In a post on Thursday (Apr 29) evening, Mr Ramachandran wrote: “WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!
WE WILL NOT GO AWAY!
WE WILL NOT MAGICALLY DISAPPEAR!
CUT AWAY 1 HEAD AND 10 HEADS WILL TAKE UP ITS PLACE!
WE WILL KEEP RISING LIKE A PHOENIX FROM ASHES!”
“Please help share the below link to invite fellow Singaporean patriots to join this group to support the fight back to take back control of our Professional, Management, Executive & Technical (PMET) jobs for Singapore citizens”, he added.
Above were copied from theindependent.com
The mentioned of CECA drew intense anger and disapproval for this one sided agreement signed between India and Singapore leading to a disproportional number of Indians working in Singapore and the loss of thousands of Singaporean PMET jobs. Accepted that it is difficult to prove the co relation in the numbers of PMETs losing their jobs to the Indians being employed, it is a known fact that a few hundred Indians are employed here on Employment Pass and Work Permits and thousands of PMETs are now unemployed or underemployed or prematurely retired, wanting to work but unable to find decent work relevant to their experience and skills. This is very painful and financially crippling to many Singaporean families when the breadwinners lost their jobs and unable to sustain the families. Financial hardship and emotional and psychological stress and hurt followed.
How on earth is this CECA allowed to continue for so long and being extended over and over again when so many PMETs are losing their jobs and having to downgrade, to look for lower paying jobs? How could anyone turn a blind eye to the anger and haplessness of Singaporeans, and taking for granted that the Singaporeans that were victims of this notorious agreement would continue to support the govt and accept their fate and unemployment, unable to put food on the table as normal?
And why was Facebook banning this group? Who told Facebook to ban this group appealing for the termination of CECA?
When
would Singaporeans be treated fairly in their own countries? Why are
Singaporeans made to suffer under this agreement? No, not true, this
agreement has nothing to do with the unemployment of Singaporeans, it
was all because they were not skilled, not qualified, their skills no
longer needed in the market?
This is a crime against Singaporeans but is there anyone listening to their cries and doing something positive to alleviate their plight? Anyone really care or just giving some lip service to their problems while Singaporean PMETs got fallen along the wayside?
Would the termination of this CECA
help in some ways towards bettering the lives of Singaporeans and their
families? For now the pain and suffering of Singaporeans continue
unabated.
Shanmugam has challenged Leong Mun Wai to a debate on this CECA. It is about time that this is seriously discussed in Parliament and MPs would pose as many questions as if they are asking questions about pets and dogs and climate change. For the debate to be meaningful, maybe the govt should provide some data on the employment of Indians here under CECA over the last 15 or 20 years versus the number of Singaporeans in India, the number of PMETs that have lost their jobs, retired, underemployed etc etc. The other thing of interest would be the qualifications of the Indians, how are they vetted, what are accepted university degrees etc etc. Data on the number of Singapore companies in India versus the number of Indian companies here, how many jobs have Singapore companies created in India for Indians and how many jobs Indian companies here have created for Indians and Singaporeans.
Oh,
another thing, how about some numbers on Singapore's investments in
India, how much have been invested and how much have Singapore made or
lost in the last decade?
PSP should take up this challenge and look at this CECA in totality, how much it benefits both countries in terms of investment and job creation. etc etc. Singaporeans would be looking forward for an airing on this CECA that many have very strong misgivings rightfully or wrongly. Shanmugam could explain the govt's position on this, the pros and cons of this agreement in the debate to allay the fears and unhappiness of Singaporeans, especially on how much Singapore has benefitted from the agreement both in Singapore and in India.
Who is the benefactor, who is the beneficiary, who is the loser?
Shanmugam was and is the Law Minister. He should know very well all the legalities in the CECA agreement documents before and after they were approved at the Cabinet level and then signed by the PM. There is no doubt in this respect.
ReplyDeleteEven the Foreign Minister should be very conversant with the CECA agreement documents and the minutes of the various meetings, both official and unofficial, between the Indian government's representatives and Singapore government's representatives, and between the two respective Prime Ministers.
In fact, the entire Cabinet should be very well versed in the CECA agreement documents too.
Anyway, Shanmugam is the right person to give a detailed explanation to the public, in a parliamentary setting as well as out of the parliament. This would be a good starting point which is long overdue. In fact, this detailed explanation plus detailed information presentation should have been held long ago, before the CECA agreement was signed.
Actually, since it affects the whole population, there should have been a referendum held to seek the agreement and support of the whole country, instead of allowing the few elites to decide on our behalf. It is not too late to hold that referendum now.
If there is no referendum forthcoming, then voters for the next General Election can make use of it as The Referendum for CECA.
Those who are for CECA can vote for the ruling party who created the CECA problems for Singaporeans.
Those who are against continuing with the pro-India CECA agreement can vote against the ruling party, that has caused them undue and unfair hardships and sufferings over the last 15-16 years.
I think this is the least the government and the people can do in order to remedy the bad or controversial situation at present.
Iswaran explained that "the country on the other side is not going to then say, ‘Yes, please do that’, and not do anything about it" when Singapore takes something away from the agreement.
ReplyDelete“So you have to answer the question... what are you going to give up in order to secure the things that you want."
"Because the other countries are not going to just give you a free pass.”
FTAs are needed for Singapore to secure market access, Iswaran explained.
So, sacrifice Singaporean PMETs' livelihood in exchange for business corporations' access to India's markets?
Singaporeans' 50 years of painfully nurtured hardwork for nation building is so easily destroyed be a simple stroke of the pen signed on the CECA documents.
ReplyDeleteThis is the greatest achievement and legacy of the 3G leadership, supported by the 2G Chief.
Three cheers to the PAP's 3G leadership! Pee, pee, pee! Hosay Leow!
So, the main actors in this Game can be see quite clearly are the three Indian ministers?
ReplyDeleteWhy are the Indian Ministers so eager to explain away the issues of CECA or threaten for a debate between a single citizen (Leong) with the whole Government Machinery?
ReplyDeleteHow much have Temasek and GIC, and some ministers individually, invested in India? And how much money have been lost/made over the last 15 years?
ReplyDeleteThe government has to be open about this.
How to debate with the Ministers when you have the figures and we, the public, are not privy to that inside information?
Ask how many Indians are employed here because of CECA and how many Sinkies are employed in India.
ReplyDeleteAre a few of the local Indian elites secretly selling out Singapore to India?
ReplyDeleteWhy in recent years so many Indian nationals have been converted to New Singapore Citizens and occupying many of the key and vital positions in our government and government-linked enterprises?
Just watch the debate and see who would betray Singaporean interests and who would serve the interests of India.
ReplyDeleteI bet many silly MPs and ministers would keep quiet and say nothing. Some may even go hiding in the toilets.
If the debate is about pets and dogs, they would have many things to say, like their pet subjects, so important, so clever. But when CECA is concerned, better not to be seen and not to be heard. Don't know what are they afraid of?
Lucky those suffering from India fever are not in Parliament anymore.
In the past, only about 20% of Temasek's top management were foreigners. Today about 48% are foreigners. Why?
ReplyDeleteAnd very soon, the CEO will be a foreigner converted to Singapore Citizen recently. Why not a Singapore-born NS-done Singaporean?
ReplyDeleteThe signing of CECA with India by the government is as good as signing the death knell of Singapore and Singaporeans.
Please give India six months notice and abrogate CECA to save tiny Red Dot.We hope the 4G Dotards take immediate actions without giving further excuses.
A Singaporean patriot
Eagles Eyes
One word for the CECA...KNNBCCB!
ReplyDeleteSingapore is our only home, the only safe place for Singaporeans.
ReplyDeleteIf we lose Singapore to another foreign power, Singaporeans would become boat people and no where to go.
Stop the CECA 成事不足败事有余
ReplyDeleteSingaporeans deserve a taste of bad garment. Unfortunately there is no return when it happens and it is going down all the way.
ReplyDeleteThis CECA will bring an end to the good life of Singaporeans. It is too late to do anything.
If Singapore is overtaken or taken over by India, all the Chinese Singaporeans will be kicked out by the Anti-China and Chinese-Haters from the Indian caste-conscious and race-conscious elites in no time.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is already happening. Even Madam Ho Ching, the wife of the Prime Minister, the most powerful person in Singapore, can be replaced by an Indian national turned Singapore Citizen, without doing NS. See how powerful the Indian Enclave is in Singapore now?
ReplyDeleteOnly Singaporeans can betray and sell out Singaporeans.
ReplyDeleteSingapore Covid Marching Forth To Another Year Of Plenty.
ReplyDeleteA total of 49 cases of Covid infected persons were detected yesterday.
Out of the 49 cases, 38 were new infections in the community.
These cases were confirmed by MOH as of noon on Sunday (May 16).
In addition, at least seven cases were "preliminarily positive" for the super-infectious and more deadly B1617 variant from India.
This is the highest number of cases reported since Apr 14 2020, when 40 infections were reported.
Singapore's CB or "circuit breaker" (nicer words to replace "lock down") started on Apr 7, 2020.
PS: CB in Singapore commonly meant "chee-bye" or vagina to the Chinese.
I can see a few problems if CECA is terminated.
ReplyDeleteModi would threaten to close down DBS India. So balls kena squeezed liao. How to unwind so many billions dumped there unless let Modi have DBS India and called it DBI.
Construction industry frighten no more cheap construction workers. Actually no need CECA to bring cheap labour here. They would beg to come in with or without CECA. Where else can they find jobs that pay so well?
It is no cheap 270 professions that would not be allowed in so easily. And if they don't come in and buy up properties in East Coast and Bedok, then property prices will fall. Jiat lat for property speculators.
Most of the property speculators are foreigners. Many from India and China. Some of the property investors are multi-millionaire ministers or ex-ministers and their children. So if the property market is affected, Singapore common folks will not suffer, unless they have rented out their properties. These are few and negligible.
DeleteConstruction industry is mainly foreign-owned companies or local PAP-affiliated or balls carriers. So if they are affected, it is their bad karma from the past many years of unfair and undue advantage.
So, that is a good thing for justice to the commoners.
DBS India is as good as sold to India already. Whatever billions thrown in there have to be written off anyway. Sad but can't be help for the stupidity no cure.
The 27 professions must be taken back by hook or by crook. Singapore and Singaporeans have to come first. Without Singaporeans, there is no Singapore. Without Singapore, there is no need for a PAP government. Without the PAP government, maybe Singaporeans will have a better life. Who really knows?
To the elites as long as What's wrong with collecting more monies and whether its Black cats or white cats as long as whoever can catch a rat is a good cat , they wud juz invest anywhere that makes monies. To the ordinary people, it's u die ur own business. The ordinary ppl will need to be innovative & think out of the box to beat the WhateverSys set by the elites. Hope tat one day a 'Moses'-like leader will emerge from the ordinary to lead them to a 'promiseland'.
ReplyDeleteForeigners buying private properties are undoubtedly one of the biggest cause of the building boom. As we well know, local populations increase is minimal. Take away the private sector building and we do not need so many construction workers from India.
ReplyDeleteThe problem will not be that serious if not for the Government open leg policy of allowing as many foreigners in to compete with locals for housing, putting itself into a quagmire of needing to import so many construction workers from India, which we now cannot do without.
Are singapore's investments in India making money or losing money or long term investments that may make money in 100 years time, in the long term when all of us would be dead and not around to ask questions?
ReplyDeleteWe can replace India India construction workers with workers from Bangladesh, which was originally our first choice. We can also replace India workers with Pakistan, Myanmar, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai, Philippino and Indonesian workers. These workers need one to three months training only. No big difficulty.
ReplyDeleteWatching Indian news sites on Youtube, you will understand why the Singapore Government is investing so much in India. Indian News Sites are hard selling their belief that India will be the No. 1 superpower soon and that Indian GDP growth is even going to overtake the USA and China. Such euphoria obviously gives the Red Dot Government the impression that they are betting on the right horse in the long term.
ReplyDeleteSure, India will grow, as with all other South Asian countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Some of it's South Asia neighbours are already taking off quietly and confidently. But the problem with India is it is too deeply ingrained in the idea of protecting small businesses that most of India is engaged in, and which provides the base for any ruling party with the bulk of the votes. Changing that is political suicide. Just attempting to overhaul the agricultural sector has already generated the farmer's protest, which is still on.
India tried to industralise by going immediately into high tech manufacturing like drugs manufacturing and other high tech service sectors, instead of starting with low tech industries like textiles and low end products which needed intensive labour usage that India has in abundance, and which will provide all the jobs for the lowly educated huge population.
The consequences of that is that India has not lifted much of it's poverty mired population out of poverty by going the high tech route, benefiting only the well educated class, leaving much of the population unable to lift themselves out of the poverty trap. That will make rapid progress for India highly questionable and generation after generation will remain mired in poverty.
China started industrial development with low tech industries, providing the jobs to the huge lowly educated numbers to lift them out of poverty first and enable these people to, in turn, provide better opportunities for their off-springs to rise out of poverty with better education. In that way forward, China has succeeded
As several analyst have said before, India will still be a poor country for decades to come. The Indian Government and their News Sites do not like to hear that. It goes against their dream. Reality is hard to accept.
More than USD100 billion investments in India is held hostage if Singapore cancel the CECA... u should know the BJP mentality.
ReplyDeleteIt is very easy to dupe the imbeciles and the willing.
ReplyDeleteIndia may try to lure back all the CEOs overseas and India may then have a homegrown Microsoft, Google, Adobe, DBS Bank etc etc. The only catch is that India must have such big companies first for these CEO to ride.
This CECA thing will be the cause for the total distrust on the PAP by the daft Sinkies in time to come. When it becomes a matter of life and death, of sole breadwinners losing jobs, and families go disarray, it is the time for PAP to be kicked out for good, and never can return. Once PAP lost the trust of the people, it is as good as dead. It can never be allowed to revive and grab power again. The PAP elites know this very well. That's why they try to control the military for use in a military coup to try to wrestle back power. That's also why they are in a hurry to enrich their individual bank accounts with millions of dollars every year.
ReplyDeleteWait till you hear from Shanmugam and Iswaran and Heng how great this CECA is, then you will faint while the whole parliament would give them a standing ovation for signing and defending this unbelieveable agreement that brought so much good to Singapore and Singaporeans.
ReplyDeleteWithout this fantastic agreement and the FTs that came along, Singapore would have long sank into the third world.
The PMETs must be thankful for being allowed early retirement to enjoy life and their families.
This is a clear indication of the gap between the have and have-nots drifting wider and wider.
DeleteThe momentum has been set in motion and very difficult and painful to pull back.
There is only one direction to go:
Downwards!
All schools will be on HBL from Wednesday to May 28th. The situation is not improving. CB is a possibility now.
ReplyDeleteThe argument seems to be Singapore needs third world talents to keep it in first world status.
ReplyDeleteThat is really a stupid joke. Why are these talents unable to make their home country into first world status? Does not add up! The argument falls flat on it's face.
In other words from First world to Third? When is the old man going to rise up from the grave to put things rights!
ReplyDeleteSingapore was one of the Four Asian Tigers (others are Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, all with sharp focus on exports, an educated populace, and high savings rates). Since when have Singapore needed to turn to taking workers from 3rd-world India, and only that particular country, for growth? Why are policies so skewed in favor of India nowadays?
ReplyDelete"Why are policies so skewed in favour of India nowadays?"
ReplyDeleteDoes having an Indian President, Deputy PM, Law Minister, Chief Justice, Chief of Central Bank
and even an Indian contractor with the name of Phua Chu Kang have anything to do with it?
After Shanmugam and his CECA defenders destroyed Leong Mun Wai in the coming debate, PAP will win the next election hands down. They will be so convincing that all Singaporeans, including the PMETs that lost their jobs, would be voting PAP.
ReplyDeleteYou want the govt to provide data and figures for the debate? Figures and data can be massaged, diluted, emphasised and hidden. Whatever information provided to the public before the debate should be taken with a very large pinch of salt.
ReplyDeleteDBS will have to bail out more banks to save India after this crisis.
ReplyDeleteBut it is short term pain for the long term good they will tell you!
The Spread of Vicious Viruses Is Caused By Irresponsible People and Irresponsible Leaders
ReplyDeleteSo far, more than 10 schools, tuition centres, colleges and kindergartens have been infected collectively.
There may be many more that went undetected or unreported.
This present B1617 series of Covid-19 viruses produced by India is notoriously much, much more infectious than their predecessors, and more deadly too.
The previous Covid viruses only killed the old and weak within a month or so. These present India-produced Covid B1617 viruses killed the old, the weak, as well as the young and the healthy within 10 days or so. And they display no symptoms until the very last moment when the probability of death is very high. Without pure oxygen pumping into the lungs to help the patient to breath, the patient will die of suffocation, brain-dead, heart attack or kidney failure.
Most of those who got infected are people who flouted the proper way of wearing their masks, or those who stubbornly refused to wear a mask - eg taking it off while talking on the phone or talking to friends; not wearing masks while playing at public playgrounds and facilities; not wearing a mask while giving Speeches of teaching; standing too close to people who are smoking at home or in public places; attending Tae Kwon Do classes at Clubs or CCs; eating at crowded popular public places (like the Changi Airport canteen and cafeteria and Kopitiams), and wearing the mask over the chin instead of covering the mouth and nose, while taking public transport.
Naturally, such irresponsible people also become super-spreaders once they have been infected.
Therefore, basically, the spreading of the vicious virus is mainly caused by irresponsible people and irresponsible leaders who allowed the virus to enter the country, despite so many warnings given by their own citizens and others.
Agree, DBS would be called to pump in more money to save Indian banks as national service and promises of being the biggest bank in India.
ReplyDeleteSekali after dumping so much money, it becomes an Indian bank, nationalised by India then how?
But not to worry too much, we have so much money to spread around. Sup sup suay.
What, what, did I hear someone say as an Indian state, our money is their money, our bank is their bank?
ReplyDeleteLeaders Are Born, Not Made
ReplyDeleteThe handling of this Pandemic by the 4G leeders has gone from bad to worse.
Singapore now ranks number 2, behind UK in terms of number of infected with the B1617 series per million population.
Their stubborn refusal to take action early, when they could have easily done, reflects very badly on their leedersheep (meaning leeder and sheep).
No one can claim that because there is no hindsight that's why he cannot perform competently and decisively at the early stage.
A good leader uses foresight, not hindsight, because in any situation, there is no such thing as 100% information at hand. Usually, a good leader makes his decision based on 60% to 70% information available, which is the best one can get in all situations, if you are lucky.
Those who want to make use of hindsight to make good decisive decisions are not leaders, but followers. Such people are reactive, not proactive. Such people cannot become leaders, no matter how well they have been propped up and how high they have been promoted to. No matter what background they may come from, also.
True leaders are proactive, not reactive.
Diamonds are diamonds. They will never crack under extreme pressure.
Glass are always glass. No matter how you treat it, under high pressure they will still crack miserably.
So, those glass materials put up on display as diamonds can be easily seen through, and exposed, the moment they crack! In this Pandemic, sad to say, most of the displayed glass materials have cracked!
"Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of the benefit of hindsight." Lawrence Wong, April 9 2020.
ReplyDeleteRight Anon 3.16
ReplyDeleteTheir money is their money. Your bank is now their bank,. Your money is therefore now also their money. QED
What else to say when your job is now their's to take.
China has learnt the hard way with the Indians. Now money up front or else no deal. Their common trick is to take delivery and claimed goods unsatisfactory, return or discount.
ReplyDeleteOnce bitten twice share Chinese biz, pay first or else no delivery.
Abolish CECA. Abolish NS!
ReplyDeleteExactly Virgo 3.37 and Anon 3.55
ReplyDeleteThe Indians will sign contracts with you, but right after that when it comes to delivery or starting work, the hanky panky business comes into play. They will try to vary the contract, ask for additions without compensation or else claim defective goods and insisting for deep discounts or else the goods will have to be taken back. This is happening to some COVID19 oxygen compactors from China which the Indians claim cannot be used and rejected.
China should just take them back and give them away free to Nepal, which is suffering. All for a good cause and appreciated.