Listening to the Singaporean's voice

[MarrickG]

Hot-potato issues - housing, transport and employment - will be the talk of the town, say GWENDOLYN NG, SARAH CHANG and SUJIN THOMAS

1 MINISTERIAL SALARIES REVIEW TO BE MADE PUBLIC

SINGAPOREANS wait with bated breath for details of the report handed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last Friday by the committee reviewing ministerial salaries.

While it is uncertain when the report will be made public, a public consultation exercise in June yielded over 500 e-mail messages and letters, said National Kidney Foundation chairman Gerard Ee, who heads the eight-man committee.

The committee was set up in May following the General Election by Mr Lee, as he said the issue was a "genuine concern" for many.

2 LIGHT AT THE END OF THE MRT TUNNEL? SMRT is in the hot seat.

After commuters cried foul over two MRT disruptions last month - which affected more than 200,000 commuters - a Committee of Inquiry (COI) is investigating the causes of the breakdowns.

The Land Transport Authority and SMRT are also conducting their own investigations and will submit their findings to the COI.

Meanwhile, with 12 of the damaged trains repaired and back in service, commuters will find reprieve in upped train frequencies.

Let's cross our fingers and hope for a smoother ride.

3 NEW BUYERS TO GET HDB FLATS FASTER

MORE first-time home buyers can expect to get their Housing Board flats this year as another 25,000 Build-To-Order (BTO) units will be added to last year's total of 25,200 flats - which is a record number of such units launched in a year.

Resale prices are set to remain high as there will still be a demand for such properties, even as HDB ramps up supply.

Private-home prices are, however, expected to dip with the latest round of cooling measures as foreign buyers are likely to be put off by the additional 10 per cent stamp duty imposed on them.

4 GOVT SUBSIDIES AND OTHER HEALTH-CARE PERKS

MORE patients are expected to go to family doctors or general practitioners (GPs) from Jan 15.

That's when the expanded national subsidy scheme, with a lowered age criterion and increased income eligibility, for GP visits kicks in.

GPs will be better equipped to manage chronic-disease patients with new community health centres set up this year.

The centres are looking to offer services such as screening for diabetics and physiotherapy for stroke patients.

5 GREATER DIVERSITY OF VIEWS IN PARLIAMENT

IT WILL be a much more vocal and colourful Parliament this year. Already, a record number of 50 people are vying for nine Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) seats.

The previous record high was in 2006, when 48 indicated interest. Of the 50, 34 NMP hopefuls are individuals who are not backed by any group and who indicated their desire to champion causes of personal interest.

The nine NMPs to be appointed will join the 12th Parliament's six Workers' Party MPs elected in the May General Election and three non-constituency MPs from the opposition.

 

[Leongsam]

See I told you that the PAP is a caring government. The evidence is clear for all to see.

 

[eatshitndie]

See I told you that the PAP is a caring government. The evidence is clear for all to see.

i refused to believe the pap gov was a caring regime until i checked out for myself what was really going on in sg for 2 weeks last december, which were only a couple of weeks ago. the bs that i read here on this site weekly by detractors and those with an ax to grind gave me the impression that life was very miserable in sg, and i was swayed by the misinformation and skewed opinions. it was my fault for believing the nonsense.

i spent sometime at the sgh and came away extremely impressed with the professionalism and patience of medical staff and service personnel. even patients impressed me. they were patiently waiting in chairs for their numbers to be called. no more shouting of names and mouthing of insults like 20 years ago. a number would lit at a counter, and a patient would quietly and gingerly walk to the smiling attendant behind the counter. the wait time was averaging 10 minutes per patient at the heart center. i interviewed patients about cost, quality of care, and customer service levels.
not one patient bitched about all 3. in fact, they were telling me that the amount of money they were paying for acute heart diseases were minuscule with respect to the quality care, diagnoses, medication and treatment that they received. many were survivors of previous treatments, and they prefered seeing the medical experts at sgh than taking prescriptions and paying less at polyclinics closer to home. i interviewed doctors, nurses and other medical staff, and they all were extremely well trained, courteous and caring. i dressed like a bum in shorts, floral shirt and sandals, was unshaven, masqueraded like an uncouthed beng, and spoke with a lousy singlish accent, and yet hospital staff were very nice to me. i vowed that i would visit sg every time i need my heart checked after that very wonderful experience. and it's going to cost me only a small fraction what i currently pay in california, and the medical care i get here is atrocious with doctors caring only about cholesterol levels and prescribing designer drugs. you get a cardio-scan only when you get a heart attack and is delivered to a&e in an ambulance.

next up on why sg does not brag about its excellence....the national orchid garden. no one in california is even aware the nog exists in sg. even sinkies are not aware there is a world class orchid garden in their midst.

 

[Devil Within]

See I told you that the PAP is a caring government. The evidence is clear for all to see.

Only when faced with competition from oppositions. We should get more oppositions then PAP will become even more caring.

 

[kingrant]

What's so glorious about a queuing system with digital display? If after 50+ years in power, you are surprised then I think you have indeed very low stds.

You must be one of those vilage idiots who still think that the PAP brought us out of the mosquito swamps?

Did you ask the local staff how pissed they are with all the new FT Indian and PRC technicians they are being swamped with?

Have you visited and stayed in Canada where you pay not a cent for yr medical consultation and pennies for yr drugs?

We are told ad nauseam that we have only extraordinary people in govt, so must be paid extraordinary pays. Which country in the world does that? The U.S. where you are?

i refused to believe the pap gov was a caring regime until i checked out for myself what was really going on in sg for 2 weeks last december, which were only a couple of weeks ago. the bs that i read here on this site weekly by detractors and those with an ax to grind gave me the impression that life was very miserable in sg, and i was swayed by the misinformation and skewed opinions. it was my fault for believing the nonsense.

i spent sometime at the sgh and came away extremely impressed with the professionalism and patience of medical staff and service personnel. even patients impressed me. they were patiently waiting in chairs for their numbers to be called. no more shouting of names and mouthing of insults like 20 years ago. a number would lit at a counter, and a patient would quietly and gingerly walk to the smiling attendant behind the counter. the wait time was averaging 10 minutes per patient at the heart center. i interviewed patients about cost, quality of care, and customer service levels. not one patient bitched about all 3. in fact, they were telling me that the amount of money they were paying for acute heart diseases were minuscule with respect to the quality care, diagnoses, medication and treatment that they received. many were survivors of previous treatments, and they prefered seeing the medical experts at sgh than taking prescriptions and paying less at polyclinics closer to home. i interviewed doctors, nurses and other medical staff, and they all were extremely well trained, courteous and caring. i dressed like a bum in shorts, floral shirt and sandals, was unshaven, masqueraded like an uncouthed beng, and spoke with a lousy singlish accent, and yet hospital staff were very nice to me. i vowed that i would visit sg every time i need my heart checked after that very wonderful experience. and it's going to cost me only a small fraction what i currently pay in california, and the medical care i get here is atrocious with doctors caring only about cholesterol levels. you get a cardio-scan only when you get a heart attack and is delivered to a&e in an ambulance.

next up on why sg does not brag about its excellence....the national orchid garden. no one in california is even aware the nog exists in sg. even sinkies are not aware there is a world class orchid garden in their midst.

 

[eatshitndie]

Only when faced with competition from oppositions. We should get more oppositions then PAP will become even more caring.

competition will only improve the situation. even without competition, sinkies do not know how pampered they are until they live outside sg in a 1st world country for over a decade.

 

[Leongsam]

Only when faced with competition from oppositions. We should get more oppositions then PAP will become even more caring.

That's quite normal. Same applies to businesses. They go the extra mile only when the competition is nipping at their heels.

Even in relationships, nothing makes one half more caring and loving than the fact that someone else is interested in the love of your life.

 

[eatshitndie]

What's so glorious about a queuing system with digital display? If after 50+ years in power, you are surprised then I think you have indeed very low stds.
You must be one of those vilage idiots who still think that the PAP brought us out of the mosquito swamps?
Did you ask the local staff how pissed they are with all the new FT Indian and PRC technicians they are being swamped with?
Have you visited and stayed in Canada where you pay not a cent for yr medical consultation and pennies for yr drugs?
We are told ad nauseam that we have only extraordinary people in govt, so must be paid extraordinary pays. Which country in the world does that? The U.S. where you are?

count yourself lucky. you have been spoilt rotten by the pap gov in sg that with your attitude you will not survive a week in the u.s.

 

[Leongsam]

competition will only improve the situation. even without competition, sinkies do not know how pampered they are until they live outside sg in a 1st world country for over a decade.

Yeah those fucking sinkies don't realise how lucky they are.

 

[kingrant]

And you are so ingratiated and grateful aftre coming out of Hell that any shit hole that stinks a little better is heaven to you?

That you have to fawn in this forum too?

count yourself lucky. you have been spoilt rotten by the pap gov in sg that with your attitude you will not survive a week in the u.s.

 

[eatshitndie]

And you are so ingratiated and grateful aftre coming out of Hell that any shit hole that stinks a little better is heaven to you?

That you have to fawn in this forum too?

of course! i am still in awe of what the pap has done for sg in my last visit. my experience at the mbs was marvelous! everything went so smoothly even my bowel movements were fantastically stainless.

 

[eatshitndie]

Yeah those fucking sinkies don't realise how lucky they are.

and who better to defend the pap's reputation than a few objective and neutral observers from outside of sg! the few impartial against the many agrieved.

 

[Devil Within]

competition will only improve the situation. even without competition, sinkies do not know how pampered they are until they live outside sg in a 1st world country for over a decade.

How many retards and idiots are out there in other first world (just look at USA), I do not care. Here, you must know who is the master and who are the servants. When you pay your employees or maids millions, you don't expect them to produce cheap work and boss you around, do you? Unless you are the slave and they are the master. Then they should be called dictators and not civil servants.

 

[kingrant]

Neither would anybody from the PAP.

count yourself lucky. you have been spoilt rotten by the pap gov in sg that with your attitude you will not survive a week in the u.s.

 

[Received_by_Kings]

no more shouting of names and mouthing of insults like 20 years ago.

God you are so old...

 

[kingrant]

That is why we have to continually knock sense into the PAP and let them know (with our modest gestures here and there) that their stds are sub par and they have to shape up or ship out. There are many Opposition parties out there raedy to jump in.

That's quite normal. Same applies to businesses. They go the extra mile only when the competition is nipping at their heels.

Even in relationships, nothing makes one half more caring and loving than the fact that someone else is interested in the love of your life.

 

[freedalas]

See I told you that the PAP is a caring government. The evidence is clear for all to see.

The PAP is not caring for the citizens. It is doing all these to care for themselves for the sake of surviving the next GE. Had the results of GE 2011 not been one with a sharp erosion of support for PAP, they would just continue with the tyrannical way and do what benefit themselves most. The evidence is clear for all to see, including you my dear Mr Leongsam.

 

[Logisex]

If Singapore is so good, people all around the world will be scrambling to get in and the govt will be setting high entry standards.

Nowadays FTs don't even bother to apply for PRs. Only those with kids apply out of convenience and for the so called subsidies.
Those craving for citizenship are those that can't even hold a janitor job back home.

 

[palden]

See I told you that the PAP is a caring government. The evidence is clear for all to see.

Very very caring. Praise the lord. In the name of the father, the son and the holy Goh.