40 years' of progress - used for every year's ND speeches
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Extract from National Day speech by PM LHL:
Is PM LHL justified in being so optimistic with the growth prospect of Asia and the ASEAN region ?
Looking ahead, the signs are favourable. Asia is prospering, and our neighbours in ASEAN are doing well. We are doing the right things, investing in our people and gearing up to live in a different world. I expect the next five years to be better than the last five. Therefore I am confident that working together, we will make SingaÂpore grow and prosper beyond what we have today.
Two days after the eve of National Day speech by PM LHL, the Singapore Straits Times and ChannelNewsAsia has a feature of a report by the Asian Development Bank - which reports a slowdown in the economies of every country in Asia and the ASEAN region.
Record oil prices to slow East Asian economic growth: ADB
MANILA : Record oil prices coupled with slowing exports are expected to clip economic growth in East Asia to 6.8 percent in 2005, down from a robust 7.6 percent notched-up last year, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.
Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2006 is expected to slowdown further to 6.6 percent, the ADB's Asia Economic Monitor said.
The growth forecast was "subject to risks from further increases in oil prices and a disorderly adjustment of the global payments imbalance," the report said.
The report, released at the ADB headquarters in Manila, said that a "loss of economic momentum in major industrial markets," and a drop in demand for new information technology products were the main reasons for the worsening external economic environment.
The ADB noted that exports grew at a slower rate in the first half of 2005, in all of East Asia's larger economies except China. This development, coupled with higher oil prices and "a general bias toward tighter macroeconomic policies," resulted in the slower growth in most of the region.
Excluding China, East Asia is expected to post average growth of 4.4 percent this year, compared to 5.5 percent growth last year, the ADB added.
China however will also see its growth slow to 8.9 percent this year and 8.0 percent in 2006 from 9.5 percent last year due to "a gradual softening of fixed investment... and somewhat diminished export prospects."
Singapore was expected to suffer the biggest slowdown in GDP growth from 8.4 percent in 2004 to 3.7 percent in 2005 and 4.7 percent in 2006.
"Being a highly open economy, Singapore's economy would be adversely affected by the weak export prospects," the ADB report remarked.
Thailand will see its GDP growth fall from 6.1 percent in 2004 to 4.3 and 5.3 percent growth in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
Malaysia's GDP growth was forecast to fall from 7.1 percent last year to 5.3 percent this year and 5.7 percent next year while Philippine GDP growth would stay at 4.7 percent in both 2005 and 2006 from 6.1 percent last year.
In contrast, Indonesia would see its GDP growth accelerate from 5.1 percent in 2004 to 5.6 and 5.7 percent in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
The bank cited earlier studies showing that if the price of oil remained at 55 dollars a barrel, East Asia's GDP growth would fall by 1.6 percentage points while the inflation rate would rise 2.2 percentage points.
Net oil importers, Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea and to a lesser extent China, will be hit the hardest, the ADB said but even a net oil exporter like Malaysia will be adversely affected as higher oil prices take their toll on its industrial trading partners.
"We now face a backdrop of moderately slowing growth, a gradual build-up of inflationary pressures, and a tightening of US monetary policy," Pradumna Rana, an ADB senior director said in the report.
"The key challenge for East Asia is to calibrate fiscal, monetary, and exchange rate policies while at the same time pursuing structural reforms to strengthen domestic demand," he added.
The bank recommended a "tightening of monetary policy," in China, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam and to a lesser extent, Malaysia.
The ADB also praised China and Malaysia for moving away from fixed pegs for their currencies and towards more flexible exchange rate regimes, saying this would have "profound economic implications."
It said that these moves would "foster greater exchange rate flexibility in Asia as a whole," adding that it would likely be "accompanied by an appreciation of most regional currencies," and would also help lower inflationary pressures.
- AFP /ls
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/162296/1/.html -
You want the PM to talk about all these things in a 15 minute speech on the eve on National Day? There is a time and place for everything, you know. Let us wait for his National Day Rally Speech for him to spell out his agenda for the year.Originally posted by robertteh:PM Lee 2005 ND message keeps talking about past 40 years' of achievements. There is nothing about solving problems like high costs of living or overcoming the lack of technological competitiveness or self-reliance in our domestic sector of the economy. -
Aiyo...this is year 2005 and not 1965. We have heard enough of PAP's self-glorifying messages after messages.
I am still waiting for that speech -
where PM promises to look into lowering our cost of living - in order to help thousands of low income earners stay above water !!! -
Miong has said it well - this is 2005 not 1965. By now our yearly national speech should focus on how to build an technologically advanced country and attain the Swiss standard of living as promised to the people.Originally posted by miong:Aiyo...this is year 2005 and not 1965. We have heard enough of PAP's self-glorifying messages after messages.
I am still waiting for that speech -
where PM promises to look into lowering our cost of living - in order to help thousands of low income earners stay above water !!!
I am sure within 15 minutes many comparable leaders could enlighten the citizens why the Swiss standard of living cannot be achieved any sooner. Is it because the promise was too idealistic or the world conditions have changed. -
Name me one leader who spoke about such things in 15 minutes on the eve of his country's indpendence day for comparison.Originally posted by robertteh:Miong has said it well - this is 2005 not 1965. By now our yearly national speech should focus on how to build an technologically advanced country and attain the Swiss standard of living as promised to the people.
I am sure within 15 minutes many comparable leaders could enlighten the citizens why the Swiss standard of living cannot be achieved any sooner. Is it because the promise was too idealistic or the world conditions have changed.
In 1984 we said that we aim to achieve the "1984 Swiss Standard Per Capita" by 1999. We achieved it in 2000. We missed by one year because of the Asian Economic Crisis. This was explained by Mr Goh Chok Tong on his 2001 National Day Speech.
This subject is History - passe. We have way passed the standard. And you slept through all these? Now who is still in 1965? -
You mean yourself is in the Swiss standard of living? How come I don't feel it?Originally posted by TwilightZone:Name me one leader who spoke about such things in 15 minutes on the eve of his country's indpendence day for comparison.
In 1984 we said that we aim to achieve the "1984 Swiss Standard Per Capita" by 1999. We achieved it in 2000. We missed by one year because of the Asian Economic Crisis. This was explained by Mr Goh Chok Tong on his 2001 National Day Speech.
This subject is History - passe. We have way passed the standard. And you slept through all these? Now who is still in 1965?
Or you mean all the Mps, mini-stars, primary minister and yourself whom are of Swiss standard of living. Why from 1999 to 2005 today, there are still many beggars near MRT stations, Old men & women selling tissues, Rochor road Kuan Yim Tng? Can you tell or explain it. Or maybe, I should answer on your behalf. We, sg gov; cannot make everyone happy.
Talking cock and sing song
Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song Talking cock and sing song -
The figures in this report looks nice and shows improvement. http://www.zaobao.com/cj/cj050811_531.html
The figures in this report complains about poor commercial and retail market (restaurants) in Sg (SME Feedback unit). http://www.zaobao.com/cj/cj050811_523.html
Both articles are in Zaobao in the same day (11/8/2005)
The official report says its getting better, the non official report says its getting worse each day. Who do u believe in?
Whoever it is to believe in, what the HDB heartlanders sitting in the coffeeshops dont like to see is the increase in cost of living because of the improved economy as reported. Still remember the recent transportation fare increase?
And dont ever mentioned about Swiss standard of living to the coffeeshop's uncles and auntys? They will ask u to GO FLY THE BIGGEST KITE IN THE WORLD. -
The root of the problems is: self-praise or egotism. Great leaders must be able to rise above egotism and arrogance.
There is a Chinese saying : arrogance is our own greatest enemy. NKF is an example of arrogance finally befalling on self-centred unspiring leadership. -
Earth to TwilightZone.Originally posted by TwilightZone:This subject is History - passe. We have way passed the standard. And you slept through all these? Now who is still in 1965?
Earth to TwilightZone....
Earth to TwilightZone. .......
12 fully equiped riot police vs 4 demonstrators (dressed in big t-shirts) and equiped with a paper placard.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/050811/1/3u60l.html
Still believe in Swiss standard of living in Singapore? -
I do not deny that we, like all other nations including Switzerland, are continuously facing challenges as a nation. Income gap and cost of living are some of them. But these are not insurmountable problems and are being addressed and resolved.
Notwithstanding these challenges, as a whole, we have already achieved the 1984 Swiss standard of living per capita, and this is an undeniable fact.
Confidence is often misconstrued as arrogance. Singapore, lead by its democratically elected government, is confident of itself, not arrogant. That is why, despite being a resource-less tiny red dot, we have weathered the storms of nation building and succeeded both economically and socially against all odds. -
The beauty of our system is that everything can be explained away. NKF obscene pay can be explained as peanut. Self-praise and egotism can be explained as self-confidence. Defamation suits or character assassination against political participants can be explained as debunking of arguments or accountability. Paying the ministers' world's highest salaries can be explained as a means to combat corruption. That is our meaning of integrity or good corporate governance.Originally posted by TwilightZone:I do not deny that we, like all other nations including Switzerland, are continuously facing challenges as a nation. Income gap and cost of living are some of them. But these are not insurmountable problems and are being addressed and resolved.
Notwithstanding these challenges, as a whole, we have already achieved the 1984 Swiss standard of living per capita, and this is an undeniable fact.
Confidence is often misconstrued as arrogance. Singapore, lead by its democratically elected government, is confident of itself, not arrogant. That is why, despite being a resource-less tiny red dot, we have weathered the storms of nation building and succeeded both economically and socially against all odds. -
The beauty of our system is that we can choose what we want to believe; and the beauty of our system is that the majority decides the meaning of integrity and good governance at the ballot box.
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ur eyes' got stamps?Originally posted by TwilightZone:The beauty of our system is that we can choose what we want to believe; and the beauty of our system is that the majority decides the meaning of integrity and good governance at the ballot box.
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Problem is with all gerrymandering of the electoral system without consultation of the people, and creating all the walk-overs will there still be any decency or dignity left of the election, system, whether MPs and Ministers are considered elected by the majority or ballot boxes.Originally posted by TwilightZone:The beauty of our system is that we can choose what we want to believe; and the beauty of our system is that the majority decides the meaning of integrity and good governance at the ballot box. -
Changes to electoral boundaries will not influence the outcome of election results. Candidates with substance, like the Three Wise Men from the Opposition, have been elected notwithstanding the boundaries.
Rampant gerrymandering is carried out in the US and other democracies and it had been proven that there is no advantage to any party because it cut both ways and can backfire against the ruling party. That is why it is still a level playing field.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”. All voters are smart and they know what they want. This applies in the US and UK, and it applies here.
Singaporeans are not easily fooled by gerrymandering. The people they elected time and again at the ballot boxes are the people they want to represent them in government because they deliver extraordinary results in terms of nation building, economic growth, social progress, and of course the Swiss standard of living. -
Rampant gerrymandering as now admitted by the leaders is a tell-tale sign that all is not well. Even if legally done, leaders can no longer hold their heads high or chin up and speak with full moral leadership as before. They will live a lower form of existence, like in some kinds of twilight zone.Originally posted by TwilightZone:Changes to electoral boundaries will not influence the outcome of election results. Candidates with substance, like the Three Wise Men from the Opposition, have been elected notwithstanding the boundaries.
Rampant gerrymandering is carried out in the US and other democracies and it had been proven that there is no advantage to any party because it cut both ways and can backfire against the ruling party. That is why it is still a level playing field.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”. All voters are smart and they know what they want. This applies in the US and UK, and it applies here.
Singaporeans are not easily fooled by gerrymandering. The people they elected time and again at the ballot boxes are the people they want to represent them in government because they deliver extraordinary results in terms of nation building, economic growth, social progress, and of course the Swiss standard of living. -
Doing you know the cross breed puppy of a Bull dog and a Sheep dog called?Originally posted by TwilightZone:Changes to electoral boundaries will not influence the outcome of election results. Candidates with substance, like the Three Wise Men from the Opposition, have been elected notwithstanding the boundaries.
Rampant gerrymandering is carried out in the US and other democracies and it had been proven that there is no advantage to any party because it cut both ways and can backfire against the ruling party. That is why it is still a level playing field.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”. All voters are smart and they know what they want. This applies in the US and UK, and it applies here.
Singaporeans are not easily fooled by gerrymandering. The people they elected time and again at the ballot boxes are the people they want to represent them in government because they deliver extraordinary results in terms of nation building, economic growth, social progress, and of course the Swiss standard of living. -
The Ballot Box determines who has the right to carry their heads high and who has the moral authority to lead. Sore Losers usually end up living a lower form of existence called Storymakering and Hallucinations.
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The right of leaders to feel good and hold the head high according to my understanding of its original dictionary meaning is something properly earned not rampantly gerrymandered or justified after some supposed and dubious american source.Originally posted by TwilightZone:The Ballot Box determines who has the right to carry their heads high and who has the moral authority to lead. Sore Losers usually end up living a lower form of existence called Storymakering and Hallucinations. -
Our leaders can hold their heads high and feel good because they are supported by the majority of the people and have earned their respect. The peoplesÂ’ wishes cannot be suppressed by boundaries. They have decided properly, and rightly so, in the ballot boxes time and again.
Losers should learn to be more dignified and admit defeat graciously than to throw mud at the winners and spin stories. These spin doctors and opportunists should come to terms with the facts that they are not wanted. Their childish and primitive behaviors confirm that the voters are right in rejecting them and throwing them out the doors of leadership.
As I said, Singaporeans are smart when making choices. They know that they have elected the best leaders in the world and they will stand behind them to carry out their jobs firmly and fairly for the benefit of the nation and the people. -
PAP's habit of foruming GRC at the last minute is the reason why a great number Singaporeans were denied voting rights.
Can you called this proper?
Come on, can you honestly agree that PAP's history of persecuting political oppositions and the press is a sure sign that Singapore is a democratic and free country?.
So you see, Our Dear Leader is brilliant in first sweetening the ground by first fulfilling the basic needs for the people. Make the people feel contented and secure. Once that was done he went ahead to chain the entire population under his iron fist control. Many PAP pioneers fell out with him because they dont like LKY's despotic ambitions.
Pres Devan Nai, PresOng Teng Cheong and Francis Seow are good examples- and even several other old PAP stalwarts.
Lee Kuan Yew's biggest sin todate is - he thinks he owns Singapore by virtue of his leading the country into independence 40 years ago. He still thinks he has an unalienable, absolute right to do what he likes to Singapore no matter how the people felt. Singaporeans' unhappiness and freedom is really secondary to him. He doesnt care too much about it because he has an old dream- to make himself the greatest statesman in history.
This sort of dictatorial rule usually and eventually come tumbling down as a despot ages. If you study political history you will know this is true. Pres Surharto was the unmovable statue in Indonesea, it then seems.Look at him now.
Lee Kuan Yew is lucky so far. But one day all that will change when someone smart and brave enough will come forward to challenge his rule, expose and then dispose him. This time is fast approaching because the new generation Singaporeans are smarter and have greater access to political information in the world. AND CAN FINALLY SEE THAT LKY'S TYPE OF POLITICS IS NOT GOOD FOR THE FUTURE OF POLITICS IN OUR COUNTRY !
I am waiting for that day to happen. Hopefully it will be soon. -
[quote]Originally posted by TwilightZone:
[b]Our leaders can hold their heads high and feel good because they are supported by the majority of the people and have earned their respect. The peoplesÂ’ wishes cannot be suppressed by boundaries. They have decided properly, and rightly so, in the ballot boxes time and again.
Losers should learn to be more dignified and admit defeat graciously than to throw mud at the winners and spin stories. These spin doctors and opportunists should come to terms with the facts that they are not wanted. Their childish and primitive behaviors confirm that the voters are right in rejecting them and throwing them out the doors of leadership.
As I said, Singaporeans are smart when making choices. They know that they have elected the best leaders in the world and they will stand behind them to carry out their jobs firmly and fairly for the benefit of the nation and the people.
The ND speech would always like to bring out the greatness of the previous leadership and to remind the people of what they had done for Singapore. Frankly there is really nothing to boast about because they are paid to do the job. Otherwise they should leave the job. -
Claims of leadership or winning of the votes in proper manner in ballot box by the majority are already proven to you to be baseless as ballot box was denied with artificial chaining up of voting process to create walk-overs.Originally posted by TwilightZone:Our leaders can hold their heads high and feel good because they are supported by the majority of the people and have earned their respect. The peoplesÂ’ wishes cannot be suppressed by boundaries. They have decided properly, and rightly so, in the ballot boxes time and again.
Losers should learn to be more dignified and admit defeat graciously than to throw mud at the winners and spin stories. These spin doctors and opportunists should come to terms with the facts that they are not wanted. Their childish and primitive behaviors confirm that the voters are right in rejecting them and throwing them out the doors of leadership.
As I said, Singaporeans are smart when making choices. They know that they have elected the best leaders in the world and they will stand behind them to carry out their jobs firmly and fairly for the benefit of the nation and the people.
This kind of contrived victory is quite hollow. Remove all the restrictions on the political participants and let there again be free choices without all the chaining and curving of electoral processes and win the elections like gentlemen; people will then accept the claims of ballot win. In fact most times the younger electorates of 40 and below never voted at all over the past 20 years and yet all the ministers and MPs are presumed to be elected by them under some sorts of default.
That is why now the heads and chins are now sorts of kept in place due to less-than-proper fair play which even Nathan has somewhat himself - that many people complained that he was not properly elected at last presidency election. In other words he felt a little quilty at having been elected in such a contrived so-called ballot. That may be why his head did not seem to be held very high. What is not proper or people wishes eventually would have to fall one day like the NKF case. -
Sore losers, opportunists and spin doctors continue to cry foul to spin stories of wrong doings to discredit the winners and leaders. Rationale voters will be even more convinced that they and the PEC have made the right decisions.
Singaporeans, with one man one vote each, will demonstrate their overwhelming support again for the existing leadership in the next general elections. And you know what? The losers will cry foul again and spin more stories. They will resume their accusations of non-existent unfair practices. It has been like this for the past 40 years.
The losers never learn from the messages sent to them by the voters that false accusation, spin stories, unfair statements, uncouth remarks, and tantrums do not go down well with them. Singaporeans only want serious minded, capable, and honest people to run the government because their lives, their families, and future are at stake. They found that in the present government and leaders.
The bottom line, my friends, is that the government and the leaders has delivered what the people wants, and is the one and only reason why they have been elected time and again. Go and see a psychiatrist for your hallucinations on wrong doings, because there are none. Hope you can recover and join the majority of the people in continuing the success story of Singapore. Put your chins up. -
I agree and I think most people will readily agree that Singapore has been competitive for the period 1960s -1970s. There is no need to compare selectively to say that Japan or other countries too are also facing ecoonomic problems to make our economy look less bad than admitted. If we want to have reasonable discussions let us go straight to look at how our economy has progressed from its early days.
Singapore is indeed heavily reliant on huge export and import volumes to keep the economy growing. There are also high-end products that we manufacture and export overseas. We do things that are high in value chain such as semi-conductors, chips and computer parts. In what way are we lagging behind the Asian Tigers?
Japan is struggling to reinvent itself. Bank loan interest rate stay at 0% for many years to encourage enterprises to borrow and expand their businesses. China and India are catching up.
We remain very competitive with Hong Kong and Taiwan. If you are not aware, technology like the thumbdrive orginated from Singapore. The proliferation of this technology with so many countries producing it was a result of the company not patenting the technology. (see ST Digital Life- July)
I also don't remember quite clearly that there were few, if any, years that our GDP was in deficit while our neighbouring countries are struggling to stay above water. I believe our economy is not "haning in the balance" and at the mercy of other economies. Yes, Singapore is a small economy in comparision to many other countries, but it has diversified in so many areas like military, bio-chemical, pharmaceutical and computer technology.
I agree that our first-generation founding leaders have been humble, objective in the early days trying to serve the people as their servants.
Sadly after 1970s, they were returned to power by the people consecutively and from that period they became obsessed with their own self-importance.
They let arrogance go to their heads. They began to promote themselves and tried all ways and means to retain power by tinkering with the electoral boundaries, GRC grouping to prevent individuals to stand for free and fair election. They benchmarked their own pays to the highest boss-category of remunerations in 10 professions/industries.
Million dollar hyper-salary rewards like S$600,000 were dismissed as peanut by claiming ability to create million surpluses or 30-60 year reserves as their achievements with self-ego and arrogance. The best talents in the corporate world were judged on on real world performance. Sadly in our case the ability at taxing and recovering costs and some mundane iron rice bowls were gerrymandered to look like talents to justify all the self-rewards.
Greed knows no limits and sadly it has been allowed to trump over morality and erode our leaders' original fire-brand spirit since the 1970s. Problems were regularly explained away without any sign of implementation management excellence as shown in the 20 persistent major policy errors posted to the Feedback Unit as reproduced below:-
(1) Bureaucracy in civil service.
(2) High costs of essential government services e.g. medical, utilities, housing, transportation, education, etc, etc
(3) Growth Triangles
(4) Affective divide due to lack of understanding of people's views and aspirations.
(5) Work site safety problems (Hotel New World Collapse's blue paper was not effectively implemented)
(6) Deliver a Swiss standard of living
(7) Asset enhancement scheme fiasco
(8 ) Unit trust investment fiasco
(9) Foreign relation fiascos
(10) Non-formulation of a value-adding investment strategy
(11) Double-charging on lands (paid by taxpayers yet charged back to them at full market prices) and triple charges on vehicles.
(12) Meritocratic education policy that backfired - brain drains of thousands
(13) Mother tongue - CL1 admission fiasco
(14) Reaching World Cup soccer league by 2010 - no sign of getting near.
(15) Investment losses by thousands of citizens from CPF funds.
(16) Spiraling of government ministers' and civil servants' salaries.
(17) Failure to implement accountability and transparency in respect of investments of citizens' monies in overseas investments.
(18 ) Loss of economic competitiveness due to high costs.
(19) Neglect in promoting entrepreneurship
(20) Neglect in nurturing the domestic sector of economy.
After 1970s all the plans and announced projects were no longer being achieved. Many MNCs and foreign companies are still in the process of pulling out their operations to China, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam etc.
The leaders have refused to admit the serious loss of economic competitiveness. Good people and talents are migrating fearing for their future.
It is very sad that autocracy has failed to put in place any major changes to solve the 20 problems. There is no effective solutions of the high-costs to enable the economy to compete with external competitions whether from China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan , Korea or even Vietnam.
More and more Singapore's SMEs and domestic sector companies continued to go down and suffer losses due to policy errors as posted and high costs.
Despite all the feedbacks from the people the leaders persisted in carrying on the same past policies as we are losing out to in practical broad-based education practised in small countries like Finland, Switzerland or Denmark. Our per capital ranking dropped from 8th to 25th while other Asian tigers climbed up the ranking. The promised Swiss standard of living promised by the government was nowhere in sight. People saw the wages dropping to the third world while the costs of living climbed up to the first world.
The tax-and-recover system of creating government's own surpluses and reserves continued to be pushed relentlessly causing more problems to majority of the citizens who were struggling for survival.
The wage gap between the rich and poor widened with no actions taken to address underlying serious fracture in the economy or social sphere. Ministers are paid first-world salaries in millions but none were seen capable of turning around the moribund economy except in giving constant excuses about factors beyond their control or the external economic situations. They lack the fire-brand spirit to re-structure or upgrade our weakening economy.
Senior civil servants are paid higher than CEOs of major companies who had built their own businesses based on proven entrepreneurship abilities.
For the past many years now, the following major problems simply cannot be solved or projects as announced have failed to attain results:-
Therefore it is not untrue or incorrect to say that the local or domestic economy except for MNCs and GLCs is "hanging in the balance" and at the mercy of persistent surplus-oriented government high-cost pro-foreign policies.
The economic planning only consists of some ad hoc and uncoordinated military or biopolis hubs resulting in losses of competitiveness with our best scholars taken away by US and migrating to many countries due to major policy errors.
There is an urgent need to implement consistent and focused implementation of the technology upgrading as what Dr. Goh Keng Swee would have done in building the original Jurong. Instead we only heard of the long gestation period of 35 year for our biopolis and constant talks of our resourceless economy. No wonder our econmy is seen to be taking all the "U-Turn" like seen happening to our once-heralded chip industry where millions were lost due to dire lack of foresight or implementation abilities.
MNCs are moving out by the hoardes during the past two recessions and many jobs were lost. Instead of upgrading the economic competitiveness through broad-based education there was the same insistence on producing more academic education and pro-foreign investment incentives that turned away our own talents and entrepreneurs in large numbers.
We are losing many opportunities in cultivating our own SMEs. I agree that government might be doing something every now and then but all that were done were seen to be too little too late with the same lack of consistent implementation abilities as mentioned in the foregoing.
I am glad you have at least admitted that Singapore cannot afford to be aloof and proud as they have been all these past 20 years or so and has to recognise it and are doing something about it.It is precisely that the government see the closing gap of competitiveness that they are encouraging entreprenuership, risk-taking and taking responsibility for our own financial future; changing syllabus and pedagogy in schools to encourage self-directed learning and analytical thinking than mere textbooks and examinations.
It is hoped that above-stated measures will be implemented under the good hands-on control of cabinet ministers of calibre like Dr. Goh Keng Swee and not with all the constant arrogance and denials of problems.
EDB has collaborated with NTU and NUS to set up entrepenuer and technoprenuer centers. TV programs like "start-up" on Thursday 7.30p.m Channel 5 are also made to expose Singaporeans to entrepreneuralism.
Even with our CPF, the government is slowly but surely teaching us that there is no more economic "safety net" we can totally rely on. The interest rate of 6% per annum was taken over by another policy.Our underlying economic problems are being grossed over or covered up as the domestic sector of the economy is still in bad shape. Just look at all the business indicators : dropping COE prices, property slump and highest business failures and bankruptcies and retrenchments to understand the real problems.
The reason why I have used Dropping COE prices and property slump as indicators of our state of economy is precisely because aof the state of denial the government is currently engaged in. It keeps using numbers and statistics to portray some look-good bits of the economy. The empty shops, vacated factories all over the island showed the whole sad state of Singapore domestic economy.
The earlier the government is prepared to admit the above-stated policy errors the better it will be in the eye of the citizens now still struggling from first world costs while earning third world wages.
While it is agreed that COE prices might reflect other factors at work but essentially from the general downward trends over the past few years the sign of weakening economy is very much in the wall as written by the dropping COEs.
Property slump was among the 20 problems caused by past errors of government's asset enhancement bravado. The beneficiary was HDB which managed to cream off billions in HDB super-inflated prices.
If the currently high business failures and bankruptcies is accepted as "not bad" indicator then the government should own up and take stock of all the problems and not continue to practise denial or justifications.
Statistics might have shown too that 95% of businesses fail within the first 5 years we are here not being statistical but trying to tell why there is an exceptionally high failures and bankruptcies during all these past years. Most likely the new policies are still ad hoc and for presentation or window dressing and not effective.
The remaining 5% which did not fail might go on to succeed in creating jobs but are there effective measures to nurture our own vibrancy or resilience? The first urgent change obviously is to lower or put right all the unnecessary double charging of lands and hyping up of all the business costs. The second urgent measure is to balance off the past pro-foreign investment policies and try to create incentres to encourage our own local technology start-ups especially promising ones which have not yet become famous. Do not just pick the winners. It is more proactive and creative to identify potential and build up broad-based capabilities.
Retrenchment is a sign of seriousness of the economy. Do not just implement ad hoc policies like getting the Work-Develpment Agency to mull over some minor job redesigning. Until monies are made to turn round and broad based education instituitions are fully in place a few ad hoc policies here and there would not address serious structural problems.
SPRING has admitted publicly that their past training programs thier programs have not basically changed the competitiveness of our work force. Big pictures such as these should be understood and relevant changes made to address fundamental problems.
Sad to say what has been done to date is a bit of ad hoc measures here and there such as converting of taxi-drivers to tour guide or cleaners but such measures are lacking in depths and the 20 major problems largely unsolved. This is the kind of look-good approach which is postpoing and delaying solutions.If the new leaders really want to save the situation, they should lead by morality and not just on their presumptuous leadership or talents. They should acknowledge past mistakes and presumptuousness and admit there is now a serious losss of economic competitiveness of Singapore and do something big.
You asked : how do we define "morality"? My answer is : By the government leaders so well taken care of, and therefore believing S$600,000 is peanut to pay to some CEO running our charitable organization, they already showed their own money faces.
On "doing something big," I believe we should recognise that big things start small. Biopolis is up. But it will take years before we reap the fruits.
Read the article. It's really insightful.
There is no morality left now in our system of government as leverything is measured in monies. While there is no denying that the best talents do deserve the right pays but look at how we reward our leaders and civil servants ? Is it correct or prudent to push the whole civil service wage to three times that of private sector wage cost. Is such a wage push done with accountability and transparency in the first instance ?
Why do we end up with theis kind of wage costs or the 20 major policy errors as stated in the foregoing? It is arrogance and lack of accountability and all the presumptuousness which has caused all these problems. The above-stated review showed should help to pin point the root cause of our greatest failures since the 1970s which are failures beyond all imagination.