czechmate SG I agree. There's just no way to compare what these two former presidents did for Singapore. They focused on different aspects for the good of the people. It is a pity we don't have more of these wonderful selfless men in our government today. OTC certainly deserves more than what was accorded to him for what he tried to do for us.
robertteh SG The Position of President of Singapore is now different from those days in Sheares or Yusok Ishak. It is an elected position commanding its own constitution authority. The president owes a duty even though he was not democratically elected by the people to discharge his responsibility to the people of Singapore. He can carry on what ex-president Ong Teng Cheong has started but failed to accomplish - ask for major assets e.g. foreign and GLC investments to be valued once a year. This is the type of elected president Singapore needs. PMO has 6 ministers and many senior civil servants set up to look after GIC and oversee asset surpluses costing taxpayers millions. I am sure even if PM has not instructed anyone to keep updated records of assets, the president on his own sense of duty can do so without further asking. To this day, what OTC has asked for was not wrong except that the tasks of valuating all assets or major assets might take time. OTC's intention and objective were truly admirable and correct. The incumbent party was short-sighted not to see the positive contribution of the elected president's office for their future generation's sake. The party wants to win over the young educated and elites. Can the party walk tall among the people they are claiming to lead as their sheeps ? Prove to the young educated elites that the party is pro-Singapore and will always do things for Singapore's interest in any event party and state interests are at odds or differ. So I ask: the current president to carry on his contributions in his own way i.e. to establish his office as elected president for future generation's sake so that the assets can be guarded against possible abuse and the 2nd key can be properly used to open the asset box for assistance to singaporeans when the crisis comes.
StarPuppy SG And the battle of the People's Presidents continues... I mean why is there even the rank "people's president" ? I am sure Wee Kim wee doesn't give a care about this rank
StarPuppy SG MM LKY is the Pioneers of the country and he has done so much for us and regardless of the things he done(good or bad) .He has my respect because without him and his party,we wouldn't be here crapping in SGforums
Agressor SG If I am not wrong, when WKW took over as President, he was not given as much power as OTC was given. That's why he seems to be "guai guai".
iveco SG The Constitution was amended to give the President more power in 1993 with the introduction of presidential polls.
Agressor SG That is precisely the problem of Singapore's democracy. Personally, I felt that even if there is no other candidates standing out for the election, the norminated candidate should also go through voting to gain the mandate from the people of Singapore. That is what I like when Lao Goh took over as the P.M. He stright away call for an election to get the mandate of the people. Junior Lee should have practised that as well. Otherwise it would looked more like being inherit the title rather than to earn one deservingly.
miong SG President Ong Teng Cheong is a classic example of how MPs and ministers ought not to behave in Government. "either you are with us or against us.." He was apparently neither - he was for the country! Unfortunately for him, and he should know better, he lost out. He was given the pariah treatment. And deliberately erased from public mention were his major contribution to PAP's long overstay in Parliament House. That my friends is a perfect example of the real face of the power hungry Lee regime.
iveco SG How? As in having CSJ as our inaugural PM after gaining independence last night, having joined with KL in 2003 after severing ties with QE2 that year?
PRP SG President's duties are mostly ceremonial.So his contributions are not much. Ong TC was a minister & DPM and he contributed a lot to the country (no doubt he is well remmunerated).Wee KW couldn't compare with him.This should be the criterion for judging these 2 persons.
