PAP's Broken Promises
Shared prosperity a cornerstone 12 Jan 06
During elections:
"Shared prosperity will remain a cornerstone of our New
Singapore."
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, Oct 20, 2001
After elections:
"A Department of Statistics (DOS) report last year showed income
inequality has crept up over the years. Overall, average monthly
incomes have risen: from $3,076 in 1990 to $4,943 in 2000. But
incomes at the top rose, while incomes at the bottom declined. In
2000, incomes for the top 10 per cent of resident households grew
8.8 per cent, while incomes for the bottom 10 per cent of
wage-earning households shrank 13.6 per cent. This shrinkage would
have been even greater - 54.1 per cent - if households with no wage
earners had been included. The Gini coefficient - which measures
income disparity in a society - hovered around 0.44 in the 1990s,
but expanded to 0.481 in 2000, showing a rising income gap."
- Chua Mui Hoong, political columnist, Straits Times, Aug 4,
2003
"If we want to have successful entrepreneurs, Singaporeans have to
accept a greater income disparity between the successful and the
not so successful."
- SM Lee Kuan Yew, Ho Rih Hwa public lecture, Feb 5, 2002
Choose PAP and Singapore still weaker 11 Dec 05
During elections:
"Choose wrongly, and Singapore will be weaker. People will start
writing new reports about us, about how, after all, we are just a
flash in the pan."
- DPM Lee Hsien Loong, Straits Times, Oct 22, 2001
After elections:
"Singapore is Asia's weakest economy: Barclays." - AFP, Jun 18,
2002
"Singapore among Asia's laggards as recession deepens." -
Bloomberg, Jan 2 ,2002
"Glory of Singapore fades into the past." - Age, Melbourne, Jan 24
,2002
"Singapore is trying to halt slippage." - New York Times, Apr 30,
2002
"In Singapore: Government squanders savings." - New Zealand Herald,
May 18, 2002
"Economic doubts dog Singapore." - Financial Times, Aug 27,
2002
"Singapore faces jobless surge." - BBC, Sept 13, 2002
"Singapore concedes economy weakening, delays pension repairs." -
AFP, Nov 17, 2002
"Whither Singapore Inc?" - Economist, Nov 28, 2002
"Singapore economy to remain sluggish" - Financial Times, Jan 3,
2003
"Singapore economy stagnates, recession risks loom." - Reuters, Apr
10, 2003
"Bad debts up as Singapore falters." - Reuters, Jul 31, 2003
First we lead, then we follow 8 Nov 05
During elections:
"You look at all the countries around us...Currencies collapsed,
property prices ces collapsed, unemployment, economies slowing
down, riots, clashes between people. Singapore did not go through
that mangle. Why? Because in Singapore, we had a competent
government in charge, anticipating events."
- SM Lee Kuan Yew on the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, Straits
Times, Nov 1 2003
After elections:
"In a global economy, we are not trendsetters. We follow what
others do."
- Minister and labour chief Lim Boon Heng, Straits Times, Jul
2003
"Data released by the Ministry of Manpower last week was by far the
bleakest to date. Eight straight quarters of job losses and a
staggering 24,800 jobs wiped out over the April to June period -
more in a single quarter than in all of 1998, the peak of Asia's
infamous financial crisis."
- The Edge, Aug 4, 2003
"Singaporeans are also the most pessimistic about their future
income. In the Asia-Pacific region, only the Japanese are less
confident than Singaporeans about the outlook for regular income.
These are among the findings of MasterCard International's latest
biannual survey of consumer confidence in 13 markets around the
region."
- The Edge, Aug 4, 2003
Unite behind PAP for a secure future and a better life? Yeah
right...
17 Oct 05
During elections:
"A people united - Secure Future, Better Life."
- PAP election manifesto
"Vote for my PAP team. a people united behind a good government is
your best guarantee of a secure future and a better life."
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, Oct 28, 2001
After elections:
"Bankruptcy cases at 17 year high."
- Straits Times, Jan 8, 2003
"Family violence on the rise, and counselors attribute it to the
stress of job losses due to the economic downturn."
- Straits Times, Jan 28, 2002
"During the Asian Financial Crisis, 27,000 jobs were lost. That
year the number of marital splits jumped by 16 per cent to 5,651.
Last year a record number of 5,825 marriages ended in divorces and
annulments - up sharply from 2,111 cases in 1982."
- Straits Times, Jun 8, 2003
"Hit by slowdown, young working adults are vulnerable to suicidal
thoughts. More are calling SOS hotline for help...there were 361
suicides last year, nearly 17% more than 1999."
- Straits Times, June 15, 2003
Goh shows more understanding our concerns 27 Sep 05
During elections:
"Will you keep your job? Can your families cope with school
expenses, medical bills, rent and utilities charges? I understand
your worries."
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, Oct 28, 2001 (A week earlier,
Goh had said he understood our concerns. See posting on 19 Jul
2005 below. Concerns and worries come thick and fast before
elections to the PAP; what happens after elections is another
matter.)
After elections:
"A growing number of Singapore children are not being sent to
school because their cash-strapped parents claim they cannot afford
to pay for education. Ministry figures show 1921 children did not
register for Primary 1 classes in 1999, up 244 on 1997 figures.
"
- Reuters, Mar 3, 2002
"More parents seeking help to pay school fees."
- Straits Times Jun 17, 2002
"About 10,000 students received financial help from the Ministry of
Education in the first six months of this year, almost three times
that for the whole of 1999. The Starits Times School Pocket Money
Fund, which gives students $30 or $50 a month, is also helping
2,000 more students this year, nearly 40 per cent more than last
year's 5,500."
- Straits Times, Aug 11, 2003
"Thousands can't pay utility bills, many face power cut."
- Straits Times, Apr 12, 2003
"Desperation is forcing some people to ask for personal loans on
the internet ... they are asking strangers for anything between
$500 and $30,000."
- Straits Times, Apr 14, 2002
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs? 23 Aug 05
During elections:
"SDP's plan 'causes higher unemployment.'"
- George Yeo in Straits Times, Oct 29, 2001
"Top task for PM - to save and create jobs. There is one thing on
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's mind these days : jobs, jobs,
jobs."
- Straits Times, Oct 26, 2001
After elections:
"Numbers for the first three months indicate that unemployment -
now at a 15 year high - will get worse before it improves."
- Straits Times, May 1 2002
"Gone forever: 42,000 jobs in Singapore. Why: high costs here; the
recession; business restructuring."
- Straits Times, June 17 2002
"The proportion of Singaporeans who are unemployed for at least 6
months is the worst in 10 years."
- Straits Times, Sept 15 2002
"Fewer jobs as gloom hits economy. 84,300 people could not find
jobs last month."
- Straits Times, Nov 1 2002
"By year end, unemployment should rise to 5.5 per cent ... a recent
MOM survey says that three in 10 of the jobless are sole
breadwinners which means more than 30,000 families could be living
off retrenchment benefits, savings and any odd jobs they can
snag."
- Straits Times, Nov 23, 2002
Compassion only during elections 10 Aug 05
During elections:
"Build compassionate meritocracy : PM"
- Straits Times, Oct 27 2001
After elections:
"CDCs are not welfare agencies: PM"
- Straits Times, Jan 6, 2002
"If these patients want to treat hospitals like a hotel, then
they'll have to be charged hotel rates."
- Minister Lim Hng Kiang, Straits Times, March 1,2002, on cutting
off subsidies for hospital overstayers who "are likely to be older
than 60, with no income, or are from families with incomes below
$1000."
"I regret making the decision because, in the end, the baby
continued to be in intensive care, and KKH now runs a bill of more
than $300,000."
- Lim Hng Kiang on how he regretted intervening to admit a
premature baby into KKH, Straits Times, May 21, 2002
"Family bathes in public toilet because the water supply has been
reduced to a trickle and the electricity disconnected. 'I have no
money even to buy candles.'"
- Retrenched worker Mdm Dilaram, Straits Times, Apr 12, 2003
"Power supply is not a welfare organisation."
- DPM Lee Hsien Loong, Straits Times, Mar 13, 2003
"More than 3000 Singaporeans have applied for a government
assistance scheme in the first two weeks of the year ...but no one
has qualified."
- Straits Times, Jan 26, 2003
Goh understands our concerns 19 Jul 05
During elections:
"I know you are worried about your job and your family's future. I
understand your concerns.
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, Oct 20, 2001
After Elections:
Layoffs not all bad. If there are no retrenchments at all, then I
worry for Singapore.
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Mar 22, 2003
PAP not Pay and Pay? 3 Jul 05
During elections:
"What it means is that government will have to tax and tax and you
will have to pay and pay. If you don't want a Pay and Pay
government, better don't vote for the opposition. Vote for the
PAP."
- DPM Lee Hsien Loong rebutting opposition's economic proposals,
Straits Times, Oct 29 2001
After elections:
"This is the medicine, take it."
- DPM Lee Hsien Loong on the GST hike, CNA, May 15, 2002
Goh wanted alternatives? 26 Jun 05
During elections:
I would want to form an alternative policies group in Parliament,
comprising 20 PAP MPs. These 20 PAP MPs will be free to vote in
accordance with what they think of a particular policy. In other
words, the whip for them will be lifted. This is not playing
politics, this is something which I think is worthwhile
doing."
- PM Goh Chok Tong, Straits Times, Nov 3, 2001
After elections:
"If you sing Jailhouse Rock with your electric guitar when others
are playing Beethoven, you are out of order. The whip must be used
on you."
- PM Goh Chok Tong in report "Not in people's interest to lift
whip", Straits Times, Apr 6, 2002
