PM Lee might be in for a rough ride
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Domestic Issue
The whole bunch of goodies PM Lee announced during his national day rally speech was bold and impressive, considering it was only a week or 2 after being sworn in as PM. However I am very concern if it was good for him to spell out so many things in one day. My worries is that Singaporeans will begin to expect the same kind of bold changes every time he give his speech. Can PM Lee continue to make such changes to impress Singaporeans?
External Issue
Taiwan has response negatively to PM Lee ND rally speech, with some politician calling him a Dragon that turn into worm. http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,268983,00.html?
After considering the magnitude of the problem arises from his visit to Taiwan, I am wondering if PM Lee has made the right decision to make that trip. Here are some questions which I would like to ask:-
a) Is it necessary for PM Lee to visit Taiwan personally? Why didnÂ’t he consider sending a more low profile minister instead?
b) Does PM LeeÂ’s visit to Taiwan has got something to do with Ho ChingÂ’s Temasek Holdings investment? -
Taiwan always trying to cook up a storm out of nothing one la. Come to think bout it, they do bear striking resemblances to their 'warlord' in this aspect.Originally posted by Gazelle:Domestic Issue
The whole bunch of goodies PM Lee announced during his national day rally speech was bold and impressive, considering it was only a week or 2 after being sworn in as PM. However I am very concern if it was good for him to spell out so many things in one day. My worries is that Singaporeans will begin to expect the same kind of bold changes every time he give his speech. Can PM Lee continue to make such changes to impress Singaporeans?
External Issue
Taiwan has response negatively to PM Lee ND rally speech, with some politician calling him a Dragon that turn into worm. http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,268983,00.html?
After considering the magnitude of the problem arises from his visit to Taiwan, I am wondering if PM Lee has made the right decision to make that trip. Here are some questions which I would like to ask:-
a) Is it necessary for PM Lee to visit Taiwan personally? Why didnÂ’t he consider sending a more low profile minister instead?
b) Does PM LeeÂ’s visit to Taiwan has got something to do with Ho ChingÂ’s Temasek Holdings investment? -
ya, now got to eat humble pie & say we respect the One China Rule.
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I hope the pie is warm. Actually, One China Rule has always been acknowledged by most countries, nothing new.Originally posted by gerrykoh:ya, now got to eat humble pie & say we respect the One China Rule. -
Do you think LHL ever mentioned about his view on One China Rule when he was in Taiwan? I am sure the Taiwanese must have seen a very different LHL during his visit.Originally posted by cooleo:I hope the pie is warm. Actually, One China Rule has always been acknowledged by most countries, nothing new. -
why blame taiwan?
it is LHL who went there. he should has guess the reaction from china and what kind of storm taiwan would stir. he need to be sensitive about his visit.
i doubt his leadership and like most govt leaders these days, giving lot of excuses for failure. -
Originally posted by Gazelle:Domestic Issue
The whole bunch of goodies PM Lee announced during his national day rally speech was bold and impressive, considering it was only a week or 2 after being sworn in as PM. However I am very concern if it was good for him to spell out so many things in one day. My worries is that Singaporeans will begin to expect the same kind of bold changes every time he give his speech. Can PM Lee continue to make such changes to impress Singaporeans?
External Issue
Taiwan has response negatively to PM Lee ND rally speech, with some politician calling him a Dragon that turn into worm. http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,268983,00.html?
After considering the magnitude of the problem arises from his visit to Taiwan, I am wondering if PM Lee has made the right decision to make that trip. Here are some questions which I would like to ask:-
a) Is it necessary for PM Lee to visit Taiwan personally? Why didnÂ’t he consider sending a more low profile minister instead?
b) Does PM LeeÂ’s visit to Taiwan has got something to do with Ho ChingÂ’s Temasek Holdings investment?
I have serious doubts that the speech was his own Brainchild... its only written by someone... I don't think he has the calibre to thinkand write these 'good' things.....(say wat you like, I still don't like him)
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Taiwanese saw a dragon visiting them ... then they now surprised from a far the dragon actually is a worm ...Originally posted by Gazelle:Do you think LHL ever mentioned about his view on One China Rule when he was in Taiwan? I am sure the Taiwanese must have seen a very different LHL during his visit.
.. perhaps they have a bit confused differentiating between a dragon and a worm ..
do you think if we see a worm very closely it will appear like a dragon?
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040824/ap/d84lhth00.html -
let's give the man a break. he has to fulfill expectations (his father as singapore's 'builder') too.
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I wonder why some ppl dont like Taiwan,they actually doing very well in their economy,furthermore,their military also not weak.As a matter of fact,in term of economy,they perform the best among the "Four Little Dragon of Asia" which include Singapore!Originally posted by cooleo:Taiwan always trying to cook up a storm out of nothing one la. Come to think bout it, they do bear striking resemblances to their 'warlord' in this aspect. -
The explanations given by LHL, will reveal how ambitious his plans are - even before stepping into the shoes of being Singapore Third SUCCESSIVE PM.
He had explained that it was necessary for himself to get a FIRST HAND FEELING of the thinking amongst the politicians on both sides of Taiwanese Politics - since he was away for too long from Taiwan (did he say 10 years ?).
This was to enable him to provide credible assessment in how to deal with the China-Taiwan issues WHEN and IF called upon by Foreign Leaders for his personal views. (Is he for real ? )
Now, what happened to the earlier explanations given about private business for being in Taiwan as a DPM ?
Is he assuming too much that he will be called upon by President George Bush ? No time for Condolessa Rice or Collin Powell ?
Or perhaps the future President Kerry, who will be totally a virgin in his political views about China and Taiwan; and maybe a good candidate for LHL to impress this gullible American ?
LHL had admitted as much that there is alot to be done in Singapore, and yet he want us to believe that he has the capacity for the Internation Stage, and can be an influencing factor too.
Is he trying to be a new re-run copy of the outdated copy of the Old Lee ? -
have to agree with Atobe.
Don't you guys agree that young bush and young lee try to emulate their older versions? the bold, and show of authority speeches and controversial decisions? -
i see bold, i see authority, but i dun see controversy...Originally posted by noel:have to agree with Atobe.
Don't you guys agree that young bush and young lee try to emulate their older versions? the bold, and show of authority speeches and controversial decisions?
we should not take superficial similarities and use them to lump 2 different sets of situations together... that's just misleading.
now think about it properly...
Bold : u want a chicken-sh|t PM???
Authority : don't all leaders want to show that they have authority?
Controversy : only the taiwan visit...
and if u situate the taiwan visit into the proper context, u'll see it has nothing to do with being dragon or worm. its the business of diplomacy. there are no permanent friends, only permanent national interests.
everything else in the speech is old potato that we have heard about over the past 12 months... economic future, freedom of speech, youths, procreation.
it helps to put the speech into the proper context rather than to pick it apart and draw conclusions that may not be valid. -
Why dont LHL pay iraq a visit to get a First Hand Feeling about the country, since Iraq will always be a hot topic of discussion in politics.Originally posted by Atobe:He had explained that it was necessary for himself to get a FIRST HAND FEELING of the thinking amongst the politicians on both sides of Taiwanese Politics - since he was away for too long from Taiwan (did he say 10 years ?).
This was to enable him to provide credible assessment in how to deal with the China-Taiwan issues WHEN and IF called upon by Foreign Leaders for his personal views. (Is he for real ? )
If LHL wanna impress, just drop by oxley road on sunday monring to have breakfast with MM Lee, and he will get all the information he need. -
Originally posted by CX:
While it is correcct "to put the speech into the proper context rather than to pick it apart and draw conclusions that may not be valid" - one must view the various parts of the speech by LHL in its own subject context.
i see bold, i see authority, but i dun see controversy...
we should not take superficial similarities and use them to lump 2 different sets of situations together... that's just misleading.
now think about it properly...
Bold : u want a chicken-sh|t PM???
Authority : don't all leaders want to show that they have authority?
Controversy : only the taiwan visit...
and if u situate the taiwan visit into the proper context, u'll see it has nothing to do with being dragon or worm. its the business of diplomacy. there are no permanent friends, only permanent national interests.
everything else in the speech is old potato that we have heard about over the past 12 months... economic future, freedom of speech, youths, procreation.
it helps to put the speech into the proper context rather than to pick it apart and draw conclusions that may not be valid.
He had dealt at length on various old issues, and repackaged these old issues with a new injection of supposedly fresh vigour.
SPEAKERS' CORNER
To neutralise the criticism of this SPEAKERS' CORNER being a false front of liberalism, when in fact it is but a typically poor Asian copy of the more VIBRANT ORIGINAL at Hyde Park in London, was it new found vigour that LHL possessed to be in a position - so early in his premiership - to decide TOTAL ( ??? ) LIBERALISATION of the Speakers' Corner in Singapore ?
Or was this new vigor the result of the Old Man finally allowing his son to gain the credit of disenfranchising government's tight rein oven Singaporeans, while GCT was only allowed to be his own man by holding on as best as he can in competing with the Old Man's reputation, but constantly handicapped with the restraints by the Old Man ?
Only a week into warming his own seat, and yet LHL is given the BROAD LUXURY OF POLITICAL AUTHORITY to loosen government's control at Speakers' Corner to allow Think Centre to plant flowers in protest on Human Rights' Day.
FIVE DAY SCHOOL WEEK
There was a passing comment by LHL of the inflexibility of Educationists at the MOE in not going for a 5-Day School Week, and persistently overload the young kids.
What was the cause of the rigidity of the system ?
Was it not due to the pyramid system of governing, in which all powers of decisions and approvals originate and remain at the APEX of the Government ?
Nothing moves until information is processed by the Brain, critques given, answers responded, process cleared, and the Brain decides on every and each single issue of Government - (perhaps above a certain budget or population effect) ?
INCENTIVES FOR PRO-CREATION,
GOODS AND SERVICES TAX,
BUSINESS REGISTRATION AND LICENSING.
All were included in LHL speech, and these were addressed during the remaking of Singapore when the 1997 crash occurred, and the situation worsened in 2002.
The famous remark from LHL, who was DPM at that time, and as Head of the Economic Review Committee - (or was it known as the Remaking Of Singapore Committee ? ) - was that "we had left no stones unturned, but we had to RETURN some of those stones back to its original place due to historical(or more correctly POLITICAL) reasons".
At that time, the committee had started with the principle that "NO STONES WILL BE LEFT UNTURNED", and yet "SOME STONES HAD TO BE PLACED BACK IN ITS ORIGINAL PLACE".
Fast speed to year 2004, again LHL speaks of "NO STONES WILL BE LEFT UNTURNED" - this time with himself at the helm.
Has the OLD MM decide to have a hands-off approach on his Son, or perhaps the Old MM prefer the new SM to provide the restraining hand over a New PM ?
Will LHL, or will he NOT, turn those sacred stones that is hindering Singapore's development, now that he is at the helm ?