Finally a few serious and painful problems were acknowledged by Hsien Loong in his ND Rally, problems that had been raised in the social media for decades but simply ignored by the PAP as non issues. Basic wages of the low income, racism, foreigners stealing Singaporean jobs and discriminating against Singaporeans in our very own country, in GLCs could see some changes. These problems have been thrashed and thrashed over and over again in the social media, while silence in the main media, were either ignored or simply pooh poohed away despite being very serious and have very painful impact and consequences on Singaporeans, young and old.
The PAP's attitude towards these problems is very simple. Steam rolled over them as non issues or refused to tackle them head on by distracting or avoiding to discuss them when confronted. They cannot claimed ignorance of these problems as the social media were pounding on them day and night, and everyone knows that the PAP are monitoring very closely what were being posted by an army of internet brigades in the Infocom Ministry.
At times the cries of the people in the social media could be very depressing and defeating when nothing was being done, or when all the banging was met with total silence from the govt. It is pointless knocking their heads against a stone wall. If the govt refuses to acknowledge the problems, nothing could be done and the cries would all be in vain. Just resigned to the cruel fate of being ignored, discriminated, victimised, unemployed etc etc and accept the reality as the down trodden. You die your business. Who asked you to vote for the wrong party to be the govt, to not look after your interest and well being?
The ND rally did give a glimmer of hope that not all is gone, that continuous banging and screaming would eventually force the govt to face up to the problems. Real and genuine problems affecting the lives of Singaporeans cannot be pooh poohed away or ignored by the govt forever.
But there are still many serious problems that are still being ignored and only more banging and crying could get the govt to come to terms with them. The CPF regulations and the savings of the people must be reviewed and the money return to the people when due, the compulsory insurance schemes, the never ending savings demanded on the people, the discrimination against the use of traditional vaccines in favour of mRNA vaccines, indiscriminate and not stop bringing in of foreigners to replace Singaporeans, the steep prices of public housing, the rising inflation due to regular increases in fees and taxes, etc etc. The people must make enough noise to be noticed, must not give up or nothing would be done about them. No noise means no problem, means the people have accepted their fate and the problems.
The govt may not like it, uncomfortable with it, but the social media is a peaceful means for the people to get the govt to recognise their plight and problems, and to address them. Without the social media, the govt can claim that the people are happy and contented, see, no one is complaining. The govt can ignore and even bash up the opposition MPs in Parliament when problems are raised.. But they cannot bash up the people in the social media unless they want to pofma everyone that raised a problem.
It took so long, and after repeatedly making so much noise before the govt finally want to know them and wanting to do something about them. Thanks to the relentless effort of many Singaporeans in the social media that refused to let these matters rest, their perseverence has made a dent in the huge wall of silence raised to deny that these problems exist.
PS. Latest, they are going to give free vaccinations to foreign sailors using our money, but still refused to give free traditional method vaccines to Singaporeans that did not want to be jabbed with mRNA vaccines.
Just A Small Piece Of My Mind
ReplyDeleteLee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speeches have become one of those things that very few people are bothered to pay attention to or take notice of.
After so many years of speeches and unkept promises, his words now rings hollow, although he may have projected a slimmer of hope to some sector's of society. The glaring fact is that many of the important policies that are detrimental to the well-being of Singaporeans and the future of our children are still intact, unhinged and very much active and strongly suuported and promoted by many of the PAP Ministers and PAP MPs.
Take for example the case of selecting and grooming the next PM. It goes round and round in circles and is back to square one, going nowhere. It has been an exercise in futility. He does not even give any indication that he is seriously
serious about having the best and most well qualified person to hold the next PM post. His selection of key and important people to serve our country is highly inefficient and ineffective.
Looks like he is taking a great gamble with the next PM post. In effect, it looks like he is not fully in control of Singapore. Someone or a small clique of people must be telling and influencing him what to and what not to do. I strongly suspect that somebody is working very hard in the shadow to undermine the PM's decision-making abilities and therefore the well-being of the people.
Look at the people whom he has groomed to replace Heng Swee Keat to take over the PM post. None of the three forerunners have good leadership qualities. None of them can inspire confidence and fellowship. None of them have any vision for Singapore going forward. In fact, sad to say. all of them have some serious defects in one way or another.
The most glaring among all is the handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic. From the very beginning, it started on a wrong footing, a wrong assumption instead of scientific facts, that wearing mask is not necessarily beneficial for those who are not sick, not infected yet. Only wear a mask when you are sick, meaning when you have already been infected. What type of preventive measure is that!?
Next is the politics of Vaccines. Until now he and his funny millionaire Ministers refused to use any vaccines produced by other countries, especially the traditional vaccines of China. There is totally no good reason not to include such good vaccines into the National Vaccination Program. Why only use the two Whitemen produced mRNA vaccines instead of traditional vaccines? Why the discrepancy without good justifications? The crap about China not providing sufficient data is merely a very lame excuse. Why the Experts Committee never bother to do something on their own to test the Sinovac vaccines that have been lying there in cold storage for months? Why so lazy, lack of initiative and circular?
Singaporeans deserve better than all the divide-and-rule divisive discrepancies and discrimination that are now being rolled out relentlessly day in and day out to bring down the Unvaccinated Old Folks! The rapid number of deaths of the old folks, the loyal voters of the PAP, is very unsettling, unhealthy, unhelpful and uncontrollable. How can a good, compassionate, kind-hearted, morally and ethically unblemished Prime Minister allow this to happen?
LIPS Service.
Correction:
DeleteReplace the word "uncontrollable" with "unconscionable" in the second sentence of the last paragraph.
More than a month have passed. They were supposed to complete their studies after Sinovac provided data they requested. Still studying silently. Maybe it would take another year to complete their study and then request for more data. Maybe they need to study the data forever and ever.
ReplyDeleteMaybe need 57years to complete study of Sinovac. Hints: Ask President Ong.
DeleteIf you are not happy,
ReplyDeletePlease vote Opposition,
This is the fastest way to get PAP's attention
It takes too long for our complaints in social media to get Lee Hsien Loong's attention.
Remember:
- it's no use complaining on social media.
- just Vote Opposition
Whatever, all these will be felt during the next GE. Mark my words. If affects voters of all segments, more of the oldies who paid the price for choosing Sinovac.
ReplyDeleteThose victories in borderline constituencies will have to pay the price. There is such a thing as being able to withstand only a certain threshold of pain. Beyond that is hard to tell. Sengkang was an example of an unexpected package that few thought was possible, big guns or not.
So was Aljunied GRC in 2011, that was a shocker. Despite the heavyweights backed by the old man himself and all the veiled threats.
ReplyDeleteIf Mr omg is gg to be the next pm they may put him in A GRC at the next GE. Hahaha.....
DeleteYes, there is no more doubts whatsoever. The only, one and only, way to change for the better is to vote in more Alternative (do not use the word Opposition) parties to be Members of Parliament or even form the New Government.
ReplyDeleteThe PAP Government has been warned again and again, numerous times. It just refused to budge, thinking that they have the high ground and the high horse. Thinking that they are infallible and untouchable.
The PAP Government has been given countless chances to make amends, and the long rope to hang itself. And it is hanging itself to the Tee.
Yes, I fully agree with all those who strongly feel there is an urgent and serious need to vote in more Alternative MPs and discard those Useless and Anti-Singaporeans PAP MPs, those who keep running us down but kept pushing up the Pro-foreingers agendas. Throw out all those PAP MPs who are there only for their own selfish interests and Party interests.
Even vote out and replace the PM if need be! He is of very little use to most of us now. It is very probable that he is being controlled by somebody. That somebody hiding in the shadow is cannot be of any good to us. Even very dangerous to us. Furthermore, he is very sickly looking. Perhaps his health is deteriorating fast? Perhaps, his cancer comes back again?
When you go to the Americans for medical treatment, dunno what they injected into him and what they know about him.
ReplyDeleteOK. Amended.
ReplyDeleteThe only person fit to be PM is Tharman.
ReplyDeleteNow that the government has listened, improvement will come in the future? Tankuku. Lip service is the trademark of the PAP. Uncle Redbean, you must keep tap on this so called baby step improvement. Maybe it will blow away with the slightest breeze.
ReplyDeleteWith millions in their bank accounts, life is fun, life is like playing games everyday.
ReplyDeleteDo they know what is a country and the people that depend on a good government to look after the country and their well being, not the well being of foreigners?
Do they know that as the government of this island country, they are responsible to the citizens of this island?
Do they know that foreigners have their own governments to look after them, it is not their responsibility to look after foreigners and ignore the well being of Singaporeans?
Why keep throwing money at foreigners, giving good jobs to foreigners while Singaporeans have to give up their jobs and still have to pay for everything, even to pay for vaccines?
Hahaha
ReplyDeleteSounds like the early old days of Hougang SMC. Vote for us and can get upgrading, otherwise wait long long. Hougang resident's refused to be bribed. The bully could do nothing.
The big fish dare not contest in Hougang. They sent in all the small fries, that were eaten up, election after election. Come one ate one. Come two ate a pair. Come four, also ate. as in Aljunied and Sengkang. Now must reduce GRC size or else one time so many gone.
This present Singapore government is a self-destructive conglomerate (like a business organisation) run by academics who have no clues on how to make a successful business deal.
ReplyDeleteAs each year advances, you can see more and more flaws, mishaps and blunders appearing. When those became a trend, you know that the conglomerate is running on autopilot mode by remote controls. Why?
Because in the past, the old guards were holding their hands and walking them around, like going for a stroll in the botanic gardens. Things were so easy and rosy to them. Things worked like clockwork. All they had to do was press a button here and make a phone call there and all the running dogs and work horses would obey and ensure that nothing goes wrong.
After the old guards were gone, they
had already acquired the habit of autopilot modus operandi and continued to operate on autopilot, assuming things would be as easy and rosy. They forgot something very important.
They forgot that things and people worked like clockwork because the old guards had fought against all odds and worked very hard for the people, and earned the respect of the people. That's why people obeyed and trusted the old guards' instructions and directions. These young birdies, coming out with silver spoons in their mouths and golden plates served on their tables, without having to fight for their lives, think they can earn the respect of the people simply because they are from the privileged class, the elites, the natural aristocrats?
So, as time goes on, things started to look bad - mistakes, errors, blunders started to surface, bigger and bigger, serious and more serious....
Just look at the recent policies, starting from the birth of the highly controversial and stupid CECA agreement with India, all of them have not be thoroughly thought out and tested first before implementation. All of them have flaws that would cause long-term negative consequences affecting the people seriously. Why?
Answer: Because there are no good thinkers like Dr Goh Keng Swee who could think deeply, widely and far ahead of time. There are no good motivators like Lee Kuan Yew who could mobilize the whole country into a united front to tackle any critical life and death survival threat. None. Zilch. Why?
Answer: Because money cannot buy real talents. Money can attract many loyalists who are willing to go all out to please the Paymaster so that they can keep their jobs. That's all. That's what obscene monetary rewards have bought. Loyalists, not nationalists.
Nationalists rise out of the ashes like a Phoenix due to their passion, courage and beauty of heart and brain. They don't work for money. They work for the people, not themselves. They don't derive from spoilt brats with silver spoons and golden plates, nor with those who can be bought by money.
LIPS
LIPS,
ReplyDeleteAltogether, those are three pieces of your mind.
Very sad to know that Singapore is providing 500,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to the Aussies in swop deal instead of helping our Malaysian neighbours who are in more severe need . . .
ReplyDeleteFrom the fear of COVID-19 infections to the fear of reporting the truth, MOH has now embarked on a rigorous campaign of disinformation, so that the public will not know the truth of the daily COVID-19 coronavirus infections in Singapore.
ReplyDeleteThis great disservice of vital importance to the people of Singapore must have been the initiative of the newbie PAP Ministar of Hell?
MTI says that it is “not true that CECA requires the Singapore authorities to automatically grant employment passes to Indian PMEs who want to work here”.
ReplyDeleteIt gives the impression that Indian nationals are treated no differently from other nationals, but it is not true. All applications for Employment Passes must satisfy the minimum qualifying salaries as well as other standard requirements like educational qualification, employment offer from a company etc. So in that sense, approval is “not automatic”, but it is again stating the obvious.
What they didn’t say is that the Singapore authority is obligated under CECA to grant an Indian applicant an Employment Pass once he or she satisfies the various criteria, whereas, it has no such obligation for other nationals.
If the qualified Indian applicant is rejected, he can seek recourse via his government as provided under CECA.
Let me quote Article 9.3.1: “Each Party shall grant temporary entry to natural persons of other Party,…in accordance with this Chapter.”
Unless I have a different understanding, “shall grant” means “must grant”. And this include 127 different categories of professionals.
- Foong Swee Fong, TRE Aug 31
Tharman's plea to India in July 2017 at a Delhi forum after India had expressed concern that curbs on the movement of Indian professionals to Singapore violate the terms of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (Ceca) signed by the two countries in 2005:
ReplyDeleteTelling the Indians that a third of Singapore's workforce is already made up of foreigners, he added: "It would be mindless to have an open border without any policy framework to govern and constrain the flow of people into your job market. It will not just be wrong politics but wrong economics. . there must be limits to the movement of people. Otherwise there will be less push for businesses to be more productive, and "more fundamentally, you become a society where people don't feel it's their own society."
Tharman also said job creation is India’s biggest challenge and if the country does not make changes in the next 10 years, it will have a real problem in hand.
If India had expressed concern that curbs on the movement of Indian professionals to Singapore violate the terms of CECA, that means it's true that the Singapore authority is obligated under CECA to grant an Indian applicant an Employment Pass once he or she satisfies the various criteria . . .
Delete
ReplyDeleteWhich FTAs had this stupid agreement?
Only one in the whole world, the Singapore India CECA!!!!!
Only fools would sign this kind of silly agreement and still cannot see how stupid it is.
SGP to India: "Tolong! Tolong! We're full already! Please don't force us to take in anymore! Our island is so small! We beg your understanding!"
ReplyDeleteWho said Singapore is so small? Singapore is a continent. Can take in another 10m people, 20m oso can. Singapore has unlimited land and resources. Can to to sky heaven and bottomless hell.
ReplyDeleteIf one is so stupid, one becomes super talent, then anything oso can. Sell country also can. Coz they did not know they are selling country.
ReplyDeleteIf Singapore takes in another 6 million foreigners, its GDP will double. To house that 6 million, it can clear the forests, build cities underground!
ReplyDeleteIin an interview with SPH in 2015, former Cabinet Minister S. Dhanabalan noted that the new Indians from India, who are mostly professionals, bring “bad habits” with them, which most of the Indians in Singapore have forgotten or got rid off. “They have a very strong sense of caste,” he said.
ReplyDelete“In fact I’ve heard of instances where, in major American banks, an Indian was put up for promotion by a non-Indian. The non-Indian boss was told that you better not promote him because he’s in the wealth management part of the bank and he’s got to talk to other professional Indians to persuade them to put the money with you, and he’s not of the caste that they will respect.”
“So can you imagine these are people who studied overseas, outside India, who have done well and now work in an American bank and are still holding on to such caste prejudices,” Mr Dhanabalan said of these professional work pass holders from India. It’s something Singapore should reject completely, he added.
“But they do bring it with them. They may have lived many years outside of India but they remain very strongly caste-conscious. They will deny it. So this particular Indian was not promoted, but was given another job of a higher level which did not involve trying to sell the bank’s services to professional Indians. That’s something that is very disturbing,” Mr Dhanabalan lamented.
“It may even go into languages – division by languages. Whether someone speaks Marathi as against Gujarati. A Gujarati against Indians who are Tamil speakers. Tamils against Telugus and Telugus against Kannadas. This feeling is very strong in India. That’s why states are getting divided… So we must ensure that they do not bring this, what I call ‘primitive ideas’ here.”
Mr Dhanabalan said such practices that come from India are not relevant to Singapore. “So if they want to be a part of Singapore and be integrated, they have to get rid of this kind of thinking. They may be upset by what I’m saying, but I think it needs to be said,” he spoke candidly.