Ministers' boasting about world class achievements.
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Concepts, assumptions and presumptuousness have marked our leadership system for a long time.
When leaders started over-hyping the risk of welfarism they already plnated seed of a high-cost over-charged system of government as department after departmentment started to over-charge to full market values. They even charge citizens full land costs when the lands belong to them being paid by their taxes. So assumptions can be dangerous and cause many problems - problems of going to the extreme and neglecting other aspects of corporate governance.
Every policy has its pluses and minuses. about welfarism already caused us the extremely distressing high-cost problem.
Assumptions and presumptuousness about the goodness of foreign investments and foreign talents have their munuses. The push to go for foreign investments have already caused us a weaken domestic sector of the economy.
Our SMEs which depend on services are crushed by all the foreigners competing against them for the same small pie. Mediacorps is a clear example of what can happen when there are too small pie to share among too many players. Yet for the SMEs, the government does not care whether they survive or not. They not only open the doors fully to the foreigners to compete against them the government also itself competes agsinst them.
So don't let all the assumptions about our being a top-class country, fool us the citizens. We are not world class. We are going to lose out in real competitiveness and practical technology start-ups because of neglect in other areas in failing to build real capabilities.
Let our leaders learn real capabilities not all the policy assumptions. The past is full of assumptions which did not work. Our loss of economic competitiveness is due to brain drains of real talents by the thousands while government is busy promoting elitism or talents of the academic kind. It is time to get real and go for real entrepreneurship and abilities.
Stop blowing the trumpet, and let citizens who are trying hard to start business survive and only then will we have more capabilities and talents of the practical kind. By persisting in arrogance, we are going to suffer in many other ways. -
I totally agree with you, robertteh. Their arrogance should be humbled, whenever I read something boasting of our mediocre achievements, it makes me wanna cringe. Its embarrassing when I am in the company of foreign friends, they will make friendly jokes about our 'classy' goals. To the point we sometimes agree that the officials are referring to the sentence "World Crass" .....transport system/educational institution etc. This constant drumming in the media to create hype is an attempt to convince themselves and dimwits that we are indeed 'there'. This cockiness even resonates amongst some of our dimwits fellow sporeans: Overheard a singaporean family in the coach as we approach KL: "Aiyoh KL roads so dirty one....not like spore" "yah loh .... they not world class mah" At that point, i felt like telling them to STFU and go back to spore.
I even have the 'privilege' to witness the interpretation of 'World Class' by a tertiary education leader last year, that clueless guy said: "we strive to be a world class institution.....how to be a WC instituition?, he posed the question to us....no response from us......he continued:"I know how to get there" he said with a grin. "We need to achieve ISO 14000, ISO 9000 , Singapore Quality Class award etc etc " WTF !?? I could not belief this dumbass ! Which top University on our globe even bother to deal with this issue? Harvard? Columbia? Not a single one !
You see, its fascinating how these generation of top and middle mgt public servants dutifully toe the line set by our leaders. these highly paid dimwits simply need to ape the slogan and come up with a whimsical theory to define WC. And behold readers! They are leading our academic institutions.....cultivating the next generation of WORLD CRASS LEADERS. [/quote] -
With world class salary they better be.
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The gov only talking cock....with the development of the infrastructures, road width, sizes of carparks and mrt stations. Do you think we can cope with Seven million population? I will wait and see.Originally posted by urbanomad:I totally agree with you, robertteh. Their arrogance should be humbled, whenever I read something boasting of our mediocre achievements, it makes me wanna cringe. Its embarrassing when I am in the company of foreign friends, they will make friendly jokes about our 'classy' goals. To the point we sometimes agree that the officials are referring to the sentence "World Crass" .....transport system/educational institution etc. This constant drumming in the media to create hype is an attempt to convince themselves and dimwits that we are indeed 'there'. This cockiness even resonates amongst some of our dimwits fellow sporeans: Overheard a singaporean family in the coach as we approach KL: "Aiyoh KL roads so dirty one....not like spore" "yah loh .... they not world class mah" At that point, i felt like telling them to STFU and go back to spore.
I even have the 'privilege' to witness the interpretation of 'World Class' by a tertiary education leader last year, that clueless guy said: "we strive to be a world class institution.....how to be a WC instituition?, he posed the question to us....no response from us......he continued:"I know how to get there" he said with a grin. "We need to achieve ISO 14000, ISO 9000 , Singapore Quality Class award etc etc " WTF !?? I could not belief this dumbass ! Which top University on our globe even bother to deal with this issue? Harvard? Columbia? Not a single one !
You see, its fascinating how these generation of top and middle mgt public servants dutifully toe the line set by our leaders. these highly paid dimwits simply need to ape the slogan and come up with a whimsical theory to define WC. And behold readers! They are leading our academic institutions.....cultivating the next generation of WORLD CRASS LEADERS. [/quote]
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Hello Urbanomad,
The factories in JTC and Tuas are lying vacant in many of the hubs our leaders call world class.
Ah Beng has been excluded for years from taking part in projects because Ah Bengs were not world class enough. I once suggested during a feedback session to allow open-category tender system to encourage business start up among new comers but my suggestion was quickly denied on the ground that there is sufficient consideration of new comers under existing system.
Actually in our own land while any foreigners would be of some class our own local Ah Bengs are always of no class and are always ignored as unfit for any bidding or participations.
I was once involved in international tenders for projects but found that our companies were over-shadowed by foreign companies which came with their own bank and government support. I found that our government is not interested in extending any help to own citizens at any international bidding.
Vacant lands of JTC and LTA can always be used for start-ups of import substitution production like food stuff etc. JTC can always create jobs by using empty and idling resources to our advantage. They should have known that resouces lying vacant is a sin e.g. vacant land, factories and unemployed citizens etc.
It should cost the JTC or HDB nothing to let these vacant lands and factories be turned to good use to produce substitutions imports and other industies to create jobs. Unemployed citizens can easily start something on these empty lands or factories.
There is no need for class. Just let existing resources be put to good use instead of letting the vacant lands and factories idle. But they would never recognise Ah Beng because he is no class. They are full of class and cannot deal with people who are of no class. -
Hello Anonymous,(posted at FU on 29.9.2005)
I share your concern about racism. I am making one additional point that apart from racism, there seems to be the constant habit of trying to prove something in all the policies from persisting in raising of fees to increasing controls of citizens' freedoms of choice. Why use the office as a ground for contention with own citizens. Just let there be natural helpfulness to facilitate business survival and livelihood and everything will be fine. When there is high costs go and do something to reduce costs. I find that new policies and new policies are always trying to resist or persist in order to prove something.
Welfarism is of course wrong but there is no need to keep recovering costs against customers and users to full market values when taxes are paid for essential services. This kind of mentality has characterised our leaders and should have been recognised as wrong and put right.
Why this paranoid. Racism is wrong but why pick on bloggers for this kinds of punishments. Is it done so as to prove their past policy on control of information and press freedom as right policies. It will create only more NKFs in due course when all the wrongs got blown up in one fell swoop of unhappiness. -
The ministers who succeeded in restructuing the economy and created jobs will be remembered as new heros.
Apart from Dr. Goh Keng Swee and Mr. Hong Sui Sin, we have no more action or result ministers. That is why today we still hear only excuses that Singapore is too small and cannot compete with bigger economies.
The U-turn syndroms are too deeply entrenched in our present cabinets. Instead of giving us solutons, they keep giving excuses. For ego, they would still claim to be world's best. -
Because we never had a WORLD CLASS govt or Party/Parties running the country
Its has been they themselves singing praises about themselves... no shame lah
Self flattery is no flattery -
If our ministers are to talk about all their world class acts during the last two recessions people might believe in their convictions.
Did they have the courage of convictions to talk about their class at that time we need them most ? What I remember is that they quickly denied responsibility and put all the blames for retrenchments and migration ot MNCs on world economic situation. They said they could not do anything about structural unemployment except to wait for external world recovery.
If any economy has to wait for world recovery we might as well forget about economic planning or ministers since they do not make any difference. If they truly have the class they should be able to put in some original solutions and creativity to use our vacant lands, idling resources and unemployed and older workers to good use. When we need them they would give all the reasons why they cannot do anything but at the slightest sign of world recovery, they will surface their class talk again to claim credit for something they denied any responsibility for. -
Robertteh, i am convinced that those in power are dimwits, the mentality of public servants is predictable; don't rock the boat; if its not broken don't tweak it. They have no sense of urgency until "huay sio kah chern" Fire burn the butt in hokkien. I have worked with these people before so i know how they think and act. Responsibility is hard to track and pin-point, because, these people make collective decision !!!! They call it teamwork !! Any minor issue will be tabled during a meeting and a decision will be made by the mgt team. This way, no one person will be held responsible....i call this "spreading the blame" Its a phenomenon in all our ministries/organs of state/ stat. board etc. Remember all the sagas like LTA's bicycle barrier, HDB rivets, TCs' lamp post killed boy incidents? etc etc. Who are the people behind these decisions? Can they be singled out? They are all programmed not to rant on each other; you scratch my back, i scratch yours. The sad thing is, this attitude is etched in all public servants as a norm for guarding each others' rice bowl.Originally posted by robertteh:If our ministers are to talk about all their world class acts during the last two recessions people might believe in their convictions.
Did they have the courage of convictions to talk about their class at that time we need them most ? What I remember is that they quickly denied responsibility and put all the blames for retrenchments and migration ot MNCs on world economic situation. They said they could not do anything about structural unemployment except to wait for external world recovery.
If any economy has to wait for world recovery we might as well forget about economic planning or ministers since they do not make any difference. If they truly have the class they should be able to put in some original solutions and creativity to use our vacant lands, idling resources and unemployed and older workers to good use. When we need them they would give all the reasons why they cannot do anything but at the slightest sign of world recovery, they will surface their class talk again to claim credit for something they denied any responsibility for.
So you see, we will never be able to make leaps and bounds like before; in terms of social/economic/political progression. No one dared to take responsibilty:fear factor. I remembered watching a documentary years back which left a deep impression in me; its about a ship engineer in japan back in the 80s. During the day when the ship is launched, he had a small samurai sword strapped on his body. When asked by the british reporter whats that for, he replied firmly:" i will take my life if the launch of this ship fail" " I will not be able to face my boss and my family"
All you public servant out there: all you need is just 1% of this sort of attitude. -
I agree with your views. The system will not change. Why rock the boat? Committee systems have been perfected to a fine degree to absorb the non-performance of senior offices and ministers. Dengue is a problem caused by past negligence in preventative measures but now the committee is absorbing the minister in charge and to push away all problems.Originally posted by urbanomad:Robertteh, i am convinced that those in power are dimwits, the mentality of public servants is predictable; don't rock the boat; if its not broken don't tweak it. They have no sense of urgency until "huay sio kah chern" Fire burn the butt in hokkien. I have worked with these people before so i know how they think and act. Responsibility is hard to track and pin-point, because, these people make collective decision !!!! They call it teamwork !! Any minor issue will be tabled during a meeting and a decision will be made by the mgt team. This way, no one person will be held responsible....i call this "spreading the blame" Its a phenomenon in all our ministries/organs of state/ stat. board etc. Remember all the sagas like LTA's bicycle barrier, HDB rivets, TCs' lamp post killed boy incidents? etc etc. Who are the people behind these decisions? Can they be singled out? They are all programmed not to rant on each other; you scratch my back, i scratch yours. The sad thing is, this attitude is etched in all public servants as a norm for guarding each others' rice bowl.
So you see, we will never be able to make leaps and bounds like before; in terms of social/economic/political progression. No one dared to take responsibilty:fear factor. I remembered watching a documentary years back which left a deep impression in me; its about a ship engineer in japan back in the 80s. During the day when the ship is launched, he had a small samurai sword strapped on his body. When asked by the british reporter whats that for, he replied firmly:" i will take my life if the launch of this ship fail" " I will not be able to face my boss and my family"
All you public servant out there: all you need is just 1% of this sort of attitude.
Remaking Singapore committee absorbed the ministry of trade and industry and EDB all their failures in creating technology start-ups and jobs.
The minister can explain everything and repeated building or work site collapses. When Hotel New World collapsed, they put up so many papers and make so many changes but the work site safety problems essentially remain.
They will find some scapegoats so no ministers or senior mandarins will ever wear a samurai at the waist in lauching of ship. In fact when the navy accidents were caused by plain negligence but all the blames were pushed to the lower rung officers.
If there is one reason I can think of why our economy is not making any headway over the past twenty years, it is because no one is responsible for any mistake at the top any more. After all if they want to investigate it will probably happen that the top will be implicated for not listening to certain problems from feedbacks of subordinates. . -
Like you who try to contribute some ideas for this country, i once wrote to PMO (GCT period) abt 6 years back about use of land, i had an idea of tapping onto hi-tech agriculture that hygenically produce lifestocks and leafy vegetables, idea also address issues of land use and pollution etc. (Letter directed to BCA and some smartass scholar replied that pollution and land usage is an issue and that they have thought of it before etc etc....so not feasible; that highly paid dimwit has a low IQ i guess, coz the whole idea is technically proven to reduce land use and pollution and help spore control food source from being contaminated. Besides, the idea will also help create thousands of jobs and averted pork/eggs/chicken shortage crisis during periods where diseases are abound in our region.)Originally posted by robertteh:Hello Urbanomad,
The factories in JTC and Tuas are lying vacant in many of the hubs our leaders call world class.
Ah Beng has been excluded for years from taking part in projects because Ah Bengs were not world class enough. I once suggested during a feedback session to allow open-category tender system to encourage business start up among new comers but my suggestion was quickly denied on the ground that there is sufficient consideration of new comers under existing system.
Actually in our own land while any foreigners would be of some class our own local Ah Bengs are always of no class and are always ignored as unfit for any bidding or participations.
I was once involved in international tenders for projects but found that our companies were over-shadowed by foreign companies which came with their own bank and government support. I found that our government is not interested in extending any help to own citizens at any international bidding.
Vacant lands of JTC and LTA can always be used for start-ups of import substitution production like food stuff etc. JTC can always create jobs by using empty and idling resources to our advantage. They should have known that resouces lying vacant is a sin e.g. vacant land, factories and unemployed citizens etc.
It should cost the JTC or HDB nothing to let these vacant lands and factories be turned to good use to produce substitutions imports and other industies to create jobs. Unemployed citizens can easily start something on these empty lands or factories.
There is no need for class. Just let existing resources be put to good use instead of letting the vacant lands and factories idle. But they would never recognise Ah Beng because he is no class. They are full of class and cannot deal with people who are of no class.
The point I am making here is, SAVE YOUR BREATH !!! These dimwits public servants have no originality, no intellectual integrity, no vision. The entire system is filled with half-baked self-professed expert pencil pushers whom straitjacket their potential and could not see beyond their noses. Just sit back and watch these dimwits run our nation aground. -
What to expect when these ppl work for the government right after they get their degree. Maybe it is their only way of survival.Originally posted by urbanomad:These dimwits public servants have no originality, no intellectual integrity, no vision. The entire system is filled with half-baked self-professed expert pencil pushers whom straitjacket their potential and could not see beyond their noses. Just sit back and watch these dimwits run our nation aground.
For those who knows what I am saying.
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It is sad that to see so many good ideas of citizens turned down on some stupid pollution when given some common sense the so-called pollution can easily be overcome by simple methods.Originally posted by urbanomad:Like you who try to contribute some ideas for this country, i once wrote to PMO (GCT period) abt 6 years back about use of land, i had an idea of tapping onto hi-tech agriculture that hygenically produce lifestocks and leafy vegetables, idea also address issues of land use and pollution etc. (Letter directed to BCA and some smartass scholar replied that pollution and land usage is an issue and that they have thought of it before etc etc....so not feasible; that highly paid dimwit has a low IQ i guess, coz the whole idea is technically proven to reduce land use and pollution and help spore control food source from being contaminated. Besides, the idea will also help create thousands of jobs and averted pork/eggs/chicken shortage crisis during periods where diseases are abound in our region.)
The point I am making here is, SAVE YOUR BREATH !!! These dimwits public servants have no originality, no intellectual integrity, no vision. The entire system is filled with half-baked self-professed expert pencil pushers whom straitjacket their potential and could not see beyond their noses. Just sit back and watch these dimwits run our nation aground.
They are too lazy to study and recommend any ideas to their superior who may not take kindly to having to convince their higher up if anything go wrong.
Ideas and businesses are investment resources. There is no perfect solutions and there will be risk. At least accept this fact in putting up ideas and give pros and cons so that in the event ideas work, there will be certain progress and new jobs. I don't think they ever will evaluate ideas as investments but are over-protective of their own rice bowl. No wonder our existing resources are lying idle while ciitzens and new graduates stay unemployed.
It is a sin to see so many empty buildings and factories and civil servants ar so happy to boast of creating many hubs.
Just go to the Feedback Unit to read their standard replies to my feedbacks under FAQs and you will see that their minds are already made up there is no problems with their policies but there will be problems and objections with new ideas or feedbacks.
They will not take people's suggestions for two reasons:
(1) Good Ideas must come from government not people.
(2) With hundreds of regulations mostly "don't do this or cannot accept that", there will be always some reasons for any civil servants to point out a conflict with one of them. Pollution is a frequent reason but they simply do not know that semi-pollutions can easily be controlled by simple methods.