World Bank criticizes Singapore; Sg breached an agreement
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It might be singapore garment is afraid their Red Car troop cannt handle a Real 'Social Disorder' senario.. WE have not met with any Social disorder with their High handed control except for a few mock riot juz a few week before the IMF..Originally posted by ShutterBug:You know, this matter of IMF meeting here and our gov's fear of activists creating a scene here is like; they (our gov) wants to swim, but don't want to get wet. (!!)
I mean, our home forces are so well equiped and well trained. I do not doubt the abilities of any of our home forces to HANDLE any riots or rowdiness that these activists may or may not cause.
Good grief man, if they don't wanna get wet, DON'T friggin swim!
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One day, the tables are going to get turned against him.Originally posted by ditzy:Anyone read the article about LKY filing a suit against FEER?
And that day is coming...
I wonder, how come we don't read about Bush sueing any papers or mags? -
The whole IMF things is stupid and embarressing. Suntec City is a fortress. It's a joke. All on the pretext that Singapore is a 'terrorist' target. I really find that hard to believe. By the way where are all this 16,000 delegates??? All i keep seeing are men in blue uniforms walking around aimlessly in Suntec City looking bored. These whole meeting is a public relation failure. The Singapore press keeps harping about the invisible delegates! I dont see any of the foreign press covering the meetings anywhere else. The government has to be accountable for the S$100million invested on this whole 1 week blooper. Whose head is going to roll here for wasting public funds???
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If the purpose of hosting this event was to aggressively sell Singapore's image to the world, then I think the PR work was not well done.
Maybe it all started out as a bright marketing idea years back when the agreement was signed, but the policies that were created following that conflicted with their objective; there was no follow-through.
I think the government could have afforded a more lex policy on civil group entry and demonstrations. Make an effort to create an assembly that allowed for some peaceful protests and meetings. This would have been the political and PR coup that they were trying to achieve.
Now they're doing it the usual way - 100% shut down no exceptions allowed. While us locals are used to this method and swallow it without much protest, it won't hold up to global scrutiny.
Of course a peaceful demonstration sounds like the dream scenario and realistically speaking, we don't live in a perfect world. This notion might be just wishful thinking, a far-flung ideal. But if they don't even TRY to achieve this, then what is the purpose of hosting this meeting?
At the very least, show that you are magnanimously allowing certain groups in, or allowing certain events to take place. Be creative and promote what was done, not allow people to highlight what hasn't been done.
Anyway, the only winner out of this meeting is the IMF/World Bank. They have their cake and get to eat it too! Finally, a meeting without the pesky protestors, and they even get to come out of the event looking like a tree-loving hero - campaigning for the civil groups' entry- while the S'pore host gets all the blame
Who says the ideal scenario can never happen?
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why is our gahment trying so hard to kiss up to these ppl?
re-tarring the roads, painting the flyovers, all the security measures...
imagine how much $$$ have been spent just for this event...
and not to mention the inconvenience caused to the ppl working in the suntec area...
in the end what happen? kenna slapped in the face
is it worth it?
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all I can say is that, having come back from that vicinity, the police presence isn't that overwhelming as announced.
A change of PR stance? Perhaps. But it looks alright today.
Eventual winner in this whole hooha? The IMF and WB. We and the protestors have been taken for a ride.
And that's the future, where nation-states will gradually give way to international organizations, and worst of all, these chaps are not elected at all, not even in a dubious one. -
Originally posted by ShutterBug:
Like this?
What more can I say, but - LPPL!
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Sep 14, 12:49 AM EDT
World Bank criticizes Singapore for barring entry of some activists
By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA
Associated Press Writer
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hohoho! no more world events! no more wayang-ing!
this country is getting more and more nonsensical... -
i really how will it be if those south korean rioters come here ...
see how good our police is
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The govt wasted lots of public funds and resources to give them the best service and we are told to be on our best behavoir so that investors will be impressed with us...
Yet the govt is the one to spoil the show by getting all the bad publicity.
dunno if this meeting can catapult us to the next level and attract more investments but definitely the govt has already shown the world how repressive they can be. -
It's going to be typical and usual of them - I can see it already;
They'd send an official to explain why the need to be so UPTIGHT on security, blah blah, how we shouldn't be complacent, blah blah, and that no one should tell us how we should run our country and policies, blah blah blah...
The real honchos will NEVER show face when things turns out embarrassingly MESSY!
ANd then finally, the ever famous phrase: "Lets move forward" !
Damn sick of that phrase!!!!
Move forward my arse!!
What they are doing looks more like moving friggin BACKWARDS!! -
Hello everyone this is my first post into the SGforums.
I'd like you to consider what investors consider when looking at Singapore for potential as an investment. As an investor you are looking to minimize your risk and increase your productivity. So far from these actions of our govn what kind of conclusions can you draw? I've made several broad ones for consideration.
1) Singapore govn cares about peace and the protection of the general well being of businesses and companies. (sometimes to the detriment of it's people but that covered in point 2)
2) Disruptive and antagonistic forces have no real recourse in Singapore. When was the last time you heard of an unhappy union going on strike? (and suceeding? To my knowledge the last time a strike was attempted the leader of the strike got thrown out of Singapore and the offending company got a smack on the wrist by a certain puppet master) In Singapore thats impossible with our current method of wrist slapping the company and persecuting the people. unions have no real power to apply pressure to companies to look for the well fare of the working people.
This recent rash of renagading on their previous agreement with hte IMF and WB to allow peaceful demonstrations and etc simply sends out the message that the govn has it's act together and knows how to tame/control it's people and that we're a safe country for you to invest in cause we'll never experience any civil unrest which might threaten your company.
Anyway these are my thoughts on the matter. Sure the IMF and WB may complain and whine about not having any demonstrators and Singapore may seem to be reconsidering but if they are serious about wooing investors they need to give an impression of a govn in such complete and thorough control that we are a 'safe bet' by investors.
Id like to stress these are my personal opinions and although I'm looking at it from the Govn perspective I don't agree with their methods at all. My thoughts may not necessarily flow coherently but I hope you consider them before continuing. That is all..... -
Ok lah. to be fair, I AGREE Singapore is indeed clearly a no nonsense place to do business. I enjoy doing business here as well!
We are safe, clean and "clean", as well as well structured in many aspects.
However, REPRESSION has to be more diluted or our gov is going to 'unintentionally', ALIENATE (i wonder is the spelling is right?) us from the rest of the world. -
bro ....Originally posted by ShutterBug:Ok lah. to be fair, I AGREE Singapore is indeed clearly a no nonsense place to do business. I enjoy doing business here as well!
We are safe, clean and "clean", as well as well structured in many aspects.
However, REPRESSION has to be more diluted or our gov is going to 'unintentionally', ALIENATE (i wonder is the spelling is right?) us from the rest of the world.
if you think our national media is biased, shouldn't you suppose the world press (read: western media) has some bias too ? ... it's a bit naive to believe that what the western press writes is a reflection of what people in other country feel eh ? ... everybody has one sort of agenda or another ...
would we be alienated ? ... I don't suppose so ... we'll probably be remembered for hosting one of the few IMF/WB meetings without any attendent civil disturbances in recent memory ... and I guess that's something that'll benefit us in the long run ... as a businessman yourself, surely you can see that side of things eh ? ... -
Ok, just remove ONE star from our National Flag - that one that represents Democracy.Originally posted by Fatum:bro ....
if you think our national media is biased, shouldn't you suppose the world press (read: western media) has some bias too ? ... it's a bit naive to believe that what the western press writes is a reflection of what people in other country feel eh ? ... everybody has one sort of agenda or another ...
would we be alienated ? ... I don't suppose so ... we'll probably be remembered for hosting one of the few IMF/WB meetings without any attendent civil disturbances in recent memory ... and I guess that's something that'll benefit us in the long run ... as a businessman yourself, surely you can see that side of things eh ? ...
Then I will see it that way. -
ah yes ... the "D" word ...Originally posted by ShutterBug:Ok, just remove ONE star from our National Flag - that one that represents Democracy.
Then I will see it that way.
well ... that's what you and I, everyone of us here, is practising now, no ? ...
that's democracy in action, being heard ...
but then we are Singaporeans or PRs here, we have a stake, and thus the right ... for we sink and swim with this island, right ? if the turd hits the fan and something happens, the IMF/WB can just pat their backsides and walk away ... but it's us that'll have to clean up the mess ... eh ? ... -
Fatum, I think Shutterbug's more cheesed off with the inability of the gahmen to say it straight and walk the talk, rather than trying to make it look real nice, and then say no in the end.Originally posted by ShutterBug:Ok, just remove ONE star from our National Flag - that one that represents Democracy.
Then I will see it that way.
Guess half the hooha would be gone if we just told the whole lot to bugger off right? -
it's just like I said, dammed if you do, dammed if you don't ...Originally posted by LazerLordz:Fatum, I think Shutterbug's more cheesed off with the inability of the gahmen to say it straight and walk the talk, rather than trying to make it look real nice, and then say no in the end.
Guess half the hooha would be gone if we just told the whole lot to bugger off right?
but of course, the authorities can do no right eh ? ... -
BINGO!!!Originally posted by LazerLordz:Fatum, I think Shutterbug's more cheesed off with the inability of the gahmen to say it straight and walk the talk, rather than trying to make it look real nice, and then say no in the end.
Guess half the hooha would be gone if we just told the whole lot to bugger off right?
You got that right!
Don't fake things. Say it - have or not, just say so.
Don't PRETEND or worse; bluff... -
...hmmmmm.....Originally posted by Fatum:it's just like I said, dammed if you do, dammed if you don't ...
but of course, the authorities can do no right eh ? ...
let me see, when was the last time they did something right.?......
.....hmmmmm......???
...hmmmmm....????
???...hmmmmm...... -
OH YES!
They are really GOOD in catching terrorists on our soil!
This I must give them much credits! -
They are afraid that the protestors embarass the police force lah.
Sg policemen only want to catch people putting up white elephants sign boards or wear brown T-shirts. Better still, arrest half nude female animal activists.
Handle an angry mob? No way Jose. -
What the problem with IMF ?
People will not be protesting if they are given a chance to present their points and views . If IMF is serious to want to listen to them, they would be invited as guest, also special meeting can be setup to meet with them.
The problem is IMF does not care and do not want to hear, so what the use of letting people protest, just because it become part of the culture ?
Yep when cars get burn, windows get broken - is IMF footing the bills ?
Maybe Singapore Government should let us organise a special protest - to protest to IMF, to shutup on the protest since they when do they care to hear it . Since they like protest, let protest again IMF -
This story pissed me off enough that I decided to stop talking about it, and start doing something about it...
If you believe that there should be public debate and assembly around the IMF meetings (or in general) then check out this open letter to the World Bank & IMF...
http://20six.co.uk/singaporeapology
If you agree, then sign the petition and tell all your friends about it.
Together we can make a difference and change this policy in Singapore! -
NOT IN MY COUNTRY!
i'm not fricken happy about the goddamned IMF coming here and fouling this place as it is...
any "activist" coming in here to riot can all go to hell..
NOT IN MY COUNTRY!
shutterbug, if you want to get burnt to be called a fireman, go be a demonstrator somewhere else and get your head bashed in by the riot police there first...
THEN FRICKIN' COME AND TELL US
until then, NOT IN MY COUNTRY!
you asswipe!