GE 2015 – The people’s sentiments

Following Gilbert Goh’s internet petition to the UN I browsed through some of the comments and have made a few observations which I think those in power should seriously look into it. The victory is sealed and nothing can be done to it. But why the petition and the negative sentiments from those who put their signature to the petition? At last count more than 1,200 and growing? It could be an exercise in futility and at best a pyrrhic victory of sort, or just to make a statement, but the sentiments and perceptions are real and cannot be simply ignored. The people who signed the petition must be very disturbed and angry with the election for whatever reasons they perceived to be wrong and unfair.  Let me make a few comments here.  I also copied some of the comments penned in the petition and attached below.

1.     There is a negative perception that the election was rigged, unfair or something was wrong, but no one could prove anything. The gut feel is disturbing enough even if it is untrue or wild imagination. It is how the people are seeing and believing.

2.     There is a high proportion of Malay citizens feeling very sore about the election and govt policies. This would create doubts as to why their votes were not reflected in constituencies that should count? Their unhappiness with the govt was not registered in the votes and the results were contrary to this negativity.

3.     Among the unhappiness raised were influx of foreigners, high populations, loss of jobs to foreigners, being treated as third class citizens, a govt that behaved like a bully, CPF money, university places, govt agencies taking sides, fear, integrity of the govt, cost of living, greed and a growing resentment against foreigners and many related things expressed in the social media.

4.     The people are worried about their future and the future of Singapore despite the assurance by the PAP that it is there to work towards a better future for Singaporeans. Why the mismatched in perception?

The govt needs to look at the comments in the petition and recognise them as the fault lines, problems that the people are really angry about and work on it to rectify them or they would continue to simmer in the minds of the people. The problems are serious and would not go away after the landslide victory.

Here are some of the comments:

jessie goh 

I love my Country..I want to be a First Class Citizen in my Country...

Paul Long

I find the ruling party a big bully towards all opposition parties. The prime minister Lee openly admitted that his job is to fix the opposition parties and make sure they dont survive. It is sad to hear that.

Wan Mustafa 

I want all singaporeans to have a better life in their own country, not becoming a 2nd class citizens in their own country, not having a low pay jobs while foreigners & new citizens has a higher better salaries jobs, say no to 6.9 million population in a tiny country, compete everything with foreigner ect. I want all singaporeans to have a voice in their own country.

 Mohammed Shahid 

I'm not satisfied with PAP governing my Country anymore...

So many Policies that has Angered The Locals here...

Foreigners are given priority compared to the Locals...

Our CPF Retirement Monies is being held by the Government, till we have to work until the day we turn 67...

We may never get to see our Hard Earn money...

Local Children unable to get a place in local University because most of the slots is taken up by Foreign Students on Scholarships...

Even after Graduating from Uni, Local Graduates have to fight for a job with the Foreign Talents who's receiving lower salary than the locals..

Locals are unhappy with the current government as of late...

We want a change but after the 70% landslide victory by the ruling party just doesn't seem right.

sujuandy suppa'at 

I'm signing because I love my country..

Muthusamy Kulanthaivel 

Let's have a fair ethical GE in Singapore

Walter Quek 

I look forward to a fair clean election system for a better future of Singapore, my beloved country

Azreen Alyssia Sudarto 

Stability and welfare of Singaporeans first before that of the work permit, employment pass holders, prs and so called "FT's".

David Chua 

Peoples Association is meant to be setup for the benefit of the community of Singaporean but alas it seems to be setup for propagating the activities of the ruling PAP constituency but not the oppositions held constituency. This is grossly unfair as funds for PA comes from all tax paying residents of Singapore

Christina Wong 

I want a FAIR election and a balance representation in the parliament. I believe in democracy, NOT ONE PARTY RULE!

Saifuddin Tasnim Mohamad Farid 

I'm signing this because I still believe in Democracy which Singapore's govt claims to have. I believe that there is something going on during the election and prior to the election. So UN I beg you to do a proper inspection on Elections Department.

Aspa Hatta 

I'm signing this because, as a ruling party that has antagonized, instilled fear within its people & clearly embezzling the monies of Singaporeans for their own benefits whilst also, benefitting their close kins - spouses, relatives, siblings, children or even close friends, should truly practice democracy as mentioned repetitively in our Pledge & National Anthem. Why should a government terrorize its people & practice double standards in the laws which they've laid out & they, themselves, broke. Singapore deserves a decent government, not some million-dollar-ministers, whom without fail, would push their burdens or blames onto others without even trying to understand the actual situation. Singapore deserves humbled Ministers not some mafia-wannabes.

The past 50 years, our parents & elderlies have suffered under PAP. We can't lose Singapore to the foreigners flooding our job industries as well as our Home. Singapore has to be actually AFFORDABLE to live in comfortably & more welfare should be focused upon the elderlies, the homeless, the less fortunate before actually showering the foreigners with better paying jobs, salaries & even scholarships.

Singapore should be for Singaporeans, FIRST, something which our greedy million-dollar-PAP-ninisters seem to have neglected ever so often.

Lastly, & most importantly, we have to stop the damned PAP from rigging every elections!

Peace!

#MajulahSingapura

thomas ansari 

I strongly felt something wasnt right in the GE 2015. After l heard of people being paid money to vote. New citizens brought in deliberately to cast votes for the ruling party. This is entirely not acceptable. Unfair election.

Cindy Yeun 

Firstly, Singaporean hard to get a job !! Doesn"t mean we asking for high pay, in fact, foreign worker also ask for high pay. If Government advise Singaporean not to ask for more in such a high living standard country, than WHY their Salary is the WORLD Highest!

Secondly, disagree Govement to increase population in Singapore !! Not only affected our living, if more "foreign citizen" or PRs in Singapore made the local to feel like we are in other country like 3rd class citizen living in Singapore !!

Richard Chan 

The whole election does not tally with the election rally.

Eureka Koh Hui Min 

I want free and fair elections as I don't eant the PAP to make crazy policies and bills like the White Paper which will destroy our Singaporean core and identity and the foreigners will end up lording over us.

Jayden Ng 

We should not be 3rd class citizens in our own country and being treated like rubbish by FTs.!!and they are ruining the harmony we singaporeans once had in singapore.!!

Cheng Poh Tan 

Clearly the results do not reflect the actual sentiments of the born-and-bred-in-singapore people.

It is a real fear that we will become a minority, in our own country, in the next 10 years and this is worrying for my children.

Fee hikes in pre schools and also hikes for non citizens in schools

The cost of pre schools will go up next year in the two top preschools, the NTUC My First Skool and PAP Community Foundation or PCF. The hikes range from $28 in PCF and $34 in My First Skool for childcare and $14 and $48 for infant care respectively.  However, the upper limits of $720 and $1275 for pre school and childcare will still be in force. Industry average fees for the two categories of care are $900 and $1343 per month.

School fees for Singaporeans will remain unchanged but PRs and non citizens would have to pay more as the govt step up effort to differentiate citizens from PRs and foreigners.  Singapore citizens will pay $5 and $6 per month for primary and secondary school fees.

Children of PRs and non citizens will pay $550  per month for primary education and $800 for secondary education on top of a miscellaneous fee at $6.50 for primary, $10.00 for secondary and $13.50 for pre university students.

The school fees for govt schools are still very low compared to private international schools that charged between $25,000 to $40,000 annually.

Rising cost of govt

The cost of govt in this little island is the highest in the word with no competition. The pay of the Prime Minister is ten times what the President of the USA is being paid, on a conservative estimate. Even a lowly parliamentary secretary is getting paid more than Obama. And above this level you have senior parliamentary secretaries, ministers of state, senior ministers of state, ministers, coordinating ministers, deputy prime ministers. And we even have 4 mayors to add to the icing, 4 mayors in a city state with a 5.54m population while London and New York with several times the population and size has a mayor each and getting paid in peanuts.

I am not sure if the additional appointments like second minister in another ministry will be paid extra for the additional job title. I am not sure if the title of coordinating minister will also be paid extra. I think a deputy prime minister would definitely be paid extra. So, a deputy prime minister with a coordinating minister title attached, overseeing a ministry or two, and also a MP, what is he being paid? Does he get his MP allowance, minister salary, deputy PM salary, coordinating minister salary or he just get the deputy PM salary plus MP allowance of $16,000 pm? And for those above 55 years, would he be getting a pension in addition to his salary or salaries? Does anyone know? Is there an official document on this?

The cost for the above on an individual minister basis is already very high. On a ministry basis, there will be a minister, now on top there is a coordinating minister, second minister, minister of state, parliamentary secretary, Chairman of ministry’s committee, how would these add up?

And the latest, two ministers in one ministry, which also very likely have the same compliment of ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries. Would it mean the cost of a ministry would simply double at the ministerial level? It must be with two ministers.

And every minister, minister of state and parliamentary secretary added means millions as every one of these appointment holders is being paid in the millions, in gross pay, including bonuses etc etc.

If, I cannot confirm on this, additional appointments, titles and additional ministries added to the incumbent’s portfolio means additional pay, there is really no need to adjust ministerial pay further as the pay would have grown with each title and appointment. Can anyone confirm this?

The cost of our govt at the ministerial and political appointment level is extremely high, definitely out of this world. WYSINWYG.

Wither Goes Malaysia

                                                                WITHER     GOES      MALAYSIA

The concept of Malaysia was a British idea to prevent Soekarno from taking over British North Borneo and Sarawak .
The British colonial office had invited the Federal Malay states , Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak to join in a federation
of independent states to form a new entity called Malaysia. However each of the five states had different motive and
objective for joining the federation which would eventually tear at the seams to destroy Malaysia. The ultra and radical
Islamic UMNO  of the Malay Federal States took it as an opportunity to eventually take over the British colonies of 
Sarawak and Sabah. Singapore saw it as an opportunity to extend and widen its influence over new horizons. The
autonomous self-governing states of Sabah and Sarawak volunteer to join the federation on the premise that Singapore
is a member of the federation. The British minister of state for colonial affairs Lord Lansdowne signed the Inter-government
Committee Report in 1963. The report stated that any state that voluntarily entering a federation had an intrinic right to secede
at will. Under the IGC constitutional arrangements were formulated that include  the safeguards for the special interest of
North Borneo and Sarawak to cover such matters like religious freedom,education, representation in the Federal Government,
the position of the indigenous races, control of immigration, citizenship and state constitution. The IGC Report was accepted
and signed on 27th February, 1963 by UK, North Borneo, Sarawak and Federation of Malaya. Under the terms of the
agreement a basic clause stated that basically Sabah and Sarawak are free to to leave the federation at any timeand do
not need the approval of each of the federal states to leave or need the support of the Rulers' Council to leave. All Sabah
and Sarawak need to do is to pass a resolution in their respective parliament or Dewan Undangan Negeri to leave and Sabah
and Sarawak will become an independent sovereign nation.

After the British had left the ultra Islamic UMNO leaders began to plan and scheme the taking over of the local self-governing
autonomous parliaments of Sabah and Sarawak. In Sarawak the first local Chief Minister , Stephen Kalong Ningkan was
ousted by UMNO in 1966 and he was replaced by a muslim Chief Minister, Abdul Taib Mahmud. Before long the autonomy of
Sabah and Sarawak was eroded. Datuk Harris of UMNO treacherously cede the oil rich producing Island of Labuan to the
Federal government as a federal territory. In addition the unequal sharing of exploitation of Sabah's and Sarawak's rich resources
of timber and petroleum caused great anger and dissatisfaction. There were strong calls for secession from the Federation by the
Sabahans and Sarawakians. Then in 1994 there was direct political intervention by the Federal Government of Doctor Mahatir.
It was a political tactic by UMNO led Federal Government to seize control and manage the autonomous power of the Borneo
states of Sabah and Sarawak,

It was agreed in the IGC that Sabah and Sarawak will have no official religion. There will be freedom of religion, respect for
adat or customary law and while state government holds authority over land , the natives will pledge loyalty to Malaysia.
However, all original agreements were soon torn to shreds by ultra radical UMNO leaders. The natives such as the Dusuns,
Kadazans,Muruts, Bajau, Ibans, Melanaus and Bidayuh claim that their life was better before Malaysia. There were no Muslim -
Christian conflict before Malaysia. Recruitment for civil  service and schorlarships was based on merit and not on race or religion.
Then soon after usurping the autonomus power of the local assemblies the UMNO leadership began to take in more than 1.7
million muslims from the Phillipines and Indonesia to overwhelm the the 1.5 million Sabahans, Similarly large numbers of muslims
were taken into Sarawak from Indonesia and Philippines. This is a direct travesty of the IGC signed in 1963 .

Since 1963 all governors of Sabah and Sarawak were muslims while others were effectively denied the posts. When native leaders
demand higher royalty for oil and timber resources rather than the measly 5% they were mysteriously eased out or silenced. The
issue of race and religion predominate in Sabah and Sarawak in line with the " Ketuanan  Melayu  " Malay Supremacy and dictates
of the ultras and religious radicals of the UMNO  Federal Government.

UMNO had calculated its strategic move to throw out Singapore from the federation so that ultra UMNO could have its way in
achieving "Ketuanan Melayu" in Sabah and Sarawak. Since Singapore is no more in the Federation the people of Sabah and
Sarawak feel strongly that they too should not be part of the equation and should secede from the federation which is  their
constitutional right. However, because UMNO holds complete political power and dominate the military and police force the
natives are hamstrung and in the meantime unable to secede. The big powers and United Nations must intervene
eventually to help the natives of Sabah and Sarawak to get rid of the yoke of ultra UMNO to achieve their righteous independence
and sovereignty,

Sg
Wednesday,30th September, 2015

The unbelieveable talent of politicians

We have just witnessed the appointment of a new cabinet of ministers, with some ministers taking on new ministries and some new faces being appointed as ministers. Many people have taken for granted that this is a normal thing, just getting people appointed as ministers. There is nothing unusual about it.

From the HR perspective, this is the biggest fallacy that no one ever questioned. Now what am I talking about? These are very important appointments that require exceptional skill sets. They are not the cashier or the counter sales girls. Even these lower skill jobs require some form of training and may be some form of relevant qualifications. Now you are getting it.

In political appointments, there is no skill sets to talk about. There is no profession training needed. You can put Ah Meng as a defence minister or an education minister, as long as he is elected by the people and the party puts him into the job. Now the picture is getting clearer. In the industries, every joker is talking about skill sets and lack of skill sets to hire or not to hire, to go overseas to look for the talent with the required skill sets.

There were hue and cries about our lack of talent in the IT and finance industries. But we never heard of lacking talents in politicians. There was no need for any qualifications or training as politicians. Maybe being a politician is the easiest thing, in born, a natural skill that does not need any training. But when one takes on an appointment like finance, education, defence, law, health, etc etc, is there any specific training or qualifications needed? No, no need, anyone is good enough to be in any ministry. We put a soldier as an Education Minister and he is expected to know what education is all about. We put an eye surgeon to become a Foreign Minister and he will know the job. We put an administrator as the Transport Minister, and instantly he is an expert in solving transport problems.

In conclusion, either the job of a politician even at ministerial level is so easy that no training is needed and any training or experience will do, or a politician is born to be multi talented, born to know everything and be an expert in everything. An MP will automatically become an advisor to clan associations, sports associations, clubs, guilds, industrial associations etc etc. Somehow an MP also becomes a knows all.

It is really good to be a politician, your status, skills and talent immediately changed overnight and one becomes a knows all superman or superwoman without the need for any professional training.

This is the best profession on earth. No need special professional training and good for life.