Does the Singapore Leadership understand Singaporean Needs ?

Atobe SG

In the recent Mandarin forum on Channel 8, broadcast on Saturday - amongst the panel of participants were some selected Singaporeans from all walks of life - including Jack Neo.

Mr Jack Neo, Film Director, says: "I want to ask the Prime Minister whether you think Singaporeans have enough money?"

Mr Lee says: "I think many Singaporeans have a feeling that they don't have enough money. Why?
I don't know. You are an expert in the matter, so you should know better." - CNA/de

How could the PM know if Singaporeans have any feeling that we don't have enough money, when his needs are all taken care of as a PM, and with a joint income with his wife that will total over $2 Million a year at least, and with him never experiencing what poverty and tight family budget is about throughout his life?

Was there an answer given to that Jack Neo Question ?

But he stressed that discussions on politics must be taken seriously, not as jokes, as in the case in some countries in the West .

Speaking at a Chinese current affairs forum organised by MediaCorp TV Channel 8, he said that countries can become unstable if political figures are not given basic respect and acceptance.

Said Mr Lee, "Politics needs a proposition and an opposition. Disagreements and different opinions are acceptable, but we must treat the subject seriously. We can keep it informal, like today's discussion; this is informal." - CNA /ct

Is this not an irony that PM LHL will speak of "politics must be taken seriously, not as jokes - when in Singapore, POLITICS as practised by the Ruling Political Party IS A JOKE ?

Is it surprising that PM LHL will demand that political figures need to be "given basic respect and acceptance" - when the Ruling Political Party has never given any respect nor acceptance of Opposition Parties and their leadership - with his father (MM LKY) giving the best virtuoso performance in deriding JBJ ?

Does PM LHL truly believe that "Politics needs a proposition and an opposition" , or is this mere rhetoric ?

The manner in which the Ruling Political Party treated WITHOUT ANY RESPECT the Workers' Party Manifesto clearly shows the standard of politics that the Ruling Political Party is capable of - and if that itself is not a JOKE, what possibly can the future hold for Politics in Singapore ?

From ChannelNewsAsia

robertteh SG

Atobe,

Assuming the people are not poor, and majority indeed can afford to pay $300 - $600 towards utility and public transportation, shouldnt the government let them have their aspirations to get even richer with higher standards of living and paying for what they cannot afford before.

Why must the argument always be to tax and recover even imore and more even if public transport companies and the whole government are clearly making obsence monies and ministers are enjoying higher and higher salaries and bonuses.

shade343 SG

Laughing

SIngaporeans want money lah. So simple. As long as your HDB prices keep going up can liao.

Anti-RuleSS SG

I don’t think he will care even if he knew that we doesn’t have money to spend. Human are selfish, we are living in a world call “a man for himself”, no matter who he or she is, PM, doctor, maid, student, director, manager or worker. All are selfish, we only look after ourself, that’s what human do…...

Anti-RuleSS SG

Most people have this mindset of “you die better than i die”.

Lessformore SG

What better way than to ridicule and attack your opponent when you cannot give legitimate and accurate answer.....

What better way than to shoot down any suggestion that is not yours but to rehatch it later as your owm brilliant idea....

What better way than to challenge your opponent when you fear to take them on on level ground.....

What better way than to fill the stomuch than to feed the the mind....

What better way than to shoot down your opponent from the back then going into a alley to face him.....

What better way than to trust blood to keep the skeletons in the cupboard after your time.

What better way........than to shut up and accept hegemony

dragg SG

the govt doesnt care about the citizens.

all they care about is how much they are making.

NewAge SG

Indeedn LKY son live in an environment sheltered from poverty and will not ever be able to truly understand the agitation not having enough money however there is a need to remember that at least he is rather open to views. A leader need not be a know it all. He needs to have an ability to listen and digest what he hear and take steps to help.

lotus999 SG

and sadly this is often at our expense!

robertteh SG

Sadly it is true of our society. People become selfish when they are not cultured and socially responsible. When the government keeps undercutting their livelihood or taking away their monies they naturally cannot survive except to act selfishly.

The root of all the problems is simply the system.

Atobe SG

"If we treat people as they are, they will stay as they are. But if we treat them for what they might be, and might become, they will become those better selves." --G.T. Smith

Your comments reflect the shortsightedness of the Ruling Elite in which they have created for themselves a Club Elite of exclusively success proven high wage earners - who are separated from those seen as mediocre or worst.

The Club Elite will pay themselves wages that they are accustomed to, and live a lifestyle that only they can afford, and at the expense of all those who form the majority that must work and pay to survive the SYSTEM at the basic levels.

Members of the Club Elite will be entitled to the Privileges that the mediocre Singaporeans will not even dream being possible - all expense paid from public funds for the periodical world excursions to non-tourist places; chauffered cars with full time security coverage; all expense paid advance studies in overseas institutions; with perhaps special financial loans from Private Fund at preferential rates; and/or special fund management programs to increase the financial wealth of the Party and perhaps any from the Club Elite who will buy into the Programme; and easy memberships to Five Star Golf Clubs, Government owned chalets and resorts, and Special Events with front row reservations.

Are we not living in an environment similar to that of Communist Russia - which believe that - "Stratification in the Soviet Union, according to Soviet officials, was based only on merit and not on the ownership of private property. Privilege proceeded from one's position in society and not the reverse " ?

The Singapore version of the Gulag is cleverly dressed up in the colorfully managed Singapore-style Capitalistic Stageworks.

Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - )

BillyBong SG

Originally posted by Atobe:

In the recent Mandarin forum on Channel 8, broadcast on Saturday - amongst the panel of participants were some selected Singaporeans from all walks of life - including Jack Neo.

Is this not an irony that PM LHL will speak of "politics must be taken seriously, not as jokes - when in Singapore, POLITICS as practised by the Ruling Political Party [b]IS A JOKE ?

Is it surprising that PM LHL will demand that political figures need to be "given basic respect and acceptance" - when the Ruling Political Party has never given any respect nor acceptance of Opposition Parties and their leadership - with his father (MM LKY) giving the best virtuoso performance in deriding JBJ ?

Does PM LHL truly believe that "Politics needs a proposition and an opposition" , or is this mere rhetoric ?

The manner in which the Ruling Political Party treated WITHOUT ANY RESPECT the Workers' Party Manifesto clearly shows the standard of politics that the Ruling Political Party is capable of - and if that itself is not a JOKE, what possibly can the future hold for Politics in Singapore ?

From ChannelNewsAsia

[/b]

Isn't his answer typical of the way candidates of the PAP answer reporters?

Indirect, unsatisfactory and at a tangent to the topic at hand?

Should we expect any less from the Prime Minister to take the lead in this manner?

Of course i would have expected Jack Neo to follow-up with another related question to probe a certain 'answer' from PM LHL, but once again, as typical of our level of talk shows and journalism in SG, we simply leave the question unanswered.

miongisback SG

Yes, they do understand our need through meet the people sessions.

And No, they dont always act on our problems. The people at the top are fearful of loosing their firm grip on the people.

If your requests dont fit into their plan of things, dont ever hope for goodies to fall from the sky.

Where there is a need to show off, there will be a forum to paint a pretty picture of Government and warn of disaster happening to Singapore if they dont get elected. Laughing

It is not their style to invite outstanding young outspoken critics to these forums. One can roughly guess only who will be invited to these forums

I am highly skeptical about any Mediacorp arranged forums. In fact you may say I DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING I HEAR OR SEE IN OUR LOCAL MEDIAS.

Why didnt they call Jaime Han - the undergraduate who boldly and rightly shamed and challenged MM with his daring assertions. This happened during an arranged open forum in the university hall.

To our dear leaders -

The new generation is not kampong Ah Pek and Ah Soh mentality. We are more knowledgeable AND wiser than "YOU"take us to be!

LazerLordz SG

Originally posted by miongisback:
Yes, they do understand our need through meet the people sessions.

And [b]No, they dont always act on our problems. The people at the top are fearful of loosing their firm grip on the people.

If your requests dont fit into their plan of things, dont ever hope for goodies to fall from the sky.

Where there is a need to show off, there will be a forum to paint a pretty picture of Government and warn of disaster happening to Singapore if they dont get elected. Laughing

It is not their style to invite outstanding young outspoken critics to these forums. One can roughly guess only who will be invited to these forums

I am highly skeptical about any Mediacorp arranged forums. In fact you may say I DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING I HEAR OR SEE IN OUR LOCAL MEDIAS.

Why didnt they call Jaime Han - the undergraduate who boldly and rightly shamed and challenged MM with his daring assertions. This happened during an arranged open forum in the university hall.

To our dear leaders -

The new generation is not kampong Ah Pek and Ah Soh mentality. We are more knowledgeable AND wiser than "YOU"take us to be![/b]

I say the electorate is wiser than the people in power.

ShutterBug SG

I think they understand their own needs better than ours.

SG,LauBaiXing SG

Our peoples is Very wise to understand what the PAP is playing, it is a game of "Egg Hit's Rock"
Dare you ?