‘Leaders must be able to take criticism, acknowledge mistakes’: PM Lee

[skyleon]

ANGRY NEIGHBOUR WRITE OPEN LETTER FOR HALIMAH YACOB TO MOVE OUT


Submitted by farhan on Sun, 17/09/2017 - 12:44pm




Open letter to Halimah Yacob from your Neighbours

Dear Halimah,

Ok, thank you very much, the show has been fun, but please move on now. We are quite upset that you have indicated that you will stay in your Yishun flat instead of moving to the Istana. Please consider the following points:

1) By insisting on staying in your flat in Yishun, you are causing a major inconvenience toy our neighbours. Already, 2 parking spots downstairs have been reserved for police vehicles, as well, the constant stream of reporters, and other members of your presidential entourage complete for parking space in an already scarce parking lot. Look at the size of the parking lot, you can see how small it is, it's not a multi storey parking structure. How and where are we going to park our vehicles? We as locals are being flooded by a deluge of non resident parking in our area, much akin to our locals being flooded by a deluge of FTs.

2) Please dignify the Presidential appointment by residing in the official residence. This is the highest office in the land. All our prior Presidents have accorded it the respect it deserves by residing in the official residence where they easily entertain foreign guests and dignitaries. The residence of the President lends prestige and honour to the position. A HDB flat does not. There is a multimillion $ budget created for the upkeep and maintenance of the Istana. If you are not planning to reside there, then it's just taxpayer money that is wasted, or do you care at all? Obviously, you are not going to entertain foreign VIP guests in your flat, which means you have to commute every day in your entourage of police outrider bikes and police cars to fulfill your duties at the Istana. For a govt that is harping on productivity and for a supposed Union chief, this does not sound to productive to me, versus staying in the Istana and walking to your appointments. Is this a case of "You can take the Makcik out of the kampong, but you cannot take the kampong out of the makcik?"

- More at AllSingaporeStuff.com https://www.allsingaporestuff.com/ar...yacob-move-out
FB: http://fb.com/allsgstuff

[skyleon]

Residents hardly inconvenienced by President Halimah Yacob’s continued stay at her HDB flat

Published on 2017-09-17 by Terry Xu


A complaint letter that is circulating online which is allegedly written by a resident at Yishun, claims that residents are inconvenienced by the security arrangement for the newly elected President, Mdm Halimah Yacob who has chosen to continue to stay at her HDB flat of over thirty years.

The letter wrote that Mdm Halimah is causing a major inconvenience to the neighbours and asked that the President to kindly pack up as soon as possible and vacate the premises.


The claims made in the letter are:
•2 parking spots reserved for police vehicles
•Constant stream of reporters
•Members of your presidential entourage competing for parking space in an already scarce parking lot
•Police and other assorted SOs stopping everyone around the area to ask for their IC and their business
•People living in the neighbouring blocks have to go through police questioning every time they leave and return home.

This afternoon, I made a trip down to Mdm Halimah's HDB flat in Yishun to take a look at the claims made by the letter and to determine whether is there any truth in it.

What is obvious from sight, is a shelter constructed to ensure Mdm Halimah is protected from the elements while boarding her allocated vehicle and two red signs which writes, "Reserved for police vehicles." But other than that, there is no other obvious security installation such as a gantry post or additional security cameras. Even at the lift or stairwell, there is no additional checks imposed upon residents.

Speaking to the people who so happened to be around the area, they say that the police will conduct a throughout security screening around the area before Mdm Halimah comes in and out of her HDB flat with little inconvenience caused to the residents.

While one will assume that vehicles would be thoroughly checked by security, it is observed that the vehicles entering the carpark are not subjected to any security checks and taxis could enter without restriction.

Residents are seen going about their daily life at the park and the nearby coffeeshop. There is little observable security presence other than a sighting of an uniformed police officer making his rounds around the block.


continue reading here : https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/201...-her-hdb-flat/

[ravindrain]

She'll move out sooner or later, just another wayang show put up by those bastards

[busong]

Originally Posted by ravindrain

She'll move out sooner or later, just another wayang show put up by those bastards

I also think she will move to Istana . Free lodging and free security .

[Manofisle]

Originally Posted by whatrubbish

I can understand why many people are angry .

I can understand too .

[VuiXinLong]

Originally Posted by busong

I also think she will move to Istana . Free lodging and free security .

Or rename Istana to Yishun HDB .

[stardawn]

To be honest I do respect Tony Tan . At Least he stood for election and won a fair fight .

[piazooka]

Originally Posted by stardawn

To be honest I do respect Tony Tan . At Least he stood for election and won a fair fight .

But what did he do after he won the election? Shake hands and promote KFC

[skyleon]

DPM Tharman said S’poreans aren’t fools who read mainstream media blindly. He’s right.

Singaporeans are watching and taking notes.

By Belmont Lay | 15 hours



Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam was engaged in a dialogue at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on Wednesday night, Sept. 20.

The session was NTU’s inaugural Majulah Lecture, a new initiative by the university that aims to tackle topics relevant to the development of Singapore.

Tharman spoke on the key shifts in Singapore’s education system needs and then took questions, which he responded to with his usual candour and thoughtfulness.

Tharman doesn’t agree with gutter politics tactics

One of the things Tharman said at the dialogue has stood out.

He was asked to comment on a lack of independent media in Singapore and whether he agreed with the “gutter politics” employed by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) leaders who resorted to mudslinging opposition candidates.

The perception was that the PAP had undermined an opposition candidate by bringing up past run-ins with the government.

This was perceived to have happened during the by-election in Bukit Batok in 2016, which was contested by Singapore Democratic Party’s Chee Soon Juan and PAP’s Murali Pillai.

In response, Tharman said candidly that he does not agree with the actions of his colleagues all the time, even as Singapore has become a more liberal place:


“The sense of fear, the sense of constraint is far less now. Yes, you get pushbacks and sometimes you may not like it. It doesn’t mean I agree with every tactic by every one of my colleagues.”

He also said the PAP is defined by its honesty and remaining true to Singaporeans, and falling short comes with sanctions:

“That trait of the PAP shows up almost all the time. Sometimes the PAP itself falls short, and action has to be taken on individuals and it is taken.”



DPM Tharman invents a new phrase to talk up the importance of the arts as well as science

He calls it disciplinary fracking - drill down but also spread out.

Singaporeans are no fools as they consume media critically

Tharman also said he has “great faith” in Singaporeans as they judged what happened during the Bukit Batok by-election and would judge the PAP at the next election.

Singaporeans also know how to read what the Singapore press produces and are more expressive owing to social media.

“I don’t think Singaporeans are fools. Even when they read what we call the mainstream media, they don’t read it blindly.”

“They know some things are more likely to come up on page four than on page one; the headlines may be a slightly different size, but they read things. They have the social media as well. People talk more openly, they exchange views more openly, and they make judgements.”

ST covered Tharman’s more controversial comments but did not share it

To a large prophetic extent, Tharman’s comments on the mainstream media and Singaporeans’ nuanced reading of the hot button issues of the day in the press, rang through within a day.


continue reading here : https://mothership.sg/2017/09/dpm-th...dly-hes-right/

[skyleon]

DPM Teo: Reserved presidential election 
needed for maintaining racial, religious harmony
THAM YUEN-C, THE STRAITS TIMES

Sep 27, 2017 06:00 am



Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean is the latest Singapore leader to weigh in on the issue of reserved presidential elections, explaining yesterday that it was a necessary move to maintain racial and religious harmony in Singapore.

Singaporeans have questioned the need for the reserved election, as well as for the group representation constituencies (GRCs) and ethnic integration rules in Housing Board estates, since the country already enjoys racial and religious peace and harmony.

But the reason Singapore enjoys such harmony "is because we have been far-sighted enough to put in place these provisions", said DPM Teo at the 100th anniversary dinner of Lorong Koo Chye Sheng Hong Temple in Paya Lebar.

He added: "It is particularly important that the Chinese community supports these provisions, so that our minority communities will always feel assured."

In 1988, the GRC system was introduced to ensure Parliament will always have minority MPs. A year later, the Government put in place the Ethnic Integration Policy which mandates a quota for all communities in HDB estates, to prevent racial enclaves from forming.

Most recently, changes were made to the Constitution to reserve presidential elections for a racial group not represented for five continuous terms.

In making the various changes, DPM Teo said, Singapore has avoided situations in which HDB estates are segregated by race, or where minority communities worry about representation in Parliament or the presidency.

"These provisions have helped us achieve the precious harmony that we have.

"We all hope that one day we will not need them," he added.

But not right now, he indicated.

"In the face of growing racial and religious strife in our region and the world, it is wiser to have these provisions in place to maintain our harmony," he said, reiterating a point he spoke about earlier in the day at the National Security Conference.


continue reading here : http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/dpm...igious-harmony

[stardawn]

They talk so much to justify their actions but most smart Singaporeans know the true reason for a reserved president . " Irregardless of race ; language or religion " . Anyways the process is all wrong . Furthermore SHE IS NOT MY PRESIDENT . Fact is she is the most unpopular president the PAP had selected .

[skyleon]

Reserved Presidential Election would cost votes but 'right thing to do': PM Lee


29 Sep 2017 06:43PM (Updated: 29 Sep 2017 07:44PM)


SINGAPORE: PM Lee Hsien Loong knew that the reserved Presidential Election would be unpopular but went ahead with it, as he strongly believed it was the "right thing to do", he said in a dialogue session held last Saturday (Sep 23).

"Did I know that this subject would be a difficult one? That it would be unpopular and cost us votes? Yes, I knew," he said at a People's Association Kopi Talk held at Ci Yuan Community Club.


"If I do not know that these are sensitive matters, I cannot be in politics. But I did it, because I strongly believe, and still do, that this is the right thing to do."

Mr Lee acknowledged that there was "some unhappiness" following the reserved election. "I can feel that; you do not have to tell me," he said.

Three Malay candidates came forward to contest this year's reserved election. while all of the candidates in the 2011 election were Chinese. Although businessmen Mr Mohamed Salleh Marican and Mr Farid Khan did not qualify, resulting in a walkover, they would not have come forward in an open election, Mr Lee said.

"So why didn’t they come? Because they knew that in an open election – all things being equal – a non-Chinese candidate would have no chance," he said.

MULTICULTURALISM IS RESULT OF "HARD WORK"

The Prime Minister reiterated that Singapore's multiculturalism is the result of "very hard work", citing policies such as the Group Representation Constituencies and the Government's strong stance against extremists.

"There is nothing natural about where we are – multiracial, multi-religious, tolerant and progressive. We made it happen, and we have got to protect it, nurture it, preserve it, and never break it," he said.

Having multi-racial presidents in Singapore is an important symbol of what Singapore stands for, he added.

"It is a reminder to every citizen, especially the Chinese majority race, that there is a role for every community in Singapore."

MINORITIES WOULD HAVE FELT LEFT OUT

Mr Lee added that while people criticised the move as regressing towards "racial politics", the opposite was true. " We are making necessary changes to strengthen our multiracial system, in order to continue to progress as one united people.

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...-thing-9263632


So can an Indian Muslim become a President reserved for Malay ? Your voters are not stupid . She is #NOTMYPRESIDENT .

[FieldSuits]

To the whites, of course it is the right thing to do. Any president chosen by them would suit them best, tailor made ..... would do everything except performing the duty of a president

[winsun]

Originally Posted by skyleon

Reserved Presidential Election would cost votes but 'right thing to do': PM Lee


29 Sep 2017 06:43PM (Updated: 29 Sep 2017 07:44PM)


SINGAPORE: PM Lee Hsien Loong knew that the reserved Presidential Election would be unpopular but went ahead with it, as he strongly believed it was the "right thing to do", he said in a dialogue session held last Saturday (Sep 23).

"Did I know that this subject would be a difficult one? That it would be unpopular and cost us votes? Yes, I knew," he said at a People's Association Kopi Talk held at Ci Yuan Community Club.


"If I do not know that these are sensitive matters, I cannot be in politics. But I did it, because I strongly believe, and still do, that this is the right thing to do."

Mr Lee acknowledged that there was "some unhappiness" following the reserved election. "I can feel that; you do not have to tell me," he said.

Three Malay candidates came forward to contest this year's reserved election. while all of the candidates in the 2011 election were Chinese. Although businessmen Mr Mohamed Salleh Marican and Mr Farid Khan did not qualify, resulting in a walkover, they would not have come forward in an open election, Mr Lee said.

"So why didn’t they come? Because they knew that in an open election – all things being equal – a non-Chinese candidate would have no chance," he said.

MULTICULTURALISM IS RESULT OF "HARD WORK"

The Prime Minister reiterated that Singapore's multiculturalism is the result of "very hard work", citing policies such as the Group Representation Constituencies and the Government's strong stance against extremists.

"There is nothing natural about where we are – multiracial, multi-religious, tolerant and progressive. We made it happen, and we have got to protect it, nurture it, preserve it, and never break it," he said.

Having multi-racial presidents in Singapore is an important symbol of what Singapore stands for, he added.

"It is a reminder to every citizen, especially the Chinese majority race, that there is a role for every community in Singapore."

MINORITIES WOULD HAVE FELT LEFT OUT

Mr Lee added that while people criticised the move as regressing towards "racial politics", the opposite was true. " We are making necessary changes to strengthen our multiracial system, in order to continue to progress as one united people.

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...-thing-9263632


So can an Indian Muslim become a President reserved for Malay ? Your voters are not stupid . She is #NOTMYPRESIDENT .

Talk so much cock for fuck? Scared of Tan Cheng Bock just say so

[JiByeLoong]

Originally Posted by winsun

Talk so much cock for fuck? Scared of Tan Cheng Bock just say so

Well said bro!!