Wong Kan Seng - the story

[scroobal]

You guys continue to amaze me. People mention demotion, being kicked, set aside etc.

Here is the low down.

1) Wong Kan Seng is married to Ruth who is old man's niece and therefore cousin-in-law of the PM. Ruth and Lee Hsien Loong are 1st cousins. He is the least educated member of the cabinet. A former school teacher who went on to become Personnel Manager was pulled in by the old man.

2) Ministry of Home Affairs has been in the hands of the family from the day one as soon as PAP got into power except for 6 years when Jayakumar ran it. Chua Sian Chin is related to the family by marriage. Chua is best remembered as the silent minister in Parliament and the man who kept the Cold Store Gang under Cold Store.

3) When 9/11 occurred and it became evident that FBI was not talking to CIA, and CIA was not talking to god knows who. Countries around the world decided to have central coordinating agency for Intelligence and Singapore did likewise. What was deemed practical then has resulted in all Intelligence Assets of state coming under one umbrella. Who heads this is King. Jayakumar's political acumen is as big as a biscuit but everyone else knows the value. Home Affairs is now less powerful as the reporting lines no longer stop with the Minister.

4) A number of other things began to take shape in PMO in recent years. The Horizan scanning under the head of civil service is now in PMO. The Population secretariat under a former director of ISD was created in PMO and now the talent arm.

In terms of political capital and in priority, here is the list

1) National Security Coordination Secretariat - PMO
includes ISD, MSD, SID and all other minor intelligence support functions
2) National Population Secretariat - PMO
3) People Association
4) PAP
5) Singapore Press Holdings

Get the picture! Welcome to the real world of politics.

 

[†††††]

can u summarize what you trying to say, very sophisticated le

 

[aurvandil]

Very nice.

 

[Maximilian Chua-Heng]

If it's from an encyclopedia, then it must be true.

Wong's wife coincidentally shares the same surname with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, which lead many to mistakenly claim that Wong Kan Seng is the nephew-in-law of Lee.

He went on to received a BA (Hons) degree from the University of Singapore in 1970, and an MBA from the London Business School on a Singapore government scholarship in 1979.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Kan_Seng

1) Wong Kan Seng is married to Ruth who is old man's niece and therefore cousin-in-law of the PM. Ruth and Lee Hsien Loong are 1st cousins. He is the least educated member of the cabinet. A former school teacher who went on to become Personnel Manager was pulled in by the old man.

 

[kingrant]

Scro,

Be that as it may, Old man will soon be interred with his old lady, and his princeling son is like a dolt of a school teacher with - to borrow a turn of phrase from you - a biscuit size political acumen. Walks like a pondan, highly non-machiavellian, etc. I wonder if he even knows how to wield all that power.

You guys continue to amaze me. People mention demotion, being kicked, set aside etc.

Here is the low down.

 

[Glaringly]

But the glaring question is, he is the Home Minister for so long... And now the coordinating Minister for Security.

Why leh?

If it's from an encyclopedia, then it must be true.

Wong's wife coincidentally shares the same surname with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, which lead many to mistakenly claim that Wong Kan Seng is the nephew-in-law of Lee.

 

[singveld]

FBI was not talking to CIA, and CIA was not talking to god knows who. Countries around the world decided to have central coordinating agency for Intelligence and Singapore did likewise

Alqaeda was train and funded by CIA. That why they are not talking. Does indian have central coordinating? they kena delhi commando attack? Singapore intelligence any good? other than spying on opposition?

 

[hairylee]

But the glaring question is, he is the Home Minister for so long... And now the coordinating Minister for Security.

Why leh?

Home Affairs is dirty work basically to maintain law and order in the country.
Minister for Security is only to perpetuate the power of the Familee.

 

[lockeliberal]

Dear Scroo

i am afraid I have to disagree with you strongly here. The post of NSCS was specifically designed for the purpose of Counter Terrorism in the wake of 9/11. The relevant website is listed below

http://app.nscs.gov.sg/public/content.aspx?sid=24

In so much as he seek's to co ordinate, by its very definition, and structure it exercises no real operational control over either budget, manpower , pay and promotion.

It remains in essence a post empty of the real power of any beauracratic structure, that of operational control, budget, pay and promotions.


Thanks


Locke

 

[kingrant]

Locke has a point. Old Harry already has the ISD under him, and there is thus no need to create something else just to 'capture' intelligence assets. As PM, his son ( of cos incl himself) has Executive privilege to garner all the intelligence he needs to make judgment calls.

 

[aurvandil]

This reminds me of the time WkS tried to convince us Singapore had a very long coastline.

 

[byleftcan]

You guys continue to amaze me. People mention demotion, being kicked, set aside etc.

Here is the low down.

1) Wong Kan Seng is married to Ruth who is old man's niece and therefore cousin-in-law of the PM. Ruth and Lee Hsien Loong are 1st cousins. He is the least educated member of the cabinet. A former school teacher who went on to become Personnel Manager was pulled in by the old man.

2) Ministry of Home Affairs has been in the hands of the family from the day one as soon as PAP got into power except for 6 years when Jayakumar ran it. Chua Sian Chin is related to the family by marriage. Chua is best remembered as the silent minister in Parliament and the man who kept the Cold Store Gang under Cold Store.

3) When 9/11 occurred and it became evident that FBI was not talking to CIA, and CIA was not talking to god knows who. Countries around the world decided to have central coordinating agency for Intelligence and Singapore did likewise. What was deemed practical then has resulted in all Intelligence Assets of state coming under one umbrella. Who heads this is King. Jayakumar's political acumen is as big as a biscuit but everyone else knows the value. Home Affairs is now less powerful as the reporting lines no longer stop with the Minister.

4) A number of other things began to take shape in PMO in recent years. The Horizan scanning under the head of civil service is now in PMO. The Population secretariat under a former director of ISD was created in PMO and now the talent arm.

In terms of political capital and in priority, here is the list

1) National Security Coordination Secretariat - PMO
includes ISD, MSD, SID and all other minor intelligence support functions
2) National Population Secretariat - PMO
3) People Association
4) PAP
5) Singapore Press Holdings

Get the picture! Welcome to the real world of politics.

I also think that PMO ministers are all toothless ministers trying to play a coordinating role and knowing that they cannot compel the ministries to jump whenever they whistle. The various ministries and their ministers also know that. The PMO ministers can try to coordinate all they want but if the ministries don't coordinate, they are just overpaid ministers sitting on their asses wasting tax-payers money.

 

[mei mei]

You guys continue to amaze me. People mention demotion, being kicked, set aside etc.

So is it promotion or demotion

Which minister is more important? Minister for Home Affairs or Minister for National Security?

 

[GoldenDragon]

So is it promotion or demotion

Which minister is more important? Minister for Home Affairs or Minister for National Security?

It is certainly not a promotion. Public outrage over MSK's escape still lingers. Politically unwise to promote so soon after the fiasco. PMO made no mention it was a promotion. They are wise. Give them credit when due.

Neither is it a demotion. The NSCS posting was held by a SM. So, the move is just a posting.

MHA deals with many policy matters related to drugs, internal security, policing, immigration etc. It is a busy ministry. Battlefield everyday. Chances of screw-ups greater. Also, screw-ups will be exposed.

NSCS supposed to be more high level and sophisticated. In reality, it could well be a career ending post. In other words, sounds good in name but does nothing much. Cushy post. More difficult or almost impossible to discover grave mistakes made.

 

[moolightaffairs]

may i know what percentage when GMS fight with Jayakumar in east coast GRC??? why jaya asked to leave? who will lead east coast GRC?

 

[scroobal]

If you read my post, it does indicate that it was initiated as a result of 9/11. Consequently it led to a convenient marshaling of all intelligence assets.

1) Ever wonder why Former Director of ISD is heading population secretariat.
2) Ever wonder why Talent is now thrown in recently
3) Ever wonder why WKS is now controlling all these.

And Jayakumar has "grabbed" climate control.

Times have changed, one can no longer run a kitchen cabinet when it comes to the intelligence function. Pang Kin Keong in his 6 years has removed much of the personality led influences in ISD.

Home Affairs will no longer be doing stuff like the marxist conspiracy and treating social activist as national security threat. If the Singapore authorities say they have detained a communist subversive, people laugh. I think they all died a few years back.

MICA is the new store front with the usual coterie such as PA, SPH, with PMO coordinating on the local population front. They have began to tag young singaporeans who are studying overseas.

The essence of the post is that it is not a demotion and neither is an it old folks holding pen. Its the new super ministry.

Dear Scroo

i am afraid I have to disagree with you strongly here. The post of NSCS was specifically designed for the purpose of Counter Terrorism in the wake of 9/11. The relevant website is listed below

http://app.nscs.gov.sg/public/content.aspx?sid=24

In so much as he seek's to co ordinate, by its very definition, and structure it exercises no real operational control over either budget, manpower , pay and promotion.

It remains in essence a post empty of the real power of any beauracratic structure, that of operational control, budget, pay and promotions.


Thanks


Locke

 

[lockeliberal]

Dear Scroo

Here is where I disagree when it comes to calling it a super ministry. The role of WKS's new job is primarily Anti Terrorism related hence co ordination, however he has no assets under his direct control, no budget, no resources , no control over pay and promotion.

The reason why it is termed co ordination is that for any policy implementation he has to get the buy in or agreement of any minister concerned, and even then its no guarantee that the said minister will follow his policy prescription to the dot or that his said policy will not get killed as it gets implemented by comittee's furthur down the line

The power over ISD and SID, over the police over the SAF resides primarily in the Minister's in charge and hence it is where power lies.


Locke

 

[cass888]

So is it promotion or demotion

Which minister is more important? Minister for Home Affairs or Minister for National Security?

Co-ordinating Ministers are usually ranked higher than Ministers - Indonesia always had them. But it's not a promotion or demotion since WKS holds the 4 highest position - DPM and 2nd in line to act as PM.

 

[@rmadill0]

Scroobal,

Where did you get the info on Pang Kin Keong heading the National Population Secretariat? From what I know, he left ISD to become the Perm Sec of Ministry of Law. Can he take on additional portfolio under PMO as PS Law?

 

[scroobal]

Pang Kin Keong is indeed Perm Sec of MOL. It is Chiang who was previously Dir ISD. He created it the Pop Sec from scratch.

Scroobal,

Where did you get the info on Pang Kin Keong heading the National Population Secretariat? From what I know, he left ISD to become the Perm Sec of Ministry of Law. Can he take on additional portfolio under PMO as PS Law?