Build the island
Oh, in that same 1996 speech at the National Trade Union Congress, our Matrix Master (MM) also said:
"I have bucked and gone against popular sentiments and conventional wisdom on several major issues in the past and been proved right. For example I decided that individual accounts (CPF) for retirement was right and rejected the buffet or collective pension fund which has got the advanced countries into grave financial difficulties.
I have also instituted individual accounts for Medisave, plus insurance cover for Medishield against catastrophic illnesses. It has proved right as against the problems which free medical service like the National Health Service in Britain, France, Germany has brought them, or the open system of private insurance in America.
What I did was against popular thinking in Singapore at the time, thinking which was influenced by what Britain and Europe were doing then. Time has proved me right".
Time has proved you wrong, you fool!!!
CPF has now been proved to be not enough for retirement, which is why you are now openly demanding - via Lim Boon Heng - that old people work till they drop dead, instead of retiring.
Medisave and Medishield have both been proved to be useless for health care, which is why everybody dare to die but nobody dare to fall sick! Which is also why you are now - via Khaw Boon Wan - trying various mesasures desperately to mend them and to stitch the big holes together!
In short, what you did "was against popular thinking in Singapore at that time", AND time has proved that your obstinate nonsensical ideas are all wrong!
Increasingly, I am inclined to conclude that our MM not only did not build the Matrix Island, but has always been, in fact, a hindrance to its progress!
"But if he did not build it, who did"? I hear some of you asking.
Answer: Other "old guards" who disagreed with his nonsensical views!
Within PAP itself, many of the "old guards" had political views different from him, and some of those known to the public were: Lim Chin Siong, Lee Seow Choo, Ong Pang Boon, Toh Chin Chye, Devan Nair, and the latest, Ong Teng Cheong.
One can argue that the Island's achievement was due to these old guards' ideas prevailing over MM's contradictory onsenseical ideas.
This is not a far-fetched argument as we do have empirical evidences. For example:
- Lee was the one who advocated joining Malaysia while Lim Chin Siong and Lee Seow Choo opposed. It turned out the latter were right.
- Devan Nair opposed the way Lee treated political opponents, and cited JB Jeya as an example in his (Nair's) book. This means that if not for Lee, the island would have been more likely to have achieved a healthy 2-party system even while PAP was in government!
- Ong Teng Cheong (though not strictly an "old guard") advocated a proper presidential check and balance, opposed by Lee. Thus, one can infer that without Lee, PAP may have instituted more check and balance against itself.
- See the CFP and Medicare/Medishield issue revealed by MM himself.
And so on, on many high impact issues such as educational streaming, teaching of languages, the kind of economy to concentrate on, human rights etc.
Note that the bullet points above are just glimpses of truth that "leaked" out. Many of their political differences are not known to the public even today, since MM insisted that the party must put on a "united front".
And now for the ultimate test:
- Look at what happened in the past 15 years (1990-2005), after the "old guards" were all forced into retirement, and MM was allowed to run a one-man show. Unopposed by his peers (who were his equal and dared to speak up against him), and now with "colleagues" more than 20 years his junior. what has happened to this Matrix Island?
Human Battery: You never did build the Island. The Island was built by others - your peers whose views were fortunate enough to have prevailed over your nonsense.
You are the hindrance to this island's progress - whenever your nonsensical views prevailed. And sadly, ever since you forced your peers into retirement, your views have always prevailed!
posted by The Human Battery @ 4/04/2007
16 comments
16 Comments:
Bravo! You sure hit the nail on its head, spot-on...totally agree!!
Yeah spot on! Time for old fart to swallow his words.
Please turn on your feed. We find your opinions interesting. It might be good to allow Harro.com to syndicate it. Thanks.
Anonymous 1 and 2,
Yalor, great minds think alike. Haha!
Harro,
Done!
Another threat from LKY!!!
But Lee Kuan Yew -- modern Singapore's first prime minister, who is still the leading voice in his son's cabinet -- will have none of it.
"The cure to all this talk is really a good dose of incompetent government," Lee senior told the Straits Times on Thursday, adding that it is "absurd" for Singaporeans to quarrel about ministerial pay and warning that Singapore would suffer it the government could not pay competitive salaries.
"Your security will be at risk and our women will become maids in other people's countries," he said. (Additional reporting by Sakari Suoninen in Helsinki, Isabel Reynolds in Tokyo, Joanne Allen in Washington)
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/070405/3/47ndo.html
He is very worry that why he made such threat. Wonder how many threats he have made since election?
Actually if u are so unhappy, u can migrate! Or why don't you try becoming a politician, and set up a party against the government. I always thought that I'll will accept a good alternative government but there's none. It's a mercernary society in Singapore, that I agree, but trace the history of great nations, everyone goes through some stages of adjustment. What you are pointing out is not wrong but perhaps it will be more balanced if you can see things from the other side of the coin. just random thoughts as I chance upon your blog. Good day there!
When I read his words on how our women will become maids, I start to realise why Singaporeans wanted Independance. During colonial times, out men were drivers for the colonial masters and our women cleaners and washerwomen for the British. Nowadays, I see many of our professionals and managers who were retrenched driving taxis and advertisements showing how our women are very happy with cleaning jobs which give them "satisfaction". The only difference is that now our men drivers are serving FTs from China, India and other third world countries and so are our women when they become cleaners. I wonder then whether we have progressed? Very sad, and they still want more pay. Where are our HR Champions and experts who can come out and tell Singapore that Money is but a "Hygiene Factor". That is, without money, most people will be unhappy and unmotivated to work, but when it is enough, more money does not improve performance, much less so with those who are already high on the hierarchy of needs, like our ministers, who should be at the self-actualisation or at least at the esteem needs stage. I saw another report on a 52 year old man hit by a train, and a 26 year old woman killed by the river, not sure whether we are still paying the price or not. Very sad. Enough is enough but what can we do? Sigh...
Very sad Singaporean
Anonymous 2 comments up,
> Actually if u are so unhappy, u can migrate!
This is what you can say, when you own the Island. You can then say: "My Island wat, I am free to run it in anyway I want; you don't like it, leave! Get out! Now!" Unfortunately, the Island does not belong to pap or to you, and so, pardon my language, you are still "not fit" to issue such accept-or-leave ultimatum.
> Or why don't you try becoming a politician, and set up a party against the government.
And be identified and then be unfairly sued to bankruptcy or be thrown into prison by ISD (as happened to Francis Seow)? Hmm, do I sound naive or gullible? Haha, no thank you, I won't accept your entrapment. Instead, I will contribute in my own little way: write a blog, expose some truth and dispense blue pills to those people who "chance upon (my) blog", as you put it. haha!
> I always thought that I'll will accept a good alternative government but there's none.
There is none because good men are sued to bankruptcy, or dont even dare to stand up to begin with, or received low votes due to distorted media coverage and/or changing electoral boundary and so on. Therefore, anyone sincere in wanting an "alternative good government" must get his priorities right: first vote out the bad guy (regardless of the quality of the opposition) in order to usher in free speech, free press, fair election rules etc. Then and only then is it meaningful to talk about "alternative good government".
> It's a mercernary society in Singapore, that I agree, but trace the history of great nations, everyone goes through some stages of adjustment.
We have gone through 45 years, what "adjustment" have you seen? I have not seen any "adjustment" towards more democracy, more check and balance, more free press, more welfarism (now that the country is past the stage of absolute poverty) or more good years. In fact, the only adjustment is that we are now trying to convert foreigners to become "loyal" singaporeans (read: pap supporters), so as to replace "disloyal" singaporeans (read: anti-pap pple) who emigrated to other countries!
> What you are pointing out is not wrong but perhaps it will be more balanced if you can see things from the other side of the coin.
As I see it, the other side of the coin (which I assume you mean the govt side of the coin?) would rather be a dictator that cling on to temporary power, instead of a great leader who institute a proper check and balance which will ensure survival of the country for centuries to come!
> just random thoughts as I chance upon your blog. Good day there!
You are welcome. Good day to you too! :)
> "Your security will be at risk and our women will become maids in other people's countries," he said.
He thinks he is still talking to the uneducated, un-wired, country bumpkin electorate that he had 45 years ago. Out of touch with reality. ZZzzzz. But if you were one of those young MPs that he specially recruited so that the party is in touch with young people, do you dare to tell him the truth: "your words sound ridiculous to our younger more-educated well-travelled electorate"? Do you dare to tell him to come up with better, more realistic lies/threats? Of course not! You just diam diam earn your money or praise him for his "wise words". And so, we will continue to hear our MM sprout even more ridiculous claims/threats/lies, while the people ard him couldn't bear to tell him how silly they sounded!
> Enough is enough but what can we do?
We can feed ourselves the red pill and then feed them to our family members and loved ones? They can then exercise their votes wisely the next time? We can get PR in some other country as an "insurance"? (It is not really that difficult - lots of relatively average-educated hongkongers, and indians and chinese did that)
Yes, the emperor is indeed naked, and we need that young boy to tell him that his new clothes are non existent, when all the adults are bullied into praising what wonderful new clothes he is wearing.
HB,
Getting PR is some other country probably applies to younger people. When you are over 45, which countries would still want?
Very sad Singaporean
Very Sad Singaporean,
The "45 years old" rule apply only to Australia. (and maybe a few other countries?) It does not apply to USA or some European countries. In these countries, age discrimination (yes, even in immigration matters!) are not allowed. Singaporeans can get H1B1 visa to work in USA very easily, due to our free trade agreement with them. After a few years work experience, your then current employer may be willing to apply for PR for you, or you can transfer to another employer who will do so, based on your US work experience. I know, because this is precisely why some Indian and Chinese foreign trash apply for SG citizenship. They use our passport as a stepping stone: passport -> h1b1 visa -> PR.
Really, so there is still hope for those over 45. Are there agencies who will help Singaporeans secure jobs in the U.S.? Given the job situation here, I think there will be many who will even sacrifice a few months salary for the agent if this can be arranged.
Hey! what's wrong with you guys? why should we run away from our beloved country? We should chase away those traitors.
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