Over 15,000 attend Workers’ Party rally

To all who turn up yesterday, please turn this attendance to valid votes for this credible team.

I like blue nowadays and I always love "the hammer" (Thor comics).

White blinds me and makes me use too much bleach.
But the irony is our Whites are not as White as we thought and years goes by, just like your white shirt, it gets yellowed and stained.

Out with the white and give me my blue shirt!

Many years ago, many people attended Francis Seow's rally and these were translated into votes in which the Workers' Party lost by about 1%. I hope this time round more attendance will be translated into useful votes to kick out some useless ministers and MPs.

Come on people, show your support and also execute your support through your votes!

I was at the WP party rally last night even though i stays at sengkang. Everywhere are so crowded.Around the area, most of the carpark are full.This is good sign. Hope the residents staying there, can be understand and pls endure for this period of time.During the stay at the WP rally, i over- hear one of the uncle told the other uncle, standing at this position. We can't hear what the party is talking but this uncle told him. Whether we can hear or not, what most important is. We came here to support WP.keep up the good work "WP". I also met my long lost contact secondary school friend there, who had just went through operation but asking why he came here since his movement not that good. He told me, came here to support WP. WP, even a sick people came to your party rally.

I was at the hougang site and boy was it breathtaking! It was like a scene from the lord of the rings. Across the plateau, there were people everywhere. We were already more than 20,000 strong, yet people continued to pour in from every direction! It was like the Elves, the Dwarfs and Men all coming for one cause – to destroy Sauron! The morale was fantastic! If we were to go to war right now, nobody can stop us! Why was the turnout so fantastic, that probably WP did not expect too? Possible reasons :

- Everybody’s “fond” memory of the govt pulling its biggest con on the people - giving out NSS funded by a subsequent hike in GST rate.

- Govt ignoring our wishes all these years, like when we didn’t want a casino as it will destroy families, they went ahead to build two!

- Poor selection of candidates this time round by the PAP. TPL driven to the nomination centre by her parents . . . is she still being breast-fed? “adultress” foo . . . whom nobody has dared to probe further on the allegation, prompting everyone to assume that the rumours can only be true. And of course, the worst of them all, steve tan dropping out last min, after embarrassing letters were sent to the PM’s office. They think that the GRC wall for the cowards can hide all these weaknesses?! They better think again!

- And tonight, to my beloved chee hean. I stay in sengkang, and I feel insulted that u addressed us as the siglap crowd! It only shows how ill-prepared the DPM is! Hopefully, this is the last time I will ever see your poster hanging in my GRC!

I can’t finish naming all of PAP’s heinous crime for the past 5 years, but it has left a big scar in our lives! Their white knights’ image has been completely dashed! Prior to starting their campaign, they could have saved some votes, by pulling out TPL and Foo. But since they didn’t want to “lose face”, they proceeded with their nomination. That was the last nail on their own coffin, because it clearly showed that this govt had a mind of its own and does not give a rat’s @#$% of what we think about anything at all!

I feel so proud to be a Singaporean today because I bear witness to the dawn of a new political era in Singapore. A government that finally places singaporeans’ interest first rather than party interests first!

Come 7 may, it will be celebrated as independence from PAP day ! ! !

$800 for us, millions for themselves

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

John Tan

There has been much publicity in the media about the so called “growth dividend” in the recent Budget presented which hands out up to $800 to every voter. This handout amounts to $1.5 billion in total.

What followed was a torrent of propaganda to convince the people that the giveaways were generous and, to quote by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, “more than what is required for lower- and middle-income households to tide over this temporary period of high inflation.”

But while the handouts are for us to tide over the high inflation we are facing (which are in fact inadequate), the Ministers are more than generous when it comes to their own handouts.

It looks like they are paying themselves an 8-month bonus. This payment is given in addition to their basic salaries, the Annual Wage Supplement (AWS, the 13th month payment) and their Performance Bonuses (PB).
Let us look at the way a minister’s pay is computed:
The number of months for items 6 and 8 (see Table on right) have been determined and made public.

The PB, item 9, which can range between zero and 14 months of the salary, is a secretive component of the ministerial pay. It is determined solely by the Prime Minister and kept confidential as admitted by Foreign Minister George Yeo here.

In August 2009, the SDP wrote to the Public Service Division twice (see here and here) to inquire about the ministers’ performance bonuses, but was given evasive answers.

In a parliamentary session in January 2009, Minister Teo Chee Hean said that senior civil servant at the MR4 level (which includes junior ministers) received 9 months worth of PB in 2008. Now, the GDP growth in 2007 was 8.8%. The 8.8% growth must have been one of the indicators, if not the indicator, for the PB computation.

Last year GDP growth was 14.5%, a much higher rate than 2007. It is likely that the Prime Minister will heap on his and the ministers' platters a 14-month PB compared to the 9 months they received in 2008.

Nevertheless, I shall use a more conservative estimate of 10 months for the PB. I shall also use a more conservative estimate of 1 month for the SVP.

As you can see this gives each minister a whopping pay of 36.5 months for 2011!

In 2007, an MR4 officer received a basic monthly salary of $52,420. On top of that they were given another 18.4 months of bonuses pulling up their salaries to $1,593,500! That year, the Prime Minister received a total $3.09 million.

In 2008, their monthly salary was increased by 14%, making an MR4 officer’s basic monthly salary $60,000 and the Prime Minister’s $116,000. Tag on the multi-month bonuses and their annual wages again come up in the millions.

Based on this calculation, it is safe to assume that the annual salaries for ministers have not changed. A junior minister would get $2.19 million and the Prime Minister $4.23 million. This works out to about $360,000 a month in wages for Mr Lee Hsien Loong!

It was announced that Parliament had adjusted the President’s salary to S$4,267,500 for this year, confirming that my calculation is fairly close since the Prime Minister’s salary typically trails the President’s marginally.

Given this range, it is reasonable to assume that the average wage of a cabinet minister is about $3 million. Multiply it by 21 ministers in the cabinet and we are paying $63 million for the ministerial salaries.

This is 5.5% of the nation’s entire growth dividend.

It means that a minister like Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, despite blowing the YOG budget by over 3 times its original budget of $104 million and running an event that was riddled with incompetence and mismanagement, will still be paid about $3 million.

It is no wonder they are so pleased with the Budget. It is no wonder Mr Lim Swee Say said he feels so rich whenever he looks at his CPF statement.

In the meantime we get the crumbs that fall from their table while they feast.

In our Shadow Budget

I must say WP speech makes sense. It is not about whether we like PAP or not. It is about good objective debates. Not all oppositions makes sense and not all PAP are good too.

PAP needs humility, listening skills and transparency.

Question 1: How did HDB come out the pricing of new flats? We are not saying you should lower the land price but i think the price is 'ridiculous'? Don't tell me about better facilities and better flats. Give us figures to tell us about the cost of land, cost of building them and then the selling price.

Question 2: Where did they get that 600 millions or 700 millions to upgrade estates? If they are from the GRC or SMC fund, then it is not fair as they are from the residents and not from you.

Question 3: Yes we all know inflation is a global problem: don't you have any creative idea to lower that inflation? If you do not have then have discussion over with oppositions. Maybe you may get better ideas.

Question 4: What accountablity? Mr Wong KS did you lose your job or did you have a pay cut for Mas Salamat escape? Others lost their job or were demoted?

Question 5: Mr Palmer you are right or may be right to say that the WP did not do their round in your constituency? Can I say that about Nee Soon GRC where no MPs of PAP have yet to make their round as compare to WP?

Give some Oppositions a chance to voice it out for us but PAP must win.

Not all PAP are bad,
Take for instance our Finance Minister - A capable person. Our Prime Minister- A capable and compassionate person. Our Health Minister- a great person. Our NTUC guy- compassionate person.

Let me tell u an experience I have staying in Nee Soon, I parked my car one day at a parking lot at my home, I received a phone call to ask me to move my vehicle so that Mr Shamugan could park there. I refused. A question in my mind is that what is so special of that parking lot. I cannot say that he requested that but I think the people who work under him should not have requested that. He has been "shielded" by these people. Then how is he able to listen to the residents as they may have covered up certain issues.

I hope two GRC and 2 SMC will be taken by Opposition and hope you all know where they are. As for the rest, PAP should get them. Then there is a balance of power and we still did not rock the boat. 12 : 75 (Not a bad ratio don't you think)

Have a bit more opposition not too many. At least PAP will decide policy that are more in depth and not just implementing them without deep discussions.
Take for instant the taxi stands in town, did they think of the elderly and handicapped people if they are in town, it is very inconvenience to them. Some taxi stands do not have shelters and when it rains can you imagine the consequences!!!! Till now, they are not sheltered.

Foreign Affair: Yes FTA were signed. Then why is there no free sky agreement with Australia when you sign the agreement, did you overlook that? Complanecy may have set in.

May we have peace and prosperity to our nation. And may MPs who are taking care of us, especially the needy and elderly, have humility, compassion and capability. (Not the 4C that one MP stated!)

I was there at the WP Rally. I don't think it's 20,000. More like more than 40,000 people. Just calculate the crowd on the field alone is pack more than 100 metres by 100 metres. If you simply take 2 people forming one metre line, you will get 200 x 200 people in that square alone. That's 40,000 crowd. Not counting those at the railings and HDB flats. Definitely more than 20K. The figures these news people given are just trying to play down the actual situation on the ground. No wonder the PAP always get confused and make HONEST mistakes.

Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together. - Playwright Eugene Lonesco

PAP must learn what the above phrase means else they will soon be out of parliament.

its certainly more than 15000 people...easily 50,000
For those who went for football matches in National stadium before...you get a good feel of crowd.
It should be more including people cramped at corridors of blk837 and people coming/leaving for 3 hours...

The picture shown is probably on 1/8 of the entire crowd... Its ROCKZ !!!

Looks like a rock concert!!! I'm gonna get my hammer, blue umbrella and the t-shirt and wear it proudly when I'm out.

yes..lets begin this journey to return power to the people..Vote for WP.

We need to see light again, before the dark forces of PAP overwhelmes the whole Parliament (pls don't sit on the fence...otherwise we may end up with zero Opposition)

I like the Lord of the ring analo----...

Its not easy to run as Opposition, lets support them in all ways!!

The peoples ask for a strong opposition in Parliament. WP responsed with LTK leaving his stronghold and perhaps sacrificing his 15k salary to field its best team ever in a GRC. If the opposition do not win 1 GRC and perhaps a SMC this time round, then we can all forget about all future elelctions and just let the PAP continue to govern and dictate all policies without any due respect for its citizens. And no more complaints.

The Oppsition are really Great after listening to their rallies.They give Good and Logical speech which what we Singaporeans are going to say out.Nicole seah surprises everyone when she gave a bold speech and Mr Low Thia Kiang with some jokes i enjoyed ( High GST High Housing High Coe High Inflation and Most important High Blood Pressure) .Oppsition u really do us proud !!!

Aju GRC resident, your estate was upgraded afterr with the help of the WP involve in the last GE that shaken the PAP to work for you. Now, the majority of Singaporean need your help to put in WP in the paliament to voice the real Singaporean. We are here to support you to make the right choice. Vote the WP for the benefit of you & your future generation, the Singapore as a whole.Let's progress as a united people , one nation with more opposition in the paliament.

I've been a PAP supporter since young having been influenced by my parents as well as not having personally suffered from its policies. However, there were some policies which made me very uncomfortable eg the 'Stop at 2' campaign and the controversial 'Nature vs Nurture' debate. It was not until I got married and moved to Hougang and was lost to the Opposition that I came to realise that not all Opposition are bad.

Having stayed at Hougang for more than 18 years, I've seen the estate through its ups and downs. I would have like for it to be as well maintained as the PAP wards but I can accept that the Opposition is doing its best given its limited budget. However, this personal self-interest is insignificant when I see the Opposition giving a very credible alternative voice in Parliament. Yes, at the end of the day it's only 2 voices but it carries with it the concerns of the citizens. This is not to say that PAP back-benchers do not speak out for the average citizens but when it comes to the crunch, and the party uses the whip, they have to toe the line.

I've now moved to Ponggol-Sengkang to a bigger unit for my bigger family. My wife and I are now in our late 40s and early 50s. Though we are classified as middle-income, we still have to work with no retirement plans on-hand with the rising costs of living and the increased competition from foreign talents as we still need to see our children through their education. Increasingly, we have become disenchanted with the way the government implemented some of the policies. These policies may well have been debated in Parliament but with the current make-up in Parliament, it may just get 'steam-rolled' over. We need to have the alternate voice to ensure that policies gets that attention it deserves and that it gets debated thoroughly before it gets passed in Parliament.

For this coming election, we will be voting for the Opposition. This is not a decision that was taken lightly but after long discussions and in consideration of the consequences. At the end of the day, we want to ensure for our children and every Singaporean child a future where our homeland is for the betterment of our Singapore citizens and where every citizens will be proud to call it 'HOME". If this need more alternative voices in Parliament then so be it.

@@@@

It should be MORE THAN 30000 .....Supporters....

Cheers Workers Party !

So sad... the WP umbrellas got sold out so quickly. Only managed to get the flags. Hope they have replenishments for the next few rallies. I wan to use the umbrella on rainy days, cos it's "lightning" proof :D

GE 2011 will be a watershed threshold for the new Singapore. The electorate has changed as the demographic composition has changed. A new batch of Singaporeans aged above 21 years old and will joining the cohorts of voters. This new generation of voters are more educated and internet savvy and will be the catalyst to tilt the balance in favour of the opposition candidates in those critical areas of low margin win of the PAP.

They may gerrymander the divisions and reconstruct new constituency borders, etc to win advantage for the PAP, but they can't change the demographic pattern because they cannot prevent young Singaporeans from turning 21 years of (voting) age. Thank god, divinity is now playing its hand to help Singaporeans.

The world is experiencing a new age - change is at the horizon. There is political awakening happening round the world. A year ago, nobody would have imagine what has happened in Egpyt recently, is happening now currently in Libya, Syria, Yemen, etc to be possible. These are countries much like Singapore in political structure (but not in economic performance) - politically oppressed people living under some sort of police state mentality of the ruling leadership running into several decades with no end in sight of their removal from power.

The winds of change has come. It is the age of the internet where information from all sources, good or bad, is at the tip of the fingers and people can now make better judgement based on ready information at speed of seconds.

The PAP had introduced GRCs under the pretext of ensuring minority representation in parliament when the actual intended goal was to ensure PAP victory of 4 or 5 constituencies at one go instead of having to fight 4 or 5 electoral battles for votes, using the law of averages, i.e. the mathematical weight of composites to ensure victory in all 4 or 5 constituencies combined as one instead of the probability of losing 1 o 2 of them if they were contested as separate individual constituencies. Well this has worked for them for the last few elections. But not anymore.

The change in demography of voters will prove to be a decisive factor in turning PAP's advantage into disadvantage. For those GRCs where the PAP margin of win is not decisive enough, the entrance of the new group of younger voters will tilt the balance in favour of the opposition party candidates, which would translate into more seats being lost by the PAP at one go instead of only one if they had been contested as single member constituencies. The opposition would have to win 1 electoral battle (GRC) to win 4 or 5 seats instead of having to fight and win 4 or 5 battles individually. So, the sword they used for their victory in the past will now be turned and used against themselves. He who digs a pit for his brother will himself fall into it.

It looks like panic stations for the men in white. The most 2 threatened GRCs, Aljunied and Bishan-Toa Payoh GRCs, are now headed by TWO ministers instead of one previously. It is very obvious that the PAP is trying to use 2 ministers to pull their weight in these 2 GRCs, hoping that their presence will help their battle. Good desperate last minute strate----, but wrong choice of weapon. Wong Kan Seng and Ng Eng Hen are two of the most arrogant and proud ministers in the cabinet and are hated by most Singaporeans for their demeanour. George Yeo, though a lesser "evil" when compared to the former, is still not very well liked either. Coupled with this, the opposition team in the 2 GRCs are being headed by seasoned and well liked opposition MPs in the likes of Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Kiang, and their teams included high calibre candidates, a couple of whom may be deemed more capable than WKS and NEH. If voters sentiments are correctly portrayed by street talk and internet clamour, then the 2 GRCs going to the opposition on 7 May is a likely outcome. Provided elections are cleaning administrated with no fraud or hanky panky controversies.

yes we do need the co driver in there just in case the driver gets into an accident. and how many accidents have the "driver" got into over the last 5 years. forget msk, forget the orchard flood; to me these issues doesn't affect our future.

i'm 25 now, single and just out of school. yes, right now life is ok, nothing much to complain about. but the next 5 years, when i'm most prob getting married, that's where the problem would start.
1. hdb flats. is the price going to be out of my reach? so what if i can pay for it with my cpf? the idea behind the cpf when it start was so that we can retire ok at 55. already the prices are so high, nd with the asset growth that our dear minister keep talking about, it won't be before long my new flat cost 700k over the next 5 yrs.
2. then cpf, after paying for the flat, would practically have nothing left. and i can't w/draw till 62, and i got min sum to maintain. all these policies are implemented without consent, practically they are shoved upon us because ''it's good for you". so during the next 5 yrs, would it be changed to w/draw age to 70? min sum to 150k? in the end all the money i worked for i can only see numbers but i can't touch.. very much like those ponzi scheme last time, when i got 10000000 units but can't w/draw. i would like to contribute to society and continue working when i'm old, but it shouldn't be where i have to continue working just to make ends meet.

3. increased cost of living. utilities, transportation costs, basic necessities, gst, are all going to rise. it's just a trend that we have seen over the last 50 years. surely we can't be blind to see that.

and the thing i feel most strongly about. Upgrading. why shld people that are in oppo wards marginalised? ok, i might not know how or where this upgrading fund come about, but it's definitely not the papppies private fund. every 5 yrs, they come out draw this master plan, draw those upgrades, of course they can, cos their ah gong already promise them the money to do. how can the oppo promise such things when they can't access this account? but is it their fault? NO! to be fair, every constituency should be allocated a budget to upgrade their town, and there everyone can plan accordingly, whoever wins. and speaking about it... you think the upgrading is done for free? for all the lift upgrade (LUP), or add rooms or whatever, the residents have to pay a sizeable amount too ok.. 31k for my lift. add all the 31k from my block and see how much it is... the thing is.. u got budget still take money from me, but u can afford to lose 15mil in sinking funds. 15mil can build u many lifts.. why wasn't the huge amount to reserves used to subsidize my LUP? and the best thing, when they lose money they come out say sorry then forget about it. 15 mil, just write off like that. why din the MP step down? if i lose 15 mil for anybody i'll prob be dead by now.

so dear sgporeans, think with your heart. do u want this to happen? upgrade so what? most of the estates are upgraded already anyway, besides most of us just go home straight, does it matter to u? thank the pappp for doing their job, it's time to move on. the oppo, even if they win, might not be able to veto any decision, but we must encourage them, and the people that wants to serve, that joining the oppo is not a lost cause. give them a chance to show us, and show u, what is the difference. u have the choice

vote them in, singapore is better to be government by at least 2parties, just like in the US.
singapore belongs to the singaporeans not to PAP.
vote wisely. 46 years of naive period has to be over. good luck