Read this post for other forum, just want to share it here.
http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2008/10/mis-sold-government.html
A Mis-sold Government!
The following is another comment from the same anonymous reader. My response is this: Ever since I get involved in helping Mr. Tan Kin Lian in delivering his translated speech, some people approached me in private, even come to my shop and said, as a middle-upper class Singaporeans, they have finally awaken to the fact that this PAP government isn't as good as they claim to be. They could make grave mistakes. In this saga, apparently anyone with a critical mind, would come to the conclusion that MAS has mishandled the whole saga and that, MAS itself was the main culprit in allowing such complex financial product to be sold to people who are only interested in putting their money in safe bank fixed deposits.
And I am glad to hear from these people that they finally realized the importance of having alternative voice, checks and balances within the political platform, namely the parliament. I hope this will materialize in the next GE.
The following is the comment from anonymous:
I'm the same anonymous who wrote the above. I want to say somemore.
We as Singaporeans serve NS and do our reservist duties. But everyday many of us ask what we will be fighting for. Not towering million $ condominiums downtown or not the wealth of the companies that set up here and can close shop and leave when the bad time comes. We defend our pledge which holds the values that binds our society - democracy, justice, equality.
We have understood that we voted for a govt who will serve the people. But in times of crisis like this, we see the govt is not even sure which side to stand. It is like an NS man who is not sure whether to fight or not. There is no question in my mind that the leadership has to be on the side of the people from day 1. What we saw was dithering, denial and trying to spread the blame. It was shameful. Totally shameful. The MAS and govt seems to be hiding from the people on the 1st week of the saga. It was when Tan Kin Lian screamed "MAS Do the right thing" on his blog that people in the ivory tower realise they need to act.
10,000 ordinary Singaporeans losing their lifesavings wrought no sense of urgency from this govt. Their natural instinct was to adopt a minimalist approach if there was "little noise" from the ground.
I did not invest a single cent in structured product but I invested my entire life in this society called Singapore and accepted this form of elitist govt sold to me by the PAP. I've been mis-sold a govt. They are not worth the millions they are paid. There is no guarantee they are on the side of the people in times of crisis. There is no protection of the values in our pledge - Justice and equality. It seems their only interest in running this country to make money from ordinary people to grow the GLCs for the benefit of a handful of elites.
It is very clear to me that I've been mis-sold a whole govt called the PAP. It is a structured product - they have a power structure that downgrade the interests of the ordinary people. They structured our society so that there is a huge income gap between themselves and the ordinary folks. This structured product matures/expires in 3 years time, I'm not sure if I can get my 'principle' back. I'll make very sure the next time I stand in front of that ballot box I'll make the right decision. No amount of advertising and marketing will help them to mis-sell this structured product called PAP to me ever again.
http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2008/10/mis-sold-government.html
A Mis-sold Government!
The following is another comment from the same anonymous reader. My response is this: Ever since I get involved in helping Mr. Tan Kin Lian in delivering his translated speech, some people approached me in private, even come to my shop and said, as a middle-upper class Singaporeans, they have finally awaken to the fact that this PAP government isn't as good as they claim to be. They could make grave mistakes. In this saga, apparently anyone with a critical mind, would come to the conclusion that MAS has mishandled the whole saga and that, MAS itself was the main culprit in allowing such complex financial product to be sold to people who are only interested in putting their money in safe bank fixed deposits.
And I am glad to hear from these people that they finally realized the importance of having alternative voice, checks and balances within the political platform, namely the parliament. I hope this will materialize in the next GE.
The following is the comment from anonymous:
I'm the same anonymous who wrote the above. I want to say somemore.
We as Singaporeans serve NS and do our reservist duties. But everyday many of us ask what we will be fighting for. Not towering million $ condominiums downtown or not the wealth of the companies that set up here and can close shop and leave when the bad time comes. We defend our pledge which holds the values that binds our society - democracy, justice, equality.
We have understood that we voted for a govt who will serve the people. But in times of crisis like this, we see the govt is not even sure which side to stand. It is like an NS man who is not sure whether to fight or not. There is no question in my mind that the leadership has to be on the side of the people from day 1. What we saw was dithering, denial and trying to spread the blame. It was shameful. Totally shameful. The MAS and govt seems to be hiding from the people on the 1st week of the saga. It was when Tan Kin Lian screamed "MAS Do the right thing" on his blog that people in the ivory tower realise they need to act.
10,000 ordinary Singaporeans losing their lifesavings wrought no sense of urgency from this govt. Their natural instinct was to adopt a minimalist approach if there was "little noise" from the ground.
I did not invest a single cent in structured product but I invested my entire life in this society called Singapore and accepted this form of elitist govt sold to me by the PAP. I've been mis-sold a govt. They are not worth the millions they are paid. There is no guarantee they are on the side of the people in times of crisis. There is no protection of the values in our pledge - Justice and equality. It seems their only interest in running this country to make money from ordinary people to grow the GLCs for the benefit of a handful of elites.
It is very clear to me that I've been mis-sold a whole govt called the PAP. It is a structured product - they have a power structure that downgrade the interests of the ordinary people. They structured our society so that there is a huge income gap between themselves and the ordinary folks. This structured product matures/expires in 3 years time, I'm not sure if I can get my 'principle' back. I'll make very sure the next time I stand in front of that ballot box I'll make the right decision. No amount of advertising and marketing will help them to mis-sell this structured product called PAP to me ever again.
