Daft & Dafter

On religious harmony, Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday appealed to religious leaders to speak up if a leader within their own religion makes comments that are offensive, dangerous or divisive. [Link]

On the same note, I appeal to PAP leaders to speak up if a leeder (or MP) within their own party makes comments that are offensive, dangerous and divisive. Especially derogatory comments that make morons out of citizens.

I'm sure most have read or heard of MM Lee's remark that Singaporeans must be "daft" if they vote against PAP.

Having read the following from callous and self-serving MPs, can we blame Singaporeans for being "daft" when election comes?

• “I know of one family who complain the cleaners in their precinct are lazy and too old. They don’t want local workers who are old, they want young foreign workers. To satisfy the demand, I changed the local workers to foreign workers. Foreign workers are not a burden to us. Their presence here is not negative. Without foreign workers, things will be worse,” - MP Ong Ah Heng in Parliament.
  
  

• "A segment of the Malay community has been likened to bankrupt English soccer club Portsmouth by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Education) Masagos Zulkifli. Both spend beyond their means, he said yesterday during the debate on the Government's proposed Budget.

  He drew the comparison when he and Dr Ahmad Magad (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) spoke on the issue of Malay families who live in tents by the beach, and explained how they came to be homeless. Going by the cases which they have handled, it was clear that many such families ended up homeless because they had sold off their flats and spent the cash.

  They used the proceeds to pay off the debts they had chalked up and, having frittered away the rest, they ended up not having enough to pay even the rent. 'They do not think about buying a new flat or where their family is going to stay, even though they have young children,' said Dr Magad" ST [Link]

• An MP has argued for more spending to help new immigrants integrate with Singaporeans, going against the general calls from many locals for lesser privileges for permanent residents and foreigners.

  Noting that the Government has set aside $10 million in the Budget for national integration, which has generated criticism online and in coffee shops on the use of public funds for foreigners, Marine Parade GRC MP Seah Kian Peng said more needs to be done to help new immigrants 'work with the old team and feel a part of us'.

  'First, we need to make sure that they are called new Singaporeans rather than new migrants. They are not even new migrants - they are an old hand at migrating, and want a new life. They want to settle down and to make Singapore a new home,' said Mr Seah in his speech during the debate on the 2010 Budget Statement on Wednesday. ST [Link]
  

  
  
• MP Koo Tsai Kee who is also the Minister of State for Defence sucked up to DPM Teo Chee Hean as being the “best man” to lead the National Productivity and Continuing Education Council because of his long years in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). He said, “The SAF, despite its manpower constraints, has been able to face up to a widening range of security threats in recent years under Defence Minister Teo… And I am not saying this because he’s my boss,” he added.

Above is the picture of MP Koo's "Best Man" sleeping on the job in Parliament. [Link]

To be fair to DPM Teo, it's never easy to listen to PAP ministers. As always, they simply tire you out with their self-shoulder-slapping-congratulatory ramble of the good job they do in their respective ministry. In today's seating, SM Jayakumar was trying as hard to keep his eyes open when Mah Bow Tan went on about his productivity thing on his MND. I hope the poor TV cameraman and editor will not get sacked (like the old cleaners in Ong Ah Heng's ward) for the embarrassing news footage.

For productivity sake, maybe MM Lee can recommend the right spurs to be stuck on the hides of his sleepy ministers to keep them awake at their million-dollar-job in parliament.

feedmetothefish

What's the Meaning of Affordability, Subsidy and Productivity in Singapore?

The wool that's been pulled over my eyes lately are these words:

1. Productivity
   
2. Affordability
3. Subsidy
   

There is so much buzzing on "productivity" that I keep getting "Teamy Bee" Ministers and PAP MPs swarming in my ears! Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and Transport said before the current parliamentary budget debate, "It is about what you design, what you innovate. You invest in your staff, you invest in automation systems. So it is a whole range," she said. "I think we are at the point where we have to make serious investments, and the best way is for the government to guide them, to give that big push."

They have been investing in themselves and being productive for themselves for a few years now. Apart from the mercenary and obscene salary increase for all ministers, they have invested much in Prime Minister's office.

The cost of running the place is fantastic! With 1 MENTOR (Lee Kuan Yew - for the money?), 2 SENIORs (Goh Chok Tong & Jayakumar - for the show?) and 3 Lim-ministers (to get ready, now, go cat go?) - Boon Heng, Swee Say and Hwee Hua! They must be so happy singing and dancing to Elvis Presley's "Blue Suede Shoes" [Link]


Or do they prefer to sing, "Upturn The Downturn" [link]. I hope you won't puke from watching this.

And yes, Temasek Holdings is very productive too. It's CEO, PM's wife, Ho Ching is getting an advisor, Hsieh Fu Hua, ex-honcho of SGX to help her do her job. I wonder how much he's paid. Funny. Is this the answer to Lim Swee Say's "Cheaper, Better, Faster?" Or is "CBF" only meant for low wage Singaporeans and not for Temasek and other elites?

Productivity - "Ultimately, it is to add value, to create value." said Mrs Lim.

For who? That's what Singaporeans are asking.

Not unlike "productivity", the "affordability" of HDB flats is as fantastic! I'm just so sick and tired of the PAP's nauseating repetition of current HDB flats being "affordable" and "subsidised". Damn! Affordable for who? Subsidised by who?? The Malboro man who keeps showing off his different spectacle frames??? Just what value has been added to new HDB flats to make them so costly now?

I think the word "subsidy" has been bastardised by some when they refer to HDB flats.

After watching and listening to Low Thia Khiang's and Inderjeet Singh's parliamentary speech on the 2010 Budget which makes sense to me, I'm as usual tickled by the various bootlicking MP's who die die must defend their bosses and party without any thought for their personal credibility and integrity.

Ain't it funny that it's always Money. PAP. . . . . . . . Pay and Pay!

• For productivity, increase foreign workers levy
• To pacify Singaporeans, increase hospital charges and school fees of PR's?

Or is it an incentive for PR's to become citizens so that they can vote without being daft?

In PAP's genius scheme of things, somebody always gets punished and someone else gets richer and more powerful. Who can forget the last increase of GST to help the poor? Surprisingly, it was the ministers who got helped instead with their million dollars salary.

Now I understand why some say they would rather vote for pigs and monkeys than PAP.

Holy Productivity, Affordability and Subsidy! I pray that a day will come when ministers and MPs will be sensitive to the sensitivities of Singaporeans and respect Singaporeans (regardless of race, language, religion, financial status and party affiliation) as humans and not productive digits with spurs stuck on their hides.

feedmetothefish