6/22/2015

Khaw Boon Wan – We support strong family ties

‘Strong families make strong communities and a strong nation. This is why we don’t just build flats; we also help families live closer together.

There are many benefits for such an arrangement. Grandparents can help look after grandchildren, and children can support their parents and grandparents.’

The Chinese text used a combination of two characters to define a nation, ‘guo jia’ 国家. The two characters are country and family. The family is the basic building block of a nation. Without the families, a country would just be a piece of empty land. It is the people and families that turned it into a nation. And Boon Wan must have reflected on this concept when he was doing his meditation, and he is now enlightened. He understands the importance of families and family ties. And he explained that HDB policies are crafted with the building of strong family ties in mind.

Unfortunately many netizens did not see his viewpoints and lambasted him and his policies that they said were bad for families. They quoted things like small micky mouse flats, over priced HDB flats, including his idea of sending old folks to JB nursing homes. They were furious about some of the things Boon Wan suggested that meant well. They see the Medishield Life as a transfer of govt liabilities to the children, to make them bear the cost of providing medical insurance for their parents.

They even called Boon Wan a hypocrite. Now that is a bit too much, to call a good buddhist a hypocrite. Look at the calmness in his face, non violent, always smiling, every angle you look, he is like the laughing Buddha. How can he be a hypocrite? And they even blamed him for young couples turning to their parents to foot the down payment for cheap and affordable HDB flats. How can like that?

Let me attempt, with my not super talent ability, to explain away the wrong perceptions the netizens had of Boon Wan. Yes with good communications, everything can be explained away. I hope my explanation is good enough and not half past six.

Let’ take the first issue of micky mouse flats. I think the original objective by HDB was to make the flats cheaperer and more affordable. Now people complained too small and cannot keep three generations under one roof. Ok, that was a lack of foresight. But they might look at small flats different. You see, being small, everyone will be closer to each other, at least physically, cosy and warm. 

Anyway Boon Wan is correcting that judgemental error and is building 3 generation flats. Swee boh? You people complained and he heard and responding to your feedback and trying to make it better. And he also got give good grants to help the families live together. Children want to live near parents, Govt give them money to be filial. Like that cannot say bad, tiok boh?

What, three generations flat also very small inside? This one I dunno.  Never mind, have faith in Boon Wan. He will make them right, bigger flats, bigger rooms, for happy family ties. Give him a bit more time, and allow the Govt to bring in more foreign workers to help him do a good job. Maybe the small mickey mouse flats were due to labour shortage, so build smaller flats can build faster right? Then again, if the flats are built bigger, got to pay more you know. Nothing is free.

Boon Wan is trying his best. The problems were created by his predecessors, not by him. And he volunteered to do the right things. See, now no more housing problems. Maybe the price is still affordably unaffordable.  Only two years on the job and he solved housing shortage problem. He is good. The National Day Award I want to recommend him for the highest award in public service. What bintang or star they called it?

Maybe he can do more, bit by bit, one at a time. There is this complaint that visiting parents is becoming very expensive. Children want to spend time at parent’s home or grandparents want to help out in children’s home also very expensive. Every time visits parents must pay except on Sunday or public holiday. Maybe Boon Wan can look into this. Oh, he already thought of it, that’s why 3 generation flat, stay together, no need parking fee.  Did someone say don’t drive, save money? And the media also have been encouraging the people to take public transport. Private car ownership no good, take public transport betterer.

This one I dunno want to agree or not. Got car can bring whole families to ‘chiat hong’ either in East Coast Park or go to Malaysia. Whole family, 3 generations all can go, better than staying inside mickey mouse flats. If no car, no choice, mickey mouse flats also must pretend to be good. Quality of life is not about big space small space. It is how you make do with it, go around it, buy small furniture, everything smaller, then can feel big space.

After building so many micky mouse flats, cannot simply demolish them right? And how to cope with 10m population if flats are built bigger and bigger? Like that how? Big is not necessary good you know. This one, a bit physical constraint, can’t be helped lah. We need to have 10m population to have growth and better quality of life. So no car, smaller micky mouse flats must bear with it lah. Today someone wrote to Today forum, make car use prohibitive. This is a brilliant psychotic Sinkie mind at work. And no car can save so much money, no need to pay parking when visiting parents or parents visiting grandchildren.

Ok, now I help explain leow. Take it or leave it up to you. Boon Wan good or bad you all can see. So don’t anyhow hantam him. He is good man, the best in PAP. If he is bad, then no more good man in PAP. You people so lucky to have Boon Wan in the PAP and still want to ask him go back to Malaysia? You dunno how bad things would be without him.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha Ha! He got a laughing Buhda face because he is so happy each time he see his bank statements with many zeros

Anonymous said...


BEST! BEST! BEST!

Yes! KBW Is The Best! In PAP Now!

Yes! Yes! Yes! BEST in PAP now!

Someone once at the top top said that KBW is
the BEST Health Minister!

Now, KBW should be the BEST National Development
Minister!

Well done!

KBW is the BEST!

The BEST! The BEST! Yes the BEST!

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

From the idea of putting parents in old folk's home in JB to this idea of getting parents and children to live together in multi-generation flats is one big change of conscience.

But he surely should know the mental change among sinkies will not be easy after decades of children or children-in-law already moving away from the living together doctrine. No amount of campaigning will work, just like the two is enough policy, that spawned the low procreation rate among sinkies. Election is near, so some wayang would be advantageous, so they think.

Anonymous said...


anonymous 8.55 am pls note.........

you are right, money makes one very happy.......

however, one must be able to spend the many many zeros in bank accounts.......

pls remember, only money you spent is your money.......

hahaha........

Anonymous said...

we support strong family ties by:
- retrenching your father and mother and replacing them with Aliens
- making your Ah Kong and Ah Ma work as cleaners in foodcourt until 11pm. Then they will have more energy to look after your children in the morning the next day.

Anonymous said...

We support strong family ties by paying million dollar salaries so our Millionaires can buy bungalows for multi-generations lifestyle.

Anonymous said...

Just believe those people that want to bring in the best from the world to replace the Sinkies regardless of nationalities and you know where your family stands.

Take back your country first and then do the necessary to look after Singaporeans and your parents and grandparents.

Do not expect foreigners to look after your interests and your parents and grandparents.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ RB:

>> Look at the calmness in his face, non violent, always smiling, every angle you look, he is like the laughing Buddha. How can he be a hypocrite? <<

Serial killers are also known for their charm and "calmness of face".

Anonymous said...

Does climbing Mount Kinabalu promote strong family ties?

Anonymous said...

Yes, the positive outcome when families get together and feel closer to one another when a child is missing.

patriot said...

I get much chill fr his presence and appearance.

It is like one has to expect nothing good or worse, something unpleasant and haunting.

The Smile and Calmness in the Man emanates haunting chill that's quite hard to explain.

It's kind of natural and instinctive.

patriot

Anonymous said...

How does voting PAP promote strong family ties?
Does voting PAP promote strong Lee Kuan Yew values?
Then what about Singaporean values?

Anonymous said...

When a good man joins the side of the devil, the outcome is obvious. What can I say?

Anonymous said...


新加坡是天堂! 新加坡是天堂!

如果新加坡不是天堂 哪里是天堂?

b said...

singapore is only good for singles but not good for family. there is simply not enough space and too many people. the gov will continue to use the limited space in sg as an excuse to milk the family from healthcare, education, transport, housing etc.

Anonymous said...

Good man in Khaw Boon Wan?

A man of principle will NOT CHANGE,
MUCH LESS SELL HIS/HER SOUL TO THE DEVIL.

You no know Lim Chin Siong, Chia Thye Poh, JB Jeyaretnam, Lim Hock Siew, Said Zahari and many many more? They never get co-opted nor sold themselves for wealth, power and fame.
THEY UPHOLD THEIR PRINCIPLE, INTEGRITY AND DIGNITY.