While the world is struggling with covid and all kinds of problems, with their leaders being stressed out until some did not have time to comb their hair, some even risk their lives and got infected by covid, Singapore continues to be an idyllic oasis of peace, calm and prosperity. There is really no problem to bog down Singapore leaders. See how well everyone of them looks, healthy, charming and beaming with fragrant oils oozing out from their faces. All the signs of having a good life are showing.
The biggest so called problem facing the Singapore leaders, if it is a problem at all, is honesty or not telling lies. In many countries, honesty and not telling lies are taught in schools, in primary schools, to children. In Singapore, top political leaders are spending their precious time, very expensive if charged by the hours, to educate and to teach the adults not to tell lies, to be honest beans.
See, Singapore is so well managed that even the PM has spare time to talk about issues like honesty. Very few PMs and Presidents could afford such luxury to talk cock, oops, in way, as many PMs and Presidents would be fighting wars, inciting wars, preparing for wars or preparing to defend their countries from being invaded. Singapore did not have such problems. Foreigners are invited to Singapore and call it home.
Good life, good living, are the norms in Singapore. This is like the gentry class of Europe in its heydays. Oh yes, we also have developed a natural aristocratic class. The gentry and aristocrats of Europe spent their time drinking tea and attending horse racing as a sport. What to do when they have nothing to do but with all the money and time to spend?
Maybe Singapore should learn to be like the Americans, or like the new Asean, go and mind other countries' business. Asean has morphed into a new busy body, dunno got influence by outside powers or not, and think it is fit to lecture its members on how to run their country. Think they did not have mirrors to look into. Anyway, this is a good thing to spend idle time. Let's see which country to meddle with? Myanmar, yes Myanmar, this is a country that is badly run, military coup. Let's go to Myanmar to mind their business. Tell the Myanmese we are so concerned about their well being, about their welfare, we are so caring. And try to teach the Myanmese govt what to do, what not to do to bring the good life to the Myanmese people. And teach them about democracy Singapore style, the best in South East Asia. Only one party needed, no need opposition, ownself checks ownself. Is there much difference from Myanmar's one party military rule right?
This is not interfering in other country's domestic affairs, this is caring, and telling the Myanmese we care. This is not putting pressure on the Myanmese leaders or trying to influence them, external influence. Just don't talk about human rights would do. The Americans would be very happy with our behaviour, very American, and may invite our leader for dinner at the White House if we keep on at it. Can we also teach Malaysia about honesty? We are taking responsibility in other people's business since we don't have much things to do in our very well governed country. Everything works with the flip of a switch. Can sleep in Parliament also, or no need to attend.
These are good things, the privileges of being such a well managed country.
What do you think?
40 comments:
Having paid by the $millions to the extent that each and every minister, even the junior ministers and ministers of state (for status purposes) are multi-millionaires within two years on their respective easy-peezy-pissy posts, they are still not happy. Still grumbling that there is no salary increment for a few years already. Still not happy that their annual bonuses are too small and too little.
Typicsl fxxking spoilt brats, with entitlement mentality.
Some more, one of the biggest entitlement brat can still criticise others as entitlement freaks. Pot calling kettle black.
They are the super talents and making huge sacrifices to take such a low salary. The opportunity cost of being grabbed by MNCs and paid multi millions as CEOs is too big a loss.
Indeed they should be paid many times more.
Poor buggers. So selfless in working for the good of Singapore and Singaporeans. Singaporeans all so happily employed.
With Singaporeans all fully employed and happy, jobs that Singaporeans did not want, like CEO jobs, have to go to foreigners. Can't be helped. If only Singaporeans are willing to take on these CEO jobs.
Oh, running provision shops, kopitiams, post office, selling chicken rice, needs internal experience and foreign talents. Running town councils soon would also need international experience.
Must spend good money to go around the world to hunt for such talents.
Hearing Singapore government jokers talking about honesty is like terrorist lecturing others why terrorist is bad. Only in this dot, you can find such irony and comedians so shameless and disgusting where they themselves know very well they are the ultimately the one without honesty and integrity.
That is y these millionaire politicians alrdy eat full full & there is nothing to do but plenty of times to fix the oppostions in parLeemen. To them, it is like their hobby.
"We increase your property tax and the GST you pay so that you have a better future," they honestly tell you.
It is absolutely adding insult to injury when the ruling party ministers and MPs especially its top dog are totally lacking in trust and integrity and still have the guts to lecture and talk down to the opposition politicians and the public in general about the need to have trust and integrity. What trust and integrity is there in parliament when ministers and MPs of the ruling party can tell all kinds of lies and hubris with impunity while at the same time diabolically intend to refer opposition MPs to prosecutors on some purportedly fake lies. This observation holds true for all Western based parliamentarian democracies and does not refer to any particular party any where round the globe. The worst dishonesty and crime is to shift one's own sin and criminality to others just as the Anglo-Saxons, the Americans and the European caucasians always do.
Eagles Eyes.
Empress HC
I do hope that friends and families in HK would help persuade their old folks and their vulnerable to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
Seniors in HK should go for their covid vaccinations as soon as possible.
They should especially put aside their distrust or mistrust of govt, their memories of their flight from China, or any other reason for distrust of authorities.
Don’t wait till it’s too late, and don’t wait for regrets when it is too late.
Younger adults and youths too should help their elderly friends and family members get vaccinated.
Again, they should separate whatever disagreements they may have against their local govt, against the Chinese govt, and do this for the love of their friends and family members.
Vaccination would help protect against the very high risk of severe illness and death for folks above 60 years old.
Vaccination would lower that risk for those they love and respect.
Covid does not respect boundaries, ideologies, or personal angsts.
Covid just goes for whoever they can find.
The more unprotected, the bigger the attack surface for the virus to bombard - individuals, families, communities, young and old, but especially the old.
The risk to the 80 year old is much more than 100 times than the risk to a 20 year old.
Risks double every 5-8 years of age.
The fight against covid is more than what any govt can do on its own.
The fight against covid has to be by the people for the people.
The best govts can do is to make vaccines available, and get treatment facilities and options ready.
The people must do what is best for themselves. That means vaccination wherever and whenever it is available.
Vaccinate for ourselves, for our loved ones.
We are just lucky that vaccines are available for much less than the cost of a covid PCR test.
This has enabled most govts to offer vaccines for free.
So take advantage of the vaccines, and go get protected as soon as possible, tak mmm tak?
The recalcitrant Hongkies are going to see an explosion of Covid infections beyond their imagination. And Hong Kong would likely become a hot city to avoid by the rest of the world until the day when it is beyond any hope of recovery and China steps in to close it down.
"By the people for the people."???
Suddenly becomes so poetically political?
And kaypoh in Singapore not enough, now wants to also kaypoh into HK internal affairs! Such a great "for the people"!
Or, is there an ulterior motive?
Intention to sell HK the huge storage of Pfizer pseudo vaccines which are expiring soon, and still not able to get rid of?
Can trust or not???
Why Are Ministers Not Taking A 50% Pay Cut?
In response to news that Singapore Airlines (SIA) pilots had agreed to deeper pay cuts amid the Covid-19 pandemic to save jobs, members of the public are wondering if top management could lead by example and do the same.
The pilots have agreed to take up to 50 per cent deduction of their salaries in exchange for job security. The pay cut was on top of a 10 per cent reduction in the monthly variable component (MVC) of their wages.
Why are our caring Ministers not leading by example to take a 50% pay cut first, followed by the top Millionaire Leaders in SIA and Government Linked Companies???
Especially the Supreme Head, Empress HC,
Who is incharge of CAG, that is incharge of SIA?
Reducing $99 million per year to $49 million per year is still an obscenity like indecent exposure, is it not?
Please don't ask for pay cuts. Afterwards they jump ship to join Microsoft, Google, Alphabets or some big MNCs to collect tens of millions of pay then Singapore would no longer have such super talents to run the Singapore ship.
You want them to be replaced by foreign talents when there is no more such super talents in Singapore?
Singaporeans so heng to have them to look after Singapore and create good jobs for Singaporeans.
Without national reserves, S'pore's GST would have to be raised to 21% or more
The recently announced increase of Goods and Services Tax (GST) to 8% and 9% in the coming two years has led to largely negative reception by the Singaporean public. However, while nobody likes taxes to go up, it’s important to see things in a proper context.
Firstly, by global standards, the indirect tax on consumption in the city-state is among the lowest in the developed world. Compared to OECD countries (note: Singapore is not a member of the organisation), the city-state would rank third from the bottom — and this is only after the full GST increase.
Some people like to argue that many of these countries have lower VAT rates on things like food, medicines, energy, books which helps reduce tax burden on ordinary people — and this is true (though in some of them, even reduced rates are higher than Singapore’s GST).
What is often forgotten in the debate is that the city-state employs GST relief tools as well, through a voucher/cash system that is helping the needy in a direct way. It’s a different approach and one that is, arguably, a lot more reasonable.
In a reduced-rate system, everybody pays lower VAT on certain goods, regardless of how wealthy they are. A millionaire family or a fancy restaurant pays the same low tax on food items than pensioners doing their shopping. In fact, every company or individual in the economy enjoys the reductions in the same way.
In Singapore, everybody pays the same tax on everything at the counter, but the needy receives GST relief to their utilities, top-ups to Medisave or cash, having a portion of the tax returned directly to their pockets. It’s much more targeted and less wasteful (after all, what’s the point of giving rebates on consumption to the richest?).
In other words, not only do all Singaporeans pay much less in GST than people in most developed countries pay in similar taxes on vast majority of products and services, but the poorest still receive direct help to reduce their bills.
This, however, does not yet explain the biggest achievement of the little city-state: why is the tax so low in the first place (particularly as both income taxes and corporate taxes are low as well)?
GST in Singapore should be at 21% – or over
You see, if Singapore was run like any other country, the GST would likely be in the range of 21% to perhaps 27%, broadly the same as VAT in Europe. This is how much would be needed to balance the budget.
The reason it is not necessary lies in nation’s reserves.
GST revenue in 2022 is projected to reach S$12.8 billion, at the prevailing rate of 7%. The government hopes to gain about S$3.5 billion every year after the GST is raised, to help pay for rapidly growing healthcare costs.
Meanwhile, the Net Investment Returns Contribution (NIRC) — the portion of profits from the investment of national reserves — is expected to exceed S$21.5 billion, up from about S$20 billion last year.In fact, NIRC accounts for over 20% of the national budget and is the single largest source of revenue. It is also unique in that virtually no other country in the world enjoys similar inflows.
Everybody else must make do with whatever they collect in taxes. Plus, they often have to pay hefty interest on debt, as governments run continuous deficits, spending more than they generate.
For each percentage point of GST, Singapore collects about S$1.75 billion.
Without NIRC, it would have to find another S$21.5 billion to cover its expenses. To finance it with GST, it would be forced to — at the very least — increase it by over 12 percentage points, from 9% to 21%, just to maintain the current level of revenue.
Higher taxes mean higher prices, so people spend less money, reducing consumption and thus, the tax base.
With higher tax rates, the incentive to evade them grows. Consequently, so does the gap between theoretical maximum and what the IRAS would be able to collect.
The latter is called the VAT/GST gap and, as you can see below, it has been on average a whopping 10% of projected tax revenues in the EU countries, with some failing to collect more than a third of what they would normally expect, due to tax dodging and lax enforcement.
(VTTL stands for VAT Total Tax Liability – the expected revenues from the tax)As a result, the GST rate would likely increase by at least a few percentage points more to arrive at the missing amount. 23? 24? 25? All of these can be found in the EU.
Alternatively, the government could increase income taxes, but the latter would have to grow significantly for the lowest taxpayers, as already 80% of PIT is paid by just 10% of the wealthiest Singaporeans.
Increasing the rates on the richest could lead to capital flight and tax avoidance/evasion, destroying Singapore’s (relatively) low tax appeal.
Fortunately, these nightmare scenarios are just a cautionary tale of what could have been, but doesn’t have to and will not be.
Singapore has prudently saved and invested budgetary surpluses as well as foreign currency reserves for many decades, and today it can depend on them for a stable, high revenue filling the budget, preventing the government from having to make drastic spending cuts, raise taxes to European levels or, heaven forbid, actually borrowing to finance annual budgetary expenditures.
That’s why, while many are unhappy about the GST bump, the reality is that it’s nowhere near what it could – and in any other circumstances would be.
All the Sickly-looking Zombies in the Sin Cabinet is scary to look at. They are so like what the Local Hokkien Chinese use to describe as 妖兽/'yao-xiu'/怪兽, usually mean monster. Many appear to have aged more than normal, sickly and may collapse anytime which some did. Their grey hair turning white like they have being very worry, which is also reflected in the Tight Security Measure around them. Are they haunted by fear that others are ever-ready to harm them?
I dare guarantee that none will ever dare, though most swear and curse at them.
Anyway,
though they fear, they have no qualm to exploit the People. Greed over-whelms their fear but not the Worry.
Wonder what's the Gain of Wealth when one knows oneself is being despise and loathe.
Sinner is unique indeed.
When the People bohchap/could not be bothered with the going on, the Leeders can do whatever or shake legs and sleep at Parliament in session. Afterall they are given the Mandate.
Despite paying themselves grossly and sinfully, many are sickly and look hungry. The Hunger cannot be food and happiness as they remunerate themselves at will. It must be something they consider very valuable.
Yes Singapore is so well managed that it has the well-deserved reputation of being paradise on earth. Just look at the queue from all over the world clamouring to enter here. And see the happy, contented, well-fed throngs swarming all over the little red dot, turning it into a modern day Tower of Babel. What our leaders have achieved is no mean feat and they deserve not just what they are paying themselves, but a huge raise.
Reading all the comments above, one can't help but think that Singapore is on its way to definite doom.
There is no cure. Unsalvageable.
This 46-minute long presentation by the late Prof Lee Sing Kong at an event "Lessons from Singapore" in Wilmington, Delaware held me captive for every minute of it.
I hope you too will find time to listen to this presentation on how the education system has evolved in Singapore to respond to changing landscape and needs - always with the student in mind.
Understanding the core values of our education system, and the motivation behind MOE's policies will help you to better partner your child in their education journey instead of chasing every point.
https://www.facebook.com/710654255687637/posts/4834862416600113/
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs."
That maxim, which has echoed down the centuries, sums up the tone and philosophy of many parts of Finance Minister Lawrence Wong's maiden Budget.
In the run-up to the Budget, some business chambers and commentators called for holding off on the hike till 2025 because of rising inflation and the fact that some businesses were still struggling amid a pandemic that has yet to end. Others called for a two-percentage point hike in one go.
The Government has chosen a middle path of a two-step hike: one percentage point at a time in 2023 and 2024.
Another measure, which was less expected, was a hike in personal income tax on chargeable incomes of $500,000 to $1 million to 23 per cent, and to 24 per cent on those in excess of $1 million - both from the current top rate of 22 per cent.
Property taxes are also set to be hiked to up to 36 per cent by 2024, from a top rate of 20 per cent for non-owner-occupied properties, and up to 32 per cent for owner-occupied properties, from a top rate of 16 per cent. There will also be additional taxes on luxury cars
What is notable about these increases is that they will affect a tiny minority who can well afford them in any case.
The income tax hikes will apply to only the top 1.2 per cent of taxpayers, while the higher property taxes will impact the top 7 per cent of property owners.
The tax on luxury cars will likely affect an even smaller percentage of car-owners and a negligible proportion of residents.
But together they will bring in substantial revenues, totalling around $600 million a year.
https://www.facebook.com/710654255687637/posts/4837311289688559/
Yes, we are lucky that our leaders are not like other countries. We have affordable housing, no shortage of food, free vaccine, good salary, and friendly relations with our neighbours. Ok lah, GST increasing, but that is to be expected with Covid. Luckily not like the Europe country.
S'pore quietly confident in dealing with Covid-19 Omicron wave: Lawrence Wong
Vaccinations, boosters and therapeutics.
That is Singapore's strategy for dealing with Covid-19 and its variants, and it gives the Republic a clear path towards getting back to normal life - even if new mutations crop up, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday (Feb 21).
With a high vaccination rate and the vast majority of Covid-19 patients here exhibiting milder symptoms, Singapore is quietly confident in dealing with the current wave of Omicron infections, Mr Wong said in an interview with CNBC's Squawk Box Asia.
While current infection numbers are at record highs and could go above 20,000 cases a day, the situation in intensive care units (ICU) here is under control, he told host Martin Soong.
Hospitals, doctors and general practitioner clinics are quite busy as there are Covid-19 patients who still need care, but the good news is that the number of serious cases in the ICU is not high, he said.
"They are within the limits that we have provided for and within the capacity that we have today," Mr Wong added. "If this situation continues like that, we believe that we should be able to take some decisive steps towards easing once we have passed this present peak of the Omicron wave."
The minister said the authorities are still studying with scientists here whether a fourth vaccine shot is needed.
Asked about the Omicron sub-variant, BA.2, which is more infectious and steadily increasing in prevalence around the world, Mr Wong said there are variants and mutations all the time, and Singapore will constantly and continually monitor this.
"We don't have any indications yet for that particular variant... But I am quite sure before too long, there will be a new mutation around the world and it will come into Singapore.
"It may not be now, but maybe six months later. But we'll have to prepare for that," he added.
Mr Wong said his hope is that any new variants that appear in future will be milder than Omicron as this will give Singapore confidence that the end of the pandemic is near.
But he also warned against ruling out the emergence of a more dangerous or deadly variant of the coronavirus.
Mr Wong said: "We just have to be prepared for that. And the strategy is still vaccinations, boosters and therapeutics as well.
"I think the strategies remain sound and we have a clear path towards getting back to life as normal."
Anon 9.25 pm. Why you do like dat? At least have the guts to post a name so we can reply to you. So many anon here very confusing.
The internet brigade is let loose to attack RB personally today.
The truth hurts.
Shocking! mRNA and Spike protein found 8 weeks after vaccination in some people- Dr Chris Martenson mentioned SG spreading misinformation at 26:00 - 29:12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhcbo0ToKGY
Empress HC
The Omicron is still killing about 2,000 people a day in the USA - not so mild when there are still over 100,000 new Omicron cases recorded daily, and hospitals in certain parts of USA remain severely stretched.
And the Ba.2 is beginning to gain a toehold.
Will there be a second Omicron surge as had happened in Denmark when the Ba.2 took off and became dominant?
Or will the USA cases continues to trend down, as the virus finds fewer and fewer Omicron naive folks to infect, while vaccination and boosting continue to protect against infection for some, and protect against severe illness or death in most?
Meanwhile, Covid fatigue is real, and some of us suffer the various hidden cost of of Covid - those who have had Covid and others who have not had Covid.
Singapore is the bestest governed country in the world. So good in fact that we're able to increase taxes without having a revolution or even a 1-man demonstration. The average sinkie is having fat increments & fat bonuses. Paying for a few dollars of extra taxes is nothing.
Even with a pandemic & recession & lockdown, the average sinkie household has exceeded the previous pre-pandemic salary high, with the average sinkie household now bringing in $9,500 per month.
What pandemic?
Life & food for sinkies is so good that there are more overweight & diabetic sinkies than ever before. Even though the sinkie population is shrinking. We are suffering from the diseases of kings & emperors, not the diseases of poor & malnourished.
Looking at HK, more tycoons & their families are migrating to Singapore. In many international people's minds, we have already replaced HK as the Gateway Of The East.
Thanks to our leaders, Singapore is fast sealing its place in history, together with other great cities in their heydays --- Babylon, Chang'an, Rome, Venice, London, Tokyo, New York.
Propaganda. Read with care and salts and peppers - sneezing is expected. Yawning is also permitted. No joking matters.
Again and again, the main worry in mind is about Vaccination drive with fewer and fewer takers.
As more and more people wise up, many are cautiously and rightfully afraid of the high probability of long-term negative effects of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the facts that the Pfizer company and the US FDA are trying very hard to hide from the US courts, the professionals and the general public.
Yes, totally agree with you. Singapore's glorious days have been sealed for good.
Lawrence Wong says Sin must welcome foreign talent and investor.
Question is:
are they coming to
a most expensive place to operate business and live in. Mayhe for safe-keeping of ill-gottened fortunes, if Sin remains as a safe haven for them. However,
there could be many safer places other than Sin for the Filthy Loaded.
We do not have an inferiority complex. We just have to grin and bear it while others can succeed.
World best vaccines. The more you jabbed, the more infected. Very effective.
26,000 daily cases. Jab more and 30,000 coming. Booster more, 50,000 also attainable.
Every time the opposition missteps, the govt leaders go into an orgy of virtue signalling, preaching holy morality like religious leaders to their flock, teachers to their care.
Unfortunately for them, many see the latest round on the WP as dirty politics, unjustified incrimination on its leaders and holier than thou hypocrisy and BS. The offending MP has been justly punished, attacks on its leaders over still unproven legal technicalities are just plain bullying.
The latest on the Covid front is 26k cases in one day, why not spend those resources investigating it then further unnecessary prosecution of the WP?
"We are still doing fine. For this COVID variant, we expect 40,000-50,000 daily new cases. So seeing only 26,000, we are quite please as that is well below our expectation."
"Every time the opposition missteps, the govt leaders go into an orgy of virtue signalling, preaching holy morality like religious leaders to their flock, teachers to their care.
Unfortunately for them, many see the latest round on the WP as dirty politics, unjustified incrimination on its leaders and holier than thou hypocrisy and BS. The offending MP has been justly punished, attacks on its leaders over still unproven legal technicalities are just plain bullying.
The latest on the Covid front is 26k cases in one day, why not spend those resources investigating it then further unnecessary prosecution of the WP?"
Many people don't really get it ? The PAP is just making a mountain out of a molehill because they are just desperate. When PAP lost billions in investment, just censor news in mainstream media and pretend nothing happen, which is lot more serious case, no inquiry, no investigation, same BS. When opposition make minor mistake ( aren't PAP MPs tell lies in parliament even more often (eg Kee Chiu's lie about mask sufficiency where there is no really enough) that cause more damage than opposition's white lie to bring point across ?), blown them out of proportion, report them in headline daily, and kill many birds with one stone.
Are PAP really think people are really really stupid ? But I think so. Hope people stand up against bully after decades of being bullied.
Haha....
Hoping the Sinkies will stand-up against bully and tyranny??
It will be very lucky if we could have lesser polanpas/ball carriers around.
Whatever anybody or party wants to do with Sin, it shall be futile. The Tiny is harmed beyond salvage and repair.
Its' fate is sealed.
Post a Comment