The same question was not asked when $8.6 million was spent to create a fancy climate controlled home for two pandas from China. Kai Kai , 5, and Jia Jia, 4, not exactly elderly citizens, are flying in from the Ya'an panda base in a specially fitted Singapore Airlines 747. The giant 1,500 square metres complex at River Safari, Mandai, will be scrupulously maintained at 18 to 22 degrees Celsius around the clock. To simulate their original natural habitat, lush live plants, boulders and water features, waterfalls with shallow pools, climbing structures and enrichment features are constructed so the pandas can rest, explore, climb and swim. The foreigners will also create new jobs, but their special keepers will be sourced from China.
Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan, who flew to China for the grand send off party, assured everybody the panda newcomers will be well looked after in Singapore, there will be no deficit of funds when it comes to pampering the new residents. There's even a special conservation programme to "adopt" the pandas for an annual contribution. Needless to say, the senior citizens at SAGE were never subjects of such adoption initiatives.
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| Not exactly your average retirement home for senior citizens |
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$8.6m + $2m for the upkeep annually comes with a PRC keeper. As far as I'm concerned, that works out to 25 HDB flats. Why didn't Capitalland have a lottery for their apts for the real peasants instead?
ReplyDeleteThis panda diplomacy comes with a very expensive pricetag. If a cub is born, they belong to PRC.
I'll be v.pissed if they push up the prices of my sugarcane drinks.
DeletePandas TFR rate is worse than Sinkies!
DeleteOnly 3 days out of a year can they mate.
And within 48 hours of heat.
Even Berlin zoo tried to mate theirs also failed. He died at 34yrs old. From a country famous for its eugenics and breeding program!!
You try lah. See whether the malaysians or ours will conceive first. Toto should open bets on this game to generate revenue.
..Only 3 days out of a year can they mate.
Delete----
An expensive exercise as pointless as taking off the pants in order to fart.
Only redeeming qualities - their cuddliness far outweighs their wastefulness.
I know the australia zoo went almost bankrupt trying to sustain the pandas. And if you can find groupon deals in the US for panda visits, probably not doing that great either.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/national/12panda.html?_r=1
Srsly, what do we get out of this exactly? Those money could have been splurged on our Sages instead.
We have been bamboozled!
DeleteDid we ask for the Pandas, or they offered to us? What kind of treaty is in place with this exchange? We give them aedes mosquitoes?
http://in.reuters.com/article/2009/11/11/idINIndia-43867720091111
DeleteThey gave us because Lao Lee offended them.
But truly, do we need to build them a state-of-art habitat so we can boast is the most expensive one in SEA?
There is simply no ROI on this. Machiam like the scholarships scheme here. Host them 10 yrs for free lodging, fun and research, then pack them home after that. Jiak liao bee.
Most of the time, am appalled. how the public money are on intangible and useless things.
ReplyDeletee.g. garden at the bay, committees, mayors, *(why do we need mayors if we have already 87 MP ?) art pcs at the MRT stations ?
Please have pity on us, spend money on tangible things such as our educations, transportations and healthcare.
"recurring deficits"?!!
ReplyDeleteWasn't it only in May 2012 that Mr Heng Swee Keat (yup the guy who's leading national conversation) the one who talks about importance of aging and care for elderly, and they have $100m funding to spend? ALL just wayang? Can't believe VWOs are not tax exempted.
http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/pressRoom/speeches_d/2012/speech_by_ministerforhealthmrgankimyongattheannualsingaporeconfe.html
This is our problem. We spend only on things that will bring in more money. F1; Garden by the Bay, IR: Panda etc. Granted we cannot create things for free but something cannot be ignored e.g. Healthcare; education; helping the old and sick; homeless; jobles are things we cannot look at the outcome. Its the duty of government to ensure citizens are adequately protected. Government cannot work loke a business entity.
ReplyDeleteActually, not necessarily more money. Profits or losses, we never know because they never tell us!
DeleteF1 is definitely a LOSS.
DeleteBut this Panda thinggi, takes the cake.
Since is private sponsors' money, why begrudge them the loss.
Not coming out of state's coffers right.?
Our local talent Laurentia Tan just won another silver for our nation, super proud lah.
ReplyDeleteShe can't even get that kind of sponsorship money, yet she's such a beacon of HOPE! Juz don't know where is the HEART. The eat, sleep, play pandas seem to have a better life than our aged and disabled.
This LT is the way to go.
Can somebody remake a poster as the best gift to MCYS Mr keechiu with the headline HOPELESS + a third finger and send to him?
DeleteThis is a very important national conversation that he must listen, courtesy of citizens.
So busy pampering the new arrivals.
DeleteWhile we busy pissing off the departed.
https://youdonthavetoagree.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/letter-to-singapore/
Hope, Heart & Home? Go take a cue from Michelle Obama. She touched people because she experienced it from bottoms up. Unlike some people, only heard from others, all sugar coated on silver platter. You think he get it?
Its activities, not it's activities.
ReplyDeleteThe confusion between it's and its occurs because on virtually every other word 's indicates possession, so English speakers naturally want to use it's to mean "something belonging to it." But it's is only used when it's a contraction of "it is" or "it has".
DeleteWhen govt says "where will the money come from" and threaten the middle/working classes with increased taxes, they dont want us to know that the middle and working classes need suffer tax increases because funds can be raised from the following sources:
ReplyDeletea)increasing taxes on the super rich/elite and corporations
b)slashing defense spending (reduce 2year NS and annual ICT commitment etc).
c)tax offshore banking transactions.
d)tax revenue from the casinos and from the big winners.
e)do away with silly projects e.g Garden by the Bay.
The word "NOT" was mistakenly left out above, it should read,..."the middle and working classes need NOT suffer tax increases"..
DeleteQ: What do Pandas have in common with Singaporeans?
ReplyDeleteA: We are endangered species.
Singaporean are measure by the value set by government whom you has appointed to serve.When you are poor you have no voice.PM has just anounce in his APEC speech Sg has growth 15% n repeated that this number are not typo error is real.But with such growth do the general public benefit and that SAGE have to close shop.
Delete//There's even a special conservation programme to "adopt" the pandas for an annual contribution.//
ReplyDeleteThot we already "adopted" 1m PRCs here, why not encourage them to go do their part? However, if for whatever reason they can't achieve peace and happiness here and die of stress, and you want to auction off their fur, I'll bid for a furcoat for token.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnoUllzpvak
DeleteVery true. Good "integration" program for the new arrivals to dress up, taichi and give bear hugs on orchard road. Just don't come in your ferraris.
Deleteactually some biz guy in china is using the bears' dung to grow chinese tea, cost freaking $200 per cup leh.
next time you kena invited by istana, better ask if is tea for two, or poo for tea. better still, some one should brew it for prince william and kate middleton when they visit queenstown. they british like tea mah....
SAGE - "Where will the money come from"
ReplyDeleteThe money will come when we vote in Opposition parties with their pro-people policies.
PAP & its supporters lost their sense of proportion,they simply switch to worshipping of "foreigners",because 60% of our people simply don't care what ever happens to other Singaporeans.
ReplyDeleteSingaporeans deserve this government.
The pandas are not even a gift but on loan to us. Just wonder what are the compensation terms if we can't return them in good condition ? Did our Millionaire Ministers not even raised the question what kind of meals do they expect, not that hawker or food court or even restaurant meals would suit them anyway?
ReplyDeleteLooks like our PAP Ministers treat animals better than our under-privileged citizens!
8000 sqm plantation with 4 different types of bamboos are grown for their diets. This is the grandmother of all XO chai tao kuay quality we are talking about, provided all year round in a fully air conditioned restaurant that comes with choice of indoor or alfresco dining area, equipped with pool!!!
DeleteCan you get that kind of space and facilities for the elderly built in your backyard without people KPKB?!!
//Just wonder what are the compensation terms if we can't return them in good condition?//
Delete--
Let's just say you don't want to get to that stage or the paws will come out, and it won't be all so cuddly like it looks now. Remember too, for every cub born, $500k of rental goes to their pocket too. Exotic panda diplomacy or money making tool, go figure.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/16/panda-politics-chinese-diplomacy
No matter what the questions.
ReplyDeleteThe answer is always the same.
We need to vote in more Opposition MPs into parliament.
Money talks
ReplyDeleteThe difference - the old of the human kind are no longer economically viable, while young of panda species will hopefully be big enough attraction to increase ticket sales and prices.
Anyway its all private sponsorships, we shouldn't be bothered even if they spent another $8.6mil every year
"Anyway its all private sponsorships, we shouldn't be bothered even if they spent another $8.6mil every year"
DeleteAnd you know because .... ?
Capitaland for the enclosure, SIA for the tranport. the rest, do some work and google them
DeleteMinister of State for Trade and Industry, Teo Ser Luck and ex-President Nathan who is the Chairman of CapitaLand Hope Foundation were at Changi Airport this morning (6 Sep) to welcome the 2 giant pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia, from China.
ReplyDelete60 other guests and officials accompanied Mr Teo and Mr Nathan to welcome them.
==========
How many MIWs are going to be there to welcome your Singaporean baby when he is born?
What are the social services available if your baby is (touch wood) born off spec?
How will you and your baby be treated by the Party Against People?
glad the miw entourage is there to welcome their own primates.
Deletebut what are the 500 pre-school kids/children there for? will they be there to welcome paralympic medal winners when they return?
How much did the govt spend again in NY to give supposedly those who are not coming home free food and 'hopefully' entice some to return? We flew local chefs and some minor VIP there, for what? Surely taking care of the elderly is very important if not more so? If we have laws to ensure kids look after their parents, by the same reasoning...
ReplyDeleteWow...too many FREEBIES on this page.
ReplyDeleteI need the Fabrications team to water it down.
No, no, no .. you guys don't understand!! We CANNOT spend that kind of money on the elderly. We want "self-help" only. If the Govt starts spending money on the elderly, we go down the "slippery slope of socialism"!! Get it?? Once you got your ideological blinders in place, these kinds of decisions are very easy to make!!
ReplyDeleteWe simply cannot afford to spend money on unproductive people who could go on living potentially for decades. (unless your name is jia jia and kai kai). If they want care they should work for it. Cleaning tables is an honest job.
DeleteDo you think I will die fighting for these pandas?
ReplyDeleteOr prataman's million dollar bungalow?
What do you think?
Funny the Panda debate is one of heart over head.
ReplyDeleteBut the Elderly debate is one of head over heart.
Hundreds of species go extinct every yr, including 3m singaporeans.
And all people care about is 2 retarded bears that's too lazy to even fuck.
Before you can say "Singapore Residents", they have already earned their Prosperity.
Utter morons in priorities.
"We simply cannot afford to spend money on unproductive people who could go on living potentially for decades."
ReplyDeleteAre you talking about the prataman and the dinosaurs-in-white?
They are using your money, your land, your brand to promote something for their benefit and zero risk of losing their salaries.
ReplyDeleteWe know we are being prostituted yet we do nothing to stop it. In fact we even ask for more!
What a paradox!
"Where will the money come from?"
ReplyDeleteMoney will come from increasing taxes on the poor and middle class.
And further cutting of social services including education.
Maybe GST will be increased to help the people more and better.
ReplyDeleteFor argument sake ,if the yearly maintenance for the pandas is S$1 mil and that of the President is also S$1 mil (understand much more based on the annual civil list), who would citizens prefer??
ReplyDelete