We are Singaporeans who are dismayed, disappointed and disgusted with the performance of Singapore's Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan in his handling of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) and are demanding a PUBLIC APOLOGY from him for the following:
[Please sign the petition here]
1. Exceeding the initial YOG budget by more than three times:
The budget has ballooned from $107 million dollars to a shocking $387 million dollars. In contrast, Dr Vivian allocated a miserly $92 million dollars to help poor and needy Singaporeans in the same year. Till today, Dr Vivian has yet to account to Singaporeans as to what happened.
2. Failure to engage and consult Singaporeans before bidding for YOG:
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan did not bother to seek the views of Singaporeans before launching an official bid for the YOG in 2007. He simply went ahead and bid for it without conducting a study to assess the level of public support of it. Even Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong himself has expressed doubts if Singapore is ready to host the YOG. As a result, the YOG is becoming "Your Own Game" instead of a genuine national event involving all Singaporeans.
3. Lack of enthusiasm and support among Singaporeans for YOG:
Dr Vivian has more than two years to publicize and promote the YOG among Singaporeans. Nearly $10 million dollars of taxpayers' monies are spent on giant YOG billboards and banners put up all over Singapore and yet few Singaporeans are remotely interested in it. In an online poll conducted by Channel News Asia two weeks ago, 88 percent of some 6,400 Singaporeans said they are "not interested in the YOG at all" while 4 percent has never heard about it despite the extensive coverage given by the Singapore media. The lack of interest from Singaporeans for the YOG is evidenced by the rows of empty seats at its games and events with the live band at Marina promontory playing to a non-existent audience for days.
4. Lack of interest and publicity from the international media:
Dr Vivian claimed that YOG is supposed to put Singapore on the world map, but interest from the international media has been scanty at best. Billed as Singapore's "biggest" show, the YOG opening ceremony did not even make the sports headines of major international papers with the limelight stolen by the English Premier League, PGA and Rogers Cup. News coverage of the YOG was relegated to inconspicuous corners of most foreign publications if they do appear at all. Other than the relatives and friends of the athletes, hardly anybody has heard of YOG outside Singapore.
5. Ticketing lapses:
This must be a first in an international sporting event - tickets are sold out but yet the seats are empty causing athletes to perform in near empty stadiums. It turns out that MOE and various state agencies have bought the tickets in advance for distribution to their students and staff, few of whom bother to attend the games, resulting in genuine fans not being able to watch them on the day of the competition.
6. Forcing students to attend YOG events:
Due to the lack of support from the people, Singapore students are being forced to attend YOG events with a primary school principal even asking the students to pay a $5 "deposit" to ensure they turn up. Another primary school coerced its students to stand in the rain for hours to welcome the YOG torch rally. Some are threatened with not being given their testimonials or corrective work order if they do not support the YOG. Dr Vivian has achieved the unique feat of turning the "Youth Olympic Games" into the "Youth Arirang Games", reminiscent of the annual mass games conducted by North Korea.
7. Giving YOG volunteers substandard food while treating athletes like kings:
While athletes are given three daily buffet meals, YOG volunteers who have to work for long hours without rest are given substandard inadequate food not fit for human consumption. From the callous manner which the volunteers are being treated or rather mistreated, it is pretty obvious that Dr Vivian does not acknowledge, let alone appreciate their contributions at all. They are nothing more but mere "slaves" in his eyes to ensure that his YOG becomes a success, if ever.
8. Safety issues at YOG venues:
A roof canvas collapsed in a heavy downpour at a YOG venue *SCAPE. Fortunately, nobody was injured as there are few people around at the scene. A temporary platform collapsed injuring a journalist from China. These lapses in safety are almost unheard of in international sporting events.
9. Mass food poisoning outbreak at two YOG venues:
On 15 August 2010, 26 YOG volunteers came down with diarrhoea and abdominal pain after taking contaminated meals provided by the YOG food caterer. The volunteers and public were not informed of the mass food poisoning outbreak until three days later after the news was leaked and spreading like wildfire on the internet, suggesting of a cover-up by the organizers. In the first place, such a lapse in the food hygiene should not have happened at all. Instead of calling a press conference to explain the incident to concerned parents, Dr Vivian simply said during a side event that the investigations will take "some time".
10. Daily inconveniences for Singaporeans:
Ordinary Singaporeans struggling to make a living have to put up with many unexpected inconveniences caused by an over-zealous administration under the charge of Dr Vivian desperate to make itself look good in the eyes of the world. Motorists are told repeatedly to give way to YOG vehicles in YOG-designated lanes or fined $130. Bus routes are diverted with little warning and commuters have to walk long distances to reach their destinations. NTU has been turned into a "high security prison" with many road blocks and diversions. School examinations were re-scheduled so that the students can support the YOG. Parents have to stay up late to wait for their children to return home after their volunteer stint. The list goes on.
Conclusion
The YOG has no tangible benefits for Singaporeans and is nothing more but a $387 million dollar "vanity fair" of Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. If he still has any sense of shame left in him, he should apologize to Singaporeans unreservedly and explain and clarify the lingering doubts about the handling of the YOG on our minds.
EDITORS’ NOTE:
Singaporeans, please feel free to email us to share your frustrations, anger and grievances against the YOG. Your views matter alot to us. You are a citizen of Singapore and as a citizen, you have the right to speak up. Let us be your uncensored voice and fight for your rights.
Foreign journalists, please stay tuned on our site and Facebook for the latest updates on the ground about the YOG. You can never get any authentic or accurate news from the Singapore media which is ranked a pathetic 133th in terms of press freedom by international media watchdog Reporters without Borders last year. All the papers in Singapore are owned by a single media company – Singapore Press Holdings whose Chairman is a former PAP minister Dr Tony Tan.
Related articles:
>> Dr Vivian asks critics to focus "negative energy" on him
>> Singaporeans hit by overdose of YOG propaganda
>> YOG food poisoning scandal: Open letter to Dr Vivian
>> Live maggot found in YOG food
>> Ng Ser Miang: YOG gets positive reviews
>> Kuo Chuan Primary School principal admits to blackmailing students
>> Parents should pull children out of YOG
>> No apology from Dr Vivian on YOG food poisoning scandal
>> Massive outcry over screw-ups in YOG ticketing
>> Why Ng Ser Miang should resign as Chairman of SYOGOC
>> Dr Vivian: probe into YOG food poisoning scandal will take time
>> PRC photographer fell down from temporary platform at YOG venue
>> Cover-up of YOG food poisoning scandal?
>> NEA, MOH to probe YOG mass food poisoning outbreak
>> Singaporeans “enslaved” by YOG organizing commitee
>> Kuo Chuan Primary School students forced to pay $5 to attend YOG
>> Singapore students forced to welcome YOG torch rally
>> Mass food poisoning outbreak at YOG venue yesterday?
>> YOG! What YOG?
>> Canvas roof at YOG fell apart
>> Zaqy Mohd defends MCYS
>> Singapore students “invited” to attend YOG event
>> Singapore volunteers forced to work long hours without rest for YOG
>> PM Lee caught napping at YOG opening ceremony?
>> Disaster at YOG opening ceremony
>> 8 reasons why I am disappointed with YOG opening ceremony
>> Netizens lampooned YOG opening ceremony
>> No news of YOG opening ceremony in rest of the world
>> MOE teacher: How students can stay out of YOG
>> YOG Webcast server crashed
>> SFI promises to improve “DOG” food for volunteers
>> Primary school students stand in the rain to welcome YOG torch
>> Plight of Singapore volunteers at Youth Olympic Village
>> JC students forced to attend YOG events
>> Dr Vivian: Singaporeans are proud of YOG
>> PM Lee: YOG has struck a “chord” with our people
>> Dr Vivian: YOG venues will not become “white elephants”
>> Online pressure forced SFI to provide better food for YOG volunteers
>> Improved “DOG” food on 14 August 2010
>> PAP provides three daily buffet meals to YOG athletes and officials
>> YOG volunteers complain about being given “DOG” food
>> Civil Service Club offering free YOG tickets
>> Journey of YOG flame costs Singaporeans $7 million dollars
>> Corny YOG propaganda in Straits Times
>> Tharman: YOG enthusiasm is real
>> Polytechnic student: I don’t care about YOG
>> JC students being “volunteered” for YOG
>> YOG: What the HELL is that?
>> PAP provides YOG athletes and officials three daily buffets
>> YOG students being given “dog food”
>> Singapore students forced to volunteer for YOG
>> Poor ticket sales forced closure of YOG gallery section
>> PM Lee calls on Singaporeans to support YOG
>> Young Singaporeans hurl vulgarities at YOG
>> Dr Vivian wants Singaporeans to celebrate YOG
>> NTU students complain about YOG
>> Dr Vivian: Sports is not about “petty politics”
>> More than 300 Singaporeans joined “I hate YOG” Facebook
>> CNA poll: 90 percent of Singaporeans “not interested” in YOG
>> Slovak YOG Ambassador slams YOG venues of “school standard” only
>> Two Facebook groups calling for boycott of YOG
>> Free condoms for YOG officials and athletes
>> Singapore helping to repair Jamaica’s stadium in return for YOG marketing
>> Former stripper to choreograph opening ceremony of YOG
>> Desperate PAP wants Singaporeans to get “passionate” about YOG
>> PAP to Singaporeans: Give way to YOG vehicles or get fined $130
>> PM Lee wants Singaporeans to do their part for YOG
>> Only six teams in YOG soccer tournament
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