MP: Sgreans are too mollycoddled
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The Straits Times
May 25, 2009 | 8:00 PM
We're too mollycoddled
MANY Singaporeans see Government help as an entitlement, something they would tap on as a first port of call rather than as a last resort, said a backbencher in Parliament on Monday.
Mr Sam Tan, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, is worried that Singaporeans might have been so mollycoddled by the Government that they have become 'practised at the craft of recession cushioning', and so accustomed to the government largesse.
'Each time the economy shows signs of slowing down, we've the NTUC and the e2i coming out to the forefront to job match, provide training, reduce retrenchment,' he said in his speech on the President's address.
'We've Ministry of National Development pump-priming with infrastructure projects. We've, of course, the Ministry of Communications, Youth and Sports and its numerous help schemes.'
Making clear that he is 'not diminishing the efforts' of civil servants and unionists, Mr Tan added: 'I am, however, wondering what the true impact of all these efforts are.
'Suppose you're the father of an eight-year-old boy who wants to learn how to cycle. Do you line the streets with cushions so that he would not hurt himself if he loses his balance?
'Do you brace his knees, and every conceivable part of his exposedbody with padding? You might, if you were an extremely protective father. But a commonsensical approach would be to let the boy have a go at it himself, and take the knocks and spills as they come.
'A boy who's mollycoddled is a very different person from the one who is physically tough and take the spills without fear, and whining. The latter, I think could be the approach that we take towards helping Singaporeans during tough times.'
Citing an example to back his point, Mr Tan said recently he has seen many residents, especially the elderly, come and see him at meet-the-people sessions.
'The difference is that while in the past, many of them would be hesitant to do so, and would rely on their children first. Today, many see the government help as an entitlement, something that they should tap on as a first port of call, rather than a last resort.
'I want to spare my children the burden of caring for me', they tell me. I am frankly astonished and dismayed, for my traditional Confucius values tell me that it is the natural obligation for children to look after their parents, and for the parents to be cared for by their children when they grow old.
'I would sometimes tell them 'You should let the children care for you, not the state, not because this is a good public policy (although it is), not because society expects it (although it might), but because it is the right thing to do.
'It is filial piety, one of the most fundamental values of the human race.'*************************
Some excerpts from CNA forum:
mollycoddled indeed... Pls give us back our CPF $
MP are there to serve its citiZens, if this is other countries, the MP would be long gone. Only in Singapore do we hear of MP critizing its citizen's and ball carrying the govt.
Last time I checked, this country does not have social security safety net?
What can we coodlemoodle on?Just shows how disconnected the elites are, sitting in their ivory towers. Haiz.
last time...the children no need to pay high and expensive HDB....!
what is the MP talking abt....? this is the needs of the people whom vote him in....or din they ???The fundamental values of a MP is to serve the people, and now, he complains about his job?
Last time, the gov is seen as humble servants with low pay serving the people, but now, they see themselves as lords & kings, and the most absurd is that being highly paid is an entitlement to exchange for their honesty, transparency & integrity? They also perverted certain ideals, and now complains about the people. Haha....Why should I choose you as a leader if all you do is ask me to take care of myself??????????????
does it take one to know one really? does he feel mollycoddled as a backbencher in lky's GRC really? maybe he is actually signalling PAP to let him run in a single seat ward for the coming elections really?
last tum they said we are lesser mortals now they say we're molly wateva... next tum say wat leh?
all they say is right lor official word got 2 mouths 官å—两个å�£mah...
Yup, we are too mollycoddled when compared to other countries like Aussie and US. They dun even need to ask.
Haizzzz...........So insensitive......Please say this during election.
if sporean not MOLLYCODDLED.
how do the country produced such kiasu n kisai citizens who obey like a dog. how do garment ppl receive such world class pay cheques when some ppl in this country are worrying for their next meal.yah, they have to hide in GRCs helmed by the ministers and dare not take on a fight in single ward by themselves. who's mollycoddled here?
an MP that has never truly got the support of its residents thru his own merit.... i dare him to win a ward by himself before spewing such criticisms.A lesson for leadership:
Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.
- Colin PowellNow I know why they 'purposely' lose billions of dollars of our reserves. If we do not have a fat reserves, then Sporeans would not be able to tap Govt as a first port of call as recession cushioning. They will then have to fend for themselves.
Let us do away with CPF and Income taxes to test the strength of our Govt and their survival skills. -
What do we vote for? To be criticize once a month?
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on the contrary... MPs and the mini-stars are the ones who are too mollycoddled
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Why are we shortchanged? Pay them world class salary for them to have such sicko attitude. You the bloody bunch of PAP members are the ruling party serving the public. If you not interested to help public then close down PAP.
Sam Tan is just one of the many heartless PAP members. It is no wonder I hear so much of residents treated badly when they go see the MP session. If you PAP treat us like dirt, then forget about holding political power in Singapore. WE definitely don't need self serving, cold blooded assholes like you all. Take so much from people yet talk this sort of crap.
People, just vote PAP out.
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*post shifted above*
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Originally posted by the Bear:
on the contrary... MPs and the mini-stars are the ones who are too mollycoddled
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trust the MPs to come up with such words
whats next? We are obnibulated by MPs aim to earn more riches?
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Originally posted by Agenda:
What do we vote for? To be criticize once a month?
Agenda, we are not criticise only once a month, we are criticised unfairly every now and then.PAP are bunch of ungrateful pain arses in the world of politics. Shoo the bloody money sucking PAP. They only care for themselves and the foreigners
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Why are we shortchanged? Pay them world class salary for them to have such sicko attitude. You the bloody bunch of PAP members are the ruling party serving the public. If you not interested to help public then close down PAP.
Sam Tan is just one of the many heartless PAP members. It is no wonder I hear so much of residents treated badly when they go see the MP session. If you PAP treat us like dirt, then forget about holding political power in Singapore. WE definitely don't need self serving, cold blooded assholes like you all. Take so much from people yet talk this sort of crap.
People, just vote PAP out.
Uncle Sam want you.
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PAP can close shop to serve the locals and concentrate on how to please the foreigners.
Please vote PAP out.
Take so much $ from us and blame the people for going to them for help. Tsk tsk tsk! If PAP not interested to serve the public, please close shop.
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Originally posted by Chew Bakar:
Uncle Sam want you.
Tell him to go to hell and be burnt there eternally. -
Originally posted by Fantagf:
PAP can close shop to serve the locals and concentrate on how to please the foreigners.
Please vote PAP out.
Take so much $ from us and blame the people for going to them for help. Tsk tsk tsk! If PAP not interested to serve the public, please close shop.
Did they ever offer to serve the people? They only offer for their talents to govern.
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Tell him to go to hell and be burnt there eternally.Well, I not what they are after, too old and senile. Can't squeeze anymore.
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Just go an look at this MP's resume, where he has been working and I wonder who is more mollycoddled. Hiaz, pot calling the kettle black.
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PAP are the ones who are being mollycoddled.
One such good example is, the lifts in SGH are stopped for them to use, the patients and public are not to use the same lifts as them. I have seen this too many times when I visited SGH.
My neighbour was with her sick husband in the wheelchair was stopped from using the lift because the security guard was stopping the lift for use for some VIP/VVIP. When my neighbour looked behind she saw Goh chok tong coming. She was furious and asked if the patients and public are allowed to use, she explained that her husband is sick and it is not fair to stop public to use the lift for the sake of the arrival of the big shot or whoever and moreover the lifts are meant for public and patients use. The guy still did not allow her in. She did not care and pushed her husband in.
People please vote PAP out, they are heartless and ever so fast to talk down , put down singaporeans.
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What mollycoddled by the PAP government when we have the leehsiengloong stating that Singapore is not a welfare state, Sam tan???? You are slapping yourself, get the facts clear. Not the welfare state that is the main reason why many people are treated badly when they go see the MP sessions.
If Sam Tan is against mollycoddling then I suggest he don't have any meet-the-people sessions at all in his constituency. and he can go suggest to PAP to cancel all the meet-the-people sessions in all constituencies.
Arrogance knows no end !!!
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
What mollycoddled by the PAP government when we have the leehsiengloong stating that Singapore is not a welfare state, Sam tan???? You are slapping yourself, get the facts clear. Not the welfare state that is the main reason why many people are treated badly when they go see the MP sessions.
If Sam Tan is against mollycoddling then I suggest he don't have any meet-the-people sessions at all in his constituency. and he can go suggest to PAP to cancel all the meet-the-people sessions in all constituencies.
Arrogance knows no end !!!
Arrogance is part of elitism.
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Originally posted by Chew Bakar:
Arrogance is part of elitism.
So are cold heartedness, greed, tyranny, condescension, self service. ha ha ha -
Originally posted by Fantagf:
So are cold heartedness, greed, tyranny, condescension, self service. ha ha haTrue, true.. haha
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Many of the PAP members are not fit to be in public service. Quit will you, spare us the agony!!!!!
Take so much $$$ from locals and forever trying to shirk responsibilities.
For the next coming election, PAP should just have this statement to the public to garner votes "vote for us PAP but don't expect us to serve u but continue to allow us to take more and more $ from you. and Singapore is not a welfare state".
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Many of the PAP members are not fit to be in public service. Quit will you, spare us the agony!!!!!
Take so much $$$ from locals and forever trying to shirk responsibilities.
For the next coming election, PAP should just have this statement to the public to garner votes "vote for us PAP but don't expect us to serve u but continue to allow us to take more and more $ from you. and Singapore is not a welfare state".
"vote for us PAP but don't expect us to serve u but continue to allow us to take more and more $ from you."
Singapore is a welfare state for the MPs and ministers only.
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
PAP are the ones who are being mollycoddled.
One such good example is, the lifts in SGH are stopped for them to use, the patients and public are not to use the same lifts as them. I have seen this too many times when I visited SGH.
My neighbour was with her sick husband in the wheelchair was stopped from using the lift because the security guard was stopping the lift for use for some VIP/VVIP. When my neighbour looked behind she saw Goh chok tong coming. She was furious and asked if the patients and public are allowed to use, she explained that her husband is sick and it is not fair to stop public to use the lift for the sake of the arrival of the big shot or whoever and moreover the lifts are meant for public and patients use. The guy still did not allow her in. She did not care and pushed her husband in.
People please vote PAP out, they are heartless and ever so fast to talk down , put down singaporeans.
This shows that Ah goh is more sick than her husband that he must use the lift first.
Paid them so much but all u get is a Sick Minister....
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Originally posted by Chew Bakar:
"vote for us PAP but don't expect us to serve u but continue to allow us to take more and more $ from you."
Singapore is a welfare state for the MPs and ministers only.
ha ha ha, right. it is also a welfare state for foreigners -
Just wonder what that sam tan actually wants?
You've got a high paid job now and you still whine?
How about those being retrenched?
Sam, don't worry, i can forsee that you will become a pauper and beg on the street. Maybe not in today's life but next life. And you can whine all you want!
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Originally posted by Hawk Eye:
This shows that Ah goh is more sick than her husband that he must use the lift first.
Paid them so much but all u get is a Sick Minister....
Goh able to walk by himself. My neighbour's husband is in wheelchair and has multiple sicknesses.
SGH is tightly controlled.