tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post3298759342236672717..comments2024-03-21T14:35:09.854+08:00Comments on Singapore Notes: Musings Of A Singapore AdministratorTattlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037010707866164010noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-37785199258587062912013-10-03T12:02:41.164+08:002013-10-03T12:02:41.164+08:00I concur with @Anonymous10/02/2013 3:56 PM,
Quote...I concur with @Anonymous10/02/2013 3:56 PM,<br /><br />Quote,<br />"Goh is more pragmatic than harry, but only like Obammer is not like the warmongering Bush altho the line was crossed forever with Libya, and will be re-crossed soon elsewhere.<br /><br />Why? Goh's legacies are there for all to judge even tho Ngiam (one of his many proteges) tried to whitewash them - here is a sample: the fat GLCs is the main reason why "we scaled up but did not skill up" - you set up a bunch of state owned companies and feed them fat fat for 20 years with gramen contracts (like ST fed defence contracts and SIA with all the first class passage of the senior civil servants); to reward our generals and colonels he sent them run the GLCs to the ground. When they fail, they all turn around and say argh, see "Chartered Semicon did not skill up"?? Wtf." unquote.<br /><br /> -------------------------------------<br /><br />(dialectic - Uchicago - University of Chicago)<br />http://csmt.uchicago.edu/glossary2004/dialectic.htm<br />-<br />(Epistemology - Webspace)<br />http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/epist.html<br />-<br />Socratic Method - Society for Philosophical Inquiry<br />http://www.philosopher.org/Socratic_Method.html<br /><br />Joshua Chiang<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-91500917746672261022013-10-03T07:41:33.437+08:002013-10-03T07:41:33.437+08:00Ngiam implied that ministers are over-paid, but wh...Ngiam implied that ministers are over-paid, but why not much is said to criticize his successors and indeed some are his proteges for the problems created by the civil service? Policies are not written by politicians, they are pen-pushed by the elites in the Admin service: eg the ERP, the CoE, the FT, the PWP etc. And what about 30 year old superscale Admin service oppicers driving maseratis to work? What about directors buying $10m condos for investments? or P asses holidaying in france and boasting about it to the shitty times? Politics and civil service are both problematic, both must be revamped. In their deadly embrace, the road ahead will only be downhill.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-18053854305714634822013-10-03T00:25:12.750+08:002013-10-03T00:25:12.750+08:00//..no matter how much he wants to turn up and tel...//..no matter how much he wants to turn up and tell Hsien Loong off or whatever – will hesitate when he thinks of his million-dollar salary. Even if he wants to do it, his wife will stop him..//<br /><br />The only minister's wife who speak up on salaries is Mdm Goh Chok Tong. She tried to encourage the highest pay to that corrupted NKF CEO by saying is peanuts what we were paying, and put a stop to his resignation. All other Minister's wives, well, at least they are doing it behind the curtain. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-6764222479191299702013-10-03T00:02:39.900+08:002013-10-03T00:02:39.900+08:00An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments
- good summar...An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments<br />- good summary of all the types of reasoning PAP inflicts on Singaporeans<br /><br />SOURCE<br />https://bookofbadarguments.com/?view=allpagesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-15663408087714419732013-10-02T22:55:03.859+08:002013-10-02T22:55:03.859+08:00The Prime Minister tops the list of highest paid h...The Prime Minister tops the list of highest paid head-of-state. Many of his ministers make more than the President of the United States. There is simply no way to justify such salaries in any democracy. Having absolute power does not mean they are allowed to take whatever they want from the people.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-7609049008080333062013-10-02T21:15:57.441+08:002013-10-02T21:15:57.441+08:00How come Goh Keng Swee at that time never asked to...How come Goh Keng Swee at that time never asked to be a paid a million dollar salary in order not to be prone to corruption or have his pay docked to the 8 highest income earners ? And why did LHL thinks he has earned this entitlement as the PM of this country ?<br /><br />Just because he thinks he & his team has squeezed enough from the people through all these COEs, GST, levies, whether direct & indirect taxes and the monies become too much for any uncorrupt person to handle ?<br /><br />Imagine can anyone goes to a job interview and ask that he be paid adequately in order to remain honest on the job ? And LKY thinks that is OK ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-53697009379233140072013-10-02T19:55:08.681+08:002013-10-02T19:55:08.681+08:00Truth be told, aren't all these GST, COEs, HD...Truth be told, aren't all these GST, COEs, HDB land levies just another form of revenue generating tax which ultimately contributed to the million-dollar bank accounts of our Ministers & MPs (LKY & son included) in the name of beating making less prone to corruption ? <br /><br />And if that is supposedly the correct mindset, shouldn't our bank tellers, cashiers, financial controllers, etc., be paid a salary that is commensurate to the amount of monies they handled so as not be tempted to help themselves to the coffers ? <br /><br />But in their eagerness to enrich themselves, they forgot that those lower income earners are more affected by these taxes indirectly as a proportion to the income they earned compared to those who are in the high income brackets. Like is it fair for each taxi driver to bear the burden for the COEs built into their taxi rentals they have to pay to their taxi companies as compared to the resulting nett income they are earn after all those legal deductions ? <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-84380297434142591602013-10-02T17:36:31.484+08:002013-10-02T17:36:31.484+08:00Ask NTD which party did he vote for and which pers...Ask NTD which party did he vote for and which person did he vote for the presidency.<br /><br />Lest we forget, he was and still is part of the elite few that know many things.. but is totally impotent. Ask if he would provide consultancy for WP or any other opposition.<br /><br />Yeah, I thought so.Once a rat, always a rat....noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-57465308337606707482013-10-02T17:13:01.261+08:002013-10-02T17:13:01.261+08:00Right, think GKS or TCC wrote something of LKY mis...Right, think GKS or TCC wrote something of LKY missing in action " for weeks" after Singapore was "kicked out" from the Federation...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-9825960032352111552013-10-02T17:11:30.685+08:002013-10-02T17:11:30.685+08:00Not necessary be Minister, look at our MPs allowan...Not necessary be Minister, look at our MPs allowance and even the Opposition MPs dare not voice up anything..as their $16,000 allowance is waiting for them on the 25th of each month.<br /><br />Look at JBJ, no chance for him to earn the $16,000 a month allowance....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-70830100813555096932013-10-02T17:09:35.422+08:002013-10-02T17:09:35.422+08:00We have a law that states that one man assembly is...We have a law that states that one man assembly is illegal.<br /><br />Well, our workers' party MP agreed with this principle of law...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-57028680157083991442013-10-02T16:27:28.262+08:002013-10-02T16:27:28.262+08:00OP is talking about SIT flats in the late 50's...OP is talking about SIT flats in the late 50's. LKY became the PM of self governing Singapore in 1959. HDB came into existence in the early 60's.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-79247007952334928912013-10-02T16:11:29.133+08:002013-10-02T16:11:29.133+08:00They make the rules and the laws and interpret the...They make the rules and the laws and interpret them according to a situational flux. They hold the power and advantage.Ordinary citizens can only do so much. Those brave enough need an audience. Are we ready to be the audience ? Nobody or very few dare to become political martyrs if they don"t stand a chance. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-3139391323457361612013-10-02T16:10:39.576+08:002013-10-02T16:10:39.576+08:00bro, $50 per month in 1950s? How much is that toda...bro, $50 per month in 1950s? How much is that today after the high inflation years of 1950s, 60s and 70s? For info, in 1950 the US median household income was US$300 per month, and your civil servant father paid $50 per month of rent? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-34148830232364761352013-10-02T16:01:15.933+08:002013-10-02T16:01:15.933+08:00My apology for the Last Paragraph. It should be; H...My apology for the Last Paragraph. It should be; He will surely make a great President, one that comes with executive power.<br /><br />patriotAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-20991891361087293132013-10-02T15:56:39.664+08:002013-10-02T15:56:39.664+08:00Goh is more pragmatic than harry, but only like Ob...Goh is more pragmatic than harry, but only like Obammer is not like the warmongering Bush altho the line was crossed forever with Libya, and will be re-crossed soon elsewhere.<br /><br />Why? Goh's legacies are there for all to judge even tho Ngiam (one of his many proteges) tried to whitewash them - here is a sample: the fat GLCs is the main reason why "we scaled up but did not skill up" - you set up a bunch of state owned companies and feed them fat fat for 20 years with gramen contracts (like ST fed defence contracts and SIA with all the first class passage of the senior civil servants); to reward our generals and colonels he sent them run the GLCs to the ground. When they fail, they all turn around and say argh, see "Chartered Semicon did not skill up"?? Wtf. Goh shud have known the only viable industrial policy is to get the garmen out of the way, let the smaller start-ups compete the big fat GLCs to their knees in the 1980s and 1990s when the first generation of local u-grads come of age. Today we have fat fat GLCs manned by ex-civil servants with one eye on their retirement GCB another eye on their china mistresses, then a whole bunch of SMEs who cannot compete but survive because they threaten that without foreign labourers they will all lose to chinese copy cats. That is why the papigs have to continue to import FTs and why your sons and your grandsons would need a new passport. And the NS system, it was never for defence, it was more to solve the unemployment problems and youths joining the commies.<br /><br />I respect old timers' nostalgia here, but please, Goh is only marginally better in that he did not indulge in dynastic politics. Alot of today's ills and systems like a totally top-down industrial policy built on patronage network, scholarship system (the products of which like Ho Jinx, Ann, genederals A,B,C, D etc,), locking up your CPF so the MAS can on-lend them to the GLCs and TLCs to squnader away in Suzhou, the silly primary-three streaming system, all these are Goh's legacies. And let you old people not forget => GOH and his gang vehementy objected to Ong Teng Cheong's pet project of buildin g the MRT. Goh might not have built a dynasty but his gang of underlings incl your favourite EDB (self-declared) chairman emeritus and THL CEO are all part of his legacy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-22626957176425698772013-10-02T15:54:07.006+08:002013-10-02T15:54:07.006+08:00Money, lots of them, the magic glue that binds and...Money, lots of them, the magic glue that binds and muzzles the so called talents.Who wants to go against the flow? Muu zai see.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-17007802278921077342013-10-02T15:17:03.445+08:002013-10-02T15:17:03.445+08:00You are wrong, Local government was in the hands o...You are wrong, Local government was in the hands of LKY and company. The Brits only took charge of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-63133153484417394672013-10-02T14:20:36.612+08:002013-10-02T14:20:36.612+08:00Ngiam has been speaking up - publicly - for a no o...Ngiam has been speaking up - publicly - for a no of years. Ever since he left govt. While he was in, so to speak, he spoke up too, but privately. During his time, one gathers most top civil servants spoke up. Privately lah. Now, apparently, it's mostly Yes, sir.<br /><br />Sadly, through all these decades, most Sporeans didn't speak up. And they still don't.... Do you see protests outside City Hall? We keep expecting others to fight our battles. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-68125923411184043312013-10-02T14:10:05.446+08:002013-10-02T14:10:05.446+08:00late 50s -- brits in charge then.
pap came in in ...late 50s -- brits in charge then. <br />pap came in in 1959, but brits<br />still in charge (if am not wrong). Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-71567009279157687772013-10-02T13:41:06.646+08:002013-10-02T13:41:06.646+08:00it will be more meaningful if sporeans collectivel...it will be more meaningful if sporeans collectively engineer the outcome whereby old fart and his hopeless son depart for the grave together..asap !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-33291202377551722112013-10-02T12:55:05.748+08:002013-10-02T12:55:05.748+08:00The late Dr Goh was indeed a Great Man who conside...The late Dr Goh was indeed a Great Man who considered the average household income to suggest a monthly Rental rate.<br />Well , my late father was a Civil Servant and we moved into our SIT flat sometime in the late 50's .Rental was if I was not wrong, S$50 per month for a 2 bedroom, 1 hall with a veranda .Lye Khuen Wayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15902519116110277038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-57392756342347401212013-10-02T12:48:46.540+08:002013-10-02T12:48:46.540+08:00Ngiam Tong Dow is the Only Top Civil Servant that ...Ngiam Tong Dow is the Only Top Civil Servant that has ever put forth his wisdoms openly for the Rulers and the People to think about.<br />Personally, me finds him much more enlightened and respectable than any in the Cabinet.<br />He surely will a great President with executive power.<br /><br />patriotpatriothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02012654183813005452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-78272354299529998022013-10-02T12:48:28.648+08:002013-10-02T12:48:28.648+08:00"In the early days, Lim Kim San and Goh Keng ...<br />"In the early days, Lim Kim San and Goh Keng Swee worked night and day, and they were truly dedicated. I don’t know whether Lee Kuan Yew will agree but it started going downhill when we started to raise ministers’ salaries, not even pegging them to the national salary but aligning them with the top ten. When you raise ministers’ salaries to the point that they’re earning millions of dollar, every minister – no matter how much he wants to turn up and tell Hsien Loong off or whatever – will hesitate when he thinks of his million-dollar salary. Even if he wants to do it, his wife will stop him. Lim Kim San used to tell me, “Ngiam, if you want to leave your job, make sure you have enough walkaway money.”<br /><br />When the salary is so high, which minister dares to leave, unless they decide to become the opposition party? As a result, the entire political arena has become a civil service, and I don’t see anyone speaking up anymore."<br />Ngiam Tong Dow:<br /> <br /> <br />Maybe that's the idea.<br />To make the political arena sterile.<br />So as to entrench the incompetents.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772491888812684500.post-60307568660972359302013-10-02T12:43:32.398+08:002013-10-02T12:43:32.398+08:00Putting such a small man;
Into a coffin of a big m...Putting such a small man;<br />Into a coffin of a big man;<br />I'm not sure if it's a good idea.<br /><br />The phrase "filling in a big pair of shoes"<br />or in this case "a big coffin"<br />comes to mind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com