MM Lee: “good thing” to welcome so many Chinese immigrants as Singaporeans have become less “hard-driving”
December 24th, 2009 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
In an extensive interview with the National Geographic, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew continues to support the ruling party’s liberal immigration policies though he is aware that many Singaporeans are unhappy with the influx of immigrants.
“Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving. This is why it is a good thing that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants.” Lee was quoted saying.
Lee describes the country’s new subjects as “hungry,” with parents who “pushed the children very hard.”
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,” he quipped.
Desperate to boost Singapore’s flagging birth rate, the government opened the floodgates to immigrants which have changed the island state’s demographics radically over the past few years.
Foreigners now make up 36 per cent of the population, up from 14 per cent in 1990.
According to Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, there were over 90,000 PRs and 20,000 new citizens last year.
A majority of these newcomers hail from China and India with Malaysians, Filipinos, Indonesians making up the rest.
There are few immigrants from developed countries like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia or New Zealand.
Even for Chinese immigrants, most of them originate from the poorer inland provinces instead of affluent coastal cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Tianjin.
In a recent poll conducted by Gallup in July, Singapore is not even featured among the top five destinations for immigration for college students. Their first choice is United States, followed by France and South Korea.
Due to the difficulty in attracting the most talented immigrants to settle in Singapore, the ruling party has “lowered” its standards to such an extent that even construction workers, cleaners and masseurs are offered PRs and citizenship.
The state media reported a Chinese construction worker whose son just passed out as a SAF officer. He became a PR and citizen within 12 years of arrival in Singapore.
Another China national and Singapore PR, Mdm Song Jin, was sentenced to nine weeks imprisonment for torching the fish farm of a lover.
It is not sure how these China nationals are classified as “talents” in the first place and if they are really “hungrier” than locals.
Lee has long eschewed social welfare benefits, claiming that it will create a “crutch” mentality which will cause Singapore to go down the slippery slope of Western-style “welfarism”.
Under Lee’s draconian rule, Singaporeans are expected to work for as long as they can to support themselves without burdening the state.
On the other hand, the government is flushed with cash accumulated from years of budget surpluses.
Lee is the Chairman of Government Investment Corp and his daughter-in-law Ho Ching is in charge of Temasek Holdings, both of which are giant sovereign wealth funds owned by the Ministry of Finance.
A Wall Street Journal article in September reported that “Government of Singapore Investment Corp suffered a loss around 59 billion Singapore dollars (US$41.6 billion) in the fiscal year ended March.” (read article here)
Public opinion counts little for Lee who always thought of himself as the only person fit to govern Singapore.
As early in 1962, he warned Singaporeans of what to expect under his one-man rule:
“If I were in authority in Singapore indefinitely without having to ask those who are governed whether they like what is being done, then I would not have the slightest doubt that I could govern much more effectively in their interests.”
Lee’s authoritarian style of governance can only survive in Singapore. He would have been booted out of office a long time ago if he was in Hong Kong, Taiwan or Malaysia.
In a famous quote, Lee said,
“If you are going to lower me into the grave, and I feel something is wrong, I will get up.”
He should know that this is impossible even when he is being taken care of by the best physicians in Singapore.
The National Geographic also interviewed renowned Singapore psychiatrist Calvin Fons who gave an interesting analogy:
“When the country was young, there was a need for wise oversight. A firm hand. Now we are in adolescence, which can be a questioning, troublesome period. Coming into it without the presence of the patriarch will be a test.”
Young Singaporeans are ready to show Lee what they really think of him and his rubber-stamped party. The question is whether he will still be around then to witness Singapore’s very own “political tsunami”.
Posted in Editorial
““Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving. This is why it is a good thing that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants.” Lee was quoted saying.”
Yes, why isn’t Old fart replacing himself with “Cheaper, Better and Faster” Chinese immigrants or hardworking citizen then ?
Fancy someone who is given few millions of tax-money salary for forecasting as hobby, and not working at all, travelling at Singaporean’s expense of tax-money, who is this Old Fart to say that Singaporeans are less hard-driving and hard-striving. Just because this old fart is “less hard-driving and hard-striving” then all Singaporeans are “less hard-driving and hard-striving” ?
Old fart, please get out of our elite uncaring face !
So I see, that the reason why foreigner influx is because old fart say so, and so the rest of kangaroo policy and system need to follow suit. That explain it all ! No questioning of old fart, but just the usual herd mentality and SayYes to naked emperor. No wonder we always in this pathetic stage. Whatever old fart says, kangaroo follows.
Man this is really tiresome. His boring rhetoric is starting to sound like the rantings of a flaccid old man desperately trying to show that he is still relevant and effective in his old age. His time to shine is over, he is starting to sound bitter and weak.
The only thing i wish for that tiresome senile old tyrant is a 2hr long heartattack that ends in death!!
What a crock of shit. It is the children from the wealthy politically-connected elite families who have no drive. Why should they, since society hands everything they want to them on a silver platter? It is the children from low-income families, the “lesser mortals” in other words who possess such hunger and drive. Why else would they work their way up by repeatedly going for skills upgrading courses if it was not for the fact that they hope to be able to provide for better lives for their loved ones someday? And they are also the ones who are marginalized by the government’s favor the foreigners and elite policies.
He is turning the country upside down and don’t give a shit . Just interested in GDP numbers . who cares if GLC lost 60 Billion this year . They still commanding million dollar salaries . Action time soon for ALL Engineers and those 40 & above in age . FT policy is the biggest mistake ever done and will cause them dearly . They are hoping the FT will be the savers in the coming election .
Can the opposition please contest in tanjong pagar GRC in the next GE? You may win and kick LKY out as a farewell gift to him. He may die on the spot when the result is known.
LKY *pui*
LHL *pui*
PAP *pui*
In this world there is just a “Unigue” country with an equally “Unigue” human being with equally “Unigue” feature like having 2 arse that can produce the same fart due to another equally “Unique” kind of indigestion that produce yet another “Unque” kind of awesome smell” farting that will also “Uniquely” parlayse your brain till even such a “fart” begin to make THAT “Unique”sense it has always been “Uniquely meant to be!!!
Hope the above does make another kind of … erh … Unique Sense! … But not from … erh … farting!!!
I do not welcome Northern Communists because I have been brainwashed that communist bad after decades of education… Why in blazes are they are all when Communist is bad to begin with…
We should form the Singapore Clan.
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,”
One of Lee’s trade mark scorn. He may have said it metaphorically, but this is how he wishes to continue to rule the populace, with the spurs stuck into their hides. The way he had fixed “blinkers” to the populace and made them “run” without looking back all these years.
I hope MM Lee fully understands that the waters surrounding him and his MIW are starting to simmer into a boil.
And if these Frogs In White still believe Singaporeans truly welcome Chinese immigrants, they’ll be in for a freaking shock election.
Can’t believe this old man is testing the patience of the electorate.
reminds me of a slave-owner who tell others that his slaves are lazy and thus need to be replaced by cheaper,hardworking,obedient slaves.
copied from another blog
Influx of Foreign Workers
Every morning 5am, Monday to Saturday, more than hundred of private buses with 44 maximum capacity each will pass through Woodlands custom. These buses ferry workers, mainly female, from Malaysia to different factories in Singapore and transfer them back in the evening.
Looking at the other passageway for motorcyclists, everyday there are more than 30 thousand Malaysian workers crossing the causeway to work in Singapore. More than 10 thousand motorcyclists are also using Tuas Second Link. In the evening, these workers will ride back to Malaysia.
Since before Singapore’s independence, Malaysian workers are welcome to take up manual jobs that Singaporeans do not want. Employers of these workers are required to pay the Government poll tax, from about 300 SGD to 450 SGD per month.
Alright, we shall not talk about these workers from Malaysia as they are taking up jobs that Singaporeans rejected. Twenty years passed, I travel to Singapore frequently. On Dec 2008, I went to Singapore and saw foreign workers everywhere, working at food stalls, food courts and even the public bus drivers are hired from China. Out of curiosity, why there are so many PRC workers, I asked a PRC worker selling dim sum, “Where are you from?”
He was impolite and not even looking up when he spoke, “I am from Shantou, have been here for 2 months.”
I could sense that he was little angry and I was even more curious and asked again, “How much is your salary, should be very good?”
He replied bluntly, “Talking about this makes me boiled, when my agent take the placement fee from me, he promised that the salary will be S$1,800 per month but now I am getting only S$1,100. I have to work 4 hours overtime daily and cannot even earn S$1,800.”
He hit the table and said, “I paid 40,000 yuan for placement fee, which is equivalent to S$8,000. Even if I do not spend a penny, I have to work 7 months to reclaim my 40,000 yuan placement fee, how can I not angry?”
I shook my head and said, “I am sorry to make you angry.”
He said angrily, “Before coming to Singapore, I heard that there are plenty of opportunities in Singapore. But, what I see now is swindlers more than anything else and your Government is a bid liar.”
In Oct 2009, I came to Singapore’s IMM to shop and discovered that many shop promoters are workers from China. Wow! What happened? Singapore has become the second China.”
I chatted with my Singaporean friends at a cafe, I asked her, “Why is there a sudden increase of workers from China? Now, even the promoters who were usually taken up by Singaporeans have now been replaced by PRC workers. I have heard that many Singaporeans are unemployed at this economy downturn. Are the jobs replaced by these workers from China? It is really incredible, aren’t Singaporeans given employment priority? ”
She shook her head replied: “We are really pathetic, I’ll give you some data and you will understand why I am so sad and has completely lost confidence in the future of my country.”
To employ PRC worker, the employer must pay S$450 every month, adding up to S$5,400 per annum, when multiplied by 50,000 workers from China amounted to S$270 million. It is a huge amount of money which goes to the government. Lee Kuan Yew is very pleased that Singaporeans’ money he and Ho Ching have lost in the 2008 financial turmoil can be recovered soon. ”
I was shocked to hear that and asked: “S$270 million a very amazing figure, but what happened to those Singaporeans who have been laid-off?”
She explained, “A person with no income can apply for employment-seeking grant which is only S$250 per person, but it will only be approved if the applicant has no other family grant. We need to understand this is two different issues. First, employing seeking grant is only S$250 per month as compared to each foreign worker’s poll tax of S$450 which S$200 less. By replacing a Singaporean with a foreign worker in exchange for S$200, the astronomical amount of money lost by both the father-in-law and daughter-in-law can be recovered. How can his son Lee Hsien Loong not exploit Singaporeans? Second, you must remember that, if the unemployed have savings or one of the family members is working, then the grant he applied will not be approved by the Government. The government can even save on S$250, all to be transferred into the pocket of the government ”
I am very surprised that Lee Kuan Yew has been describe to be so remarkable, and he is but a tyrant who has been a dictator for 50 years. I mourn for the people of Singapore.
not hardworking.. and striving?
he meant his crew members in the pap who uses words like affordable… honest mistakes? coz all they used are words… and not action… goes to show how “hardworking” they are
while we singaporean alike are striving to stay afloat due to recession, and also have stiff competition from his influx of ft and also the low salary that we are stuck with.
He spoken with the support of 1.2 million foreigners behind him. As this number continues to grow bigger, his confident gets stronger and ordinary Singaporeans voices get softer. We, Singaporeans are finished.
LKY’s obsession has really reach saturation point.I recall the night JBJ won in Anson and he commented on TV at 2am in the morning that the voting system of one man one vote may have to be reconsidered, it died a natural death.Likewise, I hope that this comment will go the same way.
Is LKY trying to say that overtime Singaporeans are getting smarter and angrier to PAP failed policies and effects. That’s why is good to welcome more Chinese immigrants to overcome the watershed sliding popularity of single party rule?
His FORCASTING causes the mess we are in today on falling birth rate. Hence we have to import foreigners to artificially fill up the population numbers.
He does not have patience to wait for results done by proper planning & implementation. Therefore he uses Band Aid methods for instant solution. But the sad thing is that he blamed us for the caused of the problems.
To be fair, he & his early team of PAP colleagues had done much for Singapore. Today most of them are no longer around. Without them to advise him. He is not as brilliant as thought to be. The current leaders cannot think out of the box. They are yes man only… None dare to speak out STRONLY & COMPASSIONATELY on negative policies. Everyone toes the party line. Policies are passed hurriedly & without in depth studies or surveys. Everything’s is “We know what is good & right for Singapore”.
The end results:
Our SWF & Town Councils lost Billion & Billion of our money, CPF it is “nice to see but no touch” feel good only. Terrorist Escape, Overcrowding everywhere, Cost of Living goes up due to surge in population, Prices of suppose to be the only affordable housing units HDB beyond the reach of younger generation, Salaries stagnant for majority except the Ministers, Mps & top Civil Servants, GLC honchos. Every year Graduates are finding harder to get jobs & some have remain jobless.
The way things are going at this rate looks like our mothers, sisters & daughters will soon be working as maids in other countries.
So who should we blame our current predicament?
With his “rusty ramp-rot’”s iron-oxides infiltrating the life-blood in our bodies and causing GANGRENE in our hearts and living-cells… his judges US this way???…
In any case, rusting iron alway collapse under even it’s own weight especially when the rottin starts at the lower end and ‘buckling” starts to precipitate an imminent crash resulting in ultimate TOTAL COLLAPSE!!! HURRAY for a ’smart-alack’!!!
Singaporeans, please vote this old fart out in the next election before he dies. We want to tear his arrogant look right out of his fuck face.
The old man is at it again. He conveniently forgot that it was he who proposed and oversaw the systematic decimation through abortion of hundred of thousands of Singaporeans when the stop at two policy was in place. I remember after my two sons were born, nurses from the Family Planning Board kept pressuring my wife to go for ligation. They badgered us at work and at home. Tax disincentives and draconian educational policies penalized those that went against official policy. When they put together the stop at two policy they claimed that Singapore cannot support a high rate of population growth. Now they bring in foreign immigrants by the shipload to boost the population. Who knows, we could have possibly sent a potential made in Singapore Bill Gates or an Einstein into the sewer. They said less children will ensure that we can provide more resources to nurture and educate the young. We then created little emperors and empresses. Now they say that we have created a generation that is less hard driving and hard striving.
Everything they do is right. When things go wrong, they conveniently forget or blame Singaporeans for being lazy, stupid and complacent. When a terrorist walks out of a high security prison, they say that Singaporeans are complacent. How long are we going to take this nonsense. If we don’t boot them out at the next elections, we have finally confirmed the MIW’s assumptions that we are indeed lazy, stupid and complacent.
You don’t need to be a well-paid forecaster to predict that this swamping of Singapore by foreigners is going to have dire consequences for Singapore. I am not saying ‘no foreigners’. I am saying be selective, be more circumspect of their intentions, go slow and evaluate the impact and adjust the policy as we go along.
I am alarmed by his logic. He warns that if Singaporeans are not hard driving and hard striving then he will bring in foreigners who are. What happens to Singaporeans then. Are we to be disposed like used sanitary pads? Are we to be marginalized, neutralized and incinerated?
There’s a good ending though. We went ahead against all the odds and obstacles and got two more daughters. They are a source of delight and inspiration to me and my wife. Both are studying overseas. One will be a dentist and the other an architect and my advice to them? Remain overseas after graduation. Imagine living in a country where people are treated as disposable trash. Where you reach your expiry date at 40. Where the foreigner is treated better than your own kind and where the leaders see their tenure as a God given divine right.
Imagine also if we had given in to the nurses to get rid of them. But it doesn’t bother the old man because he prefers foreigners to locals. Before he is soon called to Eternity, he should bow and say sorry to the hundred of thousands of potential Singaporeans washed down the drain. What a pity!
If you are not hungry enough and compete till 80 years old. Then too bad. lky said
MM is 86yo and every additonal day is a bonus. He can carry anything along with him, I don’t think this younger generation needs anything from an old man.
When a son is weak, the father does all the talking. But is he fully aware what hes talking?
And have you seen the old man
Outside the seaman’s mission
Memory fading with
The medal ribbons that he wears.
In our winter city,
The rain cries a little pity
For one more forgotten hero
And a world that doesn’t care
At 80 if you want to create havoc & suffering for future generation then that is INSANE.
Same as our third generation leader, who was not challenged and was chosen to be the PM since the day he joined political. That why he is weak and cannot even speak better than the previous PM Goh, whom MM Lee has criticized in the past on his oratory skill !!!
Singapore really do not need such a out-dated leaders. He is practically doing nothing except spouting rubbish. He is the main reason for the decision made by the Malaysia Leaders to kick singapore out !
So what singapore has achieved certain achievement ?!!! can this small island continue to do so ? Of course not able to continue the growth much longer. He is buying time to keep the political party and hoping the newly recruited citizens are on his side.
His every move is trying to confuse every singaporeans ever since he knew he can no longer convince us.
Frankly, almost everyone here knew his tactics long enough.
Sincerely I really hope other polictical party defeats him before his death.
Let him die with deep regrets ever……….
He knows the next election will be a problem . HDB upgrading have been said too many times . He knows new jobs created sucks by local standards . New cars sales going down the drain , housing never really pick up cause all they did was building school extentions , roads and upgrade HDB to build the wonderful GDP numbers . They are also not collecting enough tax because of low quality jobs created ( $600 avg ) . Enginners ,graduates & those 40+ are not working due to competition from FT . Everything sucks and they know it so hopping the FT to help them win the elections . Better sit tight to see the voting as this wll be history . The MIW knows what is coming . They know very well .
MM can talk whatever he like but whether it is acceptable we shall see in next GE. In fact, he should have leave the political scene and let his son perform on his own. Otherwise, his son is still living with crutch mentality!!!
//Cpt
LKY has lost his moral authority.
He has betrayed his allies in Singapore.
London records show that.
He locked people up for no other reasons that it benefited him.
His son has raised the gst in the name of helping the poor but the poor did not receive the monies.
Sad story for Singapore. The son truely follow the father’s footsteps of lying to people.
Singapore citizen were not consulted at all on the change in immigration policy that is affecting the life of everyone living here. PAP should remember that all citizens are the stakeholders in this country and consensus should be obtained before implementing such policy. MM should also remember neither or his son is the emperor and can SuKa SuKa do things that they like !!!
Why? you’re RIGHT,lky!
for once i fully concur,normally i find it hard to do so even
with that noise made by that amy khor.
yes,the old guard ministers took low pay packages but were ideed “hard driving” and hard-striving and they were wiser,even though they were paid much lesser.
somehting is not right here,lky,you are right.
somehow,the whole system form top to bottom have become soft?
did i hear you correctly?
but sir, i am willing to work hard if you made me minister…i will work my butts off for the nation and the cicitzens.
but,hell,your guys took the easy options after making policy mistakes one after another,and,i am jobless but i do have drive and the right singaporeean spirit like my grandfathers!!!
MM should stay at home to look after his wife, grandchildren and maybe have a little puppy to keep him busy.
MM want Singaporean to work like a slave to support the success of PAP !!! According to international report, Singaporean clock one of the longest working hours in the world and have less public holiday than a workaholic society like Japan. The 1993 Economics Noble Prize was won by one of economist, Robert W. Fogel, who show that in spite of its inhumanity, slavery system had been economically efficient. May be Singapore, under the Lee dynasty, is heading this way !!!!
MOST TALKATIVE parliamentarians in the whole whole?
Agree? The Whys, Hows and Whats or rather WhatNOTs or rather Wha KNOTS we’ll be left to UNTIE!
Mao was once a very great leader in China. However, during his final years he did more harm than good for China. History is now repeating itself in “the third China”(Singapore) with LKY.
Will there also be a “gang of four” after LKY ?
“Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving”
What’s the point of working harder when salaries do not increase and the cost of living increases day by day?
How can we compete with others who do not need to do NS, is able to survive with a lower pay and has no commitment here?
yes,certainly with perm sec that are paid obscenely for getting their own people marginalised in tier own country.
now,who’s that perm sec who packed his family for that very
affordable bounjour “cooking holidays” when so many less
“hard driving” n hard striving singaporeans were either
made poorer or jobless?
mr lee,i am not a scholar,so excuse me for asking if you mean
to imply these highly paid stooges or the anxious ever ready to
strive and drive common citizens?
by the way, the last time i took my x-rays at the hospital,the images were really bad compared to those i took years ago and that’s according to my doctor.
you see,the old singaporean radiographer was replaced by a FOREIGN TALENT.
DOES ANYONE ELSE FACE SIMILAR PROBLEMS?
sometimes,it is strongly advisable for BIG people who make criticism on others to FIRST LOOK THEMSELVES IN THE MIRROR!
Yes, there is a problem. Actually there are many problems.
One of the problems is that you think improvements are only in the form of economics.
Another problem is that you think courage is by silencing critics – (there is more danger to one’s hopes, one’s mettle, one’s pride, in venturing into the battle of ideas, than in murdering a man who disagrees with you, and that doing so therefore takes proportionally much more courage – Greek Philosophy)
Yes there is a problem for your party, which is viewed by many of the younger generation as a party full of bigotry.
What about the problem with the internet? It has create a lot of awareness amongst the younger generation. It has educated and informed the on goings to us about our very own country, or city as your law minister has put it. On goings which constantly go unreported by our “Let’s pat our own backs” national newspapers and that is a true shame.
Yes, the younger generation is expecting more from your party which could be a problem. Although, not better in your version of things. But their versions of things.
And the big problem is, their version of things means that you will have to lose a lot of control over how they think, what they should or should not read and what they should say or not say, you will have to lose control over many things you have been holding dear or think that they are important politically but has been deemed unacceptable by our 21st century generation.
The problem is actually a good problem. The younger generation are paying attention to what their power of vote means and they are asking questions, questions you might not like, and questions that you don’t care. Some questions are good, some are outright bad.. but the good thing is, the people of this country are interested enough to ask questions and hopefully participate earnestly, passionately and as committed as they can afford…
The ruling party that you had fronted either listen or you lose them, these young problematic, ‘don’t know what is good life’ voters..
These less hard-driving and less hard-striving Singaporeans, are they not a product of your wonderful policies?
Funny, I also do get the impression that many of your wonderful ministers, grassroot leaders are not exactly hard-driving or had striving. Should you employ some Chinese nationals into the civil service if that is proven the case, just to give them a little nudge?
By the way, why Chinese and not people from other cultures around our region. Do you an inclination to stereotype characters, abilities and potential due to different skin colours of human beings? Would you be glad to know that beneath the ‘peace’ amongst us, there are deep seated rascism and discrimination? And I suspect it is due to your party’s policies. Tolerance, rather than understanding, acceptance and engagement, has been promoted for the longest time.
I know, you need votes so that you would not need to get up when you are being lowered into your grave.
Or perhaps the ruling party prefers to get their votes from new citizens?
Is that another one of those wonderful far sighted master plan? Go on, tell us.
Wow.. the old man is declaring war on the citizens. He had been invincible for the past few decades!!
Dear Minister Mentor
to put all less hard driving n striving citizens to the good influence of prc immigrants,i suggest we start at ground zero.
MAKE SURE ALL MINISTERS SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SINGAPORE SCHOOLS AND LOCAL UNIVERSITIES AS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
Make them compete on equal terms with us and other singaporeans
so that they won’t be less driving and less striving.
it would be even better,what say you?
Wizard of ID-
I share your comment on the abortion issue the amount of abortions @ KK and private clinics is the price Singapore is paying today.
RIP poor little souls you could be a Bill Gates or even Einstein, only God knows.
Vietnamese are very hardworking and even more ingenious than Chinese. They beat the living daylight out of the French and Americans who employed superior firepower and technology in their wars of independence.
So, why don’t we import millions of very hardworking, gutsy and war-smart Vietnamese and abolish national service.?
I am sure we all celebrate. Will MM oblige without hesitating…urmmmm…let me think? Or Chinese better because they really screwed us in Suzhou Park? Or old man has short memory of his own memiors?
The Lee family is thinking that they own Singapore and can do whatever they like. I hope LKY will lose in the next election in order to put Singapore on track as a democratic society. The ideas of LKY is not relevant to modern world where the people is ruled like those monarchy system found in ancient China !!!
ALL sites such as this must have redundancy measures so that NO one can shut it down especially during the critical period . ALL MUST take this in mind as WIN/LOOSE depends on this since the rest ( media and papers ) will be totally censored or bias . Take note what is coming your way . India enginners can do a wonderful & cheap job .
The only one that is not “hard driving” and “hard striving” is the MIW. Overage and overpaid, they are not able to bring Singapore to a new level and its citizen to a new level of living standard, better than Swiss standard.
Lets tell it to them “Singapore is for Singaporean”; Singapore is not for PAP, Singapore is not for PRC, Singapore is not Mr. Lee.
Summon the wind of change – S4S – Singapore 4 Singaporean.
If they want it hard, we are already hard, we will make a hard drive in.
Majullah!!!
The trouble with the ruling party is that nobody dares to ask the old man to just ’shut up’!He is behaving just like the late chairman Mao of China.Nobody in the party will go against his policies even though some are obviously wrong!
Everything is ‘yes man,yes sir!’Even to the extend that when he farts all the bootlickers around will say that the fart smells like perfume!Such is the case in the present ruling party!
The old man has been in power for so long that he has forgotten that we,”the less hard-driving and hard-striving”
Singaporeans put him where he is today!
Of-course it’s our problem “if we are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide” Since when it’s the govt.s problem to care for its own citizens? other
than the so called elites and the rich?
You die your business that’s the govt. mentality all along.
But he may have forgotten another thing,ie.’the people who put him up there can also pull him down’! That day is in sight!!
This old fart just refuses to die huh? OI! China ppl more hardworking and cheaper right? Replace yourself with them la!
KNN..
Singapore standards dropping? Thats cause the best all leaving S’pore since you’re just cramming the place with filthy china pigs and pushing S’poreans away, bloody bugger…
*PS: just vote for anyone who’s running against PAP. Singaporeans won’t die, maybe. We will never know unless it happens. so….in the words of a certain black guy: CHANGE!!!!! …the govt that is, not the citizens.
Lky show no fear whenever he speak with no reservation. He knows the whole sin system is in his family hand. No one can touch him. If fact he already said to us to adapt or be replace by prc hungry immigrants.
If PAP are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is our problem fellow Singaporeans
We must unite together to VOTE PAP OUT at the next GE
TIME FOR CHANGE, VOTE OPPOSITION
“Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving. This is why it is a good thing that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants.”
I am truly amazed at how LKY managed to arrive at this perception? Young Singaporeans (like us) have risen above the tide and shone – many of whom have left the shores of Singapore and become expatriates (so called “foreign talents”) in numerous Western developed countries.
Are we no less hard-driving or hungry for success/achievements?
Maybe its because we are not “producing enough babies” (hm….. who was the one of whom had hard imposed the max 2-child policy in the early-mid 80s?) or the fact that we are INDEED losing first-class LOCAL Talents… but rather than adopt the quick post-it fix (replacing the “lost” population with sub-standard so-called “foreign talents”) – shouldn’t the Government be working on both increasing Singapore’s failing birth-rate and stemming the outflow of local talents.
Genuine social-cultural changes are needed to rise the birth rates. (i.e. campaigns to address the younger population’s perception – where money and career status may not be the only best things in life; job and social security net to provide the assurance – for people to start families early or to expand their family size, a better education system to ensure a stable and sustainable environment to provide adequate quality education for the kids, etc…..)
Improved and more liberal social-political environment has to been accepted and enhanced by the Government – more industries have to be created, supported and encouraged to grow in Singapore. We should learn to step out of the the “work-for-the-company/government” mentality and start to work for ourselves – genuine pro-entrepreneur policies should be adopted (rather than the current “lip service only” gesture). The Swiss in this aspect were rather good in this arena.
Stop depending on others and start to prioritise the Nation’s resource on its OWN people (rather than some foreign “adopted” child).
These policies will be PAINFUL and extremely hard to devise/implement – but if the Government, PAP and LKY, is 100% sincere in putting the interest of Singapore at its core – this should be the step forward, anything else will just be half-ass facade showcase – in summary a big hoo-haa… “Wayang”.
How I wish I could say “shut the f**k up” right into this old fart’s face… He really thinks he’s some emperor, guiding us “peasants” with his wisdom… or he thinks he’s Confucius or whatever.
hey,i smell some racial prejudice here.
how about other races?
teach one thing,say and act another.
the chinese citizens are not the most impacted,there are others
who may be hurt and let down by this strnage comment?
I JUST WANNA PUT UP ONE REMINDER,AN AGED OLD WISE SAYING:
“PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL”…
We all-rich or poor,shrewd or simple,good,bad or ugly-would
all be reduced to the same thing…dust,yes,DUST..LIKE IT OR NOT…SO,TILL WE MEET AT GROUND ZERO,WE DON’T KNOW WHO’S THE THE REAL WINNER.
PAP government is becoming too arrogant and have little regard for the citizen. They have created problems for the citizens with the large influx of foreigners and yet refuse to admit their mistake. MM is trying to cover up for the mistakes made by his favorite son, who has failed miserably as PM !!!!
This reminds me of a senior civil servant who once commented that he would be better off giving more scholarships to foreign students because they are “hungerier”.
I feel so disgusted of LKY comments. Singapore is slowly becoming a vassal state or province of China. Why is our leader degrading us citizen and praising the PRCs? His comment is implying that he is slowly replacing us with them. We voted PAP and this is how they treat us or view us?
If we are lazy, it is indirectly implying that the government is not doing its job well!
MM, can you respond to the following questions to enlighten the public citizens?
1) How do you measure hard-driving and hard-striving? Even if we Singaporeans are less hard-driving and hard-striving, on what basis do you say Chinese are the preferred ones? How about Malaysians, Taiwanese, Indians or other nationals etc?
2) Does that mean that when Singapores are hard-driving and hard-striving, we can kindly ask them to leave as they serve their purpose to simply motivate us?
3) There must be other measures or solutions to spur or motivate us instead of bringing in Chinese immigrants. Please share with us what has been evaluated or considered.
locals cannot blame foreigners from looking down on us when
they are ‘encouraged’ by our “responsible” leaders.
the only decent thing left for ALL CITIZENS to doto save themselves from this disgraced state is to reclaim their
dignity.We need not pay top money for people to “suan” us or betray us.
if we do not do ourselves this little favour,we must therefore
braced ourselves from furhher damnation.
VOTE TO RECLAIM OUR DIGNITY!!!
how come these people got the cheeks to condemn innoncent citizens?
tot their own people recently made huge blunder and no singaporeans took issue.We are so forgiving and not blameful,unlike some people.
I have always felt that he despises Singaporeans and has the lowest regard for us – in fact, those who vote for him in particular. After all, which other people in the world with free choice will allow him to ride roughshod all over them time and again? This confirms my suspicion – he thinks of us as, and treat us like – donkeys..
If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,
And what if those Singaporeans are those tut talents who this country really needs?
I think.. it is time to shut the dictator’s mouth once and for all
MM Lee is logically WRONG.
If he is well-informed of reality, he would know that second generation of migrants DON’T QUITE MEASURE UP than the hungry lots that came in the first wave.
If new generations of Singaporeans have become soft of drive and thriving, it says a LOT ABOUT THE SUITABLY “CONGENIAL” ENVIROMENT for the non-sustainence of such attributes. The next generation of PRC migrants will be weaker and maybe even a lot weaker than us.
It is imaginative fiction to think little Emperors and little Empress are hardy, competitive or resilient like the generation preceeding. Just look at PRC teenagers inside China, they are just like MTV kids in the rest of the world but probably more pampered, some wealthier ones has multiple mobile phone, sexually-more liberated than our kids, and bigger consumerism drive than Singaporeans.
Just looked at the second generation PRC kids in Australia. They talk like local natives, smokes, drinks, swears and fcuks like any other. If the soil is not fertile, can you cultivate good wheat crops or bean sprouts?
If the environment is “soft” in Singapore, these PRC kids are NOT robotic obeying of all old values – LONG DEAD IN ANY CASE INSIDE CHINA NOW – except in re-incarnation.
MM Lee obviously does not know the real China of the teenage generation. There will be some good ones BUT THEY DISAPPEAR TO AMERICA, EUROPE OR AUSTRALIA AT FIRST OPPORTUNITY JUST LIKE OURS.
And if they are born here, they will be like one of us. SO HOW DID THE MIGRATION OF CHINESE IMPROVE YOUR COMPETITIVE GENE POOLS?
Good imagination and not much else I suspect.
Disgusting old toad! Who the hell he thinks he is? we need outsiders to push us on? Ask him to F Off! Traitor!
he say i don’t work hard enough.. for him?
Singaporean will show them the hard driving vote and hard striving support for opposition in the coming election.
Let us be so hard driving in getting everyone we know to come to TR and receive proper brain reconditioning. After so many years of brain washing by our MSM, it is time that they receive some good alternate news about Singapore.
We got to be hard driving in getting our opposition into parliament by volunteering ourselves to help them.
Come on citizen, we need to show them we got the drive.
Perfect. This is uniquely Singapore.
Lee describes the country’s new subjects as “hungry,” with parents who “pushed the children very hard.”
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,” he quipped.
So he now likens Singaporeans to animals.
Dear Minister-Mentor,
If Singaporeans have become “less hard-driving and hard-striving” it is only because they are following the example set by you and your unelected family and the unelected party that is the official government of Singapore.
Yes, Minister-Mentor, there is a “Singapore sclerosis”. You, your family and your party have run out of ideas. That happens when you have no-one to challenge you. Without being challenged you never improve and, simply put, that’s where the sclerosis comes from.
Honestly, Minister-Mentor, it would be best for Singapore if you simply died. Singapore needs change and it won’t happen when you and your progeny still control things. You have made too many errors these past few years and the announced (as opposed to the real) losses suffered by the sovereign wealth funds you control is but the tip of the iceberg.
When was the last time your government did something truly innovative?
Look at the ERP: a brilliant idea… more than ten years ago. I recently moved back to Australia and our equivalent of the ERP unit is less than the size of a credit car and attaches to the windscreen. You can even top-up automatically online and from your credit card. Your ERP unit is an ugly box wired into the car’s electrics and top-ups are still made manually.
Sure, an ERP unit is not that big a deal but it highlights for me how far backwards your family/government has gone. You’re not leading the way in public administration as you once did. You’re all simply resting on your laurels knowing that there is no opposition to challenge you and knowing, too, that you can’t even be voted out.
Minister-Mentor, I lived in Singapore for more than ten years. I know the place well and I know its people well. I never lived in an expat enclave and I made an effort to understand the place. Let me tell you this, Minister-Mentor: when you die your name is going to be blackened. Your pristine reputation will be tarnished after your death because the truth is going to come out.
I just hope the Singaporeans rise up soon and toss the PAP out of office and then find some way to remove the stain of the Lee Family as soon as possible. For your recent insults to the Singaporean people I believe an appropriate response after your eventual demise is a constitutional amendment prohibiting any descendant of yours ever holding ministerial office in Singapore.
Hi people, lets give this old man a break.
I think heaven is fair……老天爷是有眼的….
For all that LKY has got, one thing missing from him is 福。
As a 86 year old man, most people would have great-grand children and even great great grand children.
At this age, LKY has got non…zip……
To me, this is kharma……as the cantonese say…..现眼报…
For Chinese, it is really evil to curse someone to have no descendant… as the saying goes….不孝有三， 无后为大…
But I have no reservation in cursing this old fart for what he had done to Singaporean.
“if native Sporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem”.
….What utter nonsense from the old fart !….
…..when it should be his bloody bunch of PAP stooges that truly deserve the spurs stuck into the hide.
And old fart can start with his spineless son and shameless daughter-in-law.
I think Singapore is the only “Democracy” in the world where a “leader” can LOOK DOWN and TALK DOWN to its people with no repercussions!
What a pathetic bunch!
//cy
Ooh… TH lost 50 billion.
This extra income of 250 million a year will fill the gap in 20 years if interest is zero.
Can you take 20 years of this kind of cock up policies?
//三
It will be funny if all his grandchildren are gays.
//cy
Getting Singaporean off work also have another edge:
1. smaller contribution to CPF.
2. less likely that they will meet the minimum sum and therefore lock up these people’s monies for an even longer period of time.
3. if singaporeans don’t have enough to pay for hdb loan through CPF, they have to pay in cash, meaning that they have to work harder to hook on to their job.
//Uruachim
Yeah, he is paid by us and dare to scorn us.
What has he done?
He just go around locking people up for no reasons.
His economic miracle? As if we didn’t need to work to produce that. IF we had the Taiwanese, HK or SKorea leaders, we would also produce the same thing, then why do we need him?
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,” he quipped.
Is Old man talking about his children and grandchildren?
At the back of his mind, he is also saying this to the Indians…………..
“Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving. This is why it is a good thing that the nation has welcomed so many INDIAN (Chinese) immigrants.”
MM Lee seem to forget that all these less harding-working Singaporeans were brought up during his one party reign. Singaporeans obeyed and religiously follow his teaching. Is MM Lee admitting that he has failed badly as a teacher and mentor?
If you do not have respect for your own citizens, at least have respect for yourself. You have failed and so have your son. Admit it and not pushed the blame on the citizens that you have fooled for decades.
All these claims of 1st class education, 1st class healthcare, 1st class working population, etc, etc. are just a bunch of BS????
The only group that deserved your insults are those drawing millions in salaries and not doing their jobs.
FPC: “good thing” that LKY is dying off soon as Singaporeans cannot afford his miscalculations and “forecasting”
Is this my country?
Is this my land?
Is this my future?
Is this my life?
Should we leave… Singapore?
Leave Singapore! Leave! Singaporean….
Did everyone just collectively forget about “moving up the value chain”?
LKY, is not talking us Singaporean but about himself & his PAP colleagues.
He is admitting that with the millions that we are paying them. He & his colleagues are getting soft & no longer motivated to work.
This is the reason why PAP are encouraging the FT to be member of the grassroot. They hope new generation of hard driven & highly motivate leaders can be found to replace them.
We should expect the future PAP leaders are mainly FT.
Is he saying that the new immigrants who never serve NS is more hard-driven, while natives who serve NS are softer? Does he mean NS is useless and unnecessary all these years?
The only way we can stick our spurs in the hide of the PAP is to use our votes in the next GE.
We need to made them work harder for the money.
As a Singaporean, I feel used. I feel that he is tell us that he thinks FTs are better than us and he is in teh process of replacing use with them because they seemed to be serving this purpose better.
I don’t buy the suggestion that by bringing these FT here he is actually helping singaporeans.
I will feel differently if the FT I see are of high caliber. I can’t see many of them being better. Actually, even when I was working in MNCs, I feel the expats that were brought over were of lower caliber than Singaporeans.
I think he is totally out of touch and the advise that he is given is bad and inaccurate. He is way past his use-by date and should step down immediately.
MM wants Singapore to compete on third world salary and third world working hours sweat shop while his and his running dogs are receiving a salary that is 5 time of the first world politician. Singaporean should wake up and stop worshiping him like a god. He should be booted out of political scene in the next GE.
LHL should also be voted out as well. He has failed miserably as PM as he has created too many problems for the citizen.
let’s vote them out and dig our spurs into their thick skulls.
//Latest Hit
Even for those who mitgrated or went over to other countries, vote against the PAP.
It will be fun.
Waiting for the old fart to die…
Who thinks all of the time that he si better, more and wiser than the rest of mankind! What do you call such a man? Is it not “Self-Righteous” as such a guy thinks h that ONLy he has all of the right answers to governing people! He must feel he is ‘god’ of poiltics and governing since he criticisers other nations and leaders too. but then praise dying Suharto of Indonesia at his death bed.
So, what do you amke of such a guy? The answer if as plain as plain clear water out of a modern tap! He is even New-Water from and old tap and piping system!
YEAH! MM LEE Rocks! We love him. We will always support PAP.
PAP should change the law to allow PRs to vote too. Then all us Chinese PRs will give PAP a 90%+ VICTORY!!
Can anyone remember the child policy that he think of a few decades ago.
I guess this new immigrant policy might have some negative impact later. when that time come, they will twist their words again.
To Foreign Talent, on Fri, 25th Dec 2009 12:35 pm.
Use your brains to think about it.
If PAP wins, what makes you think they won’t hire cheaper African workers in the next 5 years to replace you and your already cheap job?
Please use your brains la, you sound like a stupid talent with the comment you made.
There can only be that many jobs in Singapore, and if there’s another 5 million people coming into Singapore, where will the other jobs come from? If I were you I’d rather go somewhere else and not live like hell in Singapore.
For your info I have already run to Australia already. Good luck surviving in Singapore, where the challenge is to see who gets the job on the lowest salary.
Citizens get blamed yet again! Or is he talking about Sear Hock Rong and his ill-assuming bunch of cronies?
We will be hard-driving alright, hard-driving to bring down the PAP.
So this is our current leaders’ reply about our genunine concerns regarding foreign workers taking jobs and making the competition so stiff that we don’t have time to spend with our loved ones? I say, lets reply with a response of our own during the next election.
Lets all send the link containing his remarks to as many people in our mailing list. Let them know. This is PAP’s reply to your concerns: “You are a bunch of lazy idiots.”
http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/12/24/mm-lee-good-thing-to-welcome-so-many-chinese-immigrants-as-singaporeans-have-become-less-hard-driving/
I will never accept communist as singaporeans… cause my govt imprison my own communist singaporeans to begin with.. unless all those northern communist are locked up.. i may consider accepting them. But don lock them up in our prisons.. i ain paying half a cent to them.
Our Singapore situation is getting harder for Singaporeans. How much more can we take this crap? Election please come faster i want a say!
This is what MM said from a transcript:
….
Q: “It was sort of striking because you feel like, what you’re saying is interesting because it’s like some people seem to thrive in certain environments and some people don’t, I don’t know why.”
Mr Lee: “Well, we’ve got ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indians here. The settled ones have become less hard-driving and hard-striving and we’ve got recent migrants, they are hungry, they’re determined to succeed having uprooted themselves and they’re doing better.”
Q: “Is that okay? Is that fine, I mean?”
Mr Lee: “No it worries the old citizens. They say look this is fierce competition, my children won’t be getting the scholarships because they’re doing well in schools, they push their children very hard. In fact, they need no pushing. They come here from China with no English language and they know that without English, they won’t get along. So there are many cases of boys and girls aged 12, 13 who come into our secondary schools and by the time, they finish the schools, they top the class in English.”
Q: “That’s interesting, it’s like my grandparents came to New York. When they came in, they don’t speak English and they did great. They just really tried hard and made a life for themselves and I think after a number of generations, it’s very difficult to keep that kind of drive up.”
Mr Lee: “Of course, of course.”
Q: “Do you think that’s inevitable or do you think that people just get lazy or what?”
Mr Lee: “No, I think the spurs are not stuck on your hinds. They are part of the herd, why-go-faster? But when you’re lagging behind, you must go faster to catch up with the herd. I’m quite sure that there are children of the migrants who strive arduously. When they grow up in the same schools as the Singaporeans, the same playing fields, same environment and they begin to adopt Singaporean habits in the ways of living and thinking. So I’m quite sure they’d become like us. Well, because we’re shrinking in our population, our fertility ratio is about 1.29.
Q: “I actually wanted to ask you about that.”
Mr Lee: ”So it’s a worrying factor. So we’ll need a constant inflow but we’re a small population, so we get the inflow and we get the inflow from the educated end of the population, both Indians and Chinese and they’ve got surplus populations. Well, I won’t say surplus but they’ve got huge population, huge numbers.”
—-
This is what Nat Geo magazine reports:
Over time, the MM says, Singaporeans have become “less hard-driving and hard-striving.” This is why it is a good thing, the MM says, that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants (25 percent of the population is now foreign-born). He is aware that many Singaporeans are unhappy with the influx of immigrants, especially those educated newcomers prepared to fight for higher paying jobs. But taking a typically Darwinian stance, the MM describes the country’s new subjects as “hungry,” with parents who “pushed the children very hard.” If native Singaporeans are falling behind because “the spurs are not stuck into the hide,” that is their problem.
—
This is what TR reports:
“Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving. This is why it is a good thing that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants.” Lee was quoted saying.
Lee describes the country’s new subjects as “hungry,” with parents who “pushed the children very hard.”
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,” he quipped.
—
TR, r you sure MM did say as u quote him saying ?
did anybody explain that even the recent TOP PLSE PUPIL admitted that she was graciously helped by her classmates?
i am sure too,many gracious singaporean workers have helped
these “hungry”-i personally prefer mercenary-newcomers when
they frist started work here?…where is gratitude?
of course,logically,we can never expect mercenaries to be as kind as honourable singaporeans who are mostly too meek and humble and gracious falling easy preys to these “hungry”
mercenaries and those ‘GREEDY BECOME GREEDIER’ bosses.
even,a minister loudly hailed cheaper and faster as BETTER?
I don’t think it’s a good idea if more PRC bus or truck drivers
faster speed off like that DR.Silviu from Romania or if some new chinese immigrant start a dairy products firm that poison our already scarce newborn babies?
please,tell me deoxin?