tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21070055.post5763112429839652920..comments2023-08-27T17:31:51.126+08:00Comments on Singapore Life and Times: Elections 2.0Epilogoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968473646396892520noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21070055.post-20657970993007508972011-07-17T22:39:12.978+08:002011-07-17T22:39:12.978+08:00Tan Cheng Bock has collected his forms already.Tan Cheng Bock has collected his forms already.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21070055.post-36127660475630714572011-07-17T07:38:10.941+08:002011-07-17T07:38:10.941+08:00Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I am not awar...Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I am not aware of LKY's intentions when he proposed the EP. Your conjecture is plausible, but unproven, so I wouldn't base my analyses on it.<br /><br />But I do agree that legislation and subsequent actions were probably surreptitiously taken to move Singaporean's hard earned money in the CPF into GLCs and the like.<br /><br />That is why, more than ever, we need good people in Parliament who will question every decision and action of the government, who is willing to pore through the legal documents, reports and such to weed out questionable policy actions that are given short shrift in Parliament. I think the Workers' Party has started the ball rolling. Hopefully, they will deliver.<br /><br />I think the public also now has an avenue through social media to give voice to their concerns. Only, people should argue on the facts, and stay clear of fantasy. Then the case can be strengthened and those people will gain the respect so very necessary in a highly educated populace.Epilogoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10968473646396892520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21070055.post-28977204823465374122011-07-16T13:11:39.962+08:002011-07-16T13:11:39.962+08:00I can generally agree with your drift, I don't...I can generally agree with your drift, I don't think you should gloss over the fact that we really have had NO say in many issues that in fact should require a govt to consult with the citizens before implementation. The issue of changing the president's ceremonial post to that of a quasi-ceremonial, quasi- executive one. <br /><br />IMO, it is ludicrous to claim as the govt has, that the EP has no executive power when he is saddled with the job of GUARDING the national reserves. Let's make it clear and direct with a simple example: what sort of 'watchman' is the EP supposed to be? One who does regular physical patrols of the premises under his charge or one who keeps watch from a distance using a monitor? How much details can each see is obvious. <br /><br />Now, if the govt only wants the EP to take on the role of the latter watchman, ie watch from a distance, then the responsibility can only be PERFUNCTORY IN THE BEST OF TIME and REACTIVE AT BEST. The inevitable conclusion is that its just a wayang. <br /><br />So why did the govt need to create such a post when in fact NOBODY, certainly no one in the rest of the country had thought about it or deemed it necessary? The answer was of course because at that point in time LKY himself was toying with the idea of being the president, to leave the cabinet, so that his son can helm it as a fully fledged successor PM. I believe there was a lot of adverse reaction (yes, even then) to him becoming the president. He has already outlived his welcome even then, some 18-19 years ago! But knowing his character, he would have got himself into the EP office, come what may, if he had so decided that that would have been the best way to go. The fact that he didn't and he got OTC to be his 'proxy' could be put down to a couple of reasons - he is not sure of the outcome and wanted to watch how it would unfold or he realised that he had made a bumbling mistake declaring that the EP role is to ensure that the govt of the day don't use funds accumulated by previous govts -that is a foot in mouth situation since the practical side of it is almost impossible to achieved. One hint of this is the subsequent legislation, a telling travesty really of how badly he had fumbled, when he had to pass a law which allows money from the reserves to go directly to the other state entities, GLCs etc WITHOUT requiring the EP's prior knowledge or acquiescence. A sick joke, a parody, a making a monkey of the EP's role which HE promulgated!!! <br /><br />So if Singaporeans are forever NITPICKING on the govt, I would say that they have EVERY reason to do so and are fully justified to take a cynical and skeptical view of its intention. And they are not wrong from the legions of mistakes, bad policies and bad moves we can all credit to an over the hill and moribund administration.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com