Letter by: Liza Ho (Ms)

I refer to the report, ‘Sec 5 route not best for all: Ng Eng Hen’ (Jan 12). On Jan 13, a senior staff member of my child’s school, Jurongville Secondary, gathered the Secondary 5 students and spoke to them about the report.

He [...]]]> Source: The Strait Times Forum Page, Page A42, 23 Jan 2010

Letter by: Liza Ho (Ms)

I refer to the report, ‘Sec 5 route not best for all: Ng Eng Hen’ (Jan 12). On Jan 13, a senior staff member of my child’s school, Jurongville Secondary, gathered the Secondary 5 students and spoke to them about the report.

He told them not to waste another year in Secondary 5 and urged them to apply to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), based on rough calculations of what their O-level score might be…

I am disappointed that the school chose to dissuade my child and his schoolmates whose earnest desire is to try the O-level route.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was interviewed by Mark Jacobson of the National Geographic in July 2009.

It’s NOT a nation. It’s a society in transition. You need a few hundred years to build a nation.

a2a_linkname="Is Singapore a nation?"; a2a_linkurl="http://singcitizen.com/portal/2010/01/is-singapore-a-nation/"; a2a_show_title=1; [...]]]> Source: The Strait Times Page A16, 5 Jan 2010

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was interviewed by Mark Jacobson of the National Geographic in July 2009.

It’s NOT a nation. It’s a society in transition. You need a few hundred years to build a nation.

Letter by: Lewis Wong

During my daughter’s Primary 1 orientation at Edgefield Primary School about a month ago, she was made to sit through a test of English and mathematics. A week later, when the school announced the Primary 1 class allocation on its website, I [...]]]> Source: The Strait Times Forum Page, Page A32, 28 Nov 2009

Letter by: Lewis Wong

During my daughter’s Primary 1 orientation at Edgefield Primary School about a month ago, she was made to sit through a test of English and mathematics. A week later, when the school announced the Primary 1 class allocation on its website, I discovered the school had used the test as a means to stream (or ‘band’, as the school calls it) these pupils.

According to the school, the top 62 pupils were grouped equally into two classes and will undergo an ‘accelerated programme’. The rest of the cohort were randomly divided into six other classes…

Article by Jonathan Liautrakul

The disappointment stayed with me throughout my next three years at Millennia Institute, as I struggled to downshift to the slower pace and lackadaisical attitudes of my peers. I missed the motivation that had spurred me to achieve.

With the help of teachers and friends, I [...]]]> Source: The Straits Times Page B10, 9 Nov 2009

Article by Jonathan Liautrakul

The disappointment stayed with me throughout my next three years at Millennia Institute, as I struggled to downshift to the slower pace and lackadaisical attitudes of my peers. I missed the motivation that had spurred me to achieve.

With the help of teachers and friends, I was one of the lucky few from my cohort to make it to university.

To Mr Lim, the MP’s role seems to be confined to that of running the town council: Collect service and conservancy fees from residents and maintain the estate. And yet town councils, he emphasised, should not be considered local government — [...]]]> Source: The Straits Times Page A2 22 Oct 2009
Article by Sue-Ann Chia, Senior Political Correspondent

To Mr Lim, the MP’s role seems to be confined to that of running the town council: Collect service and conservancy fees from residents and maintain the estate. And yet town councils, he emphasised, should not be considered local government — for Singapore has only ‘one level of government’.

This statement, however, contradicts statements that senior government leaders have made previously…

‘With town councils and community development councils, and my intention to give more power and responsibility to them (MPs), every election in a constituency is indeed a local government election,’ Mr Goh explained at the annual PAP conference held before the polls.

Letter by Sylvia Lim (Ms), Chairman, Workers’ Party

It was the HDB’s unjustifiable answer to Mr Muhammad Yusuf — that the grassroots adviser was more appropriate than the MP to announce the LUP plans because he was able to gather residents’ input and marshal support for [...]]]> Source: The Straits Times Forum Page Page A27 15 Oct 2009

Letter by Sylvia Lim (Ms), Chairman, Workers’ Party

It was the HDB’s unjustifiable answer to Mr Muhammad Yusuf — that the grassroots adviser was more appropriate than the MP to announce the LUP plans because he was able to gather residents’ input and marshal support for the plans — which compelled Mr Low’s response.

The HDB should have just given the real reason in its reply and not beat around the bush.

Letter by Lim Yuin Chien, Press Secretary to the Minister for National Development

As Mr Mah highlighted, HDB’s upgrading programmes are carried out and funded by the Government. This is no different from other government programmes such as the building of roads and schools.

These programmes have to [...]]]> Source: The Straits Times Forum Page Page A17 13 Oct 2009

Letter by Lim Yuin Chien, Press Secretary to the Minister for National Development

As Mr Mah highlighted, HDB’s upgrading programmes are carried out and funded by the Government. This is no different from other government programmes such as the building of roads and schools.

These programmes have to be implemented through government channels. In the case of HDB upgrading, this channel is the advisers to grassroots organisations, who are appointed by the Government. Opposition MPs are not answerable to the Government, nor are they obliged to carry out and explain the Government’s policies.

Letter by Low Thia Khiang, Member of Parliament for Hougang

The HDB deems the grassroots adviser as the appropriate person to announce the lift upgrading programme because he gathers input from residents, ensures that the plans meet residents’ needs, can propose changes based on residents’ feedback and [...]]]> Source: The Straits Times Forum Page Page A40 10 Oct 2009

Letter by Low Thia Khiang, Member of Parliament for Hougang

The HDB deems the grassroots adviser as the appropriate person to announce the lift upgrading programme because he gathers input from residents, ensures that the plans meet residents’ needs, can propose changes based on residents’ feedback and seek residents’ support.

On what basis does the HDB assume that the Member of Parliament, who has the support of the constituency’s electorate, is unable to do the same and is therefore inappropriate to play the same role as the adviser?

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan yesterday explained why the Government works with grassroots advisers instead of elected MPs for lift upgrading programmes in opposition wards.

This is because the HDB’s practice is to deal with a constituency’s grassroots advisers — who are appointed by the People’s Association [...]]]> Source: The Straits Times Page A8 8 Oct 2009

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan yesterday explained why the Government works with grassroots advisers instead of elected MPs for lift upgrading programmes in opposition wards.

This is because the HDB’s practice is to deal with a constituency’s grassroots advisers — who are appointed by the People’s Association — for all its upgrading programmes. The advisers will then explain the programmes to residents.

Letter by Jonathan Yeo

Why would the group representation constituency (GRC) send traffic wardens to reserve public carpark spaces for an event happening only a day later? And why must the GRC cordon 20 parking spaces if only one MP was the VIP? Were 20 VIPs [...]]]> Source: The Straits Times Forum Page Page A29 8 Oct 2009

Letter by Jonathan Yeo

Why would the group representation constituency (GRC) send traffic wardens to reserve public carpark spaces for an event happening only a day later? And why must the GRC cordon 20 parking spaces if only one MP was the VIP? Were 20 VIPs invited?

The parking wardens were a sorry sight as they had to endure angry remarks from motorists as well as the rain, to make sure that no one used the parking spaces.

Such a practice is no different from boorish customers placing packets of tissue paper on tables in hawker centres to reserve the seats…