Singaporeans are fools!

last SG · 2004-01-01T23:38:48+00:00

submit to ST and see what happens.

Medicated Oil SG

Dear Relevation,

Glad to inform you that another form of voicing the opposing comments have been suppressed.

Mr Yang Jun Wei of UMF1003 have started a nite talk show since 6 months ago.

He is a thinker and brave enough to voice out his and the listener's dissent about certain government policy.

The radio show was well received by the listeners.

But, he have just received a notice to stop his talk show.

So much for "open policy" adopted by the Government.

Guess they have fear of their "own supporters" cross examining their policy.

Maybe you may be banned from the Forum for your "honest" opinion soon.

relevation SG

Maybe you may be banned from the Forum for your "honest" opinion soon.
[/b][/quote]

Dear MedicatedOil,

I will be sad for the forum if ever I am banned from uttering my frank opinion.

Thank you for adding another point to demonstrate that SIngaporeans are fools to allow the government to shut down dissent.

Frankly if we allow the PAP to continue as such, there is no future for Singapore in a globalised world. Where is the free exchange of information? By shutting down the station, PAP has demonstrated that it is weak and incompetent. It is unable to withstand the challenges and the pressure information brings.

If PAP is smart, it should not shut dissent down but challenge the dissent. By the way dissent helps PAP to win votes if they adopt and overcome the dissenting views.

relevation SG

Poor chap....you must have been suffering all these years. Two options for you my dear friend -

1. Join an opposition party and articulate your grievances to the whole nation. I am sure there are many like minded individuals out there who will worship you......."No action Talk only" will bring you nowhere.

2. Leave the country and throw stones from afar, hopefully it will hit some people you hate very much.

Of course the other option is to continue staying here and suffer. What is the word for a person who enjoyed suffering ???

---------------------------------------------------
Dear thinkloud2004

I like to thank you for reading my posting and happy that you have responded with some interesting remarks.

Though your arguement that I should join a political party is correct but sad to say the political ground is still a pro-PAP one. That's the reason why the topic here is "Singaporeans are fools"! So the subject is not about me but about how we as Singaporeans should change to be smarter and not continue to be foolish. Yes I may join political party or even form my own party one day but for now it is to change the mindset of people first.

I take offense that you suggest me to the leave the country. If ever I want to leave this country, I would not have bothered even raising such a controversial topic. As such I disagree that all talk and no action brings me nowhere. Singapore and even PAP profess that we are a democracy with freedom to speak. Your implied notion to ask me to shut up is an insult to yourself. Surely you have decided to suffer and there again fits the bill of this topic of " Singaporeans are fools".

Therefore, thinkloud2004, as your name implied that you are able to think loudly, stop your suffering and you may like to start joining a political party. You seem pro-PAP and maybe you can line up all the way to the back to join them.

Thank you again and I welcome further challenges.

relevation SG

Dear BLIM,

Singapore has many areas to bring out dissent and displeasure and of course to be heard. This forum is one of them. Others like the political parties'commentaries, Chamber of commerce, business groups, interest groups etc. Singapore's existience and survival lies with the business community. Whatever the business community wants especially the MNCs, the government will listen.

If that's a hint, you are able to do something!

dead_clone SG

i wouldn't really say they are fools...
singaporeans do think for themselves like you do...
it's just that no one takes any actions to prove their point...

wuming78 SG

x 2

the worst thing tt can happen is singaporeans perceive tt their voices go to nothing and become indifferent and dont even bother to feedback.

there are avenues where ur voice can be heard! if u realli care and realli feel strongly abt something pls do voice them out!

relevation SG

Dear dumbdumb,

Why let serious problem start or even bring us to a stage like our economic situation today?

Do you know that since the 1980s our opposition as well as the public have been lobbying for government to increase efforts in developing local entrepreurs? Our PAP government waited for 20 years before they acted on it and only when our economy is now suffering as our highly depended MNCs moves to China and other low cost countries.

In the 1980s, our government's response was that SIngapore's survival largely lies with the MNCs and even Mr Goh acknowledge and use MNCs investing here as a threat to entice Singaporeans to vote for PAP in the 1991, 1997 and to a lesser extend in 2001's general election.

Had we have a strong opposition, we would not have waited 20 years to start singing the entrepeurer song.

Let me remind all Singaporeans, Singapore is a small nation. Any mistake that is made by the government has serious consequences. Issues that are not well thought of and due to ease of majority in Parliament and the PAP WIP (where members of PAP backbenches are NOT allowed to express differing opinions), result in many failures. The failures of Investment in Suzhou, 2 child policy, dependency on MNCs, COE, ERP and GST have now seen serious consequences.

Had we have a dual party system in parliament, we may have a better chance of preventing these failures.

So far we are lucky to have survived all these failures. Will survive a fatal one?

DumbDumb, let me remind you, if we have a fatal blow, will we survive? I seriously doubt with a single party system.

shining_force SG

Dear Revelation

I think its pretty refreshing yet worth pondering about.
Though I hardly knows of anything about the workings of the local government, then again I'm sure not many ppl know and understand either.

Therefore pls continue with the threadings though it may or may not be not true its worth debating about and any considerable comments alike from others are definetely wellcome

A topic worth debating and sharing makes more sense than 1 line nonsenses! Not only are they totally off track, it irks the ppl with the real intention of getting the right stuff and voicing concerns!

Boxer SG

It would be good if our government is like pre-war Germany & former Iraq. At least we get to invade our neighbours ...

but ours is so pu.ssy ... gotta kow-tow to US ...

thinkloud2004 SG

---------------------------------------------------
Dear thinkloud2004

I like to thank you for reading my posting and happy that you have responded with some interesting remarks.

Though your arguement that I should join a political party is correct but sad to say the political ground is still a pro-PAP one. That's the reason why the topic here is "Singaporeans are fools"! So the subject is not about me but about how we as Singaporeans should change to be smarter and not continue to be foolish. Yes I may join political party or even form my own party one day but for now it is to change the mindset of people first.

I take offense that you suggest me to the leave the country. If ever I want to leave this country, I would not have bothered even raising such a controversial topic. As such I disagree that all talk and no action brings me nowhere. Singapore and even PAP profess that we are a democracy with freedom to speak. Your implied notion to ask me to shut up is an insult to yourself. Surely you have decided to suffer and there again fits the bill of this topic of " Singaporeans are fools".

Therefore, thinkloud2004, as your name implied that you are able to think loudly, stop your suffering and you may like to start joining a political party. You seem pro-PAP and maybe you can line up all the way to the back to join them.

Thank you again and I welcome further challenges.

[/b][/quote]

Quote :
<< That's the reason why the topic here is "Singaporeans are fools"! So the subject is not about me but about how we as Singaporeans should change to be smarter and not continue to be foolish.>>

<>

My reply :

Who gave you the right to conclude that Singaporeans are fools?
You owe all Singaporeans an apology by making such a blatant statement. By the same token, can I call you names? Singaporeans will be fools indeed if they they don't respond to your baseless allegation and thats why I am writing.

Just because you have a personal grudge or have some negative opinions about our Government does not give you any justification to make such a sweeping statement. I am a Singaporean and I certainly am not a fool. There are many other things in life besides politicis, or whatever your perception of politics is. I have a good job, a happy family, a safe place to live in and a forseeable stable future for my children - am I a fool to be enjoying all these? Put me in any other country and would I be better off ? Thats why I am suggesting, if you think there is a better place, go try it and then tell us the difference. After all anything good or bad, preferred or otherwise; is but a matter of comparison. Nothing is absolute. Nowhere is perfect. Of course if you choose to ignore all the positive aspects and drill deep into the negative, then I think there is no place in this world suitable for you. Name me a place where you consider good and I can name you at least 10 bad things about it.

It is always easy to throw stones on the sideline. While watching a soccer match with a friend, each time after a player missed a shot this friend of mine would say, "he should use his left foot", "he should pass to so-and-so" or "he should turn around and swing" or whatever.......My reply to him each time was, "go to the field and play and let me comment on you".

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to think loud.

lowem SG

Asking a fellow citizen to leave a country is what I would call a knee-jerk reaction.

Americans who criticized the Iraq war have met with the same kind of knee-jerk reaction.

It is counter-productive and only exposes your own shallowness of thought if you do that.

However, calling somebody a fool, or even calling the entire population of a country fools, is somewhat sweeping and cannot be possibly correct.

Overall my opinion is that, like citizens of many so-called "developed" countries, citizens of this country simply have not woken up to certain realities in this world.

There is an apt comparison that can be made between Singaporeans, Americans, British and citizens of many such countries to the overall population as described in the Matrix trilogy.

They have not woken up, and by and large, most of them might choose not to wake up, even if given such a choice.

It is inaccurate to describe them as "fools". I believe the term more commonly applied is "sheeple" - a combination of the words "sheep" and "people".

lowem SG

Congratulations and good for you. You are already better off than the 111,100 citizens who are jobless.

I too, am pretty happy with my current situation, but I am worried about the future situation.

May I also suggest looking beneath the shimmering surface of our society? Perhaps you may see what some of us have seen.

I am not asking for you to have a point of view leading to a possible course of action. Having a better context will lead to that.

Medicated Oil SG

Dear Relevation,

http://www.youngpap.org.sg/phpbb/index.php

You can try to express your opinion in the above mentioned forums.

You will definitely get a "overwhelming" response Mr. Green .

firered SG

but why u all nv think what the gov has been doing for us...instead of concentrating on what the gov hasn't been doing, and keep critisizing..without them i think we'd not have the things we have now...

u think any of the oppositions can do that? seriously i think no. i think they're too small, maybe pap was already too "big" to begin with, but that's something out of our control...

all the "bad" things highlighted like pay cuts...rise in prices etc.., i guess its all give-and-take la, we're already living comfortably sitting down in front and typing all this. what more can one expect...hiding in restaurants like in iraq because of bomb attacks?

maybe i'm too young to understand all this, and what i type may seem stupid but this is what i feel

relevation SG

I like to quote Machiavelli:

"it should be noted, too in the affairs of the decemviri how easily men are corrupted and in nature become transformed, how ever good they maybe and however well taught" (Nichcolo Machiavelli, The discourses p. 217)

It is therefore important to have a dual party political to prevent the above from happening.

oldbreadstinks SG

Originally posted by relevation:
Dear All,

I have found that SIngaporeans are fools from various episodes.

hi smart guy

Let me elaborate with the following:

1) We allow an absolute party to rule us for 44 years without any opposition to ensure an alternative government

at least we get to allow that haveyou notice some countries dun get that
if you're not happy just dun vote for them
unless you're afraid to get "marked"

2) We readily agree to take unfavorable measures like CPF cuts, higher cost of payments for HDB, and any increment of fees by our government without question or protest.

why dun you try to start a protest and see what happens

3) We fight among ourselves - trying to gain favors from the PAP echelon.

never done that before

4) We laugh and cheer when oppposition leaders fail.

never done this before also

Now the supporting details:

1) I think other than Japan's LDP and Taiwan's KMT, Singapore is the only state that gives up oppositional power willingly. What makes us so sure after LKY's demise, Singapore is as safe and as uncorrupt? Who will guarantee us that the Lee Family will continue to be honest and will continue to give us the prosperity that was delivered for the last 44 years?

you talked like we're going to vote for LHL after his dad kicks the bucket
i comfirm liao if pap put him i vote for opo though i think they just as [email protected]#K up

Next, we are a full fledge democracy with full democratic institutions with 1 man 1 vote and we willingly surcum ourselves to unfavourable policies to make us poor and less rich. We willingly surcome under a democratic dictatorship where there is no force or coersion like Taiwan who was under martial law. Why are we so willing to listen to the PAP and refuse to give oppositional forces a chance to develop. Very much we laugh at them and seem to want them to fall from grace.

see above

Do remember they are our hope if PAP ever fails us. They are also working for our national interest. Without them what is the difference between Singapore and Communist China?? Just so much similarities- ONE PARTY STATE and RULE OF MAN. LKY>GCT>LHL- all MAN. So we are fools- all of us whether smart or stupid, including me because I am not there to prevent this. But whether me or any oppositional forces are useless without the support of the people and worse when Singaporeans are naive and foolish. Look at how happy we are to see JBJ, CHIAM SEE TONG, Chee Soon Juan and STeve Chia fall from grace.

i dunno abt JBJ and CHIAM SEE TONG
but i think Chee Soon Juan and STeve Chia are idiots who can't take care of themselves
did Chee not know he can get sued when he slandered people
did he not see what happened to those before him?
if he knew , why was he still so stupid to speak without proof
and chia is another idiot , he's a public figure and yet he can't control his private life while knowing full well what would happen to him if something like that happened
even a 16 yr old knows how to empty the recyce bin when he has deleted the porn he was watching

2) Whay are we so happy to take pay cuts. Let me define happy. Happy is a state of happiness to the extend of having become contented with the situation or relent with the situation without any action taken to prevent it. That's happy. CPF cuts, increase fees during our worst times, SIA pliots being bullied by the government and LKY, ERP and COE to increase our running cost, artificially inflated property prices to satisfy developers like Far East and CDL. All these to make SIngaporeans POOR so that we have no choice to to squeeze ourselves here. Worst of all PAP always justify their pay increment to keep good man. Good man are good because they are willing not when they are not willing and have to be seduced. When good man refused to expose evil man, that 's when a nation will ultimately fail. We are all so foolish!

who told you we're happy with pay cuts?
with all the ranting here why do you still think we're happy?

3) You won't believe it, so many people are happy that Steve Chia falls. Do we know that for every oppoistional force that fails, it makes Singapore worse off. How are we so sure that PAP is really doing a great job. They are good in cosmestics- upgrades, $ in CPF etc, how are we sure that they are really that good. Who in us audit them? Where are their statements? Where are they financial and performance records? If they are so clean, why are they not publishing the performance of GIC and Temasek holdings? Where are our money and how are they performing? Isn't Singapore Tech, Singtel, SPH, SIA all public companies that belong to Singaporeans? Why are we not getting any dividents from these companies. What have they done to make us better in our livelihood? Are we not fools? We have lost people are who there to help us and make our lives better. PAP had given us a standard life but never a comfortable one! They always make our lives difficult.

why dun you try to find out?
instead of ranting here?
why don't you give use the proof we need to kick them out?

4) Singapore is the only country where political awareness is the lowest. Without oppositional forces, tehre is no way we can ever ensure that our interest are secured. We will only have the PAP's views and actions. We lost the chance to explore issues and ensure that our ineterest is secured. How are we so sure that the decisions the PAP make is not Pro-PAP and their members or pro-a certain group of people? So stop cheering and being so happy when our opposition leaders fail and fall, because we all will lose out. Let us see things beyond what is show to us by the PAP and learn to see things in our own way. Lets be open minded and accept diversity. Its only when there is choice that we have the power. For now we are all just FOOLS , all to willing and happy to be fooled.

Relevation.

cant help it if the opo cant make the grade
when they feel they cant fight against the pap
all they do is try to get sued for slander
and i'm not cheering when the opposition leaders fell
they deserved it and its nothing to cheer abt

and if we're really fools we won't know even if we're fooled
and i get the feeling part of the reason you posted this is coz you think its unfair to pay so much for a maid

relevation SG

Who gave you the right to conclude that Singaporeans are fools?

>>>>Based on those points I have raised. You may like to re-read my first posting.

Just because you have a personal grudge or have some negative opinions about our Government does not give you any justification to make such a sweeping statement.

>>>> Disagree, I have no personal grudge against PAP government. I am only concern about our future, how relevant are we in a competitive world where globalisation and freedom of the minds and ideas are the key ingredients to our survival. At the moment because of our foolishness and blind obedience- we have lost out alternatives views as well as other better ways of managing our country. We do not have strong political institutions to ensure that should PAP fail us, we have an alternative. We have no one to challenge the government by power of VETO in the parliament to prevent unfavorable policies (especially long term ones) from being implemented. We have no one to check if our investments are in order. We have no one able to get the Ministers to disclose their wealth and assets. We have no way of knowing how commited our new MPs are- given that they won so easily under the GRC system. All these are serious important matters. My families, your families and our Singaporean's families's lives are NOW fully dictated by PAP. If we are not sure if these men and women are the Best of the BEST, if you are not worried, I am.

Ask yourself why there is so few private sector talents in Parliament? How is public sector ministers who have so easily climb the ivory tower, able to to appreciate the lives of private sector people who are always living in fear of losing their jobs when investors leave SIngapore. How are they able to appreciate how their policy affects the poor and the middle income group?

Have you NOT forgotten how our government encourage businesses to move to Batam, Bintan and Johore under the triangle trade agreement. Was that a good policy? Sometime I wonder if this policy in the mid-1990s resulted in our lost of our manufacturing base today.

Without a strong manufacturing base, why would any services such as suppliers and customers want to come to Singapore to invest? Its just so child play and naive to think that investors will make Singapore the HQ. So what if they make Singapore the HQ of their operation- its only 1 HQ versus so many other companies that will come in because of this manufacturer. If I am a businessman I will station my HQ in Hong Kong or Shanghai or even Jakarta because its so much easier to manage my business.

Was that seriuosly wrong policy, challenged? Today no one in PAP talks about it anymore. Ever wonder why?

I am a Singaporean and I certainly am not a fool.

>>>> I am glad that you think you are not.

There are many other things in life besides politicis, or whatever your perception of politics is.

>>>>>>Sorry, in Singapore today the power of PAP is close to unlimited. If you look around you, whether community centre, People's Association, bureaucracy, business groups and mindset of people. There is only the omni-presence of PAP. How different are we from Communist China? In order to have a better life, political change is necessary. We cannot afford to have blatant decisions make that affects our lives without proper scrutiny of policy making.

Don't you agree that our current economic problems of declining investors is a result of PAP's dracognian policies? If you don't believe how bad our economy now- go to orchard road Ngee Ann city Tower A and check the offices- 50% unoccupied, Republic Plaza - 30% unoccupied and many more buildings are close to 50% unoccupied. The occupancy rate of our prime building is so much lower than those day when our economy was healthy. I am really worried for those who bought private properties and think that they can still rent out to investors and expats.

I have a good job, a happy family, a safe place to live in and a forseeable stable future for my children - am I a fool to be enjoying all these?

>>>>> I am glad you have a great life today. Are you confident to say that this will last forever? You are surely not a fool to enjoy but potentially is one to just place all your hope on one party rule without considering and allowing alternative form of government from emerging. Materialism is a very myopic view of our future.

At the rate China, India and Malaysia is developing, you and I may lose our jobs in the next 5- 10 years with the current PAP economic policy. HDB, PSA and other government agency's retrenchments in the last 1 year is showing us that. Even once upon a time Iron rice bowl jobs have been broken, what more to say about our job security?

Put me in any other country and would I be better off ?

>>>>> You are going OUT of point. We are NOT talking about other country. I am talking about how we can continue to have a sustained comfortable life. We can never compare ourselves with others. Geographically, poilitcally, econolically and even socially. before we think that we are better than others, think how we can be better than what we are today.

Thats why I am suggesting, if you think there is a better place, go try it and then tell us the difference.

>>>>>>Thank you for your suggestion - Its NOT ACCEPTABLE!! Don't try to trap me. I am not going to that area. I am a Singaporean - flesh and blood. I want to have a better and stronger Singapore NOT just happy that we are better than others BUT better than what we are today!

After all anything good or bad, preferred or otherwise; is but a matter of comparison.

>>>>>>> Disagree. NOT comparing with others because we can never compare different fruits. Even apples are different from where they come from. SO there is NO comparison!

Nothing is absolute. Nowhere is perfect.

>>>>>> You have just contradicted yourself: Wonder who says this- ("I have a good job, a happy family, a safe place to live in and a forseeable stable future for my children - am I a fool to be enjoying all these?")

Of course if you choose to ignore all the positive aspects and drill deep into the negative, then I think there is no place in this world suitable for you.

>>>>> Negative. Let me NOT repeat myself. I am NOT saying Singapore is no good. I must be crazy to say that. I am saying that we are foolish to ignore alteratives and that we put ourselves at risk. We allow PAP government to have a very easy time without a strong challenge. We allowed them to place obstacles in the last 44 years to prevent this strong challenge so much so they are now everywhere. That's why we are fools!

Name me a place where you consider good and I can name you at least 10 bad things about it.

>>>>>> You missed the point.

It is always easy to throw stones on the sideline. While watching a soccer match with a friend, each time after a player missed a shot this friend of mine would say, "he should use his left foot", "he should pass to so-and-so" or "he should turn around and swing" or whatever.......My reply to him each time was, "go to the field and play and let me comment on you".

>>>>>>> Thank you - when the time is right. For now you are not the only one needs convincing. There are close to 3 million of people like you (taking the 70% votes won by PAP). It wil take some time to do the convincing.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to think loud.

>>>>>>> I am honoured.

[/b][/quote]

relevation SG

Dear Thinkloud2004,

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to clarify my pointers. The following are my point-by point refutation of what you have rasied.

Who gave you the right to conclude that Singaporeans are fools?

>>>>Based on those points I have raised. You may like to re-read my first posting.

Just because you have a personal grudge or have some negative opinions about our Government does not give you any justification to make such a sweeping statement.

>>>> Disagree, I have no personal grudge against PAP government. I am only concern about our future, how relevant are we in a competitive world where globalisation and freedom of the minds and ideas are the key ingredients to our survival. At the moment because of our foolishness and blind obedience- we have lost out alternatives views as well as other better ways of managing our country. We do not have strong political institutions to ensure that should PAP fail us, we have an alternative. We have no one to challenge the government by power of VETO in the parliament to prevent unfavorable policies (especially long term ones) from being implemented. We have no one to check if our investments are in order. We have no one able to get the Ministers to disclose their wealth and assets. We have no way of knowing how commited our new MPs are- given that they won so easily under the GRC system. All these are serious important matters. My families, your families and our Singaporean's families's lives are NOW fully dictated by PAP. If we are not sure if these men and women are the Best of the BEST, if you are not worried, I am.

Ask yourself why there is so few private sector talents in Parliament? How is public sector ministers who have so easily climb the ivory tower, able to to appreciate the lives of private sector people who are always living in fear of losing their jobs when investors leave SIngapore. How are they able to appreciate how their policy affects the poor and the middle income group?

Have you NOT forgotten how our government encourage businesses to move to Batam, Bintan and Johore under the triangle trade agreement. Was that a good policy? Sometime I wonder if this policy in the mid-1990s resulted in our lost of our manufacturing base today.

Without a strong manufacturing base, why would any services such as suppliers and customers want to come to Singapore to invest? Its just so child play and naive to think that investors will make Singapore the HQ. So what if they make Singapore the HQ of their operation- its only 1 HQ versus so many other companies that will come in because of this manufacturer. If I am a businessman I will station my HQ in Hong Kong or Shanghai or even Jakarta because its so much easier to manage my business.

Was that seriuosly wrong policy, challenged? Today no one in PAP talks about it anymore. Ever wonder why?

I am a Singaporean and I certainly am not a fool.

>>>> I am glad that you think you are not.

There are many other things in life besides politicis, or whatever your perception of politics is.

>>>>>>Sorry, in Singapore today the power of PAP is close to unlimited. If you look around you, whether community centre, People's Association, bureaucracy, business groups and mindset of people. There is only the omni-presence of PAP. How different are we from Communist China? In order to have a better life, political change is necessary. We cannot afford to have blatant decisions make that affects our lives without proper scrutiny of policy making.

Don't you agree that our current economic problems of declining investors is a result of PAP's dracognian policies? If you don't believe how bad our economy now- go to orchard road Ngee Ann city Tower A and check the offices- 50% unoccupied, Republic Plaza - 30% unoccupied and many more buildings are close to 50% unoccupied. The occupancy rate of our prime building is so much lower than those day when our economy was healthy. I am really worried for those who bought private properties and think that they can still rent out to investors and expats.

I have a good job, a happy family, a safe place to live in and a forseeable stable future for my children - am I a fool to be enjoying all these?

>>>>> I am glad you have a great life today. Are you confident to say that this will last forever? You are surely not a fool to enjoy but potentially is one to just place all your hope on one party rule without considering and allowing alternative form of government from emerging. Materialism is a very myopic view of our future.

At the rate China, India and Malaysia is developing, you and I may lose our jobs in the next 5- 10 years with the current PAP economic policy. HDB, PSA and other government agency's retrenchments in the last 1 year is showing us that. Even once upon a time Iron rice bowl jobs have been broken, what more to say about our job security?

Put me in any other country and would I be better off ?

>>>>> You are going OUT of point. We are NOT talking about other country. I am talking about how we can continue to have a sustained comfortable life. We can never compare ourselves with others. Geographically, poilitcally, econolically and even socially. before we think that we are better than others, think how we can be better than what we are today.

Thats why I am suggesting, if you think there is a better place, go try it and then tell us the difference.

>>>>>>Thank you for your suggestion - Its NOT ACCEPTABLE!! Don't try to trap me. I am not going to that area. I am a Singaporean - flesh and blood. I want to have a better and stronger Singapore NOT just happy that we are better than others BUT better than what we are today!

After all anything good or bad, preferred or otherwise; is but a matter of comparison.

>>>>>>> Disagree. NOT comparing with others because we can never compare different fruits. Even apples are different from where they come from. SO there is NO comparison!

Nothing is absolute. Nowhere is perfect.

>>>>>> You have just contradicted yourself: Wonder who says this- ("I have a good job, a happy family, a safe place to live in and a forseeable stable future for my children - am I a fool to be enjoying all these?")

Of course if you choose to ignore all the positive aspects and drill deep into the negative, then I think there is no place in this world suitable for you.

>>>>> Negative. Let me NOT repeat myself. I am NOT saying Singapore is no good. I must be crazy to say that. I am saying that we are foolish to ignore alteratives and that we put ourselves at risk. We allow PAP government to have a very easy time without a strong challenge. We allowed them to place obstacles in the last 44 years to prevent this strong challenge so much so they are now everywhere. That's why we are fools!

Name me a place where you consider good and I can name you at least 10 bad things about it.

>>>>>> You missed the point.

It is always easy to throw stones on the sideline. While watching a soccer match with a friend, each time after a player missed a shot this friend of mine would say, "he should use his left foot", "he should pass to so-and-so" or "he should turn around and swing" or whatever.......My reply to him each time was, "go to the field and play and let me comment on you".

>>>>>>> Thank you - when the time is right. For now you are not the only one needs convincing. There are close to 3 million of people like you (taking the 70% votes won by PAP). It wil take some time to do the convincing.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to think loud.

>>>>>>> I am honoured.

relevation SG

Dear Medicated Oil,

Thanks for your suggestion. I will take note.

relevation SG

Dear All,

found this article from the posting "Should Singapore put all its eggs in an unguarded basket?"

Is this another testimony?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rising surplus - Who should control?

US$100b asset topped by another US$23b this year, an unmatched gain which raises tough questions. Richard Hubbard. Reuters

Dec 7, 2003

The tiny island nation of Singapore is set to end 2003 with a weak economy and high unemployment but a very fat bank balance.

Singapore's reserves, already estimated to exceed US$100 billion in a nation of just over 3.3 million citizens, are set for a top up from a record current account surplus the country has in its balance of payments with the rest of the world.

But as the reserves mountain grows analysts are questioning whether the current system of control by a large and secretive institution, the Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC), is in the best interests of the country.

"It is highly risky for Singapore to place virtually its entire reserves under the management of a single entity, particularly one marked by low transparency," said Manu Bhaskaran, a partner in Centennial Group Inc.

Owing to the government's dominance in the city-state's economy, a large slice of the current account surplus - the gain from exporting more goods and services than are imported plus net investment income - is likely to end up in the coffers of either the central bank or the GIC.

The surplus for the first three quarters of 2003 stood at S$35.1 billion (US$20.36 billion) - the highest ever recorded, according to the Department of Statistics.

A strong final quarter will easily push it above S$40 billion for the whole year, a level never seen before.

"It's a crisis of plenty," according to P.K. Basu, managing director of Robust Economic Analysis in Singapore.

Basu said the surplus, running at around 30 percent of gross domestic product, was a result of a reluctance by the government to increase spending as the economy slowed down.

When a government increases spending, people generally have more money to buy imported goods and the current account surplus would normally shrink.

Analysts said the surplus also partly reflected Singapore's weaker currency after the central bank eased monetary policy mid-year, which would have made imports more expensive.

With the manufacturing and service sectors hit by the Iraq War and the deadly SARS outbreak, Singapore's GDP is expected to be only one percent higher this year than in 2002, when it showed 2.2 percent growth.

Investments abroad

A current account surplus must be invested in foreign assets, such as foreign exchange, stocks, bonds, and real estate overseas.

In Singapore some of this will be done by private sector firms, but the bulk would be handled by the GIC or the central bank.

The GIC manages funds that come from the government's accumulated budget surpluses, including the profit of investment agency Temasek Holdings, and some of the assets of the central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Chaired by modern Singapore's founder and current senior minister, Lee Kuan Yew, the GIC said last year it had around US$100 billion in assets, but does not make public its accounts.

The central bank, chaired by Lee Kuan Yew's son Lee Hsien Loong, currently has official foreign reserves of over $90 billion, mainly held in foreign exchange and gold.

Temasek, whose executive director is married to Lee Hsien Loong, earns income from stakes worth more than $45 billion in about 40 major Singapore companies.

The agency's stable of companies includes well known names such as Singapore Telecom, Singapore Airlines and DBS Bank, and the port operator PSA Corp.

The GIC invests its funds in everything from outright purchases of hotels and hospitals in Australia to heavy investments in US equities and bonds.

Temasek uses its money principally to build local companies, but recently has begun making direct investment abroad as well, including buying stakes in two large Indonesian banks.

Some analysts argue that, after years in which this government-led investment has turned Singapore into a highly developed country, it may be time for the state to step back.

"What needs to be done is that the government has to decide whether to pass the investment decision back to the people," said Joseph Tan, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank.

"The wealth in a sense doesn't belong to the government."

Basu of Robust Economics believes the concentration of the management of the country's wealth has also contributed to the country's lack of entrepreneurship.

Centennial Group's Bhaskaran said the GIC was most in need of reform and suggested a statutory board be set up to oversee its management, and that the group's various fund management divisions be broken up and sold off.

"For a small country, do we want to put all our savings in one fund management house?" he said. ($1=1.724 Singapore Dollar)
Reuters

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