Mindef Gets It Again from AG

Mindef was rapped on the knuckles for paying DSTA in advance, about $333 million in advance. Yes, $333 million. Sure, DSTA like DSO, is Mindef-linked and it is left pocket going into the right pocket. Still it is tax-payers money and we want proper mind-boggling red tape! You know what the real slap in the face is? In 2010, just last year, $289,499 was also paid in advance from Mindef to DSTA. So it is not the first time, and from 2010 to 2011, the amount of advance payment has increased significantly. WTF!!!

Mindef has earned other rebuke from the AG before. In 2010, the AG concluded that there was $22,000 worth of unnecessary expenditure on food. That's small change compared to $289,499 or $333 million, but $22,000 is a whole lot of food to be wasted anyway. Was it honest mistake or dodgy under the table deals going on? In 2007, Mindef fined some of its staff between $1k and $5k for personal failure and negligence over the awarding of contracts. So there were no kickbacks, and only bad books, so they say.

Auditor-General ticks off errant agencies
Advance payments improperly made and other lapses highlighted in report
By CHUANG PECK MING
Published October 14, 2011

(SINGAPORE) The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) has apparently failed to heed a government directive which says that, normally, payments should be made only after goods are delivered or services rendered satisfactorily - in other words, not in advance, unless it's an industry norm.


 As at March 31, 2010, Mindef had made cumulative advance payments to the tune of $333 million to the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), says the Auditor- General's Office (AGO) in its report for the financial year 2010/11.

 'This is a substantial amount of government funds being kept at DSTA,' it says. 'Advance payments could have been avoided if Mindef's arrangement with DSTA had been to pay DSTA based on actual materials cost incurred at the project milestones, which were available at the time of payment, instead of costs estimated at the time of project assignment.'

 In one project, Mindef paid DSTA $6.41 million, or nearly nine times in excess of the actual materials cost incurred by DSTA.

 'This translates to about 87.8 per cent of the total estimated materials cost being paid out by the fifth month of the 29-month- long project,' says the report, which has been submitted to the President and Parliament. 'It took DSTA 21 months to use up this excess payment received.'

 Mindef subsequently reviewed the payment schedules, and the cumulative advance payments were reduced to $90 million as at March 31, 2011.

 The report says Mindef also erred in not recovering $3.03 million in advances as at July 2009 from 358 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel who had left the service. Of this sum, about $1.78 million was outstanding for over two years.

 After AGO's discovery, Mindef acted to recover or write off almost half of the outstanding cases. Improvements were also made.

 AGO also detected lapses in the Ministry of Education (excess withdrawal from the Post-Secondary Education Fund); Ministry of Finance (weak access controls in the computer system); Ministry of Home Affairs (in administration of the INVEST Fund); Ministry of National Development (contract management); and Ministry of Trade and Industry (non-compliance with the Public Service Division's directive).

 Statutory boards such as the Economic Development Board, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore and Info-Communications Development Authority have also lapsed.

 Many of the errors found this year were in procurement, says Auditor- General Lim Soon Ping. 'They arose when the government procurement rules and principles of transparency and open and fair competition were not adhered to.'

 Examples include waiving competition based on weak grounds; setting an unrealistically short time for submission of bids, limiting competition; not giving equal opportunity to tenderers to revise their bid price when requirements were changed; and accepting a tender which did not meet specifications.

 'It is important that officers not only observe procurement rules, but also uphold the principles underlying public sector procurement,' Mr Lim says.

Hong Kong Maids become Honky Residents! Singapore How?

Evangeline Banao. In the name of human rights, maids in Hong Kong can now become permanent residents in the SAR! The Hong Kong very scared and very angry government is appealing against the ruling - the wonders of the separation of the executive and the judiciary, where courts go left and government goes right (pun intended!). Hong Kong law allows foreigners who work in that former British colony to apply for residency if they had worked for at least 7 years uninterrupted. Except maids, even if the maids slaved 7 years non-stop, not only uninterrupted.

Just after Hong Kong introduced minimum wage laws of HKD 28/hr around May this year, the human-worker rights groups are on the roll. Maids there already have a minimum wage of HKD3,740 a month or about HKD 125 per day or in an 8-hour work day, about HKD 15/hr! Do you see where it is heading? Do you??? Maids would next ask for a revision of minimum wage of their HKD 15/hr to the new normal of HKD 28/hr! Just wait and see. The calculative money-face Honky employer would then charge food and room to their maids in return if maid wages go up.

What is the implication of Honky residency? Maids-turned-residents now have the right to bring in dependents to stay with them in Hong Kong. Daddy, mummy, sister, brother, hubby, uncle, aunty from Manila to Medan might turn up at Chek Lap Kok with huge cardboard boxes with raffia string wrapped around, as luggage. They jam into the MTR and place stress on healthcare, housing, education and all those services. These maids can then stop at being maids once they get residency, since nobody wants to be a maid forever.They would then compete for jobs with the locals in the service sector. Imagine the stereotypical polite Pinoy and the rude Hongky, which of the two is going to get the sales job at Giordano we all know. Well, that is according to the Hongky xenophobes who already have to deal with spitting, cussing and crass mainlanders.

Now the fun part. Would local do-gooders like Transient Workers Count Too shout for human rights for maids in Singapore too and lobby that maids are also allowed permanent residency in Singapore. Equality for foreigners and local without discrimination. However, I bet TWC2 dare not go into this area. There is already immense xenophobia in Singapore and it is hara-kiri for groups like TWC2, Maruah, TOC to defend maids to this extent i.e. minimum wage for maids and giving them residency. Better be a realistic hypocrite than an unrealistic activist they would quietly think.

Leticia Bongnino Happy Only

Denmark Tekan Mr and Mrs Ah Pui

 Denmark, famous for the 2005 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad Cartoons controversy and re-igniting Islamophobia and jihad-crazies globally, and also, Lego! Yes, that expensive but damn fun educational toy we played as kids for those lucky enough to have stolen them Emporium, Yaohan, Sogo, Seiyu (depending on how old you are) or got them as gifts. Now Denmark is again world leader in the fat tax! Yes, Denmark is going all out to tekan people who want to buy ice cream, butter and all the fatty tasty bits of modern makan. The top guys in Andersen's of Denmark are probably really pissed about this subtle discrimination fat Danes.

WTF! WTF? The tax is 16 kroner (S$3.75) per kg of saturated fat. The objective of the tax is to make Danes healthy and live longer by making them make healthy food choices. Not really happy if they are foodies, but healthier especially when the Danish government tax salt consumption next for sure if they think they can get away with the fat tax. Why is the outgoing right-wing Danish government being so intrusive, bordering on curtailing the freedom of its citizens. Frankly, apart from right wing as a reason by itself, for a country that prides its human rights and democracy, that fat tax is really a deal-breaker. Screw the individual to support the state. 

Well, for one, the Danes are already used to pay ridiculously high tax to sustain their free healthcare, education and other privileges of a welfare state. No free lunch especially if you are a Viking and it is all about trade-offs.

Average income tax (income, labour market, pension components) are 44.4% (what a great number in Cantonese - die die, die!) and VAT, a consumption and therefore a regressive tax, is 25%. Hence, it totally makes sense from their government struggling to deal with an aging population and an inverted population pyramid to tax, tax and tax. The state does not want to pay for the healthcare of the indulgences of those who want to pig out.

Is the fat tax that oppressive in cramping individual freedom to do with what they want with their bodies and life? Depends whether you equate a fat tax with booze and ciggy taxes. Ciggy and booze are accepted as vices, and the Danes have entered new philosophical territory by announcing that saturated fat consumption is also a social vice. However, the incoming Social Democrat, Social Liberal and Socialist People's Party coalition might just throw out the fat tax as the first populist gesture from the centre-left government.

What's has this got to do with Singapore? That other countries also have ridiculous laws in the name of public good. And don't get me started on child seat belt laws in California.

"I am being singled out and discriminated coz I eat junk food.", says Dane Ah Pui

Man Eating Shark

WTF Cold Storage not going to sell shark fin products anymore! One of their senior managers just came back from California and inspired by the recent shark fin ban there? Why? Why? Why! I don't eat shark fin but I support anybody who wants to eat shark fin. I'm very Voltaire in food politics BTW. Ang Mohs and their international lobbies trying to be imperialistic about what I choose to eat too! It is cruel to the sharks as the fishermen hack off the fin and dump the bleeding shark back into the sea. So cruelty to animals is the rationale? My ass. The root of this shark fin lobbying stinks of racism and double standards.

Foie gras, is a tasty Ang Moh delicacy pioneered by the Frenchies. The Frenchies BTW eat frog legs and throw the rest of Kermit away. Any similarity or references to double standards on shark fins is entirely coincidental. Back to eating duck liver and promoting "cruelty to animals". Foie gras is the liver of Donald Duck that is specially fattened, and pan fried usually. Yummy. For ducks to have fatty livers, they are force fed via a tube down Donald's throat. Now that is cruel right? So is Cold Storage going to ban the sale of foie gras in its 42 branches and Tanglin Market? I really doubt it.

Well OK, shark-huggers can have their say and do what they want to sleep at night, like pushing away the bowl of shark fin soup at a wedding dinner. I also want to do what I want to sleep well at night - after eating shark fin soup bowl after bowl until I'm full and happy. I paid $200 ang pow at the wedding and I better have shark fin.

The unsaid lesson in the Cold Storage ban is that they should not ban. What they could do is charge a shocking premium for shark fin items. Teach people not to eat shark fin via their purses and wallets. Cold Storage could have achieved greater corporate social responsibiility by giving customers a choice and educating them on the "right" choice as well. Educate and profit at the same time, like a tuition agency. Moreover, its decision to stop the sale of Jaws means NTUC and Shen Shiong are going to pick up what shark fin buyers whom Cold Storage has neglected. Tsk tsk Cold Storage.

Singapore's Population Reaches 5.1 Million!

Holy crap! WTF! The breakdown:
- 3.79 million Singapore residents, (3.26 million are Singapore citizens and 530,000 are PR aka fake citizens)
- 1.39 million non-resident foreigners(the people who clear your tables, build your investment condos-BTO- DBSS, pick up your trash, try to be mistresses for husbands or KTV hostesses for your dad-hubby-son-bro-lesbian pal, drive your SBS buses, you get what I mean - they are bloody fucking everywhere)

You know by now right that more than 100 days after GE 2011, when we got ourselves a nice GRC at Aljunied and kicked out a nice PAP minister, although there was so much genuine worry as well as misplaced bitching about foreigners in Singapore, the PAP has done nothing so far to say that they are doing anything about it. They didn't even claim that they would slow down the barbarian hordes at the gate. Fuck. Not all of course, but many of these foreigners are barbarians. From the SPG-hunting ang mohs who wear shoes in their homes (fuck!), or the Ah Tiongs who talk loudly in the bus, train and lift (fuck! fuck!), they offend my xenophobia sensitivities with their barbarian culture imports.

Actually, the poor peasant from Chengdu or Chennai I can tolerate generously as they do jobs that most Singaporeans don't want to. Construction. Too hot and tough. Retail and FnB service. Too demeaning. Cleaning. Too dirty and demeaning. It is the rich and middle income foreigners here that I mind. Respectively, they buy up property, pushing up demand and prices, and the PMET are hungrier in keeping their jobs as they still have their ravenous immigrant instinct to succeed them. Crap.

How to compete with them when I lost my grandpa's immigrant instinct too. WTF, our grandpa's generation and earlier used to be the go-getter sinkeh, and the Malays and Babas the locals who resented the people who just got off the boats. How history repeats itself in a funny way. The children of the sinkeh are now threatened by the new sinkeh generation.

The Ang Mohs, Ah Neh and Ah Tiongs in Singapore 1800s and 2000s

PAP Internet Brigade is Back!???

The PAP is presumably back again with another epic fail attempt to vindicate themselves! Retards. If it is not the PAP's invisible hand behind this, then for the PAP, who needs enemies when they have friends like those who created that FB?  I just love it when the more they try to get up, the more the slip and fall down. Let's give these retards a big hand! Clap clap clap clap.

The End is Nigh!

After the GE and PE, gloomy times are ahead as you, yes you, you and you voted the PAP in! OK OK export-oriented Singapore is helpless as the world's economy is going shit but I want to blame them anyway.

Inflation might be at least 5% this year, supported by ridiculously high car and property prices. The high carb black chai tao kway and char kway tiao you like to have for breakfast, lunch and even dinner are going to cost more. Singapore is expecting 5.3% growth, instead of the 6.2% growth predicted in the previous quarter. However, unemployment is a low 1.9% despite whatever xeno-bullshit-phobia ignorant people have been bitching about foreigners stealing jobs. If the Pinoys, Indians and Chinamen were stealing our jobs, unemployment would be fucking 19%, not 1.9%. Nonetheless dark clouds ahead. The Singapore dollar is fucking strong and therefore, our exports and manufacturing are screwed. MAS is going to leave a strong SGD - fantastic if you want to head to the USA for shopping at Premium Outlets. Despite the strong SGD, tourists are not bothered and it is doing its big part to prevent the economy from heading into a technical recession. Three cheers for the tourists from China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia, as they are not affected by the Eurocrisis for now. But when the PIIGS keel over onto its back with trotters in the air, gloomy days would be back.

Cablegate Singapore and US Embassy informants outed!

Firstly, the leaks didn't really tell us something new. Take a look at the double-huh report JOURNALISTS FRUSTRATED BY PRESS CONTROLS where Lynn Lee was quoted for bitching about her ST being the the PAP newsletter. Huh? Huh? This old story who the fuck doesn't know, my grandma been telling me since I was a kid every time she used the ST for our dog poop. The US Embassy diplomat picked that old info and passed it on like some gem in a report to his HQ? Facepalm. I thought reports should be like along the lines of - WOW this is recent relevant information for Hilary to read for her plans for US' global domination! So now know all civil servants everywhere are jiak liao bee, even US ones.

Poor Lynn had to issue a clarification and she left her job because she was misquoted. Whatever.

Secondly, those who had shared their personal views with US Embassy staff might now be worried that their one night stand or long term relationship with the US Embassy diplomats here is exposed. And worse, their views deliberately misquoted by the US diplomats here as those guys at Nassim Road exaggerated or twisted their informants' views to score points back at DC. LOL So from Wikileaks, who has been exposed as the go-to for US Embassy for local coffeeshop gossip? Here's some names! Errr BTW There is nothing wrong with talking to US Embassy officials lah unless you are like Francis Seow who was supposedly egged on by US diplomat Hank Hendrickson, who to believe depends on which side of the conspiracy theory one wants to follow lor.


Ken Sun and Steve Chia - Singapore People's Party Mired In Distrust, Dissension

Siew Kum Hong - Singapore Tightens Controls On Public Assemblies 

Martyn See Tong Ming - Singapore Toys With Allowing Political Films 

Philip Jeyaretnam (protect) - Court Slams Dow Jones For Contempt But Imposes Negligible Fine 

Chee Siok Chin - Singapore Tolerates An "illegal" Demonstration 

Krishnasamy Bhavani MICA - Banned In Singapore - GOS Hits Far Eastern Economic Review 

Sin Kek Tong - Singapore Election: Opposition To Make A Race Of It

Li Xueying and Siew Kum Hong - Culture War Roils Singapore's Feeble Civil Society

Cheah Sin Liang MDA and Cheryl Chan MOE - Burlesque and Billions of Dollars Later, Singapore 

The Elected Presidency and the Candidates. BAH!!!!

What a load of crap from the PE candidates during the TOC circus. Most of the audience, an attempt to have a cross-section of Singapore presumably, and half the candidates don't know fuck about what the president can do or not based on the constitution. (To be honest though, some of the usual suspects in the audience asked good informed and relevant questions). With that drunken cocktail of political ignorance and optimistic naivety, vote extortion and candidates' self-righteousness, it is a splendid formula for a SNL skit when TOC uploaded their videos for all to gawk, clasp hands in idol worship or facepalm last weekend.

Tan Cheng Bock was clueless, kept repeating himself. He said some good points, like his past record and he dared to say what he felt he had to say for the good of Singaporeans, but enough already as he kept saying them over and over again. Yeah, I don't doubt his grandfatherly patronising sincerity, but he sounded like a chauvinist pig and that joke about wives asking their husband's permission to enter politics is so going to hit  him like a rolling pin into his balls by the women voters. His idea of the annual report from the Istana is nice nonetheless and raises the bar. Still, saying his name TCB makes me giggle though.. kekeke CB! The CB for president!!!

Tan Jee Say was a bloody joke since he got soooo upset sooo easily because Tony Tan the PAP puppet challenged Tan Jee Say about the latter's reference to political detention during the Marxist conspiracy and got all hissy when his understanding of English was challenged. He got angry... because of a puppet! Tsktsk How can he represent Singapore as the head of state if he loses his temper at the slightest of prods? Also, what is his horseshit about moral authority the president? Screw you don't act God. TJS, you think what? The president is like the Ayatollah? The president is the head of fucking state in our parliamentary system, like the Queen of England, not a fucking backdoor into parliament and a chance to behave like the alternative PM! WTF, he and his gang of 4 lost Holland and now they want to take over Singapore! Ahem. Talking about fucking backdoors and also this moral authority crap, he is going to allow gay sex. Now how is he going to sell that moral authority hypocrisy to the religious folks out there? Is he going to wag his finger at the mufti or the bishop to stick that gayphobia up their arse?

Tony Tan was smooth in his responses, deferring to parliament of the day the difficult decisions. Spineless pussy! Don't vote him! Clear to everybody who has half a brain that he acts as if he is running for a GE rather than the EP - his answers were full of slick and empty of sincerity if you ask me. Fuck, don't need to ask, me I tell you! He is a PAP man, and everyone in the audience assumed that he was part of the cabinet even if he is made a president. Himself too! He got it right though that the president can yak and wave his arms all he wants as long as it is within the confines of the constitution. Something that SDP man Tan Jee Say didn't get.

Tan Kin Lian, the poor guy trying to connect and be the voice of the people. He made a good pitch that he is neutral and non-partisan. He could have rode on that non-party agenda as an agenda all the way to the Istana except that he was fairly ignorant of issues other than insurance and investment. He had a good angle but he didn't have the intellect to follow it through e.g. He gave lousy answers on 377A as he didn't know what it was. Besides, he can't speak properly and he looked like an ah chek from the kopitiam across the road giving high-5 to anybody.

When 27 August comes, do your bit for democracy. Spoil your vote. Take that piece of paper and write fuck you mr president outside the boxes. Wait you write inside the box and they think it is a vote cast for one of the Tans.  Workers' Party got it right all along, in a way. The EP is full of shit and true power (not fucking moral power) should be held in parliament. Not by an Istana grandpa, or Istana grandma as the feminists in the audience hoped.

Potong Minister Salary!

 What some Singaporeans might think about the minister pay and raiding the reserves issues :)

Or at least that is what they are promising!

Actually, a very good move to score points by the PM. Very smart. Nicole Seah better watch out as PM is also learning very fast to be like her to pull political stunts one after another. Just last week it was news of 2 retired but yet not really tired ministers who are paid millions, who are retiring. Confusing, especially when one of them changed his appointment from SM to ESM!!! Whatever lah. (Shake head) In the end still paid millions! Or maybe not millions because now there is a committee to Potong Minister Salary. PMS. PAP ministers sure feel PMS when they heard PM make his announcement on Saturday night. PMS like before when the PM spoil market and pledged to donate his increase in salary to charity for 5 years from 2007.

But seriously, slick move by PAP to make Singaporeans happy for now. They didn't need to make this show now, they could have done it 2 or 3 or 4 years later before the next GE and pocket the money in the meantime. But they didn't.

Also, let's face it and don't kid ourselves. How much they cut their pay also we think not enough, and it can never be enough. Life is like that as some want to think that politicians must be like Mother Theresa, poor and passionate about serving the people. What is "poor" is subjective and maybe the PMS committee would refer to WP's previous suggestion on pegging minister pay to the lower salaries in Singapore and given a bonus compared to the current model where it paces the higher salaries and given a discount! On WP, MP pay also might be cut to keep abreast with the idea of lowering the pay of politicians. So the 6 WP MP might now feel very PMS too - just when they join parliament, the PM gave such a commitment.

On whether ministers deserve a high pay where one person's "high" is another person's "peanuts"? If they meet our demands for better cheaper faster health, housing, transport services, why not? Let's not be cheapskate about this. But. But since they cannot meet our aspirations and they want to behave like CEOs in collecting big salary, then they should get pay cut or fired like COEs who under-perform when they show poor leadership in leading a big company. Only fair. Corporate world pay, corporate world rules.

So Long Farewell Auf Weidersehen

First Goh Chok Tong and Lee Kuan Yew. After that more good news for the people! Hosay! Wong Kan Seng, who of course was not responsible for the Mas Selamat escape, but was accountable for it. Out. Then Raymond Lim, this guy who headed a ministry that got stupid public transport overcrowding and cock expensive COE because of shrunk COE quota, and like not enough, still got ERP! Out you go. Mah Bow Tan, the man who one person managed to screw up young couple's chances to buy HDB flats. Lucky Ah Mah kicked out now or by the time your children want to marry and buy HDB flat, it would cost $1 million but median income increase only to $3000! Out, out you go!

PM Lee keep saying these 5 guys already decided early early they wanted to retire. Yeah riiiiight. If earn millions in salary and yet can keep the job although make mistakes, or retired already still can earn so much money, YOU THINK THEY RETIRED VOLUNTARILY? YES? YOU MUST BE A PAP DOG TO BELIEVE WHAT EVER PAP SAY!

Of course these people were sacked as PM Lee finally cannot tahan and had to get rid of liabilities to his PAP. Not his papa's PAP, not Lau Goh's PAP, but HIS PAP. PM Lee is the only PAP man who increased his votes %  in his GRC from 2006 GE so now he knows he can do what he wants.

Ministers who JLB, the NEW PM Lee is here! From 66.6% in 2006 and then drop to 60.5% in 2011, PM Lee is angry now and will sack, sack sack. But he will still give them face a bit and say they resign. :)

The GE Story in Pictures

hahahaahahah a picture tells a thousand words they say. Well the GE pictures at least say more than one thing.

Stop the PAP! WTF PAP, get better volunteers or maybe these volunteers are actually opposition moles!

THOR THOR THOR! Those are great WP merchandising!

OMG look at that poor kid with hands around Danny. What is Danny the Pedobear doing to that kid!

The Brawl Begins

So fun! All SMCs and GRCs contested. Except for Tanjong Pagar GRC which had "excused voting" because the bunch of independent clowns apparently arrived too late according to the media's version of the fiasco. Old Man Lee, all alone now, probably wanted a contest since he has nothing left to live for and a street fight at his home ground which he has held on since 1955 would be his last hurrah. The exertion of rallies might physically weaken the founder of 1965 Singapore though. The poor disappointed old guy looked like he was going to keel over the railing when he addressed the crowd about his walkover and that his opponents were pussies by pretending to come late and were thus deliberately self-disqualified.

On pulling out, PAP candidate Steve Tan bowed out for whatever personal reasons. He had cold feet probably. Nicole Seah the chio plucky NSP gem, obviously on the brink of burning out from her expression in the "why contest Marine Parade GRC" vid, is still at it while the fresh Steve Tan chickened out? WTF. The Online Citizen is telling the PAP that they must explain his pull-out? TOC clown. Why the fuck cares? There is CPF, housing, transport, healthcare to grill the PAP about. Not why one pussy PAP candidate pressed "eject".

Low Thia Khiang is heading over to Aljunied to settle old scores. The WP is doing a proper all-out Normandy this time as their team has Sylvia Lim and that over-achiever Chen Show Mao. The other 2 WP nobody candidates, frankly, are just there to make up the numbers to contest in the GRC. If I was George Yeo, I would think about a new career after May 7 as the chances of him losing his PAP seat in Aljunied are...high. PM Lee better think of who is going to be the next Foreign Minister also if he is smart to plan ahead. However, PM Lee has other things on his mind like whether the Reform Party kamikaze squad is going to have a better margin of the votes compared to the young punk WP squad that contested in Ang Mo Kio GRC in 2006.

Hougang is now defended by Yaw Shin Leong, a baby-faced WP old-timer. Hougang is a WP fort and even if you put a donkey in a blue shirt in that Teochew village, the loyal WP voters there would still vote it as their MP. Yaw can again decide to vote for PAP in 2011 like he did in 2006, what a loser, and he can still be in parliament after May 7. His career as a Hougang MP is confirmed, double confirmed, plus chop. However, whether he can have Low's charisma and personal touch as a Hougang MP is a big question mark. On determinism, poor Desmond Choo from PAP is obviously going to get smacked left right centre as he heads into Hougang to try snatch it away from WP. We know it is a lost cause, Desmond and the PAP also know it. Sorry Desmond, looks like you won't be a MP after May 7, you should have asked PM Lee if you could have hid in a GRC so that you can enter parliament via the backdoor.

Slime, Smears and Slurs

 Oh-oh, Vivian, Vivian, you can't run far and fast away enough from this!

So what if Vincent is bent, LOL that he couldn't straight during the CNA debate on TV should be a clue that he is a buttman. But low blows aside, oops, couldn't resist a bad pun, so what if Vincent is fucking gay. The minister with a girly name stuck his head out to give Vincent a bad name but in the end, it boomerang back into his face, cracking his bigot head.

The PAP perhaps felt a bit pissed that their candidates like Tin Pei Ling, Foo Mee Har and Janil Puthucheary were tarred and feathered by the internet louts. Boo hoo hoo. Whether members of the opposition parties took part in the public ridicule of these PAP candidates, well, probably as this is politics and the opposition would try to get back anyway they can without being caught. But Vivian the blood-will-shed-if-bartop-dancing-allowed minister made a bad move by going down that dirty road and started openly a smear campaign even before nomination day. The PAP lost even more credibility.

Reminds me of 2006 when James Gomez threw the first blow about the PAP chucking away his nomination papers. The PAP flogged the dead horse and attacked James Gomez's character even after he apologised and when the issue was stale.

The PAP could have stayed on the high moral ground like what old Wooden Chok Tong wanted and be the big man, ignoring the slime thrown at them from the internet hooligans. But no, Vivian couldn't resist it and had to lash out at SDP' Vincent Wijeysingha. Aiyoh Vivian. Why like that?

Why Lim Boon Heng Cried (Real Reason)

 Because that minister in the prime minister's office, realised he is FINALLY losing his cushy job as he is going into "retirement"! Not the supposed hurtful groupthink allegations.

Ah Lim is not leading any ministry and is one of the lobos in the PMO, ministers without portfolio they say. No portfolio yet still has a big fat pay check of more than $1 million annually even! WTF! At least the other ministers get paid to do a bad job. Lim Boon Heng got paid despite not having a job! BTW the other 2 freeloading ministers without real jobs in the PMO are Lim Swee Say and Lim Hwee Hua (although to be fair, she is also 2nd minister Transport and Finance).

Epiphany moment! All the freeloader ministers in the PMO are Lims! I bet my always-never-enuff Grow and Share bribe that Lim Hng Khiang Minister for Trade and Industry is so very jealous that the other cabinet ministers who are Lims got an easy way out.

Sissy PAP minister sobbing as he lost his well paid day job sitting on his ass

PM Claimes No GST Hike after GE

So said PM Lee Hsien Loong according to today's ST. Let me quote this very hard to believe claim,

I very much doubt that. Unless we go wild on our spending plans, then of course we will run out of money, and then you will have to raise GST. But if we have prudent budgets and we are careful in our plans, and if we grow the economy, I think we should be in good shape.

Excuse me Mr PM, I find it hard to believe that the PAP government would not raise GST like what it did after the 2006 election. This was what the PM said months after the PAP won that election.

"It will give us precious extra resources to implement social programmes like Workfare later on. Our aim is to help the lower income groups and the elderly, not to increase their burdens. When we implement the GST increase, it's not just the GST increase, it's the package which will fully offset the impact of the GST increase and begin to strengthen the social safety nets and tilt the balance in favour of the low income groups - we will not just raise the GST but we will have a comprehensive offset package,

The PAP would increase GST to 9% or higher from the the 7% now after the election - it is just a matter of when. To have a moral high ground, they would again cite the reason that the government needs more money to help the less privileged in Singapore and that money has to come from GST.  In 2009, GST collected was close to $7 billion and the total tax revenue was more than $36 billion. Hence, GST formed a fat 20% of the overall money pocketed by the government. So, my point? Let's see if the PAP goes back on its words.

CNA Debate and Don't Trust Any of Them

Anybody, instead of going clubbing and hanging out with friends, watched the CNA debate on Sat night where PAP, SPP, SDA, WP and SDP all got together to trade blows? Then you are like loser me, wasted one good night to party.

Lina Chiam from SPP really not prepared and cannot make it, tripping over her words and ideas. Krrrrh spit. Josephine from PAP was giving some bullshit we are all writers of The Singapore Story - yeah right, and PAP is the editor and in the end put in and take out what they please. Clear phlegm in my throat again and spit. Gerald from WP had good ideas, but damn nerd and boring. I can imagine him as a new PAP candidate. Nazem from SDA was super hopeless, neither had ideas nor charisma and the worst of the lot.

The two who talked the most were Tharman from PAP and Vincent from SDP. Both balding. Both Indian. I think being balding makes one argue better. Or is it Indian? The duo were the most yaya and smooth talking speakers. Don't take what they say at face value and read their body language to know what goes on in their minds. Words can lie but the body doesn't.

Tharman sneakily kooning while pretending to read notes! :)

Which one is the crooked politician you don't trust with our money? No, you think I meant finance minister Tharman right? It is Vincent, he can't even sit straight, how to trust? :)

 Vincent even took out his SDP book to sell during the TV debate! Snakeoil salesman! :)

 

If this is the quality of election debates on TV Singaporeans have to expect from politicians who want to woo us to rule over us, we are screwed, so very screwed.

Just before GE, Property Prices Stabilised

According to the PAP government. OF COURSE LAH! As if they would say NO, PROPERTY BUBBLE STILL GOING STRONG, JIALAT! Cooling measures like increased stamp duties, decreased loan to value did rock the private property market mostly. Still, sellers won't be so pleased as they cannot sell off at even higher prices. Cannot please everyone all the time.

 

Those who are in trouble and stuck as they entered before the cooling measures!

Singapore home prices “sort of stabilised”, says minister
Mar 23, 2011

Singapore home prices have “sort of stabilised” after four rounds of cooling measures, a senior government official said this week.

Peter Ong, permanent secretary at the ministry of finance, made the remarks at a conference on East Asia development, Reuters reported.

Ong’s comments are a hint that perhaps new cooling measures will not be introduced soon, despite transaction volumes remaining high and developers bidding aggressively at government land auctions.

Singapore private home prices rose 17.6 per cent last year despite attempts to cool the market in February and August.

Resale prices of state Housing & Development Board (HDB) apartments that house over 80 per cent of the population gained 14 per cent.

The latest measures, announced on Jan 13, included tougher borrowing limits and a hefty stamp duty of 16 per cent of the selling price for those who buy and sell within 12 months.

Lau Goh's Soggy Prata Rhetoric

Former PM Goh Chok Tong, described as "Wooden" by former PM Lee Kuan Yew, really cannot make it as a philosopher-politician unlike the original hard truths orator, MM Lee. Wooden was successful in making himself look silly, regardless if he was misunderstood, misquoted or maligned.

“I am not saying we shouldn’t do anything about the flood. But the amount of noise you made with just sporadic flood compared to the Japanese. I saw them on TV. Very stoic looking. You don’t see them crying. This has happened, just get on, that’s the kind of spirit you want to have and you call it nation building.” 

Contrary to popular belief that the PAP would woo people just before the GE, Wooden instead described his fellow Singaporeans are whiners and also quitters. Marine Parade GRC is in good hands with Wooden leading it.

PAP can Sell More Different Kinds of Prata than Others

The opposition can have all the heart but as their talent pool is so small, the PAP is the party that will always field more "minority" candidates - women or non-Chinese, the PAP will win this numbers game. That is how the PAP can play their card in the rallies when they go blow by blow with the opposition as there is a female face, a Eurasian face or even now a new citizen face within the PAP.  Someone who can represent their interests in parliament. Nonetheless, no disabled or gay PAP candidate so far it seems. The opposition can only sell prata kosong or with egg. The PAP can sell with cheese, with bananas or other fruit, paper prata, chocolate etc.

More women candidates for PAP?
 By Sara-Ann K

FIFTEEN Members of Parliament turned up at a carnival at Toa Payoh Hub early Sunday morning to in celebrate International Women's Day.

Eleven of them were women MPs from the PAP, including Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon and Dr Amy Khor.

When asked if this was a sign that the PAP would be fielding more female candidates this election, guest-of-honour for the event Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said: 'In every election we try to bring in capable women. They are an important part of our slate in every election.'

When pressed to confirm how many women candidates PAP plans to field, Mr Teo was tighted-lipped and quipped cheerfully, 'All will be revealed at an appropriate time.'

Dr Amy Khor, Mayor of Southwest CDC and Adviser to the Women's Integration Network Council who organised the event, revealed little as well.

But she talked candidly about her ward Hong Kah GRC (now a single-member constituency), and her willingness to step up as a candidate to contest the ward, if appointed by the party.

PAP's Hopes of Returning to Power on Nomination Day Flattened Like Prata

If the opposition parties keep their promises and stick to their plans, there would not be any walkovers in this coming GE. Hurrah! All the 27 wards would be contested and everyone eligible to vote would get to vote. The PAP would not return to power on Nomination Day as they do not form the majority of the wards because of walkovers this time.

In 2006, the PAP also did not secure dominance in parliament on Nomination Day. The previous time the PAP was similarly challenged was in the 1988 GE. With the 2006 GE and the expected 2011 GE contests in all the constituencies, it is two elections in a row that the PAP did not return to power on Nomination Day. Something that political watchers would take note of that the PAP's hold on power in Singapore is slipping.

Singapore GE: Opposition parties to contest all seats
05 March 2011 1847 hrs

SINGAPORE: Singapore's major opposition parties have come to an agreement to contest all 27 constituencies in the next General Election (GE), which is due before February 2012.

At Saturday's meeting, they also agreed to avoid three-cornered fights in Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), meaning most of the GRCs are likely to see a straight fight.

However, in the case of the 12 Single-Member Constituencies (SMCs), the party leaders said discussions are ongoing.

If the opposition parties keep to their declaration, the next GE is likely to see a situation where the PAP will not be returned to power on Nomination Day.

Going into the details of where they stand to contest, Workers' Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim said her party will be in the Aljunied and East Coast GRCs.

She said the WP is also interested in the newly-carved out Moulmein-Kallang GRC as well as Nee Soon GRC.

As for the SMCs, she said her party is keen on five. These are Hougang, Joo Chiat, Punggol East, Sengkang West and Whampoa.

When asked if the WP will contest the Ang Mo Kio GRC, Ms Lim said the party will not be doing so as it has to balance its resources according to its strategy.

But Channel NewsAsia understands that other parties may decide to take on Ang Mo Kio GRC.

The Reform Party's Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam said his party will be contesting in the West Coast and Chua Chu Kang GRCs and also the single seats of Radin Mas, Pioneer and Hong Kah North.

Meanwhile the Democratic Progressive Party's Seow Khee Leng said it will take on the Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade GRCs.

The National Solidarity Party intends to contest Tampines and Jurong GRCs.

As for the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), it plans to contest the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and also the single-MP seats of Punggol East and Radin Mas.

Sengkang West is also under consideration, it said.

Potong Pasir's MP, Mr Chiam See Tong, said he wants to contest Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC and his Singapore People's Party (SPP) also wants to run in Potong Pasir and Hong Kah North single-member constituencies.

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) meanwhile said it would go for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and the Bukit Panjang single-member ward.

Saturday's meeting was the opposition parties' second in a week and the last to decide on the seat allocation for the coming General Election. However some of the individual parties will continue to meet on a one-on-one basis to come to a bilateral agreement, especially for the single-member constituencies, to avoid three-cornered fights.

Independent candidate Andrew Kuan, who is eyeing the Joo Chiat seat, was also at Saturday's meeting. But he left the venue when organisers told him the discussion was not for independent candidates but opposition parties.