Chitchat Straits times: The 6 men pipped to be the next PM of Sinkieland

[Balls2U]

How can George Yeo be PM material when his preferred solution to Singapore's then woes was to introduce Casino gaming ?

Even more sad was the fact that Cabinet went along with the idea and even LKY abandoned his instincts and allowed the scheme to go through....

I was just comparing him to those 6 clowns. Can't deny that he's more capable than any of them.

 

[jw5]

How can George Yeo be PM material when his preferred solution to Singapore's then woes was to introduce Casino gaming ?

Even more sad was the fact that Cabinet went along with the idea and even LKY abandoned his instincts and allowed the scheme to go through....

Didn't he "object, shed a tear and then reluctantly relented?" Then later advised those of a lesser economic class to stay away from the casinoes and stick to 4D and toto.

 

[winnipegjets]

Mr Heng has some exposure to world leaders and statecraft, having received Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit here and accompanied PM Lee to the Group of 20 summit in Turkey last November.

A smart journalist wouldn't cite this as a strength. It is a bloody weakness. All he did was to see Xi for a while and act as a second or third fiddle on a meeting.

 

[winnipegjets]

“The most promising among every cohort of MPs are then brought into government. They work with senior ministers, and are tested and stretched in a range of portfolios. In the process, they become confident in their roles and gain the trust of the people.” Khaw said

PAP is a confused party ...Khaw forgot that the Education Ministry is helmed by two novices.
Secondly, his statement assumes that everyone appointed will make the grade. Is that realistic? What planet is Khaw from?

 

[jw5]

I was just comparing him to those 6 clowns. Can't deny that he's more capable than any of them.

Actually I can deny that he's more capable than any of them. What I can't deny is that if the 7 of them were speaking on tv on different channels and I am forced to watch one of the channels, I would choose to watch the channel with Georgie Porgie.

 

[winnipegjets]

I will migrate if CCS becomes the next PM.

You better work on it right now because CCS is going to be the next PM. CCS is considered to be the most likely to be the puppet for the Lees. CCS is the 'adopted' son of the late CON U. Pinky and Ho Jinx know how to manipulate him.

 

[winnipegjets]

None of the potential PMs have anything to show. What have they accomplished? Ziltch!

 

[winnipegjets]

CHAN CHUN SING

Since his entry to politics in 2011, Mr Chan has developed a reputation for quickly mastering his portfolios and his ability to connect with people on the ground.

Mr Chan's portfolios are significant ones, and complement his time in the Singapore Armed Forces, where he rose to the rank of major-general and was Chief of Army.

He became Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports in May 2011, a politically important appointment then, given the concerns over rising inequality that the People's Action Party (PAP) had to contend with in that year's general election .

Two years and three months later, he was made full minister, the fastest of his batch to achieve the promotion.


Former Nominated MP Eugene Tan recalls watching Mr Chan in Parliament during the Committee of Supply (COS) debates, the annual Parliament debate over each ministry's Budget. Says Dr Tan: "After one year, he was able to go to COS without referring to his file. That was very impressive."

Mr Chan now holds two important positions: secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress - that is, labour chief - and People's Association deputy chair.

This means that he has links to two key groups: the trade unions and grassroots organisations.

Within the PAP, he has also been given heavy responsibilities.

Soon after the 2015 general election, he was tapped to head the executive committee of the party's headquarters (HQ), which oversees the administration and coordination of the PAP's activities across its 89 branches. He is also party whip, ensuring the MPs all vote according to the party line so the Government can pass the laws it proposes.

Topping it off, impressively, not to mention important politically, Mr Chan is fluent in three of the four official languages: English, Malay and Mandarin.

Examples of shoddy journalism ...no answers
What did he do that led to his 'accelerated' promotion to full minister?
What has he accomplished ...in PA, as a minister, as NTUC chief?

Says Dr Tan: "After one year, he was able to go to COS without referring to his file. That was very impressive."

Gosh, the British ministers do that all the time. Sinkapore standard is very low indeed

 

[winnipegjets]

HENG SWEE KEAT

To see how far Mr Heng may go, you only have to look at his curriculum vitae (CV) since he entered politics in 2011: In terms of helming heavyweight ministries and national committees, he stands head and shoulders above his colleagues.

He has been the Minister for Education and is now in charge of the Finance Ministry, critical ministries traditionally on the CVs of current and former deputy prime ministers and prime ministers.

In addition, Mr Heng chaired the Our Singapore Conversation national feedback drive in 2013, and the SG50 Jubilee celebrations last year.

He now heads the Committee on the Future Economy, billed as having the key task of transforming Singapore's economy to ready it for the future. PM Lee headed a similar economic committee in 1985.

Mr Heng has some exposure to world leaders and statecraft, having received Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit here and accompanied PM Lee to the Group of 20 summit in Turkey last November.

And in a sure sign of the Cabinet's confidence in his potential, Mr Heng achieved the rare feat of being made a full minister immediately after being elected as a new MP.

Such a promotion has happened only once before, to former finance minister Richard Hu. Even PM Lee, who entered politics at age 32 in the same 1984 election as Dr Hu, was first appointed as a minister of state.

Before entering politics, Mr Heng started his public service career in the police force and held posts including principal private secretary to then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and permanent secretary for trade and industry - the highest-ranking civil servant in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

But a big question mark hangs over his health, given the stroke he suffered in May, says NUS political scientist Reuben Wong. He is said to have recovered well and remains in the running. PM Lee himself had lymphoma - a cancer of the white blood cells - in 1992. It went into remission after chemotherapy, and he became Prime Minister in 2004, 12 years later.

A lot of activity ...but no accomplishments.

 

[jw5]

Examples of shoddy journalism ...no answers
What did he do that led to his 'accelerated' promotion to full minister?
What has he accomplished ...in PA, as a minister, as NTUC chief?

He mastered the rolling dance.

 

[winnipegjets]

NG CHEE MENG

A newcomer to politics, Mr Ng was given roles in the important ministries of education and transport from the get-go.

A few weeks after both were elected last September, Mr Ng and Mr Ong Ye Kung were both made Acting Minister for Education, splitting the heavyweight ministry between higher education and skills, which went to Mr Ong, and schools, which went to Mr Ng.

The Education Ministry is a closely watched one where future deputy prime ministers or ministers can make their mark.

At the same time, he was also appointed Senior Minister of State for Transport, a hot-button ministry given the high-profile public transport breakdowns in recent years.

The appointments may be PM Lee's way of rounding out Mr Ng's strong military experience, giving him more and deeper exposure to the business of government. After all, before Mr Ng entered politics last year, he had risen to the apex of the armed forces as lieutenant-general and Singapore's Chief of Defence Force.

Rounding out his military experience, he was also on the boards of several public organisations such as the Defence Science and Technology Agency and JTC Corporation.

Appointed Senior minister of state to transport ministry ...shows that he has added no value. MRT breakdowns still common. More testing of different models ...billions of taxpayer's money is used to bail out the transit companies. I suspect that he is cahoots with his ex-military buddies in SMRT.

Sitting on different boards mean nothing when those agencies have nothing to show.

 

[winnipegjets]

ONG YE KUNG

Mr Ong joined the Cabinet one electoral cycle later than intended, having been part of the defeated People's Action Party team in Aljunied GRC in 2011.

But he seems to have turned that defeat into resilience, returning to politics at the general election last year. His strength vis-a-vis the others is his diverse range of experiences, given his years in the labour movement and the civil service.

Furthermore, between 2013 and last year, he worked in Keppel Corporation as director of group strategy, making him the only contender with corporate experience - a valuable different perspective.

But first, he earned his stripes in the civil service. Mr Ong worked closely with PM Lee as his press secretary and then principal private secretary, was the deputy chief negotiator for the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, and was chief executive of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. He then joined the labour movement, rising to be deputy secretary-general.

Now the Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills), Mr Ong is in charge of universities, polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education and SkillsFuture, all at the forefront of the Government's drive to get Singaporeans to upgrade themselves with relevant job skills.

He is also Senior Minister of State for Defence, and was recently appointed to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) board of directors, rounding out his experience in finance. Whether he can make up for lost time should be clearer come a mid-term Cabinet reshuffle.

He left Keppel before it sinks. As Director of Group Strategy, he has failed. Keppel is on its death bed. This is how stupid our journalists are. They don't bother to find out what he achieved while in that role. Or maybe he didn't do anything.

He didn't join the labour movement ...it was given to him after his election loss because he needed a job. Losing PAP politicians get jobs in PA or NTUC. What do they do there, god knows.

 

[winnipegjets]

TAN CHUAN-JIN

Touted as a part of the core of the fourth-generation Cabinet, Mr Tan had a bit of a rocky start but has since settled well into his current role as Social and Family Development Minister.

He was appointed the Acting Manpower Minister in August 2012 and made full minister two years later.

However, in August 2013, Mr Tan was asked to relinquish his second portfolio as Senior Minister of State for National Development, which raised questions at the time about his prospects. PM Lee said he wanted Mr Tan to drop his Ministry of National Development role so he could concentrate on helming the Manpower Ministry.

He proved himself, and a year later at the August 2014 Cabinet reshuffle, PM Lee said Mr Tan had performed well since taking office and had mastered his portfolio.

Mr Tan then succeeded Mr Chan as Minister for Social and Family Development in the April Cabinet changes last year. He was also the anchor minister for the PAP's team in Marine Parade GRC.

However, in February last year, he was diagnosed with pleural tuberculosis, a rare form of the disease which infected the area between his lungs and rib cage. He made a full recovery last October.

As a brigadier-general in the Singapore Armed Forces, Mr Tan led humanitarian relief efforts in Aceh after the 2004 tsunami, Singapore's largest military operation to date.

This is the minister that showed sinkees that he cares only about himself. He made sure that he was on the same flight as Joe Schooling but he rode first class while letting Schooling ride at the back. So much for a person who serves the country; he didn't even bother to honour the first sinkee who won Olympic gold for this country.

His greatest accompishment ...leading a humanitarian mission to Indonesia. That's a pretty low standard.

 

[winnipegjets]

LAWRENCE WONG

Mr Wong, the Cabinet's youngest minister at 43, has stepped up to bigger roles recently, having been assigned roles in two challenging ministries.

He was initially made Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in November 2012, and was promoted to full minister later in May 2014. He was also Second Minister for Communications and Information from May 2014 up till October last year, when he was appointed National Development Minister.

He oversees much of the national infrastructure, including the important matter of public housing, which more than four in five Singaporeans live in.

He was previously a high flier in the civil service, having worked closely with PM Lee as his principal private secretary before moving on to head the Energy Market Authority. Mr Wong also has experience in finance matters, having sat on the board of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

He was appointed Second Minister for Finance to assist Mr Heng last month, on top of his National Development portfolio.

What did he achieve? Overpriced public housing for sinkees. Sinkees can't save enough for retirement thanks to his policies of overpriced public housing.

 

[zeebjii]

Actually I can deny that he's more capable than any of them. What I can't deny is that if the 7 of them were speaking on tv on different channels and I am forced to watch one of the channels, I would choose to watch the channel with Georgie Porgie.

Not for me. I watched some of his interviews during lky tv marathon. Can't stand his 'look how wise my comments are!" demeanor. Just like flatearther, he thinks he is better than he really is. Anyway it's not relevant now. He has gone bonkers. Last year when i read about him, he called him a taoist christian!

 

[jw5]

Not for me. I watched some of his interviews during lky tv marathon. Can't stand his 'look how wise my comments are!" demeanor. Just like flatearther, he thinks he is better than he really is. Anyway it's not relevant now. He has gone bonkers. Last year when i read about him, he called him a taoist christian!

Remember that you have to watch one of the other 6. You can't switch off the tv.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Not for me. I watched some of his interviews during lky tv marathon. Can't stand his 'look how wise my comments are!" demeanor. Just like flatearther, he thinks he is better than he really is. Anyway it's not relevant now. He has gone bonkers. Last year when i read about him, he called him a taoist christian!

pls don't tell me you would be praising him to the skies were he a non chinese like a m&d or shit skin.

 

[red amoeba]

Appointed Senior minister of state to transport ministry ...shows that he has added no value. MRT breakdowns still common. More testing of different models ...billions of taxpayer's money is used to bail out the transit companies. I suspect that he is cahoots with his ex-military buddies in SMRT.

Sitting on different boards mean nothing when those agencies have nothing to show.

Taxi Drivers shld thank him for squeezing the course to 2 days. So that many unemployed can become taxi Drivers faster.

 

[red amoeba]

You better work on it right now because CCS is going to be the next PM. CCS is considered to be the most likely to be the puppet for the Lees. CCS is the 'adopted' son of the late CON U. Pinky and Ho Jinx know how to manipulate him.

I think CCS no longer the front runner. I felt he bungled up the indon vessel incident.

 

[scroobal]

I do agree with the points raised particularly on little competition. 2 other factors made it worse. We had a scholar, a previous ISD director who went over to Gentings and issue of security and state secrets crept up. The safety net was created to look after scholars when they become surplus to needs with postings to GLCs and even to govt agencies like Poly created a solid iron clad rice bowl. The second is the programme of match- making of scholars prior to their overseas departure for studies and requirement to return in the first year for the same programme led to proliferation of scholar couples. By age 30, their combined income pa is over $400k. Something they would not get outside for most of them. So the culture of acting cautiously and getting paid handsomely became ingrained. The Alpha Club and their meetings at places like Sentosa Golf Club became their family and their focus.

Son of a former head of Civil Service had to repeat his A levels in ACS, yet given OMS and admitted to Admin Service. Even today his Minister rates him poorly. Incestious?

The fact that not one senior civil servant or SMRT Sr. Staff appeared in the last 7 days to explain the Circle Line signalling issue is a reflection of this culture. Why take unnecessary risk?

I strongly suspect one of the main reasons holding back the civil service from attracting top caliber people from all walks of life is the ingrained culture and belief in the archaic CEP system as the fundamental building block to talent planning. This system was borrowed from Shell during the civil service's early days and the idea was that people's future potential a.k.a career ceiling decades down the road can be measured and identified just like how states can identify and train talented sportsmen from young to prepare them for the Olympics. Such identified elites are then put on the pedestal and endowed with the best development opportunities, paired with good mentors and subsequently starting from late 90s paid at a much higher rate than normal government employees.

This is all good in theory, but we know in real life it's really not possible to determine an individual's potential 30 years down the road. Sometimes it's because people ace out too early and stagnate, sometimes it could be lack of certain character traits required for senior leadership positions or otherwise it could also be change in personal ambition/interest as they chug along in life. No matter what, just because someone aced in exams in the teens and got a nice scholarship and degree from Oxford does not mean this young adult is good material for Perm Sec or Minister 25 years later.

The unintended effects of this policy has resulted in batches after batches of elites groomed in this manner and holding on to public leadership positions not on their merits in the talent market, but as a result of very little competition whereby only a very small subset of people who were lucky enough to get a high CEP in their early days were really competing for the top jobs. Not only that, this creates a critical mass of group think at the policy making level that defines the culture of the entire civil service.

Even if accomplished private sector folks join the civil service at senior levels, they often find themselves fighting as a minority against their peers and bosses who come from a totally different background. To compound matters, the non-elite civil servants (they like to call themselves farmers colloquially) that often reports into them mostly adopt the know your place and go through motion do-don't-ask sort of mentality. There comes a point where it is just not possible for a few exceptional outsiders to fight the entire system - the boss, the peers and the subordinates all at one go. It's either exit or assimilate in the end.

This, I believe, plays a strong part in how we ended up with 6 indistinguishable individuals with bureaucratic backgrounds who stand for everything and nothing. They were all marinated in the same sauce ever since they embarked on tertiary education.