influx of foreigners but levies is definitely not one of it. If the policies does not allow so many infux in the first place and all foreigners coming to singapore has to be screens effectively, current situation will never happen.
Levies only provides a good backdoor for paying companies; its mechanism is like bribing the guards to open the floodgate. Now the guards wants more money to open the door. It makes no different.
Do remember that Ms Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) was also one of the main cheerleeders who pushed for the Compulsory CPF Annuity scheme that all of us are saddled with today.
We, the voters, should not forget her ‘contributions’.
@Wayne: People nowadays still have a mentality that if you vote against the PAP, you will be marked by them.
Well, if you have that mentality, then you must be daft. They are more worry of you then, you worrying about them. If all stand up and Vote for the change, and have transparency and accountability to the billions invested. Sg are the one marking on them.
Cheers Daft
Wayne Lim,
<>
MM had made it clear in the last GE that your vote is secret. To doubt him would be a greater crime.
No one should be afraid to vote for the opposition. All civil servants, teachers, SAF regulars, GLC employees, Temasek employees, GIC employees etc…..
I agree with LTK on the controlling FW thru the ratio, but i don’t understand why he want to scrap the levy?
I can’t understand what Josephine Teo means by finding ‘loopholes”, if there are any loopholes to be discovered, it is the authorities are not doing the jobs right, so people can find the loopholes in any policies ! So, Ms. Josephine, you should give a slap on your own face ! you are also talking about yourself !
■Wayne Lim on Wed, 3rd Mar 2010 11:20 am – “Truthfully, although i see so many people criticising on PAP’s policy, but how many will actually dare to vote against them? Especially the civil servants. And thoes people doing business with the government.
People nowadays still have a mentality that if you vote against the PAP, you will be marked by them.
I hope / wish somebody can write an article on this.”
Hi Wayne,
Realistically, that’s not going to happen. We’ve already witnessed 34% of us who have either voted for the oppositions or cast nil vote, and which comprised of approx 884,000 voters (assuming 2.6M eligible voters).
Do you think our govt has the energy and time to go afer 884,000 ppl? And to form a task force just to trace these 884,000 ppl? It will be a daunting task that unless having this task force team locked up in some secret hiding compartment, it is surely going to be leaked out to the public. Imagine the outrage and furore it will cause? As it is, reputation of PAP has been dragged thru the mud with its slew of unpopular policies, and the last thing they would want to do is to pursue after the ppl who voted against them.
And look at Ms Sylvia Lim (WP), a lecturer @ Temasek Poly. Is her career jeopardised at a quasi-govt agency just because of her political lineage? Answer, is no.
Thus, voters, your vote is secret and sacred. No one can decide nor influence your decision. Your vote will guide you, your future generation and your destiny in Singapore. Thus vote wisely.
Wait wait wait…
“Ms Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) claimed that foreign workers will be cheaper without the levies:
Then why bring them in the first place? and after the decision creates dissatisfaction, now you increase the levy and say that foreign workers will be cheaper and etc etc create problem for locals…so why in the first place did you make the decision?
Higher cost for the customers?
It cannot be as high an effect as the increase of GST frmo 5% to 7%. Remember that is cascaded.
Also, the beneficiary of the higher wage is the worker.
The beneficiary of the GST increase is the govt.
Which one would you choose?
Don’t be fooled by the call by LEEhaveLied that flat is a place to keep and not to sell for speculation.
The reasons are:
1. it goes in contradiction the earlier mechanism by HDB to charge people for going arrears. People have to sell in those cases. else their liability to HDB keep escalating And there are many such cases.
2. it is their policies mistakes that causes speculation.
3. it is a subtle acknowledgment by LHL that he doesn’t want to construct that many rental flat for people who have sold their flats to stay in.
So, he tells people to hold on to their flats in a booming sellers’ market.
1. An incumbent PAP MP so highly paid and with permission to be commercially ‘viable’ top like having 8 directorships… will surely do their best to please his/her master in their GRC won’t they.
2. Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade as well as AMK GRCs as the finest examples!!!
3. And so are some of them now asking about “Definitions for Productivity” a truly defining moment in PAP back-bench MP’s acuity??? Or are they taking “A leaf” and also other “Leaves” from TR and other blogs too???
4. Hey TRians… THEY… the MOST HYPER-PAID MPs… ARE learning from US in cyberspace to at least use us all INDIRECTLY as excuse to ask some SEARCHING question of their MASTER Ministers!!! All well paid to learn from US Who ARE NOW MORE LOWER Paid TO BE… CHEAPER… BETTER… for FASTER!!!
5. Unreal World-Class OF THE Uniquely PAP kind!!!???
higher wage could lead to more consumer spending on necessities.
back to the self preservation statement of LHL:
If the flat is really that important then for those families who have good reasons to downgrade (you can name the reasons here; TOC has one whole list), HDB should have allow those people to use their extra 1 more time loan with HDB to buy a smaller place.
Instead, HDB forces these people to sell to make its book look good by charging extra interests and don’t allow them to rent its HDB flats for a long time and don’t allow them to downgrade with a better loan.
LHL makes sense?
From the time, he kept HC as head of TH after the string of losses (massive losses), you know he is insane.
assuming some responsibility is an under-statement.
the pigs need to assume a large part of that failure.
It is clear the pigs have lost their intellectual leadership and lost their identity as a people’s party: they are only interested in serving their own interest.
I have been a counting for the past few Election. Fool are be fool by all this threat.No way they can detect your vote, Oppostion has alway score 30-40% vote, so the 30-40% voter how the PaP goverment going to put them in prison, Singapore Land is very limited goingto expand Changi prison. Don’t be stupid fto fool yourself, That why Li Aw from Taiwan said Singaporean are stupid !
Wayne, those Potong Pasir and Hougang residents who voted against PAP for the last few elections did not have their water and electricity supply cut off or HDB flats taken away, did they? What Boomzberg said is very correct, it would be a massive excercise for them to retrieve every vote to check, unless they do the checking themselves, it will sure be leak out if its done by civil servants. So, its nothing but another of LKY dirty scare tactic that had fooled our not so educated grandparents/parents. We are definitely smarter than that.
In the early days of the General Election, there is two opposition member by name of Mr Tan & Mdm Fong, they said if U vote for LKY he will put sand & stone into your rice, that mean U will have a hard time to survive.
bring in FT and add in Levy… the cost of a FT worker will be higher than without levy.
The levy should have been designed such that it would result in a cost that is equivalent to that of employing a local. Then the expansion of work force comes as a natural result of increasing demand for product or service not as a result of lowering of prices unnaturally.
This evidently is not the case.
Alot of unfamiliar MPs are coming out to speak in parliament. Wonder where were they in the past five years. Most of the time the parliament is always half empty. Their message is not productivity? Their message is not foreign workers’ levies? Their message is not affordable public housing? Their actual message is: “Remember to vote for me – I am your MP”
The PAP MPs are just like parrots. They only know how to attack opposition MP, Mr.Low TK. They were supposed to be people of top quality, well educated and honest. What have they suggested or recommended as far as the FWs levy are concerned ?. Nothing, absolutely nothing. The only thing they did was to make ferous attacks on MP.Low. What is wrong in doing away with the FWs levy?. In the first place, how did we end up with more than a million FTs/FWs in Spore. Obviously, the open floodgates policy and giving out S passes and WPs like giving out candies was wrong. It is now time to close the floodgates and make it difficult for employers to employ FTs/FWs in areas where Sporeans should be given priority. In areas where Sporeans are not keen to work, like nursing and contructions, employers should still be able to engage FTs/FWs.
If I were an opposition MP in parliament today, no PAP MPs would dare to challenge or attack me in the house. Why? Because I am the best debater in town. Which PAP MP can outwit me, outsmart me, or out-argue against me? My arguments and logic are always on top of others. I represent the truth and so when I speak it is truth speaking, that’s why I always win, because truth prevails. Who among them is my equal? LKY can’t even hold a candle to me . Dare he debate with me one on one?
All of them are lowly cockroaches. I challaenge them to an open court debate. Who can beat the best there is in Singapore?
Low Thia Khiang should ask me to be his proxy to attend parliament the next time.
Come on Singaporean, show the world you got balls.
In the next election, if you vote PAP, then forever keep quite and expect more shit get shaft down your throat.
Don’t letyYour children call you a bloody coward for what you do today.
Shows that these MPs have only money in their brains.
Who says that you must make money when you exercise controls.
Why can’t COE be balloted and made non transferable at a token or no value, why must huge monies be made.
Equally on worker’s levy who do you need the levy, just limit it to a fix amount and develop an allocation process, please dont ask me how to develop one. pay me a million dollars first since our million dollar ministers cannot come out with it.
This gahmen has lost track of its direction and are only guided by Money.
My toes are laughing. LOL.
good article. it helps to see it in the light. instead of being fed the MSM slant on Mr. Low. CNA: “Mr. Low’s distructive suggestion to scrap foreign worker levy”.. i was very sure that story was not the real deal.
Hey guys,
To be fair, I think Wayne Lim is not refering to himself here… Rather, he is expressing the fear that majority of Singaporeans will be scare of being blacklisted if they go against the authorities.
I am sure… many of us here are well informed enough not to be scared by that.
However, if you guys try to talk to more moderate and “mainstream” people, this kind of believe is extremely common.
Unfortunately, I think majority of Singaporeans belongs to the “mainstream” type… and they are still not politically matured and awared enough.
Releastically, the opposition camps should try to reach out more to these people… and sort the make them more aware… instead of just dismissing these people as daft and disregarding this phenomenon.
@ aah-haa
lol …. give u the benefit of the doubt lah
anyway I enjoy all your posting
I may not know you but my intuition is very good, see the unseen hear the unheard.
When a friend tried to back out after buying the Lehman Brother mini bond from a brokerage firm we had a big argument until the broker accuse me of stirring shit. I shot back is because she is selling shit. True enough LB turn out to be a SHIT…haha.
THE more the levy the poor foreigners that came to singapore have to lend even more than they have to come to singapore to work. THE levy that government increases ,it can not stop the company to hire more foreigners. THEY are doing more harm to poor foreigners and wages are cut away from the levy also.
THE levy should go away and the union should do something about it.THE company do not loss anything even they keep on increasing the levy also. SINGAPOREAn are going to lower the salary if they want to stay in their jobs.
The truth? said.. This gahmen has lost track of its direction and are only guided by Money.
You forgot one more thing. Apart from money and more money, this gahmen is also guided by paper qualifications. The more paper qualifications you have the better. They will welcome such FTs with open arms.
I have heard alot of people complaining about PAP, on alot of things! They also call for people to vote PAP out but when I ask them will they vote the opposition in the coming election, they come up with “actually my MP not bad lah!”. I am very concern with this “Let someone else do it” kind of mind set, that Singaporeans have. They join in when the voices is loud but when it comes to the wire, they just fade into the background.
My toenails got cramp.
Mar 3, 2010
MPs worried about levy
By Sue-Ann Chia
THE raising of the foreign worker levy was a hot issue on the first day of the Budget debate in Parliament yesterday, with almost half of the 26 MPs who spoke zooming in on the hike.
Many feared it could lead to businesses passing on the higher costs to consumers. Also, starting the first phase of the increase this year could hurt companies as some are still recovering from the recession.
While they acknowledge the need for a higher levy to control the surge in foreign workers, the MPs worry employers will not be able to find enough locals to do the jobs done by the foreigners.
‘If we don’t have enough manpower and other resources to take added new orders in the world markets, we may lose all our customers and business opportunities to our competitors very quickly,’ warned Nominated MP Teo Siong Seng, who is also president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Ms Jessica Tan (East Coast GRC) said the increase could send the wrong signal that foreigners are not welcome, while Mr Ong Ah Heng (Nee Soon Central) gave an impassioned speech in defence of foreign workers who make significant contributions.
He said in Mandarin: ‘I know of one family who complain the cleaners in their precinct are lazy and too old. They don’t want local workers who are old, they want young foreign workers.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking…ry_497178.html
“Mr Ong Ah Heng (Nee Soon Central) gave an impassioned speech in defence of foreign workers who make significant contributions.
He said in Mandarin: ‘I know of one family who complain the cleaners in their precinct are lazy and too old. They don’t want local workers who are old, they want young foreign workers.”
I beg your pardon. I respectfully disagree with you.
How can you say that Singaporean cleaners are all lazy? In my estate, the bangla cleaners are nowhere to be seen in the afternoon. When I do see them, they are trying to hook an Indon or filipina maid.
It is the old ‘ah pek’ who I find still working in the afternoon sun.
It is very wrong of you to generalise that all Singaporean cleaners are lazy.
Seems you have forgotten who put you in parliament.
刘程强喻外国劳工税为政府及企业的“鸦片”,前者可从中收钱,后者则可以此为退路,宁可缴税也不要提高生产力。
杨莉明反驳被讽“狐假虎威”
I shared with you my comment in TOC of a related article. Josephine Teo had some arrogant words on how she was speaking on bahalf of union memebrs. Josephine Teo forgot to mention that NTUC, which she spoken on behalf of, now represents both Singaporeans, PRs and FOREIGNERS.
My company had a membership drive late last year where Foreigners pay the same membership rates as Singaporeans and PRs. There is no representation of Singaporean workers only. According to their website at http://www.ntuc.org.sg/foreign_workers.asp, 10% of NTUC membership base were foreigners.
I believe the figures are higher as many of my foreign PMET colleagues and their families are now NTUC members. The PRs proportion should be very high as well. So as a Singaporean, I do not think NTUC represents Singaporeans only.
QUOTE from TOC Article [In a flash of presumptuousness, (Josephine) Teo declared: “I can speak on behalf of the union leaders that we totally and firmly reject Mr Low’s disastrous suggestion that we remove the foreign worker levy as it will harm our workers’ interest.” ]UNQUOTE
The increase is too pathetic. It will not greatly affect businesses, the government would be earning higher income, appease the public and not offend the business community. A win-all solution for PAP.
Either
1. increase the levy to match the cost of employing a local (and risk offending the businesses who might pull out of singapore and may cause GDP to drop)
or
2. do away with the levy and use the dependency ratio instead. (risk losing extra income earn for government but locals will be appeased with more job opportunities, thus motivated to be more productive. The limited number of vacancies for ‘FT’ will ensure competition among ‘FTs’ thus ensuring only real foreign talents are employed. Impose our system of meritocracy on them to let them know, earning a living in singapore is no walk in the park. Real talents will be more able to contribute effectively, thus raise productivity, than the fake/no-talents talents.)
I tink the PAP mp J Teo is a joke to begin with.. with the levy in place, can the work pass on the levy to the workers?? the company can tell the workers that the biz is not v good and cut their pay to account for the levy.. then wat’s the diff..
this way the workers’ wage will be reduced… then it gets lower for them.. then the govt increases their pay again for dunnoe wat reason.. tats y the gap is widening.. wtf..
all these **** up MPs only know how to anyhow whack the oppositions… y dun u just sit down analyse then rebute properly rather than calling it “dangerous” and all funny names.. let me tell u ms teo.. having u as an MP is also a dangerous fact..
@aah-haa at Wed, 3rd Mar 2010 1:14 pm
What a load of self-praise ! You are the most egoistic maniac here on this forum. Your arguments are good? Your points are the truth? You know what is the real truth?
The real truth is that you are one hell of an empty vessel making so much noise. That’s the truth.
I can’t help demolishing this guy with a super ego.
Increasing levy is not a complete solution. Its only add to the cost of doing business.
Lets look at the issue of foreign workers at different poles.
Employer -
Unable to look for workers because local shun the job. If local don’t want to work then foreigners can be given the work.
Employees -
If we continue to allow the influx of more foreigners, our pay will be depressed and we will be out of work. When you are old you cannot find work how are you going to pay your hospital bills? The high cost of living and family care become great burden for local workers.
Below is an idea which is rather crude and it needs a lot of refinement but at least it offers a bridge between the two poles.
Singapore’s job for Singaporean is the main policy. All jobs created within our shore should first go to our own people. If jobs are shunned by our people then employer is free to employ foreigners as cheaply as possible. There is no necessity to pay forefingers with high salaries employed to work in Singapore.
All those who wish to employ foreign workers must arm with the onus to proof that local is not available to take up the job. They must exhaust all avenue in recruiting locals.
Local job seekers are required to take fitness to work test by MOM based on very basic requirement like able to walk, talk, hear and evaluate etc. If these basic is met then he is deemed employable. Past employment history such as crime, poor work habit and job hopping should mar the fitness to work depending on its severity. Those that does not pass the fitness requirement does not need to be despair as this will not be disclosed to any employer. It is only an internal record available to MOM.
Companies who wish to employ foreigners cannot reject any Singaporean applicants and must absorb all locals applying for the job. Should they fail to do so and start employing foreigners, the local whose application is rejected can forward their case to MOM for litigation. A small token fee of not more than $15 as processing fee will open up a case and MOM will judge the case by it merits. MOM may consider starting a job tribunal to cater to this requirement if the complain is rampant. If the local has passed his fitness to work and he is not favored by the employer who choose to employ the foreigner, the company will have to pay the local three months of the local last drawn salary or a minimum sum of $3,000.00 as penalty. Further to that the company will be barred from employing foreign workers for a period of time.
Prior to the renewal of work permit, the company needs to advertise in a prominent media with reasonable readership to ensure that local who wish to work in the position is not deprived. The competency and skill level of local workers cannot be a main reason for rejecting the applicant in favor of foreigners unless specified by MOM. Local workers with previous work experience relating to the job or skill trained in an institution or school applying for the job must be deemed qualified and employable. Employer who wish to reject any local application must get permission from MOM in writing. This is also applicable to new job application.
However in the case of very senior position in a company where the incumbent chart the destiny of the company, they will not be subjected to this scrutiny.
The idea is by no mean complete and the idea is explorable by any opposition who wish to offer it in parliament.
The spirit of the whole idea is that Singaporean whether young or old must be given priority for employment. Comparing of merit is only valid between citizens and does not apply to any foreigners vis a vis a Singaporean. The pay structure can only be compared within citizens and foreign pay cannot merit them priority over Singaporean. The enforcer of the scheme must work within the framework of this spirit to avoid unhappiness within our own community. Should company that employ foreigners mistreat local employee or unjustifiably sacked the local worker, they can be haul up by MOM to justify what they are doing. The idea is by no mean comprehensive as such more thinking is required to prevent abuses.
At the end of the day, both employers and employees can receive some benefits. We must not allow employer who exploit the worker issue in favor of cheap labor leave local behind. This also ensured that corporation can meet their expansion plan within Singapore and remain competitive globally. The higher pay of local Singaporean can be offset with company able to employ foreigners at lower cost without levy and their overall wage bill may be sustainable. Nevertheless it is still necessary to have some form of worker tax to cover the extensive administration of such an employment system. The higher cost of administration is justifiable in return of social harmony and other benefits.
If you find this idea workable please forward it to your favorite opposition party. Perhaps Low TK could explore this idea and challenge the PAP.
J Teo gave such arrogant bitchy disgusting look when she replied to MP Low’s proposal. I bet she never even think of what she’s going to say before she approach the mic.
Ms. J Teo, think it’s better you keep your mouth shut. You just showed Singapore how brainless you are in front of national tv.
Your reply was so shocking and unexpected. It’s totally out of the context. I cannot believe my ears when i watch the news yesterday night.
Workers’ MP Low Thia Kiang shed his inhibition and went for the juggernaut <—-LOL
I think the writer meant to say 'went for the jugular' …
J Teo gave such disgusting look when she replied to MP Low’s proposal. I bet she never even think of what she’s going to say before she approach the mic.
Ms. J Teo, think it’s better you keep your mouth shut. You just showed Singapore how brainless you are in front of national tv.
Your reply was so shocking and unexpected. It’s totally out of the context. I cannot believe my ears when i watch the news yesterday night.
//Without the levies, foreign workers are even cheaper and even more attractive to businesses. And some of these businesses will find loopholes to get round the quotas, to get more of the cheaper foreign workers,” she said.
As if employers won’t get around not paying the higher levy?
If the employers need to have that many fts at low cost to ensure their competitively, it means that their product is competing in the red ocean.
only an endless chain of FT will ensure that these employers survive.
I wonder why she is so confident that the failed policies of her party can continue.
Also, note that none of the Pigs disagree with the analysis of Paul Krugman cited by LTK.
Let’s face the truths.
We do need foreign domestic helpers,don’t we?
We do need foreign construction workers,don’t we?
So,since we need such typical classes of workers,REMOVE THE LEVY FOR SUCH JOBS!
Do we need foreign “talents” of any kind-even those who DO NOT ‘create jobs for singaporeans” but take away singaporeans’ jobs instead?…we DON’T! so,SIMPLE,IMPOSE HIGH LEVY ON THESE TYPES OF FROEIGN WORKERS!
It doe not take much scholarship to think this out,does it?!!!
Feathers of the same flock! Just a bunch of toothless paper tiger/tigress drawing more than 5 figures per month defending the interests of outsiders instead of fellow citizens.
We know alot of ball-less civil service folks are going to poll for Plot And Plunder. This is the more compelling reason why you folks need to share your views to all your friends and relatives- even if some of them hate you for it. Fight for what you truly believe for and not waste your life away without making that difference that could have changed history. My best wishes for all you comrades who believe in a fair society where human dignity is not being abused by monopolistic authorities.
I saw Ms J. Teo on the TV last night.. When i saw her give that kind of arrogant looks with her eyes like giving LTK a kind of looking him no up, i really want to puke off by her bitchy and arrogant face…
She dun even realize she looks extremely bitchy ugly and old woman haggy look when words spews out from her mouth!!
I have only one word say to her: Pls get out of my elite face!
For many years, I have been a PAP supporter.It’s very sad to see the standard of the PAP MP dropped compared to Mr Lee Kuan Yew time. Argument by these PAP MP is embarrasement to MM Lee and Mr Goh Chok Tong. It’s better these PAP keep quiet, argue for the sake of arguing hurt PAP reputation. I begin to see and think Mr Low got the point right, I see alot of strategic wisdom in Mr Low Thia Khiang argument.Singapore needs more of Mr Low type of MP!
@ The Sims on Wed, 3rd Mar 2010 11:57 am
” I agree with LTK on the controlling FW thru the ratio, but i don’t understand why he want to scrap the levy?”
I HAVE NO HARD EVIDENCE but I believe from well placed sources that there is an ELEMENT OF HUMANITY INVOLVED AND SOME CORRUPTION.
Now how does that work? One Burmese blogger wrote “res gatae” (voluntary admission) that employers are recruiting foreigners and booked them higher in accounting wage costs but collect cash back from them “off the records” Meaning, I employer a foreigner, pays him $1,200 but goes through the accounting and banking record as $2,000. In return for the job, the poor foreigner has to pay back cash $800 to his employer.
Two parties lose here – employee and Singapore tax man because the employer inflated his wage expenses to lower his taxable profits.
Likewise a foreigner manager can sell the job to his/her country man, falsify the accounting books, benefiting the employer and maybe benefiting his or her own private pocket as well. SINGAPOREANS IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCES WILL NEVER GET A JOB because it was corruptly sold for value.
One last thing is that if you cannot get foreign workers approved by MOM, I apply it on your behalf, get it approved, put in my accounting records as tax expenses BUT HE IS WORKING FOR YOU for $1,200, and I split the gain of $800 between us equally or some agreed proportion. We both win, Singapore lost and Singaporeans cannot get a job.
LTK of course CANNOT MAKE SUCH AN ALLEGATION INSIDE PARLIAMENT EVEN IF HE KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON.
I think he can be trapped for “false utterances” in Parliament without being able to prove his “evidence” and might get into all sorts of parliamentary-instigated inquiries ( persecuted by who you know) to hang his political office despite his Parliamentary privilege.
So by tidying up the dependency ratio to differentiate Singaporeans from PR and foreigner is the best solution. But to do this means elimination of the rorting that is going on which makes the influx of foreigners easy AND THAT IS WHAT THIS GOVERNMENT LIKE.
If you start tweaking the “dependency ratio”, you can close off the reckless migration influx quite easily.
POLITICS OF RATIONALITY IS NEVER SO OBVIOUS I BELIEVE.
This pappies are so big bullies. How can they gang up together and bully LTK.. Too much…
LTK, i support you and applaud for your fight for singaporeans!!!
Hooray for you! LTK, LTK, LTK!!!
功夫練太久會走火入魔。
政權抓太久也一樣。
這些死讀書的年輕議員根本就是沒有料又昂貴的無用之物!
Dearest Workers’ MP Low Thia Kiang,
We are with you, the worker party and any opposition this coming election.
Bring in more candidate to fill all constituencies to challenge and take over their power from present pap party this Election.
Help Native Singaporeans
Really stupid MPs we have who think that others would be as daft as them.
Probably the best paid sycophant MPs in the world!
Way to go MP for Hougang.
Let the PAP Ministers and MPs earn their money. Don’t make it easy for them.
Let them know that they need to come out with good policies and not just money (levies) to solve problems created by them.
Mr LOW,if you are attacked by MPs from the GRCs,don;t worry!
They cannot hold a candle to you cos you earn your pips!
If these guys are up to it,let them BEG their BIG BOSS to let them stand in single wards!
Rest assured,the coomon citizens hear you loud and clear!
Wayne Lim
Which cave have you been living in?
[Truthfully, although i see so many people criticising on PAP’s policy, but how many will actually dare to vote against them?]
Last election ONE THIRD OF SINGAPORE’S ELECTORATE VOTED AGAINST PAP.
Civil servants will all the more vote against PAP knowing that PAP DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO SINGLE THEM OUT, apart from the fact that they have witnessed first-hand how ineffective PAP is.
All those people who said that Low is doing nothing in parliament can shut the hell up and apologise now.
We need all the opposition we can get and vote them into parliament as MPs. The next time Low or any opposition start to make statements like this, it one be one against many PAP stooges but many against many.
Now, it’s like watching a football match with one player on one side and many players at the other end.
A brave man but betrayed by the Singaporean voters to stand alone.
Mr Low, thank you for your frank views. You can hold your head up high because you really earned your MP seat, and the people of Hougang chose you as their representative despite the multi million dollar upgrading carrot.
And as usual, the inbreeding of ideas from PAP members generates some illogical and incoherent comments as well.
The end results of the foreign workers levy now are
- the Government got tax upfront from foreign workers -ADD TO GDP AND HIGHER SALARY FOR WHITE DOGS AND CATS talking rubbish in the exclusively “world class” exotic zoo
- some employers at least, abuse this levy to defraud tax by false accounting BUSINESS GAIN after enforced cash kickbacks from foreign workers
- foreign workers got exploited by agents working for “free” in the first year – like indentured slavery
- corruption in the labour market as jobs are sold and some bosses collect cash kickbacks in cruel exploitation of foreign workers AND RETRENCHED SINGAPOREANS NEVER GET BACK TO WORK
- WITHOUT THE CHANCE to get back into circulation to keep skills up to date, retrenched Singaporeans rice-bowl is consigned to the rubbish heap forever. If you are in IT sector and out of work for two years, who will employ you?
- when foreigners had enough of this place and depart, there will be RELEVANT SKILL SHORTAGES – Singaporeans wanting to get back to work now has out of date work skills and networking connection and our economy is FARKED AGAIN.
- more addiction to cheaper foreign labour – new cycle – lower productivity issues again, business no longer competitive and business collapse again and bury Singapore this time.
- the WHITE PEOPLE ENRICHED says bye bye to us and head for foreign “whiter” shores of greener pastures.
YOU STILL WANT TO VOTE FOR THE WHITE FAT DOGS AND FAT CATS?
@Wayne Lim :
GIC and Temasek employees, and all the other fat cats sitting around the civil service, will almost definitely vote for the PAP. Why would they want to risk losing their easy and fat pay checks in the unlikely case of PAP being voted out?! And like you said, some are scared of being found to be voting against the PAP.
The civil service is huge and could potentially be the swing vote. Instead of dismissing this issue, I think the opposition should discuss it openly and address some of the civil servants’ concerns. They may not be able to convert everyone, but if just some get persuaded, they could be the swing vote.
So the STUPID MP Ong Ah Heng sacked elderly workers for FTrash JUST because of ONE FAMILY complaint?
Can he verify if that ONE FAMILY is a local Singaporean???
Thousands of Singaporeans have complained about the ‘good for nothing’ OLD MAN and all the OLD LAZY farts in parliament too.
WHY didn’t he/they sack them and replaced with foreigners???????????
Well, I believe there is a salary limit for S/Q/P pass holders. a filipino PR did tell me that the salary requirement by the government and has been abused by some companies where they actually pay the foreign workers lesser than required in the contract in exchange for employment. on the surface, they comply with regulations but beneath that, businesses save money. LTK’s suggestion may have aimed at controlling this problem.
The current regulations are abuse-able and in the future with the levy, businesses may better exploit the system while the government pockets fatten up – just like how its been pointed out by some of our forummers (by the way, some of us here seems more intelligent than some MPs). This should be avoided. That woman should have just kept her mouth shut cos her inferior quality really stood out. I thought, what came out of her mouth was disastrous! Luckily, she’s not my MP. I wouldn’t want to be associated with an MP who showed her lack of listening and thinking skills!
And if they ask him if Tharman should be sacked what will he do? Keep silent again?
why not replace cheaper, more hard working, more efficient, more productive foreign Talents as MPs?give them citizenship or PRs!
My MP is very good, but when the election comes, I will vote for the opposition since he is from a GRC and the rest of the other MPs are like shit. If he ever come out alone on a SMC, I will vote depending on who has better capability. In this case it is the GRC that is working against the incumbent.
Hi Rainnix, I think we should vote for a system that is good for our future generations, and not on whether a particular MP is good or not. A good MP will not always be there, but a good system can prevent bad persons from abusing it. This is the trap that YSL fell for and so do many. PAP wanted us to believe that voting for good people is enough, but this is not so. A good MP cannot prevail in a dictatorial regime and has no say nor right to vote against his own party in parliament under PAP system. Even Ong Teng Chong for all his worth, could not have access to the full disclosure of our national reserves, let alone an ordinary backbencher MP.
I voted for the opposition not because they are all of higher calibre than PAP, but in the hope that there will be checks and changes to our political system that encouraged more high calibre people to step forward to serve as alternatives once the environment improved. Vote for a system that can be passed down to our children!
Rainnix, as you can see, the PAP-introduced GRC system enabled people to serve in Parliament for decades without ever securing a single vote. Could your ‘good’ MP voiced out against this? He could not as he was part of the problem, not the solution.
Any good Singaporean worth his salt would not have stand under the PAP flag, you and I would not have seen them until situation improved. That is why we must vote for change.
AL on Wed, 3rd Mar 2010 10:28 pm
So the STUPID MP Ong Ah Heng sacked elderly workers for FTrash JUST because of ONE FAMILY complaint?
Can he verify if that ONE FAMILY is a local Singaporean???
Thousands of Singaporeans have complained about the ‘good for nothing’ OLD MAN and all the OLD LAZY farts in parliament too.
WHY didn’t he/they sack them and replaced with foreigners???????????
Hi AL and all
Do not forget, the citizen are the boss of a country. Not any party that is governing the country. So, you shuld sack them. In the ballot box.
that botak darman shld be fired out from cabinet, as dis budget 2010, he is the chairman to head the esc. and he does it by betraying his own conscience in order to be the FM and also collect his million dollars paycheck. Worst still, his constituency in jurong is a walkover.
this indian botak FM , singaporeans we need to send opposition party to boot him out! useless and worthless FM….
An employment contract is NOT like any other business contract. It express a master-servant relationship where there is an IMPLIED TERM of contract in common law of building mutual trusts and confidence.
And that implied term in common law precludes unfair dismissal because there is an unbalanced power relationship heavily weighed in favour of the employer.
Just because one family complaint of a worker justifying a sack of the worker? Anyone doing business DO NOT sack an employee because a customer complained of his/her performance. Was the complainant right? wrong? prejudiced? have a grudge? misinformed? misunderstood? or simply just plain wrong of irrational judgment?
I a NOT talking about morality here but simply equity of fairness at law. Imagine I hire you on so-called “standard contract” (which is a complete FICTION at law because nothing is negotiable including pay or legislative laws) and insert an onerous clause which deny you a one month notice or pay in lieu of in total disregard for customary practices. And after you started work, I will made a determined aggressive effort to change or abrogate ALL terms of contract in your favour and escalate all terms in my favour by what the common law called “squeezing” the employee by being abusive, treat you worse than a strayed abandoned dog and do all unbecoming as close to as slavery – even assigning you to dangerous situation like cleaning the window standing on the edge of the outside balcony looking down near the top floor of “Pinnacle-on-Duxton”.You either submit or I fire you into street begging. Forget the morality of me as a “slave-owning” employer, just looking the equity at law, am I fair of treatment of you as a servant obeying me the master IF THE ROLE HAD BEEN REVERSED?
I THINK NOT.
But can the poor afford legal challenge? The answer is spendidly begged in the question itself and informing of the oppressed slavery relationship. If you fell from the balcony edge, I deny ordering you there – it is murder? manslaughter or IT IS THE COMMON LAW ACCEPTANCE THAT EMPLOYER HAS NO COMMON LAW LEGAL OBLIGATION TO PROTECT YOUR SAFETY WHEN RISKS TO DANGER IS PART OF YOUR JOB.
Would a reasonable fair and informed person disgusted of my behaviour as an employer squeezing you the maid treating our employment contract as a business contract when it is a MASTER-SERVANT RELATIONSHIP AT COMMON LAW OF FACT AND REALITY?
I bet your sane judgment for most of you would be all roundly condemned me of a beast unbefitting of human kind.
We want a GRACIOUS CARING SOCIETY as promised by GCT. Is this the beginning of “gracious” society or an aggrieved exploitative mercenary society?
Or is this caring gracious society another derogatory Shakespean shame of hoax of “rose by any name” which hid a multitude of lies because any other so-called rose does NOT smell as sweet or truthful of accounting in substance??.
Singaporeans – before you VOTE, think of your own self-respect.
If I was doing social community work and if is in Australia in which any employer “ordered” his/her maid to clean out a window standing on the edge of a balcony some 5 floors up (no need to be 49 floors) of any “Pinnacle-on-Duxton”, I am going to instigate a lawsuit to send that bastard employer into his/her grave by invoking the legal precedent common law application found in Baltic Shipping and Dillon.
They are the well-paid stoogers of the PAP.
HOW DIFFERENT IS THIS ROWDINESS FROM PARLIAMENTS IN SOUTH KOREA AND TAIWAN?
SO MANY ON ONE BEAT-UP?
It looks to me like a “RIOT” in there. Or is it a pack of fear-ridden firemen and firewomen trying to PUT OUT a dangerous POLITICAL FIRE.
LTK, you are ‘RECEIVING A LOT OF UNSOLICITED BUT WELL-PROVOKED ATTENTION”
HA HA HA HA. Voters outside DO NOTICED!!!
JIA YU, JIA YU, JIA YU, JIA YU, just like our Olympic silver medal performance catcalls.
HOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!
The political “orgasm” is infectious. I AM JUST ESTATIC.
“Malaysia for Malaysians” a motto which was spoken when singapore was part of malaysia….
However “Singapore for Singaporeans…..” is never really the case anymore……
Those on the top never look down.
this josephine teo for want of anything to say should keep her opinions to herself. she is just empty inside and is not capable to take on this position in parliament . anyone can fill her post, honestly.
many times given the complexities in life, it is better to implement simple policies such as that of low thia kiang , then to worry for loopholes etc.
To Rowen,
Truth.
May i add…
When the top look down….they can’t see at all due to the hugh pile of $$$$ covering up to their neck regions till all the way below…and all those $$$$ they are taking are killing the common folks slowly and surely.
It is all blood money.
A good steward of a country/company/estate knows he should spend only the profit/excesses made wisely and correctly….the stewards singapore has do not only over leverage on the profit/excesses the peoples of singapore has made over the years but are now eating into the fragile substance and structure to try to make ever more money at everyone’s ability to substain and beyond the structure to support.
Sad.
anyway anyone can provide some details of this joesephine teo . i think she is a very sinister cunning old fox. she always bad mouthed the opposition members opinions. is that her duty in parliament hearing . please understand that is not what you are supposed to do . and don;t forget you are a back door entrant into the parliament .
Sorry amended…edit grammar mistakes/spelling..
To Rowen,
Truth.
May i add…
When the top look down….they can’t see at all due to the huge ridiculious pile of $$$$ covering up to their neck regions till all the way below…and all those piles of $$$$ they are taking are at the expense of the common folks slowly and surely.
It is all blood money. Real blood money from sacrifice and woe and work of the peoples of singapore.
A good steward of a country/company/estate knows he or she should spend only feasible amounts of the profit/excesses made by the people/workers wisely and correctly per budget per annum….the stewards of singapore has not only over leverage on the profit/excesses the peoples of singapore who has made and contribute directly/indirectly to singapore over the years but the stewards thru their policies and decision making are now eating into the fragile substance and structure while trying to make even more money. But it is at everyone’s ability to substain and also beyond the structure to support. And the damage will highly likely remain permanent for future generations to rue and curse over.
Seems many someones has forgotten about aesop’s tale of the golden goose who daily can only lay 1 golden egg.
Sad.
hey guys, our foreign construction workers have been cheated:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isZfVhyKLsI&feature=channel
Im sure most of us are not against them, for they help build our buildings. We shd be against those foreigners who fight for PMET jobs from us Singaporeans. Levy shd be lifted for construction workers, and levy for those competing for PMET jobs shd be raised much higher to like 600 dollars so as to compete fairly with us Singaporeans based on skillset and qualifications, not by how cheap we can be.
That if they the pappy give him the MOM… HE Low This Khiang will give them the answers!!!
Perhaps they think that LTK is untested for MOM. WELL WELL WELL… How many of them pappy beck-bench MPs ARE tested since most came in under GRC Wards??? Their laughter shows their character and aptitude in CONTRAST to LTK in…
“You can tell the character of every man when you see how he receives praise.” – Seneca (5 BC – 65 AD), as LTK was then swiftly asked to SIT DOWN!!!
没头没脑……
一个毫无头绪,一个也不动脑。
天天争吵不休……整个国会就这样又一天。
薪水照拿饭照吃,然后人们继续骂政府无能。
坦白说,大选都快开打了,请问是不是停止无聊的争执而真正的拿出真本事?到底有没有本事治理?
到底除了争来争去,吃了饭就不做事了?
花那么多银子就是在国会中随便废话两句?
这么多年了,时局已经如此,资政已经老迈,是不是让他看看自己政府选出来的不是垃圾而是人才?
接下来要发生的危机,以这样的人才,怎么应付?
真是……没眼看下去。
ATTENTION!!!ATTENTION!!!ATTENTION!!!>>
MR.LOW,MR.CHIAM & MR.KENNETH J.-WORKERS PARTY-SPP-REFORM-
PLEASE WORK OUT AN ALLIANCE AND HAVE A SHADOW CABINET IN PLACE ASAP!!!
REBUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT SHOWING YOUR HAND AND SOLUTION,KEEP IT FOR THE ELECTION HUSTINGS.
SEEK PRO ADVISE SHOULD YOU LACK THE KNOWLEDGE.THERE ARE THOUSANDS IF NOT HUNDREDS WILLING TO DISPENSE THEIR KNOWLEDGE.
@ TR for EG.ANONYMOUS,ELFRED,WIZARDofID etc.etc
for “F..K-SAKE” if not SINGAPORE’S SAKE do something instead of being individual HEROS or you are no better than PAPER TIGERS
This is the year of the TIGER!!! RoooooooAR and not “meow”
With my due respect, Minister Gan Kim Yong should be addressing this LEVY (not leave it) issue and not Ms. J.Teo as it concern MOM (Ministry of Manpower). GKY should take this opportunity to defend and justify this policy and condemn this foolish and daft OPP MP LTK to suggest scrapping the Levy increase which would meant less reserves for MOM to help defray costs (make some revenue too) and to carry out the ministry programmes and objectives. Why did he not? Or he did already? With no suggestions of my own just like botak LTK, would GKY provide some answers as to how curbing cheap labor supplies with an increase in Levy not affect the businesses/businessman? How would (can consult Minister LSS) businesses benefit from Levy increases and still make it cheaper, better, and faster than their competitors? And how do workers employed by these businesses get more take home pay? Finally, how does this lead to SGP PRODUCTIVITY increase of 3%?
CitizenReddot,
Who says I am paper tigers? I am a gust of online fart. Hahahahahahahaha…
Don’t observe online mood. Just go to the grounds and get the real heat.
When the water is boiling, doesn’t mean it’s time to drink.
Stand for election, stand for election… Form an alliance…
Why not?Even with such existing componenets, we can form an alliance. But lemme point out the very simnple truth…
Elfred the thinker knows what to do, and is prepared to savage Greece’s economic situation if Greece accepts my offer… Kenneth of Reform party and SDP have ideas such as min wage. In term of leadership, among all these groups who shall be the leader for the alliance? Who will fund and manage the fund and components of this alliance?
The politics in PAP and in the oppositions is about the same, kid. Namely factions.
I know many people want to deal with the issue asap as the car is crushing into the walls…
Lemme assure you this, there will be such an opportunity in the future to do so.
Paper tigers… I am not offended, because now is the perfect time to be paper tigers. Don’t you get it?
MM Lee is aging fast, very soon I’d have to contact him again on some… important matters. The point is for a man he is, he definitely understands where this is going. He can see for himself. He even called that NMP chosen by the government ‘highfalutin’. You must think on the man’s interest and concerns. He looks at Singapore sinking, his party has Sear making news, Ser Luck sending in police, Mr Wee and family making news… Even SM Goh… SM Goh knows the situation. PAP is a big boat on a tiny boat, it is risking to sink. Everyone probably knows that.
Know why I retire from YP?
Staying on will only affect my prospect of aiding situation in the future. I oust myself to steer clear.
Look at this parliament… probably the last few sessions MM Lee would have witnessed. Think from his perspective. He’s dying… I am observing his health condition closely. His motors is failing him, which means in a short while, he may not even be able to speak properly.
You ain’t the one who should be gan cheong. MM Lee is the one who should be gan cheong. Who is that on the throne?
His son.
What is at stake? His creation, his career, his reputation, his party, his Singapore, his love… Politics is his life. Imagine his agony to have to die leaving party and Singapore in such a state… for his son to fight alone.
It’s a hopeless fight.
The New Father of Singapore is telling you a very simple truth, the most exciting part of this history has not come yet. I can handle all these small simplistic issues… But can I do so now?
No.
I am watching those exchanges… entertained. It’s like wet market wars, you know… At the end of the day, nothing much will happen. Singaporeans will be still forced to the walls as the car comes crushing. Another Sear will make headlines, PM will be under the limelight… PM knows… his cabinet can’t function properly. One crisis may not change his mind, but that can help him face the truth.
Why the hurry?
Let the government choose. You must understand one thing, these current oppositions you are seeing is nothing compared to the future ones. Dr Chee is not prepared to say sorry to Chiam, and everyone insisted in their ideas… Same with PAP.
But the oppositions don’t sell on competency, PAP is the incumbent, hence oppositions are still on the passive. Which means PAP must surrender more powers… must the signal to be kicked out.
This PM… He needs my help more than anything else. But he cannot recruit top political elements as such. He’d have to think of how to wiggle out of this situation and get good hands. With the current cabinet… it is obvious where Singapore is heading towards.
CitizenReddot, politics is a very very practical game. Anyohow move is not tolerated… by God. There will be a time for everything. Trust me.
Since powerful political element/s have surfaced, heaven is hoping for a show. History is made by the greatest of minds, not the most of the gan cheongs.
I am suffering, but I know the time has not come.
Look at Low… He has no much idea about the issue, he argued with Josephine who also obviously doesn’t understand the entire issue. Neither will PAP MPs be able to dish anything concrete nor can they answer for the government’s decisions. Entering politics via PAP now is a waste of time and distancing my prospects of being the New Father of Singapore, since I am not interested in explaining for silly issues. Entering politics via the oppositions… Loo at Slyvia, Low and Chiam…
Very chiam… move in also cannot, move back also cannot. Why? Is it only because of the numbers?
Do you know, if the numbers of oppositions increase significantly, people will start expecting oppositions to PERFORM.
Do you really think that Singaporeans expect MPs and ministers to be paid handsomely to just sleep in the parliament or just check on the government?
I said before, how are you going to check on the government? No power, no brains…
The aging MM is not gan cheong, you shouldn’t be so gan cheong. Just relax and watch show. I thought you said you’d sit back and join me watching the show? Hahahahahahahahahahaha…
老臣谋国,要纵观全局,要知道厉害,你才可以吃国。要是轻率冒进,这样的人你怎么可以托付国家?其实两边都不知所以然,情况已经很明显。既然那么明显,何必有无聊的举动?治国安邦定天下,大国崛起不是无道理的。叫你忍就受不了了?老夫都忍耐了三十年……你以为这些小政策真的能难倒老夫?
都看了三十年的戏,多看一下,何乐不为?