Even blue-nosed matrons will empathise when an upset Ms Sue warded off the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP)'s relentless enthusiasm for a stroke-by-stroke account of the in-vehicle gymnastics with: "I can't remember. I don't want to remember." The DPP isn't the only one inordinately fixated with an immoderate or unwholesome interest on anatomical matters. Our so called journalists also had a field day with headlines like "Woman had 'high degree of contact' with at least four officers". And we thought the court hearing was about corruption, you know, bribery, kickback, or, in the Middle East, baksheesh.
With all the sensationalism in the front pages, it is easy to miss that poor manufacturing output is heralding a technical recession. Instead of the anticipated 1 percent expansion in industrial production, output slumped by 2.3 percent. This adds to the bad news of the 11 percent fall in exports in August, and the 2.9 percent drop in retail sales. Even the hallowed gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.7 percent in the April-June quarter.
It's one thing deflect from ill tidings - hence the series of salacious stories in the pipeline - it's another to make up for the numbers (spoiler alert: GDP bonus at stake!). But who would have thought they'll pick on the hawker center cleaning fees? The National Environment Agency (NEA) hiked the Holland Village Market and Food Centre monthly charges from $240 to $614. NEA claims the new rates are attributable to higher wages for cleaners - the same lowly paid workers who were denied the pay rise proposed by Lim Chong Yah - and training costs incurred by accredited contractors. The cleaning services of the 107 hawker centers and markets managed by the NEA are outsourced to NEA's contractors. Since our cleaning auntie probably won't be enjoying a near 3-fold jump in her pathetic takings, the cut is obviously going into the wrong pockets. Follow the money, and we may get to see what corruption is really like.
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So the money trail is as follows:
ReplyDeletea. SIngaporeans complain too much FT; Prof Lim and yeoh Lam Keong say cleaners pay be doubled! Garmen agree to pay cleaners $50 more
b. Garmen decides punish all Singaporeans, so they levy higher Town Council fees, NEA doubles hawker centre cleaning fees, MND raise property development fees - reason: no more FT, so contractors must be paid more - YOU ASKED FOR IT, WE FIX IT
c. Of the increases, 50% goes to garmen's pocket, 40% into contractors pocket, cleaners get windfall $50 salary increase but forego all garmen "subsidies"
d. Employers proceed to buy 3rd Mercedes, 2nd BMW, another landed property, boosting retail sales in 4th quarter
e. GDP tops miraculously exceeds target. Top senior civil servants and PAP ministers get GDP bonus.
QED.
Good analysis. You have the insight.
DeleteThat's what we called the leegalised corruption!..KNN
DeleteIs like forcing our heads to suck their teeny pricks ...that's what the 60% of voters have done to themselves and everyone else.
That, I believe, sadly, is the story of Stinkapore.
DeleteIncredible that we had untrained cleaners operating out there.
ReplyDeleteAlso, isn't govt sponsoring the bill for training? It says that it does these things? What is the subsidy?
How long do these courses take? What exactly is being taught? What kind of difference will the trained cleaners make? Where are the teachers from? How much will each cleaner's pay be raised? Can we have a breakdown of how the extra $380 or so per hawker each month will be spent?
Hawkers have the right to know as they are paying. NEA & contractor owe them an explanation.
Delete@Also, isn't govt sponsoring the bill for training?
ReplyDeleteYes,the gahment loves it when it comes to training sinkies.Their job fair is never short of training first,irregardless of experience.A few years ago,before the "cleaner's training scam" was exposed,was told of a cleaner's training session conducted at my neighbor's blocks.About 30 plus aunties and uncles.was told when ask about the training,one uncle said,"don't know lah,green bootle mix half blue bootle then pour into red bootle!This is what uncle understood after $3500 cleaner's chemical course.well,for the gather uncle ...there is a $50 "allowance".
Numbers do not add up. If monthly charges for Holland V Mkt is raised about 2.5 times, are the cleaners pay raised by corresponding percentage or are there others expenses layered into the monthly charges imposed on the hawkers. It is their perogative to ask for transparency into the charges levied. Just as S'poreans have a right to certain information/data, instead of being told what is good and right for us.
ReplyDeleteSuspect bulk of it goes to the frequently touted "training/upgrading".
DeleteSo do tell, what exactly will the cleaners be trained and do differently in their new cleaning role that gives them only $50 increase, while giving NEA and its crony contractors x2.5 increase? When your middlemen starts to make more money than it deserve, this is when you call for transparent model, like DELL, go direct!! NEA owes the hawkers an explanation. If they don't, I am sure the consumers will be hard hit by $8 wanton mee. So we might as well demand you come clean with your arithmetics.
Reported in ST: "Asked if the NEA had consulted the hawkers on the new contracts, which were inked in December, the spokesman said no".
ReplyDeleteInformed hawkers 26th Sep, increase charges 1st Oct. 28 stalls signed a petition to NEA, up until yesterday no response. At a food centre next door they pay $8 - $10 per day. They don't open they don't pay.
Why must the increase be from $240 to $614? Why?
This PAP is root of problems. Say one thing do another.
ReplyDeletePlease read this interesting comment by Jack Sim on how PAP MP taking credit on other's work. Typical of PAP behaviour and modus operandi following the characters of old fart.
"Jack Sim This is because within the parliament, there are many fossilized minds who still believe that they can blame, punish or ignore citizens because citizens are simply a burden and not a joy. Even inside the Cabinet, we can observe such a great disparity in mindsets between one minister and another. There are top leaders capable of listening and there are top leaders who still think citizens are simply too naive to understand government's operation. Such condescending attitudes can be epitomized when MP Penny Low goes aroud the world telling the high platforms that Jack Sim is not a real social entrepreneur because he does not make any money. She said it to INSEAD, to SCHWAB, to WEFORUM and I wonder why the PAP breeds this kind of MP who would prefer to smear her own citizens around the world while I am trying my best to do a decent job. I was once again surprised when I was speaking at Seoul's World Knowledge Forum at the same panel discussion when she suddenly proclaimed to the audience that she was the one who incubated me to becoem successful. On the one hand, she condemns me and on the other hand, she's claiming credit for my work. This is why PAP really needs to quality control its own selection. It is very upsetting to see your own MP do this to her own citizens. So when they asked me why she is doing that, I could only say this is how my own government treat me after flying the Singapore flag high and proud all over the world. What else can I say?"
from
https://www.facebook.com/TharmanShanmugaratnam/posts/515282325167930
Penny low kena flushed down the toilet huh...lol
DeleteDid she forget to lift the seat up? Or she was busy texting while doing her marikita?
"Why must the increase" be what it is? When I was a kid, my parents would answer such hard questions with "Because"! There's no reason. Because there's no logical reason they can give. No reason that's acceptable. Indeed, there's nothing logical about not telling you about a huge price hike 9 months down the road. And in fact, it's been a loong time since we've heard any logical or acceptable answers to the questions we ask. Isn't life in Spore great?
ReplyDeleteDid I hear someone whisper "Singapore spring"?
For those latest MRI machines to screen every of our NS recruits, they say cost is an issue. But for that 2 pandas, spending S$8.5m for their habitat alone has never been an issue, not even mentioned or raised in Parliament as those meals at the hawker, foodcourt or restaurant for those on PA.
ReplyDeleteThe moral of the story is that according to our PAP Govt's priority, the lifes of our NS recruits cannot be as valuable as those 2 pampered animals from China. Just wonder how much are these pandas insured compared to our National Servicemen ?
If we try to link our PM's recent threat to increase future taxes with our target to achieve a 6.5M population, can we add 1+1 together and now jump to the conclusion that our PAP govt needs to raise taxes to sustain a 6.5million population in the next decade or so ?
Later don't say our PAP Govt never warn us ?
$52 Billion budget for the financial year still not enough? $1300 for every citizen per month.How much do they want? This is a greedy government.
DeleteTalking about salacious details.
ReplyDeleteForced sex is rape ... correct?
Bribery is consensual ... right?
So how can an allegedly coerced blowjob be part of a bribery investigation?
Any lawyers want to tell me what I am missing?
please,
Deleteyou want the lawyers to give u blow-job too ? Or you want the lawyers to blow their job against the establishment ?
Illustrative PAP-MIW Joke
ReplyDelete-------------------------
Q: How do Millionaires-In-White say "fuck you" in Singapore?
A1: "Your HDB flat is affordable."
A2: "What do you think?"
A3: "GST is to help the poor"
A4: "Your HDB flat is subsidized."
I encourage Sinkies to add on other Answers to this joke.
Healthcare is very heavily subsidised
DeleteFT will help create even more jobs for singaporeans
Higher pay in civil service will prevent corruption
$3k for dishwashing still Singaporeans don't want to work
$2m per minister is very good deal for Singaporeans
What are the political affiliations of the NEA cleaning contractors?
ReplyDeleteTan Hang Kian is the executive director of Clean Solutions, one of the contractors who will benefit financially from the NEA hike.
DeleteTan Hang Kian is also the grassroots leader and Vice-Chairman of the Siglap Citizens’ Consultative Committee.
Can you connect the dots? And you thought the NParks Brompton bikes saga was over.
This is the amazing network of cronies or what we call bootlickers or grassroot leaders who keep the incumbant in power. These dogs have been feed well by Napolean so that they will fore ever protect the pigs. This has continued for decades because the young puppy dogs (remember the elite face puppy)are also well taken care off. Someday I intend to draw a crony-tree to show how rooted the network of loyal dogs is.
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ReplyDelete