Don't expect thanks from the ppl!

PRP SG

Lim Boon Heng said ministers & MPs not to expect thanks from the ppl.

No thanks from the ppl but they get good remmuneration every month.So Mr Lim,when u get your salary at the end of every month,this is the 'thanks' from the ppl (willingly or unwillingly)?

robertteh SG

I paid his salary without his saying a single word of thanks. This is the kind of NKF denial only happening in our autocratic regime. Leaders will say what they please to make problems disappear. His only concern in an unemployment situation or economic downturn seems to be that the workers must re-train.

He conveniently failed to ask his ministers in charge of EDB or MTI to create sufficient critical mass for technology start-ups to create jobs.

Medicated Oil SG

If you have not done your service to Singapore despite getting a big fat salary at the economic downturn, please shut up and perform your basic job.

Dun come out and wayang with the residents cos the big voting days is coming.

The life of people have not improved since the last election.

So, what appreciation do you want to get ?

ndmmxiaomayi SG

My guess is that he means the physical thanks, like a thank-you card. Not monetary kind.

dragg SG

i think they should thank us!!!

why should we thank them for doing what they are paid for?

2 month's bonus is $200000!!!

Mad Mad

robertteh SG

The way LBH spoke reminded me of the incident when people criticised leader's helping himself by chartering whole plane to fly back mrs. lee for emergency treatment. That incident clearly showed that leader was disappointed with people for not showing gratitude to him in allowing him to charter the whole plane for such service.

Why in the first place was there such an expectation - lack of understanding of leader's role being to be among others accountable and transparent.

Instead we are seeing ministers not willing to own up to such expectations and only wanting people to be grateful to them for their own benefits and convenience forgeting that leaders should serve the people with integrity, selflessness and without imposing of conditions..against the people.

NKF is the result of such a state of lack of accountability and transparency at the highest level. It filters down to the whole government.

Atobe SG

Perhaps he is expecting Singaporeans to thank the Ministers, Politicians from the Ruling Party, and the Ruling Party itself for bringing Singapore to the present state of affairs.

What is the current state of affairs in Singapore ?

Unemployment remains at 3.3% despite the proud New Year announcement by PM LHL that the economy had expanded by 5.7% for the full year in 2005.
(See below Ref #1 )

He is proud of the big picture for Singapore, but was this achievement a result of the efforts from the Political Leadership ?

Unfortunately, this achievement is made possible by the efforts put in by the industrial leaders from the manufacturing sectors; and such achievements seem to be touted as a result of efforts by the Government aka the Ruling Party.

In the process, the Singapore Leadership seems to be unable to differentiate the trees from the jungle.

In the same report it was observed by most economists that the surprised robust growth figures "has been unbalanced with sluggish domestic demand" - which under most circumstances will be interpreted as a loss of consumer confidence.

What could be the cause for such a loss in the Singaporean consumer confidence ?

Should Singaporeans thank the Political and Trade Union Leadership for putting added burden onto Singaporeans by offloading the housing financing scheme from HDB to the Commercial Banks ?

This scheme has resulted in exposing Singaporeans to an insecure future of losing roofs over their heads during future economic crisis.

To rub salt further into the wounds suffered by Singaporeans during the 2002 economic downturn, in which cuts were made to Pay and CPF, a further burden was added by the NTUC push towards short term employment contracts that allow flexibility for the Employers to "hire and fire".

This benefitted the Singapore Government Owned Companies, which is the biggest employer of Singaporeans.

Whatever happened to the "concept of RETRAINING" and "RETAINING loyal and experienced workers" that were loudly promoted and forced onto the employers during the late 1990s ?

We should perhaps also thank the Ruling Party and their ministers in Government and those from their ranks being"seconded" into the NTUC - for the current state of affairs that Singaporean is facing ?

Ref #1 - Singapore Growth Exceeds Expectations
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/5c4b6142-7b80-11da-ab8e-0000779e2340.html

lionnoisy SG

2.I remember it was not a chartered plane.Just a scheduled plane but
converted few seats .LKY said he paid for the conversion.

3.What is the truth?

robertteh SG

Ok, I accepted the correction. The chartered plane part should read as "scheduled" plane.

BillyBong SG

Different PM, different game. The current trend has moved more companies and GLCs into savings concepts such as Kaizen and 6 Sigma which leads to a high propensity to 'outsource' less specialised fields, which in turn increases the issue of short-term contract jobs with less security.

It's becoming a globalised trend setter and the fever has already hit Singapore.

Atobe SG

Originally posted by BillyBong:
Different PM, different game. The current trend has moved more companies and GLCs into savings concepts such as Kaizen and 6 Sigma which leads to a high propensity to 'outsource' less specialised fields, which in turn increases the issue of short-term contract jobs with less security.

It's becoming a globalised trend setter and the fever has already hit Singapore.

" Different PM, different game " - it certainly seems to be the case.

The Swiss Standard of Living is conveniently taken out of the current vocabulary from the New LHL Government, and even GCT is shy to repeat such a silly ideal - especially when Singapore is already reaching the Swiss COST of Living without even sighting the touted Swiss Standard of Living.

This will glaringly expose the weakness of the Government a.k.a Ruling Party in its often self-glorified touting of taking long term views, and having a helicopter vision for the economic interests of Singapore.

One can only wonder if their long term views have resulted in the Governmet a.k.a the Ruling Party being short sighted in not seeing the trends of 'outsourcing' already setting in, and making too late a response only until the current events have hit Singapore.

Similary, has the helicopter vision of the Government a.k.a the Ruling Party become so lofty, with their vision up in the stratosphere, that it has left them out of touch to the hardships of ordinary Singaporeans ?

BillyBong SG

Your question will probably never be answered.

Gone are the days when LKY and the old guards could relate to the people on a level playing field. Instead, that warm touch has been replaced by the cold aura that surrounds the current batch of cabinet ministers and the new generation of the ruling party.

How can a minister earning a 6-figure salary possibly understand the financial difficulties of the low end 4-figure earning average singaporean, nor recognise the astronomical rise of our cost of living? During the height of the recent recession, when everyone forgoed their MVCs in order to keep their jobs, did our ministers recevied 'pay cuts'?

Did they truly believe those token sums from NSS could perform miracles?

With respect, only a handful of ministers are actually reaching out to 'meet' the people. Men like Vivian Balakrisnan and Khaw Boon Wan actually bother to understand the emerging generation and openly admit shortcomings of the present administration.

As for the rest, when you witness them leaving their 'eagle's nest', it can only mean elections are near.

Blatant complancy? Or sheer disregard?

PRP SG

Member,pls don’t stray away from the topic itself.

PRP SG

Of course I understand what he tried to say.He was giving a FREE advise to ppl who want to joint politics.He knows S'poreans don't express thanks or show appreciation to whatever contributions politiicans make to the public.One can only hear criticism from the pbulic.This is the type of ppl PAP govt produce after it has ruled the country forn more than 40 years.