are they joking about us?

Has anyone heard what the foreigners were saying about our logic that we need to pay millions to keep our ministers from being corrupt? I heard something, a little, inside the lift. But most of it were drown by the giggling and laughing that followed. What I heard was when would it stop, or something like how much would it be enough? Or is it like a dog chasing after its tail?

notable quotes

"Retrenchment is good for singapore. If there is no retrenchments, then I worry." - SM Goh "I don't think that there should be a cap on the number of directorship that a person can hold." - PAP MP John Chen who holds 8 directorships. "It's not for the money because some of the companies pay me as little as $10,000 a year." - PAP MP Wang Kai Yuen who holds 11 directorships. "If you want to dance on a bar top, some of us will fall off the bar Top. Some people will die as a result of liberalising bar top dancing… a young girl with a short skirt dancing on it may attract some insults from some other men, the boyfriend will start fighting and some people will die." - Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports "I would want to form an alternative policies group in Parliament, comprising 20 PAP MPs. These 20 PAP MPs will be free to vote in accordance with what they think of a particular policy. In other words, the whip for them will be lifted. This is not playing politics, this is something which I think is worthwhile doing." - SM Goh "If you sing Jailhouse Rock with your electric guitar when others are playing Beethoven, you are out of order. The whip must be used on you." - SM Goh again, on a dramatic u-turn, rethink or backtrack, whatever you call it. "Save on one hairdo and use the money for breast screening." - another gem from Lim Hng Kiang "We started off with (the name) and after looking at everything, the name that really tugged at the heartstrings was in front of us. The name itself is not new, but what has been used informally so far has endeared itself to all parties." - Mah Bow Tan on the $400,000 exercise to rename Marina Bay as Marina Bay. "Having enjoyed football as a national sport for decades, we in Singapore have set ourselves the target of reaching the final rounds of World Cup in 2010." - Ho Peng Kee "Only 5% are unemployed. We still have 95% who are employed." - Yeo Cheow Tong "Singaporean workers have become more expensive than those in the USA and Australia." - Tony Tan "People support CPF cuts because there are no protest outside parliament." - PM Lee "No, it was not a U-turn, and neither was it a reversal of government policy. But you can call it a rethink." - Yeo Cheow Tong "…I regret making the decision because, in the end, the baby continued to be in intensive care, and KKH now runs up a total bill of more than $300,000…" - Lim Hng Kiang, regretting the decision to save a baby's life because KKH ran up a $300,000 bill "Without the elected president and if there is a freak result, within two or three years, the army would have to come in and stop it." - MM Lee Kuan Yew "Please do not assume that you can change governments. Young people don't understand this" - Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, post-2006 General Elections

The inevitable is here

Today is a very important day. Luckily it is not April 1.

Ominous signs are everywhere, from the front page of the major news media and through all the pages. It is the sign a sickness that will eventually eat up everything. We have gone down the slippery road and everyone is cheering what a great ride it is as we go down.

When it is time for a change, it will come and nothing can be done about it. All the factors will pull and push towards the change. And don't be surprised it will come much sooner than expected.

changing times changing values

Time changes everything, it changes men, ideals and value systems. Even the value of money also changes. The days of youthful idealism, of sacrifice for people and country are over. At best such values can be called 'admirable sentiments.' Today, everything is about self, self worth and how much. The western ideals of self as the most important element in living has taken root in our island. Everyone shall look after his own interest first. All the silliness about serving society, serving people, helping the poor and weak and ideals are best shafted into the cabinet and forgotten. Welcome to the real world of the 21st Century. Be the best of the best, and champions of champions and be paid handsomely. There is no room for philantrophy, no room for generosity, no room for magnanimity, no room for charity. In future, all political parties will present a package on the minister's salary during a general election and the people will vote accordingly. As how much to pay the ministers become a major issue, all the good men will get together to form their own parties and decide how much they are worth. And the people will have the opportunity to see which party provides the best value for the money they are asking for. It is all veru business like. It will be a transparent thing. No more raising of minister's pay after an election. It will all be upfront, transparent. And the electorate likes that.

Year 2XXX, Ah Kow's Party sweeps to power

Year 2XXX, Ah Kow's Party sweeps to power Ah Kow appoints himself as the Prime Minister. And he names his Cabinet. Minister of Defence: Mr Wang See Foo, Master pugilists of Lion's Roar Martial Arts School. His martial art training is very useful for training the soldiers. Minister of Home Affairs: Mr Sam Seng Kia, former gangster chief who knows the crime world like the back of his hand. Minister of Foreign Affairs: Mdm Mah Ma San. Her diplomacy and skills in handling clients will put her in an advantage when dealing with other FMs. Minister of Trade: Mr Pah Kang Tau. The most ideal man in making trade deals. Minister of Finance: Mr Tai Yee Long. Very skillful man in handling money, interest rates and collecting debts. Minister of Education: Mr Boh Tak Cheh. Highest standard passed, PSLE. But believes that adult education from the University of Hard Knocks is very valuable to people like him. Minister of Transport: Mr See Ho Yee. Owns a private bus company. All the ministers will naturally be paid the super talent ministerial salary package handed down by the past regimes. Each will be geting $10 million while Ah Kow will be paid $25 million. As political leaders are elected by the people and educational background is not a criterial as long as they have no criminal records, any tom, dick and harry could actually become super talents, or at least be paid super talent salary. Ah Kow and his gangs laughs all the way to the bank.