Wednesday, August 1, 2012

You Can Fool Some Of The People...

There was once this Cedric fool who suggested that the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) be conducted in the air-con comfort of a SAFRA club house. Exercise is always accompanied by sweat, the natural way humans cool off body heat generated by vigorous physical activity. Every NSmen understands fitness requires strenuous effort, except perhaps for paper generals who make BG rank in 10 years, 6 of which were spent in lecture rooms at Cambridge and the like.

Then there was the fool-me-hah! character who irked everybody by boasting she was made citizen in record time, revealing that the ICA was boosting population numbers as if on steroids. To be fair, brick bats thrown her way involved stories about her husband's discharged bankruptcy status. And there is the new development about a sister-in-law who was thrown out of her house because she was born out of wedlock.  Her husband should really clear the air about these unsubstantiated stories in the rumour mill. The last we want is MPs handing out Mont Blanc pens to advance their promotion prospects.

But Grace is no fool, she has just been promoted to full minister, presumably to replace the first female member of the cabinet kicked out in the Aljunied massacre of GE 2011. Or that someone took note of her great sacrifice for having "experienced a drop in my income" by joining politics. Doubtless, the extra loss of privacy, public scrutiny and loss of personal time will be more than compensated for by the elevation to a higher income bracket.

Her appointment as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Environment and Water Resources doesn't quite fit the PM's objective of the reshuffle, "These changes will help us to serve Singaporeans better."  Surely the beleaguered Lui Tuck Yew could use a helping hand in LTA, with a second minister to work on the road transportation while he tries to straighten out the mess with the trains. Her taking over Lui's hat as Second Minister for Foreign Affairs simply confirms the guy has his work load cut out for him. Surely the urgent issues Singaporeans are looking forward to be served better are public transport, housing, inflation, affordable heath care. Doling out packet meals for aunties to boost rally attendance is required only once in 5 years.

The other foolishness has to be about the obliteration of the Arts and Sports focus. Nominated Member of Parliament Ms Koh speculated that "the role of arts has been subsumed to serve community bonds." The disappointment about sports being relegated lower status was expressed by the President of the Singapore Bowling Federation, "I don't know what are the signals, now that it is parked under a different name." The only one happpy about this development has to be the keechiu general who boasted his $1.33 billion budget for the Sports Hub will not be overrun like the YOG instance. And someone else will have to handle the bid to host the 28th SEA Games in 2015, a real project with a real time line, not some airy fairy performance goal that cannot be measured objectively.

24 comments:

  1. Why Foreign Affairs & EWR? Because both Ministers are missing an important link to the world's greatest market ie. china. How to handle contracts and relations if you don't speak their lingo/culture? When you have no effective interloper, shall we say unnecessary "misunderstandings" can happen such as :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=616KO9gywp4
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKB9f9mVjJU&feature=player_embedded#!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNMvZoNgPxg
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHNaMu0rjzM

    Looks like Ms Fu has her works cut out in full..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thought that was the job of another million-dollar-pensioned-economic-czar known as WKS?

      Delete
    2. Too busy solving the massive flooding in Tianjin in the Sino-SG Tianjin Eco City project after the huge rainstorm. Results of our elites "expertise" when it comes to flood prevention in our own and other cities they try to help run.

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    3. Time for our Ministers to learn chinese, the easiest ways. Maybe that stephanie underaged girl can start her own similar business, but selling "singlish" to help our new citizens integrate lah. Sure good business.

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9338297/Sexy-Mandarin-language-school-slammed-by-Chinese-feminists.html

      Delete
  2. Is that why Kee Chiu was so confident he won't exceed budget; coz he won't be there to oversee it!

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  3. Won't exceed because over budgetted. Can show how the budget was derived?

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    Replies
    1. If the PAP government wants to use the peoples' money to finance their activity they need to be accountable on how the money will be spent.

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    2. Actually i want PMO to show the after pay-cut (in Jan 2012) and after pay-rise (Aug 2012) for some of these Ministers.

      Double or triple portfolios is now the way to "fatten" the salaries now issit? How are their pay computed in such situations?

      Delete
    3. So the trick to make up for the pay-cuts was not just in the contrived bonuses. Double or triple portfolios appear to be the other mechanism.

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    4. according to the paper on ministers' pay, it doesn't matter whether they hold more than one portfolio, they are paid for just ONE - the highest portfolio they hold.

      but do double check.

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  4. PM Lee also said he will enhance social safety nets.
    Prior to that, Yaacob announced Cyber Wellness & Media Literacy Council (aka CoC in a different guise). So his 'safety nets' is for the 'internet"?!?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After his proposal for a Code of Conduct to self-regulate Singapore’s online community was shot down in flames, Yaacob Ibrahim is taking no chances. Note all members of the council are appointed by him personally, and its formation announced to Singaporeans one day before the Council sets up shot. It has all the makings of a shot-gun wedding. All these to spite WikiLeaks for the embarasssing revelations about the skeletons in his cupboard? Looks like he's the one with the need for a safety net.

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    2. The 'thought police' are on 24/7 prowl to be sure that you know how & what to think on any & every issue...If they can't convince, they control.

      Delete
  5. We should congratulate all the Ministers and MOS for their rapid rise. Hopefully, their revised salaries will be sufficient to offset the cuts they were made to suffer just a few months back.

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  6. GF must be graciously thankful to the PM that the balance is finally tilted in her favor now.
    And apparently for all the Ministers too, they have miraculously proved their "increased productivity" with/without the brompton bikes to warrant their $50 pay rise. Must be thanks in large part to the electorate who have kept them very productive. It pays to be an MP/Minister leh, better than cleaner. All you have to do is open facebook account and start your "engagement".

    What pay cut? Sure feels like a decade ago eh!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What-Talk-Her8/01/2012 9:04 PM

      //Doubtless, the extra loss of privacy, public scrutiny and loss of personal time will be more than compensated for by the elevation to a higher income bracket.//

      Can anyone tell me who is her husband. Where he works. Where her children go to school? Are they on scholarships? What brand of car she drives. How many maids she has? How much salary she lost after joining PAP. What is her bonus and salary composition after promotion. How many houses/apt she owns in Singapore and overseas. What is her personal assets currently declared before becoming a Cabinet Minister...

      Anyone knows any of these private details? Since she now got her deserving salary, the logic should follow that she is already compensated for the loss, so the trade off is to make such information public, yes?

      Delete
  7. What they give with the right, they take back with the left, same for GST vouchers followed by town council hikes, same with ministerial pay cut followed by promotions. Its a strategy they honed in the civil service. You have to admire the finger in-your-face audacity, all "fully" justified in the form of routine "reshuffle", with numerous "promotions" hidden. Wall Street bankers would blush at their ways. I cannot wait to see what the admin service pay review throws up.

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  8. Changi Motorsports Track cancelled because money no enough. Also if money enough, Sports Hub should have been ready by now, no?

    How can our talented Ministers ever select money-no-enough Builders to finance these projects ? Now who was the responsible Minister then ? Has he been sacked ?

    Meritocracy work both ways. If not up to mark, they should be sacked especially when LKY they are worth that much to be paid like that !

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  9. "same with ministerial pay cut followed by promotions."

    haha,
    that is so true. Cut their pay and then promote to restate their pay .... only the wallaby can think of such devious way and get away with it 100% scott-free and legally but they must only be in Sincity.

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  10. "Her husband should really clear the air about these unsubstantiated stories in the rumour mill. The last we want is MPs handing out Mont Blanc pens to advance their promotion prospects."

    I think the last we want is an MP citing 'loss of privacy, public scrutiny and loss of family time' to justify why she should be the next backbench MP to be promoted. PM has already hinted. I drag the days when a stomp-my-fee or non-ns-serving MP will become a cabinet too soon leh.

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  11. The public has given the beleaguered Lui Tuck Yew a helping hand right from get-go. Only one word of advice to him. Never ever let a crisis goes to waste. IS he seizing the opportunity to right the wrongs, boldly?

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  12. What's the point of rearranging the deck chairs when titanic is sinking? All very foolish really. Just let the music play till the end. Our hearts will go on.

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  13. Fool You All For 47 years8/02/2012 1:44 AM

    Now that you know my son, the PM has 'unfettered decision' to call a by-election as/when he feels like it, remember come Aug 9, hands on your heart with your third finger sticking out when you recite the "aspirational" national pledge that says "..to build a demoncratic society based on blah blah blah...".

    In short, if there are sheeps to shizzle, yup, you'll find them all here. Hard truths, I have always said.

    Remember to salute your north korean comrades as we join them in the rank as a dictator country.

    Lee Con You

    ReplyDelete
  14. All these cynicism is killing man!

    ReplyDelete