- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 2,082
- Points
- 48
Yeow-Siew-Kia & his cabinet are world’s highest paid, but can’t foresee infrastructure issue.
April 10th, 2014
In a wide-ranging discussion with the newspaper editors of the Asia News Network at the Istana on Tuesday (8 Apr), PM Lee told the editors that the success of Singapore’s economy has brought about its own set of challenges.
Founded in 1999, the Asia News Network is made up of 22 newspapers in Asia. These include the Straits Times (Singapore), the Star and Sin Chew Daily (both Malaysia), China Daily (PRC), the Nation (Thailand), Eleven Media (Myanmar), Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan) and the Jakarta Post (Indonesia).
Editors from these newspapers were in Singapore for its annual meeting and to mark the network’s 15th anniversary. The hour-long dialogue between the editors and PM Lee was moderated by Straits Times editor Warren Fernandez.
PM Lee said that Singapore had paid the price of its fast economic growth, as infrastructure wasn’t able to keep up with the rapid development.
He was asked about Singapore’s success during his time as PM and if anything exceeded his expectations.
He said yes, the country had done economically better than expected and grown faster. As investments poured in, the government had put in resources and brought in foreign labour needed to grow. As a result, developments at the Marina Bay area sprung up in within a decade, instead of the expected 20 to 30 years.
“We succeeded more than we expected, and so in terms of the infrastructure, we were not able to catch up – our public transport, building houses,” he said. “And we paid a price.”
“We have spent the last three, four years working hard to try and come up back to speed. I wish we had been able to foresee this outcome, and then we would have acted sooner. But that’s 20-20 hindsight.”
However, some netizens felt that one doesn’t need a 20-20 vision to foresee the problems of rapidly growing labour forces by importing huge number of foreign workers without considering infrastructure expansion. It’s actually a matter of having good common sense.
Here are some of the responses to Yeow-Siew-Kia:
• Enraged:
April 10, 2014 at 7:19 pm (Quote)
Didn’t the PM tell us that he and his millionaire ministers have the capability to see ahead of things to come, and that is the precise reason we need to pay them millions otherwise we would not be able to attract them to join the cabinet? Now he is telling us that they do not have 20/20 vision to develop the infrastructure, housing and healthcare facilities before opening the floodgates for all sorts of FTs to come in causing social tensions and employment problems! So we are fooled and short changed, then the ministers should voluntarily have deep cuts in what they are receiving and also pay back the excesses they have taken from tax payers all these years!
• 2cents:
April 10, 2014 at 7:17 pm (Quote)
Seems to me this PM is able to give rather coherent replies to questions from this group of editors most of whom run media that is ranked more than 100 on Reporters Sans Frontiers (except Japan @#59).
But when faced with questions and interviewers (or moderators) from where English is the first language, LHL is really at his best – in terms of clownish and comedic entertainment value.
One wonders how and why the City of London has reached for the bottom of the barrel to grant him the Freedom of the City award.
It’s also interesting that he has to frame his cabinet’s shortfall with the seeming success of the Marina Bay & other infrastructural achievements. Buildings count for more importance than bodies – squeezed ones in buses, trains, in hospitals with insufficient beds and bodies overworking to pay for what was once basic, affordable public housing.
Change we must.
If we do not end PAP’s dominance, then PAP’s dominance will end us.
• peter pan:
April 10, 2014 at 7:24 pm (Quote)
If your house can accommodate 10 persons, and you intend to invite another 5 persons to stay, it is only common sense to conclude that either you need a larger house before inviting these people, or expect the living conditions to be crammed up.
You do not need a genius to tell anyone this. Could not foresee? Our PM and his govt must be real dumb, or negligent?
• Ali Baba:
April 10, 2014 at 7:38 pm (Quote)
A good and efficient government plan must cover all aspects of growth, not only in economic fields, but with all the infrastructure and problems that come with it. Particularly, this little red dot, whose ministers are paid with sky high salary, and assisted by top paying secretaries and assistants, all handpicked from society best brain, and yet had the cheek to claim that he could not foresee and so could not plan the infrastructure that comes with the rapid economic growth. What nonsense is this idiotic PM talking? He is trying to fool the nation again. Public transport, health and housing are greatly affected by his incompetence.
• oxygen:
April 10, 2014 at 8:03 pm (Quote)
HE IS TALKING DOWN HIS SKILLS IN INFRASTRUCTURAL MATHS and talking UP the economy, his mind must be thinking of general election this year.
He didn’t know the economic growth was so “good” from published statistics? Or he realized the shameful truth that the ‘good” economic growth was mere appearance and indeed cancerous of endless stimulus spending on construction of artificial beauties instead of developing domestic economic sector? Did the growth in Marina Centre VERY SUDDENLY added to infrastructural woes of overloaded infrastructure such as shortage of hospital beds and polyclinics, BTO flats over THE LAST FEW YEARS? His perception of reality is fairy-tale of connected pieces and relevance.
And he is blind to MRT jam, hospital shortage of bed, early shut down of polyclinic closing time, the roads more congested, property prices chasing up? DID HE SLEPT ON THE JOB or he is simply TALKING COCKED?
WHY AM I REMINDED OF TIMELY HYPOCRITICAL APOLOGY AND STALE CROCODILE TEARS YET AGAIN?
What do you think?
• Dosh:
April 10, 2014 at 8:01 pm (Quote)
PM LHL: ‘I wish we could have foreseen infrastructure issue.’
My view: I wish we never had him as our Prime Minister in the first place!
I am SURE that there are capable men/women in Singapore who will do a far better job than the dismal performance of PM LHL.
OK. We should stop navel gazing and lamenting on our misfortune.
I wish that we’ll REVERSE our mistake and vote in a NEW GOVERNMENT.
Whether our next Prime Minister is male or female is immaterial. The absolute essential for the next PM will be that he/she is Committed, Caring, Competent and REAL.
NO MORE FALSEHOOD AND DECEIT!!!
Singapore still has great potential if we get the right people to govern the country and put in policies that will ensure our security and viability for the long term FUTURE.
YES, the implication of this is that we will have to do things differently. Adapt to changes. Be a Step Ahead.
Difficult and Challenging. Interesting too.
But, I BELIEVE we can DO it!!!
Source: TRE.
April 10th, 2014
In a wide-ranging discussion with the newspaper editors of the Asia News Network at the Istana on Tuesday (8 Apr), PM Lee told the editors that the success of Singapore’s economy has brought about its own set of challenges.
Founded in 1999, the Asia News Network is made up of 22 newspapers in Asia. These include the Straits Times (Singapore), the Star and Sin Chew Daily (both Malaysia), China Daily (PRC), the Nation (Thailand), Eleven Media (Myanmar), Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan) and the Jakarta Post (Indonesia).
Editors from these newspapers were in Singapore for its annual meeting and to mark the network’s 15th anniversary. The hour-long dialogue between the editors and PM Lee was moderated by Straits Times editor Warren Fernandez.
PM Lee said that Singapore had paid the price of its fast economic growth, as infrastructure wasn’t able to keep up with the rapid development.
He was asked about Singapore’s success during his time as PM and if anything exceeded his expectations.
He said yes, the country had done economically better than expected and grown faster. As investments poured in, the government had put in resources and brought in foreign labour needed to grow. As a result, developments at the Marina Bay area sprung up in within a decade, instead of the expected 20 to 30 years.
“We succeeded more than we expected, and so in terms of the infrastructure, we were not able to catch up – our public transport, building houses,” he said. “And we paid a price.”
“We have spent the last three, four years working hard to try and come up back to speed. I wish we had been able to foresee this outcome, and then we would have acted sooner. But that’s 20-20 hindsight.”
However, some netizens felt that one doesn’t need a 20-20 vision to foresee the problems of rapidly growing labour forces by importing huge number of foreign workers without considering infrastructure expansion. It’s actually a matter of having good common sense.
Here are some of the responses to Yeow-Siew-Kia:
• Enraged:
April 10, 2014 at 7:19 pm (Quote)
Didn’t the PM tell us that he and his millionaire ministers have the capability to see ahead of things to come, and that is the precise reason we need to pay them millions otherwise we would not be able to attract them to join the cabinet? Now he is telling us that they do not have 20/20 vision to develop the infrastructure, housing and healthcare facilities before opening the floodgates for all sorts of FTs to come in causing social tensions and employment problems! So we are fooled and short changed, then the ministers should voluntarily have deep cuts in what they are receiving and also pay back the excesses they have taken from tax payers all these years!
• 2cents:
April 10, 2014 at 7:17 pm (Quote)
Seems to me this PM is able to give rather coherent replies to questions from this group of editors most of whom run media that is ranked more than 100 on Reporters Sans Frontiers (except Japan @#59).
But when faced with questions and interviewers (or moderators) from where English is the first language, LHL is really at his best – in terms of clownish and comedic entertainment value.
One wonders how and why the City of London has reached for the bottom of the barrel to grant him the Freedom of the City award.
It’s also interesting that he has to frame his cabinet’s shortfall with the seeming success of the Marina Bay & other infrastructural achievements. Buildings count for more importance than bodies – squeezed ones in buses, trains, in hospitals with insufficient beds and bodies overworking to pay for what was once basic, affordable public housing.
Change we must.
If we do not end PAP’s dominance, then PAP’s dominance will end us.
• peter pan:
April 10, 2014 at 7:24 pm (Quote)
If your house can accommodate 10 persons, and you intend to invite another 5 persons to stay, it is only common sense to conclude that either you need a larger house before inviting these people, or expect the living conditions to be crammed up.
You do not need a genius to tell anyone this. Could not foresee? Our PM and his govt must be real dumb, or negligent?
• Ali Baba:
April 10, 2014 at 7:38 pm (Quote)
A good and efficient government plan must cover all aspects of growth, not only in economic fields, but with all the infrastructure and problems that come with it. Particularly, this little red dot, whose ministers are paid with sky high salary, and assisted by top paying secretaries and assistants, all handpicked from society best brain, and yet had the cheek to claim that he could not foresee and so could not plan the infrastructure that comes with the rapid economic growth. What nonsense is this idiotic PM talking? He is trying to fool the nation again. Public transport, health and housing are greatly affected by his incompetence.
• oxygen:
April 10, 2014 at 8:03 pm (Quote)
HE IS TALKING DOWN HIS SKILLS IN INFRASTRUCTURAL MATHS and talking UP the economy, his mind must be thinking of general election this year.
He didn’t know the economic growth was so “good” from published statistics? Or he realized the shameful truth that the ‘good” economic growth was mere appearance and indeed cancerous of endless stimulus spending on construction of artificial beauties instead of developing domestic economic sector? Did the growth in Marina Centre VERY SUDDENLY added to infrastructural woes of overloaded infrastructure such as shortage of hospital beds and polyclinics, BTO flats over THE LAST FEW YEARS? His perception of reality is fairy-tale of connected pieces and relevance.
And he is blind to MRT jam, hospital shortage of bed, early shut down of polyclinic closing time, the roads more congested, property prices chasing up? DID HE SLEPT ON THE JOB or he is simply TALKING COCKED?
WHY AM I REMINDED OF TIMELY HYPOCRITICAL APOLOGY AND STALE CROCODILE TEARS YET AGAIN?
What do you think?
• Dosh:
April 10, 2014 at 8:01 pm (Quote)
PM LHL: ‘I wish we could have foreseen infrastructure issue.’
My view: I wish we never had him as our Prime Minister in the first place!
I am SURE that there are capable men/women in Singapore who will do a far better job than the dismal performance of PM LHL.
OK. We should stop navel gazing and lamenting on our misfortune.
I wish that we’ll REVERSE our mistake and vote in a NEW GOVERNMENT.
Whether our next Prime Minister is male or female is immaterial. The absolute essential for the next PM will be that he/she is Committed, Caring, Competent and REAL.
NO MORE FALSEHOOD AND DECEIT!!!
Singapore still has great potential if we get the right people to govern the country and put in policies that will ensure our security and viability for the long term FUTURE.
YES, the implication of this is that we will have to do things differently. Adapt to changes. Be a Step Ahead.
Difficult and Challenging. Interesting too.
But, I BELIEVE we can DO it!!!
Source: TRE.
