Institute of Policy Studies’ Gillian Koh expects the ruling party to campaign on the “foundational” pillar of good governance. Another academic from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Department of Political Science said that while numbers can be trotted out to show there have been improvements since the 2011 GE — such as more flats constructed, reduced inflow of foreign workers — it is harder to convince people over “intangibles” such as one’s sense of job security, and the perception of being squeezed out by foreigners.
It is easier to spot the tangibles, such as when residents at Pasir Ris ONE discovered that the corridors were only 1.2m wide, the bare minimum required under the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) rules. No one has yet come forth to accuse the developers, SingHaiyi Group and Kay Lim Holdings, of grossly profiteering from the BCA loophole. Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who helms the BCA, is unlikely to order a probe into their books.
It is also difficult to prove that the mother of all issues, liberal immigration policies, is the root cause of lost jobs, transportation woes and unaffordable housing. Opposition members in parliament may question what accounts for the drastic fall in job growth from 28,300 jobs in Q1 2014 and 40,700 jobs in Q4 2014 to just 300 jobs in Q1 2015, but transparent answers may not be forthcoming. It is cold comfort that the union leader turned Manpower Minister, Lim Swee Say, declared aloud in parliament, "Our aim is to moderate the inflow of foreign manpower, at a pace that we can accommodate." In other words, the onerous strain in infrastructure which we have been putting up with, is here to stay. That's the stark future for the next generation, if the incumbents are allowed to have their pace of governance.
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As usual, Tatler is the best!
ReplyDeleteYup, and right off the bat at RI polling station, LHL went to the wrong entrance and have to back trace and re- enter the right door. How familiar is that?
ReplyDeletePlenty of whites at the centres. Must be 7th ghost month.
DeleteBishan team Ng Eng Heng was booed so loudly.
DeleteMy bet is that this one will have a good fight.
Nothing like a defeat to the Minister of Defence and TRansport Jo to send a clear message.
How come these white supporters no need to work one huh? They must be either very wealthy or very corrupt ? Or maybe just well incentivized hor?
DeleteOverheard ;-
DeleteReporter - what are your hopes for today's nomination day?
PAP - A walkover
Fortunately for him, the war is on :-)
Please vote like its 1963..all wards are contested!!
Sembawang team must be really desperate to have to activate the PCF kindergarten kids to form an welcome line for the PAP team. Utterly shameless not only to milk the VWO old aged home for their candidates introduction, now they use children to brainwash them for their Hitlerian party!!?
DeleteSunk to the lowest , they are. IF I were the parents of any of the school kids present there, the teachers will kena from me jailat jialat.
Lim Swee Say has no idea how to undo this 2/3 gibberish. His No change but Big change is just another slick slogan, full of hollowness.
ReplyDeleteAsk them - 2/3 of what? Of the full population 5.6m ?
Of the 3.5m Residents (including SGP +PRs)?
Of the 2.4m singaporeans adult voters cum workers.?
The look at the number that are already here? !!
Singaporeans are not stupid as they see it everyday at their workplace lah. How do you get an inexperienced non private sector who has never once worked a day of their life I private sector to solve your problems?
Go read the July 18 2015 edition of economist on population.
DeleteAlso this one
http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21662576-fifty-years-ruling-party-looks-secure-lee-side
I have no issue with PAP winning. In fact I hope they win. But the issue is how many seats. My ideal is below 75%. The magic figure is important to send a warning to PAP cohort that they should not take people for granted. If there is a need to change a policy, it better be for the good of the general public. Debate the issue and win over the support of opposition MPs.
ReplyDelete75% or you mean 55%? The first may give them swollen head and pride and more reason to take you for granted since you already endorse them overwelmingly.
DeleteRemember at 60% they could still push through PWP and treat us as noises
Let me break down the maths for those still uncertain. If you belong in the camp of those who still wants PAP to govern 2/3 then the worst case scenario is this.
DeleteAssuming voters vote in ALL of WP sale of 28 candidates (is a big IF), PAP still rules.
Assuming voters vote in ALL of WP slate of 28 candidates , plus 12 other Oppo from other oppositions (say 2grcs and 1-3 SMCs), that is still only total of 40 seats. That still leave 59 seats and pap still rules.
There is more than enough buffer and freak election is highly unlikely. So the people should gar gar Dao and help build a credible altermative government. Who is to say our next PM is not in the current crops of Oppo leaders?
Use your levers strategically and smartly. The older generations may still vote for nostalgia and sentimentality, but the younger and Mid class must start ensuring their Plan B for their own survival.
Another 5 years for LHL is a clear mandate for his 6.9m population and GDP growth. He governs from the top of his pyramid and whether it's singaporeans or PRs or immigrants, it makes no difference to him.
People shud not have high hopes, everyone thought after GE2011, things would change. Well, GE2011 was a shocker to them alright: it caused LKY, MBT, WKS to leave. But even that was insufficient to derail their "core policies" on population, pro-business, pro-profit, pro-FT, an essentially GLC-led economy and anti-free speech agenda. Catherine Lim has little background in how the government works: it is not the politicians who set national agenda, it is the civil service. Unless you throw out the entire level at the top of the civil service like Margaret Thatcher or Ronald Reagan, no major changes to national policies like population, transport, CPF, taxation, education, healthcare would be possible. Inertia cannot be fought that easily. Our system is essentially the same as the UK system, and to give an example of the unchanging nature of UK national policies : despite changes from right to left and back to right in UK politics over the last 30 years from John Major to Blair to brown and now back right to David Cameron of the conservatives, UK policies in all major areas like defence, economics, privatization of state enterprises, taxation, transport, education, NIH, remained largely unchanged for the last 30 years, with only minor budgetary tweaks hear and there. So those thinking another few GRCs will force major changes of this or that policy, I say sorry people, akan datang...
DeleteAnon 3:24pm. So your suggestion is to let the status quo to continue or better still let PAP a clean sweep since any additional oppo MPs is not going to change anything.
DeleteAnd all these while we were thinking some of the 'positive changes' since was because of 2011 GE.
You got to be naive to buy into PAP crap that more oppositions in Parliament will not effect policy changes,
To 3:24pm, so what makes you think a Margaret thatcher or Ronald Reagan revamp is not possible if a change of new govt were to take place?
DeleteBesides, UK has deep hundred of years of history. We on,y have 50 years and as a small nation, the oppty for us to be nimble to change is far related than a big country like UK across isles that are already entrenched. And given your pessimism with those institution aliased civil servants, then more reasons voters like you should vote against PS or PPS types that are coming into parliament I. The droves as we are witnessing now. They lack private sectors experience and Teo Chee Hian who has done nothing but increasing their pay rise every years without fail is the sure way to bankrupt us quicker than Vivian Bala can spell Greece!
If East Coast becomes a WP ward after GE2015, 55% win for PAP might be a possibility.
ReplyDeleteThe arrogance of the whites is just too suffocating. 6.9million population PWP is pushing too far, not to mention 10million which LTK was garnering for.
There has been enough warnings.
ReplyDeleteAnd not much has been heeded.
If they require warnings each time, then it says much about their attitudes and mindsets.
We begin from a position of strength and confidence.
No warnings.
No messages
No repent.
We want more voices in parliament and that is it.
The voters must remember, it is the people's will that counts, not the PAPs will.
ReplyDeleteThe mother of ALL problems is very well summarized over here. Educate yourself.
http://xuyun74.blogspot.sg
There are 10 local newspapers.
ReplyDelete9 tv channels
19 radio stations
ALL are controlled by PAP and will do its bidding for them to brainwash the citizens.
Be careful with what you read and hear.
Be discerning.
Year by year, we will improve your lives, even if you jeer against us, we will improve your lives.”//
ReplyDeleteHow come that kind of bullshit is coming from Ng Eng Heng?
We the peasants have been saying that to him and his millionaire ministers,!!! What improvements is he talking about? Removing town council grants? Removing the accounting software paid for by residents after losing and handover ? Delaying upgrades? Denying facilities?
PAP damn cunning. For some petty excuse, they hold back the grants as if the money belong to PAP. And then accuse their agents of gross profiteering which they never reveal their own crony companies like AIM since their own scandals never saw the light of the day, probably whitewashed with their own pappy soap powder.
ReplyDeleteI guess the biggest profiteering must come from HDB when they linked the selling price to the market value of resale flats. For those who purchased their BTO flats during the Horse Minister, they must be cursing him for paying an additional premium in order not to raid our future reserves.
Not that the Cow Minister is any better because he still has not reveal to us how our HDB can run annual deficits purportedly for HDB flat subsidies resulting from buying expensive land from SLA ?
I suppose all these half-truths and doubtful virtual subsidies can also be classified as the 'good governance" of PAP ?
I will never vote for a graceless clueless arrogant aristocrat and his bunch of servile eunuchs. They love to tout their past records. There is a saying that past performance is no guarantee of future results. However, in this case, the past decade of this administration's record IS an indication of what will happen if they continue to run this country.
ReplyDeleteThere is a price that they have to pay:
For pushing through the Population White Paper
For inadequate infrastructure and opening the floodgate
For making this the most expensive city in the world
For eroding the Singapore core
For the pursuit of GDP growth at any cost
For the widespread cronyism and nepotism.
For the neglect of the poor and less well off
For all the arrogance, hubris, hypocrisy and duplicity
For being non-transparent and unaccountable
For the loss of our heritage sites and green spaces
For political repression and playing dirty politics
......ad nauseum
Vote wisely so that we can have our country back....with our people, for our people, for Singapore.
After what lao goa did between 1990 to 2004 by sneaking in 1.4 millions foreigners ( an increase of almost 50% of the population from 3 million in 1990 to 4.4 million by 2004 ), the trust of the garment is long gone ......
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous 9/01/2015 10:23 PM
ReplyDelete//To 3:24pm, so what makes you think a Margaret thatcher or Ronald Reagan revamp is not possible if a change of new govt were to take place?//
Be mindful of the tactic of deflecting responsibilities and blaming any other people but themselves.
This is a typical textbook method to abdicate / run away after screwing up big time ....
When you see such arguments, the more distrust you have of those responsible for the malaise in the economy and finances and the plight of many people in the midst.
When a woman has to resort to the world's oldest and primitive occupation to make a living, she has run out of almost all other options.
DeleteWhen a nation has to turn to vices to licence gambling dens ( albeit giant ones ) in their backyards in 2005 after years of boasting world best talents, you need to wonder what were the 2nd generation aristocrats such as lao goa, gerogie, the horse minister, kfc etc and the 3rd generation aristocrats such as the "almost invincible" multi-million salary MTI guy, big nose, botak, etc etc doing in the cabinet between 1990 to 2004?
The 2nd and 3rd generations aristocrats have screwed sinkies badly.
DeleteMany policies are unsustainable. ....
Even in the financial sector.
The old practice of "dealing in illicit trades such as the smuggling of certain goods through sinkieland in the 50s and 60s or modern days hiding of illicit monies from rampant corruption by foreign officials in their own countries" is probably coming to an end with the international institutions tightening of many regulations.
When the tide recede, you will know who are swimming naked.
When the chips are down, you know who are the "hot airs" propagating and perpetuating all the bs about their super talents in order to help themselves to multi-million remunerations and also ramp down sinkies throats blood sucking policies such as COEs, ERPs. ....
Many policies they claimed for the good of sinkies and sinkieland don't square.
DeleteWhen you first heard Roy's arguments about the many policies since 1990 to screw sinkies, at first they sounded a bit too harsh.
But when you put the figures ( datas ), empirical and anecdotal evidences together, the pictures and patterns of policies to suck the blood out of sinkies become very clear, with almost total disregard of sinkies future prospects and livelihoods.
Though not all of Roy's assertions of the evil people's doings are exactly precise, the trend and pattern of systematic and premeditated intent to suck the blood out of sinkies is unmistakable.
DeleteTake the example of the highly unpopular indirect car taxes such as the 100% to 120% import excise tax, 500% to 900% COEs ( a form of indirect taxation on vehicles OMVs ), high running cost such as ERPs, road tax, high fuel tax, exorbitant parking charges, draconian laws and punitive fines for minor parking offences all over the island etc etc.
The policy of the Certificate of Entitlement ( COE ) for vehicles were ramped through in 1990 based on the argument of regulating smooth traffic flow on the streets.
If it stops there from the supply perspective of instituting quotas to limit car growth, then maybe it makes sense for sinkies and an accepted price to pay for economic efficiency of less congested roads.
DeleteHowever, behind sinkies back, what were the 2nd generation aristocrats such as lao goa, then transport minister Mr Horse ...... etc doing?
For those with some simple knowledge of economics, it is quite obvious and simply ripping off of sinkies by the aristocrats.
If congestion and incessant demand for car ownership was the concern, the equation of the COE policy, ERP policy and generally the entire vehicle population policy do not square!
DeleteThe clues and reasons of such warped and outright sinister policies to exploit sinkies to the max are mentioned above.
DeleteSinkies are quite straight people and most learn through spoon feeding by the system as practised in current MOE teaching and learning mode of note based pedagogy ( which is highly flawed )!
So as a simple exercise, please link up the various reasons why all the vehicle population policies do not square up as propagated by the aristocrats. ....
If after being pulled wool over the eyes and sold a less than real intent of many policies for 25 years since 1990 and sinkies still did not realise being misled, the aristocrats must have done a great job of educating, training and brainwashing sinkies intellect such that sinkies only hear, see and think what the aristocrats want sinkies to .....
DeleteIt is almost very, very depressing talking about the plight of sinkies and the viciousness of the policies intents of those devious, evil aristocrats ......
How can the trust between sinkies and the aristocrats be in existence when aristocrats screwed sinkies badly behind their back systematically over 25 years in a very orderly, coordinated and premeditated modus operandi and mechanism?
Does the booing and jeering happen overnight?
DeleteWhy the booing and jeering?
Do you boo and jeer someone like your parents who have brought you up?
Or you boo and jeer at some sick, sinister, evil, devious, hypocritical people who screwed you up badly behind your back?
In sinkies case, their future and their children's future are probably badly screwed for a long time to come ......
The daily living testimonies of countless sinkies children mindlessly going through their academic years are proof that something is not right!
DeleteThe endless daily living testimonies and anecdotal/ empirical evidences of many sinkies later in life being displaced and retrenched abruptly, brutally and unfairly in their early 40s onwards are proof that something is not very right!
The many testimonies and anecdotal/ empirical evidences that those who replaced and stole sinkies jobs were half past six or fake cresentials FTs are proof something is not very right!
The many testimonies and anecdotal/ empirical evidences of age 40s and above sinkies struggling to eke out a dignified living as taxi drivers, security guards in arguably their best years in life between 40 to 65, are proof that sinkies meaning, value ( and usefulness ) in life as far as the aristocrats are concerned are mere economics digits ( and slaves and oranges to be discarded when they are fully juiced and left to rot and die ).
DeleteThe many testimonies and anecdotal/ empirical evidences of very experienced, educated and capable sinkies in their 40s onwards being underemployed or unemployed or even out of the work force are proof that something is not very right!
The many testimonies and anecdotal/ empirical evidences that such are huge economics wastages, massive mis-allocation of resources, massive economics inefficiencies borned out of sinister policies to depress wages, control sinkies, inflate and support sky high properties prices through leg open wide wide policies are proof something is not very right!
Hopefully sinkies can figure out on their own, without spoon feeding as practised all these years in MOE education system, why the aristocrats are systematically doing all these vicious things to sinkies either openly, blatantly in front of them or secretly, covertly behind their backs?
DeleteWhat are the outcomes right in front of their eyes?
For many sinkies, life between baby to 23 or 25 is like going in circles revolving around study, tuition and conveyor-belt production, oops education system.
For many sinkies, life is work from 23 or 25 till 40 and working life ends there!
DeleteFrom 41 to 65, for many sinkies, they considered themselves fortunate that they are not bossed and pushed around by fake credentials 3rd world FTs, by driving taxis and performing low end security guards jobs or simply staying unemployed.
From 66 to 85 or 95, sinkies considered themselves so lucky to have a world class system to prolong their lives. In addition, the world class social system provide trampoline ( botak's version of old age support ) and card board and tin cans collection as exercise and earn programme ( social affairs minister's genius version of gracious amd dignified aging )!
The biggest problem is we have seniors amongst us who loyally and blindly hail the PAP for building roads and infrastructure in Singapore.
ReplyDeleteYears of suffering are forgotten when they get taken in by the small handouts and CHAS medical subsidies which they don't realise are just a fraction of what the government should be covering as a basic requirement by other countries' standards.
The billions the govt have in reserves are our tax money which we have all contributed and which we only receive in drips and drabs.
How do we even convince these senior minds over what has been programmed for generations.
Ride on coattails and these MIW are guaranteed $192 thousand a year at least!!
ReplyDeleteAnd here they are, once in 5 yrs standing for election trying to prove their worth. This is equivalent to a 360 degree job appraisal.
Please wake up and give them a FAIL for making us loose our jobs to foreigners in our PMET jobs.
Our jobs are at risk, not because of our inadequate skills or experience, but because Filipinos and PRCs who are cheaper vouch they can do our jobs and do it better.
That's gratitude to our pioneer generation for their sweat and blood and they treat their younger generation this way. I say we VTO!!
"It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."
ReplyDeleteJoseph Stalin