Lee Kuan Yew slams Koreans for their “incorrect” English
July 14th, 2010 | 
Author: PAP octagenarian strongman and self-proclaimed “forecaster extraordinarie” Lee Kuan Yew, who has the propensity to share his “pearls of wisdom” with other countries has scored another own goal again – this time with the Koreans.
Speaking during a dialogue on the future of China, he claimed that standards of Chinese who tried to hone their English in China remained “woefully” low without substantiating them.
“If you learn (English) in China, just like the Koreans, you speak to each other in incorrect English, and you won’t make much progress,” he added.
It is not known if there are any Koreans in the audience and they are offended by Lee’s remarks.
Though Korea may have a lower standard of English than Singapore, it is among the twenty most advanced economies in the world with a GDP several times that of Singapore.
Furthermore, the standards of English in Singapore has slipped lately with the relentless influx of foreigners from non-English speaking countries such as China.
Only one in three foreigners pass a Service Literacy Test conducted recently, an indication of the appalling standards of staff working in the service industry.
A former Prime Minister, Lee continues to wield considerable influence in the Singapore cabinet at 86 years of age.
By Lee’s own admission, he is not doing much work lately except doing “forecasting” which cost Singapore taxpayers some $3 million dollars annually.
Unfortunately, his “forecasts” are almost always wrong.
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Posted in Editorial
Singapore should buy a FT – Paul the octopus, who is a proven forecaster. Retrench that LKY to save several million of tax dollars per year.
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He’s right in general. But despite the fact most sporean speak better english, ironically the 4 countries that doesn’t speak english that well e.g. China, Korean, Japanese, Taiwan are doing very well in Electronics & have their own brands world wide.
1) China – Design the 4G technology patent apply as international std. Design the next laser driven LCD TV patent ( way ahead of LED TV ) thats better sharper & greener. Media players
2) Korean have Samsung , LG , …iriver etc
3) Japanese have panasonic, sony , sanyo , toyota ….etc
4) Taiwan have Asus, Acer, …etc
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Trust me. Koreans WILL be offended. But come to think of it, it is not the first time our Dear Leader said something that offend others, so let’s just sit back and see how the drama unfolds.
Maybe the reason our Dear Leader said this is to encourage more PRC to come to SG to work in various sector, including in the oldest profession, and at the same time, hone their English?
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Probably just a senile statement. Seems to be happening alot more as he ages don’t you think?
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MM should go into the private sector and see if he can command more than $3 million salary.
He should also donate his fortune to charity like Bill Gates or like Warren Buffett up to 99% of his fortune.
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MM LEE must know that koreans wont use words like better, betterer and betterest so MM LEE SHOULD CORRECT LIM SWEE SAY’s english standard before speaking about the koreans english.
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dear MM sir,
if i were in your shoes and at your age,i would sit tight at home and think how to make amends to all the singaporeans you,your son and your men have fone wrong to instead of wasting precious little time going around telling others who in any case,won’t give two hoots to what you have to say.
for a start,i would humbly but earnestly suggest that you think of how to return those jobs your son and his men have forcibly taken away from honest loyal and hardworking citizens only to give them to lazy low-productivity FTs that put us all,you included, to international shame.Take for instance,the CHANGI AIRPORT,which was constantly in the top placing till your son replaced our old but honest hardworking elder citizens with some foreigners which LSS claimed are CHEAPER,FASTER and BETTER.
If you would sincerely recall,you were so proud when as PM of this country,you boast about Singapore having the BEST WORKERS in the whole wide world and you and your colleagues then used this to lure big MNCs to set up here.It seems that nowadays,you are too busy trying to teach BIG NATIONS how to conduct themselves that you let your son and his men squander away what you and your old guards have painstakingly built.It’s a shame really!
There are,of course,many wrong things to correct but first thing,first.So,i would humbly but stronlgy urge you to stay home more and teach your son and his men to refrain from making more mistakes and how to correct those mistakes already comiited.
may we look forward to the many wrongs done to loyal citizens corrected soon.
however,in the evnt that your son and his men are at a loss as to what to do,perhaps you could suggest to them to let other more committed singaporeasn have a go!
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A pot calling the kettle black. MM may be good in written English but he does not speak well. Sad to say, he is such a boring speaker. He speaks so slowly that I get to sleep before he ends his sentence.
So MM, please brush up your spoken English. Put some fluency into it before you start commenting about the standards of others.
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singaporeans are daft.
Koreans did not, and need not pay a cent, yet this old man offer free advice, totally free.
Dafty singaporeans have to pay 3million just for him to lecture (no , actually scold singaporeans)………… see, how dafty sinkies are !!!
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Hah! What about Lim Swee Say with his stupid brand of English? And Singapore’s brand of Singlish? This old fart is just being critical about others while not looking himself in the mirror. What a load of crap! I wonder how long the regional audience can swallow his sh*t！ BTW the level of English in China is surprisingly good. I compare that with the English speaking guide I encountered in Taiwan versus in China. The latter won hands’ down all the time.
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i am so embarrassed. i used to hold my head high when people asked me “where is Home?” and i replied “Singapore”. these days, i answered with a soft voice and my head is no longer at a “normal position”. After encountering more and more instances of front line service staff saying “Ni ke Yi jiang hua yu ma?” (can you speak chinese?), I have no doubt that the hard work we have painstakingly put in to raise ourselves above the Asia crop as bilingual with prominent fluency in English will go down the drain. Not only that, we will be going backwards. We will be swapping places with the Chinese in China, being the ones to welcome the non-English speaking ones while those back in their country speak with 100% accuracy. I should also be careful about who I answer to. Avoid the quesiton if the requestor is from Korea. I don’t want to be given a black eye for a meeting gift.
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When MM LKY speaks to offend others – he does so for a more urgent domestic reason.
Is it only about mastering languages ?
Perhaps it has to do with the coming election, to warn Singaporeans not to follow the South Korean way in throwing out an authoritarian system and opted for a more OPEN and DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM – where the South Korean Government WILL answer to the power of the CITIZENS ?
This fact – that the Koreans have been poor at the English Language when compared to Singapore – has existed since South Korea emerged from the 1950s after the Korean War.
This is reflective of the fact that the Korean Language is the national language in their NON-multi ethnic South Korean society.
Does the poor standards of English prevent South Korea from becoming an industrial powerhouse and has made a mark on the international stage with their high standards of consumer and industrial products that even made a dent on the mighty Japanese exports ?
Even without a high standard of English, the South Koreans are at least not burdened with having to pay million dollar salaries for the idiocy of politicians that torment the citizens – verbally, mentally, spiritually and physically.
It is time for the Son to rein in the Father, keep him under the watch of the SAF, and sack the Gurkhas as He may limp out of Singapore to offend again ‘with a mouth that refused to be controlled by the remaining functioning part of the brain’.
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He slams the Koreans for lousy English but shuts up over lim shit suay’s “better, betterer and betterest”?! Or is THIS what he calls good English????!!!!
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Mr MM Lee sir, u are correct, we should learn to do things like learn England in a better, betterer and betterest way!!
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Senile old toad! Shut up! and get down from the stage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Don’t understand why old lee is so obsessed with english. Korean are in so many ways ahead of us. They have Hyundai, Samsung and lists goes on. They don’t rely on foreign trashes to jack up their GDP. Instead old lee should take a good look on the foreign trashes standards on english. OHH… Milister Lim Swee Say english is the bestest
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SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN.
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hehe.. pot at kettle.. singaporeans at koreans.. please.. i cant stop laughing.
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Mr Lee Mr Lee Mr Lee,
Are you the biggest old clown – if you embarassed yourself its fine with ALL Singaporeans, but dont embarassed ME please!!
So what if S Koreans dont speak good english – do you have LG in Stinkapoor? Where is your Samsumng in this red dot? How come Hyundai can CONQUER the WOLRD if they cant speak good english?
Charterd Semicon compared to HYNIX ?? Mr Lee go and find the spider on the wall or go east coast and watch FLY KITES. You for heavens sake please dont talk cock and damaged the minds of many Stinkaporeans especially young Stinkaporeans ???
They just recently produced WORLD CHAMPION ice skater. They S korean football team were in the World Cup. WHERE IS YOUR FUCKING FOORBALL TEAM that was promised in 2010 ???? Where ? Where? Where?
You and your gangsters MPs know ONLY HOW TO BULLY Singaporeans, jail your opponents, sue and jail politicans – EVEN 2 or 5 innocnet people distributing flyers you FOUND THEM TO BE THREATS !!!! And WORST of ALL Crimes – reward yourselves with HUGH OBSCENE Salaries !!!
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Wah, didn’t know his standard of English so good. Can accept one of the cabinet minister’s “better, betterer, betterest”! **Shake head**
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So all you Koreans out there please take heed!
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Someone tell me why Singaporeans need to pay millions and millions year after year to this 80 plus year old way-past-retirement-age old fart, and why Singaporeans must let his man-like daughter in law and his little boy waste billions and billions of public funds?
Paul the Octopus predicts way better than the old fart, and get paid nothing.
Old fart should kill himself.
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Lee Con You is ageing. He is his becoming cunninger, cunningerer, cunnigerest and slower, slowerer, slowerest and stupider, stupiderer, stupiderest and liar, liarer, liarest and cheater, cheaterer, cheaterest and corrupter, corrupterer, corrupterest.
In short he is a megalomaniac.
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” BETTER, BETTERER, BETTEREST ” is good english?
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korea has Samsung, LG, Hyundai, etc.
spore has ST, GIC & Temasek, etc.
if you have great ideas which really value add, people will flock to learn your language. does korea have to speak good english to get their products throughout the world.
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How about our new FT citizens saying I have paining tooth or you hit golf ball?
Korea official working language is korean and singapore is english if we compare the std of our working language we should be ashamed of our std
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A lot of people are watching Korean drama than Singapore drama. Even the entertainment industry is better than Singapore.
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to dear MM
“If you learn mandarin in singapore just like the singaporeans , you speak to each other in incorrect mandarin (our ministers) and you won’t make much progress” … MM , your mandarin no good .
btw , korea is one of the super power in asia , their military , economy system and technology is so much adance than us so do japan and taiwan even china . so what you can speak and write proper english ? giving a choice for obama to visite between singapore leader and korea leader , who do you think obama will choose ? we are too small to talk big !
so what if geman , japan and china don’t speak english ? they are 2nd , 3rd and 4th largest economy system in the world !
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like i said, i always avoid singaporeans or chinese when i travel overseas on holidays, they only shame themselves, and also me.
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This old man, aged 87 years old, is already senile dementia. Big mouth and talk as he is so super intelligent to forecast and lecture other countries. Clever to talk and tell alot of stories about history but nothing is substantial. Even a idiot also knows how to talk like him.
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MM , pls don’t make me laugh … hahaha . how can singapore compare to korea ?
koreans should feel proud if they don’t speak good english becoz they are koreans ! MM , you know what i mean ? ppl will look down on you if you don’t speak your own language . i’m very sure about it !
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Lee KY should first look at his own PAP people’s spoken English first. BEST, BESTER, BESTEST hahaha
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Right! Right!
Pual the octopus is a lot more cheaper than Lee Kuan Yew.
Ha ha ha!
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mm should talk to the new immigrants more often , so mm can find out how poor their english is .
would you mind your own business pls ? btw , anyone can tell me who is the champion grumbler ?
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Koreans can speak good Korean language.
LKY as a Chinese can he speak good Chinese?
Just listen to the father and son interviews on Channel 8, they speak like 50 words/min.
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Koreans are not important to MM now. Like Japan, Korea’s economy is on a downhill trend. When the Koreans are back on track, MM will praise them again. Human beings are so forgetful, the Koreans will forget how MM insulted them in a few months.
China, Russia and the middle east is critical to MM now.
KR
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at least the Koreans don’t speak “good, Gooder, Gooderest”english like us. LOL
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Korea & China d get sue LKL for defamation,now his favorite sport is turned against him
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When someone speaks ill about the father, son and the holey Goh they sue for slander! What will happen when the old fart from small dot, not even a country, speaks ill about the entire country! *Tsk Tsk Tsk*
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MM Lee is thinking that the world should revolve around his way and idea of doing thing! China is one of largest country in the world and it does not need English like Singapore in order to prosper. Japan, which is much smaller than China, is the second largest economy in the world despite that most Japanese cannot speak English very well. China should ignore what MM Lee has said!
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MM Lee should advice his son to perform his PM job properly instead of going around telling others what they are supposed to do. In addition, MM Lee should remember where he is drawing the salary from and so his priority should be getting the thing right in Singapore!
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“If you learn (English) in China, just like the Koreans, you speak to each other in incorrect English, and you won’t make much progress,”
Is the old fart making a forecast again? When LSS spoke those “Better, betterer, betterest” to his audience, we will not progress?!?!
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why must koreans speak correct english ? they are koreans right ? MM , our mandarin good or not ? correct or not ? there are plenty of countrise don’t speak proper english , what’s the problems ? why must every country follow your standard and requirement ?
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Octopus is better in forecasting than octogenarian.
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Very diffult to teach old man. First he steps on the toes of the Malaysians, then the Indonesians, then China, and now the Koreans.
He won’t shut up, unless he………………….
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Saw billboards with Hyundai and Kia ads during the World Cup matches…..failed to see a single one with a Singapore company’s name though.
So please tell the fogey that its not whether you can speak good English or not that makes your nation successful…..its how the people can overcome the odds in the global market despite the handicap they have. Anyone can see how few global brand names Singapore have so far compared to the Koreans and this is inspite of Singapore being an English speaking country.
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KNN:
July 14, 2010 at 11:54 am
“MM Lee is thinking that the world should revolve around his way and idea of doing thing!”
The world according to LKY; sign of megalomania.
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MM Lee should look at his own backyard first. Go to the new citizens welcoming ceremonies. 90% of them can’t read the Singapore Pledge in English.
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Our english and chinese can’t even make it still have the guts to correct people..
If u can’t even take care of yourself(singapore) don’t go around telling others(other countries) they are right or wrong, good or bad.
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I thought in some interview held in the states a couple of months ago…LHL mentioned that LKY is some kind of “mascot” of the PAP and PAP controlled parliament…correct me if i am wrong please.
Weird.
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What kinda shitty article is this?
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our gahmen speaks good english but always makes the bad decisions.
the korean govt speaks bad english but always makes the right decisions.
now,people,tell me, who is the betterer govt?
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The Koreans should just laugh at LKY and tell him at least they speak betterer english than Lim Swee Say, minister in the PMO
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“If you learn (English) in China, just like the Koreans, you speak to each other in incorrect English, and you won’t make much progress,” he added.
In the context of what is written here, Mr. LKY is wrong about the way Koreans speak to each other. In both the social and business contexts, they will use Korean not English when speaking to each other. Even in group discussion where there are non-Koreans around they will still use Koreans amongst themselves, unless they’re addressing the same subject matter as the group, in which case they’ll revert to the language used by the group.
The Koreans and Japanese make no bones about their poor command of English, but they do recognized the need to use English in the international arena. Sometimes it is an advantage to profess not being able to speak proper English, especially in negotiations: because you can excuse yourself for not being able to understand completely what the other party has said.
Mr. LKY may have made an insensitive remark about the Koreans, but I don’t think he intended to “slam” (as in to criticise vehemently) the Koreans for their incorrect English, as what the TR has made out in its headline. If you want to learn English in China, and practise with each other in incorrect English, then you won’t make much progress.
Incidentally, the standard of English of the TR is not with faults either.
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IMO LKY is doing what i call hard-selling! One of the modus operandi is to bring down your competitors. This can be inferred from the recent speech from LHL urging US to initiate greater US-Asia economic engagement through Singapore.(more can be read at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1069074/1/.html).
But dear me this is such a pompous and irreverent claim. Highlighting another country’s weakness in a bid to capture US’s attention is a weak underhanded method.
Probably this is some kind of age-induced insensitivity, but it could be a signal that the once largely lauded rima oris of the nation is nothing more than a loose fissure, but hey, thats just me. =/
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- Koreans speaks Korean
- PRC speaks Pure Native Mandarain
Singaporean speaks Singlish(Broken English) least not their own DIALECT (Hakka, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese etc…) are spoken ‘INCORRECTLY’ most of the time. Our Younger generation are the worst victim whom they can’t even speak their own DIALECTS as our gov enourage them to speak Mandarain last time and English campaign now.
The person whom initiated such campaigns are the culprit that help Singaporean drowns their own ‘Roots’ (own Dialects).
Does Singaporeans speaks correct English ??? or Singlish ??? A credit to ‘him’ is that Engish are the ‘working language’ commonly used but I would strongly differ that, China & Korean does not need to come to Singapore to learn ‘correct’ English. They too have many graduates whom speaks better English than us back to their country.
WHO ARE WE TO TELL THEM TO LEARN FROM US ????? At least Koreans & Chinese have their native ‘roots’ within themselves.
What about us??? ROJAK..?? That’s why our younger generation having such great dilemma & confusion about whom they are as Singaporean.
No Roots = No Proper Culture = No Proper Language
MM, Pleas be humble & do not make Singaporeans a fool of ourselves!
Just my opinions.
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Maybe we should send MP Lim Sway See or Lim Siah Sway, whatever the f#@ker’s name, back for remedial English classes first before commenting on others. Better and betterer! WTF, with that kind of so called Minister taking million dollars of pay and yet can’t speak proper English. We are better off keeping our big gap shut. In that way, nobody will say that we are dumb.
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Korean English is poor? Obviously the old man has not spoken to those RC members in the heartland. He may change his mind then
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Okay, the Korean speak English with a heavy korean accent
Just as the Japanese speak with a japanese accent
Singapore hokkien pronounce Z-ero when it should Ji-ro
Singapore Cantonese pronunce fork-u, when it should fcuk you
Anyhow, if want to learn English you had watch plenty of foreign soap opera, starting with american and slowly progress to the British. I know Mainland Chinese that studies in Ireland, could be beautiful Irish English. You know Irish English is spoken at top speed you need to pay attention. When Econ-omics is pronunce as At-conomics, when Maths is pronunce as Math, and Vase is pronunce as Vase. And slowly pick up pop music, slowly progress to punk music the lyrics & meaning is tougher. It is all about personal interest, I watch C-SPAN everyday, listen BBC everyday not that I agreed with them but it is very informative
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“If you learn (English) in China, just like the Koreans, you speak to each other in incorrect English, and you won’t make much progress,” he added.
江山易改，本性難移。
He is not qualify to criticise others. Is his country people speak good English and Chinese? Also, it doesn’t mean you don’t speak good English you cannot make progress. He tries to promote English because he like Ang Mo so much. So why English? We are not Ang Mo. And now China is catching up with western country. So why not Mandarin instead of English? He is still living in his old dream. His bad habbit is like to 倚老賣老. China has a 5,000 years history whereas Western countries only has few hundred years history. So who suppose to learn from who? And Singapore has only 100+ years history, and yet he wanted to teach a country who has 5,000 years history? Son wanted to teach father how to f*ck?????
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Sudah lah! This fella talks non stop and nothing is positive coming from his mouth these days. Called us daft some more. It is way so easy for this loudmouth the criticise others – the Sinhalese, now the Koreans – and yet don’t even bother to correct his minion’s English.
Remember ‘best, betterer, betterest’?
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I guess SNSD was a flop all over Asia because they do not speak English properly. GEE GEE GEE GEE BABYYY BABBYY
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MM Lee also touches on these comment that is highly controversial
1) Taiwan (Hokkien people) are ruthless
2) Hong Kong (Cantonese people) are shamless
3) Singapore (mixture of South East Asian) are ignorant
Hong Konger that is the Cantonese people. Why are they shameless???
Everytime, I visit my grandma side, they don’t call ah gong ah mah anyone, they used this term 奶奶. Cantonese people are very clean, you must wash your feet before you enter the house, and their food is always sweet. Hokkien people during (CNY play russian poker or 21 black jack) while and the Cantonese people play mahjong. Cantonese people “on the comestic surface” is friendly (greeting You good) But they tend to be jealous and full of envy anyhow they still will curry flavor the successfully people. They are not so patriotic, unless their self-interest are at stake. They like to “pillow whisper talk” what I call gui-gui-shui-shui. They had this strange behavior of “Talk Big & Exggerate Talk” about they know a lot of Big Shots and having Vast Knowledge like an expert. I also noticed they like to go “Back Door Complain” and when they need a something, they like to go “Back Door Request” very secretive people. They don’t tell it in your face, they don’t fight you (usually they go for big numbers if they felt a need) and if they are unhappy, they rather (practise cursing you from behind)
Anyhow, I the Cantonese people are okay, if MM Lee see their behavior are “Shameless” I mix with them, part of them, even though Cantonese people said I had been “Poison too deep by Western Mindset” you are very 大方 in marrying a divorce with a child. Then again, if you are so gripped with fear about ending up divorce, young people rather not have kids, in case his husband dump her. Better still don’t have kids, even better don’t get married, under the women charter you had to share 50%-50%. Can the society surive???
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MM Lee also touch on these 3 comment highly debatable, offensive too
) Taiwan (Hokkien people) are ruthless
2) Hong Kong (Cantonese people) are shamless
3) Singapore (mixture of South East Asian) are ignorant
Why is Singapore so ignorant ??? We grow up by a Conservative Govt.
Our Govt. go by this 3 standard. We fine you where it hurt your pocket, We shame you where you suffer an image problem people laugh at you, and finally we cane you. After many years, we grew up “Follow The Law” type of people. (This Follow The Law Mindset we Singapore believe everywhere in every country are the same) why get lost and confused when we are in another country others do business differently. Singapore stupid stupid follow the law, too law abiding that Taiwan buisnessman are way ahead of us. That is why Taiwanese people laugh at Singaporean businessman, being too ignorant
Who should we blame for being too law abiding ??? PAP Govt. lah
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最好叫他這個豬八戒去照照鏡子，才知道他長得有多丑！
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Singapore grew to 9 percent more
Singapre grew twice the amount of that of China
Singapore grew up to 15% for this 2nd quarter growth
Note: our manufacterering numbers should be down, so what had grow
Gambling on CASINO had paid off handsomely, which means Singpore will be more TV-TOURIST friendly. In China, they can always see Singapore Tourism Ads on China TV, plenty to see, plenty to do.
Strangely, Our Govt. might authorizes Singaporean to love Ang Mo Monkeys (which you hardly hear Singaporean Radio DJ mention this Red Hair Monkey or Ghost Poeple that term used anymore) And our Senotsa house sold by millions by Mainland Chinese businessman. I guess our CNA Soap Opera might tone down China People as con-artist character in their play (due to political reason)
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From this we know the following:
1.LKY is a typical Singaporean coward who only dare to critic others on this tiny red dot island in the giant big world. In a nutral third country, they behave like as a yes man.
2. He doesn’t understand the reasons why tens of million of Koreans and hundreds of million ( should be billion ) of Chinese can’t master standard English.
If his son is not PM, nobody will bother him.
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MM Lee had failed to spot the uniqness of Hong Konger people
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWdyd-YgVY0&feature=related
You can steal, you can lie, you can rob, you can cheat…
It is these kind of Hong Kongers uniqe Cantonese Character,
that Beijing Goverment felt uncomfortable, book title celebrating the idea of having a “Black Heart & Thick Skin” to win at all cost
But you look at the creative side, it is quite good
I like to listen to Marilyn Manson, BUT i will not allow my little princess to listen. On one hand I support it, on the other I prefer it to be Parental Guidence it is bad for people with “weak mind” can kill the society harmony to grow properly
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Errh…I think they did not publish my Taiwan comments why MM Lee think they are ruthless
Ha, ha, ha…sometimes cannot too honest
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International Big Mouth going around saying things that are not true just to amuse the ignorant but won’t even tolerate coffee-shop talks at home. Where are the confucian virtues the old man so very much loves to tout?
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Lee Con You will sue anyone who makes a negative statement about him – like saying he’s a liar. He said singaporeans are lazy, daft, spurs not stuck in their hide, etc, etc… Singaporeans must file a class action against him for defamation.
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Most of the foreign students(particularly Vietnamese, Indonesians and Tiongs) in our local universities fail their QET exam. If our local schools continually bring in students from these countries, it will be our turn to converse with them in incorrect English. Before their standards of English improve, it will be us who will be lowering our English standards to accomodate theirs.
Before he start to insult the English standard in other countries like China, he shouldn’t be contradicting himself by bringing in tons of Tiongs who can’t speak English properly into our country. And not to forget our local education institutions, particularly NTU and NUS, they are hiring a lot of professors, lecturers from China whom can’t even speak English properly.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_riT02rxtk&feature=related
(Actually, lot of my comments not publish maybe, too strong already)
MM Lee, should not bring up Taiwan is ruthless, Hong Kong is shameless and worse to put down his own Singaporean as igornant.
Like that, at one go offend to many people liao
I don’t people he will be happy if we talk about Hakka
Mod’s Note: The reason why some of your comments are not published is due to the fact that you keep repeating the same in multiple posts, it has nothing to do with your strong wordings.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRRLgcqoCHM&feature=related
Actually, MM Lee forgotten after years of studying English as 1st language most Singaporean still speak Singlish
We are not successful, on what grounds can we advise others
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hey,a lot of us speak and write better english than the FTs who replace us in our positions in IT,COMMERCE,BANKING AND FAINANCE.
SO,mr lee,Who are you trying to mislead?
to be honest, i am tired of our govt ministers going around telling others what to do when ,in fact,others should be telling our govt what to do since this govt simply refuse to listen to its own citizens.At least,other govts listen to their citizens.
if they don’t,they get booted out.
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maybe mm should keep quiet for 6 months or even longer , it good for the country and the ppl i suppose !
btw , i heard PM overjoyed about our GDP during the interview , he said spore may need more foreign workers . wtf , why invite foreigners to share our cake again ?
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I think he should stop going round offending people from other countries, he has already offended and tortured so many of its own helpless citizens.
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Mod’s Note: The reason why some of your comments are not published is due to the fact that you keep repeating the same in multiple posts, it has nothing to do with your strong wordings.
Thanks dude, next I will will try to be creative on the headlines
ha, ha, ha
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寂寞难耐,我又有两个口(官字不是有两个口?), 不说怎么可以?
Hard to bear the loneliness, what’s more i’ve two mouths (MM=Mouth&Mouth), how can i don’t say something?
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stop it stop it, your own home got problem don’t want to settle, you go all over the world to make people angry. The Japanese and Koreans may not speak perfect english but their products are for sure in own homes cannot miss one…..keep the standards aside as long as people can understand each other when they communicate enough..at least the government no need to come out people’s money to send them for special english language classes.
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still trying to revive his “glory days” and magnify his previous foresight in the importance of the English language? It maybe so,in the olden days where English is considered “THE LANGUAGE”. Soon, many other languages will be on par with English, including Chinese. If we research on topics such as “popularity of languages in the world”, or “spoken language of world population” etc…. many other languages are emerging and growing, surpassing English in many areas.
Many people originating from nations or cultures with English as their main language are not bilingual because they think that English is sufficient. They may hold a superior view about themselves which deter them from picking up other languages. We must not fall into this narrow minded way of thinking.
If somehow this is still lingering in his mind, then I’m sorry that he has indeed fallen behind and he should really retire as his thoughts can no longer keep up to where the world is going. There is no reason for us to pay him as the forecaster as he no longer has what the job entails him to.
On the other hand, if he is just saying that to upgrade one’s linguistic capabilities, living amongst natives of any language and speakiing to them will help them in their learning, this is logical and it does not apply only to English. Then again, hmmm.. is this not common sense? Do we need to pay him for such a forecast?
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OLD FART should simultaneously SLAM is own sissy (aka akua) son for those famous boo boos – “Mee Siam mai Hum ” “The people must be pounding chillies and onions and hoping that it won’t rain”
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The MIW are whiter than the white men.
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logic & reasons: July 14, 2010 at 1:37 am and everyone! Remember he said these things too? So what do you expect of such a foolish guy as “Fools don’t change” after you read the following once again!
“I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn’t be here today. And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn’t be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters – who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.” – Lee Kuan Yew, Straits Times, 20 April 1987
“I make no apologies that the PAP is the Government and the Government is the PAP.” – Lee Kuan Yew, 1982, Petir
“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 Kuan Yew, 1962
He SAID IT ALL before hadn’t he! The stupidity is REAL and so OBVIOUS for decades by now! WHERE IS THE MYSTERY OF the man call lky “so-over smart as profusely over promoted by this man himself”?
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I think as Singaporeans we should recognise the fact that we do not speak good english too … wrong intonation, wrong pronunciation, and poor syntax especially when we are speaking to each other .. in fact I often squirm when at the shopping malls, singaporeans speak to each other in this manner
a) u buy this eh/
b) pay how much?
c) come from where? oh korea?
d) try try see nice or not!!
I have been asking community centers (case in point, Bukit Timah CC) if they would like to conduct english classes (free – I am not charging), the CC told me, No one interested!! only cooking they like”
My is a real story, and far from what Mr Lee imply, I find that Koreans may speak with their Korean accent, at least they do not mutilate the language, and feel proud about it ..
singaporeans should stop being so smuck — we are poor english speakers!!
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Singapore English the best if Asia
We use Queen’s English
Koreans, Japanese and Chinese have a long way to go.
Any other country come near us?
Keith Ravine
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What can be expected of a egomaniac? ”Pearls of wisdom”? Really? A wise one is a light unto oneself and will not dictate and he/she needs no ”reason” to be in politics or politicising for self-aggrandizement!
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This video should be banned by MDA. It’s against the interest of the common folk to rile an strategic economic partner like Korea and China.
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SM Lee clearly thinks he is allowed to make sweeping statements, any time, anywhere, a privilege he does not accord anyone, regardless of the stature of his audience. While Singapore has stooped so low as to buy talent and trash to call its own, Korea and Japan, have not done so. It is a silly argument to say that because they are homogenous and therefore hegemonic societies, that their problems of governing an ageing population is any easier than ours. Do not forget that Korea has very strong worker unions. Yet, despite the challenges of its workforce, ageing population, and perceived English deficiencies, Korea has per capita, more graduates with PhDs to call its own, than our foreign imports of talent and trash. If you are to refer to Wipro’s statistics (2008), see:
http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/wipo_pub_931.html
•The total number of applications filed across the world in 2006 is estimated to be 1.76 million, representing a 4.9% increase from the previous year. Between 2005 and 2006, the number of filings worldwide by applicants from China, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America increased by 32.1%, 6.6% and 6.7% respectively.
•The United States Patent and Trademark Office was the largest recipient of patent filings, for the first time since 1963, with a total of 425,966 patent applications filed in 2006. There was a small decrease in the number of patents filed at the Japan Patent Office in 2006 (408,674). The patent offices of China (210,501), the Republic of Korea (166,189), and the European Patent Office (135,231) also received a large number of filings.
•Patent applicants tend to come from a relatively small number of countries of origin. For example, applicants from Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea, Germany and China accounted for 76% of total patent filings in 2006. Chinese residents increased their share of total worldwide patent filings from 1.8% to 7.3% between 2000 and 2006, mostly due to increases in domestic patent filings.
•In 2006, approximately 727,000 patents were granted across the world. Similar to patent filings, patent grants are concentrated in a small number of countries. Applicants from Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea and Germany received 73% of total patent grants worldwide. Between 2000 and 2006, the number of patents granted to applicants from China and the Republic of Korea grew by 26.5% and 23.2% a year, respectively (average annual growth rate).
Now, where is Singapore in all of these patents filing? After setting up A*star, dishing out scholarships to FTs, and what-not, investing in foreign researchers and attracting all these MNCs, where are we in the international research stage? Are we near the achievements of Korea? Did we even try to launch our own rocket, researched and built by our own sons and daughters?
Do not be fooled, Koreans do not get there by speaking Kong-lish. Even if we are to assume that Old Man Lee is right, with the Koreans’ level of English mastery, they still make it to be innovators, market-leaders and market-setters in industries such as semicon, waferfab, LED technology, telecommunication, pharmaceuticals, civil engineering and construction, shipbuilding,etc.
Only fools will blow their own horn.
We will never have the sense of national pride that the Koreans have in their country and their Korean products. It is foolhardy to say that because we are ethnically diverse, we cannot achieve and celebrate the acheivements of our Singaporean Malay, Indian or Eurasian neighbours. If a Singaporean Malay achieves international limelight in his/her entrepreneur marathon, yes, I will celebrate his/her grit and achievements. Ditto the rest of our ethnic diversity … but where is our version of Hyundai, Samsung, LG, SK Group, POSCO, Lotte, Hanjin, KTF, Doosan, STX Corporation, etc.?
Sadly, all we have, is two disappointing SWFs (Sovereign Wealth Fund).
Singaporeans, need to wake up, if we continue to relinquish control of our country to the MIW and the foreigners, when the next big economic tsunami hits us, will we be left to die again. Our foreign investors and trash are not obligated to fight alongside us, the MIW and their elitist progeny will leave at the first sign of trouble. When the flood comes, it is all our own problem.
Putting aside skin colour, as long as we are Singaporeans, we need to build the real Singapore Inc., we need to build a Singapore for Singaporeans. If we sit and ruminate, our children will be left jobless and poor, hungry and destitutes, and in the worst case scenario, eventually our wives and daughters will have to work as maids and prostitutes.
Argentina and Philippines were once rich nations, when Singapore was struggling nowhere … look at them today.
Mastery of English aside, the Koreans are a resilient and passionate lot. They have risen from the ashes of being a Japanese colony and the Korean War, to where they are today. They aren’t any older than our nation, they went on the industrialization path, around the same time as our independence from the British.
Technically, Korea is still at war, because of the ever-present threat of North Korea, but look where it is today – it is a small, resilient nation, worthy of admiration.
Sadly, not because of my marriage to a Korean, but in Korea, I am always proud of Korea and Koreans, yet, I cannot say the same for Singapore and Singaporeans today. There is always a tinge of sadness and disillusionment when I compare the two.
I want to be a part of the effort to build the real Singapore for Singaporeans, and like the Australians, I want it stamped on our national brands and products – Proudly Singaporean-made.
Can we earn our stripes in responsible leadership without having to resort to dirty-games to suck our own people dry of their hard-earned money?
I say, let there be more Creative Technology and the likes! For every stupid gaffe made by a Singapore mercenary minister, let there be real, earnest Singaporeans to make us proud, let us build more deserving friendships and business ties with our Asian neighbours. We cannot afford to make enemies by making sweeping statements about another person’s inability to articulate or write English accurately.
Better to articulate from a humble heart, than to open the mouth, speak ‘English’, and prove the fool within to be true.
To the Koreans out there, MM Lee does not represent Singaporeans, any more.
English is just one aspect of international communication, the real components to success, hunger and drive, open competition, equal opportunity, innovation, research and development, tolerance for failures, a culture of risk and adventure seekers. We can only have our own Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and the likes, if our people take the first step to challenge status quo, and lead their own revolution.
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his beloved Ho Ching as Chartered Semiconductor CEO whem helming ST Technologies raised and IPO to buy machinery for non-nano-technology equipment. Taiwan Semiconductor CEO was swift to point out that they are the LEADERS and CS here are the followers! That was putting it lightly! As TS then already had nano-tech in hand and were planning to launch it to the computer maker’s world.
Old guy and his familee have all been failures in tongue, mind, heart, governing, manners, common courtesies, leadership qualities and respectable communicative skills! In short, they’ve ALL FAILED miserably in HUMANITY as humans and are therefore NOT OF THE HIGHLY REGARDED AND RESPECTABLE WISE VARIETY of OUR HUMAN SPECIES. Proof?:
HC lost big MULTIPLE TIMES in managing our corporations and said Singaporeans angst and acrimonious “are laughable” This old gecko said we are 1st-world and that “we” keep our mouth shut if not asked, sure has a “lose” jaw that regurgitate uncontrollably. His son ah loong, don’t expect Singapore to be flood free? THEY themselves ARE VERY LAUGHABLE if they playback recordings of their verbal CHATTERING and looking into their HUGE mirrors at home too of course for further proof and self-examinations!
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LKY should just shut up.
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For years I have spend a good portion of my retired life living in Guangzhou, China. Contrary to MM Lee’s opinion, Singaporeans’English and Mandarin are not rated well by Mainland Chinese,the Taiwanese and Hong Kong people. They mocked at our standard of these languages. MM Lee bragged that everyone in Singapore speaks English including taxi drivers. Please MM Lee, Singaporeans speak Singlish, definitely not English. Listen to how LSS and some ministers speak and you would be embarrassed to identify yourself as Singaporeans. MM Lee would do Singaporeans a great favour by keeping his mouth shut and stop making a fool of himself.
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The old fart should look in the mirror first before going around bad-mouthing others.
Firstly, his English would have been below-average by western standards.
Secondly, it is none of his business as to whether the Koreans speaks good English. At least the Koreans attempt to speak English. In Singapore, most people in the retail service industry do not even speak a word of English because they are from mainland China.
Sooner the old fart is gone, the better for Singapore.
Someone please tell me why Singapore needs to pay millions and millions to this old fart year after year for spewing this nonsense overseas.
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What a shitty article!!
U pathetic losers just wanna whack the grand old man, regardless of what he said.
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Numerous many thanks for expressing this good report. Please keep up this website as ensure that it is an example of my popular blog in my reader, thank you
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How good is an “mentOR” miniSTIR’s own SPOKEN English when he himself DOESN’T PICK ON his ministers’ BAD PRONUNCIATIONS IN Parliament? Means he DON’T even know selectively or WORSE right! SO…
Is he WORSE than a Fool as even “Fools know more in his own house than a wise man in another man’s”!
Check this out in the next parliament telecast (I any?) and GE caucuses!
And Mr leelee, E.G. like:
1. The “TREE” of “DAM(n” sic!). Now “three” BECAME “TREE” and “them” BECAME “”dam” OR “damn”? Beats me lar LKY with “queen’s enGERish?!
2. Don’t “DAY”? What’s that? Oh I see. They mean “don’t they” hah?
3. I “HAF ORREADY TOW you”. Walau? Isn’t it “I have already told you” YAH?
SO… From a FOOL….
- “A Forced kindness deserve no thanks”.
- “A Fool may give wise man counsel”
- “A covetous is good to none, but worse to himself”.
- “A cracked bell can never sound well”.
- “A crooked stick will have a crooked shadow”
- “A man of words is like a garden of full of weeds”
And at the recent APEC meeting here Dr. Henry Kissinger who brokered with Saudis, the world’s largest crude oil producer, to sell it only in US$, praised this guy as having he Dr. K had learned much from LKY? Men of same sinews praising each other? I believe Dr. K was not cynical at all.
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YOU!? Uniquely Singaporean:July 16, 2010 at 4:12 am of the old man molded type, DO you have a mind of your own at all? And:
OH REALLY??????????????????????????????????????????????????:
“What a shitty article!!
U pathetic losers just wanna whack the grand old man, regardless of what he said.”??????????????????
SO…. he is your grandpa, grand uncle or some kind of a gran-cho-kong?
YOU agree that he be paid as “mentOR” some S$7 MILLIONS a year including bonus and what else we DON’T know in expenses to “educate” other nationals in their own country? And just 3 years ago plus GIC we know he was getting some S$11 MILLION+! That’s EXCLUDING his DOUBLE-DIPPING in City-Group BOD as “Adviser”! Just wanna “whack” old and? And how “grand” is he doing such things?
YOU KNOW OF THE IMPLICATIONS IN “Conflicts of interests as minister, GIC Chairman with daughter-in-law Ho Ching controlling US$100s of BILLIONS of OUR SWF and his son Ah Loong also as PM”???????? You think those City Bank guys are stupid meh? They know the “humongous lee ego” as DIDN’T CAPITALIZE on it? Am NOT saying more for YOU to figure out why they sold out City shares early for Billions in losses?
YOU are exactly like Sim Yong Hoo”s “NUT” nuts are you not? Guys like you even see wrongly what you can! Expecting you to “see” behind the curtains is asking FAR TOO MUCH as WAY BEYOND your capacity. IF it IS MOSTLY guys like you who think old man “grand”, HOW “grand” is he really?
Do you now feel shitty foolish if just to quote you. Read my wisdom quotes above yet?
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@SNSD
We are not a flop all over Asia
At least for some of us our English is very decent
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i imagine it was a bit rushed, and overlooked some features that not many individuals speak about. Everybody is aware of that the majority new smartphones have internet, so why show that fundamental function at its bear minimum. Scroll up scroll down zoom in zoom out. Actually? which new cellphone doesnt do that? How bout speak about how the textual content rearranges itsself. Additionally the texting, very poor review. Why didnt you point out you need to use the mic and textual content together with your voice? Ignored ALOT of other extra vital options
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Fucktard. Yeah like in Singapore we speak to one another in correct English!
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