Low Thia Khiang Dishonors Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Today in a despicable act by the leader of the opposition in Singapore, Mr Low Thia Khiang dishonored the memory of Mr Lee Kuan Yew at the Special Parliamentary Session convened to honor him.

In addressing the House, Mr Low Thia Khiang was reported by Today to have said "success arose not just from Mr Lee's fighting spirit and tenacity but also his sincerity. The PAP's one-party rule was not the reason for transformation, he said. Many Singaporeans were sacrificed. Mr Lee did what was right, but silencing opposition has risked disconnecting Singaporeans from their own society."

There is a time for everything Mr Low. Your words were said in extremely poor taste. It was something we would expect from the likes of Han Hui Hui and Roy Ngerng, not from the defacto leader of Singapore's opposition.

Your actions and words are equivalent to someone going to a wake and spitting on the deceased. As a Singaporean I was shocked to hear you utter such words. I can only imagine the pain that PM Lee felt. Unfortunately, in Parliament, you have your Parliamentary Rights to speak. However, if you use your Parliamentary rights to deliberately hurt another human being when he is already hurting, you are a man of poor character.

I really hope that the residents of Aljunied, Hougang and Punggol East see the man that you are and vote you out.

AHPETC Saga: MND Moves to Protect Public Monies

The Ministry of National Development (MND) has on 20 March 2015 made an application to the High Court of Singapore to appoint independent accountants to safeguard Government grants to Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC).

This is an unprecedented move by the Government to protect residents’ interests.

The move is in response to Sylvia Lim's demand in June 2014 to MND to release close to $14 million in S&CC grants which MND has withheld pending the outcome of the AGO's special audit. MND had withheld disbursement of the grants as they have a fiduciary duty to ensure that public funds are used correctly. With the appointment of independent auditors, MND can proceed with the disbursement and ensure that Aljunied residents' interests are not affected by the on-going saga.

Going through the courts process to apply for independent accountants would help allay accusations that the spotlight on AHPETC is politically motivated, Singapore Management University law lecturer Eugene Tan said. “I don’t think anyone would have any basis to say that the courts are being used,” he said.

By doing this, the Ministry of National Development (MND) is “demonstrating their resolve” to assure residents that this was not a political battle, he added. “Whether it is politically motivated or not, we can’t run away from the fact that there are real issues raised by the Attorney-General’s report."

National University of Singapore (NUS) Institute of Policy Studies sociologist Tan Ern Ser said independent accountants are expected to be professional and non-partisan, and therefore objective and unbiased, thus helping to snuff out rumblings that the episode is a political attack on the Workers’ Party.

Associate Professor Eugene Tan also said the MND’s hands are “tied” due to the Auditor-General’s report on the AHPETC’s accounts, detailing governance lapses at the town council. “The MND has to follow up on the remedial action ... because if they do nothing, (the MND) would be accused of failing in their duties,” he said.

He added that the move would ultimately serve to safeguard residents’ interests. “They would get the government grants they are entitled to, and if there were any wrongful payments made, then those would be made good,” he said.

Any measure taken to enhance governance, accountability and transparency is a good thing, said Dr Tan Ern Ser, while Dr Singh said this would remind other town councils to be more careful and transparent in their operations. This is something which the Workers' Party of Singapore had publicly supported during the Parliamentary Debate on AHPETC.

Tribute to Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew

An honest perspective by Ganesh Sundram about Mr Lee Kuan Yew ... 

Ok... i read that former prime minister lee kuan yew... is critically ill... and we all know whats gonna come after that....

I am honestly gonna be very sad when he is no longer ard. He had a full life and at 91.... thats consoling to the mind....

I see alot of ppl saying... if the old man dies... i will be damn happy.... But i jus want to ask.... what r we angry at?? Coz he took a small shitty island and turned it into what it is today??

Coz today... our currency is almost on par with USA... 1.36 exchange rate... BY THE WAY... and that country is a giant... the world's superpower la.... and we are almost on par... our neighbour's exchange with us is at 2.4 smthg.... dun know... dun care

Today... companies all over the world come here to start their regional hq... coz of the stable platform created....

Today... india.... a country with the world's second largest population... has HIRED SINGAPORE'S EXPERTISE TO BUILD A NEW CAPITAL CITY FOR ITSELF!!!

sure... cars are expensive....here la... do u know in thailand... or jakarta... a small distance like yishun to ang mo kio... will take 2 hours... to drive... because everyone has a car and its congested very badly....this was said to me by a thai tourist and a indonesian tourist.....

Sure... houses are expensive... do u know that in hongkong... ppl dun own their flats??? Its so expensive... everyone rents!!! And the houses are smaller than our flats....

Everyday since i was born... till today.... i cannot remember a day when electricity or water went out.... i can drink the water out of the tap and toilet bowl... its that clean.... and i can switch on my fan anytime i want... it will work.... i went to india and i witnessed it first hand.... bloody every three hours... there was a power cut.... even in hotels... then the generators will kick in...

New delhi... a girl was raped and violently abused.... brought to SINGAPORE for treatment... we all remember that... dun we...

Superstar rajnikanth.... calls Lee Kuan Yew a hero... CAME TO SINGAPORE FOR TREATMENT....

sure we buy water from our neighbour... but how many of us know that we treat the same water and sell it back to our neighbour???

I had a tourist from paris... she told me that she lost her husband to a heart attack... they live in the outskirts of paris... she called for an ambulance... it took the damn ambulance 2 hours to get to them.... PARIS OK!!!! city of love... world reknowned tourist spot... 2 hours for ambulance response....

You dial 995 and call for ambulance now la.. you see how long the response time is...

God damn they even opened up independant ambulance companies so that the real emergencies can be attended to by SCDF

Sure.. there was a riot in little india... but it was contained wasn't it??? Ya our police and civil defence got a beating... but still... did any civilian get injured??? Ppl living in the flats beside... got injured??? The ambulance that got burnt.... what does it show... singapore's patience or that particular nationality's uncivilised behaviour....

The very next day.... that road was cleaned and relaid....

Even in war laa.... its protocol to nvr hit safety vehicles.... what the hell....

I met a tourist from sweden... and she said... she got raped whilst going for a jog from her house to her neighbour's house which was 2 miles away.... there was nobody to help her.... and thats y she moved to singapore...

My current job allows me to meet different nationalities everyday... straight from the airport.... and we always get to talking... abt their country versus mine... and almost EVERY SINGLE person.... tells me

"You guys dun know how good u have it here"

Every government has its flaws and shortcomings..... every government.... they r humans laaa.... not machines.....

Our laws are amongst the strictest.... and i have personally felt the brunt of some of the laws... but u know what??? I aint complaining.... my mum.. sister... girlfren... can go out and come back whatever time... they r fine...

I can sleep in my van and wake up... with my doors unlocked... i will not be mugged and robbed

Ppl from certain countries come here... to study... they have to take cross over exams... to match our system

I go somewhere.... my education is recognised la ..god damn it

Foreigner influx was probably the blooper singapore did.... but hey.... i have got a job... i earn very well... i am happy...

I have got close friends that live in condos.. drive nice cars... live in landed houses... have lots of money.....

So its definitely possible for everyone to "live the life" here... sure it may be difficult to rise up to the top... but hey.... other countries easy ahhhh????? You know ahhh????

A flat in singapore is 300,000.... a landed house in the states is also 300,000.... u get alot of space... but u still NEED TO HAVE MONEY.....

Soooo.... if u r not successful.. blame urself.... not the country.. the system... the lamp post... or the dog....

U never study... ur fault... u nvr work hard... ur fault...

Other countries... got natural resources... to build on... what does singapore have??? NOTHING!!! the people are the resource... and that why we have to work and contribute to build the country...

America... canada... all 40% tax sia... and here we complain for paying CPF and tax....

U try la... go and say smthg bad abt our neighbour to their citizens... or better still say smthg bad abt india to an indian citizen who lives in singapore.... you see what happens....

Their country is full of injustice and problems.... but they will NEVER SPEAK DOWN ON THEIR COUNTRY...

Look at what we r doing.....

This social portal page... new nation or smthg... teases that singapore will be renamed Lee Kuan Yew... eh why laaa i ask u. Then name as what??

mohd goahead bin gostan???

Or

Angamuthu s/o singamuthu

Is it???

That man.... whether u like it or not... was a key installation to the life we have today..... not sang nila utama... or that tengku.... or stamford raffles.....

The name is LEE KUAN YEW...

and if he is no longer ard.... i WILL feel sad.... coz god damn it i am SINGAPOREAN... and even though my country has its fair share of bullshit.... i LOVE this damn place.... the life and opportunity it has given me.... the level playing field it has given me....

And it was because Lee Kuan Yew had a vision and he went abt executing it....

Lets show a little bit of gratefulness laaa... a little bit....

Whether he did right or wrong.....the man who gave us this quality of life has reached the end of the tunnel.... let him go in peace and respect.....

TRS Lies Again Over PAP Flyer Campaign at Aljunied

The Real Singapore (TRS) lies again with their misleading headlines over the PAP flyers at Aljunied GRC. To perpetuate their lies, TRS has drawn an analogy with the 2009 prosecution of Chee Siok Chin, Gandhi Ambalan and others who had walked from Hong Lim Park to Queenstown Remand Prison, while distributing flyers, to commemorate the anniversary of the World Bank IMF meetings protest. The charge was unlawful procession (without permit) under what is now the Public Order Act.

There is no basis to say that Victor Lye and others, who had gone separately, block to block, to distribute flyers, had conducted an unlawful procession. Moreover, many opposition parties regularly walk around, in markets, hawker centres and other public areas, in large groups, to sell their newsletters and distribute flyers and other materials.

There are even numerous online articles showing members of the opposition (in party uniforms) walking around and selling their newsletters and distributing flyers. Since TOC and TRS question whether Victor Lye's actions are illegal, does it mean that the actions of the Worker's Party (WP), the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Solidarity Party (NSP) are also illegal? Or does TOC and TRS not consider these illegal since they are putting out pro-WP, pro-opposition material?

Stop the lies! #Sharethetruth #WPoutofcontrol

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"procession" means a march, parade or other procession (whether or not involving the use of vehicles or other conveyances) -

(a) comprising 2 or more persons gathered at a place of assembly to move from that place substantially as a body of persons in succession proceeding by a common route or routes; and

(b) the purpose (or one of the purposes) of which is - (i) to demonstrate support for or opposition to the views or actions of any person, group of persons or any government; (ii) to publicise a cause or campaign; or (iii) to mark or commemorate any event,

and includes any assembly held in conjunction with such procession, and a march by a person alone for any such purpose referred to in paragraph (b)(i), (ii) or (iii);

PAP Activists Fight for Aljunied GRC - Flyers on AHPETC

Channel News Asia reported on 13 March 2015 that PAP activists in Aljunied GRC have distributed flyers urging residents to ask their Members of Parliament to answer questions posed about AHPETC.

The flyers are a direct response to Pritam Singh's defiance in Parliament that the "Worker's Party will not answer to Parliament but only to the residents of Aljunied."

While there are mixed reactions to the PAP activists' actions, SG Bumiputera is glad that the PAP has finally gone on the offensive. It is time that the PAP stop being gentlemen and start to fight the Workers' Party at the same level. For those who live in Aljunied, the WP is no gentlemen and they employ numerous underhanded tricks to cultivate the perception that Aljunied residents are being persecuted by the Government. This, is their ploy to maintain control the electorate.

In our minds, the Worker's Party is out of control. Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East is still Singapore and the laws of the land apply. It is ironic that the Workers' Party sought to be elected into Parliament to be a check and balance for the PAP, but they then deny the authority of Parliament to ask and get answers. It is also hypocritical that the WP continue to ask questions in Parliament during Budget Debate 2015 and expect to get answers from the PAP.

(Scanned image of Flyer obtained from Aljunied Resident)

The PAP needs to wake-up and stop fighting like gentlemen. If the PAP continues to stick to their values, they will be overwhelmed by the underhanded games of the Worker's Party. What the WP seems to have forgotten, is that 40% of AHPETC residents voted for the PAP. #sharethetruth Bring it on!

Singapore's Clean Wage System for Government Officials

CNN Money published an article comparing the salaries of world leaders. In the article, CNN reported that China’s Primier Xi Jinping earned USD22,000 per year.

While this might seem  a compelling argument against the “high” pay for Singapore Ministers, we just need to look at the net worth of Xi Jinping to understand the importance of a “clean wage” system.

Despite earning a mere USD22,000 per year, Bloomberg estimates that Xi Jinping’s extended family has an estimated net-worth ofUSD376 million, while the Sydney Morning Herald estimates that his siblings have a net-worth of close to USD1 Billion.

Singaporeans must decide if they want a leader who openly earns his salary, or one who earns it quietly. The former ensures that our leaders, who are fairly paid, make decisions for the good of the people, while the latter, tempts our leaders to make decisions which may or may not be good for the people.

The clean wage system is thus the corner-stone of Singapore’s success. As a nation without any natural resources, any misstep or side-step that deviates from being in the best interest of Singaporeans is extremely dangerous. Our leaders must not be put in the position where they are tempted.

Salaries of Singapore Ministers – A rational look

A rational look at Ministerial Salary 

The issue of high Ministerial Salaries is making its rounds again - likely stirred by the opposition as this is seen as a “pain point” for the electorate. An analysis of the arguments and “perceived public consternation” (as highlighted by NSP) reveals that the consternation is purely emotive and comes from the logic that “my leaders need to be poor to help the poor.”

Unfortunately, there is a price to pay for capable leadership. If there is not, then why do MNCs pay their CEO millions? The world of business and government is complex. Being attuned to what the masses want is not enough. One needs to also have the intellect and the ability to not only see the bigger picture, but to also navigate and steer the organization or country through the complexities of a chaotic environment. Having heart, while good, only makes you a popular leader. It does not necessarily make you a capable leader.

In keeping with the spirit of public service, many of our Ministers had given up much higher salaries. For example, Minister K Shanmugan used to earn $6 million per year as a top lawyer, Dr Ng Eng Hen around $4 million per year as a surgeon and President Tony Tan $5 million as the Chairman of Singapore Press Holdings.

If this is not enough to convince you on the value of our Minister, ex-cabinet Minister George Yeo earned S$1.6 million as Chairman of Kerry Logistics in 2013. Taken in context and with all the facts, a logical response to the issue of Ministerial Salaries is that our Ministers are fairly paid.

Singapore Budget 2015: Ministerial salaries have not risen in past three years

SINGAPORE - Political salaries have not gone up in the last three years even as the benchmark they are linked to has risen by around 3 per cent per year over the period, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament on Tuesday.

The House had, in 2012, endorsed recommendations from an independent committee to link ministerial salaries to the median income of the top 1,000 earners who are Singaporean citizens, with a 40 per cent discount to reflect the ethos of political service.

Since then, this benchmark has risen in two out of three years, and dropped slightly in one year. Overall, it rose 3 per cent per year, said Mr Teo.

"Because the changes in the benchmark have been moderate, we have not adjusted political salaries in these past three years," he said.

Based on the latest figures, the benchmark salary for a minister at entry "MR4" grade, inclusive of bonuses, should be $1.2 million per year, but the Government has kept it at $1.1 million - the 2012 level, he added.

The Prime Minister earns $2.2 million and the President earns $1.54 million.

In 2012, Parliament also endorsed doing away with pensions for politicians.

Mr Teo was speaking during the debate over the budget for the Prime Minister's Office. MP Edwin Tong (Moulmein-Kallang GRC) had asked whether it was timely to review the framework by which political salaries are determined.

Since 2011, "the formula has remained stable and has worked well," said Mr Teo.

"The Committee (to Review Ministerial Salaries) recommended that the salary framework be reviewed every five years, but given that things have been stable, we believe the framework remains valid, and we can continue to adjust salaries within this framework should there be a change in overall salary levels in subsequent years."

Mr Teo also emphasised that in the 2012 debate, the opposition Workers' Party (WP) agreed with the three key principles the Committee used to derive political salaries. They are:

- that salaries must be competitive so that people of the right calibre are not deterred from stepping forward to lead the country

- that the ethos of political service entails making sacrifices and hence there should be a discount in the pay formula

- that there should be a "clean wage" with no hidden perks

During the 2012 parliamentary debate, the WP had proposed an alternative formula of benchmarking MPs' salaries to the starting pay of the "Superscale" grade in the civil service, and to make ministers' salaries a multiple of MPs' allowance.

This would be about $55,000 a month for ministers, an amount Mr Teo noted on Tuesday was at the same level as the Committee's recommendations.

Workers' Party of Singapore Above the Law?

During the recent budget debate, the Workers’ Party was quick to exercise their parliamentary rights to question the government on their proposed and past spending. It is ironic that just last month, in the same house, the Workers’ Party of Singapore had blatantly refused to answer questions put forth by the People’s Action Party on how Workers’ Party run Ajunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) had spent taxpayers money.

In justifying his question on needing to know how money was being spent on the new SAF Volunteer Corps (SAFVC), Low Thia Khiang argued on the concept of the need for equity in treatment. Perhaps Low Thia Khiang can reflect on his own question and ask himself why the issue of equity in treatment applies to the PAP (answering his question) and to the issue of how Volunteers are treated, but not the more fundamental issue like the need for WP to answer to Parliament?

Is this how a first world parliament operates?

The Workers’ Party is obviously out of control in their belief that they are above the law. The AHPETC issue clearly reveals the true character and values of Low Thia Khiang, Slyvia Lim and Pritam Singh. It is time Singaporeans showed the Workers’ Party that they are not above the law.