Invitation to MP Denise Phua to reply to forumers

robertteh SG

t is noted that although both MM and PM welcome constructive robust debates and exchange of views they have so far only done so in controlled media or panels chaired by their own elites.

Denise Phua lamented recently she felt something was wrong in reading many anti-government postings in forums. She did not seem to realise that all the media are presenting look-good views and policies for the government thus leading ot fallacies and hypocrisy in our public media and forums are the only means of expressions of citizens' views left in our intellectual life.

So it is up to Denise Phua or any PAP MPs to come here to reply to any alternative views to policies as expressed by many forumers.

I think Denise will find it problematic to defend many of government policies and will be found most wanting in replying to forumers' ratioality and logic e.g. high cost policy is wrong and delaying on estate upgrading entitlements of Potong Pasir and Hougang is unbecoming of a first-world government worth any salt.

It will most likely be found that the MPs and Ministers will only engage in so-called robust debates when the whole questions and answers are chaired and staged to give them the edge with controlling questions and time.

I invite Denise who complained so much about one-sided forums' views to enter here and debates several past postings of views on major government policies that went wrong.

First-world leaders must be able to reply to people's criticism or suggestions on substance not just window dressing in their own look-good panels controlled by them.

weijian SG

how do we speak to them??

what are the issues that they wanna discuss??

there are just too many stuffs which are actually covered and being given a nice cover page to mask the defects in the system Neutral

robertteh SG

Agreed with you that no one has been able to set the agenda for any such discussions. For a start, we forumers can invite Denise to exchange views on the following major policies of the government :-

(1) Should our leadership-centric system of government be exempted from accountability and transparency e.g. Temasek's decision making process in investing billions in Shin Corp or Global Crossing?

(2) Should Temasek invest citizens' reserves in overseas investments like Shin Corp or local economy to create jobs for its own citizens or in safer endownment funds to lower cost of living?

(3) Is the government justified in taxing, recovering costs and corporatising essential services to charge higher fees resulting in taxes accumulating into surpluses without priority to use the surpluses to lower citizens' costs of living or increase jobs creation while ministers and civil servants reward themselves with higher salaries, bonuses and even millions of golden hand shakes?

(4) Is a system of governance based on taxing and recovering all costs depriving the economy of its competitiveness?

(5) Is an system of economic planning based on promoting foreign investments causing neglect to nurturing our own local talents and domestic economy?

weijian SG

eh..to me these questions are rather a bit too chim for me at my age wor

i just read the articles in Today Newspapers..

there is one article which says that the salary has increased compared to previous year.

the other article is bout public transport wanting to increase the public transport fees, and is likely to have the green light from the dept in charge of transport thingy...

sorry, but i can't exactly remember what that word is.

these small issues are more inline with all citizens what, why is there a need to discuss matters that seems so chim??

LoveOuch! SG

Actually only thoes chim questions can make us know if the policy maker is up to the task. RITE?

BillyBong SG

Say what you like about MM Lee or PM Lee, they at least have the guts to engage youths, reporters and foreign press in an open forum. Instead of sidestepping the questions, they face them head-on.

In the current crop of leadership and young ministers, i doubt there are many others up to the task of such open and televised scrutiny.

Denise Phua? Faced with hard questions, she will probably perform only as well as Indranee Rajah at best, or flop on stage at worst.

Still, it would be most interesting to see if your invitation can be elevated to an email request to join us in this forum. Posting here is unlikely to get her attention.

Eikei SG

I don’t think MPs are able to reply off the cuff that quickly as they do not know everything about policies and have to write in to the Ministers to find out more. Only Ministers and above are able to give the pertinent information regarding their respective Ministries.

gd4u SG

The full report is that the high income eanrers earned more than previous years, while LOW income earners are earning LESSER. And they are INCREASING transport fares with GOOD ECONOMIC GROWTH as the REASON ?? What is MOT and PTC thinking about? I think like what many as said before, it is because we are bogged down by simple questions that we forgot to think about the 'chim' questions. Is that the reason the government seems to behave more and more unreasonable ?

NewAge SG

sad to say that i tdo not even think that PAP will agreed to let her comment on policies without their approval. Seniors in the PAP will surely be sieving through her replies first before she will submit it here.

vito_corleone SG

the singapore parliament is a farce, so you say whether an mp can make a difference or not? Laughing this is not the uk, parliament is not supreme, you know

LazerLordz SG

Have you seen the Australian Parliament in session, now that's robust debate.

Riff-raff my arse...

vito_corleone SG

taiwan nicer..like watching WWE Laughing

[email protected] SG

lets put it this way. they are king, they do as they please. who are we that they need to come and answer to us? its not like singaporeans dare to vote for the opposition anyway, and all they need to do is dangle a bit of a carrot near elections and singaporeans’ amnesia will happen again. they wouldn’t need to come answer to us. who are we?

weijian SG

though they are the king govening our lives in singapore..

but when faced with much more wealthy people, strong enough in pocket to damage singapore ecnomy then will they listen to their voices, if not no talk le...

will they really make an effort to listen to the problems that we have, i doubt so.

ShutterBug SG

I don't think so, they will ONLY play ball with you, in their own BALL COURT.

Because they simply cannot afford to lose in any debate over any issue.

[email protected] SG

the only way to counter them is to become influencial right? Well then thats what some of us might be doing. Laughing

LazerLordz SG

When you have enough clout to hammer someone, then they will listen to you.Sad but true.