When Goh Keng Swee made his visits to army camps, he was every impressed
with the neatness and vastness of the camps. There was plenty of space
for the soldier boys during his days. There were also plenty of greens.
Being an economist, he could not tolerate waste. He saw the open space
and wanted them to be productive and useful. He gave it some thoughts
and came up with the idea of papaya trees. Papaya trees are hardy and
need little space to grow and to bear fruits. The soldier boys would
have free papayas for desert. And no space would be wasted.
The idea was about thrift and about not wasting precious land. Though
his idea might have some conflicts with the army regime, but what was
important then was the kind of thinking in the heads of national
leaders.
Today, the new thinking will scoff at his suggestion. Why waste the
effort of the soldiers. You want papaya is it? Go and buy lah. Money is
not an issue. How much would a papaya cost? $2? Knn, we gave hundreds of
millions or billions to foreigners also never bat an eyelid. We are
going to give the IMF another few hundred millions and it is only sup
sup suey. I am not sure this is an annual or one time one contribution.
We have plenty of money and thrift is no longer relevant today. It even
sounds silly.
Would anyone during Keng Swee’s time dare to throw parties after parties
using public fund? Today it is tens of millions for each party and we
are going to party and party without a care on how much we will be
spending. How much did the govt spent for the YOG? Does it matter? Does
it matter if an MP ask for a few dollars more to help the poor? Sure
matter. It is a matter of principle. We cannot encourage a crutch
mentality. We cannot have an entitlement mentality. It is not the amount
of money, it is a matter of doing the right thing or wrong thing.
During Keng Swee’s time thrift was the right thing. Today, spending
generously is the right thing. We have so much money if don’t spend,
keep for what, for when? Time has changed and what was right in the past
is wrong today. When ‘oo lui lang’ talking the logic is different.
Spending tens of millions for parties but not a few dollars more for the poor are separate issues.
ReplyDeletePlease do nto get misxed and confused.
Interesting thought. You could have recalled the posters in the army camps those days reminding the soldiers what one bullet costs, what one grenade costs, etc. Indeed times have changed. We are spending like there is no tomorrow. Largesse from the rich towkays in charge.As the PM said he would rather have 10 more billionaires in this little red dot. To hell with the GINI coefficient.
ReplyDeleteThe PAPigs are very generous when it comes to spending money on foreigners.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the money going to come from?
The money comes from Singaporeans
AND
being very thrifty when it comes to social policies to help Singaporeans.
Is it true that daft people will always subsidize the rich people?
Is this the way things have always been done in Singapore?
Tiok. Once Sinkies learn to separate the issues, everything will be logical and in place. So therefore there is no issue.
ReplyDeleteOr else how to explain the rationale of a lot of unhappy and dissatisfied Sinkies but yet majority still voted PAP?
So they must be separate issues lah, tio bo?
Your new banner, the shophouses, very pretty leh, red bean pau. If gks were alive, and he sees the amount of money poured down the drains and the canals, he will have 101 heart attacks and 1001 strokes.
ReplyDeleteYour new banner, the shophouses, very pretty leh, red bean pau. If gks were alive, and he sees the amount of money poured down the drains and the canals, he will have 101 heart attacks and 1001 strokes.
ReplyDelete@ January 28, 2014 9:00 am
ReplyDeleteI have no objections to foreign billionaires coming to Singapore.
What I want to know is this:
How much do we give away to these foreign billionaires?
And how much benefit do we get in return?
I want a cost-benefit analysis.
Similarly.
I don't mind paying $1 million dollar salaries to PAP Minister-Millionaires.
What I want to see is a cost-benefit analysis.
How much benefits do Singaporeans get in return from these PAP Millionaire-Ministers.
"Is it true that daft people will always subsidize the rich people?"
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:04 am
It's true, very true.
And so the solution is not to be daft but to be smart and become rich people.
There is nothing to prevent Sinkies from becoming rich people, tio bo?
/// There is nothing to prevent Sinkies from becoming rich people, tio bo? ///
ReplyDeleteSure or not?
Is this true?
The easiest guaranteed way to become a Singapore millionaire is to join PAP and become a Minister?
Can anybody join PAP to become a millionaire?
What is preventing Sinkies from joining PAP to become millionaires?
If Sinkies are prevented from joining PAP, then they are stopped from becoming rich tio bo?
The Conscience of the Rulers
ReplyDeletehad gone to the Dingoes (wild dogs).
patriot
MOE must come clean on the total amount given to foreign students. This could be in billions.
ReplyDeleteAnd there are billions being spent on the lecturers and professors in our universities on foreigners too.
Huge chunk of money giving away.
Billions spent on FT ang mos, PRCs, Indian Nationals do called talented researchers
DeleteSingaporean reseachers only fit to wash test tubes as quoted by Philip Yeo.
so pay 1.8 to 2k only
Hello Red Bean Bun. You must know who are steering Singaporea at this moment. Once you get number then all becomes clear liou.
ReplyDeleteRed bean buns and papayas making me think of other things already liao.
ReplyDeleteThe best part is this: you want to talk about having a good time party animal? Goh KS is the guy. Non-Chinese-speaking Peranakan to the core -- enjoy life, but work for it first. And be the best you can be.
ReplyDeleteHowever, he spent his own dough on his peccadillos. When it came to work and governance -- no fucking around -- every cent is counted; no waste; no unnecessary opulence. Govt must be responsible, effective and austere. Maximise the utility of every resource.
As an economic architect, he has/ had very few equals. So good was his "creativity", that China, under Deng XP adopted Goh's philosophy for economic reform for entire China. China probably wouldn't be where it is today if not for Goh Keng Swee.
If Goh were alive today and still in government, he would be fucking all the "young punks", sacking many of them, and even putting some of them in jail. (where they belong)
really ah? Our young punks will tell him we got so much money must spend then got dignity.
ReplyDeleteToday everyone very stylo milo. How many millions you want? Want to party, how much you need.
Want to give to world bank, no problem. Tell me how much you need.
Want to build more funny gardens or mega projects?
Punggol East lost things seems to works better?
ReplyDeleteWP selling, vote oppositions to get 2 MP to work for you, it works, so buy one get one free?
If no oppositions they will keep increasing their pay as a result the commoners will bear the brunt of the sufferings?
A figure head president got a staggering $40 millions in his 12 years tenure income from 8 months bonuses, highest incomes, pensions & allowances?
Can USA president the most powerful man control the world top economy able to earn more then $15 millions in his 12 years as a politician? USA obama salaries around $400K per year?
So the (GRC or The Votes Top Up Schemes) is not for the racial harmony(can use the NMP or NCMP schemes) to top up the other races, if not enough other race?)?
Using the medias they own, selling their own schemes is easy?
Singapore getting better out of the 40 percents of opposition voices 7 or now 8 percents of the MP can come in, with 7 oppositions came into the parliament?
Last time because of the GRC votes top up system, where no internet? It was worse only one or two oppositions MP can come into the parliament getting in the parliament?
Singapore to dismantle the GRC scheme because now is internet era not much of the world understand about the schemes last time?
Most youth share through their handheld devices rather then the Main Stream Medias which own by the govt?
Soon Singapore to follow the United Nations standard?
If the populations desire the proportional percentage of MP coming in the parliament to represent? Let in the proportional MP?
They should not use the vote top up schemes, prevent up to 28 oppositions MP to come in as the right proportion should be 40 percent or 35 seats should go to the oppositions not only 7 seats which using the GRC?
The proportional govt MP without the GRC should be 52 out of 87 seats for the main party not the 93 percents of the seats of 80 seats, now the main party command
Many of those MP could came in, came in the parliament because of the vote top scheme not by their own merits?
If there is no profit sharing schemes the share of the percentage of the vote is likely to be 43 percents or 37 seats for the main party only?
Still a very decent performance by any standard in world economy?
With the election of more opposition, the main party got to work double hard to win back the constituency, it lost to the opposition party?
Many projectz in the Punggol East seem to start moving, the arse doctor, start giving cash vouchers to old people?
7 WP constituency joint together for the economic of the scale, to lower the cost of the constituency, seem like they able to reduce cause and improve efficiency more then the main party run con.t.?
Singapore politics and the people matured?
Which the see the important and the need of oppositions to complement /supplement the talent pool to the political scene?
Wonder United Nations recognize our GRC Votes Top Up scheme or profit sharing scheme during election?
MP who can't came in the Parliament through their own merit, now is internet era, not snail mail era, got to be top up their votes to coming like the child play masak masak in Malay, children play toys?
ReplyDeleteNow more and more local see the other sides through the internet, no the MSM as protrayed?
ReplyDeleteThey don't seem warm to the ideas the ministers should command the highest salaries, 4 time higher then the USA president salaries? With govt 300 over million people or 60 times more then Singapore?
The can taxes more from 60 time more population to pay themselves, but they don't?
Singapore ministers salaries should be competitive to those advanced nations with the similar population like the New Zealand or the Denmark around 5 million people?
New Zealand 4.5 million, Denmark 5.6 million people?
Not ten time their counterpart, how can Singaporean afford the indirect taxes to pay them ten times their equivalent ministers salaries?
The equivalent salaries mean the similar amount they can tax around the same population level countries?
It got to calculate and compare apple to apple? New Zealand and Denmark population around 5 millions people?
If not they got to get it from the indirect taxes of 30k of newer and newer citizens, every years for the purpose of voting them to replace those who vote the oppositions, so to get the five terms again?
And to sell the scheme beneficial to themselves to the medias they own?
Does PAP practice meritocracy?
ReplyDeleteDid the best PAP man become Prime Minister?
Is LHL really the most qualified person in PAP to be Prime Minister?
Does LHL represent Singaporean values in parliament?
If not, then why is he the Prime Minister?
Its different today .Why plant papaya when I can be given free papaya and mango whenever or whether I need or even I dun need.You dun need to grow or keep a cow just for the milk if you are a kind soul like me where others will naturally offer me.
ReplyDeleteLet compare apple to apple which is more relevant?
ReplyDeleteSingapore figure head president earn around a staggering $3.4 millions per year in his 12 year tenure or a staggering $40 millions, compare to USA president $400K per year?
Compare to 300 millions USA people to 5.3 million singapore population it can taxes per person?
Is the GRC Vote Top Up system to pay themselves or an excuse for racial harmony?
Denmark population 5.6M population and New Zealand 4.5 millions they can tax?
Singapore leader income around ten times of Denmark or New Zealand ministers' income?
Most of the lower income workers the income were depress by cheaper foreign workers, in SIngapore simply don't earn enough to be able to tax directly, There are many credit companies and loan sharks in Singapore?
So most of the money got to be taxes ten times indirectly, through the CPF locked for life, GST, ERP, COE and Levies and other taxes indirectly?
So indirect taxes need to tax for every person ten times compare to Denmark and New Zealand per persons?
With continue innovation and heavy competition of many players soon the Govt own, main stream medias will be less relevant as technology outmode many older tech?
ReplyDeleteMost will get their news through the hand held devices or tablet, as it get cheaper and faster?
It will flood and saturate the market like the mobile phone previously?
Of course you prefer 28 seats of MP your main party rather then going to the opposition parties to questions and vote against your Party policies and pay, that why you need to use the GRC as an excuse for racial harmony?
ReplyDeleteIt could be much lower if the profit sharing schemes is given after the election, not during the election?
Base on the estimate of Punggol East, the main party should get 43 percent of the votes or 37 seats without the profit sharing schemes?
Which one you prefer? Do you want the highest pay in the world or equivalent to the Nordic or New Zealand ministers pay?
Is this scheme recognized by the standard of of advanced nation democracy or the United Nation standard?
Hi Anon 9:06,
ReplyDeleteJust happen to take a walk at Chinatown with a friend, so took some shots of the area and the crowds in Temple, Pagoda and Smith Street.
Will post them later for the benefits of our friends overseas.
all politicians are evil including him. why he never onject the stop at two policy, implement a pension scheme for the old and needy, train more doctors and nurses etc?
ReplyDelete