LKY defend PAP's record on help S'pore cope with cost living
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MM Lee defends PAP's record on helping S'poreans cope with cost of living
GE: By Imelda Saad | Posted: 30 April 2011 2049 hrsSINGAPORE: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has come out strongly to defend his party's record on helping Singaporeans cope with the cost of living.
Meeting the media after a visit to Radin Mas on Saturday, he said it is because of a capable government that the benefits of growth can be shared with citizens.
Turning to the election battle, he told reporters "it's not the end of the world if the PAP loses a GRC".
The cost of living is an issue for all Singaporeans, and Mr Lee said the government has introduced a slew of measures to help citizens.
These include the Grow and Share Bonus, Workfare and utilities rebates.
But he stressed this was possible only because Singapore had good growth last year.
He said opposition's economic proposals may be detrimental to Singapore in the long run.
Mr Lee commented on a plan by Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) candidate Tan Jee Say to move Singapore's economy away from manufacturing and focus on mainly services.
Mr Lee said: "He has no qualifications to say that and it's wrong. If you don't have manufacturing, you're going to have trouble with jobs. An economy that just depends on services is volatile and you always have high unemployment when services go down. Manufacturing is more steady."
When asked about the battle for Aljunied GRC, Mr Lee questioned the Workers' Party's real intentions."It's not just to win one GRC. Let's have no hypocrisy about this, every political party sets out to win and win a majority and they are setting out from a single constituency to a GRC and then expand to more GRCs and then take over. It's up to you to decide whether they are capable of running Singapore," said Mr Lee.
"The only hot seat is Aljunied and if Aljunied decides to go that way then Aljunied has five years to live and repent," he said.
"Losing one GRC does not mean the end of the world and we will try to regain it after five years, but they would have made an inroad into a GRC and they would try to make more inroads."
Amid criticisms that the GRC system allows untested candidates to ride on the coat-tails of Ministers, Mr Lee said the primary role of GRCs is to ensure minority representation.
He said that Mr Michael Palmer, the first PAP minority candidate to stand in a single-member constituency, is a "trial run" for the party.
He wants to see if Mr Palmer can carry the ground after serving residents for five years.
As for Dr Chia Shi Lu, who became an instant MP after the walkover in Tanjong Pagar GRC on Nomination Day, Mr Lee said the party didn't just pull someone like a rabbit out of a hat.
"He's not an untested person, we have interviewed him, we have gone through, he's a President's scholar, he scored straight A's. We had him on the top of our reserve list. Because he lacked people-to-people experience, so immediately (after Nomination Day) he went around shaking hands to get that experience, he knows his shortcomings, he's not a fool," said Mr Lee.
When asked about whether his recent remarks on the integration of Malays in Singapore will cost the PAP votes, Mr Lee said he meant no harm; he simply wants Malays to totally integrate.
He added that just like other communities, Malay Muslims in Singapore should support the PAP if they want a good government.
"You want a government that's incompetent, incapable, that can talk a lot but cannot produce, cannot bring results? We have never discriminated against the Malays. In fact we have many affirmative actions for the Malays," said Mr Lee.
He added that the Malay vote would be "sufficiently substantial" to carry the PAP through because it "makes no sense for the Malays to go and vote for an opposition that cannot form the government and cannot look after you".
Minister Mentor Lee described the younger generation of voters as a footloose generation that simply wants to try their luck.
He said as Minister Mentor, his role is to weigh in, provide the benefit of experience and speak about the consequences should citizens vote against a good team.
- CNA/ir
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president's scholar means.....book smart? But history has shown the best politicians and business owners are not always book smart. We need this sort of "non book smart" people to drive the economy and society.
Old man shd just keep quiet la. This is 2011, not 1961.
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Questioning WP's intention is of no use to win votes for PAP. In contrary, we understand the intention of PAP craving to control most seats.
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They should increase the GST again after winning this election, so that they can better help Singaporeans cope with the high cost of living.
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I regret that Tanjong Pagar GRC was a walkover, now this old bastard is very free to talk cock sing song.
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Back in e very first oil crisis in 1973, they bite the bullet while at e same time tried increasing everyone's wages w/ the continuing industrialisation
now is how to keep wages 'low' to be competitive... It sounds a bit like Dr M's low wage policy in 1980s to keep M'sia competitive which has its legacy problem today
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i dun even bother the read... he got to be kidding right?
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I can tell the old man straight in the face that we have regretted for the last five years although we did not vote for u.
All the measures came suddenly within two weeks after nomination day to take care of the people.
So, what are the millionsters are doing for the last 5 years ?
Why is it they dismissed feedback against them as gossip when they mentioned they listened to the people ?
Or they just listen to all the good things ? boot licking stuff ?
Strange enough, what they mentioned on their rally speech on taking care of the people, listening to the people are stuff they are paid to do but never ever done.
So, do we still believe them any more ?
One thing is for sure.
They will forget what they said for the past two weeks and start to increase all costs to achieve their GDP and KPI.
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please lah go retire
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Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:
I regret that Tanjong Pagar GRC was a walkover, now this old bastard is very free to talk cock sing song.
That GRC will never fall but If you go there and contest can stop MM Lee from going to other SMCs or GRCs to 拉票。But It's his last term as a MP lah. Just let him stay in parliament.
He might not last through his term as MP.
If He dies in his term, PAP dowan call by election one. I can gurantee.
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It may be his last election.
But, you will see him, him and him on the press every day threatening the singapore people who to vote.
How useful his son is in rallying the vote is obvious.
Who is the leader at the moment ?
If the son is so useless, how strong is the party when the old man moved on ?
Now, is Singapore so lack of talent to be selected to be PM ?
Or the PM still need more nannies after 2 terms ?
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Hope you are alive when PAP falls. to see it with your eyes wide open
You wanted Singapore to change and yet you are living in your own era
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better jobs for singapore, more jobs for singapore. same as hwat they uslaly say. no difference from karang guni man who shouted 'garung guni' every weekend morening i hear.
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They should increase the GST to 10% so that they can better help us cope with the escalating cost of living.
GST is to help the poor.
Repeat it a thousand times and it will become a fact.