Date: 2009-04-09 04:06 Subject: A Good Read Security: Public

Saw this excerpt from another blog. Although it looks wordy, it kept my attention and I read the full article.
Have a read, it's good...

This is our Minister Mentor's response to a question posed..



Gordon Wilson

Minister Mentor, could I take you back for Singapore itself? Thank you very much for your address. For someone who was frequently in Singapore in the 1960s and 1970s and returning there now 40 years later, the prosperity and dynamism are phenomenal and the change into a prosperous city state is extraordinary. Has there been a price to be paid? Is there as much freedom of expression as perhaps could be allowed in a modern state, as we have today, and is there some disquiet that ministers and prime ministers now have salaries commensurate with captains of industry? Is that a good thing? Do they take their eye off the ball for the rewards they get rather than being altruistic political leaders?


Lee Kuan Yew

I start from first principles. What did I have to do to turn this improbable country into a country and eventually a nation? It took me
a very long time. We were a disparate group of people rioting with each other just a few years before we became independent, because Malay extremist forces stirred up problems. You have to work from first principles and to pay no mind to what political scientists say in terms of doing this or that, following this prescription, with free-market democracy according to Fukuyama. I needed a stable, peaceful society, so I had strict laws against inciting racial or religious tensions. At the same time, I made quite sure that everybody was treated equally. Religions were respected but we made all loudspeakers in mosques face inwards because we did not want trouble. Does everyone need to wake up at five o'clock in the morning? It is now an accepted way of life.

We also mixed everybody up in high-rise buildings, no longer in enclaves. We have no ghettoes or qasbas. Every constituency has its quota of the less successful.. Everybody has the same chances in education and we chose a neutral language – English. Rather than legislatinng, we just said that you either go to an English school where you learn your mother tongue as a second language, or you go to a Chinese, Malay or Tamil school and learn English as a second language.After a few years, parents discovered that having English as a first language led to better job opportunities, so that solved itself. Malaysia went the other way by throwing out English and adopting Malay. The Chinese and Indians decided to have their own schools, teaching in Chinese and Tamil, and now they have a divided society.

These are basics that you have to get right: a level playing field and a meritocracy regardless of race, language or religion. That is part of our national pledge. Now we have arrived, why do we not run a liberal democracy? Why should we? I got a clear mandate. The lowest turnout we had was 60% of the electorate. Nobody alleged chicanery or malpractice. People wondered whether the press was controlled. Everything can be reported, but no crusading is allowed. The internet is there and you can do what you like, but we try to prevent becoming sidetracked. Western political scientists, NGOs and even some US Government officials believe in a prescribed route for success.

Our success then becomes a challenge to that, such that we are an example to China, which is absurd. The Chinese are not fools. They study us as a little cameo in terms of what they can learn from Singapore. They then pick and choose and do it their way. China is not going to become a liberal democracy; if it did, it would collapse. Of that, I am quite sure, and the Chinese intelligentsia also understand that. If you believe that there is going to be a revolution of some sort in China for democracy, you are wrong.. Where are the students of Tiananmen now? They are irrelevant. The Chinese people want a revived China. We have a coherent Singapore. Do we want an incoherent Singapore and have the whole thing fall apart? Think about it carefully.

At every election, I used to tell people to think carefully: 'In the next five years, do you want your homes to be worth more or less?' The smallest taxi driver or hawker has a home worth S$150,000. They are stakeholders. If they vote the wrong government in, property prices drop and they are in trouble. If you produce the right government, there will be more infrastructure and connectivity, a better environment and clean water, thereby allowing you to improve your assets. Why should we change that? The western media and political scientists say that that is wrong, but is it?

I have any number of unsolicited testimonials from visitors who say, 'I love your country – I am going to settle here'. Look at the
people who are settling there. In the last few years, 30,000 Indian professionals have taken up residence and started three Indian schools to teach their children in line with the Indian syllabus so that they can return to India. We welcome them. We have 4,000 Chinese and 4,000 Indian companies. They have come to Singapore, not because we are a liberal democracy, but because we offer them a platform from which they can leap. They can market their wares throughout Southeast Asia to China and India, and vice versa. Would we want to risk that?

What is $1.5 million dollars to our law minister when he gave up a practice worth $4 million? Look at whose wives are dripping with gold and diamonds. We are the poorest ministers of any ASEAN country. Do you want that to change? Am I not worth $1 million? I can earn $100,000-200, 000 by giving a talk to a group of bankers who have brought their clients together. This is the reality. At every election, it is an issue, but we do not dodge it – we justify it. As long as we have clean, honest and effective government, it will hold.

The day we become dishonest, ineffective or incapable, we are out.

Date: 2009-03-26 03:53 Subject: Words of Wisdom (or maybe not) Security: Public Mood: cheerful

Must it be necessary to exchange gifts? If you wanna give back something, give me back a smile or two.


A good friend helps you up when you fall.
A best friend pees their pants laughing, trips you again and calls you an asshole.

Date: 2009-03-11 04:05 Subject: rainbow :) Security: Public Mood: content

keep forgetting to post this..
it was raining heavily in the afternoon so i was holed up in room.
when it finally stopped raining around 7pm, i opened my windows and upon peering out i saw this rainbow stretched out across the sky.
it was so beautiful although cast amid a still slightly greyish sky..

Date: 2008-12-08 05:16 Subject: Opinion, please.. Security: Public

If you see an article of clothing you like alot, except for the colour, would you buy that piece of clothing and then dye it the colour you like?

Date: 2008-02-15 00:47 Subject: Happy Valentine's Day Security: Public Mood: amused

my first bouquet of flowers on valentine's day in the 24 years of my life
was surprised when the delivery person called me and told me to come out of my office and pick up the bouquet
there was a card attached but no sender's name
needless to say, i was teased to no end about the flowers
not to mention the mad speculations about who they might have come from

thank you, whoever you are, for the beautiful flowers

Date: 2007-10-18 15:50 Subject: 25 Truths About Time - Kent Blumberg Security: Public

 What's your relationship with time.  Does time rule your life?  Do you have enough of it?  Are you spending it on wants or shoulds or coulds?  Here are 25 random thoughts on time that help me get the most of the time I have.  Which might be helpful to you?  What other thoughts help you enjoy the fruits of your time?

Date: 2007-06-23 15:06 Subject: melted my heart Security: Public Mood: mellow

most of u would probably have heard of this little girl sing.

6 year old connie talbot at 'britian's got talent' - click, sit back, relax and listen, keeping in mind she's only 6

preliminary round

semi finals

finals


on a side note: check out this other singer - paul potts. he eventually won the competition.

semi finals

finals

Date: 2007-06-18 13:26 Subject: a reminder that life is fragile Security: Public

http://ashleyisourangel.blogspot.com/2007/06/her-life-in-icu.html

Date: 2007-02-09 18:32 Subject: Baby! Security: Public Mood: pleased

my not-even-one-day-old-yet cousin



everyone say "awwwwwww......"

=D

Date: 2006-10-28 11:45 Subject: (no subject) Security: Public

 
作词: 小米
作曲: 彭妮
演唱: 杨丞琳

我终于还是说了一句我爱你
还记得那个微凉夜里天空正飘着小雨
心跳的声音像舞动奇迹
你看着我说千万不要爱上你
因为你只会让我伤心别傻了快点喊停
你那么冷静忽远又忽近
我知道我对你来说也许太年轻
我想我猜我问我终于了解
原来为爱流的眼泪也是种甜蜜滋味
只想爱你当我和你走在一起就已经决定
不看不听不问也不会放弃
是你让我了解自己可以为爱那么坚定
只想爱你好想每天睁开眼睛就能看到你
我知道我偶尔有一点任性
不管你做任何决定究竟爱我还是逃避
sorry我还是不会放弃爱你
sorry我还是不会放弃
我还是不会放弃爱你

Date: 2006-10-22 10:54 Subject: laughter, the best medicine Security: Public

you guys should this

and what with proper english... this is more interesting

Date: 2006-09-09 04:23 Subject: amusing Security: Public

watch this... it's damn funny, can?
=)

Date: 2006-09-05 02:14 Subject: Goodbye Crocodile Hunter Security: Public

Guess by now many would have heard about the unfortunate demise of famous crocodile hunter Steve Irwin. I always remember tuning in to Discovery Channel and watching him play with crocodiles and other dangerous animals like they were tame little puppies and kittens.. Never failed to made me wonder where he found the guts to go near those ferocious creatures..

Click here to view link reporting fatal accident

Apparently there's some request to place a turtle (tu) in front of your msn nick as a mark of respect to Steve Irwin. I've done mine... :)

Date: 2006-07-26 01:41 Subject: 李玟 - 暗示 Security: Public

听见星星叹息
用寂寞的语气
告诉不眠的云
是否放弃日夜追寻风的动静
心事不停累积
变成脸颊的泪滴
你始终没留意
我特别在乎你
你却像风一样
左顾右盼而行
全世界只有你不懂我爱你
我给的不只是好朋友而已
每个欲言又止浅浅笑容里
难道你没发现我渴望讯息
我应该如何让你知道我爱你
连星星都知道我心中秘密
今夜在你窗前下的一场雨
是我暗示你我有多麽委屈
你还不懂雨永远不会停...