No child in S'pore will be left without a home
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No child in S'pore will be left without a home, says Dr Balakrishnan
By Dylan Loh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 02 March 2010 1538 hrsPhotos 1 of 1 
SINGAPORE: Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said that no child in Singapore will be left without a home, and officers will step in to ensure this if a family is in danger of losing its home.
Dr Balakrishnan was answering a question in Parliament about the problem of homelessness here.
In the last three years, the Ministry helped 148 families through its network of social workers. And eventually, 107 families found alternative housing.
Depending on the needs, families were given options. They were either helped to buy a flat within their means, or referred to temporary private shelters or rented public flats.
Dr Balakrishnan said the government-funded welfare homes for the destitute were a last resort for those who had no jobs, and no family. But he said the Ministry was most concerned about the impact of homelessness on children.
He said: "I have taken such an active stand to make sure we do not have people camping out on beaches, or parks or void decks, even though these may be safe and indeed, sometimes even pleasant areas for adults.
"These are not good and safe areas for children. And so I have insisted that (to) anyone with children. The children must be put in a proper home; they must continue to go to school. They must continue to get access to good food, good hygiene.
"And if any family has difficulty providing these things to the children, then MCYS will step in, and we will step in assertively if need be, in order to protect children." -
So many positive words from them, election is near. Empty words?
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Is this not the typical PAP's "Classic Slippery Slope" kind of speech that VB has been known to be making since entering politics ?
"These are not good and safe areas for children. And so I have insisted that (to) anyone with children. The children must be put in a proper home; they must continue to go to school. They must continue to get access to good food, good hygiene.
"And if any family has difficulty providing these things to the children, then MCYS will step in, and we will step in assertively if need be, in order to protect children."It is odd that VB will want to portray the PAP government in an altruistic way, when this government is known for its callous stand towards offering help directly and on the scale of involvement that VB has stated that tantamount to a State sponsored welfare.
Is there something more significant to this speech made by VB ?
Choo Zheng Xi, Main Stories - Written on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 14:05
Beware the Slippery Slope!
By Choo Zheng Xi
What do Yoda, Vivian Balakrishnan, Yvonne Lee, and ex-CJ Yong have in common?
No, this isn’t the opening line of a dirty joke. All of the abovementioned characters are guilty of having used a form of logical deduction known as the ‘slippery slope’ argument. It’s a line of reasoning that works as such: if we allow A to happen, we will be taking the first step down the slippery slope of allowing B, C and D to happen too.
Remember Yoda’s warning: ‘Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering’? Classic slippery slope.
Vivian Balakrishnan, who was a debator in his college days, took a page out of Yoda’s book to deploy this rhetorical tactic in Parliament. Commenting on bartop dancing, he noted:
“If you want to dance, some of us will fall off that bar-top. Some people will die as a result of liberalising bar-top dancing, not just because they have fallen off the bar-top. Because usually a young girl, with a short skirt, dancing on a bar-top, may attract some insults from some other men, and the boyfriend starts fighting. Some people will die. Blood will be shed for liberalising this policy. While I support the liberalisation of the policy, I also want all of us to be aware that there is a price to be paid for liberty.”
Thankfully, little blood has yet been shed for the government’s bold steps in deregulating bartop dancing. Perhaps Dr Vivian was being too pessimistic in his somber projections?
Here’s yet another slippery slope argument, this time by PAP MP Denise Phua during the elections last year – as reported by channelnewsasia:
“In this movie starring Singaporeans, called ‘The Days After’, based on what will happen if you put more and more opposition members into Parliament, this is what the scene will look like. ‘The Days After’ — the analysts will rate our political risk very high, it’ll be negative; the stock market will tumble; potential investors will hold back their investments; current business will seriously think about moving business out of Singapore.”
In the recent ministerial pay hike debate, MM Lee offered the public a particularly steep slippery slope to contemplate: a failure to raise ministerial pay might lead to shoddy characters being elected into Parliament, which would lead to economic collapse, and eventually, our womenfolk being exported as foreign domestic labour. One wonders why this doomsday scenario didn’t occur in the days before ministers were paid as well.
The Slippery Slope And The Law
Perhaps we can permit our politicians a dose of occasional scaremongering. But you might be slightly worried to realize that our legal scholars and judges occasionally indulge in it too. You might be especially concerned if it is relevant to our basic rights guaranteed under the constitution.
Section 14 (1) of our Constitution guarantees that
(a) every citizen of Singapore has the right to freedom of speech and expression;
(b) all citizens of Singapore have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms; and (c) all citizens of Singapore have the right to form associations.
However, Section 14 (2) allows these rights to be circumscribed:
Parliament may by law impose —
<!--[if !supportLists]-->(a) <!--[endif]-->on the rights conferred by clause (1)(a), such restrictions as it considers necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of Singapore or any part thereof, friendly relations with other countries, public order or morality and restrictions designed to protect the privileges of Parliament or to provide against contempt of court, defamation or incitement to any offence.
Now this in itself is not remarkable: even the freest of democracies realise that no rights are absolute, and legislatures have the power to pass laws circumscribing these rights.
Sadly, good ol’ Slippery Slope is trotted out as a justification for circumscribing many of our rights, and really, sometimes these arguments are downright weak.
In his judgment on Dr Chee Soon Juan’s abortive 2002 Labour Day protest, our then Chief Justice Yong Pung How offered the following slippery slope justification for circumscribing Dr Chee’s rights:<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]-->
“The opening of the Istana grounds on Labour Day was a highly visible event with strong public participation. Indeed, there were close to 5,300 people in the grounds on the day of the offence. It did not take a great stretch of imagination to conclude that a political rally in the grounds that day could have resulted in a threat to public order and safety”.
With all due respect to the then Chief Justice, in the context of our famed Singaporean orderliness and respect for the law, it really does take quite a stretch of imagination to see a political rally on the Istana grounds of a sort that would result in a threat to ‘public order and safety’. Kudos to his creativity.
Perhaps the silliest slippery slope argument to date is the bunch of comical assertions recently put forward by Assistant Professor Yvonne Lee from NUS Law School (writing in her personal capacity)<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[3]<!--[endif]-->.
Singaporean society, she says, is generally conservative and has always been respectful of religious sensitivities. Therefore we should not abolish 377a. To do so would open the door to legalizing paedophilia and bestiality, lead to reverse persecution of religious leaders, and generally undermine family values. Sadly for her, her first premise exposes the fallacy of her slippery slope argument: it is precisely because our society is a conservative one respectful of religious sensitivities that her doomsday scenario is that much quackery.
Context: The Achilles Heel of The Slippery Slope
Deductive logic, if honestly utilized, is a powerful intellectual tool. However, the problem is that many of these lines of reasoning happily discard the context within which they operate. As shown in the course of this article, any idea, taken to its most negative logical extreme, can be construed as potentially apocalyptic. Public figures owe us at least intellectual integrity of honest and realistic projections in decision making.
So here’s a simple rule of thumb to help you pull apart badly constructed slippery slope arguments and strengthen your own: it all boils down to context.
Keep this in mind the next time a politician, academic with an impressive sounding title, or even jedi master offers you a slippery slope argument that projects disaster.
About the author: Choo Zheng Xi is currently a Law Student at NUS. He is seeking help to publish this article in full or in part in a newspaper. Any assistance would be much appreciated
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How to protect children? Give them free education. Only for sporean children. Let family able to afford hdb flats (presently, prices are steep). Let the food and staple be cheap so that children are well feed (Presently things are quite expensive). Let the children able to travel by public transport. (Presently, bus fare are also expensive.)
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let Sg males rights be balanced and those who has served NS be given much more benefits as part of society's return to their unlimited liabilities or possible deaths incurred during their service or long term injuries sustained over their useful life...
if women refute...remind these bitches its for the benefit of their sons or future sons
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Originally posted by Fcukpap:
let Sg males rights be balanced and those who has served NS be given much more benefits as part of society's return to their unlimited liabilities or possible deaths incurred during their service or long term injuries sustained over their useful life...
if women refute...remind these bitches its for the benefit of their sons or future sons
Ns pay should rise to $1k++ per month. If not, reduce the ns to 1 yr. -
Originally posted by Fcukpap:
let Sg males rights be balanced and those who has served NS be given much more benefits as part of society's return to their unlimited liabilities or possible deaths incurred during their service or long term injuries sustained over their useful life...
if women refute...remind these bitches its for the benefit of their sons or future sons
Aye, you son of a bitch.. I agree with thee.
NS/reservist is a liability that is no longer serving it's noble purpose.. rather a reform camp for younglings to learn how to obey em masters.
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Whenever i attend an adult diaologue session or discussion, those uncles and aunties will alway said we are overly pampered, no discipline, cannot take the hard knock of life. Well, they can curse and criticise whatever they like, but it is them who nuture us, together with the govt, they provided us good food, good education, warm and free home, aircond sleeping room, maids, new fashion clothing, cars, shopping money. Then they turn around and said we are spoilt brat and all those nonsense words they throw at us...it that Fair???
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Raising NS pay is the correct way to compensate our youth for the sacrifice they make to the country. How can we continue preachiing market compensation for ministers and expect to pay only 'subsidise allowance' to our youth? If we exempt the PR from serving our nation, than at least pay our citizen youth their proper salary in the army
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No, rising NS pay will induce foreigners to join our arm forces, better to earn a thousand inside with free lodging and foods then to slot thru the hot road side and construction site for a mere 500 buck, and also they can get citizenship upon finishing their NS contract.
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early in the morning, somebody start to give old aunties story!
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Originally posted by Dondontan:
So many positive words from them, election is near. Empty words?
I have seen some of their programs for abused children and children of broken homes so this one I can't attack them but I say keep up with the good work! -
Originally posted by �玟 往日情:
early in the morning, somebody start to give old aunties story!
wha, new nick again, new pattern liao..
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early in the morning, somebody start to give old aunties story!
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Since when has the PAP Government been together with ordinary Singaporeans that - "they provided us good food, good education, warm and free home, aircond sleeping room, maids, new fashion clothing, cars, shopping money."This is another daily routine display of idiocy and irrelevance of the Taiwanese 'hum' to exercise its ‘Labia Majora’ and ‘Labia Minora’ - simply to attract attention to itself as the resident 'Attention Seeking Whore'.
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Got mah, govt gives us roof, gives us rebate, extended some of our bills payment and even overwrite the bad debts off for us, govern also provide peace and harmony for childrens to party late and have fun without any problems, then parents work hard, give children maids, save money for them, buy asset for them, put in 5 sumptous meals everyday on the table, bring childrens go overseas luxury tour to rich countries, live in luxury with aircon private room, big LCD tv, iphone, etc etc...
Uncle maybe you didn't see it at your level, but at my level, we are enjoying our life ever better than your time, all thanks to you and many old folks good work during the 70s, 80s and maybe part of the 90s, all work until sick, leave alot of money for us to spent, once again on behalf of the youth of singapore, thank you Uncles and Aunties.
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early in the morning, somebody start to give old aunties story!
no one in this world can be cocky forever
since young no one is around to discipline/teach what is manner
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This is another daily routine display of idiocy and irrelevance of the Taiwanese 'hum' to exercise its ‘Labia Majora’ and ‘Labia Minora’ - simply to attract attention to itself as the resident 'Attention Seeking Whore'.
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Originally posted by �玟 往日情:
early in the morning, somebody start to give old aunties story!
no one in this world can be cocky forever
since young no one is around to discipline/teach what is manner
No, my message is very clear, the indepth of it, is dun pamper or spoonfeed the youngs, otherwise they cannot match the independency of a global market and workforce. They demand high paid, nice working conditions and a fabalous career, spending ah kong's money on cars and nitelight without even earning a single cent. -
Originally posted by angel7030:
No, my message is very clear, the indepth of it, is dun pamper or spoonfeed the youngs, otherwise they cannot match the independency of a global market and workforce. They demand high paid, nice working conditions and a fabalous career, spending ah kong's money on cars and nitelight without even earning a single cent.
lapitiao yiao chabor angel7030 is telling her own story above. Go back use dettol wash your puay chau chee bye./Your heart, mouth and puay cheebye stink ............................... YUCKS!
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Originally posted by hundydude:
lapitiao yiao chabor angel7030 is telling her own story above. Go back use dettol wash your puay chau chee bye./Your heart, mouth and puay cheebye stink ............................... YUCKS!
pass me the dettol let me do it!
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Last time, he got so angry and sarcastic to an MP asking for an increase in social assistance for the poor.
That famous " Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?” jibe.
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That's why there's this Angsana Home at IMH
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Originally posted by SevenEleven:
That's why there's this Angsana Home at IMH
Wha! you know IMH very well hor...
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Originally posted by Shorter ninja:
pass me the dettol let me do it!
don't dirty your precious hands. If can't be helped, wear N95 gloveskeee keeee keeee
