The root cause of Singapore’s economic woes: A political system meant to perpetuate the hegemony of the PAP forever
March 4th, 2010 | 
Author: OPINION
There was much discussion and debate lately on the economic problems faced by Singapore now and in the future. The measures outlined in the Budget announced lately by Finance Minister Tharman only deal with the “symptoms” of the problem and not the root cause.
Though Singapore is now technically a first world developed economy, it has yet to make the transition from a manufacturing-based to a knowledge-based technologically advanced economy.
Due to our heavy dependence on MNCs, we need to keep labor costs down to prevent them from relocating elsewhere. However, time is fast running out for Singapore as China, India and Vietnam catch up with us. We can never compete with them in terms of cheap labor which they have in abundance.
Yet, Singapore’s lackluster SME sector is still unable to wean off its perennial addiction to foreign workers and measures taken to boost productivity will not succeed unless wholesale changes are made to revamp the entire political economy.
1. Obsolete political system meant to perpetuate PAP’s political hegemony forever:
The root cause of Singapore’s economic woes lies in its political system which is engineered to keep the PAP in power forever, as admitted unwittingly by Law Minister Shanmugam himself when he spoke of the need to have a “strong and effective” party in place to lead Singapore last year and corroborated by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong earlier who revealed unashamedly that a one-party system is the only ideal political system in Singapore due to the lack of talents. And of course, let us not forget his infamous speech in 2006 when he threatened to “fix” the opposition if more of them were to get elected into parliament. PM Lee clearly does not understand or appreciate the importance of checks and balances in the system. To put it succinctly, when the government is “strong”, the citizenry will be “weak” and vice versa. A “strong” government may be crucial in the formative years of Singapore’s development but is now becoming a major obstacle as its economy becomes developed when the private sector should spear-head the economic growth like in the other Asian Tigers and not the state which is ill-equipped to do so. In Singapore, the nanny state plays all the four roles simultaneously – managerial, regulatory, financing and sponsorship, leaving a feeble, unimaginative and weak citizenry which lacks the qualities to survive, let alone thrive in a new knowledge-based economy.
2. Control of the economy via sovereign wealth funds and government-linked companies:
To ensure that the PAP is kept in power forever, control of Singapore’s economy is absolutely essential without which the emergence of an independent commercial class will press for changes in the political landscape. Singapore’s two sovereign wealth funds GIC and Temasek Holdings are controlled indirectly by the PAP, the former is chaired by its octogenarian leader Lee Kuan Yew and the latter by his daughter-in-law Ho Ching. Temasek Holding in turn, own stakes in major Singapore companies such as DBS, Capitaland and SIA. The access to public funds give these companies an unfair advantage over its domestic competitors. These gigantic state-linked companies also employ large number of Singaporeans together with the civil service thereby helping to keep the citizenry subversient as they tend to vote for the ruling party out of fear of losing their jobs or missing out on promotion if they fail to do so. It is hardly surprisingly that quite a number of civil servants and staff of pseudo-PAP organizations like NTUC and Town Councils are card-carrying members of the PAP and grassroots leaders as well.
3. Weak SME sector:
Due to the presence of heavy-weights supported by the state which controls more than half of Singapore’s domestic economy, Singapore’s SME sector is very weak compared to Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. SMEs in Singapore doomed to remain “small” and have few chances of emerging from the shadows of these GLCs. Even Singapore’s only internationally recognized brand name Creative Technologies is founded in the United States and not in Singapore. Taiwan has Acer, BenQ, TSM, South Korea has Samsung, LG and Hyundai. What about Singapore? According to prominent U.S. political economist Professor Huang Yasheng, “Singapore and Malaysia had weaker domestic firms in part due to a deliberate governmental bias against private local firms, mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, so foreign firms held a more substantial relative advantage. But in Taiwan, the government provided a sponsorship and financing role, not a managerial role as in Singapore and Malaysia. Capital in Taiwan and Hong Kong went to the most efficient firms, including small, start-up entrepreneurial firms, and was not based on the political or ethnic status of such firms.” (Source: Harvard Business School)
4. Lack of entrepreneurial spirit and flair among Singaporeans:
The insular political system and rigid education system in Singapore do not foster independent-thinking, creativity and entrepreneurship among Singaporeans as these attributes require an environment which allow for critical thinking and questioning of authorities to develop and thrive. Many Singapore students are only contented to secure a stable job upon graduation. Few will dare to start new ventures on their own. The situation is further exacerbated by the government offering scholarships to bright college students which deprive the private sector of the talents it so desperately needs. Though Singapore has one of the most educated workforce in the world, Singaporeans are ill-suited for a knowledge-based economy which require a completely different mindset altogether. To quote from Professor Huang Yasheng again: “Extremely attractive compensation packages in the public sector also mean that the most talented people in Singapore want to work for the government. The private sector is far less lucrative and attracts lesser talents. In the long run, this will be detrimental to the development of a vibrant private sector in Singapore.” (Source: Harvard Business School)
5. Chronic dependence on foreign direct investments:
Being an export-based economy of which manufacturing still forms a major component, Singapore is heavily dependent on MNCs for investments and of course the bottomline of these companies is profits which necessitates large number of foreign workers to keep labor costs low.
The above five factors explain the anomalies and asymmetries prevalent in Singapore’s economic system and performance:
1. Impressive GDP growth averaging 5 percent per annum:
Singapore has averaged between 3 – 8 percent growth during the past decade saved for the recession year of 2008, an impressive figure for a developed economy. This is made possible by the PAP’s liberal immigration policies which allow Singapore companies to hire cheap foreign workers easily, thereby keeping labor costs down while boosting the output and hence GDP at the same time. Unfortunately, the growth is not fueled by gains in productivity nor innovation and research and is likely to slow down in the near future as companies relocate to cheaper destinations elsewhere.
2. Low productivity rates:
A detailed report released by the U.S. department of labor last year revealed that Singapore saw the steepest decline among 17 developed countries in productivity at a massive 6.6 percent in 2008. Productivity rates had been decreasing for the last three years and it averaged only 0.7 percent for the past decade. This unusual phenomenon can be attributed chiefly to the easy availability of foreign labor which discourages companies to invest in innovation to boost productivity. (read article here)
3. Stagnant wages:
Due to the relentless influx of foreign workers, the median wages of ordinary Singaporeans have remained stagnant at $2,600 for the last decade. The median household income actually saw a decrease by 3 percent to about $4,700 last year. This is hardly surprising as the PAP’s ultra-liberal labor policies do not contain any safeguards to protect the interests of Singapore workers unlike in Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Foreigners are allowed to compete with Singaporeans directly who are naturally disadvantaged by their comparative higher labor costs and National Service obligations for the males.
4. Low domestic purchasing power:
As a result of stagnant wages and high inflation rate caused partly by the inflow of foreigners, Singaporeans have the lowest domestic purchasing power among the Asian Tigers though they live in the second richest country in Asia by GDP per capita. According to a landmark UBS study last year, Singaporeans have a low purchasing power of only 39.9, comparable to Kuala Lumpur (39.5), Warsaw (34.0) and Bogota (33.7). Other countries in the Asia-Pacific region which are ahead of us are Tokyo (82.2), Auckland (68.9), Taipei (58.9), Hong Kong (58.1) and Seoul (57.4). (read article here)
5. Highest income gap among developed countries:
The lop-sided economic policies of the PAP only benefit the rich and well-connected businessmen and not ordinary Singaporeans. Employers are the ultimate beneficiaries of the easy availability of cheap foreign workers which keep business costs down and increase their profit margins. On the other hand, the wages of Singaporeans are depressed artificially by the presence of foreign workers. As a result, the rich becomes richer while the poor becomes poorer leading to a very unequal society. Singapore’s income gap has widened considerably in the last decade and is the highest among the thirty most developed economies in the world after Hong Kong.
6. Low standards of living:
Though Singapore is technically a first world developed country, the majority of Singaporeans do not enjoy a quality of life commensurate with citizens of an economically advanced nation due to low wages and domestic purchasing power, stressful lifestyle, high cost of living, especially that of public housing which erodes savings leaving little for retirement, the lack of a comprehensive social safety net and basic political freedoms. Singapore is ranked a pathetic 70th position by Irish lifestyle magazine International Living and 53th position by the Economist Unit in terms of quality of life in the world, below Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and even some developing countries like Slovenia, Croatia and of all places, Romania.
Moving ahead or behind?
Singapore is now at a crossroads. We cannot afford to continue growing on the back of cheap foreign labor for long as it is inevitable that other countries like China, India and Vietnam will soon catch up with us leading to an exodus of MNCs.
We need a complete revamp and restructuring of the economy to make the transformation instead of half-hearted cosmetic changes which will not address the underlying cause of the malaise.
The PAP knows exactly where the problem lies, but it is unable or unwilling to relinquish control of Singapore’s economy because doing so will be tantamount to dismantling its own power support base.
In a recent speech made at the Civil Service College, prominent MIT political economist Professor Huang Yasheng urged Singapore to “rethink” its state management model which has “milked this system for all it is worth.”
“The private sector is the best way to grow the economy. It has the most productive, most innovative and entrepreneurial culture. The state-owned enterprise system doesn’t give you that….You are already hitting the wall. Retaining this strategy could mean sacrificing future growth that is possible only through a bigger, more dynamic private sector,” he said.
He also opined that Singapore should expand its private sector in order to compete with China and India:
“Maybe a better way is for the government to fund more basic research and then allow universities, private equity firms, venture capital firms and rich individuals to take care of the rest. That is because even when the state sector is well managed, it is not as innovative as the private sector, he says. From a technological development point of view, you need a bigger private sector to compete, to come up with new products, processes and technologies, to better compete with India and China.”
Without liberalizing both the economy and political landscape to allow for freedom of speech, independent and critical thinking and innovation to thrive, Singapore can never hope to compete with the likes of Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan.
Singapore risks becoming an economic basket-case if it does not overhaul its economic system in the next 20 years or so – the income gap will continue to widen, the exodus of young Singaporeans to greener pastures elsewhere will increase and they will be replaced by new immigrants from China, India and other countries, the birth rates will plummet as citizens reconsider their futures, the erosion of national identity will worsen and eventually we will lose our sovereignty and becoming either a dependency of China or reunite with Malaysia again.
The only solution in sight is to privatize Temasek Holdings and GIC and channel its returns to a pension fund for Singaporeans, dismantle the GLC system and remove the “deadwoods”, allow for freedom of speech and assembly, liberalize the media completely to allow new players to emerge, reform the electoral system and abolish the GRC system to permit genuine political competition and multi-party politics and lastly to institutionalize a system of checks and balances and clear separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of the government.
The transition period may be painful, but without changing with times, Singapore is doomed to fade into oblivion sooner rather than later. The PAP is not only part of the problem, but the root cause of the economic woes and uncertainties we are facing right now. Without reforming the political system, we can never make the necessary changes to our economy which will soon consign us to the rubbish bins of history.
Copyright © The Temasek Review.
Related articles:
1. U.S. Labor dept: Singapore has steepest productivity decline
2. How PAP screws up Singapore’s labor productivity by opening its doors to foreign workers
3. Singapore has the lowest wages and domestic spending purchasing power among the Asian Tigers
4. Moving towards a Russian standard of living
5. Why Singaporeans are paupers in a first world economy
7. DPM Teo Chee Hean praises Singapore government for progress made in past productivity drives
8. Pitching the case for genuine democracy in Singapore
Posted in Opinion
“Singapore has averaged between 3 – 8 percent growth during the past decade saved for the recession year of 2008, an impressive figure for a developed economy.”
Is it fair to say singapore was a developed economy 10 years ago?
i do not think so.
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Marx talked abt economic base and political superstructure and how both affects each other.
Now, we have a bottleneck in political superstructure which is preventing the economic base from expanding to benefit all.
舍得,舍得 without forsaking something,we will not gain in other things.
Only by treating the political disease, then the economic health will be restored.
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where have all the singapore top economists gone?
why is singapore like this?
what have you contributed?
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this is a very very serious article. The PAP should review it, debate it and reject it with reasons if it does’nt agree.
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The USSR also have a very quick economic growth in the initial years in their first and second five-year-plans. But then, that is about it.
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I think it is a good article, highlighting the difficulties and the changes needed
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Unlike Hong Kong which motherland China give it a huge base for growth, Spore has neither a domestic market and geograhical position that we can tap for resources and consequently, growth and prosperity.
With the political system and government policies that being praticed over the year, we are losing our competitiveness and capability, including physical atrrition of talent Singaporean to PRC.
I fully agreed that a planned and state managed econcomy is far more inferior than an economy that is driven by private enterprise. The German and Japanese have a state panned economy and both are now rethinking their model in the light of glabalisation and Chinese challenges.
My opinion that in order to move Singapore forward we the following;
1) Continue to develop our SME, including nurthuring of new SME and incentives for business startup.
2) Provide seed capital to oversea Singaporean for business startup and market information, intelligence in oversea market.
3) Promote our service sector, including subsidise land and rental for travel or tourism related service busines.
4) Develop our R&D sector with incentives to attract talent for alternate energy resoruces and new material science.
5) Develop more govrnment funded unversities and increase investment in tertiary eduction. Ensure ALL SINGAPOREAN have the opporuntiy to complete the university eduction.
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How can the economy head for the right direction in the political skullduggery of no check and balance in the drive for hegemony?
Singaporeans must wake up and those who have awaken must wake up the rest and VERY SOON – be it your own parents, friends or relative.
The recipe of disaster is already inside the pot ready for cooking and the citizenry’s consumption.
YES VOTE FOR CHANGE AND YES (LIKE OBAMA SAID) WE CAN!!!!!
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Yes, we have a long history of caterpillar mentality practising “cockroach capitalism” of relying on ALL THINGS FOREIGN – from foreign investment to foreign workers and NOW EVEN FOREIGN POPULATION – the sort of economic management of finding always THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION TO THE MOST COMPLEX SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES.
It is amazing how a fictional democracy of no parallel has been so perfectly fine-tuning of OPPRESSION of both vocal opposition parties and dissenting views.
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We are just ordinary citizens, earning a decent living. In a
blink of an eye, over just a period of a few years, we are
exposed to political and economic education thru’ the internet. Now we are forced to think about the political
and economic situation in Singapore, as we find short-sighted
policies by the Govt could affect our lives drastically.
Finally we realise our growth is based on lowering costs by
bringing in cheaper to hire foreigners, and not based on
innovation and higher productivity, and it comes as quite a shock to find our productivity is rated at the world’s lowest among more developed nations at -6%.
Even more disturbing, our Govt is still in denial mode, being
obsessed with just retaining power to rule, control of our
national reserves at all costs while being proven with incompetence to manage them, and with obsession with non-productive economic growth of which the Ministers’pay is pegged
to. It’s scaring to think that we are on the road to losing
our competitive edge, and leading Singapore’s economy to ruin.
If our Govt only think about their interest first, our family better put our family’s priorities first as well, and put other
Singaporeans’ interest behind. If we can’t win them, may as well copy and join them.
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S’pore’s economy is subservient to the incumbent political forces. Everything is design to perpetuate the eternal PAP-rule of S’pore via absolute control over the economic, social and psychological workings of S’poreans.
EDUCATION – the cornerstone of a country’s economic potential. In S’pore, the education process is short-circuited to serve the political needs. Independent thought and enquiry were deemed too dangerous and therefore, suppressed for political expediency. When S’pore’s economy was based on manufacturing, it was practical since educated workers were busy working earning a good salary and not bothered meddling in politics. After China emerged as a manufacturing giant and absorbed most of the global capacity, S’pore’s economy took a severe battering for a decade (1998 – 2007)! Post-manufacturing S’pore is already past the crossroads – the flawed education system revealing the gross inadequacies in an internet economy – narrow academic focus, lack of creativity, etc, etc. The education curriculum could not be effectively dismantled without affecting the political controls placed on it. This deliberate educational policy paralysis will hamper S’pore future economic potential.
MEDIA & GENERAL CENSORSHIP – S’pore is grossly over conservative due to political thought censorship. Globally, marriage, sex and religion issues in developed countries moved towards more liberal grounds. However, in S’pore, we are still meshed with conservatism originating from MM Lee’s original censorship policies initiated in the 1960s/70s. In S’pore, we see strong conservative Christian fundamental movements [mirrored by Islamic fundamental movements on the Malay community] flourished on people without much independent or progressive thoughts. They simply required blind followers to believe on faith and obedience. This is a symptom of the inability to ‘think-outside-the-box’ & general naivety.
PARASITIC ECONOMY – Although S’pore has a low income tax rate, most of the taxes are hidden via indirect taxation and levies. If adjusted to income tax, S’pore income tax rate would ranked among the highest in the world. This litany of indirect taxes sap S’pore economy of its vitality and strength. The high Ministerial salary [to prevent corruption (sic)] extracts a lot of revenue from S’pore’s economy. The increases in GST, ERP rates, HDB property tax, etc, etc. are simple revenue generating measures to pay ministers’ wages. If continued unabated, S’pore’s economic future will become bleaker!
FLAWED INVESTMENT POLICY – The billions of tax revenue and CPF contributions extracted by the S’pore govt during the periods of economic growth were mistakenly invested in the stock and property markets of OECD countries. Mirroring the Japanese Corporations during their bubble economy in the late 80s, the hard earned capital were wasted in banking and telco stocks and property investments. Instead of investing in improving the lives of S’poreans via education, healthcare, the govt has thrown away billions of foreign reserves in a mistaken belief that these investments would bring in dividends and capital gains to offset the slowdown in economic growth as the S’pore economy matures. This blatant failure to reinvested back into the economy, not surprisingly, created a divide in the economy. While our export economy [dominated by MNCs attracted by our low tax regime] is among the developed world’s standard, our domestic economy is distinctly 3rd world and declining.
ALIENATING LOCALS – The period [1998 - 2007] saw S’pore suffered slow or negative economic growth, massive retrenchments [Banking, PSA, HDB, SIA], negative equity and capital loss on property, etc. etc. Educated, wealthy & skilled S’poreans and expatriates left S’pore in droves for greener pastures elsewhere leaving a poor and weak core behind. Although the recent liberal immigration flows have more than offset the loss of natural citizens and foreign talents. They brought with them new resentment issues – us vs them problems such as lowered wages, jobs, subsidies, housing, reduced productivity, language problems, etc, etc. The foreigners have now outnumbered the locals but are a unknown factor politically. Having neutralizing the locals, the govt have introduced a new variable [foreigners] into the political and security equation.
CORROSION -
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In today’s ST, lim Swee Say said that we must not criticize but be part of the solution. I fully agree. My solution is to get rid of the PAP government which is the main cause of all the problems here.
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How to have ANY growth for any country, let alone clear dud case Singapore, if say a country’s decades of hard earned billions of reserves can be so easily SQUANDERED without accountability in months?? Pointless.
Don’t pontificate about reaching a shore from the middle of the ocean if you refuse to patch up the massive hole in your boat. Basic logic even a 6 year old child can understand. But our MIW is a still born, so brain dead. It pretends to be alive, tricking the carrying mother (economy) to still carry it, feed it and expect delivery. She looks pregnant for show, but what she is carrying is DEAD and eventually MUST be removed or the host will be in serious trouble and can never allow new births to occur. What has happened here is very BAD…..
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Cont’d …
CORROSION – Like ferrous metals, the relative strength of the metal is gradually undermined through corrosion. Likewise, a political party maintaining its hold on power through the control over economic, social and psychological processes of its people will suffer corrosion. It is a gradual process but the break or fracture comes dramatically when it is least expected. The minute tears are becoming visible – lowered standard of living [GCT previously promised a Swiss standard of living], resentment towards foreigners, significant migration [quitters vs stayers debate], social tensions & agitation, growing criticisms, etc, etc.
CONCLUSION – There is no permanence with politics. Although MM Lee, PM Lee and the PAP envisoned long term rule over S’pore, the pressures are building up for a revolution.
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@ Tao Laozhi on Thu, 4th Mar 2010 11:33 am
A MASTERPRICE OF CLARITY AND THOUGHTS. ABSOLUTELY IN AGREEMENT WITH VIRTUALLY ALL YOU HAVE SAID IN INCISIVE OBSERVATIONS.
ONE WORD SUMS IT ALL – CORROSION.
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A MASTERPRICE OF CLARITY AND THOUGHTS. ABSOLUTELY IN AGREEMENT WITH VIRTUALLY ALL YOU HAVE SAID IN INCISIVE OBSERVATIONS
should have read
A MASTERPIECE OF CLARITY AND THOUGHTS. ABSOLUTELY IN AGREEMENT WITH VIRTUALLY ALL YOU HAVE SAID IN INCISIVE OBSERVATIONS
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@ Tao Laozhi on Thu, 4th Mar 2010 12:08 pm
Another insightful brilliant piece of linking corrosion to metals. I like these incisve observations of yours -
“Like ferrous metals, the relative strength of the metal is gradually undermined through corrosion.” ALL GEOLOGISTS WILL AGREE WITH YOU!!!
Even in gold, it is the extreme pressure, heat and boiling water which “corrode” and dissolve the primary gold in its natural setting and low density, transporting them into fine capillary gaps in the earth crusts to concentrate into much higher grade gold “called supergene ore” enrichment by meteoric water ( could be up to 100 times higher than its surrounding anomalous rocks). It then makes very profitable gold mining operation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergene_(geology)
“The reaction produces secondary sulfides with metal contents higher than those of the primary ore”
We, Singaporeans must seek change, and ENRICHMENT FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL OUR GENERATIONS TO COME.
Politicians and incumbency count for nothing.
I want to see enrichment of our “low grade” gold into very high grade supergene gold for all rich, hardworking, talented and loyal Singaporeans.
Don’t you?
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The political system ie GRC allows the PAP to win a disportionate number of seats.
The Judicial system beholden to the party with obscene salaries and short tenure of the officials, bankrupting opponents or putting them in ISD.
The economic system through GLCs control the livelihood of most Singaporeans directly or indirectly.
The fiscal system with unjustificable taxes such as maid levies, foreign worker levies, ERP, COEs, petrol taxes, etc, impoverish the people and enrich the government, so that people ar dependent on the government.
Financially, through GIC and Temasek gives them total control of our standard of living.
Enslaving the Civil Service through high salaries so that they are beholden to the PAP and not to the people.
Using the people’s money to promote the cause of the PAP eg through the grassroots and PA.
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guys, do you know that all things said here is of no use?
only your vote got any effect.
But someone must count them.
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Self serving, self deceiving, complacent, idea-less, dictating……..
Why? Because no political competition, no check and balance, no accountability…..
How? Vote for change, tilt the balance of power, and strike the spur into their hide, stop the wayang in the parliament.
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The fact is how many of us really will vote against PAP when at polling station? PAP is obviously controlling the votes. Will we get marked by PAP if we vote against PAP?
I posted this before and somebody said i am Daft. What is Daft? Anybody can enlighten me?
Thanks….
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Shhhh, don’t you realize the role of Singaporeans is to simply cheer and clap all these new policies?
No one is suppose to say that the Emperor is not wearing clothes…
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“…Singapore’s SME sector is very weak compared to Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.”
I believe this is a deliberate policy of LKY and his cronies.
The biggest obstacle to Singapore moving forward is the PAP under LKY. The first thing to do is to deny the PAP having too much power by voting in more opposition MPs. Next, there needs to be a conscious effort at breaking down and the breaking up the big GLC, government bodies, banks, etc and other big institutions into smaller and lean companies to encourage true competition.
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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/427341/1/.html
The above report suggests to me that singapore is not just heavily reliant on USA but also on Asia countries.
Why is this model relied on when it is so fragile?
Can’t the highest paid talents work out a solution to be self-reliant? After all , d they take credit for GDP growth or not if growth depends on other countries?
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What’s in a name?
Childish.
All but one – MM – the founder is still active. Deserving so.
The others have since gone.
The rest are people like us – with their respective capabilities eg military, business, admin, etc., serving Singapore.
They have done a good job so far given the global financiall meltdown, Islamic fundamental resurgence, etc.
One day we may have Admiral Teo at the helm just like SM Goh for more than one the half decades.
God bless Singapore!
This tiny, resourceless 700 sq km island in the green seas.
I don’t believe talking cock. Experiences & real observations around us are my markers.
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@ Marsh on Thu, 4th Mar 2010 2:36 pm
“Experiences & real observations around us are my markers.”
Experience is a name everyone gives to his/her mistakes. For observations, remember one key marker – YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW.
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@ Mr Vivian Ang Beng Seng on Thu, 4th Mar 2010 2:34 pm
“Why is this model relied on when it is so fragile?”
I believe the explanation is “caterpillar mentality” of group think, not questioning of the “lead” caterpillar, eating voraciously while there is biological food and when that is expired, ALL WILL DIE OF STARVATION OR PROVIDE FOOD FOR THE BIRDS’ DINNER.
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@ Wayne Lim on Thu, 4th Mar 2010 2:23 pm
If the alternative is extinction, what difference does it make to do the necessary of voting PAP out? To subscribe to your thoughts is like Hitler’s “well-appointed” holocaust experience – TRUELY DAFT and obedient, marching naked in cold snowing condition into the gas chambers of no return. I think most will run and most will die but some will survive the bloody massacre.
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A well written article.
Now, whether it will fall on deaf ears is yet to be seen in the next election.
Only Singaporeans, new or old, can change the system now.
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The deliberate attempt to push up property prices is to hold Singaporeans ransome to the fear that they will lose all their money if PAP is voted out of power.
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Wonder what pap id thinking and doing. So many ang moh newspapers and reports indicate that our beloved Singapore overall is going DOWN, not up. So why pap or gov want always smoke us Singaporeans when the facts are all right in front of everyone face?
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This article has been long overdue. It hit the nail on the head.
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This well written article should be published in MSM for the public’s discourse.
Definitely more trust worthy than those articles published by the Shitty Times like one which says that a low income family can receive transfers from the Govt up to S$460,000.
Who are they trying to fool ? If this is true, all low income families should be exempted from contributing to the CPF Scheme. All they need is to ask the Govt to convert these transfers into CPF contributions, isn’t it good enough ?
If you want to bullshit, also must know who are you trying to bullshit ? We Singaporeans are not that daft as what LKY is claiming.
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When I read this, I keep thinking of Low, Sylvia and Workers’ Party. Can’t think why?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8549344.stm
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this article about Shin Corp massive losses and Temasek taken off bangkok post will never see the light of day in Straits Times or MSM
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/33911/temasek-wary-of-shin
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Yes a great article!
If anyone wld ask me about political reformation in S’pore? I’ll tell them “THERE WILL BE BLOOD!”, literally!
The whole nation has been held hostage by their very ruler they “elected” since the day they came to power… Old grandpa grandma will tell u how they witnessed brutality of the poLEEtical knockouts n initial surpression. FEAR was instilled to hush the multitude peasants, for whoever detested it, shall see no daylight!
Young men were sent to NS for “Institutionalisation”. A thorough mental decapitation from logical thinking such that no one dares to question the authority… We were trained to kill like a wild thing, but not to the master who tamed us! “On command, FIRE!!!” To the enemy of the state. To the threat of the country. To the opponents of the government!
My brothers… Who is willing to fire your rifle towards the person who is against yr government? The person whom u know, whom u grew up with from the same soil? … The day when the “Freak” result happens, will u answer to the mobilisation on the actual code red??… Will yr defiance be present? Will yr courage to do the “right” thing be in absence? Will yr FEAR diminish? Will yr doubts stand in absolution??
I am sure I have the answer already… I know that it is never a simple answer to a 1 vote 1 outcome matter. It is a matter of breaking down conformity, at the cost of possible genocide n social upheavals. The regime will not pass off easy without going down on a vivid chaos. It will never be a civillise manner of any political change-over written in world history. It will be painful. It will be ugly. It will be statistic of casualties…
The regime has loyal mercenaries on martial order that money can buy. In time, the military “handicapped” by defiance will be taken over with execution by the mercs… Be prepared as there is such code long laid before u even know they exist!… Reformation by peace n votes in our country?? My bros n sis, If u are determined at the least… I am ready… THERE WILL BE BLOOD!
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If anyone wld ask me about political reformation in S’pore? I’ll tell them “THERE WILL BE BLOOD!”, literally!
The whole nation has been held hostage by their very ruler they “elected” since the day they came to power… Old grandpa grandma will tell u how they witnessed brutality of the poLEEtical knockouts n initial surpression. FEAR was instilled to hush the multitude peasants, for whoever detested it, shall see no daylight!
Young men were sent to NS for “Institutionalisation”. A thorough mental decapitation from logical thinking such that no one dares to question the authority… We were trained to kill like a wild thing, but not to the master who tamed us! “On command, FIRE!!!” To the enemy of the state. To the threat of the country. To the opponents of the government!
My brothers… Who is willing to fire your rifle towards the person who is against yr government? The person whom u know, whom u grew up with from the same soil? … The day when the “Freak” result happens, will u answer to the mobilisation on the actual code red??… Will yr defiance be present? Will yr courage to do the “right” thing be in absence? Will yr FEAR diminish? Will yr doubts stand in absolution??
I am sure I have the answer already… I know that it is never a simple answer to a 1 vote 1 outcome matter. It is a matter of breaking down conformity, at the cost of possible genocide n social upheavals. The regime will not pass off easy without going down on a vivid chaos. It will never be a civillise manner of any political change-over written in world history. It will be painful. It will be ugly. It will be statistic of casualties…
The regime has loyal mercenaries on martial order that money can buy. In time, the military “handicapped” by defiance will be taken over with execution by the mercs… Be prepared as there is such code long laid before u even know they exist!… Reformation by peace n votes in our country?? My bros n sis, If u are determined at the least… I am ready… THERE WILL BE BLOOD!
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Immigrate is the only solution for Singaporeans…the ony way to see their CPF and enjoy the sale of their HBD leasehold.
I am surprised that only 80% of the 5700 respondants to the New Zealand website targetting to recruit Singaporeans are actually Singaporeans.
I expect at least 100,000 yound Singaporeas between 22 to 35 to flood the website and eventually 25,000 or more would immigrate to NZ in the next year and then another 25,000 the next year. In 10 years, 150,000 or more Singaporeans settle in NZ.
And another 100,000 to Australia and Canada…making a total of 250,000 young Singaporeans emigrated in a period of 10 years.
Young teachers, engineers, doctors, technicians etc. all leave in 10 years!
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