Interview with young singaporeans: chiobu wants more govt to be more transparent

[Avantas]

Prologue:

Senior Minister of State for Finance Lim Hwee Hua revealed in Parliament recently that Temasek Holdings lost 31% or $58 billion dollars of its portfolio. However, the matter was not discussed or debated further in Parliament. What do young Singaporeans feel about this ? Do they demand more accountability and transparency from the government ?

Watch the video here:

http://wayangparty.com/?p=5302

Excerpts of interview:

“All these while we have been thinking why the accounts have not been disclosed to us…..I always thought they (GIC) should (open their account books), we should be informed…..I don’t think the government is very transparent on this issue, it will take a while, I am quite patient to wait.”

“Probably I think most companies in Singapore are audited and mostly very thorough in their accounts, probably they are doing so for Temasek…..”

“Depending on the loss, if the loss is very risky and they lost the investment then they should be responsible for it.”

 

[Trout]

Besides the first lady who was interviewed, the other two looked like deers-in-headlights when ambushed by the interviewer, were led into agreeing with the sg enquirer reporter and had little opinion of their own.

I think the main take-away from this is that young singaporeans are not well-read on global affairs, have no real political opinions and can be easily swayed by semi-persuasive arguments. I think its also easily seen our population's willingness to buy into market bubbles, ponzi schemes and MLM.

Ideal mass crowd character for mob manipulation by people seeking to create chaos.

Cheers,
Trout

 

[Lestat]

So this is YOUR definition of a chiobu.

 

[annexa]

/puke
/puke
/puke

 

[facial]

Besides the first lady who was interviewed, the other two looked like deers-in-headlights when ambushed by the interviewer, were led into agreeing with the sg enquirer reporter and had little opinion of their own.

I think the main take-away from this is that young singaporeans are not well-read on global affairs, have no real political opinions and can be easily swayed by semi-persuasive arguments. I think its also easily seen our population's willingness to buy into market bubbles, ponzi schemes and MLM.

Ideal mass crowd character for mob manipulation by people seeking to create chaos.

Cheers,
Trout

I agree with your observation.

I think the years in PAP kindergarten, primary schools and secondary together with 2 of regimental reinforcement in NS has churned out a nation of walking zombies.

We are going down the gutters.

 

[etherc]

Besides the first lady who was interviewed, the other two looked like deers-in-headlights when ambushed by the interviewer, were led into agreeing with the sg enquirer reporter and had little opinion of their own.
Cheers,
Trout

Even the first lady looked apprehensive and proceeded with such caution like she's driving over a road bump. I'm sure if given the space she'll be more vocal and expressive but unfortunately we live in a minefield of OB markers. She keeps saying "I don't know.." Shows how people are scared of being seen capable of having opinions of their own. Nation of lemmings?

 

[Trout]

This comes to mind....

http://takchek.blogspot.com/2007/06/parallel-rvolution-franaise.html

Tuesday, June 19, 2007
A parallel Révolution française?

I have a fertile imagination. I was watching the The History Channel several months ago about the French Revolution, and I find many similarities between France on the eve of the revolution with the present day Singapore, and a haunting view of what can happen if the current PAP government is overthrown via violent means through some kind of people (mob) power.

In my thought experiment, the alternative is not pretty. There are many idealistic, rational thinking citizens (like Mr Wang, heh) who can use the vacuum left behind by the incumbents to rise to public prominence and institute progressive change to society and the state. But my cynical self says it would probably be the likes of people from a certain online kopitiam to sweep them aside and radicalize the Revolution a la The Reign of Terror:

The Revolutionary Tribunal summarily condemned thousands of people to death by the guillotine, while mobs beat other victims to death. Sometimes people died for their political opinions or actions, but many for little reason beyond mere suspicion, or because some others had a stake in getting rid of them.

---

During Robespierre's Terror — often believed to have been a bourgeois-led, peasant-backed uprising against an autocratic nobility — nearly 95% of its tens of thousands of victims were, in fact, poor or middle class. And those left alive were tyrannized by the very same revolutionary fanatics who once claimed to be liberating them from the ancien régime. - Publishers Weekly's review on The Terror: The Shadow of the Guillotine: France 1792--1794

Think it is far fetched? Think again.

A descent into insanity and excesses.

Who knows, our neighbors may also make use of the unrest as an excuse to mount a military invasion and takeover.

PS - Of course I am not saying that the status quo is good; on the contrary, there has to be a change, a shift towards a Singapore for Singaporeans, and not Singapore Inc.

*

"...we need to examine the need for civil and rational discourse in society, before the voices of xenophobia and anger consolidate their presence in the web." - BL

To BL's quote, I will also add: "and onto the streets."

 

[Leongsam]

and I find many similarities between France on the eve of the revolution with the present day Singapore, and a haunting view of what can happen if the current PAP government is overthrown via violent means through some kind of people (mob) power.

Mob power in Singapore???... the men are all shirleys and the girls are far more interested in their LV handbags than taking to the streets.:p

Mob power in Singapore???? Not in your lifetime for sure!!!!

 

[DerekLeung]

Government always check the books of companies, so that they can have the maximum taxation.

Then when Temasek fails ! Who checks them ?