40 years' of progress - used for every year's ND speeches
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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?
To whoever who had make the above statement, I would advise him to update himself on Taiwanese domination in semiconductor, LCDs, IC design, memory devices, Automobile Electronics devices... in their Economic Daily News ( http://udn.com/NEWS/FINANCE/ )
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)
80% of global notebook sales were manufactured, assembled and distributed by Taiwanese firms (in China).
They are now 2nd (after South Korea) in global LCD displays manufacturing. Their dominance and strength in value chain (PC and LCD) had recently attracted Corning and many participated parties (material suppliers, equipments vendors) to invest heaily in Taiwan (not China).
Unlike our Biopolis, the Taiwanese built their semiconductor empire from the ground up.The Biopolis will need more such anchor companies that act as magnets for other major companies - both rivavl and allied firms. Because anchor companies buy goods and services, they also attract numerous companies in related and supporting industries, which help strengthen and mature the cluster.
Equate Novartis with TSMC, UMC and equate GSK with Quanta, ACER, Benq....,
the only difference, Novartis and GSK were incentised, attracted, lured to invest in Singapore, Novartis and GSK are not Singapore companies, inventions and patents by Novartis and GSK are not Singapore inventions and patents. If Malaysia, Taiwan or South Korea put more efforts they could emulate a Biopolis in their countries and lured those Giants. -
Hello iamgoondu,
The quote you responded to was made by "Bookfish" at www.channelnewsasia under "Business" "Economic Master Plan and New start-ups" thread. Thanks for your contribution. -
Originally posted by TwilightZone:
I want a full audit of our national reserves by UN and my part of the reserves delivered to my bank account within a month. Thank you very much.
The bottom line, my friends, is [b]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.
[/b] -
Forget it. They claim they need 56 man-year to work out the report and It is against NAtional Interest to reveal.Originally posted by Cindyfeh:I want a full audit of our national reserves by UN and my part of the reserves delivered to my bank account within a month. Thank you very much.
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aussie wrote:
The above-stated is a practical example of that kind of technologies, industries and manufacturing Singapore should strive for.
If $M CEOs and directors sitting on boards for years are unable to add leverage to their companies, something is very wrong.
Yes, you have the money to buy but at a high price...and it will take years to recover, if not overtaken by newer technologies.
Nothing beats developing it. The value in creating it is priceless.
But do you really want to do it? Some yes and some no.
It need easy availability of related industry critical mass - component parts firstly...the whole spectrum.
Stop people from the Residents' Committee instigating the URA and BCD stifling everything. Over regulation kills.
SG has too many obstacles in the path to list. SG shall fail.
=====================================
12.08.05
By Georgina Bond
Technology company Rakon, which makes crystals and oscillators for mobile phones and global positioning systems, was last night named the country's top exporter.
The Auckland-based family business, which started in a home basement 38 years ago and now makes more than $60 million in export earnings annually, beat 20 other finalists for the title of Supreme Exporter of the Year at the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Export Awards in Christchurch.
The privately owned company was founded in 1967 by Warren Robinson to manufacture quartz crystals for the local VHF and marine industry by hand from his basement.
Today it employs about 500 people in its Auckland headquarters and is recognised as the best producer of high performance crystals and oscillators in the world.
Almost all its sales are export, and these have increased 762 per cent between January 2002 and December 2004. It has customers in 45 countries, and its major markets are North America, Asia and Western Europe.
Sales manager Justin Maloney said the company had survived radical changes in direction and the boom and bust years of the international telecoms market, when many other crystal manufacturers went bust.
I have not heard or seen any of our ministers or top civil servants trying to bring in new technological self-reliance, developing our own products and services which add values like Rakon.
Instead they are seen to be interested only to get people to become book worms, get degrees without developing technology start-ups to create value-add jobs like Rakon.
How many more scholars do we really need to run the civil service ? In the meantime we are falling behind in getting enough start-ups or new capabilities to employ or occupy them.
If we have government talents and capable leaders let them oversee and augment technology start-ups to provide value-add jobs to our younger generations as one of the primary goals of nation building. -
Please go back to Sammyboy forums and continue to entertain the menagerie there.Oh yes..it's made of glass too.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.
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In the first 30 years of nation building, Singapore had indeed benefited tremendously due to our resource rich but management poor neighbours. We had used to the days when Singapore was the only investor friendly nation in SE Asia, where our Orchard Road and Shenton Way was packed with AngMo and Jap. Our stock index was in the Bull Mode and kept rocketing upwards, with new investments and FDI from overseas investors.
Why? The reason was simple. Singapore was the beach-head for the foreign investors to tap the resources from our neighbours using the so-call Singapore Networking with Malaysian and Indon elites. That why singapore leaders love to use the word "Hub" later.
Singapore is more dependent on Malaysian and Indon economical well being than China economic boom. -
Most of the things we see on tv where people praise/agree with policies/govt
are edited and selectively played. besides, being in such a tightly governed place, who DARE to give dissenting views know full well ISD will come knocking within the hour... I always smell fear in the eyes of those interviewed .. All so fake..
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What BS! 56 man year?!?Originally posted by LinYu:Forget it. They claim they need 56 man-year to work out the report and It is against NAtional Interest to reveal.
Why don't they get salaries after 56 years? -
look at all the pussies cry about national service. read up the Six Day war plz
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To: Forumers,
Unfortunately my previous post on 14.8.2005 at 7:46 pm to Channel News Asia forum at "Business" under the topic "Economic Master Plan and New Technology Start-ups" was deleted. For your information please. -
TwilightZone,Originally posted by TwilightZone: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.
when I was at SIntercom Forums, I encountered 1 PAP-per called Caroline. She refused to listen to others, spun up her own set of praise rhetoric, and decried everyone else as fools. In like fashion, she was slammed down too. My friend, youa re sadly becoming more and more like this obnoxious lady I have just introduced to you. Robert and I, esp. me, have spent numerous posts relating FACTS to you, and you are simply rejecting the FACTS and TRUTH over and over again. In short, your quality of discussion is degenerating.
Is it right for you to call others losers, when you yourself are a bigger loser than any of the oppo, simply by the virtue that you haven't contested in any GE before? Not that I defend CSJ or Sylvia Lim or anyone - but seriously, your character assassination attempts are just as low-class at that of the Straits Times or of stooges like Caroline.
Singaporeans actually have not really been able to show their true level of support for the govt, and are not even allowed to vote for the President now. The extreme percentage of voters in walkover constituencies in the last GE prove ambiguity in the true national popular support the govt has. Fine, p'raps you find that existence of walkovers does not prove anything, but even then, it shows EMPIRICALLY - tt is, by figures - how small the definite PAP support is as a fraction of our 4m people.
And anyway, Mr Kuan didn't exactly "cry foul" or "attempt to discredit the winners", whom I guess is Mr Nathan. Even the opposition haven't been character-assassinating Nathan in their own press releases although they are the ones most often character-assassianted by the PAP. They have responsibly criticized the electoral process, as many concerned citizens writing to the press have. Because seriously, the eligibility criteria need to be reviewed. GO and read them yourself, and if you are as rational as you (implicitly) claim to be, then you will agree with me on this point.
The only one who is having illusions, my dear friend, is you. To claim that the govt has done NOTHING wrong a a blatant lie, and only a blind person cannot see that. Even LKY acknowledged that certain policies he pursued in the past, like dual-language and (robert, this is for you too) inviting MNCs to set up here were mistakes in their own way. He hasn't apologised for EVERYTHING yet, but at least he is starting to claim responsibility. You are sadly living in a pipe dream if you still believe the govt has done nth wrong. Hmm.. I think I shall support a govt initiative to ban smoking...
jeez.*sigh* If you can't understand me after all this, you're a real thicko.
Please, I beg you, step out of your twilight zone into the New Morning of the Reality. Take the Red Pill. Step out of the Matrix.
the (sad and dissappointed) pikamaster -
Dear Mr Pikamaster,
I was not referring to Mr Kuan in my posting. He appears to be a professional and gentlemen. I respect his desire to serve the country. It is a pity that he did not qualify under the PEC guidelines.
Anyway, all the walkovers in the GE and the PE are perfectly legal and democratic. It is ridiculous to blame walkovers on the ruling party if the Opposition is unable to field candidates. It is also ridiculous to blame the government if no qualified candidates in accordance with the guidelines step forward in the PE.
The fact remains that the majority of the citizens voted for the ruling party even if we exclude all the walkovers, in all the GEs. The fact remains that our government is the best and the most honest in this world and is the reason why they are supported by the majority of the people of Singapore.
Thank you. -
TwilightZone,Originally posted by TwilightZone:Dear Mr Pikamaster,
I was not referring to Mr Kuan in my posting. He appears to be a professional and gentlemen. I respect his desire to serve the country. It is a pity that he did not qualify under the PEC guidelines.
Anyway, all the walkovers in the GE and the PE are perfectly legal and democratic. It is ridiculous to blame walkovers on the ruling party if the Opposition is unable to field candidates. It is also ridiculous to blame the government if no qualified candidates in accordance with the guidelines step forward in the PE.
The fact remains that the majority of the citizens voted for the ruling party even if we exclude all the walkovers, in all the GEs. The fact remains that our government is the best and the most honest in this world and is the reason why they are supported by the majority of the people of Singapore.
Thank you.
1) sorry for the misunderstanding on this pt.
2) The walkovers are legal, but they only SEEM democratic. Let's see... why is the opposition unable to field candidates? :
a -> high costs to register poltiical candidates & low budget on the oppostion, caused by:
i. no access to foreign funding: not so impt on its own, but impt once u consider the other reasons.
ii. PAP co-optation of talent: the moment you're an elite who shows an inclination toward opposition viewpoints, you are called for a "tea party". Look at what happened to former RoundTable leader Raymond Lim and Ex-national-debates-champion Vivian Balakrishnan. It pains me to see how a national-class medal-winning opposition debater cannot even see the relevance of the anti-Casino points in this year's debate, when that was what he won gold medal for - debating against the construction of a Casino - in 1993. His pro-casino arguments, particularly the one about maturity, were super-pathetic, and do not bring good face to the National Debates Association. Similarly, look at the difference between Raymond Lim of the RoundTable, an organization similar to ThinkCentre, and the Raymond Lim of Now, Minister Of State for Trade and Industry. It is shocking how he has changed.
And note, the word co-optation implies that there was no choice for those men, or very spurious choice in the least. At least for Mr Lim, it was probably the only guarantee of survival as a free citizen; none of us knows what is his PRIVATE view though.
iii. PAP's control of the economy: Does Singapore have a free market? Only on paper. No MNC or large company will be willing to finance the opposition if it means they might risk losing operating licenses or worse, go through long trials like the one NKF has just gone through. No MNC in the country wants to be SIngapore's next Enron. In the case of small business operators, they run the REAL risk of losing their business licenses ie. not having licenses renewed, if they do not support the PAP, or so my friend heard from her local grocer. In such circumstances, which money-earning firm would support the opposition?
And don't forget, the most major firms, the GLCs like Temasek Holdings and A* Star, are run by government associates anyway. Seriously, would Madam Ho not vote for her husband's Party?
iv. SPH's Media-slander campaigns: You can easily contrast the newspapers' treatment of Opposition with their treatment of government figures. TODAY is slightly more objective than the Straits Times, but the government is still covered more favourably. This is significant not only in what they report, but also in what they don't report. for instance, PAP's anniversary is given at least 4 complete pages of coverage in ST; WP's anniversary is given at most 1/3 of a page.
Given the deplorable slant the media has, the opposition lose their final avenue of appeal for funds, whereas obviously funds for the PAP would flow in. Everyone likes to have a good image.
b -> the media-slander campaigns.
c -> The GRC system: seems racially equitable? Since PAP is the largest party, it can obviously afford (not in monetary terms) to put at least 8-9 candidates up for election in each constituency. but the opposition, having much dwindled in numbers, are unable to obtain such a large group for each constituency, esp. when you factor in other election requirements. To compound to the opposition's woes, they have to meet the racial quota of the GRC-election system. Given all these constraints, how the heck are they supposed to be able to contest in the major constituencies? isn't it then no surprise that all the major constituencies are walkovers?
As for the PE, you really need to think out of the box here: Have you ever even considered considering the thought that the guidelines themselves are flawed? I'm sure you probably would have, unless you don't read the forum pages on the Straits Times. Of course, the government is the only agency capable of amending the guidelines, since the guidelines are in the Constitution.
3) The fact remains that the majority of citizens did not even vote in the GE, so henceforth the true level of support the people have for the government is indeterminate. Not to mention the fear of lack of HDB upgrading etc possesed by those electors in non-walkover constituencies.
Most honest? I seriously doubt any politican in the world can be considered honest in his/her field of work. If the government were honest, we might perhaps learn the full objective history of Operation Spectrum and Operation Coldstore, complete with undedited international opinion, instead of having both entirely obiliterated from the school syllabus. (this excludes uni) If the government were honest, there should certainly be more admissions of mistakes rather than shelving the blame of faults to the people or to "the international situation" or to "the terrorists" or to "the decadent west". And clearly, shelving the blame is what the PAP does best. So, they are honest?
Best? Again, like I said before, best in economics perhaps, but not best in social management; even this happens to be one of the rare admissions of failure LKY himself has made.
Regards,
the pikamaster -
Great to see some good posting from the members.
Especially from old timers in Sintercom days.
The current situation in Singapore.
As far as most of us can see .
There is no swiss standard of living.
All of us have to accept the truth and reality.
Whether you are ruling party supporters or not. -
haha,Originally posted by CPTMiller:Great to see some good posting from the members.
Especially from old timers in Sintercom days.
The current situation in Singapore.
As far as most of us can see .
There is no swiss standard of living.
All of us have to accept the truth and reality.
Whether you are ruling party supporters or not.
I'm from the "New Sintercom" days, don't u noe??? -
Here's an article on Ireland in the latest edition of Newsweek.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9785602/site/newsweek/page/2/
The article though refers Ireland, it hold quite true on us too. -
abcdefghij
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Hello Iamgoondu,
The report you referred to will not be published in our press for the purpose of nation building as bad news of this type about our property collapse might destabilise the people.
Years back our leaders like PM Mr. Goh Chok Tong asked people to put in their hard-earned monies and CPF into properties. He believed that property prices have no where to go except up. Then came the crash with the same leaders making every move to push down prices by increasing purchase deposits, prohibiting further bank financing.
The Singapore's property experience is one created by not entirely by greed of people but by political leaders pushing people with incentives and liberalizing of purchase conditions etc resulting in the property prices going skyhigh which made no sense whatsoever.
When prices dropped drastically in 1997/1998, billions of CPF savings were wiped out. Today, people lost their retirements because of this property gamble that leaders took the gamble in and failed. People jumped into property bandwagon like no tomorrow, pushing up HDB flat prices to increase government's profits and releasing CPF monies for this purpose unlike Ireland.
Even though Ireland has enjoyed a frenzied property boom and prices have climbed more than 130 percent, the steepest curve in Europe and its construction industry now employs a massive 12 percent of the work force, it is unlike our own government's case of pushing citizens into a massive property gamble.
Even though the Irish property boom was caused by some forms of government's involvements their property boom and corrections were not attributable to government to the same extent as has happened in our case which is largely due to government's actions.
Our world-class leaders have again outperformed Irish leaders who have merely allowed property boom in Ireland to take its own natural course.
Meanwhile, even if Irish growth and industrial output are slowing and there is a realization that booming real-estate construction and consumer demand can carry the economy only so far, Ireland did not suffer the kind of property drop as Singaporeans have suffered. Hundreds of thousands have their retirements wiped out and are now trying to eek out a living by working in odd jobs with no help from the anti-welfare government.
Ireland might be suffering from over-priced property and is trying to make amends, in our case, our property prices are now at the bottom or sliding further due to government actions.
I agree with correspondent Diarmaid MacDermott (Dublin) that Ireland has been slow to make certain transformation of its economy but generally its property experiences are not as worse as has happened to Singapore. -
Originally posted by Cindyfeh:In reality no leader will say his organisation is in bad shape.
I have stopped listening to the motivational messages by leaders from companies or countries. Why? Because its all creative writing. For another example of creative writing, you can read Enron's ex-CEO letter to the shareholders (year 2000) here: http://www.enron.com/corp/investors/annuals/2000/shareholder.html
To get the best gauge of the financial health of a company, I look at the salaries and the number of months of bonus. The same applies for country. I look at how much money is in my pocket. It is a simple gauge. Others might not agree, saying it is too simple and want to do all the GDP per capital, total wealth, blah blah analysis. In a perfect world with totally honest statistics, those analysis are fine. But in this world, I only trust my own statistics. That is how much $$ I have in my pocket. -
Knn, I wouldn't want my son end up dead during NS!!!
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I cannot agree more.
aussie wrote:
If $M CEOs and directors sitting on boards for years are unable to add leverage to their companies, something is very wrong.
Yes, you have the money to buy but at a high price...and it will take years to recover, if not overtaken by newer technologies.
Nothing beats developing it. The value in creating it is priceless.
But do you really want to do it? Some yes and some no.
It need easy availability of related industry critical mass - component parts firstly...the whole spectrum.
Stop people from the Residents' Committee instigating the URA and BCD stifling everything. Over regulation kills.
SG has too many obstacles in the path to list. SG shall fail.
Sg government only knows how to copy, not create.
Sporeans only want shortcuts.
Problems with job, just change job.
Few would want to start a company.
Government only know how to attract MNCs, import FTs.
And talk abt innovations and creativity on the same playgrounds.
No one talk about CREATION.
What biopolis, what casino.
They are still importing FTs and creating simple jobs (respectively)
IT is the best they can do.
Cos the goverment simply know nuts about creation.
The value of creation cannot be under-estimated.
It is limitless.
This is not just a government problem, but problem with sporeans.
I suggest, forget about the overhyped words : innovation and creativity.
The word now is "CREATION". -
I cannot agree with you more. Our present generation of leaders have not succeeded in upgrading the economy to value-adding advanced technological base talked about for years because they lack the x-factor. They only know that by certain academic qualifications and some years of service among the upper elites they can easily step into position of powers and earning high salaries without creating new technology start-ups or upgrading of the economic competitiveness.Originally posted by NuLife:I cannot agree more.
Sg government only knows how to copy, not create.
Sporeans only want shortcuts.
Problems with job, just change job.
Few would want to start a company.
Government only know how to attract MNCs, import FTs.
No one talk about CREATION.
What biopolis, what casino.
They are still importing FTs and creating simple jobs (respectively)
IT is the best they can do.
Cos the goverment simply know nuts about creation.
The value of creation cannot be under-estimated.
It is limitless.
This is not just a government problem, but problem with sporeans.
Given another 10 years they will still be inducting and talking about talents and unable to uplift the economy. It is time they step aside and let some non-talented people who have done something good in private sector to show them how to run the country better with lesser salary costs to the citizens. -
Making me laughing to death......The minister's ancestors also quitters from China or wherever; if this is what they called the quitters of singapore. freaking govOriginally posted by Cindyfeh:No offense mochou.
If you are Chinese and your grandparents migrated to Singapore in the 30's - 50's, try asking them
1. 'what you didn't like about China back then that caused you to migrate?"
2. "What have you contributed to the China soceity when your forefathers fought the Qing dynasty to create Republic of China and fought the Japs?"
Our grandparents are migrants from China, indians, etc. If they can migrate, so can we. Don't let the propagenda affect your thinking. It is your choice to migrate, just as it was in your grandparents' time.
I feel very upset that our gov labelled Singaporeans leaving Singapore as quitters because it will label our grandparents as the same since they left China. -
But if our ancestors have not migrated to Singapore, there will be no you and me in the first place worr...Originally posted by Cindyfeh:No offense mochou.
If you are Chinese and your grandparents migrated to Singapore in the 30's - 50's, try asking them
1. 'what you didn't like about China back then that caused you to migrate?"
2. "What have you contributed to the China soceity when your forefathers fought the Qing dynasty to create Republic of China and fought the Japs?"
Our grandparents are migrants from China, indians, etc. If they can migrate, so can we. Don't let the propagenda affect your thinking. It is your choice to migrate, just as it was in your grandparents' time.
I feel very upset that our gov labelled Singaporeans leaving Singapore as quitters because it will label our grandparents as the same since they left China.[/quote]
[quote]Originally posted by Lowclassman:
Making me laughing to death......The minister's ancestors also quitters from China or wherever; if this is what they called the quitters of singapore. freaking gov
Okay. People who fled the country in times of need should be labelled as a coward or deserter (if they belong to the member of the armed forces) instead of quitter.
According to Oxford Concise Dictionary,
Coward (noun) - A person contemptibly lacking in courage.
Deserter (noun) - A member of the armed forces who deserts.
Quitter (noun) - A person who gives up easily.
So the labelling of 'Quitter' on those who migrant when the country is not even in turmoil is justifiable.
p/s: Sorry ahh all ancestors but being labelled as a coward is better than a quitter... don't hunt me..
.. that will be 5 Cents.