Feisty exchanges in Parliament
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Feisty exchange over aid for poorest households (ST - 26 Aug 2008)A FEISTY exchange between Dr Lily Neo and Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon on the issue of aid for the poorest households took place during question time yesterday.
Dr Neo, an MP for Jalan Besar GRC, appealed to the Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports for more help for those with long-term problems in making ends meet.
She also asked the minister to confirm a survey's findings that there were 100,000 such households.
Mrs Yu-Foo replied by citing a list of help schemes for the poorest 20 per cent of Singaporeans and, in some cases, those earning more.
Mrs Yu-Foo also said: 'Our ministry's concern is...how far you want to cover.
'You want to cover up to 30 per cent, 40 per cent or 50 per cent?'
Just as Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi was moving on to the next question, Dr Neo rose and insisted on her right to reply to what she saw as Mrs Yu-Foo's challenge to her.
'I have to come in here because I was asked a question,' Dr Neo said.
'I'd like to object to the fact that I was asked...what I wanted the assistance for; wasn't 20 per cent enough, 30 per cent enough?'
She added: 'I definitely never asked for 30 per cent or 40 per cent of assistance to Singaporeans, and I object to being asked that kind of question.'
Mrs Yu-Foo then clarified that her question was not directed at Dr Neo in particular, but at Singaporeans in general.
'I didn't say Dr Lily Neo asks for 30 per cent...My question was generally to Singaporeans, whether we want to cover beyond 20 per cent.'
The exchange took place as the Trade and Industry Ministry released figures that showed rising prices in the first half of this year had hit the bottom 20 per cent of Singaporeans the hardest.
They faced an inflation rate of 7.4 per cent in the first half of this year, compared to 6.9 per cent for the middle 60 per cent and top 20 per cent of households by income.
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What is media value in this article? Is there an absolute need to publish these insignificant squabbles? Or are Singaporeans getting more interested in the drama than the Government's primary role.
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cat fight! also to dramatise that pap is not homogeneous behemoth.
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girl on girl action is fun!
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lily neo is the flowerpot of parliament lah
always dress like fashion show leh
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Originally posted by Acidshuriken:
cat fight! also to dramatise that pap is not homogeneous behemoth.
who told u they are?But there is still the party whip...
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Originally posted by Xcert:
who told u they are?But there is still the party whip...
Whip!.... *slash*.. *piak*!!!
But seriously, if I'm not wrong party whip is Lim Swee Say rt? I dun think his role is to punish MPs wor... -
standard govt psy-ops...
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Lucky this MCYS minister never say "you want eat hawker,food court or restaurant?"This type of answer show how out of touch with the ground she is.... luckly she didnt answer that way...
But yes, this is a valid question.. All the MCYS minister need to do is to confirm with her, why turn so big round and NOT answering the question, and instead shot back with a rhetorical question..
It seems that be minister, you need to be able to concoct rhetorical questions and utter utterly useless question as answers to questions...
To me it shows that at least there is someone in PAP that is wiling to stand up for people.. and not all of them are "YEs sir" people -
I think the topic is a bit wrong.
In good times, every one are happy and there is nothing to chat about.
In bad times, there are geniune cases of people being left behind.
In this case, I guess Dr Lily Neo must be pretty depressed that she is unable to help the people in her GRC.
That is why she is taking a great risk to speak up against the speaker to ask the minister in charge to take control of the issue instead of hiding behind a bunch of figures.
We need more MPs like her to seriously question the minister in charge to solve geniune issue at the ground instead of reading out ready written speech.
I believe there are good MPs that are ready to stand up against the lazy old poodles.
It is time to show the people what is your worth ?
Dun give rubbish speech about higher paying job created during retrenchment.
Who are you fooling ??
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What? And they never really address the issue, just exchanges over small squabbles?
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wayang...tt's why paper published...
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For the whatever % the MYCS cover, how much have the lives of the poor improved?
For the whatever % pay & payrise the MYCS gets, how much have their lives improved?
As much as MYCS are realistic with their pay & rises, please be more realistic with the impact of the "cover" on the lives of the poor. HOW MUCH MORE HAVE THEIR LIVES IMPROVED? MAYBE THERE'S HARDLY ANY NOTICEABLE IMPROVEMENT WITH THE MEAGUE COVER!
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There will forever be a bottom 20% low income families.
I really appreciate the low income families have to undergo. (I believe I was one of the bottom 20% when I was growing up,... not too sure...
)... Anyway, what MOS for MCYS could have responded to the questioning MP could have been a bit more definitive or even tactful... Rhetorical questions are good only for some instances. -
Originally posted by Man!x:
standard govt psy-ops...
Correction standard corrupt government psy-ops
But the victims will always be declared insane, hallucinating, hearing voices, etc as cover up.
None of them was so it wasn't standard psy-op.
Who would believe a Singapore tyrant has the means to know what's in the head of other people?
Actually there are many who know the use of psychic in intelligence ops such as remote viewing. entering the mind of people is a kind of remote viewing on a person.
I know because I'm one of this rotten Singaopre tyrant victim. I've refused medication to prov I'm not crazy and has since graduated from a local university in 7 semesters. I'm looking for lawyer to sue the NUH for their defamation or at least false diagnosis on me which caused me considerable psychological torment.Any brave and rather insane lawayer willing to help me PM me! Let's put a light in Singapore and cast away the darkness that has gripped many into silence.
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Originally posted by Medicated Oil:
I think the topic is a bit wrong.
In good times, every one are happy and there is nothing to chat about.
In bad times, there are geniune cases of people being left behind.
In this case, I guess Dr Lily Neo must be pretty depressed that she is unable to help the people in her GRC.
That is why she is taking a great risk to speak up against the speaker to ask the minister in charge to take control of the issue instead of hiding behind a bunch of figures.
We need more MPs like her to seriously question the minister in charge to solve geniune issue at the ground instead of reading out ready written speech.
I believe there are good MPs that are ready to stand up against the lazy old poodles.
It is time to show the people what is your worth ?
Dun give rubbish speech about higher paying job created during retrenchment.
Who are you fooling ??
The minister in charge is looking after the welfare of the ping pong team in order to keep the team intact !
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cover 20%??? hmm.. then i must ask my dad to go apply lor... anyone can tell mi what scheme is that???????
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Originally posted by Miracles&Prophecies:
Correction standard corrupt government psy-ops
But the victims will always be declared insane, hallucinating, hearing voices, etc as cover up.
None of them was so it wasn't standard psy-op.
Who would believe a Singapore tyrant has the means to know what's in the head of other people?
Actually there are many who know the use of psychic in intelligence ops such as remote viewing. entering the mind of people is a kind of remote viewing on a person.
I know because I'm one of this rotten Singaopre tyrant victim. I've refused medication to prov I'm not crazy and has since graduated from a local university in 7 semesters. I'm looking for lawyer to sue the NUH for their defamation or at least false diagnosis on me which caused me considerable psychological torment.Any brave and rather insane lawayer willing to help me PM me! Let's put a light in Singapore and cast away the darkness that has gripped many into silence.
Feel that the pcy-ops is wrong? do another one somewhere else, show the result to a lawyer, and you are ready to go!
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do another what I don't get you
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Wayang kulit.
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Well.. now we know.. there's some who goes into public service for the glory.. and there's some who genuinely wants to serve the people.
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Originally posted by Miracles&Prophecies:
do another what I don't get you
Do another psy-ops, psy evaluation, or any psy stuff somewhere else.
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Originally posted by jojobeach:
Well.. now we know.. there's some who goes into public service for the glory.. and there's some who genuinely wants to serve the people.
The difference between Sg & other countries... public servants (for glory or service) gets better pay.
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Originally posted by d3rF:
The difference between Sg & other countries... public servants (for glory or service) gets better pay.
Other countries can try giving the public servants obscene pay.. but they will also kena obscene demand from the tax payers.
Singapore ministers can get obscene pay.. but demand tax payers to be grateful for what they had bestow upon the poor people ?
If they want to justify their pay.. they must also be able to deliver what is above and beyond their line of duty.
"There's no free lunch."- so says the people too.
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Originally posted by jojobeach:
Other countries can try giving the public servants obscene pay.. but they will also kena obscene demand from the tax payers.
Singapore ministers can get obscene pay.. but demand tax payers to be grateful for what they had bestow upon the poor people ?
If they want to justify their pay.. they must also be able to deliver what is above and beyond their line of duty.
"There's no free lunch."- so says the people too.
There seems to be a controversy in the justification for the high renumeration package that senior and/or promising public servants draw.
PM Lee had mentioned this many times, emphasizing the need for retaining talents within the Govt, so that the quality can be kept to a world-class level. However, members of public see this package as a "Prince John (vs Robin Hood)" package - taking from the poor and pay more to the rich.
Policy making (in my limited understanding of the process) is a long-drawn one and the effect may or may not be noticeable within a short span of time. Other than giving out monetary handouts to the public, the rest of the efforts will take time to tell.
So, how do we know if we are giving out free lunches or not?
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Originally posted by d3rF:
There seems to be a controversy in the justification for the high renumeration package that senior and/or promising public servants draw.
PM Lee had mentioned this many times, emphasizing the need for retaining talents within the Govt, so that the quality can be kept to a world-class level. However, members of public see this package as a "Prince John (vs Robin Hood)" package - taking from the poor and pay more to the rich.
Policy making (in my limited understanding of the process) is a long-drawn one and the effect may or may not be noticeable within a short span of time. Other than giving out monetary handouts to the public, the rest of the efforts will take time to tell.
So, how do we know if we are giving out free lunches or not?
Good policies shouldn't take long to see it's effect.
Given a 2-3 year trial , when the minister don't deliver world class results .. the tax payers will need to boot him/her off the lot. No need to wait for the next election.
The question is.. are our ministers up to the challenge ?