Presidential Election 2011

[verykiasu2010]

HDB should investigate WP claims: Tony Tan


By Kor Kian Beng

Presidential candidate Tony Tan on Tuesday urged the HDB to investigate thoroughly the dispute over transfer of public sites in the Workers' Party-held Aljunied GRC.
He was on Tuesday asked for comment on the opposition party's complaint against the housing agency for transferring 26 public sites to the People's Association without informing the WP-run town council.
The former deputy prime minister, 71, said he was very concerned with regards to any unfairness, whether it is done intentionally or by mistake.
He said: 'For this particular case, my view is that the HDB should investigate the incident thoroughly. Get the facts and make sure that the proper procedures are followed.
'It is important that justice and fairness should be done, and not only that, but the public should see that justice and fairness have been done.'
Dr Tan was speaking to reporters after a walkabout at a market in New Upper Changi Road.
In a statement on Monday, WP chairman Sylvia Lim charged that the transfer of the sites - mainly fields and hard courts often used for community events - was 'politically motivated and an abuse of power' as it took place shortly after the May 7 General Election.
She said the move was 'to enable PAP candidates who lost at the last elections to re-emerge at community events'.

http://www.straitstimes.com/print/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_705092.html

[tankee]

raysusan:

[quote]Dr Lim Wee Kiat ‘lectures’ candidates on role of Elected President

August 23rd, 2011

http://cdn.temasekreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/lim_desmondwee.jpg\">



If the annual salary of the Minister of Information, Communication and Arts is only $500,000, it may pose some problems when he discuss policies with media CEOs who earn millions of dollars...

PAP MP Dr Lim Wee Kiat has given a ‘lecture’ to the presidential candidates on the role of the Elected President.

In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Dr Lim said he is ‘concerned’ at the ‘promises’ made by some presidential candidates and he hope Singaporeans will not be stirred by their rhetoric.

“Some Sembawang residents have feedbacked to me that some of the candidates appear to mistake the Presidential election to the General election,” he added.

Though he did not mention any names, it is obvious he is referring to pro-Singaporean candidate Tan Jee Say and to a certain extent Tan Kin Lian.

Mr Tan Jee Say’s pledge to take only a $500,000 salary only and donate the rest to charity must have shocked Dr Lim who told the state media on 23 May 2011:

“If the annual salary of the Minister of Information, Communication and Arts is only $500,000, it may pose some problems when he discuss policies with media CEOs who earn millions of dollars because they need not listen to the minister’s ideas and proposals, hence a reasonable payout will help to maintain abit of dignity.”

[Source: Zaobao.com]

[/quote]
Now i finally understand why PAP lost touch with the ground ...... We don't earn their kind of salary.

[hquek]

sssdarlings:

Oppsgal:

What if the one I think has the FIRST LADY look, but don't think the candidate suitable? How?

i face the same 'dilemma' :scratchhead:

Choose the candidate first. and if there are 2 equally 'attractive' ones, then go by wives?

it'll really be sad if the choice is made on the ladies' \"presidential look\" (or lack thereof). This is no beauty pageant even if the pres' work seems to be mainly smiling and waving.

[hquek]

verykiasu2010:

HDB should investigate WP claims: Tony Tan

okay, now I'm so coming up with my conspiracy theory....

[growie]

verykiasu2010:

HDB should investigate WP claims: Tony Tan


By Kor Kian Beng

Presidential candidate Tony Tan on Tuesday urged the HDB to investigate thoroughly the dispute over transfer of public sites in the Workers' Party-held Aljunied GRC.
He was on Tuesday asked for comment on the opposition party's complaint against the housing agency for transferring 26 public sites to the People's Association without informing the WP-run town council.
The former deputy prime minister, 71, said he was very concerned with regards to any unfairness, whether it is done intentionally or by mistake.
He said: 'For this particular case, my view is that the HDB should investigate the incident thoroughly. Get the facts and make sure that the proper procedures are followed.
'It is important that justice and fairness should be done, and not only that, but the public should see that justice and fairness have been done.'
Dr Tan was speaking to reporters after a walkabout at a market in New Upper Changi Road.
In a statement on Monday, WP chairman Sylvia Lim charged that the transfer of the sites - mainly fields and hard courts often used for community events - was 'politically motivated and an abuse of power' as it took place shortly after the May 7 General Election.
She said the move was 'to enable PAP candidates who lost at the last elections to re-emerge at community events'.

http://www.straitstimes.com/print/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_705092.html

Very brilliant move. TT sounds like he's for the people and acting like one so he'll earn more votes over liao.... But don't just judge by a single incident, there should be consistency in actions and words at all times...and not ONE TIME. :rant:

[sssdarlings]

hquek:

sssdarlings:

[quote=\"Oppsgal\"]
What if the one I think has the FIRST LADY look, but don't think the candidate suitable? How?

i face the same 'dilemma' :scratchhead:

Choose the candidate first. and if there are 2 equally 'attractive' ones, then go by wives?

it'll really be sad if the choice is made on the ladies' \"presidential look\" (or lack thereof). This is no beauty pageant even if the pres' work seems to be mainly smiling and waving.[/quote]
Actually I have already made my choice (simply by elimination, based on the candidates) .... though I could not help wondering how many of these potential first-ladies have been involved in community work or philanthropy like late Mrs OTC.

[hquek]

But seriously, even if someone based his vote on how much hair a candidate has, it’s not wrong. everyone’s vote, their own choice.

[concern2]

Oppsgal:

janet_lee88:

Personally, this PE this Saturday spells another public holiday (off in lieu on Monday for those working 5 day week).


Whoever is selected has to abide by the rules set by the govt...be it ex-PAP or Opposition. I have not watched any rally or listened to any talk by president hopefuls. But I've looked at the wives of these presidential hopefuls...thinking which one of them has the FIRST LADY look.

What if the one I think has the FIRST LADY look, but don't think the candidate suitable? How?

Then the FIRST LADY may one day become a Presidential candidate herself?

[matrix0405]

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/08/how-much-of-the-reserves-has-been-really-used/



by: Leong Sze Hian/

I refer to the article “Past reserves tapped on to fund land reclamation and Sers” (ST, Aug 7).

It states that “President S R Nathan’s office has been approving the use of past reserves to fund land reclamation projects since 2001 and land acquisition for the Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers) since 2002”.

To the best of my knowledge, I do not think anyone in Singapore knew about the use of the Reserves in the past.

Was this ever disclosed in Parliament or reported in the media?

When the Resilience Package was announced in 2009 to combat the recession, I believe Singaporeans were given the impression that it was the first time ever that the Reserves were being used.

Reserves for Sers?

I cannot understand the logic of using the Reserves for Sers.

Since the HDB sells flats which recovers the cost of land as well, wouldn’t the revenue from the redeveloped Sers land sold to private developers or used to build new HDB flats, be more than sufficient to recover the Sers’ land costs in the first place?

Hence, why the need to use the Reserves?

Budget surpluses and land sales?

Also, since the Budget has been in surplus like about nine out of every 10 years, and land sales amounting to around $10 billion a year are not counted as revenue in the Budget, why was there a need to use the Reserves?

Why didn’t the Auditor-General pick up these anomalies?

Sers flats for foreigners?

Since about 800 of the 2,000 Sers flats awaiting redevelopment have been rented out to non-Singaporeans at market rates for profits, is not the Reserves in a sense being used to benefit foreigners?

Reserves to Temasek?

As to “Mr Nathan and his advisers have judged that these projects do not deplete the reserves because the resulting increases in land value ultimately add to the reserves”, I would like to point out that the revenue derived from the use of reclaimed land and Sers, may have gone to the Government which may ultimately end up in the books of Temasek and the Government Investment Corporation (GIC).

For example, the land on which Changi Airport sits, if some of which is reclaimed land, has been privatized to Temasek for a paltry $3.3 billion.

Surely, the unfetted utilization of the 1,300 hectares of Changi Airport land, is akin to a ‘raiding’ of the Reserves.

Privatisation = moving Reserves?

Since “According to the Constitution, all state land and buildings are considered part of past reserves”, any privatization of state assets that contain land and buildings, may in a way, also be a ‘raiding’ of the Reserves.

With regard to “Before 1999, such projects were funded out of current reserves, even though the government of the day would usually not benefit from them. Mr Nathan noted that infrastructure projects often span across terms of government, which may disincentivise the government of the day to undertake them using current reserves, even though they benefited Singapore in the long term”, was this significant change debated in Parliament and reported in the media?

Booking current surpluses?

In my view, another side to the revelation now of the justification for the use of the past Reserves, may be that the Government may be incentivised to report surpluses every year, when in reality there may have been a deficit, since in a way, by a mere slight of the hand it has used past Reserves to spend instead of current Reserves.

In the corporate world some may liken this to a “cooking of the books”, as it is somewhat like reporting more profits, simply by booking current revenue and spending retained earnings or accumulated capital as expenses instead.

I would like to suggest that the “set of guidelines for processing all such cases of land development”, “agreed upon”, by “the president’s office and the relevant government department” be made public.

In respect of “Such projects include Sers and land reclamation”, does it mean that there may be other projects whereby the Reserves were also used?

How much used?

Finally, I am rather surprised that with this explosive disclosure now, no one has asked or answered the obvious question – how much of the Reserves has been used?

[Way2GO]

growie:

verykiasu2010:

HDB should investigate WP claims: Tony Tan


By Kor Kian Beng

Presidential candidate Tony Tan on Tuesday urged the HDB to investigate thoroughly the dispute over transfer of public sites in the Workers' Party-held Aljunied GRC.
He was on Tuesday asked for comment on the opposition party's complaint against the housing agency for transferring 26 public sites to the People's Association without informing the WP-run town council.
The former deputy prime minister, 71, said he was very concerned with regards to any unfairness, whether it is done intentionally or by mistake.
He said: 'For this particular case, my view is that the HDB should investigate the incident thoroughly. Get the facts and make sure that the proper procedures are followed.
'It is important that justice and fairness should be done, and not only that, but the public should see that justice and fairness have been done.'
Dr Tan was speaking to reporters after a walkabout at a market in New Upper Changi Road.
In a statement on Monday, WP chairman Sylvia Lim charged that the transfer of the sites - mainly fields and hard courts often used for community events - was 'politically motivated and an abuse of power' as it took place shortly after the May 7 General Election.
She said the move was 'to enable PAP candidates who lost at the last elections to re-emerge at community events'.

http://www.straitstimes.com/print/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_705092.html

Very brilliant move. TT sounds like he's for the people and acting like one so he'll earn more votes over liao.... But don't just judge by a single incident, there should be consistency in actions and words at all times...and not ONE TIME. :rant:

Brilliant? For the ppl? If only he is also consistent as u said.
He shd hv step up to the plate and asks that his son PT's highly unusual 12 yr disruption from NS
and subsequent NSF soft posting be thoroughly investigated,
and not leave any doubts in ppl's minds.