7/13/2013

The PMO has spoken on the hawker centre issue


Today, 12 Jul, the PMO has issued a 9 point justification on why Vivian Balakrishnan had to take the WP to task on the issue of integrity in Parliament. I just quote the second point here and to use it for a poll I set up on the top right of this page.

‘Good politics is first and foremost about integrity. Singapore has succeeded because we have honest, upright people in politics: people who can be trusted to uphold the public interest, to speak the truth even when it is inconvenient, and to admit mistakes when things go wrong. This is how we have built trust between Singaporeans and their leaders, worked together to build the nation and improved everyone’s lives.’

How many people believe that we have honest and upright people that can be trusted to do the right thing? Please indicate your take in the poll on the right.

I want to clarify here that whatever a person votes, it may be right or wrong, but it is definitely what the person perceives or thinks so. For example if everyone thinks that the govt does have honest and upright people, it can be a statement of truth. And that is good. On the other hand, the majority may not think so, and this can also be a statement of truth, which then is bad. But if this is false, and if the govt has honest and upright people but the people do not believe so, this in itself is another problem. It simply means that the people do not trust the govt and have a very bad impression of the govt. And the govt really needs to conduct an investigation as to why it is like dat.

The best result is for the majority of the people to think that the govt has honest and upright people that can be trusted to do the right thing for the people, and that this is also the truth.

So please vote accordingly on what you perceive or think.

Cheers.

Let me add further that this cleaning of hawker centre thing is really a very small issue. It is nothing compares to the AIM issue and was best put away and moves on.
And I think it is a horrible mistake for Vivian to thrash it out in Parliament thinking that he can score a winning goal against the WP. More horrible is for the whole cabinet to think that this was a good idea to throw at the WP.

What is going to happen now is that this supposedly minor issue is going to open the Pandora Box and allow the critics of the govt to dig into a can full of worms and that may become quite embarrassing and difficult to put away. It is like the proverbial saying that people living in glass houses should not throw stones. Unfortunately things are heading in the wrong direction now. Unfortunately the emperor did not know that he is not wearing any clothes and is strutting around very confidently in his new clothes.

How would this minor issue (of course some people think it is damn big issue) end eventually and who would land with more mud on the face?

31 comments:

  1. Come 2016, the people will decide once and for all who is honest and upright. High inflation ooi, remember to upsize your sharing of budget surpluses ok?

    ReplyDelete
  2. WP already clarified and people know the whole story already. If PM cannot move on with small issue and focus on the big problems such as low salary, high housing price, transportation problem, dengue issue etc, then he has the power to dissolve Parliament and hold GE to kick WP of Aljunied.

    Surely, if he is so sure WP has integrity issue, people will vote PAP. Better still get Vivian to be the anchor Minister for his Aljunied team.

    Talk so much for what. Action speaks louder than words.

    ReplyDelete
  3. No wonder PM always busy with national issues, no time to call for by-elections. Even ceiling cleaning costing $7k also involve whole cabinet. Temasek holding billions in losses by his wife will take eternity to sort out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PM busy with national issues??

      Bro, you must be joking.

      Spent most of his time sending congratulatory notes and condolence messages to all heads of states even for very trival matters.

      Now waiting for the UK future royal baby to be born to send another message

      Delete
  4. Why not Millionaire Bala lead a GRC team to fight WP for the Aljunied GRC constituency in GE 2016?

    "Save" Aljunied constituents from the WP.

    PS:
    Hey Bala. What's the update on your action plan to control the outbreak of dengue fever? I hope this is receiving your higher attention than the cleaning of ceilings in hawker centres.

    Hint:
    Mosquitoes breed in water on the ground. Not in the ceiling in hawker centres.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right, mosquitoes breed in water on the ground.

      Ex-KTM Marshalling yards with their sheds removed its trenches filled with water

      Been running a high fever fir two days and had to be be transferred to sgh yesterday after a bout of dizzy spells.

      Fortunately, no dengue fever is suspected

      So NEA, please do something before anyone in our estate becomes a dengue victim


      Delete
  5. Seah Chiang Nee's Saturday column

    [Poor little rich city]


    "Reports abound about Singapore being one of the world’s richest cities.

    But with its growing wealth, poverty is also increasing."


    http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/Insight-Down-South/Profile/Articles/2013/07/13/poor-little-rich-city.aspx

    ReplyDelete
  6. I believe we have honest and upright people in Govt. Yes, but at a price. They are paid obscencely high compare to their counterparts everywhere.
    He talks about integrity which perhaps include accountability.
    Let the people decide on this issue .
    Perhaps he can also justify why some MPs are paid their hefty salaries when they are not attending MPS or Parliament and whats more, to claim their own secretarial staff allowances from the state when they no longer hold any offices.
    If they can no longer perform the duty of an MP, vacate the seat and let somebody do it. Thats one accountability to the people's money

    ReplyDelete
  7. A minor correction in ur writing
    Unfortunately the emperor did not know that he is not wearing any clothes and is strutting around very confidently in his new clothes
    Should be . Unfortunately the emperor did not know that he is not wearing any clothes and is still strutting around very confidently without clothes.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sad to see the PM exposing his lack of political acumen so biazzarely.The people are anxious about their livelihoods, health, and their futures. They look towards the government for solutions and yet the whole cabinet(the world's most expensive) spend their time over a trivial matter. which to us ordinary folks, apppear to be the result of miscommunication. This could spell disaster for the PAP at GE2016.

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  9. RB you have raise a very good point, now the discussion is not about cleaning anymore and PM Lee just open a very big door for attack by WP MP and the NCMP, truly the biggest enemies of the PAP is themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The English language newspaper chaired by a former PAP minister has lambasted the Singaporeans citizens who are holding professionals and excutives posts as mediocre in their propanganda to smear the morality of Singaporeans work ethics.

    The over-generalisation and bias against its own citizens are insufferable.

    Putting Sporeans workers in a very bad light as if the foreigners are saints.

    Seriously the influx of foreigners is
    the top concern of the countrymen and not about cleaning a hawker centre.

    if the employer love the pinoys so much and so gutsy and superior why dun they move to pinoyland.

    Why union minister from PAP is not seen defending the workforce at pres time?














    ReplyDelete
  11. Why the govt spend $1.1 billion or ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED MILLIONS OR

    S$1,100,000,000-00 tax payer money

    On the bus purchase scheme when the Govt-linked company has the money to expand its fleets overseas ?

    ReplyDelete
  12. The so-called "contemporaneous" notes were not written at the material time. They are serial numbered in the dossier. It would be more transparent and good politics if the original internal contemporaneous notes, if any, are also published for the public to decide who is telling lies.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Happened to pass by Safra Tampines for a few days; to be exact, from the pedestrian zebra crossing at the junction of Avenue 5 and 2 towards the direction of Simei, noticed that the shallow drain along the perimeter fence had clear water of few inches collected in it.
    Tampines St 11 and Avenue 2 Area suffered some of the worst Dengue outbreaks recently. So, hopefully NEA was and is aware of the water collection outside and along Tampines Safra Perimeter Fence.
    It is much more important than ceiling cleaning or settling small problem encountered in cleaning process.

    ReplyDelete
  14. In today's press report, PM said that Bala's statement was not his personal opinion but was that of the Govt and had been approved by the cabinet.
    The revelation was shocking: the whole govt and the whole cabinet are not working for the people but working for a political party to fix its opponent.
    No wonder things are getting messier each day. The whole govt is getting into municipal politics and neglecting its duties.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Teh Cheang Wan was praised to high heaven as an oriental gentleman by someone's father, but he took millions in bribes while at HDB. Was he honest, upright and can be trusted to uphold the public interest?

    What about Wee Toon Boon, Phey Yhew Kok and lately, Choo Wee Khiang? Are these honest and upright people?

    As a matter of fact, the harm and cost to taxpayers by these PAP cronies against the public is many times more damaging than the hawker cleaning issue. And these are just those that got caught.





    ReplyDelete
  16. Seriously, the less the PAP try to discredit its opponents, the better for them.

    Character assassination worked in the past because every piece of propaganda comes from the Government controlled MSM. It does not work anymore in this internet age.

    Good luck to the PAP for trying the same old trick that had already been proven to fail in the previous two elections.

    ReplyDelete

  17. To this government :

    why did the young people (age 20-29) suicide rate increased by almost 100% last year compared to the previous yr ? I was shocked and saddened by the small write-up in today's shit times. What is the govt doing about this situation? Unemployment and high stress in this age group are reasons mentioned. I feel sad and worry for our young people. stressful education, NS, lack of good jobs, Housing, foreigners influx, .... these are the real issues that the govt need to fix, otherwise, you have failed Singapore and Singaporeans.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Let's fixed the opposition.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Regardless of whether PMO spoken or not spoken on the hawker centre issue, I think WP is still not ready to be govt, even by 2016.

    I fear WP may even be voted out of Aljunied GRC come 2016.

    This will happen when majority may ask what's the point (WP) of having WP MPs?

    Especially when even the "star" WP MP keeps such a low profile in Parliament that you may be forgiven if you thought he did not exist.

    And "star" meaning very impressive academic qualifications and work experience before he became MP. So u no hoo?

    ReplyDelete
  20. It is very comforting to see advertisements at this Blogsite removed.
    They are very irritating in a place where serious discussions take place. Sociopolitical Blogsites are not for frivolous and or unrelated content.

    Hopefully, no more advert or unrelated material will appear.

    As visitors, let us have manners and respect our host(s).

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you anon 4:06. Have kopi on me. And thanks everyone for your kopi kau kau.

    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  22. PM Lee is just keeping his word in his "fix the opposition" speech in 2008. See 48 second video below.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1WhJKsYb50

    So do you think PM Lee's cabinet is working hard to fix the dengue fever epidemic?
    Do you think PM Lee's cabinet is working on a long term plan to reduce the impact of haze on our health and economy?
    Do you think PM Lee's cabinet is working hard to create more jobs for Singaporeans?

    Do you think PM Lee's cabinet is on the side of Singaporeans?
    Do you think PM Lee's cabinet is looking after Singaporeans' best interest?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Eventually, the pap will blame wp for any bad things on the basis that they have to 'fix' the opposition so no time to do proper jobs. Do not fall for such bullshit.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Do you think the strongest opposition is looking after Singaporeans' best interest?

    If it is, then what's the point of saying not ready to be govt? And not trying hard (at least say will try hard lah) to be ready?

    ReplyDelete
  25. PAP IB fuck off pls

    ReplyDelete
  26. I believe the WP MPs are men and women of integrity, honest and trustworthy and will fight for the good of the people.

    ReplyDelete
  27. The more PAP tries to clean the hawker centre the dirtier it becomes, I mean the white shirts.

    Why ah? Why ah?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Bears Roam Free(Blogsite) had a good piece about it. Worth reading.
    一针见血.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Who cares about whether WP is ready or not ready to be Government?

    The fact that they are voted by the people of 'Liang Shan' to be there in Parliament to smack heads and wake people up is, to me, good enough.

    No need to ask for more!

    ReplyDelete