?Many say LHL addressed difficult issues confronting Spore?
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Many say PM Lee addressed difficult issues confronting Singaporeans
Channel NewsAsia - Monday, August 20SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's speech at the National Day Rally on Sunday has been described as substantive.
Mr Lee brought up various issues in his most important address of the year � from new measures to narrow the widening income gap to specific initiatives to help the ageing population, to new initiatives in education.
Many in the audience said the Prime Minister took the bull by the horns and addressed some of the most difficult issues confronting ordinary Singaporeans.
"I think every citizen is involved in today's speech. He's really touched everyone - young, elderly, middle-aged, whoever,� commented community leader Sarjit Singh.
A junior college student, Goh Li Jie, said, "Now with three universities, (we have) tight schedule with limited scope. But with a fourth university� chances of us getting in (are) quite high."
To NTUC assistant secretary-general Halimah Yaacob, "I think the most important message he has put across is that Singaporeans need to work longer and that the government will do its best to support Singaporeans in their effort by making sure there are jobs available."
Gerard Ee, chairman of the Council for the Third Age, agreed. "If your lifespan is expected to go to 80 and beyond, that is 20 to 25 years to the traditional retirement and that is a very long time to live doing nothing. So those with opportunities to do so should be meaningfully engaged."
Among the audience, for the first time, were opposition MPs.
Chiam See Tong, MP for Potong Pasir said, "The CPF one per cent increase in interest rate will be welcomed by people. But (for the) delay in drawing down the CPF money from 62 to 65, I think the government will have to do a lot convincing the people."
Most MPs believed the speech has put all the signs in place, so it is now their turn to explain the details to their constituents.
"These things are not easy to digest and I think Singaporeans will need time to digest. There are positive steps but (they) will need a lot of explanation," said South West Community Development Council Mayor Amy Khor. - CNA/ac
The above is from govt controlled TV station. -
Silverspoon kid will be silverspoon kid,what does he know about the difficulties that Singapore facing right now?
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nw no more silver...is GOLD PLATEDOriginally posted by drawer:Silverspoon kid will be silverspoon kid,what does he know about the difficulties that Singapore facing right now? -
It is the same kind of speech year after year - Singapore did well, Singaporeans must change their mindset, Singapore cannot compete without the foreigners or foreign investments and there must be sacrifices made for the raining days etc etc.
In this way, all the problems will be covered up by a nice picture painted.
Ageing population is a burden to the state.
What he did not say are these :
"In order to continue running the government and pay for the lesser number of babies and increasing proportion of ageing population, there will be problems in taxing and funding for high costs of running the government and paying for retired ministers' life-long million-dollar annuities caused by years of pushing for their own pay increases, life-long rewards and extravagant public spending, at the expense of providing for social and medical needs of the people who have contributed to the national coffers all these years.
So to solve all these future problems, Singaporeans must change their mindset and not to expect to retire too early (without necessarily guaranteeing their re-employment after 55) so that whatever happen they must sacrifice again this time by collecting their retirements later until 67,
Our leaders have really lost their touch of compassion being too comfortably provided for by the citizens and losing all their sense of understanding the plight of many who are reaching retirement age but with their prospect of living their fruitful retiring years dashed. -
but does he have a solution that we can agree on?
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npot yetOriginally posted by dragg:but does he have a solution that we can agree on? -
I didn't even watch it. I just wanted his face to get out of at least one channel. He's ruining entertainment.
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They have never failed to make me doubt their motive of entering politics. All I can say is the winners take it all.Originally posted by robertteh:It is the same kind of speech year after year - Singapore did well, Singaporeans must change their mindset, Singapore cannot compete without the foreigners or foreign investments and there must be sacrifices made for the raining days etc etc.
In this way, all the problems will be covered up by a nice picture painted.
Ageing population is a burden to the state.
What he did not say are these :
"In order to continue running the government and pay for the lesser number of babies and increasing proportion of ageing population, there will be problems in taxing and funding for high costs of running the government and paying for retired ministers' life-long million-dollar annuities caused by years of pushing for their own pay increases, life-long rewards and extravagant public spending, at the expense of providing for social and medical needs of the people who have contributed to the national coffers all these years.
So to solve all these future problems, Singaporeans must change their mindset and not to expect to retire too early (without necessarily guaranteeing their re-employment after 55) so that whatever happen they must sacrifice again this time by collecting their retirements later until 67,
Our leaders have really lost their touch of compassion being too comfortably provided for by the citizens and losing all their sense of understanding the plight of many who are reaching retirement age but with their prospect of living their fruitful retiring years dashed. -
it is time like this that i regret not getting scv channel....Originally posted by Slipshade:I didn't even watch it. I just wanted his face to get out of at least one channel. He's ruining entertainment. 
dun understand why anyone would even bother to watch a bunch of ppl patting their own back for "a job they think they did well" I know s'pore might not be a demoracy and it media is control. But why cant they spare the average JOE some mercy from looking at their face one time too many?? -
I say he glossed over many issues rather than address them.
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at least last year was entertaining with Mee Siam Mai Hum. This year is just the same old same old and more bad news without the boo boo.
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Lee Hsien Loong only know one thing:Money!!!He and his father everytime talk to Singaporeans about money one,that is the one thing they never fail to do!!!!
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the annutity may be a solution by people's power to see themselves thru the old age with the some $500 dollars a month but that is provided that you live that long without any sickness. No address was made to the escalating health cost which come hand in hand with aging.
He painted a picture whereby you live long and die just tomorrow without any sickness -
yeah, we need to work hard......halimah says "work hard" u got it
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This year, he provided different entertainment, that is his wet armpit (this is what i read and saw from other forum). Forumers posted his pic (wet armpit) on the forum. What a good laugh.Originally posted by mistyblue:at least last year was entertaining with Mee Siam Mai Hum. This year is just the same old same old and more bad news without the boo boo. -
He wet his shirt with his saliva too. Small drops...
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huh, you watching so closely?Originally posted by mistyblue:He wet his shirt with his saliva too. Small drops... -
I was waiting for Hay Mee mai Hum comments...Originally posted by qlqq9:huh, you watching so closely? -
He was smart this time not to mention any local food. Let's wait and see what new entertainment he is going to provide us next year.Originally posted by mistyblue:I was waiting for Hay Mee mai Hum comments... -
how come he don't answer the most difficult question:
"Why do we still have to work till 65 when we taxpayers have the highest paid ministers in this galaxy to run our economy?"
He said we have to work longer because we are going to live longer and we will not have enough to spend for old age ...so, when is he going to raise the CPF contribution rate back to 20%? Rather than raising interest rate by 1%, why don't he push up the contribution rate back to 20%?
He said we have to buy annuities in order to have sufficient to grow old - yeah we know, but please ask why don't we have enough in the first place, we are not supposed to withdraw until 55 / 65 so what is the issue? The issue is, our pay are too low thats why we don't have enough for retirement. Why is the government making it mandatory for us to buy annuities - they worried that we cannot manage our own money?? I am sure NTUC will have their hands and feet deeply involved in selling annuities. The catch with annuities is, although you are promised a monthly payment as long as you live, but if you die soon, the rest goes, your son cannot inherit...so who benefit? Government??
And the best irony is, by making annuities compulsary, is the gahmen saying we Singaporeans are clueless in managing our money and that the gahmen has to do it for us? Then why is he suggesting to build a 4th uni to cater for more graduates? Contradicting leh, one hand say we are immature on the other hand say we should have more graduates. -
he was smart not to shoot mr brown again.
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If he does it again, he will get reverse effects. I rather listen to Mr Brown than this no QC PM.Originally posted by freedom4ever:he was smart not to shoot mr brown again. -
This year he had so much crap, I sat in front of the computer instead. First time I didn't watch the NDP Speech or Rally.
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finished web chat around 9 pm
2 wrong minister's sat in.
Amy(water ) & Lew (MOS education)
know nothing much
Grace Fu attending Tianji Singapore seminar @ Oriental hotel not free
one point brought up to them
set by-law minimum wages for elderly 55-62.
replace FT presently working @ town council's .
let our senior elderly work with minimum wages protection around our HDB heartland.
even Philippine maid & Indonesia maid has minimum wages protection.
so that senior elderly need not trouble going down to CDC or CCC for public assistance / Comcare fund assistance.