Tuesday, February 4, 2014

It Is The System Now

Credit should always be given where credit is due. And Mr Lye deserves to be thanked for highlighting the fact that disputes over hawker centre cleaning and trade fairs are attributable to politicisation of grassroots organisations. It's an anomaly we have lived with for so long, we forget it's an aberration in civil society - People's Action Party (PAP) members of parliament (MP)s are appointed grassroots advisers, but opposition MPs are not. Even when in wards where the PAP incumbent has long been kicked out of the turf.

Sylvia Lim was once a police officer and a practising lawyer. She should appreciate the ruckus some picky law enforcer could kick up over a safety issue such as anchoring a tentage rope to a railing instead of a proper peg in the ground. The terminology in the Town Councils Act clearly spells out obstruction and safety risks. The kind of construction and safety risks that, when not properly paid heed to, left one foreign worker dead and 10 others injured at the Palawan Beach worksite on Sentosa island. The death of the worker at Sentosa brings the number of fatalities at worksites to nine this year. Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin warned that irresponsible contractors who cut (safety) corners will face harsh penalties under the law, including imprisonment.

The Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) duly served notice of the infringement to the Kovan Mechants' Association. Not surprisingly, the response came not from the Kovan Merchants, but a chairman of the Bedok-Reservoir-Punggol Citizen Consultative Committee (CCC). And not just any chairman, but the one who assumed the PAP chairmanship from ousted George Yeo, who was so forcibly ejected by the electorate, the trajectory propelled him all the way to Hongkong. For a classic example of politicisation in print, don't miss out on Lye's letter to the forum (ST Tues 4 Feb).

For further clarification of the status quo, Baey Yam Keng will be more than glad to oblige, "And you have to take my word for that because I know more than you on CCC.”

20 comments:

  1. What do you expect when LKY proclaimed the PAP is Singapore and Singapore is the PAP? I will not be surprised if Lye is fielded in the next GE. Loyalty has its rewards.

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  2. It was reported that whence Acting Minister Tan Chuan Jin visited a worksite, many safety lapses were detected. Me was kind of wondering and asking myself; had he not visited, will the lapses be discovered. And who discovered the Lapses? Minister Tan himself?

    There thousands of ongoing projects, will the Minister visit them to ensure there are no lapses? Or was he lucky to have visited one for him to find those reported lapses?

    Are the System in place and working as desired.

    patriot

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    1. Nothing else but WAYANG. It is a common knowledge that when a VIP visiting a place, the running dogs would have rackie the place, tell people what to say and what not to bring out. White wash the place and paint all walls with new paint. It reminds me of Mao when visiting countryside to see how well the farmers did, party leaders have to ask farmers to lay on the ground with hands holding a ripen bunch of rice stocks, giving the Chairman a visual effect that fields are productive under his leadership. Same old same old.

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  3. What business does this Mr Lye of CCC has in a ward fought hard for and won by Opposition Party? Should all citizens' concerns be addressed to AHPETC and handled by them instead? Afterall, the electorate there gave them the winning votes to govern.

    Why are we even allowing ANY losing party to self-appoint GROs and CCC and any other simi-sai de facto titles they want to lavish upon themselves on the ground?

    Get out and stay out and stop stirring the pot between parties and using the electorates as your chips. I find it amazing that he can outline how' much of $ is spent on tender and projects to "supporters" . Why dont all the CCC island wide run by PAP also give me a similar report of how much tender / projects goes to their "supporters" , or will they say "legitimate SME businesss"?!!

    What a farking hypocrite.

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    1. Yes. Hypocrites of the highest order.

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    2. "Why are we even allowing ANY losing party to self-appoint GROs and CCC and any other simi-sai de facto titles they want to lavish upon themselves on the ground?"

      Why? Simple Watson.... They are the de facto rulers for the last fifties years, Sinkies consistently voted for them and will remain de facto rulers long after we leave this world.

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  4. Pinky has said if opposition got voted in he will spend time fixing them rather than devising policies for the nation and old man warns Aljunied voters live and repent for the next 5 years if they vote in WP.

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    1. GCT promised us "Swiss Gracious Living" - He kept his promised and if Pinky says what he'll do, you bet he will do it just as they did in Potong Pasir, remember?

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    2. So can we conclude that because we now have more opposition MPs, PM is now busy spending his expensive time to fix opposition rather than fixing problems ?

      So is that why we are having so many MRT breakdowns ever since they lost Aljunied to the opposition?

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  5. I simply agree with Lye says, or was it Lie. Anyway he claims $26 million of contracts were given to close WP supportors. I am sure when the contract to AIM was given, it was not because there were closely related to PAP but were infact the most obvious candidate given their $2 set up and complete lack of experience.

    Well if Lye can any decently he should categorically deny that such practice has never happened in any PAP wards, PA , RC or CCC. Then he should call for the books to be opened with a freedom on information act in place. Plus ask the so called uncorrupted MIW to declare theirs and their family's estate or at the best still reinstate the estate duty before the old mental coward dies. Otherwise keep the shut up.

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  6. The frustuations to be built up all the way to 2016, and we should give credits to those responsible for all their holy actions so far, and may be, just may be, for someone to come forward and apologise.....uniquely Singapore!

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  7. Mr Lie. The name says it all.

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    1. it does rhyme with POPE and Simony.

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  8. Most of us should recognise this as political mudslinging that does not benefit the people. Two things can happen. 1) People get disgusted and cause the ruling party to lose even more support. 2) Impatient Singaporeans get tired of the delays and inconvenience caused by all this bickering and decide not to vote for the opposition.

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  9. In Gee we trust.

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  10. When I read his letter to forum, there is only one thing going through my mind - who does this guy think he is? Not even an elected MP. More like a thug exploiting his powerful connection.

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  11. Who is the "stupid fool" who concoct the post of an "Advisor" who is rejected/unelected by the electorate, who is more powerful than an legitimately elected opposition MP. Where is the "Just & democratic society" enshrined in our Pledge. Intransigent fools/stooges all of them!!

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  12. With people like Lye Lie Ly around, PAP's public image will go further down the drain.

    So let's hope more PAP's running dogs will continue to ruin PAP eventually.

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  13. No, we do not forget any anomaly in our society, such as the no upgrading for non-PAP wards, or the libel suits to stifle dissent. The public is by and large a fair-minded lot, and despicable attempts at fixing the opposition or low down politicisation of the grassroots organisations will alienate most decent people. If the regime hasn't learned this by now, that we are not as daft as they think, then it will have a rude awakening at the polls. It will reap what it sows.

    Proverbs 22:8 - Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.

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    1. We appear to have a morally bankrupt government, to stoop to such reprehensible tactics to gain political advantage.

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