The younger Singaporeans do not share those views....

[kopiuncle]

On Aug 22, 2012, I received a thank-you card from a Singaporean by the name of James Ow-Yeong Keen Hoy.

From his elegant, cursive handwriting, I guess he must at least be in his 50s. Young people these days prefer to type, and when they do write, they simply do not write as beautifully.

He wrote: "My family is deeply grateful and has benefited from your magnificent leadership and solid contributions that have enabled our nation to achieve peace, happiness, progress, prosperity, solidarity and security all these good years. A big thank you!

"May we have the honour to sincerely wish you, Sir, peace and joy, wisdom and longevity and all the very best in the coming good years. And may our beloved country be blissfully and richly blessed and be mercifully safeguarded now and always. God bless."

I quote at length from this card to highlight the enormity of the mindset shift, from an older generation, including this writer, his peers and his seniors, to a younger one that takes for granted Singapore's affluence.

People like Mr Ow-Yeong have seen Singapore develop from the unsettling 1960s, when hardship and poverty were still the rule rather than the exception, to today's vibrant and cosmopolitan Singapore, providing well-paying jobs to a highly educated population.

Many older Singaporeans also progressed from living in shanty huts to high-rise apartments with present-day conveniences and surrounded by safe neighbourhoods.

They have a good understanding of the nation's imperatives - what it took for us to get here and what it would take to keep up our success - as well as its vulnerabilities.

The younger voters do not share those views. Having been born into a Singapore that had in many ways already arrived, they see all that is around them - a working system generating stability and wealth - and they ask: "Where is the miracle?"...

Even as things stand, we have regretfully shifted the system away from attracting the best talent through reductions to ministerial pay.

If I were a Cabinet minister at the time the change came up for discussion, I would have stood firm. But the younger generation of ministers decided to go with the trend.

It is true that no country in the world pays ministers as we do. But it is also true that no other island has developed like Singapore: sparkling, clean, safe, with no corruption and low crime rates.

You can walk the streets or jog at night. Women will not be mugged. Police do not take bribes, and if they are offered bribes, there are consequences for the ones offering.

None of this came about by coincidence. It took the construction of an ecosystem that requires highly paid ministers.

With every pay reduction, the sacrifice that a minister makes - giving up his profession or his banking job - becomes greater.

Some will eventually tell themselves: "I don't mind doing this for half a term, 21/2 years, as a form of national service. But beyond that, it has to be: thanks but no thanks."

The final outcome would be a revolving-door government, which will inevitably lack a deep understanding of the issues or the incentive to think about problems in a long-term manner.

Will Singapore be around in 100 years? I am not so sure. America, China, Britain, Australia - these countries will be around in 100 years. But Singapore was never a nation until recently.

An earlier generation of Singaporeans had to build this place from scratch - and what a fine job we have done.

When I led the country, I did what I could to consolidate our gains. So too did Goh Chok Tong.

And now, under Lee Hsien Loong and his team, the country will do well for at least the next 10 to 15 years.

But after that, the trajectory that we take will depend on the choices made by a younger generation of Singaporeans.

Whatever those choices are, I am absolutely sure that if Singapore gets a dumb government, we are done for. This country will sink into nothingness.

 

[kopiuncle]

a very somber and brutally honest assessment of the present situation
will we be here in the next 10, 15 or 100 years ?
if you want to make it happen
contribute constructively, do not run down your own country,
do something instead of kpkb here with all the curses
what a loser you are ,esp the escher,crane,soikee ,phuacb Gang....

 

[zhihau]

吾皇万岁万岁万万岁! :d:d:d

 

[kopiuncle]

吾皇万岁万岁万万岁! :d:d:d

your good wishes will be conveyed to our great leaders
cheers and have a wonderful singapore sunday !!!

 

[enterprise2]

On Aug 22, 2012, I received a thank-you card from a Singaporean by the name of James Ow-Yeong Keen Hoy.

From his elegant, cursive handwriting, I guess he must at least be in his 50s. Young people these days prefer to type, and when they do write, they simply do not write as beautifully.

He wrote: "My family is deeply grateful and has benefited from your magnificent leadership and solid contributions that have enabled our nation to achieve peace, happiness, progress, prosperity, solidarity and security all these good years. A big thank you!

"May we have the honour to sincerely wish you, Sir, peace and joy, wisdom and longevity and all the very best in the coming good years. And may our beloved country be blissfully and richly blessed and be mercifully safeguarded now and always. God bless."

I quote at length from this card to highlight the enormity of the mindset shift, from an older generation, including this writer, his peers and his seniors, to a younger one that takes for granted Singapore's affluence.

People like Mr Ow-Yeong have seen Singapore develop from the unsettling 1960s, when hardship and poverty were still the rule rather than the exception, to today's vibrant and cosmopolitan Singapore, providing well-paying jobs to a highly educated population.

Many older Singaporeans also progressed from living in shanty huts to high-rise apartments with present-day conveniences and surrounded by safe neighbourhoods.

They have a good understanding of the nation's imperatives - what it took for us to get here and what it would take to keep up our success - as well as its vulnerabilities.

The younger voters do not share those views. Having been born into a Singapore that had in many ways already arrived, they see all that is around them - a working system generating stability and wealth - and they ask: "Where is the miracle?"...

Even as things stand, we have regretfully shifted the system away from attracting the best talent through reductions to ministerial pay.

If I were a Cabinet minister at the time the change came up for discussion, I would have stood firm. But the younger generation of ministers decided to go with the trend.

It is true that no country in the world pays ministers as we do. But it is also true that no other island has developed like Singapore: sparkling, clean, safe, with no corruption and low crime rates.

You can walk the streets or jog at night. Women will not be mugged. Police do not take bribes, and if they are offered bribes, there are consequences for the ones offering.

None of this came about by coincidence. It took the construction of an ecosystem that requires highly paid ministers.

With every pay reduction, the sacrifice that a minister makes - giving up his profession or his banking job - becomes greater.

Some will eventually tell themselves: "I don't mind doing this for half a term, 21/2 years, as a form of national service. But beyond that, it has to be: thanks but no thanks."

The final outcome would be a revolving-door government, which will inevitably lack a deep understanding of the issues or the incentive to think about problems in a long-term manner.

Will Singapore be around in 100 years? I am not so sure. America, China, Britain, Australia - these countries will be around in 100 years. But Singapore was never a nation until recently.

An earlier generation of Singaporeans had to build this place from scratch - and what a fine job we have done.

When I led the country, I did what I could to consolidate our gains. So too did Goh Chok Tong.

And now, under Lee Hsien Loong and his team, the country will do well for at least the next 10 to 15 years.

But after that, the trajectory that we take will depend on the choices made by a younger generation of Singaporeans.

Whatever those choices are, I am absolutely sure that if Singapore gets a dumb government, we are done for. This country will sink into nothingness.

Wow!! Now we know what makes our ministers tick!! Money money money..it's a rich mans world!!! Really Money not enough...

 

[kopiuncle]

if we are not careful
this wonderful city will disappear
as quickly as it appeared
it's all our own making....

 

[chuckyworld]

吾皇万岁万岁万万岁! :d:d:d

Young Singaporeans, will try to understand what the politicians are trying to said without success.

Only politicians will understand politicians lingo, they do hate competitions for who can lies better....

 

[indig10]

The Old Man is absolutely correct. We will be done for if we vote in a dumb government and ministers.

As it is, this is already happening thanks to the lack of capable, intelligent political leaders who are willing to take on the job with ever-decreasing levels of pay. We sorely need leaders who would sacrifice themselves for King and Country with meagre compensation that would put them on par with government leaders of the largest economies around the world.

The numerous and epic policy mistakes over the past two decades have been caused by this very lack of capability, which is of no fault of our leaders. We can only accept that there is a limit to the foresight and wisdom of our 60% majority voters, many of whom are nation-loving pro-establishment supporters, and many more who have attained a zen-like detachment and ignorance. What to do? It has already happened. We can only wait for karma and rot to reveal slowly over the next twenty years. Afterall, the very people who mindfully or mindlessly support the establishment may not live to see their children and grandchildren suffer their decisions and ignorance, and that may not be a bad thing at all.

 

[Jlokta]

.

Old fart looks like a zombie.



I sense a great celebration of a tyrant's passing is coming.

Marjula sinkiepoorer!!:oIo:

 

[kopiuncle]

death will come to all
irrespective of status
accept it with dignity
accept it with graciousness
passing the baton to the next
from dust to dust....nothingness

 

[zhihau]

Afterall, the very people who mindfully or mindlessly support the establishment may not live to see their children and grandchildren suffer their decisions and ignorance, and that may not be a bad thing at all.

where have you been hiding?

 

[zhihau]

Young Singaporeans, will try to understand what the politicians are trying to said without success.

bro,
maybe me haven't reach the level to see SGD$600,000.00 as peanuts... :(:(:(

 

[chuckyworld]

bro,
maybe me haven't reach the level to see SGD$600,000.00 as peanuts... :(:(:(

Now I understand why, they did not use the 10 commandments for swearing in all the civil servants and politicians...

 

[Cerebral]

During the time when our mini-stars were getting full salary, we did not achieve Swiss standard of living and Football team qualifying for world cup.

We opened up the flood gates for foreigners and severe flooding in Singapore.

We also screwed up on the COE quotas and our "World Class Transport System". Cronisim was and still at its peak.

In the article, when comparing Mini-stars salary, he compared to bankers. Let me remind him that not many in his cabinet was a banker. Wong Kan Seng was a teacher and I am sure the mini-stars pay was way more than that of a teacher and I am not even pointing out thay one of his junior mini-star is paid almost as much as the entire G-20 head of states salaries combined. Maybe he thinks that someone like Chan Chun Seng is more capable than Merkel and Obama combined.

His logic of high salary is also flawed, seen by the recent spate of corruption cases and the many more that may not have hit the headlines.

I think the old man is living in his glorious past and blind to the "now"

 

[escher]

Wow!! Now we know what makes our ministers tick!! Money money money..it's a rich mans world!!! Really Money not enough...

Money and greed! Money and greed for things not theirs!
Anything better that they do not have yet, they want!

Such as toothpicks and even more of our money

I wish them all loads of joss sticks and candle wax, and the demons and ghouls that will go to them with the same greed for their orifices as their greed for our money.

 

[Leongsam]

I quote at length from this card to highlight the enormity of the mindset shift, from an older generation, including this writer, his peers and his seniors, to a younger one that takes for granted Singapore's affluence.

Those who have not had the honor of shitting into a metal bucket shared with 50 other families will not appreciate what a fantastic job the PAP has done under the most dire of circumstances.

Singapore's relative affluence cannot be taken for granted. It can easily disappear overnight if things go wrong.

 

[Leongsam]

If you think Singapore is a shit hole, you obviously haven't experienced the real thing.

 

[kopiuncle]

During the time when our mini-stars were getting full salary, we did not achieve Swiss standard of living and Football team qualifying for world cup.

We opened up the flood gates for foreigners and severe flooding in Singapore.

We also screwed up on the COE quotas and our "World Class Transport System". Cronisim was and still at its peak.

In the article, when comparing Mini-stars salary, he compared to bankers. Let me remind him that not many in his cabinet was a banker. Wong Kan Seng was a teacher and I am sure the mini-stars pay was way more than that of a teacher and I am not even pointing out thay one of his junior mini-star is paid almost as much as the entire G-20 head of states salaries combined. Maybe he thinks that someone like Chan Chun Seng is more capable than Merkel and Obama combined.

His logic of high salary is also flawed, seen by the recent spate of corruption cases and the many more that may not have hit the headlines.

I think the old man is living in his glorious past and blind to the "now"

Dr Lee Kuan Yew is very aware of what is going on the ground
He knows precisely what the younger singaporeans are thinking
he is a great leader and he is telling and warning about the young turks
who are behaving like chicken heads and reckless in their pursuits
mindless in their criticism and brainless in their blind pursuit of democracy
if the present generation and the young singaporeans do not wake up
in 10, 20 or even in 5 years, this place will go to the dogs
just have a quick look at the type of forummers here
you will know what can happen to singapore....

 

[laksaboy]

You can walk the streets or jog at night. Women will not be mugged. Police do not take bribes, and if they are offered bribes, there are consequences for the ones offering.

So much unbridled bullshit in one sentence.

The reality:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/young-man-...-attack-at-orchard-cineleisure-160145498.html
http://sammyboy.com/showthread.php?151665-2yo-raped-34yo-at-Kallang-Bahru-bridge
http://www.straitstimes.com/breakin...r-charged-corruptly-getting-sexual-favours-20

 

[Cerebral]

Dr Lee Kuan Yew is very aware of what is going on the ground
He knows precisely what the younger singaporeans are thinking
he is a great leader and he is telling and warning about the young turks
who are behaving like chicken heads and reckless in their pursuits
mindless in their criticism and brainless in their blind pursuit of democracy
if the present generation and the young singaporeans do not wake up
in 10, 20 or even in 5 years, this place will go to the dogs
just have a quick look at the type of forummers here
you will know what can happen to singapore....

You are truly deluded......