GE2015 – The abnormalities of the GE

Has anyone noticed something queer about this GE? Actually it did not happen only now but has happened since the last GE or earlier but getting more  conspicuous now.

The PAP is offering a slate of generals and police commissioners to serve the people. And this is on top of the nobilities and aristocracy that are already serving the people. Singaporeans are really so lucky. Do they know that nobles and aristocrats are brought up in an environment where they are being served from young by an army of servants, from ‘Ah Ma chays’ to drivers in tow? These are the natural aristocrats who came forward to serve the ordinary people, to take good care of the ordinary people, and have to smile and smile when meeting the people. Imagine the sacrifices, the humbling effect and the humility?

Now we have generals and police commissioners, the army and police chiefs coming forward to serve the ordinary people. Those NSmen must know what it is like in the army and the police, the life of an army general or a police commissioner. If you are a soldier or a police constable, you would be serving the generals and the commissioners. Now they are going to serve you, the NSmen, the soldiers and policemen who have to ‘tabeh’ and stand attention in their presence. The generals and commissioners are going to the markets, the hawker centres, they are going to knock at your doors to tell you they are going to serve you, with a big perpetual smiles on their faces. They cannot pull ranks now.

The soldiers and police constables will now be served by the generals and commissioners and the nobles and aristocrats. Singaporeans are really lucky and exceptionally blessed.

And the naughty soldiers and police constables could now act tough to the generals and the commissioners. Sir, you want my vote huh? Tell me why I should vote for you? Or drop 10 first then we talk.

Is this real? Is this a dream? Or would the soldiers and policemen have to stand attention and salute first at the Meet the People’s session when seeking assistance? Or would they be making unreasonable requests and making life difficult for the generals and commissioners?

Good intention, not dishonesty, only lapses

A little bird told me that AHPETC case was all good intention, no dishonesty, only lapses. And with the transparency, they have accepted all the auditor’s recommendations and the house is not collapsing. On the other hand, many organization’s houses are collapsing due to lack of transparency and bad intention and of course dishonesty. I thought this news sounds about right.

Then I read the media and found out that little bird was wrong. It was the other way. Does it mean that AHPETC does not have good intention and the lapses were not lapses? Or is it fair to throw wild allegations that maybe some money was lost? I said I trust all politicians and political parties. In this case I trust that the WP has not been dishonest and they have good intention to serve the people of Aljunied and Hougang. If they have been dishonesty or if they have committed any wrongs, I dare tell you they would have long been charged in court and be behind bars.

So I dare say that they are honest people and there is no dishonesty, maybe some lapses in the procedures due to being new to the job. And this is going to happen to any new party winning an election and would have to start anew to learn how to run town councils. Is this not a big flaw in the system, when such essential services are subject to lapses but with good intention after every GE? I think the idea of having MPs running town councils is very unsound. Tiok or not? As for the intention you judge yourself.

And to make matter worse, when a new town council takes over, all the surplus funds must be transferred to the reserves, which means they have to start with an empty cash box. So how to transfer to the Sinking Fund should there be a slight shortfall while other existing town councils could fall back on their accumulated surpluses to do so?

Is this one of the reasons why AHPETC is caught having problems transferring funds to the Sinking Fund? And to make things more difficult, their entitled govt grants also kena tangkat. How to transfer?

Fair or not?

GE2015 – The bitching over Tuck Yew

In an article in TRE titled, Low to DPM, be more civilized in political engagement, I quote,

‘Yesterday (16 Aug), WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang responded to DPM Teo Chee Hean’s accusations that he was shedding “crocodile tears” over the departure of Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew from the Cabinet.

Mr Low replied, “With due respect, if DPM wants to comment that way, let Singaporeans judge and see this is the standard of the PAP in politics.”….Do we want to be more civilized in our political engagement?

Still, yesterday, Mr Low put up a few good words for Mr Lui. Mr Low said, “I’ve known him for a number of years in Parliament. He’s down-to-earth and answers questions matter-of-factly and in detail, and it shows he’s hands-on … (and) prepared to work the ground. Neither does he attack or bully or intimidate the Opposition. I find him responsible and accountable. I appreciate that.”

Low Thia Khiang was responding to Chee Hian’s crocodile tears remark which he felt offended. I can understand why and why he said some kind words about Tuck Yew. In my blog, some commentators were also lashing out at Tuck Yew for the problems of the MRT and I had to intercede to prevent it from going out of hand.

Saying some kind things about Tuck Yew’s resignation is like many have said, an eulogy without the flowers. It is just not nice to make unkind remarks in a eulogy about the dead even if the dead deserved it. When someone is dead, it is only gracious to look at the good things of the man and ignore the bad stuff unless the man is really an incorrigible and evil man.

In the case of Tuck Yew, I too said something good about him without dwelling into this work or his failures in the MRT system. I think Low Thia Khiang too was in the same frame of mind, when someone is down, no need to rub it in or give him a kick.

I too am puzzled why Chee Hian would turn this into a political issue to score brownie points.  I taught everyone should take such kind comments in the right perspective unless Tuck Yew really is beyond redemption and saying good things about him is as good as ridiculing him. In that case, then the comments may not be well received. And rightly Low Thia Khiang felt offended and must reply to Chee Hian’s crocodile tears remark that I also find unnecessary.

Would this uncalled for bitching between the two men ends here or would it be raised to a higher level, at the political rallies? And poor Tuck Yew would be the centre of the bitching and the people be reminded of the MRT frequent breakdowns and his resignation. Talking about political football?

Enough or more to come?

Medical care when we were Third World

We are in the First World with an equally advanced medical care industry to match. We have the best medical professionals and the best medical facilities to take care of the sick. We could even extend lives by the quality of our medical professionals.

How far we have come from the days when we were in the Third World, when our medical services and facilities were a far cry from what we have today. But are we better off today than when we were in the past? I will just relate some personal experience to highlight the great differences between then and now for comparison.

In the 50s and 60s, medical care for the citizens was as good as free. Though they were not of the same quality as what we have today, there were good relative to the countries in the region and around the world. I was fortunate to be the recipient of generous dental care provided by the Institute of Health and without having to pay a cent for it, for fillings, extractions and dentures. Every week without failed, a gleaming coach would arrive at the primary school to fetch all the little children who needed dental treatment. A nurse would go from class to class to round up the children and bring them safely to the Institute of Health, not even have to pay for transportation. And the dental surgeons would be there waiting for us, to serve us.

The dental surgeons would plan our next appointments according to our dental needs, at their own initiative, happily without the children paying a cent. If they did not bother, none of the children would bother with the condition of their teeth and would not step near a dental clinic. The govt were the caring parents to the children, meticulously pandering to their dental needs with no concern about cost, about whether the children could afford to pay for them. The govt paid for everything. They did not plan for a long series of treatments for a syndicate to prowl on the poor patients like vultures on a wounded and hapless prey.

The people took care of their small illnesses and cough and colds. The public hospitals provided free medical services as well. Unbelieveable! For those who could afford to pay $15 or $20, a medical doctor would be on call and would drive himself to the homes of the sick, making house calls. If no injection is needed, the medical fee could be lesser, with medicine included.

The people were not underpaying the medical doctors then. With the $15 or $20 collected per patient, to cover medicine, consultation and transportation, the doctors still could live very well. Practically every one of them could afford to live in landed properties and making home visits in their Mercedes Benzes.

When my missus was conceiving our first child, I was then a young officer in the Air Force, I was entitled to A Class Ward in govt hospitals. And for pre natal consultations we had the services of the top gynaecologist in Senior Consultant Christopher Chen, plus delivery. And you would not believe this, everything was free then. I did not have to pay a cent for the regular monthly consultations and delivery of the baby, including meals in the hospitals.

And there was no need to make appointments months or years in advance. There were enough doctors and specialists for everyone. That was the kind of medical services we had then, when we were Third World. No need to buy medical insurance, no need to have medisave account, no need to have Medishield Life, no need to go bankrupt because of medical bills.

I am grateful to the kind of medical benefits that citizens enjoyed then, even as a junior officer in a ministry. Could not have asked for more, could not expect a more caring govt. There was no worry about medical care and affordability and no fear of falling sick. There was no mean testing. There was no one year or two year appointments in govt hospitals. The hospitals were there to serve the people, to make sure the people were healthy, the children were delivered at no cost or little cost for private patients to their happy parents. Come to think of it, those were the good old days, now gone forever.

Are we better off today?

GE2015 – A time to watch who is the devil and who is the saint

Funny to hear that every quarter or party in this coming election is calling for a level playing field, to contest the election in a gentlemanly way, no personal attacks, no hitting below the belt, no abuse of power or unfair advantage by virtue of position, no negative politics. Would we really see this happening?

The only thing that the people can do is to watch what the politicians are doing and saying and to call a spade a spade. The devils must be unmasked to show who they really are and not to allow them to deceive the innocent masses.

In this regard netizens can play a bigger role to expose them. When they talk nonsense, telling lies, distorting facts, etc etc, put a spotlight on them and show their hypocrisies. The social media is there to tell the truth and let the voters judge for themselves.

Silly politicians, opportunists, hypocrites and the wolves in sheepskin will be plenty and the netizens must seize the moment to hantam them.

This is the least netizens can do to help to balance the equation and make the election a fairer election for all parties.

Politicians must not think that the voters are stupid. Doing so will only make a mockery of themselves, to lose the hearts and minds of the people.