PM Lee:Striking a balance in making a system that works best
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Striking a balance
Singapore feeling its way forward in establishing a system that works best for it, says PM Lee
By Aaron Low
For Singapore, Mr Lee said, having a good system is important, but getting good people to run it is equally crucial. -- ST FILE PHOTOSINGAPORE'S model of governance is one that tries to achieve a balance between delivering quality leadership and giving people the opportunity to voice their dissatisfaction with government policies, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
It is a system that has worked well and one that has not let the people of Singapore down, he told a German newspaper.
'How do you keep a system which delivers an outstanding quality of leadership and government, and yet at the same time, have free play and the opportunity for people to say, 'I want this government, but I do not like this policy or the other'?'
The ideal system, he said, balances both. It delivers a good government, while providing for aspirations to be fulfilled and voices - the full range of them - to be articulated. 'This is the ideal,' he said in an interview published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung last week.
The newspaper wanted to know if Singapore would become 'even more democratic' in future, as it had recently relaxed its rules on public assemblies and was introducing changes to the political system to enable more opposition voices in Parliament.
In his reply, Mr Lee said Singapore, like other countries, is feeling its way forward in establishing a system that works best for it. What would not work, he stressed, is to simply rely on the simplistic approach that 'if you develop, you will need democracy'.
For Singapore, Mr Lee said, having a good system is important, but getting good people to run it is equally crucial. He rebutted the suggestion that the system was unfair, saying that the opposition had a fair chance to compete and contest in general elections.
In fact, he pointed out that in a small country like Singapore, the ruling party would get booted out very quickly if it lost the mandate of the people. 'It is for us to make sure that we continue to merit their confidence and their support and deliver a good government,' said Mr Lee, who is also secretary-general of the People's Action Party.
The German newspaper also asked Mr Lee why there were 'no signs of dissatisfaction' with the Government, despite the country facing one of its worst recessions since independence. There were three reasons for this, said Mr Lee.
The first is that many workers see what the Government is doing to help them, such as through training, which keeps them employable. Another reason is the special measures like the Jobs Credit scheme, which helps employers defray part of the wage bill of local workers. This has helped companies keep workers rather than retrench them, he said. 'And thirdly, when there are problems, they are able to talk to us and we respond and deal with these problems,' said Mr Lee.
These measures have helped buffer the impact of the recession on Singaporeans, preventing unemployment from shooting up. Said Mr Lee: 'If you look at the people on the streets and in the shops, life goes on. It is a serious situation, but it is not a calamity.'
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/
Lee Kuan Yew's son, Singapore's Prime Minister, pulling a fast one on the Germans
Ladies and Gentlemen,
That's what the Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore dictatorship does all the time. Hoodwink foreigners, particularly Westerners into thinking Singapore is something what it is not. What it is is this. It is a dictatorship, a one party state, with Lee Kuan Yew and his family as the oligarchy in total control; where the press is controlled entirely by them, where the courts abuse the law at will to preserve the Lee family in power, and where every organ of government is firmly in their control. In short, a country where the people live in fear of the Lee Kuan Yew family, completely at their mercy and whose lives are abandoned to their whims.
What it is not is this. It is not a democracy.
Singapore has over the years successfully misled the Western world into thinking it is a democracy. And to a large extent, so far, they have managed it. With a state controlled press in Singapore, who is there to refute the non stop good news that flows from it? Any country that has a state controlled press can very much get away with anything they say. But all this is changing with the Internet. Today it is getting harder and harder for dictatorships and totalitarian regimes around the world to get away with lies. But despite this, despite the fact that the west is now aware of what Singapore, Burma and other small minded dictatorships in the region are, Lee Kuan Yew's son, the boy whom his father placed as the Prime Minister is at it again.
Singapore's state controlled newspaper the Straits Times online edition of July 23, 2009 has this story, "Striking a Balance, Singapore feeling it's way forward in establishing a system that works best for it, says PM Lee". This is an interview with the well known German newspaper Frankfurter Allegmeine Zeitung.
The state controlled newspaper's title itself is completely false. With 50 years continuous rule by this man and his father Lee Kuan Yew, when every opposition political candidate over the years has been either bankrupted or imprisoned by them, the system “does work for them”, that is for him, his father and his family. It certainly has not worked for the 4.5 million other ordinary people who live in fear of him lest they say something he does not like.
As we go on with this completely misleading article, every single line of it is false and a lie. In the first sentence he says it is "a system which achieves a balance of quality leadership" and "which gives the people an opportunity to voice their grievances". If it a quality leadership, then why is that almost half the population live below the poverty line in their government owned HDB flats or cubicles, many without even being able to afford 3 meals a day, no electricity or water and many going hungry? Why is there massive unemployment? Why does every Singaporean almost to the man, if they could, leave Singapore for settlement abroad? Why are no children being born and why does 2 out of 3 students who go abroad never return?
And if the people are "given an opportunity to voice their grievances" then why is Dr. Chee Soon Juan repeatedly jailed, bankrupted and impoverished by the corrupt courts for doing just that "voicing his grievance". And why is there no dissent at all from the entire population, because they have all been subdued and silenced from even the slightest criticism, lest they end up like Dr. Chee Soon Juan. Why was I sent to jail for 3 months last year for doing just that in this blog, criticizing? And if people are allowed to criticize, can he or his father explain why they have both between them monopolized the office of Prime Minster in the country and winning every single election since 1959?
In the next line, Lee's son tells the Frankfurter Allegmeine Zeitung, "It is a system that has worked well and not let the people of Singapore down". Instead of telling Frankfurter Allegmeine Zeitung, he should tell that to the miserable wretches who live in the 1 and 2 room flats and the millions of others who have lost their jobs and unable to find any other. He should say that to the thousands of young people who are coming out of the schools with no jobs and no prospects. He should tell that to the millions of other Singaporeans whose jobs have been taken away by foreigners. Without the benefit of a minimum wage, he should tell that to the thousands of man and women who earn less that $500 or less. He should tell that to the growing numbers who have made their homes in the void decks of the government owned flats. He should tell that to the man who was so upset he set one of his politicians alight on paint thinner.
The next paragraph is so blatantly false, it seems as if he has no respect whatsoever for the intelligence of Frankfurter Allegmeine Zeitung. He says, believe it or not, "How do you keep a system which delivers outstanding quality of leadership and government and yet (allow) the people to say, I want this government but not this policy or the other". My dear Lee Kuan Yew's son, you are presuming too much. How can you say you deliver "outstanding quality of leadership" when the truth is, your entire government is literally falling apart, and it will with your father's impending demise. And what makes you think the people want your government but not a particular policy or other? What makes you think that? If you ask me, I think to the last man every Singaporean wants your entire family out. But there is nothing they can do since you will put them in jail if they say so.
Further down it is alleged (we do not know if this is true, keeping in mind this is a state controlled press) that Frankfurter Allegmeine Zeitung had asked if Singapore will become more democratic? I am not sure whether the German newspaper was being a bit sarcastic or whether they really believed there was any democracy in Singapore. If the German newspaper Frankfurter Zeitung did not know, there is no democracy at all. Protests are disallowed entirely throughout the island except for a small patch of ground no bigger than a football field, where even there plain clothes police will harass and threaten anyone found in it.
Next Lee's son says every country has to devise a system that works for them. Sure, Burma has devised a system that works very well for the military junta and the Lee family in Singapore has similarly devised a system that works very well for them. Not for any other Singaporeans. Then he says, that simply because you are developed does not mean you should have democracy. Wait a minute, dear son. What makes you think only developed countries should have democracy? Should it not be a universal right for everyone, as along as you are a human?
He then puts out another shameless blatant lie that "the opposition had a fair chance to compete and contest in elections"! Tell me son, did the late JB Jeyaretnam get a fair chance? Did Dr. Chee Soon Juan? Did Chia Thye Poh? Did Francis Seow? Did Tang Liang Hong? Come on boy who are you kidding? The Germans are not as stupid as you think.
Then he says the reasons why the people have not organized a revolution and rebellion against him is because the government helps them through training. The truth is there is no re-training at all, and no one who has been re-trained has ever got any job because there are none.
Another reason he says is that employers have been given money towards employees’ salaries. The truth is that money is only given to government linked or government supportive companies and none of that money has ever gone to any worker; it is pocketed by the employers. And thirdly, he says when people have problems they can talk to the government. It is true that unemployed and miserable Singaporeans can form a line outside one of the son's members of parliament and beg for help. They might get a bag of rice and a couple of hundred dollars but this in no way helps any Singaporean who is in a bind.
Unemployment he says has not shot up. If you count those who earn less than $500.00 per month wages, an amount way below the poverty line, almost half the people of Singapore live in poverty, not much different from Communist China or India. Then he says look at the people in the shops shopping as evidence of the people's wealth.This is the lowest of the low, a dastardly and shameful lie.
Yes in any country that is jam packed like Singapore with 4.5 million people living one on top of the other; you will see some people in shopping malls. But Frankfurter Allegmeine Zeitung has to be warned these shoppers are just 5% of the population of the island. The rest 95% live in their cramped government owned flats hardly surviving.
Please Frankfurter Allegmeine Zeitung, go on a tour of the HDB flats and ask the miserable creatures ensconced in them. Lee's son is just pulling wool over your eyes because he thinks, you, being a foreigner would not know.
Gopalan Nair -
Crap la! Cry wolf! As long as PAP is the ruling party, there will be no such thing as a system that works best for all. By now we all know them well enough that this is not going to be true as long as they place self serving as their top priority.
So lee hsien loong, who do you think you are kidding ???? WE are not 3 year old to be taken in by your crap.
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When the minister pay is highest in the world how on earth can system work best for all?
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Show us that you our PM is using the GST to help the poor.
From what i hear from people who need help from govt and went to the govt, the govt try to discourage people to go to them for financial aid.
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Originally posted by Ah Chia:
When the minister pay is highest in the world how on earth can system work best for all?
The best is they pay themselves the highest salary in the world and support people to be exploited and get lower pay.
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What about the elderly dialect chinese, the TV shows in mandarin and english they cannot understand, so can dual sound, create system that works best for all?
Actually the system works quite well for Lee family.
All of their memebrs CEOs, head of some organisation.
Maybe that is what he means by "works best for all".
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All these years they have been talking so much but in reality and facts our life in Singapore are getting bad to worse.
So if this sicko lhl still thinks that people will believe in his crap, hahahaha, then he is too naive. He should just step down and get out of the local political scene if he is not capable to place serving the public as top priority.
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After this Lee Hsien Loong took over all the things in Singapore really became messed up.
Life in Singapore more and more shitty.
Goh Chok Tong still okay, but this Lee Hsien Loong really messed everything up.
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Originally posted by Ah Chia:
After this Lee Hsien Loong took over all the things in Singapore really became messed up.
Life in Singapore more and more shitty.
Goh Chok Tong still okay, but this Lee Hsien Loong really messed everything up.
Yes, i agree. This proves he is so "capable" as a PM to lead Singapore. haahahah! What to do he is the son of the .................... so must be our PM. hhahahah -
During the 1997 economic downturn, LHL did claim that there were "no holy cows" to stand in his way forward, and all issues will be reviewed, and where the changes are necessary, the holy cows will be slaughtered.
Brave words about "change" before even Obama made it a catch word.
He did try with some stones which he turned over, inspected and then he thought that it was better that these stones be put back into their original positions, as they were found.
The reason he gave was that some stones were best left alone.
It seems that his knife could not cut through stones, and then the stones were objects and were not holy cows that can be slaughtered.
So much sadness to our Singapore Hindu community, whose pride must have been hurt by the insensitivity of the leader of this Little Red Dot.
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System works best without the Lee in it.
To illustrate why here:
Gary: He said to me at the lift lobby 90% of the exact words - ”Mr Tan,if you walk out of here tomorrow,you might get killed.You might meet with a mysterious accident,you might disappear and nobody will know what happened to you! Mr Tan, some things and people in this country you cannot offend! Some people are above all things! You better make sure you know this! Mr Tan,we can arrange for things to happen to you.You understand or not!”
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So much sadness to our Singapore Hindu community
Lee Kuan Yew will disapprove of indian prime minister.
Lee did not agree with your decision to pick Goh.
No, he did not disagree. He said he would leave it to us. His own first choice was Tony Tan. Goh Chok Tong was his second choice. I was his third choice because he said my English was not good enough. He said Dhanabalan was not right because Singapore was not ready for an Indian prime minister. That upset the Indian community. There was quite a bit of adverse reaction to what he said. But he speaks his mind. He is the only one who can get away with it...
http://www-cgi.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/magazine/
Indian MP or Indian President is okay, but indian prime miniser, no, no, no.
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Look at his smile! So fake!
so insincere how people going to trust him
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Peranakan as prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew will approve, afterall he is one himself.
Indian as prime minister, no chance, sorry.
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Originally posted by Ah Chia:
Peranakan as prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew will approve, afterall he is one himself.
Indian as prime minister, no chance, sorry.
let's wait for his demise. even students also waiting. the old heck is such a failure -
He said Dhanabalan was not right because Singapore was not ready for an Indian prime minister.
Not ready then why they voted for JBJ?
Not ready?
We even have a jew as chief minister so what the fuck talking you baba Lee Kuan Yew?
Talk as if you are hokkien majority group.
You also from baba minority group what.
Don't bullshit lah, not from majority group still talk cock.
Shameless bastard.
You hokkien then you come and tell me what the majority singapore ready or not ready.
You fucking from peranakan minorty group then you better shut your fucking mouth about whether singapore ready not ready.
Lee Kuan Yew, you are from minority peranakan group, you don't have right to pass judgement on whether someone from indian community is ready to be prime minister.
Indians and peranakans in Singapore, which group is bigger Lee Kuan Yew.
You better watch your mother fucking mouth Lee Kuan Yew.
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The newspaper wanted to know if Singapore would become 'even more democratic' in future, as it had recently relaxed its rules on public assemblies and was introducing changes to the political system to enable more opposition voices in Parliament.
Democracy??? No democracy as long as the ruling party continues to rule
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All for wayang for foreigners only lah.
Singapore controlled by PAP, PAP controlled by Lee family.
Everything else is political bullshit.
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Chia, i have good reason to say knnb, the troll is carrying on some kind of mission in this forum. Even posted blank contents for the sake of blocking forumers here to read important and useful threads.
LIke one of the forumers told me that by doing so he is trying to make this forum not credible so others will not come here read threads.
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Chia, i have good reason to say knnb, the troll is carrying on some kind of mission in this forum. Even posted blank contents for the sake of blocking forumers here to read important and useful threads.
LIke one of the forumers told me that by doing so he is trying to make this forum not credible so others will not come here read threads.
I think so too, a troll to discredit Sgf forummers.
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Originally posted by Chew Bakar:
I think so too, a troll to discredit Sgf forummers.
Sad to say the owner and mods don't take it seriously.
Today is the worse, his nuisance stretched from pg 1 to pg 2. Likely a pap's supporter in disguise.
It is discrediting the Speakers' Corner.
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Originally posted by Ah Chia:
Not ready then why they voted for JBJ?
Not ready?
We even have a jew as chief minister so what the fuck talking you baba Lee Kuan Yew?
Talk as if you are hokkien majority group.
You also from baba minority group what.
Don't bullshit lah, not from majority group still talk cock.
Shameless bastard.
You hokkien then you come and tell me what the majority singapore ready or not ready.
You fucking from peranakan minorty group then you better shut your fucking mouth about whether singapore ready not ready.
Lee Kuan Yew, you are from minority peranakan group, you don't have right to pass judgement on whether someone from indian community is ready to be prime minister.
Indians and peranakans in Singapore, which group is bigger Lee Kuan Yew.
You better watch your mother fucking mouth Lee Kuan Yew.
Ah Chia, I don't mind you posting. But stop the crap about insulting the peranakan community. If you want to fuck LKY that is your business but leave the peranakan coimmunity alone! Don't tie in the peranakan community with LKY. He is just a memeber in the set of peranakans and his views don't represent all the peranakans. Let this be my first warning to you.
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Sad to say the owner and mods don't take it seriously.
Today is the worse, his nuisance stretched from pg 1 to pg 2. Likely a pap's supporter in disguise.
It is discrediting the Speakers' Corner.
Can't totally blame the moderators and owner, they are tired of this troll too.
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But stop the crap about insulting the peranakan community.
I did not insult peranakan community or have any intention of doing so.
Thank you.
Then stop writing things like fucking peranakan minority or things like this. It seems to me that you are trying to incite or irritate the gentle peranakans here. If you want to fuck LKY just go ahead but without the peranakan phrase in it, Let this be the last time I make this statement to you and everyone else in this forum.
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Sad to say the owner and mods don't take it seriously.
Today is the worse, his nuisance stretched from pg 1 to pg 2. Likely a pap's supporter in disguise.
It is discrediting the Speakers' Corner.
Fantagf, I beg your pardon. The mods take trolls issues very seriously. That is why we even bother to erase the threads that idiot makes. If we really choose not to care we won't even edit the threads. Only the super mods like Fireice and Jason have the authority to delete threads. We work within our means.
The best way you all can help us is to post and let his thread sink to the dolrums. Ignore him like he is some bastard borned from the devil's spawn. In this manner he will be dealt the greatest blow ever.