For starters, the bruising battles of the by-elections in Hougang (May 2012) and Punggol East (January 2013). Latter was triggered by a taste for mangoes, a very senior foreign affairs official would later be felled by pineapple tarts.
The sharpest recession since independence in 2008 when economic growth bottomed to 1.8 percent, and further shrunk another 0.6 percent in 2009. And that's not even accounting for the millions lost by Town Council mayors in flaky investment schemes.
Despite nation wide concerns about the detrimental social impact of gambling - and even disgruntled mutterings from cabinet members within - the go-ahead was given for Marina Bay Sands (May 2006) and Resorts World Sentosa (Dec 2006) casinos.
With the richer getting richer, Gini coefficient careened from 0.464 in 2004 to 0.489 in 2007. Here's why: "In fact , if I can get another 10 billionaires to move to Singapore and set up their base here, my Gini coefficient will get worse but I think Singaporeans will be better off".
Then the mother of mayhem with the population bloat of 4,166,700 (2004) to 5,399,200 (2013), giving rise to a myriad of shortages relating to transport, housing, healthcare, jobs and education. Topped off by the the Population White Paper target of 6.9m population by 2030.
The fireworks that rounded off the sorry decade were train breakdowns, riot at Little India, bus strikes and sex and corruption scandals involving "incorruptible" elites. Lest we forget, there's also this lawsuit against a health worker that opened up the Pandora's Box of the Central Provident Fund which turns out to have severely debilitating and far-reaching effects.
In retrospect, those with hindsight (which the guy obviously lacks) would have predicted the inevitable. Here's why: "Suppose you had 10, 15, 20 opposition members in Parliament. Instead of spending my time thinking what is the right policy for Singapore, I'm going to spend all my time thinking what's the right way to fix them, to buy supporters votes."
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For Pinky's 1st decade as PM, I will rate him "Failed". 1st reason, he is the first PM who divide the country into true blue singaporeans and imported FT. 2nd, he divide the country into 60% and 40%, 3rd, he made life misery for his people. 4th, he lose a GRC.............
ReplyDeleteYes, the recent PGP is one way the PAP is trying to buy votes from our senior citizens. Lest we forget, those foreigners who got citizenship only in 1984 are also classified as "pioneers" so that they can also get to dip their hands in the cookie jar while we citizens for three over decades are considered outcast.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention it was a first that our President got booed and our PAP got fucked ? Many thanks to our PM spending his expensive time fixing the opposition & buying supporters votes instead of fixing the problems ?
ReplyDeleteOne more thing the money to buy supporters votes comes from our hard earned CPF earnings ? Maybe Roy should pose him this question ?
It is also a challenge for most S'poreans as well. To get on the train, to hold on to the job with measly pay, to have understanding bosses, to pass IPPT, to go for ICT without blackface employers, to register your child in Pri school, not to see SO MANY foreigners etc etc. The only difference is that pinkie is very well rewarded. I demand results.
ReplyDeleteOf course fail lah.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't even have a heart gracious enough to accommodate his own party seniors like Dr. Tan Cheng Bok, do you think he will treat lowly Singaporeans with a big enough heart ?
What has TCB done for us? He is no different from those NMPs. His only contribution in parliament is free parking. He has been accessory to the familee by not playing his part as an MP and keeping silent on many issues. If you are looking for a good doctor, yes, please go visit him. If you are looking for a president that will speak up for you, no, I don't think he qualify.
DeleteI agree with anon 12:39. TCB has been given too much credit as if he alone had taken on the party on unfair politicies while he MP. Has he spoken out when those political opponents who were bankrupted, exiled or jailed, many on flmsy excuses?
DeleteExcept for being outspoken in Parliament, TCB was just another Pappie
Agree with both 12:39 and 1:23. Tan Cheng Bock is overrated. He is a chip of the old bock.
DeleteTan Jee Say for President.
DeleteYes!
Martyn See for President, Dr Chee appointed CP with ISD under his charge, Ravi the CJ with Tan WahPiow returning to serve as AG, and of course I should head the political garbage disposal ministry.....
DeleteTCB forgot to keep on licking boots, like Chandra Das does. Not only is the latter not investigated for the A.I.M.-gate, he is even awarded a NDP medal!
ReplyDeleteCome on, Chandra is just a pawn in the grand scheme of things. You really think it is his idea to set up AIM? Why don't you look at the mastermind behind him.
DeleteAll of them are licking boots, just that some lick in the wrong direction. Ask NMP Tan.
DeleteEugene Tan is a double headed snake. A person without stand. Glad he is booted out.
DeleteChandra Das is neither a pawn nor general, just another lucky opportunist feeding off a system built by a tyrant who cannot accept no from his subordinates and theerfore ended up with a nation of yes men and women. before yoiu lash at me, understand that much as old fart wanted to, he was never, intellectually, superior to GKW, TCC and SR, they never considered themselves his subordinates, never accepted the empress' inteference. With the passing of the first generation, the tyrant ran his show, and we ended up with a nation of yes men and women, no rocking the boats, no accountability, hide behind their "law", kick the can, groupthink. Seat warmer peanut man was poor and took 2 terms just to learn public speaking. Pinkie was pandering more to the senior civil servants to buy their support more than pandering to the people. he had no legitimacy, the only way to build a power base was to allow million dollar salaries, and that was how greed over took the system.
DeleteRemember the minister who cried when he was dropped from the GE2011 lineup. Was he licking boots after that because he was appointed to a sinecure to chair meetings in the Familee's hedge fund?
ReplyDeleteMentioned it in " defense" of the PM too many times. Being an Artillery trained man, where there are no Front Sights as on an Assault Rife, having no Foresight should be " excusable ", right ?
ReplyDeleteis it ''foresight'' to build homes, hospitals and public transport to cater to a million plus pple you bring in? or is it ''common sense'' and a basic sense of responsibility?
Deleteand I haven't gone into the social aspects of things yet, which needs a basic understanding of humans.
neither have I touched on a sense of belonging and rootedness, which need visual landmarks rather than some new useless bldg like project jewel. no word too about the wastefulness of resources, people, talent beyond academic areas, buildings.... aiyah, everything lah
Being a military man, this guy should know what is a gabra king. How do you have foresight or common sense when your brain is on a high with the GDP steroid?
DeleteCame across this writeup on "Non Technical Competency" ( NTC ) assessment whereby you are graded as inadequate, adequate, expected standard, above expected standard.
DeleteAfter 10 years at the helm, how will you guys grade the PAP leaders starting with Hsien Loong in terms of a) Leadership, b) Situation awareness, c) Decision making, d) Threat and error management, e) Professional discipline, f) Communication...?
Personally I am convinced he is inadequate in all categories, even grossly inadequate for leadership.
The junior Lee is still operating under senior Lee's overpowering shadow. He is not "his own person" governing S'pore. The senior Lee's legacy is too restraining. S'pore will only captures the world's imagination if someone not from the Lee's mould will arise and take charge and chart S'pore on a Renaissance path uniquely Singaporean! Who will arise?
ReplyDeleteSo he is hinting what grade to give him during his coming 2016 exam? :F)
ReplyDelete