PM citing of Khoo Peng Beng as a new immigrant is a joke
August 30th, 2010 | 
Author: I have a huge issue with PM Lee citing Khoo Peng Beng, the architect behind the Pinnacle, as a new immigrant.
Peng Beng and I were classmates in secondary school in St. Patrick’s on East Coast Road. This was way back in 1983-84. To cite him as an example of a new immigrant is a joke. Peng Beng is as Singaporean/Malaysian as they come. We share a common culture, he stayed in the dorms in school, and he studied for many years and worked here for many years. He is not a new immigrant, and is not a consequence of the new immigration policies set up by PM Lee.
So the question is this: if we could have immigrants like Peng Beng 25 years ago, why do we need such a drastic new immigration policy where we are innundated and overwhelmed?
Surely the policy which allowed us to have the Khoo Peng Beng’s 25 years ago, should be the one in practice. Not the free for all from countries with drastically different values and cultures that we have now?
Joseph Teo
Posted in Letters
walau! PM lee so damn desperate.
this one study locally also consider FT?
SO WHO IS actually an FT?
PM LEE must also think that he,himslef,is an FT,huh?
some smart guys are getting confused about their own policy here!
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Sembawang and Keppel employed a total of 15000 FWs and 5000 Sgeans. 3 to 1.
This could be the trend for the future for red dot, isn’t it?
3 FWs and 1 SGean combination in the total national employment level.
Possible?
Be prepared.
We wait.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
@cclcclccl, if you wait for another year or two, you will see 60% Foreigners (including imported citizens) and 40% native Sinkaporeans.
No beliebe, wanna bet?
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Forecaster Extraordinarie II:
August 30, 2010 at 4:08 pm
@cclcclccl, if you wait for another year or two, you will see 60% Foreigners (including imported citizens) and 40% native Sinkaporeans.
No beliebe, wanna bet?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
we believe,already so many in GRASSROOTS.
once they become MPs or MINISTERS,they sure know how to make sure only those surmaned ‘benga’LI or LI become ministers.
by then even the famiLEE will be wiped out!
i believe in karma.leh.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
In the yards the ratio is more like 10 foreign trahes (including Malaysians) to 1 Singaporean.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
@FE II – according to your forecast, we will never be able to vote PAP out after the coming election and we have to contend with having them as our leaders for life. Haiz….
To have a wager with you is like taking a bet with Paul the Octopus. No way.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
He is just clutching at straws. He must have said to his team of ghost writers “give me examples of recent immigrants who have done well and are a credit to Singapore”. They searched and searched all over and the best they could come up is someone who came here 25 years ago. What a joke. Who are they kidding?
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Please lah. The prince work very hard every year must tell good story at National Day period to support his managing the country. Even Mexico oil spill also help him put up a story. Dont blame him for using this guy name to support the ft policy.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
This National Day Rally has again exposed the real weaknesses of PM LHL in the same significant ways as his major fiasco in his ill considered speech “to spend time to FIX the MPs from the Alternative Political Parties if they get elected into Parliament”, or if seen in his light hearted foolishness – this ill considered example is similar to his ‘mee siam mai hum’ idiocy.
Who actually prepare his speeches or gathered the materials without checking the background details ?
Considering that this is a PM making an important speech equivalent to the State of the Union speech by the US President to the nation – one would have expected the speech to have received the support from the pool of research personnel and resources to verify the materials.
This is worst than the fiasco experienced by Chee Soon Juan’s attempt to have a TV Live debate on the ‘High Cost of Living’ with George Yeo that turned out to be a national let down. The let down was even more painful when every citizen’s hopes were built up on his credible doctorate credentials – only to be deflated with his admission that he failed to check on two key important data that allowed George Yeo to debunk him, and allowed the PAP to let loose their dogs to chew him up at every opportunity.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
good point!!!!
i too had foreign classmates 20 years ago who went on to do ns and bcame citizens and also very successful. the policy 20 years ago should the way to pursue. not the policy of today, where even prostitutes can become PR!!!
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Could the 2 rigs be spare ones due to the rest being operation ?. Did we build that just to make the rescue ?……anyway being number one is old story……you mean non other GLC made it after so many years ?.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Dual ownership was a mistake, isn’t it?
It was an admittance by the govt of a genuine mistake that allows the rich to invest in resale public housing HDB flats and resell it at a profit.
It was yet another major U-turn of a major costly mistake, isn’t it?
Who approved the dual ownership?
Who dare ask in Parliament how many people have dual ownership in the past 10 years?
There was dead silence when it was announced, isn’t it?
Hopefully for it to be quickly forgotten and swept down below the carpet.
How many more major U-turns will be made and when?
Who dare to ask MM in Parliament?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
At that time, the difference that marked Singaporeans from Malaysians is the colour of the I/C. I also have had many classmates and schoolmates from both Malaysias. Yet they were no different from us in the thinking and behaviour. Even Indonesian Chinese –> more arrogant bastards because of their wealth, a Korean and Cambodian in the school were so Singaporean in attitude that there was nothing we could pick on them.
However, if there are strong in numbers like Indonesians, there would be issues cropping up.
Also, will YOUNGER SINGAPOREANS be able to get along with Malaysians of their age group? There is so much gap in attitude and mindset between these two.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Have u noticed,that during his mandarin speech,the translator who translated his speech from mandarin to english , had a thick main-land accent.Even though,they are many local chinese singaporens who can translate into more effective manner,why was a Foriegner (maybe he is given citizenship now) chosen?
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Haha…I’m his classmate as well in uni.
Truth is, he married a damn rich SINGAPORE GAL. That’s how he got himself gilded in gold. He’s just an opportunist to reap all he can here, that’s all lah.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Sembawang and Keppel employing a total of 15000 Foreigners but only 5000 Sgeans….really shocked me to the core.
For a momment I thought the speech writer made a boo boo here akin to infamous mee siam mai hum…Jumping Jesus !…here we hav e a local company who benefited from all that is local and that their local labor is outnumbered by 3 to 1?..MAMA MIA !
Sembawang & Keppel FYI is built on by the infrastructures left by the British…who chose and developed these 2 specifically for their excellent positioning as marine facility….and that their labor unions is where LKY,Devan Nair and PAP hatched…and yet this is their fate?
What’s next?
NTUC ,PSA,POSB & DBS?
I would like ask the PM this.
1.Show me 1 country which would approve your licence if you propose that you would bring in 15000 of foreigners who would give 5000 jobs to locals—go on ,just show me 1 country–be it be the most liberal as Canada or most poverty stricken as Angola.
2.If you need 15000 foreigners to create 5000 jobs for Singaporeans; why not do the reverse?….send 5000 Singaporeans to work as expats where cheap labor is aplenty?…is that not what MNC do..and that Temasek Holdings holds more citizen’s resources than any MNC on this earth?
TR please take up on this issue.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
pm lee obviously loves eating his own shoes and feet. How else can anyone explain his propensity to stick his own feet into his own mouth? Remember, this is the guy who once said that Malays wll always face a glass ceiling in the SAF because being Muslims, they cannot be trusted.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
I would like to suggest that we must stop using the term “Foreign talent” on these foreigners working in Singapore, this term is over rating them, we are putting them at a higher scale, it has made us look so bad when we compare with them. We should just refer them as “foreign worker”.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
If this teh peng is a FT, then I guess we all are FTs as well. Haha!
P.S. I was from St. Patrick’s as well. Protest and Revolt!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
@ Darth Vader:
August 30, 2010 at 5:38 pm
pm lee obviously loves eating his own shoes and feet. How else can anyone explain his propensity to stick his own feet into his own mouth? Remember, this is the guy who once said that Malays wll always face a glass ceiling in the SAF because being Muslims, they cannot be trusted.
Isn’t this discrimination and causing racial conflict?
Shouldn’t he be charged and jailed for this racial remarks?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Arghhh…this Khoo Khoo Bird again ?! What a media whore ! Just becoz he managed to add some mega TOMBSTONE BLOCKS doesn’t mean he’s role model for FTrash.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Hahahaha….What a slap in the face!!!!!!!
I’ll repeat again. YOU DO NOT HAVE LEADERSHIP QUALITY!
Meritrocacy?? Where would you be, without you father???
PAP SURE LOSE
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
THEY NEED ‘ACCELERATED’ PR STATUS TO HELP SINGAPORE GROWS.
???????????????????????????????
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
So the Prime Minister is LYING to the whole of Singapore. LIAR! LIAR!
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Actually there is not much of a cultural difference between Malaysians and Singaporeans. More or less the same… It’s the rest of the people in asia who mess it up here in Singapore.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
We can all start by BOYCOTTING this KHOO KHOO architect. If he got no work, then he’ll have to leave our shore lor. Simple.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Joseph Teo has made an excellent point:
“if we could have immigrants like Peng Beng 25 years ago, why do we need such a drastic new immigration policy where we are innundated and overwhelmed?”
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Another question is why Khoo Peng Beng has not taken up citizenship, after studying and working here for more than 25 years.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Who lied?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
For years, we faced stiff competition in job/employment from the Malaysians. They do not have NS obligation, willing to take slightly lower pay and they prosper here. They have a good start than most of us, because while we wasted our time in running around in the camps, these guys already dug deep into studies or careers here.
NOW, we have the same issue magnified 1000X because PRCs are coming in. They may be trash, but they get subsidies, they may take ill gotten monies from China, whatever, they are here to compete. Also, we have Thai, Indonesians, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Myanmar, Thaiwanese, Japanese, Koreans, Australians, British, Americans, Middle Eastern, every mother fucker Tom Dick or Harry are here on this little dot.
We are all screwed!
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
He just manged to exposed “their own incompetency”. Time for a Change..lets not waste time..can I have my Election Now !!!!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
what do you expect from mee siam mai hum?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
This is the worst PM we ever had. GCT is so much better!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
This is ANOTHER OLD JOKE But Still very ReleVant and ValiD.
Remember prior to 1997 our bloody stupid PAP gave out many Incentives of Easy PR and Citizenships to scores of Hong Kongers to entice them to Singapore.
PAP fkg million-dollars $$$ salaries ministers but with Piggy brains thought that it was so easy get scores of them migrate to Singapore.
Yes indeed, it was true many came – bought flats, stayed here etc. BUT One Hugh question remained, BUT shit times NO Report, USELESS PAP MPs never never and have NO Balls to Query in Parliament- HOW Many have since returned??? How many were the figures of those WHO Came, and Now How Many left, How Many Now Remained ??? Useless PAP Mps, answer this question!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
so Khoo Peng Beng wait until he is way past NS liable age before he took up PR or Citizenship ???
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
PeeM can quote all examples of FTs lah but if he say Sinkapoor don’t have talents that means his PAP education system got problem lor (cannot produce talents )or because good local talents have given up to “quit” to other countries because they cannot “tahan” PAP style of politics lor!
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
I don’t care. I just need more foreigners to work for my factory and company.
Without them my factory and companies have to close down.
PM Lee is a very far sighted leader who knows rich business men call the shot in Singapore.
Like or Dislike:
0 
1
With more foreigners, we need nuclear power and one accident, you can BRING ALL YOUR RICHES AND MONEY TOGETHER WITH YOUR CHILDREN INTO THE ETERNAL WORLD FASTER – it is like Hiroshima, Nagasaki & Chernobyl. Radiation death is the sure thing unlike early stage cancer which medical science can cure. Make sure your coffins are all big enough to bring your money and wealth along to the other world where credit cards are not in use, no banks to give your loans and no foreign workers to work in your factory as well.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Share something…
Those traffic policemen and Cisco staff booking vehicles for illegal parking whom I saw in the past, have been always local Malays or Indians.
Last Sunday, OMG I saw a PRC Cisco lady staff booking vehicles that were parked near Causeway Point. It is a joke that foreigners are given the authority to book Singapore cars now lol!!!
Why Cisco need to hire foreigners for this simple task of walking around and keying in data into PDA? Any Singaporean are able of doing this task. Cisco should give this job to 80,000 Singaporeans that are jobless now.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
The lie exposed.
Talking about the PM, 真是一代不如一代！
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
To: Pink August 31, 2010 at 1:25 am
Those kena saman won’t be able to scream and shout like they used to at the Malay and Indian aunties in the past.
Thats because the PRC can claim they don’t understand English.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
@Pink
My neighbour,she worked in customer service for long time.She has 5 O levels,when she applied for this cisco parking warden postion,she was told that she was under qualified.Even though,she had a good command of english and exposure working in a customer service envoriment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
@Joseph Teo – Do you hear and understand the PM’s speech clearly mentioning about Mr. Khoo Peng Beng as a new immigrant? Nowhere did he mention the word “the new immigrant” appears on TV, Radio, Internet websites, the newspaper reports, etc. Can you therefore produce evidence to substantiate what you say that PM had mentioned Mr.Khoo Peng Beng as “a new immigrant”? If you cannot substantiate it, it is clear that you are the purveyor of untruth and your intellectual honesty is questionable! I reproduce the below articles to show that PM did not mention Mr. Khoo Peng Beng is “a new immigrant.” He says Mr Khoo is foreign born now a PR from Ipoh, a total different meaning from the new immigrant. As such, your understanding of the words “foreign-born and PR” and “new immigrant” is doubtful.
I reproduce below the today’s The Straits Times report at page B6 the following for you read:
The majority of the architects are native Singaporeans, although quite a few are foreign born. And the foreign-born ones include the two architects who built The Pinnacle, a husband-and-wife team.
The husband, Mr Khoo Peng Beng, is from Ipoh, now a PR. The wife, Belinda Huang, is from Selangor, now a Singapore citizen…
The PMO’s website posted the PM’s speech as follows:
PM Lee says that there are many talented young architects in Singapore. Recently, the URA held a second ‘20 Under 45′ exhibition and publication showcasing outstanding works by 20 young architects where the majority are native Singaporeans, although quite a few are foreign-born. They include the architects who built the Pinnacle, a husband and wife team made up of Khoo Peng Beng who is from Ipoh, now a Singapore PR and his wife Belinda Huang who was from Selangor, now a Singapore Citizen.
PM Lee says Singaporeans have benefitted from the expertise and talent of foreigners as the Pinnacle has become one of the most sought after projects. But local architects might consider this as ‘foreign competition’.
Who has the last laugh now?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
actually, wat is the point of this article? that mr khoo is not a FT? ie as long as we have foreigners who come at a very young age and integrate, they are not FT?
so if we mass import prc students from age 7 onwards, will singaporeans be ok with that?
not siding with pap here, jus curious what is the agenda.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
perhaps wanna share this article
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/08/30/immigrants-make-us-workers-richer/
what are your thoughts?
i am thinking perhaps FT and foreign workers can come in to industries which are not overheated, which do in fact require more labour, thus driving productivity and output. perhaps the problem is that they are going into wrong industries which actually directly compete with locals. perhaps, i dunno. but i am definitely scared that as a result of huge influx, they will compete with me sooner or later. when and where to draw the line, dear government? anyways singapore is not the only country with this big issue of immigrants. the americans hate them too haha, jus read the comments on the link.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
xiao Lee, u only have just a pretentious smile and a mouth that speaks many lies in our view…u dont have any talent or vision to boast about.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Incred:
August 31, 2010 at 5:09 am
Haha you dare to scream at PRC women meh? They’re very fierce one ok! Later they hop into your car and refuse to leave your car for hours. Do you still remember the SBS bus saga of a PRC family hoarding the bus for hours until they got a free taxi ride home?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
poor_man:
August 31, 2010 at 10:03 am
Your neighbour is not underqualified. The sad truth is she is being discriminated for holding the pink nric. That PRC parking warden whom I saw is very young, around 16 to 20 years old. It’s impossible that your neighbour lose out to her in terms of capability and experience!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Rumour has it that the PEANUTCLE is actually designed by an angmoh is his company.
This KHOO KHOO Bird and his fatty wife are just opportunistic media whores who love to basked in limelight.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
@Devagi -thanks for the reprint. ” He is now a PR ,his wife fmn Selangor is now a Citizen”…Hmmm..I wonder if he will become a SGCZ ?
Hmm..hope PEEm can show this story again in next year’s rally and tell us all that Mister Kool has accepted Citizenship !
Hope its not a “Classic Case of Two Boats in a journey, jumping from A to B when “A” ,no longer can provide.
How will this story end ????…I am sure Mr Kool will not be a SGCZ anytime in his life.!
How many here, agree with me ???
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
@Papsmear:
I have no interest in the subject matter whether he be a SGCZ or not subsequently. My interest is to ensure people do not tell lies or untruths when posting articles and comments in TR. Since you are so keen in such subject matter you better keep track of him and report in the TR to tell us how the story ends. I must remind you to tell the truth of what you say.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
@crony_bustard
it shows one’s mind incapacity to be so judgmental about rumours, race, fauna and body weight. Envy? Ignorance? or … just stupidity?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Ben King: – “it shows one’s mind incapacity to be so judgmental about rumours, race, fauna and body weight. Envy? Ignorance? or … just stupidity?”
Are u the KHOO KHOO Whore or the FATTY Lesbo ?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
haha…trying to convince the world to squeeze 6.5M into 700sq.m of land ?! What a Khoo Khoo bird brain !
Please read this.
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/09/07/relentless-influx-of-foreigners-will-lead-to-universal-autism/
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Have you actually considered adding more videos to your blog posts to keep the readers a lot more entertained? I mean I just read via the entire post of yours and it had been quite great but since I am more of the visual learner,I found that to be a lot more useful nicely let me know how it turns out! I love what you men are usually up too. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the excellent works men I’ve added you guys to my blogroll. This is an excellent post thanks for sharing this informative information.. I’ll visit your weblog regularly for some latest post.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
KhOO Kh00 Bird pea brain gay & fatti lardy auntie-wify. What a power duo for creating a monstrosity tombstone in our city.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0