Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Fair Dinkum, My Foot!

While Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong were photographed flipping steaks at one of the '50 BBQs' hosted by Singapore's Australian High Commission, netizens were flipping their lids over the hijacking of the Australian generosity. Not that there was not enough meat to go around, about 10,000 beef and lamb steaks were provided free-of-charge at 23 sites across the island.

Recognizing something not exactly fair dinkum was going on, the Aussies tried to sound a warning on their Facebook page:
"Many locations are ticketed by the People's Association to ensure there's enough food for all. But we've been told some spare coupons are set aside for those who just show up."

The reality on the ground was uglier than anticipated.
  • "We don't even know where to get the tickets because it wasn't stated we need to get the tickets. And now, like you said, tickets are all taken."
  • "Why wasn't this announced earlier that those ticketless residents from neighbouring estates were only entitled to leftovers from 8.30pm onwards? Disappointing."
  • "The idea was good but shame it ended up as an ugly spat between the haves and the haves-not."
  • "A fantastic initiative undermined by the ruthlessly mechanical PA machine rejecting all non invitees."
All the heated accusations against the People's Association of hogging tickets to divert them to their own supporters and denying access to non-members were not published in the local media. You can read about such horrible truths only in foreign media like the Sydney Morning Herald. This is how Australians see it in print: a fiery spat between Singapore locals and the ruling party's grassroots supporter base.

24 comments:

  1. Sad. This is a reflection of PAP state of health. Rotten to the core already. Very much like Stage 4 Cancel.

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  2. 10'000 steaks spread out to 20+ locations is about 500 steaks per site!! You can really barby the whole day just to get through them. But many places said tickets ran out of only for RC members...wtf!!

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  3. Heard some places wanted to charge. Per kio $1 and Depot Rd cc $3. Those guys totally hijacked the event as if is their own. From free lunch to paid lunch..typical.

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  4. The 'kakee nang'(all within the Family) Syndrome is nothing new.
    Anyway it is a traditional Asian Culture which if practice correctly, is to be accepted.
    There is value in the Practice. There is a Western Saying that Charity begins at home and it should.

    It is NOT to say that power should also be passed on to or be inherited by Next Of Kin as in a Dynastic or Imperial System. This shall be considered as NEPOTISM.

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  5. Looking at the FB comments, if the ozzies are thinking of getting some advertisement mileage out of this PR stunt for Australian beef, then sorry, the sponsors would probably see negative return for many years. Abbott shud have used his thinking cap (if he has any). The PA can afford abalone porridge la, need publicity for Australian products, don;t be a cheapo, hire a proper PR ahency.

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  6. GrassLooters

    Gra$$LooterS

    Birds of a feather flock together

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  7. PA .. please organize another bigger BBQ for the Public with ticketing transparency. We love BBQ s !! It's our money too.

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    Replies
    1. But they need a big sponsor and the credit must go to them. Something like Bedok Tua Pek Kong devotees paying for rice to be given to the have- nots which ended up with all the credit going to the PAP.

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  8. On one hand they now claimed they welcomed people till the food ran out. On the other hand, they said they issued tickets to control crowd? So which is which? You can't have both!!?

    Many places and people are denied because they have no tickets. Ie no tickets no steaks.

    Only a few places manned bynp the aussies were open to people, as long as they make the time and effort to show up. Who knows how many steaks got dabao back home.

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  9. Leftovers after 8.30pm? Are you sure not feathers and bones?

    Just goes to show how dirty the system has turned into. Everything has to be politicalised.

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  10. Can I order one beef steak, but Mai Hum? Forget the steaks, these PA and RC fellas probably get better HDB flats, faster promotions, the even more important stuff. Even more incentive to join the party.

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    Replies
    1. Three legs better than two.

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  11. Just dont understand the volunteers at RC, PA etc.
    Its all free labour to the PAP.

    Yes, you get some priority for some amenities, events... but really...? is that enough to motivate you? a couple of steaks?
    Simpletons.. pure simpletons.

    Meanwhile the headman gets free arms & legs and hey,, maybe a few thousand votes here & there too!

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    Replies
    1. some people 1) like the borrowed power & prestige that comes with being grassroots 2) take photos with Govt Officials. Take photos for what? remember the Chinese tour guide who conned the old woman, he took many photos.

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    2. Volunteers get free parking spaces, priorities of sorts, free food with hijacked tickets and PAP got free labour. It is all very transparent.

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  12. Why bother to print or issue tickets?
    Whoever makes the effort to come first gets to enjoy it, whole it lasts. Very simple to understand and transparent. Unless the purpose of issuing tickets is to privately "chope" for certain groups.

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    Replies
    1. Maybe by being there the 'kaki nan' will earn points for weightlifting, polishing apples and guaranteed free lunches.

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  13. Not only BBQ tickets were reserved for 'Kaki Nang' so are the NDP tickets,
    While citizens have to ballot for them, grasslooters are given free every year without the need for balloting.
    NDP is financed by taxpayers and not PAP funds, so why do PAP grasslooters get the privilege over everyone else?

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  14. Well the Aussies are daft and stingy. 10000 pieces of meat for the whole hungry nation? Not enough to feed the famille.
    Next time bring in 10000 cows and 10000 sheeps. Let the grass loot leeders slaughter these animal,cook them and give distribute them.

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  15. The rot is deep, very very deep. The tree will topple soon.

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    Replies
    1. They say that a fish rots from the head and you can see it coming. But a tree rots from deep inside and cannot be seen until it topples over.

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    2. A cancerous tumour has to be excised, otherwise it will spread and destroy the whole body.

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  16. The recently dead and BBQed said that we get 1 egg while he gets 2.

    Same principle here. The PAPigs get all the steaks, non-pigs get none.

    Nothing new here, so move on.....until the next highway robbery or hijacking, whichever comes first.

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  17. “If we take the view that if you voted against me, I should help you first (as) that shows my largeness of spirit, then I think you will go extinct as a government,” Mr Lee said.

    A month before the general election of 2011, Mr Lee also made similar remarks about how those who voted against his ruling party, the People’s Action Party (PAP), would be left at the back of the queue for government programmes.

    ///////////////////

    So no need to kpkb about those 10K steaks sponsored by
    the Australian government.

    The man has made it crystal clear, time and again.

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