9/24/2014

Mega projects – What have we gained other than the intangibles


We have done great things, built great cities like Suzhou, Tianjin Eco city, F1, great Gardens By the Bay, and now we are going to build smart city or cities in India. We have contributed no small sum to the building of Nalanda University. How much have all these great projects cost us and what were the returns in absolute monetary terms? Let me touch on the intangibles first, like great publicity value, everyone now knows where is Singapore, endearing relationships, building goodwill, they will love us surely, if not at least for our money, they will help us now that we have helped them….etc etc. Ok, now that the intangibles are out of the way, let’s talk real numbers, the bottom line. How much we have spent and how much have we gotten back.? In other words, accountability.
 

We cannot be spending and spending public money on multi million dollar projects, or hundreds of millions of dollars per project without looking at returns. We are no Santa Claus or international philanthropists throwing our money everywhere for people to like us or be nice to us. It that why people welcome us?
 

Every project that costs hundreds of millions of dollars must be justified and accounted for. It is public money and no one should be thinking of using public funds casually for vanity. The hundreds of millions spent on foreign students, what is the return? Can I say zero except some goodwill, hoping that those scholars will be nice to us in the future? Oh, they helped to increase our talent pool and talents for the industries.
 

I believe every project of such high values is meticulously studied before approval. Do these mega projects need Parliament’s approval or need to be reported in Parliament? Have we not gone past the phase to tell the whole world we exist? Do we still need to keep telling the world that we are a world class city and please come and visit us in case the world did not know who we are and where we are?
 

What do you think? I think the whole wide world must by now know who we are and where we are and how good we are or how daft we are. Do we still need to spend hundreds of millions to advertise our existence or to affirm our relationships with other countries?

Kopi Level - Yellow

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

RB these types of projects actually have no or very little tangible returns. It's actually similar to foreign aids. But I think sinkies never like giving foreign aids as they normally already from hand to mouth so very jialuck to accept giving foreign aids. So these types of projects are actually foreign aids so no return one lar. U tell me lar Tio bo?

Anonymous said...

"How much we have spent and how much have we gotten back.?"
RB

Gotten back for who? For daft Sinkies? U must be daft to think so?

Why would PAP want to care for daft Sinkies, whose numbers no enough, talents no enough and most crucial of all, power to vote PAP out no enough?

If I were PM Lee, even I would not want to care for daft Sinkies also.

Anonymous said...

Rb // We cannot be spending and spending public money on multi million dollar projects, or hundreds of millions of dollars per project without looking at returns. We are no Santa Claus or international philanthropists throwing our money everywhere for people to like us or be nice to us. It that why people welcome us? //


Rb, heard about different types of leadership?

Inspirational, expertise, authoritative, reward ......

For "REWARD LEADERSHIP ", everything is "buy, buy, buy"? OPM mah? FACE buy? Friendship buy? Support buy? Ranking buy? Ghost metals ( oops GOH MEDALS) oops wrong again GOLD PEDALS buy? RED CARPET BUY? Guard of honour inspection buy?

How cum garment so rich people so poor?

REWARD LEADERSHIP bankrupt the PEOPLE?

Anonymous said...


we are already a global and
cosmopolitan city.....

someone said may be 1M or more
people may want to come here....

of course this tiny city state
can easily house 12M people....

just turn this tiny city state
into a large concrete jungle with
tall buildings and underground
infrastructures, etc etc etc.....

cheers......

Anonymous said...

All these high profile projects overseas are good for the Singapore image. Singapore needs to be in the limelight all the time. Good for Singaporeans when traveling overseas. When asked " where from? " Singaporeans with bloated chests and say " Singapore ". Can be very very proud. Why worry about money. Image and vanity are more important. Money spent on foreign students has the same effect. Also some of the foreign graduates might just stay on in Singapore and marry Singaporeans and produce more Singaporean babies for population growth. Those who return to own countries after bond would always be thankful to Singapore for a free education and thus have better relationship with Singapore. RB should not always look on the negative side of things. There are logic in what the PAP government is doing. All for the good of Singapore and the Singaporeans.

Anonymous said...

"There are logic in what the PAP government is doing. All for the good of Singapore and the Singaporeans."
Anon 9:54 am

Tiok. But only 60%.

Or else why would 60% Singaporeans still want to vote for PAP, u tell me lah?

Anonymous said...

Rb // I think the whole wide world must by now know who we are and where we are and how good we are or how daft we are.//


Rb, YEW are stating the "OBVIOUS" ?

SINKIELAND long ago already VERY WELL KNOWN: A "FINE" city with "even rarer fine "?

"Char Tao ", "Hum Cee Peng ", "Kee Chiu ", "Sia Suay ", "塌吗", " COW MA COW GU ", " Mr So? ", " Mr No Groupthink? ", " MabokTan "?

Anonymous said...

Rb : // We are no Santa Claus //


Rb, pls get your facts right?

Isn't Santa Claus catchphrase " HO, HO, HO, HO, HO " when he wants to make his presence FELT?

"HO, HO, HO, HO, HO " ........

JING JING!

Its for real ok?

Ho ho ho ho ho

Jing Jing!

Anonymous said...


It is ok to develop cities around
the world turning them into high
tech and smart cities.

BUT, before we do that, we should
transform our own matured and old
estates into smart estates first.

Not just cosmetic upgrading.

This is the only way going forward.......


Anonymous said...

If we can build cities around the world to benefit other people and make a good profit from it, why not?

Are we making any profit? Or are the 'chin ho' companies making good profits or losing money as a result?

Anonymous said...

Rb // We are no Santa Claus or international philanthropists throwing our money everywhere for people to like us or be nice to us.//

Rb, haven't YEW heard of " 借花献佛"?

OPM mah?

VairLEE rich mah?

VairLEE generous mah?

International Santa Claus mah?

Ho ho ho ho ho........

Jing jing!

Bill Gates do philanthropy so ho ho ho ho ho oso must not lose face so use OPM do lah?

Ho ho ho ho ho

Jing jing!

Anonymous said...

Sad. We are not against government from helping others but we expect the government to help our own citizens first.

Anonymous said...

Before you start building smart cities around the world, your own people must first be well taken care of. No need to appear charitable. Charity must first be at home. The reason for helping others to build smart cities must be made clear to your own citizen. Singaporeans appear to be clueless as to why your government is helping others build smart cities. The main talking issue now in Singaporean is the CPF withdrawal age. The Singaporean government surely knows that there are much dissatisfaction among the Singaporeans about this, but apart from the few minor tweaks and adjustment here and there, it appears that dissatisfaction continue to rumble on. The way I see it, Singaporeans MUST resign to the fact that 65 will be the age for CPF withdrawal, unless the next GE produces a real upset for the PAP. However, the latter scenario seems almost an impossibility. Lately there has been a few sweeteners and a few promises of better things to come from the PAP. Looks like the next GE is near. Redrawing of boundaries will come soon. Singaporeans must face reality, PAP will gain parliament majority and those who do not like the PAP policies would either have to swallow the bitter medicine or emigrate. Tough but there are not much choices for these unhappy people. PAP will be in power for another 4 or 5 GEs. If you think it is better for your family to get away, start making plans to join the quitters. That is REALITY.

Anonymous said...

"...unless the next GE produces a real upset for the PAP."
Anon 11:13 am

Not really lah. Unless the next GE the opposition is ready to be govt.

Or else no upset for PAP one.

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:53, you fool! If only pinky has farsight......

How many of you here agree with this anon 12:53 IB, kee chiu?

b said...

Costs are nationalised and profits are privatised.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

When you pay people out of this world salaries you better demand extraordinary talents and work. Why pay millions to get pork sellers or fishmongers.

Mediocrity is not acceptable. Good is not good enough.

b said...

The crucial question is "is there a better party than pap?" It is not easy to have a 99LH flat selling at half million. Only pap can do that.

Anonymous said...

True. Who is paying for it?

Anonymous said...

Prices are supported by opening of the dams?

Is it sustainable before another riot, strike, mass dissent erupt?

Another COI to give debatable excuses/ causes?

Anonymous said...

Silly Sinkies instead of finding better living in many other places, choose to stay and be exploited. Then kpkb to no end.
Gongtuatai.

Anonymous said...

Gongtuatai kak jiahsai.
Kpkb can solve the problems meh?