Thursday, March 7, 2013

And Now The Bad News

Sitoh Yih Pin was voted into parliament after his third try (2001, 2006, 2011), winning Potong Pasir with a slim margin of 50.36 percent.  He must be feeling tired when he expressed his deepest thoughts that the Budget debates are merely efforts to manage and calibrate expectations. Instead, the Government should just come clean and tell people the bad news.

1. Under this Government, some graduates will never stay in private housing or own a car because 85% of housing are HDB flats and only one third of families have a car presently and these numbers will not change drastically;
2. Under this Government, the harsh reality of meritocracy as it stands, is a "take and take" by the best and the ablest without any obligation to serve and contribute;
3. Under this Government, even if the total fertility rate is increased to 2.1 in 2013, import labour will continue;
4. Under this Government, the "accessible and affordable" public hospitals will continue to have long waiting times and the latest high-tech expensive care options will not be available to all;
5. Under this Government, COEs may never go back to the days of old again as there are limits to our car population just as there are limits to our human population;
6. Under this Government, the influx of foreign labour to Singapore may be limited, but our workers will still be competing day and night, 24/7, with workers from China, India or Indonesia.

According to him, there are more examples of things going bad, but Sitoh stops and can only hope against hope, "I urge our Government to listen to the people, to labour for the people and to lead the people".

Aung San Suu Kyi was unable to receive her Noble Peace Prize for Freedom of Thought in person as she was under house arrest in 1991. Her son Alexander, 18, spoke in his mother's place: "To live the full life," he quoted her, "one must have the courage to bear the responsibility of the needs of others... one must want to bear this responsibility..." ("The Lady And The Peacock, The Life of Aung San Suu Kyi", Peter Popham, Rider Books, 2011)

33 comments:

  1. Wow, did he really said that? Is he abandoning ship early? Maybe he knows something we don't!

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  2. WE are hearing comments from our MPs criticizing the policy 'endorsed' by them previously. A repent, or a sorry, or series of drama going on....? What a joke!
    Luckily, we have sent in co-pilots to 'safeguard' the interests of Singapore.

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  3. First Inderjit Singh. Now Sitoh Yih Pin, taking up the cudgel for the people. A revolt in the PAP rank and file? I think not. It is more like the good cop, bad cop, routine.

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    Replies
    1. Please read ST to get full picture. Sitoh is quoted funnily out of context by Tattler. Hahaa.

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    2. Only half-truths3/07/2013 12:06 PM

      Where was the out of context?

      What Sitoh said is to complete the half-truths that his Party Leaders have only done - the lofty ideas and the feel good stuff. He's in fact chiding his party "for losing the plot" in earning the trust of its citizens since they are far too busy earning pocket money it remorselessly collects from its residents. PAP thinks they are saving for a rainy day, but in fact they have run out of space to hide all the money.

      Don't get confuse just because he quoted a few Confucius quotes lah.

      http://www.channelnewsasia.com/budget2013/videos.php#video

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  4. With the revenues from the returns from $260 billions of reserve, 2 casinos, GST, ERP, COE, rental, sales of properties & Levis.

    Singapore can affort to pump more money into free education until graduate, child care, various R & D reserch in to artificial give birth solutions, restructure it economy provide generous benefits like the Nordic. Reduce the foreign intakes etc? Old ages benefits? Retrenchment benefits etc?

    Supply and Demand more foreign cheap labour more Singaporean wages stagnant and more older Singaporean lost their jobs to cheaper foreigners?

    Less cheaper foreign labours, Singaporean can get high pays and less retrenchments? There 2 billions of foreigners hope to get into Singapore for the higher pay jobs then the home third world countries?

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  5. At long last, PAP has produced a honest and someone who has the gut to tell the truth, though brutal as it is, to the people.
    In every Budget Debate in Sin, invariably the People get to hear Parliamentarians claiming how caring and helpful the Government is to the People. Some are glaringly adulating their bosses without the slightest shame.

    Now, a man who had fought damn very hard for a seat in the Parliament to represent Potong Pasir must have know first hand about his constituents' conditions. Whereas all his Bosses, past and present, have all given false hope of Swiss Standard Living and maybe higher, Sitoh Yih Pin is a far more down to earth honest guy. He seems to knows the ground better than the rest of his colleagues and Fellow Party Members.

    What Sitoh Yih Pin had told the House and the People are the Realities of present livings and expectations with regard livings in the future. It is a matter of facts not dreams that Former PM Goh Chok Tong is very inclined to spin for himself and on behalf of others.

    Thank You Sitoh Yih Pin, at last me got to see a candid member in PAP. May You be in the Parliament for a long time to come.

    patriot

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  6. And of course, you can always count on the has-been Union chief LSS to deliver more bad news!

    "In fact, it’s more than a minimum wage model whereby we can maximize the upside of low-wage workers and at the same time minimize the downside”

    He sounds like a great talent to join the rest of the quant analysts in the hedge fund industry to come up with more mass-collateral toxic product. The only winner is the house, not the people. What credibility does he has left after decades of suppressing our own workers? Even the one that got-away has to run-away before leaving a pile of mess to be cleaned up.


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  7. Goodness, what on earth has Sitoh been smoking to make him blurt out all those hard truths about living in this so-called wonderful 1st world country?

    Or did he simply hijack a WP MP's speech? Or perhaps, he picked up a file of notes carelessly dropped by an SDP member?

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    1. No need to get all pious all of a sudden, Confucius or not, did he or did he not vote aye to the 77 votes for TWP? He should sleep in the bed they make together. All these damage control are just side show to win back some sore points they lost to the grounds.

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  8. Sometimes, the problem is the NOT the MPs.
    It is the MSM..the monopoly of the unfree press that will try and spin it like it's some kind of utopia disneyland that we continue to live in, under the magical spell of the all-too-wonderful screen director, script director and hollow-wood production.

    Where else in the world where you have academic institutions that are filled with foreigners who will help you launder your global reputation, but at the same time, with no credible local academic (eg. Cherian George) who truly understands the nuanced and complexities of local politics and constraints?

    What a load of BS..this utterly corrupted Govt and its single biggest perpetuator Straits Times must GO.

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  9. The iron lady did not step up for the genocide happening in her country while talking about double standard.

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    Replies
    1. Does she run the country or the military?

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    2. She may have majority of 60% of the nation support her, but she may not be supported by minorities.

      Politics is not always clear cut.

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  10. Sitoh role play "opposition" to gain some points to show he care for singaporeans because he is in dangerous position for 2016 election due to small winning margin (50.36%)

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    Replies
    1. Bingo!

      A trusting government without spin, lies and kiasism is hopeful but unrealistic. Far better you get off that "hopium" and look around you with critical eyes as to how the entire economy is structured and run today, or you are likely to end up disappointed.

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    2. There won't be a Potong Pasir SMC in 2016 - it will be wiped off the electoral map, no thanks to the 60%; if you sell your soul to the devil, you know where you will end up.

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    3. Since Sitoh won't be contesting in Potong Pasir because it will cease to exist, he can now play the Devil's Advocate.

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  11. If it is going to be bad news, then is there any more reason for any of us to continue to support/vote for PAP or for LKY's son to remain as our PM ?

    And any Tom, Dick but not Harry can also do the job isn't it ?

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  12. He is going to migrate to OZ like many others so have to practise a few 'free speeches' so he can integrate better then. Singapore will just become another ahnehs town.

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  13. Sitoh must be thinking of serving one term only, even if Potong Pasir remains. In any case, as one voted into Parliament during the last election, he probably did not vote for all the wrong policies in Parliament over the years, unlike that Singh guy.

    I hope some PAP MP's repentance is for real.

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    Replies
    1. Two sorries from the PM is more than enough.
      Even the Pope taboleh tahan and have to quit.

      Let's watch closely how the trio - Teoman Lee will fare from now till 2016.

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    2. It is indeed refeshing to have at least one PAP. MP, beside MP I Singh, listening to the ordinary people.

      The "Bad News" is ironically for the PAP as a whole.

      As to whether, it is a 'Bad cop, Good cop' ploy, we shall see. MP Sitoh, may well be a sincere chap

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  14. When MP walk around, PP people are more likely to let go earfuls on policies for their MPs listening pleasure, whether to Chiam in the past or now. Not like those pussies across the road Bishan or Toa Payoh folks, they happily vote PAP, then whenever MP walk around, they quickly close the door and pretend not at home. How do unca WKS and NEH NEH and all the papigs ganstas contingent know you happy or not? Of course papigs do not listen, but shud you then stop and accept or let go? I prefer let go, at least after that I feel shiok.

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  15. It appears that more and more MPs keep coming up with the sell that 900,000 silver tsunami in 2030 to try and scare us all once again.

    Why don't they ask the very brilliant NTU PHD Economics Professor to provide some evidence that these 2nd-gen baby-boomers will indeed be a "tsunami" that are going to suck the economy and labor dry and drain our reserves? Such a blatant assertions without any credible evidence, empirical or anecdotal would otherwise just be another hogwash! After all, he has nothing to lose here.

    Remember, many elderly (by then) in the absence of any constructive and meaningful pension arrangement provided by the Govt, will likely purchase/have purchased property as part of their retirement planning for either rental income or long-term capital growth. So to keep painting this "future tsunami" is a very big presumption of this government; unless they kept wanting to use this as pretext to import more "low-skilled workers"...ahem, blending the nurses so they can justify more cheap labor.

    If that's the objective of the govt, then we must not allow them to succeed, until they show us their social science research. Afterall, the taxpayers did pay the civil servants and academic private sector pay to perform and deliver right? So start delivering they must.

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  16. Does any one knows exactly what the population of Singapore is now
    Is it 5.5 ,million, 6 or 7 or more

    yess! yess! the Government should just come clean and tell people the bad news.

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    Replies
    1. the number of people on the island should be about 5.3 million residents of one form or another, and about 1.2 million tourists. so, all in, about 6.5 million.

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  17. Stop congratulating Sitoh Yih Pin and Tharman's Robin Hood budget.

    Give credit where credit is due.
    The voters of Hougang, Aljunied GRC and Punggol-East.
    By voting in Opposition, they have hit the Traitors where it really hurts.
    And that is the only reason why you are seeing these "changes".

    The leopard cannot change its spots.

    Voting Opposition is the only "CONversation" the Traitors understand.

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  18. Singapore strategy of keep on looking for cheaper and cheaper foreign workers or local workers, last time in the 70s or 80s it work as Singapore has little competitions, it from from a low base and China is not open yet, now Singapore cost has risen much with the increasing levies, COE, ERP, GST, GST, Rental and others costs etc?

    Its better for Singapore to keep improve its productivity, innovations & efficiency, reduce wastage, develop its local workers, like the Nordic countries to improve its SME profits, produce better and improve products and services to market overseas, so that our local can have higher wages like the Nordic countries, Singapore can't be cheaper then India and China, its has vast populations and reduce it income gaps?

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  19. Here's the real BAD news :

    10-year-old flat measuring 1,184 sq ft near Tiong Bahru sold for S$945,000.

    1 million dollars, people!! For a freaking HDB public flat!!!

    And 85% of SGreans live in it. So the rest of condos are occupied by PRs+ foreigners. Very good sign of social mobility eh..so who's benefiting from the Swiss standard of living?

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  20. Can talk big in parly but no guts to vote against the pwp or at least AWOL like ah Singh. Spare me the wayang. Imagine if more than half of the pAP mps ilang during the next big vote in parly wah...

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  21. Makes a mockery of the debates in Parliament! Isn't it ridiculous to be against certain policis and yet voting for it in the end? What kind of people are we voting into Parliament that does not do what they say. No backbones to back up their talk.

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  22. for more effective changes we need to;

    conduct frequent meetings at hong lim park to give notices to all concerned that the citizens are no digits to be manipulated by lee hsien loong and his cronies

    first and foremost, cpf must be return to those at the age of 55 and not tolerating the continuous changing of repayment date ... this is not a ponzi scheme. a dollar today is worth more than that which (hopefully returned) is paid ten years later.

    thus there is no necessity to wait until the next general election .... merely will enable they to do more wayangs

    for changes to be effective ..... we need continuous picnic at hong lim park

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