11/19/2015

Kishore is serious about public public transport system

Our privatized public transport may be due for a change if Kishore Mahbubani has a say in it. Oops, he definitely has a say in it but not sure if he can decide on it. Yesterday at a symposium on Future Mobility he repeated his call for the nationalization of the public transport system to include the buses and taxis.

Kishore said, ‘Singapore’s public sector is world class. But its private sector is not. So if the country wants the best public transport system in the world, shouldn’t the public sector be in the driver’s seat?’  It is so logical and so simple. Now where has Kishore come from? Has he been away for too long that he forgot the original rationale touted by the govt that the public transport must be privatized in order to be efficient? That the public transport ran by the public sector in the past was just too inefficient, in other words the civil servants were not able to run the public transport system efficiently. Come to think of it, was the privatized public transport system ever been run by anyone from the private sector other than the period under Saw?

Actually Kishore knows and I quote why, ‘He said the country should not “remain a prisoner of old economic ideas”, such as the notion that public transport should be privatized.’ He is so polite. He blamed it on an old economic idea and not some wise ones who touted the idea that the public sector people are duds, cannot run a transport system efficiently. Anyway it is good to praise the public sector as world class and this may be very well received. With this as a starting point, the world class people may now be brave enough to challenge the old notion that they were inefficient, so it is time to take back the public transport system to prove that actually they can run the public transport efficiently.

Would anyone be objecting to this notion that public sector is unfit to run the public transport system? Khaw Boon Wan has rolled up his sleeves and wading deep into the MRT problems with his public sector chief and engineers. Luckily he did not go to the world to look for some experts to come here to solve our transport problems. Kishore can quote this as testimony to prove that the public sector can do it.

There is a little snag. It was reported in the media that nationalization of public transport was a clarion call by the Workers’ Party for years. Would this cheeky comment be a game changer not to nationalize the public transport system no matter how clever the arguments Kishore put up? If Kishore is successful in his say, the public transport system will come full circle, from public public transport system to privatized public transport system and back to public public transport system. I think the opposition party camp would be calling this flip flopping.

43 comments:

Anonymous said...

"It was reported in the media that nationalization of public transport was a clarion call by the Workers’ Party for years."
RB

That's why the clarion call is of no use, since WP is not ready to be govt. And if it is from SDP or Dr Chee Soon Juan, lagi(even more) no use. So I think Dr Chee and SDP are totally wasting their time coming out policy papers, even if they are good for Sinkies.

Hence it is not so much about the clarion call, but rather who call it. And since Kishore is a deep seated member of the Establishment, his call will surely be of use and will also be implemented, for sure.

Anonymous said...

It is hence of crucial importance that political parties must, first and foremost, ready to be govt, before making clarion calls or issuing policy papers, good though these may be.

Otherwise it is like putting the cart before the horse, which is tak jalan (cannot move), tio bo?

Anonymous said...

There were thousands of "Kishore"s who have been asking the government to privatize public transport from even before the 2011 GE. Why should the G listen to this "Johnny come lately". If by the same token, then thousands are qualified like Kishore to influence government policy. Problem is the government was slow and indecisive, maybe still.

Anonymous said...

/// There is a little snag. It was reported in the media that nationalization of public transport was a clarion call by the Workers’ Party for years ///

70% of Singaporeans voted that what Workers' Party say is "not meritocratic enough".
But 20 years later.
Now that PAP's Kishore say we must nationalize MRT ... then it is a meritocratic suggestion worth considering.

When there is profit and easy work, Singaporeans are never called.
When there is cost to be paid for and hard work to be done, Singaporeans will always be called to do "national service" in the name of "kampung spirit".

Is there a a huge maintenance bill to be paid for the upgrading and revamping of MRT?
If yes, then is this clarion call for "nationalization" of MRT very timely to get daft Sinkie taxpayers to pay for the huge bill?

Will SMRT shareholders be paying for the maintenance and upgrading of MRT?
Or is it the Singaporean taxpayer?
Who is SMRT largest shareholder?
Will MRT fares be increased again to pay for the huge bill?
Or will the reserves be raided to pay for the bill?

Where is the money going to come from?

Anonymous said...

"If yes, then is this clarion call for "nationalization" of MRT very timely to get daft Sinkie taxpayers to pay for the huge bill?"
Anon 9:26 a.m.

If that is the case, then I think this Kishore is really very smart to make this clarion call now.

Or rather is it PAP that is behind this Kishore for being so smart now? Besides being timely or luck, sometimes how smart you look or you are depends on where you belong to or who is behind you.

Anonymous said...


Yes! Yes! Yes!

We should nationalised the TOTAL public transport system,
including mrt, buses and taxis!

We have a world class civil service!

What so difficult! They can do it!

It is as simple as ABC!

Do it now! Just do it! Don't wait anymore!

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Some of you smart guys could have sensed that something is brewing and the likely party to benefit from this clarion call to nationalise the public transport system. When it is nationalised, unlike the land acquisition act of old, they will pay the market price for the MRT shares and the shareholders will reap big profits.

Some time into the future another govt will call for privatisation again with good reasons and sell the transport system to the public and lagi satu sekali can make reap big profits.

This kind of flip flop very profitable.

Anonymous said...


don't care whether nationalised or not.......

just ensure no breakdown and cheap fares........

understand??????????????????????

Anonymous said...

Haha.....

Getting an academic to psych the
People for an impending flip flop.
And why not?
Each flip gets much gain and each
flop gains much more profits.

The Operators, Private or Public
can provide equally good service.

Good services are not dependent
on private or public operators, it
all boils down to sincerity and
efficiency.

No debate is needed.

Fuck those waging psychological
schemes on the People.


Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

The ENTITLEMENT MENTALITY is rapidly gaining traction amongst the spoilt, always-complaining Singaporean assholes---current generations. These arrogant jackasses have never suffered any serious hardship nor been hungry for more than a few minutes, before they head for the nearest food seller and stuff their greedy cake holes with processed rubbish which will (hopefully) eventually kill most of them. (YAY! Gene pool culling! Let's import more foreign "stock". Xenophobic much?)

In order to meet this growing trend of "the world owes me a living, so pay up", the best solution to the (fake) crisis in public transport is 100% pure NATIONALIZATION.

Let the govt run the show. In fact, let the govt run EVERYTHING. Let them tell you what to do, how to do it, what to think and never under any circumstance ever think for yourself. Raising the tax rate to 90% or more should give the govt enough funds to be able to provide you with the sub-standard and probably dangerous goods and services only available under a state monopoly. Then you might even have FREE public transport.

You might even be able to have "free" housing, schools....go the whole hog...free clothes, food, govt. internet content, govt. entertainment content...and all of you can sing your jolly hearts out every National Day, thanking the govt. for all the "free stuff" you get.

Everything will be "free". However, you won't. "Free" stuff or Freedom?

Hmmmm....

Anonymous said...

Smoking grass again?
Better stick to smelling under wears.
Yes, get it from your mum, your favourite hobby.

Anonymous said...

How the fuck the Topic and the Discussions here turn into FREE
STUFF?
Free for someone go wild with accusation and get FREE screwing
one and all here?

Khongcum does not mean going wild
and becoming grossly unreasonable.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear, the nut escaped from IMH again.

A Concerned Citizen said...

Dear Mr Kishore,

Your want to include the taxis?

I think you, as an academician, is going too far. Do you know what you are saying? May be you are too old already. I think you could be going senile.

You want our taxi uncles to go berserk and go after you and your family? Do you even know how may regular full-time and part-time taxi drivers are there. How many dependents they have to feed? How many professionals and executives have a valid taxi driving license on standby just in case they lose their jobs? Have you consulted the National Taxi Association?

Please lah, Mr Kiss-shoe. Or so sorry, your name is Mr Kishore. I am so sorry, it sounds like Kisshoe to me. Perhaps I am also too old already.

However, Mr Kishore, I definitely would not want to get involved with making the poor Taxi Uncles go berserk.

As it is, life has been bad for our poor taxi drivers, who are so often being bashed up by aliens openly welcomed by people like you sitting in the cool comfort of your Cloud-9 Ivory Towers.

Moreover, about 50% of them are from our Elite-uncaring Pool of PMETs, whose previous regular decent high-paying jobs have been 'begged, borrowed or stolen' by foreign talons (eagle's claws)and foreign fakers, honestly revered by their pay-masters and the Almighty Omniscient Omnipotent Govern-men.

Can you please just retire peacefully and harmoniously. Please don't try to think of any BRIGHT ideas, which usually come from the young and idealistic mavericks. You have contributed more than enough to this small tiny island. Please give others a chance to live on. You don't have to come out and open your big mouth and stir up any unhappiness or ill-will towards you and our government.

Last but not least, I seriously think you are totally out of touch with the ground already. Please call it a day and enjoy your retirement.

This may sound rude to you but it is direct from my heart. I am not good for buttering and icing of words to wrap it up subtle and nice. So please don't take it too hard.

Thank you.

Yours honestly,

A Concerned Citizen.

Anonymous said...

True, Sinkies were told there is no free lunch by no less a Founding father of Sin.

Sinkies are also not looking for free rides.

The Wild Aspersion is insulting.

Anonymous said...

Does Temasek Holdings own 54% of SMRT shares?

https://likedatosocanmeh.wordpress.com/2015/01/21/20150121-why-is-smrt-investing-in-shares-when-our-public-transport-is-screwed-up/

If yes;
- Then how much is PAP government going to pay Temasek for the 54% of SMRT as part of the "nationalization"??
- what will Temasek doing with its SMRT windfall?

- Does the PAP government own 100% of Temasek Holdings?
- if yes, then why should a PAP government pay itself to buy over 54% of SMRT shares belonging to Temasek which also belongs to the PAP government?

I'm very cuntfused by Ching Ho Ho.

Anonymous said...

Kishore
Kis-hore
Kiss-shoe
Kiss-hoe
Kiss-ass

What is the correct spelling please?

Anonymous said...

Nationalize SMRT so easy and cheap is it?
Where is the money going to come from?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@618

>> - Does the PAP government own 100% of Temasek Holdings? <<

No they don't. Temasek is a sovereign wealth fund, meaning that it is part of The State. Governments and populations come and go, but The State is perpetual.

>> if yes, then why should a PAP government pay itself to buy over 54% of SMRT shares belonging to Temasek which also belongs to the PAP government? <<

Not under a process of NATIONALIZATION. Under nationalization, no private property rights apply. All bets are off. Essentially, The State can do as it pleases.

The State can simply create a state-enterprise for e.g. "National United Transport Syndicate" (aka N.U.T.S.), and pass legislation to make it not only legal but COMPULSORY for the govt. in office to run the enterprise.

The share held by Temasek (which is part of The State) can simply be transferred from one ledger to another---no payment necessary.

Key point: The State can do whatever it likes to achieve any objective that is in "the nation's interest".

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

P.S. To reiterate points I've made previously:

Fuck the SMRT off. De-register and sell the assets to either the Hong Kong Metro or any one of the many Japanese railways. Charter up a contract and negotiate a deal for either of them to run the transport. These people know what they are doing and have been good at it for decades.

Replace those local dead-shits for the better performing and value-adding FOREIGN COMPETITION.

Creative destruction ;-)

Anonymous said...

This Nut talking like a khongcum. Nationalised can anyhow pay or don't pay meh? Many of the shares are held by foreigners and it would lead at minimum to a loss of confidence and the market take its toll.

Don't be so khongcum can?

Anonymous said...

When there is profit, privatise it to share the spoils among themselves?

During the GFC, many big time supposed Chapter 11 entities under fart up greedy pigs earning fat cats pay cheques who screwed up got their asses saved when main street have to bail out the screwed up "walled street" infested by lamborghini and ferrari driving show off young punks who thought they have the world at their finger tips with their math and nasa engineering algorithm dictating the financial markets?

It's call socialise when there are losses and tax payers pick up the bills but when there are profits, they are unashamedly and publicly carved out by the fat cats like a pack of hyenas enjoying a meal tearing up a poor buffalo unlucky enough to become the greedy parasitic predators (and good for nothing Jiak liao bee ) lunch?

Anonymous said...

In the business world, small businesses and their owners are made to pay for their own follies or bad luck ...... ?

Many businesses often folded or taken over and the previous management or owners disroped. .... etc?

For some, when they did well, the taxpayers are the losers? When they fart up, the taxpayers are still the losers? Either way, these fat cats are the winners? The determinants are not market but power? It is up to them to say what they want? Just like George Bush say Iraq has WMD, bombed and torn a country apart like a pack of lions and walk away unscathed? Leaving no family or clan in Iraq without family or clan members killed, maimed, raped, crippled, scarred for life ...... etc? In war, they use military power? Under peace, they use monopoly power to rip off and screw the masses at will?

Anonymous said...

Look at how some old matriarch died?

Tortured to the very end by the Creator?

They can bully the masses but would not receive any special amnesty and pardon from the creator?

Anonymous said...

What is the wealth or power worth when no amount can save YEWR ass in front of the Creator?

Anyway for some, what count is how much their souls are worth in dollars ......?

Whether their wives or ex-wives made them cuckolded and sleeping with LEWD TIGERS or wild dogs doesn’t matter bcos their hearts long ago discarded to the wolves as clutters ...... ?

There is no sense of morality or shame as long as they can see the big dollars prancing in front of their eyeballs ......?

Anonymous said...

Haha......

Swear, curse and scold all you like, those with power but without conscience will not be moved or touched. Hyenas are second behind
these avaricious and vain individuals.

It's commonsense that power corrupts and yet many sinners give absolute power to those that manipulate, exploit and enslave them, the Commoners.

Who is more guilty? The Self Serving or
Those who serve them(Folks in power)?



Anonymous said...

In the 3rd world, state assets riped for the taking are often "privatised" and the fat meats shared among the cronies ....... ?

When down to the bones and nothing more to profiteer from, the "privatised state assets" ( toxified baggage with their mounting costs ) are "socialised" and disguised as a "nationalisation " exercise for the benefits of the "poor masses" ( and further impoverising the already half dead bottom 90% )?

And then in the next hustings these same cronies from the top 1% will be standing in the podium shouting like no tomorrow and THUMPING their chests that they are "on your sides" ...... ? Lying through the teeth like the hideous alligators in the Indus River and devouring any preys silly enough to trust the most deadly "CON" ever to walk the face of the earth since the extinction of the dinosaurs?

Anonymous said...

Karma WILL STRIKE those profiteering through their position from the masses and poor exploiting them to the max?

Anonymous said...

When some others made mistakes, some people insisted in callin "a spade a spade" ...... ?

Now, with a potential ( permanent ) fiasco ( and permanent albatross around the neck ) in the making, they intend to "slipped away" ( anonymously like a den of serpents into the bushes after inflicting untold damages and open-ended future liabilities ) unscathed through a "nationalisation " exercise that ironically ( and hilariously ) is trying to make perpetrators looking like "heroes" ( and champions of the masses ) ??

Double confirmed the so called "( fake or pseudo ) elites" are sick to the core ( between their ears and also between their hips. ....? ? ?

Anonymous said...

With LEWD TIGER upping his "ferocity and aggressiveness " ( in bed ), his ( matrimonial ) nemesis or rather vanquished can only let off ( his bizarre pent up volcanic let out ) through "social sadism " ...... ( so as to feel more balance )?

There is nothing more left then to "inflict his agonising pain" on others mindlessly, ( hoping to ) disguised as socially altruistic act when ( the opposite is the actual intention and ) passing the Donald ( Duck ) quack quack quack baby to the taxpayers is the ultimate escapee act ....... to absolve themselves from the mess they perpetrated. .......?

$8 magic wan is paid for from coffer of taxpayers $$$ and the next magic is to charge more ( pass the costs and upcoming and future losses ) to the taxpayers. ..... through "nationalisation " exercise? How low ( and despicable ) can an (in)human ( 畜生 or 禽兽 ) gets?

Anonymous said...

After 5 Dec, another "fiasco " in the making .....?

Anonymous said...

So must quickly "pass the buck ( and baby ) " to the taxpayers ( through nationalisation ) .......?

Anonymous said...

Cheapskate, underhand, despicable, escapee, unscrupulous evil scheming ( to get off the hook )?

Anonymous said...

Magic wan ..... ?

Or so called $8 surgery 99.99% paid for from public coffers?

Shameless "scoundrels" ?

Anonymous said...

The magical power

of the Wan is waning.

Like wax of the candle
running dry. The Fire is
about to slowly die.
$8 saved his life but
$8 million cannot keep
him alive.

The Smacks from the
Clog is working Wander,
this shall get the Wan to
pondle and wonder his
deed and evil.







Anonymous said...

Wow?

Fabulous ( poem )? Creative?

Hu said sinkieland no talent?

The magic of wan ( a "foreign talent" ) is to connect a gigantic pipe to the taxpayers and drop money on the problems like Helicopter Ben ( Bernanke, pumping USD 4.3 trillion via QE 1, 2 & 3 ) ...... ?

Wan's "(false) magic" ( and his backup Ah Suay's potential "QE INFINITY " ) shall provide infinite themes and inspiration for (creative) thousand and one poems to come ...... ?

Anonymous said...

LEWD TIGERS LEWD ACTS
PRANCING BY THE BED SIDE
PUMPING LIKE A MECHANICAL MOTOR
IN A CLOCKLIKE MANNER
GALLONS AND GALLONS OF WATER FLOWED
LIKE THE TORRENTS PUMPED FROM AN OVERFLOWING 50-YEAR ONCE FLOODED CANAL?

Anonymous said...

Yes.

He is having ball pains

and

heart pangs.

Anonymous said...

For all that

he has done

in Sin?

Anonymous said...

Is Kishore any different from the Khaw aka the Magic wan?
For the Matter, are the 2 of them any different fr the Other Pappies, regardless of if they are male dogs or
bitches???

The said...

/// Anonymous Anonymous said...
Kishore
Kis-hore
Kiss-shoe
Kiss-hoe
Kiss-ass
What is the correct spelling please? ///

Kisswhore?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Why are you people so unkind to Kishore?

Anonymous said...

How much substance does the Sycophantic Academic have by echoing what others had proposed and suggested?
There was nothing new, original or even radical from him. The Only Radical idea he has suggested is for the people not to own cars; will he and his family set themselves up as role models to do away with car ownership?

Fuck those who do not practise what they preach.
Pure hypocrite.