Govt: Parliament to Query on Preferential Treatment in NS

QX179R SG

SINGAPORE: The Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Defence intends to raise in Parliament several defence-related issues highlighted in public recently.

In addition to points in the Defence Ministry's addendum, the GPC will raise issues like perceived preferential treatment during National Service (NS), deferment and disruption policies as well as concerns that children of new citizens or permanent residents give up their citizenship to evade NS.

The chairman of GPC for Defence, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, told Channel NewsAsia that for next week's Parliament sitting, he has filed a question on perceived preferential treatment during NS - something highlighted during the recent Presidential Election.

He has asked Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen to "clear the air" on the matter related to Dr Patrick Tan's prolonged disruption from NS.

Dr Patrick Tan is President Tony Tan Keng Yam's son.

Dr Lim said: "There shouldn't be any doubt in Singaporeans' mind as far as Mindef's policy is concerned (that) there must be fairness in terms of who get disrupted and who doesn't get disrupted. As a result, it doesn't cause resentment, it doesn't divide the society."

On Dr Patrick Tan's NS deployment to the Defence Medical Research Institute, Dr Lim said NSmen should be deployed according to their skill sets.

Dr Lim said: "In the sense that if he has certain skills that we can use, then (there is) no point using him as a cook or a driver or an infantry man.

"We do have naval architects coming to serve their reservist as their role as naval architects, because they studied in the subject. So, when the Navy wants to build a new ship, they call back our NSmen who are naval architects, so they serve in their role."

Dr Lim also wants Mindef to review its deferment and disruption policies, especially with many universities having different starting dates for their terms.

Dr Lim said: "There are many different universities now in Singapore, with the enrolment or the starting dates for their term different from one another.

"Our education scene has changed drastically, so must the SAF as well, in the sense that they have to keep up with times and look at approved universities, approved degrees. I think the list certainly should be expanded."

The GPC will also address concerns that children of new citizens or PRs may choose to give up their citizenship to evade National Service, after enjoying benefits such as subsidised education in Singapore.

Dr Lim said: "There have been some suggestions....(if) you are a PR and when you have a child that is going to serve NS, should we ask them to put in a bond. If your child refuses to do NS, then you forgo the bond."

Dr Lim hopes his fellow MPs would raise more questions during the debate in Parliament.

- CNA/ir

lce SG

who set the rules n who can bend it?

any jackass can tell u

Dalforce 25 SG

A bunch of relatives and lackies

Both Kwa Siew Tee and Tan Chin Tuan were top bankers of OCBC

Tony Tan the best actor

In public, Tony Tan shows himself as a humble and wise man. Unfortunately nothing is further from truth. Nothing good can be expected from scion of banker. While Singaporean focus on Ho Ching and her Temasek fiasco, few people knew that GIC under the charge of Tony Tan has lost its pants in 2008 crisis.

In short, Tony Tan has blown up Singapore’s pension aka the corrupt CPF. He is responsible for condemning Singaporean to a work till death because CPF is effectively being wipe out in real terms. (PAP is going to stealth default CPF).

Update: More relations

Teo Chee Hean's father Teo Cheng Guan was given a job by Tan Chin Tuan in OCBC after the war...Teo Cheng Guan subsequently met his wife who was also working in OCBC and got married and gave birth to Teo Chee Hean

Teo Cheng Guan rose all the way to the top and was Chairman of OCBC from 1989 to 1991.

After leaving Cabinet in 1991, Dr Tan returned to OCBC. He took over from DPM Teo’s father and served as Chairman of OCBC from 1992 to 1995.

Yong Pung How, a schoolmate of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his wife, Kwa Geok Choo. In 1971, Yong switched from law to finance, and formed Singapore International Merchant Bankers Limited (SIMBL) and the Malaysian International Merchant Bankers (MIMB) in Malaysia serving as Chairman and Managing Director of both companies. At the same time he also served as a member of the Singapore Securities Industry Council from 1972 to 1981. He announced his retirement from the SIMBL and MIMB offices in 1976. That same year, Yong was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC).

He was seconded in 1982 by the Singapore Government to form and head the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), and the Monetary Authority of Singapore as well. His experience in commercial banking proved to be invaluable to GIC as he effectively re-organized and streamlined the use of Singapore's foreign reserves.
He was also made Deputy Chairman of the Currency Commissioners, and Alternate Governor for Singapore of the International Monetary Fund.

Yong returned to the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation in 1983, as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer before returning to law as a judge in 1989.

in an interview of Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan in 1981, the reporter asked "Are you ever angry with the Government for taking away your right and left hand men (referring to Tony Tan, Yong Pang How, Wong Pakshong)

Tan Sri Tan's reply was : "I regard it as sending them off for National Service"

http://singaporeelection.blogspot.com/2011/07/tony-tan-is-relative-lee-kuan-yew.html

By Tan, Eugene written on 23-Feb-2002
National Library Board Singapore

Comments on article: InfopediaTalk

Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan (b. 21 November 1908, Singapore - d. 13 November 2005, Singapore), nicknamed Mr OCBC, is a prominent Peranakan philanthropist and often credited as the man who built the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC).

Early history
Tan Chin Tuan grew up in the Depression years under austere conditions, having lost his father whilst still at school. Many say these early years formed his conservative approach to financing. Educated at Anglo-Chinese School, he first worked for the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) as a clerk on 1 March 1925 at the age of seventeen. He would remain at OCBC for 58 years altogether. He was Managing Director of OCBC from 1942 to 1972, and Chairman from 1966 to 1983. Under Tan's stewardship, OCBC rose from its humble beginnings to become among the world's top banks.

Philanthropist
Tan Chin Tuan is also a noted philanthropist. In 1984, he donated 350,000 pound sterling to the Needham Research Institute (NRI) in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The NRI is now one of the top three centres on Chinese science and technology in the world. The library block at NRI is named after him. In 1997, he committed S$250,000 each year towards the Nanyang Technological University's exchange programme in engineering. The Tan Chin Tuan exchange fellowship will allow 20 academics to conduct research at NTU or be sent overseas.

In 1999, Tan Chin Tuan celebrated his 91st birthday by promising $1,000 to Singaporeans over 90 who were lucid and active. Mr. Tan wanted to share his good fortune with people of a similar age. At least 60 volunteers and Justices of the Peace checked the health of over 1,282 applicants. It is estimated that his birthday gift cost him $1.2 million.

Timeline
1 Mar 1925 : Joins Chinese Commercial Bank (CCB) as a junior bank clerk
1932 : Assistant Manager of CCB prior to its merger with Ho Hong Bank and Oversea-Chinese Bank in that same year, to form the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC). He then took on the position as Divisional Manager.
1933 : Bank Manager of OCBC
1939 : Managing Director, Eastern Realty, OCBC's subsidiary
1942 : Joint Managing Director, OCBC, the youngest Managing Director in local history then
1945 : Sole Managing Director, OCBC
1966 - 1983 : Chairman and Managing Director, OCBC. After retiring in September 1983, conferred lifetime honorary president.

Positions
1939 : Municipal Commissioner
1948 - 1951 : initially a Member of the Singapore Executive Council but rose through the ranks to become Senior Member
17 April 1951 - 1955 : Deputy President, Singapore Executive Council. In this capacity, he was to serve as an intermediary between the colonial government and the local community.
1983 - 1986 : Chairman, Singapore Turf Club

He had also been chairman of companies such as Malayan Breweries Ltd, the Overseas Assurance Corporation Ltd, Wearne Brothers Ltd., Fraser and Neave, Great Eastern Life, Tan Sri Tan Foundation, Robinson & Co. and The Straits Trading Co. Ltd.
Patron of organisations such as the Orchid Society of Southeast Asia, the SPCA, and the Singapore Badminton Association.

Awards
1951 : Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for his contributions during his service in the Legislative Council.
1969 : Malaysia's Yang Di Pertuan Agong Sultan Tuanku Ismail Nasiruddin Shah confers title of Tan Sri
3 September 1991: Honorary Doctor of Law, National University, Singapore "in recognition of his role as banker, civic leader and public benefactor."
13 June 1992 : Honorary Doctorate of Letters, Curtin University, Australia "in recognition of his contribution to the banking community and his close association with Australia".

Family
Father : Tan Cheng Siong, a banker
Wife : Helen Wee, a banker's daughter
Son : One son
Daughters : Two daughter, one being Mrs Kheng Choo Campbell
Granddaughter : Ms Chew Gek Khim, director of a consultancy firm
Nephew : Dr Tony Tan

Hobbies include rearing fish, birds and dogs and growing orchids.

http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_155_2004-12-27.html

Dalforce 25 SG

Madam Kwa Geok Choo – wife of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew and mother of PM Lee Hsien Loong – passed away peacefully at her home at 5.40 pm yesterday at the age of 89.

KWA GEOK CHOO

Madam Kwa was born in Dec 1920 to banker Mr Kwa Siew Tee and was one of 8 children. She was a brilliant student at Methodist Girls’ School, topping the 1936 Senior Cambridge Examination for the whole of Malaya and Singapore.

http://lifeisreallybeautiful.com/tag/kwa-siew-tee/

Dalforce 25 SG

http://veritas-lux.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html

Ho Hong Bank

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho_Hong_Bank

Dalforce 25 SG

This Harry Lee Kuan Yew is quite well connected with the peranakan banking tycoons in Singapore.

Rock^Star SG

This questioning of preferential treatment by lim wee kiak seems to be a case of "ok go ahead and ask because we have ready answers". Haha wtf as usual.

If they could, they would have asked for GIC and Temasek to be more transparent.

Darkness_hacker99 SG

Here we go again

Rock^Star SG

PAP MPs in singapore parliament.....I believe their motto is: "Ask only what we can answer, not what we cannot."

Dalforce 25 SG

Get paid on time can already lah.

Hitman Factory 1 SG

...........so basically if u see an underaged general or some prime admiral ….then….............

Hitman Factory 1 SG

A bunch of relatives and lackies

http://singaporeelection.blogspot.com/2011/07/tony-tan-is-relative-lee-kuan-yew.html

By Tan, Eugene written on 23-Feb-2002
National Library Board Singapore

Comments on article: InfopediaTalk

http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_155_2004-12-27.html

reminds me of a cat family.even some memnbers of lky also look like cats.haizz...why all like that??

Dalforce 25 SG

reminds me of a cat family.even some memnbers of lky also look like cats.haizz...why all like that??

Seems like Singapore is just a fief of the Lee family and other allied peranakan families with co-opt of families from other ethnic groups.

Rednano SG

SINGAPORE: The Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Defence intends to raise in Parliament several defence-related issues highlighted in public recently.

it's already an open book secret...

the paper cannot cover/ hide the fire...

we also don't see each of us posted to vocations that match our skill sets or what we learnt in tertiary schools...