TR EMERITUS

"Do not be afraid to give up the good to go for the great" - John D. Rockefeller. 2 big wigs from 2 opposing camps are leading their teams in Punggol GRC. On one hand, there is the pap team headed by deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong (GKY), Janil Puthucheary (JP), Yeo Wan Ling and Sun Xueling. On the other hand, there is the Workers' Party (WP) team headed by Harpreet Singh SC, Jackson Au, Alia Matter and Alexis Dang.. Personally, I have no issue with the pap team and GKY is not some small fry either, however, unlike many other people who maybe floored or wow by his big title of Deputy Prime Minister, to me, that just reflects his appointment in the government and apart from according him the proper decorum and respect, people should not be carried away by blind bowing, worshipping and/or nodding habitually without even knowing exactly what is happening etc. The one sore point about that pap team there is that, JP, unlike many able bodied male citizens across generations, did not serve National Service. I believe that I can confidently say on behalf of many, many Singaporean men who have fully served both their NSF and reservist obligations that they do not like it! I certainly despise that. It is a decent team but it is not indispensable. However, the WP team contesting there is different. It is headed by a young, energetic, accomplished Senior Counsel. He is a godsend. Of course it is bad news for the pap but by and large, it is Singaporeans' and WP's good fortunate to be able to recruit a person of HS's calibre and professional standing to be on its side. I think it is safe to say that it took the opposition decades to see such a breakthrough. If the WP team is able to win there, in time to come, HS's presence will not only be felt and benefit Punggol GRC's residents only, Singaporeans by and large must also benefit from his professional training and calibre etc. He is too big and too useful to only swim and stay in a small pond, so to speak. I hereby sincerely urge my fellow voting citizens over at Punggol GRC to read my opening paragraph again, ie, do not be afraid to give up the good to go for the great, for yourself, your children and our country as a whole. Be courageous for our collective and national benefits. Think.   Simon Lim    Read More →

Singapore Needs a Dynamic Multi-Party System – The Status Quo is Failing Us. Singaporeans can no longer afford to place blind faith in the same government to steer us through the storms ahead — be they floods or fires, literal or metaphorical. The current leadership has grown out of touch, entrenched in a bureaucratic machinery that prioritizes preservation of power over people’s welfare. The everyday Singaporean is feeling the pinch. An unsustainable surge in immigration has strained our infrastructure, deepened inequality, and stoked anxieties about job security and cultural identity. The dream of home and car ownership is slipping out of reach for many, as property prices and COEs soar with no meaningful intervention. The cost of living continues to climb, but wages and support lag behind. Meanwhile, the government's priorities appear increasingly skewed. Instead of bold reforms, we see complacency. Instead of empathy, detachment. Instead of people-centric governance, policies that seem to protect elite interests. This is not leadership — it's stagnation. Singapore deserves better. A vibrant multi-party system can breathe life back into our democracy. Competition in Parliament can drive innovation in policy, amplify diverse voices, and keep those in power accountable. Our future cannot be entrusted to a political elite that appears more concerned with entrenching itself than serving the people. It’s time to demand more from those who govern. The status quo is no longer acceptable. How would you vote for a better future?   CWC-AI    Read More →

Singaporeans will be going to the polls on 3 May 2025. 'The government of the people, by the people and for the people' is a powerful statement about democracy. In this commentary, I would like to relate it to how the pap ministers remunerate themselves . Regarding the pap government's mantra about what is wrong with collecting more money, Singaporeans are reminded from time to time that pap ministars are not paid enough and also paying anything less and we will not be able to attract high calibre people into government lalala, I agree with some of the arguments and statements but only to a certain extend. Even in this time and age of ever rising consumerism and materialism, if one's involvement in national politics is very much monetary motivated, the calculation about the pluses and the minuses, the credit and the debit, the demand of one's time, the loss of one's privacy and the potential opportunity of having more open doors going forward etc, then in the interest of all, one really shouldn't be involved in running for public office. Between pegging ministerial salaries to the top earners in the private sector and pegging it to the median income of the bottom, say 30% of our gainfully employed citizens but with a certain numbers of multiples, I prefer the latter for the simple reason that the bottom 30% of our working citizens need the government to go the extra mile for them to ensure that their income level rises much more than those top earners and if ministers' salaries are pegged to their earnings and both parties' interest are intertwined, we cannot rule out 'miracles' happening to their humble incomes going forward. On the other hand, top income earners are totally capable of looking after themselves. They do not need the government's help to make even more money than our bottom 30% citizens. Very importantly, to me, to take reference from the top earners' income to pay themselves gives a clear unfair and an inaccurate impression of the actual income of the vast majority of Singaporeans. We must be mindful that the people are the source of government authority and that government exists to serve the people and not the other way around. Citizens must have a voice and be heard in shaping government's policies and lastly, government's purpose is to benefit the people, protect their rights and promote and improve their wellbeing and in our case in Singapore, I say start with our bottom 30% gainfully employed fellow citizens. Think.   Simon Lim    Read More →