That's precisely put.
How to be happy, when they say one thing, but does things another
way?
Here are articles from SDP's website:
===========================
Wrong crystal ball 17 Feb 06
The Rhetoric
"Ours should be a future of opportunity and promise. We should have
a prospering economy, creating good jobs for all."
- PM Lee Hsien Loong, National Day Rally 2004
The Reality
"Nearly 300,000 Singaporean workers earn $1,200 or less in gross
monthly income. Half of them, or one in 10 workers, earn even less
- $900. They are the group most vulnerable to retrenchments and
fallout from economic restructuring. Many already struggle to make
ends meet and have little or nothing for their medical and
retirement needs."
- Straits Times, July 1, 2005
Please make up your mind: Are we digits or not? 20 Jan 06
The Rhetoric
We must remember that workers are not simply factors of production
or economic digits."
- ex-DPM Tony Tan, Straits Times, Aug 4 2003
The Reality
"At the end of the day, we are so many digits in the machine. The
point is are these digits stronger than the competitors'
digits?"
- MM Lee Kuan Yew on Singapore workers, History of Singapore,
2005
Your CPF is *ahem* sound 27 Dec 05
The Rhetoric
"Our CPF system based on individual savings is sound. The CPF will
provide a basic retirement pension for most Singaporeans."
- PM Lee Hsien Loong, May 1, 2005
The Reality
"As of last year, only about 40 per cent of active CPF members who
turned 55 meet the CPF minimum sum of $84,500. Of these, slightly
more than half had set aside no more than $40,000 and had to pledge
their properties to make up for the shortfall. The CPF Board
estimates that 10 economically active persons are supporting one
elderly person. By 2030, only 3.5 persons will be supporting one
elderly person."
- Straits Times, Dec 18, 2004
Economy growing? 11 Dec 05
The Rhetoric
"We are growing our economy, creating more jobs, and providing
Singaporeans the skills and opportunities to look after themselves
and their families."
- PM Lee Hsien Loong, May 1, 2005
The Reality
"...the spiraling numbers of applications for the Straits Times
School Pocket Money Fund to help needy children. The number needing
help tripled from 3,735 in 2001 to 10,419 in 2003. According to CDC
figures, those needing financial aid swelled from 14,300 to 22,500
in 2002, and 31,570 in 2003."
- Straits Times, Jan 29, 2005
Land of opportunity for whom? 8 Nov 05
The Rhetoric
"We want to make sure that all Singaporeans benefit from our
success. As we forged ahead, nobody should be left behind...This
will be a land of opportunity for all."
- PM Lee Hsien Loong, Straits Times, Feb 19, 2005
The Reality
"Monthly incomes for households in the bottom 20 per cent fell 3.2
per cent a year, from $933 in 1998 to $795 in 2003."
- Straits Times citing the household expenditure survey, Jun 18,
2005
"Seven in 10 polled were not aware of any financial assistance
schemes, although more than half of them said they had faced
financial hardship in the past year. Almost 16 per cent of the
respondents, all living in one and two-room flats, had family
members who often went hungry."
- Straits Times citing a poverty survey conducted by Social
Development Feedback Group, Jan 29, 2005
Backtracking over Taiwan and South Korea 17 Oct 05
The Rhetoric
If in 10 years, Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea were better
societies because they adopted the US model (of democracy),
Singapore would hurry to catch."
- PM Goh Chok Tong, National Day Rally, 1995
The Reality
"Singapore is an improbable nation and therefore cannot be compared
to such places as South Korea and Taiwan
I think in 20 years our
society will change. But I do not see a Western model...as the
target we want to aim for."
- PM Lee Hsien Loong's speech at the Foreign Correspondents
Association, Oct 6 2005
Which hospital is that again, Mr Lee? 27 Sep 2005
The Rhetoric
"We run a (healthcare) system where you have to co-pay...but you
get the attention
In Singapore, within half-an-hour, you would be
in SGH (Singapore General Hospital), TTSH (Tan Tock Seng
Hospital)...and within one-and-a-half to two hours flat, you'd know
what went wrong.
- MM Lee Kuan Yew on the state of Singapore hospitals after his
wife was flown home from London after suffering a stroke there,
Today, Nov 3, 2003
The Reality
My dad was sent to the A&E department three times in two months
because of stroke and, each time, my family had to wait at least
six hours before he was pushed to a ward
When my dad finally got to
the ward, it was past 2am. And we had arrived at the A&E
department about 7pm; it took more than six hours before my dad was
seen by a neurologist. If my dad had been taken to the ward earlier
and been treated by a neurologist, his chances of living might be
higher
The neurologist told us that my dad had the worst kind of
stroke anyone could get. Sadly, he was pronounced brain dead the
next day.
- Ms Tan Tze Yee, author of the above letter, Straits Times Forum,
Aug 18, 2005
Recently, my father, who is in his late 70s and has multiple
illnesses and end-stage renal failure, had to wait seven hours for
a bed at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). We were told that as
no bed was available, he would be placed in the observation ward
first. This had happened many times before and we were prepared to
wait for one to two hours for a bed for him
However, it was not
until seven hours later that he was wheeled into the ward. During
this time, no doctor came to see him.
- Ms Rodziah Shaari, author of the above letter, Straits Times
Forum, Aug 13, 2005
The future is ours (the PAP's) to make 19 Aug 2005
The Rhetoric
"Our prospects are brighter than before. Our economy is growing
strongly again. The future is ours to make."
- PM Lee Hsien Loong, Inauguration Speech, Aug 12, 2004
The Reality
"4,190 people were made bankrupt in the first 11 months of last
year - the highest in 19 years."
- Straits Times, Jan 15, 2005
"More and more Singaporeans are working past the age of 65 as they
lack retirement funds. As of June last year, 35,727 Singaporeans
aged 65 and over were still employed, up from 22,699 a decade ago
(1993), according to MOM statistics. The majority, or 35.7 per
cent, worked as cleaners and in other related menial jobs. This
means their incomes will fade with their strengths."
- Straits Times, Dec 18, 2004
All the spinning is giving us a headache 10 Aug 2005
The Rhetoric
"Job prospects look rosy for Singapore"
"Outlook for job creation is good"
"Job market at its best in three years"
"Brighter prospects in job market"
- Straits Times headlines in the months of Aug, Sept and Oct 2004
(NB. PM Lee Hsien Loong was inaugurated on Aug 12).
The Reality
"Job creation has dipped. Between January and March, 16,900 jobs
were added - around half the 32,700 jobs gains in the last
quarter.
- Straits Times, June 16, 2005
Pay us top dollar: Goh 2 Aug 2005
The Rhetoric
"The price of good government is $34 million a year - or the cost
of five plates of char kway teow per citizen. Has the performance
of my Government justified its wage? Has my Government given you
safe homes, stable jobs and fuel to dream of all the
tomorrows?"
- (Then) PM Goh Chok Tong urging Singaporeans to accept pay
increases for Ministers and political office holders, July 1,
2000
The Reality
"Unemployment rate among the working population living in HDB flats
had increased from 4.9 per cent in 1998 to 7.8 per cent in
2003."
- Straits Times citing a HDB survey, Jun 21, 2005
"More and more Singaporeans are working past the age of 65 as they
lack retirement funds. A survey of 1,140 people aged 40 to 59 years
showed only one in three felt they had enough to retire on. Another
one in three planned to downgrade to a smaller home to make up for
their shortfall in retirement funds. Frighteningly, almost four in
10 said they were counting on luck, in the form of a Toto or 4D
windfall, to bankroll their retirement."
- Straits Times, Dec 18 2004
Best quality of life...for whom? 26 Jun 2005
The Rhetoric
Singapore offers best quality of life in Asia for
expatriates.
- Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, March 2002
The Reality
Two thousand Singaporean families are so poor they cannot afford to
send their children to school.
- Reuters, March 2002
