In a literature survey on "Instances of Measures to Prevent Corruption in the Defence and Security Sector", Catalina Robledo Botero wrote, "Although there is considerable agreement on ends (efficient, non-corrupt and transparent public purchasing systems), little information is available on means, and in particular, on the effective and replicable strategies…"
Singapore fared poorly because no specific legislation regulates defence procurement. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen confirmed that the Government is in the final stages of buying the hottest military toy in town, the problem plagued F-35. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, has been grounded twice this year already for engine-related issues. Since the procurement is not legislated, Ng doesn't have to explain why a battle tested F-18 Hornet is sufficient. After all, the Malaysians used it effectively to suppress the Sulu Sultanate's army of 200 armed Filipinos, who invaded a town in the Lahad Datu district of Sabah on 9 February.
Obviously anxious to allay potential talk about being a big spender, Ng spinned a yarn about cheap holidays for his family in, of all places, Sabah, which is protected by cheaper fighter jets. He hyped on the best goreng pisang ever tasted because they use a special banana. Just like Peach Gardens use a special sauce for their expensive chye tow kuay. If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it.
Chan Chun Seng deflected the call for public accountability on military spending by pointing out Mindef supposedly has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption. This is coming from a professional soldier who downed his rifle for an opportunity to advance his income tax bracket. We assume, of course, Singapore generals are not paid million dollar salaries. The use of the "C" word is strategic. Anyone else mentioning the hot topic is usually slapped so fast into jail, and/or bankrupted for good measure, before he can shoot up his hand ("keechiu!").
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| One of two F-35 fighter jets made an unscheduled landing in Lubbock, Texas, after a caution light came on in the cockpit. |
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The Swedish, Danish, Finnish ministers' pay around $150K per annum, they have a good social program, they pay a bit higher taxes, but it is for their old age retirement, their wages at the lower end job which generally shun by Singaporean are well paid and taken by the locals?
ReplyDeleteThey have good qualify of life, high birthrate, good health care systems, well taken care old age, less crowded, free educations till tertiary, low income disparity, they have less stressful life etc.?
Their economy produce high quality products for export and their products are well designed?
IT has been said
ReplyDelete"Politicians exercise little oversight. Armed Forces fear blowing the whistle. Citizens are kept in the dark."
The Index shows that only 15% of governments possess political oversight of defence policy that is comprehensive, accountable, and effective. In 45% of countries there is little or no oversight of defence policy, and in half of nations there is minimal evidence of scrutiny of defence procurement.
The study also finds that citizens are frequently denied basic knowledge about the defence sector. Half of the countries’ defence budgets lack transparency entirely, or include only very limited, aggregated information. In 70% of the countries, citizens are denied a simple indication of how much is spent by their government on secret items.
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So you still think Sabah is merely a holiday trip? Maybe they are talking about a different kind of goreng pisang you know.
Each F35 cost over $150 million SGD. Don't worry, they will only be introduced after 2016. Hopefully by then, we have a new government and can cancel the order. If not, we make the former defense minister pay for all purchases made.
ReplyDeleteHave you put the maintenance+ total life-cycle costs into account?
DeleteWho is doing the audit here? Why not share the total projected cost with the public? In Canada, KPMG puts the F-35 program’s real cost to be way much higher than any previously stated government estimate, over a 20year shelf life. Where's our report, if the procurement is so robust?
70% over budget + slew of many problems. Too big to fail so US must muscles somebody to buy it right? So like our Temasek, who's the sucker with deep pockets here? And who's questioning them since they can hide behind "security"?
ReplyDeletehttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB124027491029837401.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZRgPBqHkQY
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/345285
"Chan Chun Seng deflected the call for public accountability on military spending by pointing out Mindef supposedly has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption. "
ReplyDeleteKee Chiew,
like typical PAP clowns , what is accountability going to do with corruption ? We ask for accountability, and you link to corruption, then in the whole world, there is no need for accountability , because every Tom, Dick and Harry will always tell you that they have zero tolerance for corruption. Did we take us for ride and insult us with your nonsense ?
Didn't the SMRT CEO Desmond quek also said he has zero tolerance of trains faults and delays?
DeleteSo what if LKY say we have superior asian values, does it translate to superior universal healthcare plan to look after the elderly? More like zero display of its values!
What's the point of telling me you buy only what you need? I am yet to know why NEH still think we "need" this luxury toys despite the fact that Canada had dropped to 65 planes from 80, Italy cut from 131 to 90, Turkey reduced 50% and Australia stick with only 2.
Here’s the kicker, the JSF’s info systems weren’t built with cyber espionage in mind, and this led to a bunch of subcontractors networks being ‘totally compromised.” Shocking considering the plane was meant for the 21st Century. And the best part, there were reports that the defence company had been cyberhacked in 2009 (by none others..) and you can see why the chinese are pissing rains on its effectiveness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gROgnAXlQDs
So bottom line, why are we buying this and how many?
F35 is overpriced trash, which doesn't even meet the requirements we are looking for in fighter planes in the first place. Surely there must be MANY other cheaper PROVEN options?
ReplyDeleteWhy the hell do we need a stealth plane if we aren't planning to attack people?
Biggest waste of money....
so what is "the requirements"?
DeleteHere's a report from United States raising disturbing questions about the F-35.
ReplyDelete“Serious problems have been identified with the aircraft’s radar, helmet and cockpit design. Pilots report that the plane is actually incapable of flying through clouds.”
http://pogoarchives.org/straus/ote-info-memo-20130215.pdf
LOL..this plane can't withstand lightning despite being name lightning, and incapable of flying through clouds. #Facepalm. And nobody is accounting for the damning purchase.
If one missile can do the job, why do we need so many fighters ? Better still equiped with nuclear power, who will ever dare to attack ?
ReplyDeleteNo need for our citizens to do NS, no need for PRs to pay a fine for avoiding NS. Only need employ a few professional mercenaries to do the actual job of deterence.
There must be something exciting reserved for those involved in buying our expensive military toys to go for the latest & most expensive, like maybe an all expenses paid site visit with social escorts thrown in + all kinds of rewards in kind.
Remember the Taiwan DPP Party tried to set up some S$2? defence equipment company just to do that like some Malaysian defense company allegedly linked to their PM got paid for doing million$ submarine maintenance work even when they don't have that kind of past job experience.
Even if there is any hanky panky, the Official Secrets Act will act as the best weapon to deal with them, nevermind what KeeChiu said.
"If one missile can do the job, why do we need so many fighters ? Better still equiped with nuclear power, who will ever dare to attack ? "
DeleteHello,
please don't think enemies are stupid. Why do you need a 35 millions airplanes to deter invaders when the invaders could have already in SinCity long time ago planning and waiting the just outside of all military gates readily to disable and take over the military facilities due to PAP's liberal mass foreigner's policies ?
As long as foreigners are rich, they are welcome here, don't they ?
Give this a thought and you will realize that NS isn't to protect SinCity, it is meant to protect the family of You-know-who and cronies.
Don't everyone agree ?
For the past century, military service has never been used to protect a country, it is used to retain the power of some ruling families.
DeleteEmpirical evidence abound about the military as tool of regime. They were and are used to keep regimes in power.
DeleteLee Kuan Yew did hint that the Army may have to be called in, in case a 'freak' result happens in a GE. And it was/is no freaky threat from the Old Man
patriot
Hear it from the Australians.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pteMgYPm1xM
I like this part (7:54):
Delete"...the plane is riddled with bugs, it's not flying supersonic, its computers are operating at no way near full capacity, and it's restricted on how tightly it turns because of G-force pressures"
With Pangaea club, 449 Ferraris and 469 Maseratis on the island, they need to show who's the daddy lah.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, paper scholars buying paper planes, not surprising.
I think Teo and Ng and Lee have fatten their pockets substantially by all the kick back commissions involving defence purchases? all these commission most likely paid to an offshore banking accounts which only they have accessed to?
ReplyDeleteAfter world war 2, Japan and South Korea, were devastated by the war and were poor, need to rebuild their countries, they struggled to produce their own products, many people laugh at them, at first at their products, but slowly they kept improving and became advanced nations.
ReplyDeleteIn the same time Singapore kept thinking of cheaper and cheaper foreigners and local workers and cheaper and cheaper foreign investments? With the cost kept rising?
Some wonder should they cry of laugh when the kept hearing such statements?
Japan and South korea are countries of strong culture. See how influential they are in the world. JPOP, KPOP, and see they are countries of innovation and invention as they believe in their own citizens to bring out their best. A country's success can only be as strong as its citizens which means Sin government score a F on report card.
Deleteaprt from what they purchase from the outside supplier through their consultant and adviser,there are cost.So many third party involve in such deal.
ReplyDeleteie .their movement on logistic that need to charter an Russian cargo plane 150tonner,the mark up b y the third party and it provider are higher then they actually charter from the Russian aviation company.This are facts because they all work as a team to screw the maximum for self greed.They call it Mindef appointed supplier thru RFQ????It happen and still happen ha ha.
Hmmm, early this yr Turkey has indeed decided to delay the purchase of its first two F-35s by one year, citing technical factors and a "high cost yield" and not being in the desired stage.
ReplyDeleteDespite all the bad press and reviews from military personnel all over globe,
wonder what is the rationale that mindef is still so optimistic about its final stage evaluation.
must be leakages somewhere during .... period
DeleteFunny they claimed to be best talents available, and highest pay in the world, yet their main strategy is keep importing more and more cheap foreign workers and immigrants to run the economy?
ReplyDeleteSingapore buying F-35? Did you guys hear correctly? Why must we buy when we can build? And I mean when we can build something better than F-35.
ReplyDelete"Singapore buying F-35? Did you guys hear correctly? Why must we buy when we can build? And I mean when we can build something better than F-35."
Deleteyeah, and called it F-U .
Many foreigners marvels at Singapore success, but they don't know Singapore success is build on ever increasing populations of foreigners, from 2 millions now aiming to 7 millions, the bottom layers more and more are living in hands to mouths existences, with ever more cheaper foreign workers from third world to take away their jobs of locals and depressed their pays?
ReplyDelete