Monday, December 23, 2013

No Need For Santa

Stung by the torrent of criticism for the incongruous self-portrait taken during the state funeral of Nelson Mandela - world statesmen are not supposed to behave like giggly teenagers, taking "selfies" on their mobile phones - Denmark Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt learnt her lesson and mercifully did not post the sacrilegious picture online. Meanwhile member of parliament (Tampines GRC) Baey Yam Keng is still picking his scab of the fifty cent rose syrup drink. The local rag also failed to recognise the social media gaffe and came up with a two page spread to add insult to injury.

What we are led to believe is that a new paradigm shift has hit Sin City. It's okay to bribe, and be bribed. From discounts for hair styling to extra fish balls, if you are a "celebrity", the "c" word doesn't apply. Television and film personalities were rolled put to be quoted as being bowled over by enthusiastic givers. Significantly, the female IT vendor who purportedly begged a top uniformed civil servant to receive her oral offering was not mentioned.

Someone had set the precedent way back in 1996:
"It is a fact of life. There is no way for me or my wife having to join a queue to buy a house."
"Even if all the units were sold, they will find one unit for me, surely, and they will compensate that man with a special price at the next best building that they put up. Or Mr Ng Teng Fong would not be Mr Ng Teng Fong. So too Mr Ong Beng Seng."
(Hansard, May 21, 1996, cols 196,197)

The American multi-national we worked for had a policy, no gifts to be accepted unless it bears the engraved logo or name of the donor company. The sales person said he will lose his job if he had to take the gold Longines watch back to his boss, eager to cement the "guanxi" for a potential multi-million dollar contract. Okay, we'll take it, we told him, but we will put it under the Christmas tree for the year end party lucky draw. We don't know what a certain minister does with the giant durian log cake delivered by Goodwood Hotel this time of the year; at Chinese New Year, the usual is a pineapple tart with the diameter of a personal pizza.

Not everyone has the EQ of popular actress Michelle Chong, "When hawkers want to treat me to free food or drinks, I will insist on paying because I think they don't earn much." It's the hypocrite politicians in white you have to be careful about.

20 comments:

  1. It's poetic justice.
    It seems the million dollar salaries is expediting the brain rot of the PAP Leedership.
    It would seem LKY has planted the seeds for the demise of his PAP creation.
    Still. It must be nice to cry all the way to the bank.

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    Replies
    1. Then it is up to citizens to create an ending whereby these greedy PAP scumbags cry all the way to Changi resort hotel.

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  2. First there was a mee siam without hum followed by what S$1 abalone porridge. Then some arsehole questioned what sort of hawker, foodcourt or restaurant meal do those on PA expect ? Now we have another one trying a cheap publicity stunt to tell us how affordable our meals can be. All these events tell us how stupid or out of this world our leaders can be.

    And remember they tried to dig a hole big enough for the WP to fall for a hawker centre scandal. I suppose this is a sort of karma for our PAP leaders .... do not harm others if you don't want others to harm you ?

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  3. Did anyone ever find out if the peach garden XO chai tao kuay is really $10 (after discount)?

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  4. barbarella for PM, if we have to live in lala land, much better to have lulu make the decisions than cows, horses, crocodile tear dragons and all the pigs.

    Btw, the downtown line was down the first day - no wonder they were giving "free rides". How do one measure competence nowadays in the civil service? Over $20b for a handful of station and they failed the first day.

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  5. Only LKY can make such a defiant statement. That's because he is in control of the media and all the levers of power in the country. Would he dare to make those statements if it took place today with an active social media and an awakened public? A good parallel would be the case of Cherie Blair, the wife of the former UK PM, who obtained a discount of 20,000 pounds for each of the 2 flats she and her husband bought in Bristol in 2002. The media went to town with them and they were contrite even though no hint of corruption or wrongdoing was raised.

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    Replies
    1. Cherie Blair's discount only 20,000 pounds?
      The 12% discount given by Ong Beng Seng to Lee Hsien Loong was at least $360,000.

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    2. But they eventually gained a lot more than the discounts when they sued the politicians who tried to make an issue of it during the hustings.

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    3. The 360K discount from Ong Beng Seng to Lee Hsien Loong was a letdown when the deal should have been "buy one get one free" for the father and son. Let's not forget how many times more the family members of OBS, KwekLB, NgTF, etc will benefit from the removal of estate duty.....courtesy of oldfart and son.

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    4. Teh Cheang Wan the ex PAP housing development minister who committed suicide because of corruptly taking bribes will be rolling in his grave knowing his last honourable act was all for nothing, especially when the Lee family members themselves have been the biggest hypocrites.

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  6. misiam-mai-ham & si-ham-longchong-chiat are brothers

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  7. Why did the chicken cross the road?

    Vivian Balakrishnan:
    It is clearly an ungrateful Singaporean chicken. What more does he want? Three meals in a hawker centre, foodcourt or restaurant?

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    Replies
    1. Totally despicable, heartless comment which shall haunt him for the rest of his life.

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    2. Tin Pei Ling:
      I don't know what to say.

      Teo Chee Hean:
      What do you think?

      Delete
    3. Why did the chicken cross the road?

      Teo Chee Hean:
      We sent the chicken across the road because we wanted to send a strong signal that Singapore would not “tolerate actions by anyone which threaten law and order.”

      Delete
  8. 2011 elections, not many people realised that their CPF could be gone forever, then after 2011, with three successive by elections and presidential election, their support kept dropping by the days, as more people realised the seriousness of their CPF and importation of foreigners affecting their life and their life savings(CPF)?

    More and more people realised that their CPF were be locked up for life and gone forever? The retirement age could go higher and higher from 65 to 68 to 70 to 72 and the minimium lock up sum is going higher and higher from $138K to $148K to $168K and $188K?

    The main party could be voted out in 2016 with the increasing importation of foreigners affecting the older citizens and newer citizens and job losing and depressing pays?

    More and more new citizen is not supporting the main party as in the Punggol East by election? The oppositions is intensify talking to the new citizen and explained to them, so many are won over?

    The oppositions parties is getting more organised and united, and more and more better quality, highly qualify coming forward to serve the oppositions with the heart to serve the people which give the main party the run for their money?

    They are intensifying going around talking to more people and door to door discussion with the residents, earlier and earlier, which all the oppositions parties discuss the health and CPF together in a meeting, and more to come and explaining to the residents the CPF and integrity issues and the importation of foreigners affecting the life and their children life? Which many could be not so understanding of the issues earlier? 2016 the main party could be voted out?

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  9. Against titan, the mighty propaganda machinery and various machinery used by the main party, the oppositions learn to be more united and reduced the difference?

    In recent health meeting all the opposition parties came together to discuss on how to face the challenge in the future and learn from each other?

    The oppositions can't afford not to be united, which they stand little chances success if they are not united against the titan? The are learning to be more corroborative? Intensifying meeting the people and more regular consultation with the people?

    The oppositions will be in huge disadvantage, if they don't co operate and united?

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    Replies
    1. As long as Sinkies wise enough to be be anti-PAP and always vote Opposition, for sure we can get back our CPF money.

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