TWO TOWN COUNCILS, TWO DIFFERENT RESPONSES

Someone asked why the CPIB was called in so quickly at Ang Mo Kio Town Council while no CPIB action was seen at WP-run AHTC despite all the accusations. What's the difference?

NOT A GOVT ACTION BUT AN ACTION TAKEN BY AMK TOWN COUNCIL...

First, this probe is not an action taken by the government against the town council. This is an action taken by the the AMK Town Council against their general manager in response to a complaint.

ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CORRUPTION

PAP Town Councils hold themselves to a higher standard of zero tolerance for corruption.

Ang Mo Kio Town Council received a complaint against Victor Wong in September.

Chairman of AMK TC, Ang Hin Kee said that the nature of the complaint "relates to probable behaviour needing investigation done by CPIB". Thus the town council referred the case to CPIB.

IN CONTRAST

Despite the lapses flagged by AGO, and despite the findings of KPMG, and KPMG suggesting the possibility of criminal breach of trust, WP has REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE that there are serious issues with their town council.

Instead WP has chosen to politicize the problems at their town council, to play victim and to insist that there was no wrongdoing.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO RESIDENTS UNDER THE TOWN COUNCIL ACT

AMK TC has held themselves accountable to their residents by referring the case to CPIB for possible wrongdoing.

AHTC on the other hand had gone the opposite way to fight tooth and nail in court to obstruct every investigation into their affairs dragging the investigations from months to years and still with no conclusion in sight.

Grit, determination, courage and sacrifice

Once upon a time, a man rose to the occasion, brought a small country through its birth pangs, nourished and nurtured it and turned it into a nation strong and free.

Grit, determination, courage and sacrifice.

"I have a few million people's lives to account for. And Singapore will survive!" 

"Never fear!"

Does it make sense to pay for redundancy insurance to receive total payouts ≤ 2.4 months salary?

Under WP's proposal, payout is CAPPED at 40% of the prevailing MEDIAN salary.

Essentially this means getting a total payout (for 6 months) that is LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 2.4 months of salary. (0.4 x 6 = 2.4)

WHAT IF YOU EARN MORE THAN MEDIAN SALARY?

You do not get 40% of your last drawn salary. Your payout will be 40% of the prevailing median salary.

This means for those earning more than the median salary, your total payout is less than 2.4 months of your last drawn salary.

It gets progressively smaller as salary gets bigger. Thus, if your salary is $10k a month at the time of your retrenchment, your total payout for 6 months will be less than one month of your last drawn salary.

ASK YOURSELF：

Why do you want to pay for redundancy insurance that gives you a total payout that is less than one month of your last drawn salary?

With a $10k per month salary, you have no problem saving one month of your salary on your own at no cost - that is, without paying for any insurance.

Similarly, why do you want to pay for a redundancy insurance that pays you 2 months of your salary in total or less than 2 months salary?

Pay for it or save for it?

Instead of paying from your salary for such a redundancy insurance, why not create your own private, personal 'redundancy saving account' and set aside money every month to save in this account? You can earn interest even.

If you never get retrenched, that money you save can be used for retirement, or for a holiday upon retirement.

Remember, after 6 months, if you still don't get a job, you're on your own. So why not save for rainy days?

Prudent to save for rainy days

In fact it is good discipline and good financial planning to save at least 6 months of your salary for rainy days. It is good to start young when your commitments are not so great and build it up gradually.

Low wage worker subsidizing high wage worker or vice versa?

One may argue for lower payouts for the high wage worker by saying that the high wage worker is helping to subsidize the redundancy benefit for the low wage worker.

In reality, most people retrenched are PMETs. In the third quarter of 2016, 73% of people made redundant were PMETs, higher than their workforce representation. Those with tertiary qualifications also form the bulk of the layoffs in the third quarter of 2016. (See here: http://bit.ly/2gVtOPF)

So in this risk pooling, the low income workers are actually subsidising retrenchment benefit for the high wage workers.

WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PROBLEM UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE IS MEANT TO SOLVE: Walter Theseira

SIM University economist Walter Theseira said there are already schemes to help those in need.

"If the problem is subsistence for low-income households, unemployment insurance isn't necessary because we have a framework of providing them cash assistance, although we can debate whether that assistance is enough.

"If it's giving people a buffer between jobs, is unemployment insurance the best way, or should we encourage people to set aside their own savings?" he said.

The Damning Report from KPMG: 4th Progress Report

For as long as anyone can remember, the accounts at Workers' Party-run town council has been in a mess. But now we discover that it is in fact in a much bigger mess that we thought based on the latest KPMG report.

AND YET, Pritam Singh is still NOW telling people that his town council will award the contract for a new Town Council Accounting System "shortly".

Can you imagine that?! They still have not put in place a credible accounting system!! They didn't get down to work after the special audit by AGO?

Where is their accountability and sense of responsibility? And honesty?

"PERVASIVE" was the word KPMG used to describe the lapses.

In addition to the 115 control failures identified by the special audit carried out by AGO, KPMG has identified another 70 control failures!

And KPMG concluded that unless its town councillors and senior management “set the right tone at the top”, and clearly define the standard of competence and accountability it expects from employees, the lapses could not be fully remedied.

It starts with the leadership at the top.

"Highly irregular" methods were used to process over $60 million worth of payments. 

 That's not a small amount.

AHTC also extensively used manual journal entries to record payments to third parties. There were over 48,500 such manual entries involving more than $60 million from 2011 to last year. This avoids records being entered into accounts payable, thus circumventing financial controls.

Temporary Clearing Accounts

There are 18 temporary clearing accounts used for more than one million transactions were not cleared swiftly. Why do they need so many temporary clearing accounts?

Dummy Vendor Code

Look, we are not dummies.

After the special audit by AGO that identified over 100 control failures, instead of introducing measures that eliminate those failures, AHTC introduced a dummy vendor code in 2015 that resulted in another control failure.

Should we say, "Well done, Workers' Party"?

The use of this dummy code meant duplicate or fictitious payments could be made without being detected.

In its conclusions, KPMG noted that that the town council’s lapses could not be fully remedied unless its town councillors and senior management “set the right tone at the top”, and clearly define the standard of competence and accountability it expects from employees.

“The Control Failures are pervasive, cutting across the key areas of governance, financial control, financial reporting, procurement and records management over the course of five years,” the audit firm said in its report.

 “We are of the view that there is an issue larger than the sum of individual lapses and that these Control Failures point to a failure in AHTC’s control environment.”

Can the leaders at the top set the right tone? That is a big question.

How much do you trust Sylvia Lim, the Chairman of Workers' Party and co-chairman of their town council?

Sylvia Lim has been caught lying - without batting an eyelid - more than once. She lied to voters. She lied to reporters. She lied in Parliament. She has been described as a liar by Justice Quentin Loh.

Did it bother her? No.

ASEM: a big idea from a small country

The 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) just concluded in Mongolia.

DO YOU KNOW that ASEM was MOOTED BY SINGAPORE? ASEM was a big idea from a small country and ESM Goh Chok Tong played a key role. Here's what he did.
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Excerpt of Goh Chok Tong's speech at the S Rajaratnam Lecture on 17 Oct 2014:

"When I took over from Mr Lee Kuan Yew in 1990, survival and security concerns had receded.

18. We had stable relations with our immediate neighbours – Malaysia and Indonesia. Within the region, our neighbourhood was secure. The ASEAN member states, then just six of us, had also developed cooperative relations with one another.

19. So we shifted our foreign policy attention to increasing Singapore’s geopolitical and international economic space.
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26. The genesis of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an example of this - the value of understanding and aligning interests.

27. In the early 1990s, China had just begun to open up, but it was still very much shrouded by a bamboo curtain. At the same time, East Asian economies were growing rapidly and there was much international interest in the region.

28. While the so-called tiger economies were known to the West, few countries had direct links to the Chinese leadership, or had acquired an understanding of developments in China.

29. In October 1994, the World Economic Forum (WEF) held its regional meeting in Singapore with the theme of Asia-Europe Cooperation. That inspired me to think about linking Asia with Europe. I believed that the Europeans would be interested in forging closer links with China, the awakened dragon, and other Asian economies; and certainly, Asia wanted more investments from Europe. Singapore was well-placed to play this role; we had established strong links with the Chinese leadership, and were well-regarded as a reliable interlocutor.

30. MFA’s concept paper which we circulated to prospective members explained the strategic rationale:

“Three major centres of economic power – North America, Europe and Asia – are likely to dominate global trade and investment activities well into the 21st Century. It is vital to ensure that there are well-established channels of communication between the three centres. North America is linked to Europe through the rich network of trans-Atlantic institutions. East Asia and North America are linked by APEC and other Pacific Basin Networks. What is palpably absent is a strong high-level Europe-Asia link. This missing link needs to be bridged.”

31. The timing of my official visit to France in October was fortuitous. The French were due to assume the European Union Presidency in January 1995.

32. In a restricted meeting with French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur, I outlined the ASEM proposal. He saw the strategic benefits of the proposal and agreed to bring the EU members on board.

33. In turn, I was able to canvass ASEAN leaders’ support for this a month later, when APEC held its Summit in Bogor, Indonesia. So again it was good fortune. It was an APEC Summit, but I was also thinking of ASEM.

34. At the Summit, I first sought out Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai. I explained the rationale for ASEM and then invited Thailand to host the first ASEM. He agreed. Why did Singapore not want to host it, when it came up with the idea? It’s because Thailand’s buy-in and active participation would remove any misperception that Singapore was proposing ASEM purely to boost its own international stature. After Chuan Leekpai, I briefed the other ASEAN leaders separately. They all welcomed the concept of ASEM.

35. ASEM was a big idea from a small country. We pulled it off because we did not think only of our own interests. We sold its strategic benefits to others, aligned their interests and ours, and secured their buy-in.

36. As the country which mooted ASEM, Singapore gained recognition for its strategic thinking and ability to deliver on an idea. But it would not have been possible had we not seen nor acted upon the confluence of interests between Asia and Europe.


https://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/press_room/pr/2014/201410/press_20141017.html

Singapore is like a durian, says Lee Kuan Yew

Singaporeans love durians. But did you know that Mr Lee Kuan Yew once likened Singapore to the durian for its thorny outside and rich inside?

On Singapore being kicked out of Malaysia, Mr Lee Kuan Yew said in September 1965:

Some people think that just because we are a small place, they can put the screws on us. It is not so easy. We are a small place in size, and geography. But in the quality
of the men, the administration, the organisation, the mettle in a people, the fibre - therefore, don't try. That is why we got booted out.

If they could have just squeezed us like an orange and squeezed the juice out, I think the juice would have been squeezed out of us, and all the goodness would have been sucked away. But it was a bit harder, wasn't it? It was more like the durian.

You try and squeeze it, your hand gets hurt. And so they say, "Right, throw out the durian."

But inside the durian is a very useful ingredient, high protein. And
we will progress.

New PSLE Scoring System

This is how the PSLE scores will be calculated from 2021.

Primary 6 students sitting for the national exam in 2021 will not be receiving an aggregate “T-score”.

Instead, the marks they receive for each exam will fall into a range of eight bands, and the corresponding points added up, similar to the GCE ‘O’-Levels grading.

The best possible score is 4 points, and the worst is 32.

The current Primary One cohort will be the first to sit for exams under this new system.

Commenting on the changes, Acting Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng said the new scoring system is intended to ease the pressure students face in competing against the performance of their peers.

And these are the placement outcomes under the new PSLE scoring system.

"Going forward, MOE will be engaging parents and students so that they better understand this new system and we will take the next few months to work with educators and schools to go through (the changes)," said Mr Ng.

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See also: https://www.facebook.com/SingaporeMatters/photos/a.710662802353449.1073741828.710654255687637/1037031986383194/?type=3&theater

T26 defective trains will have their new bolsters cast by Japanese supplier Kobe Steel

As the trains are still under warranty, shipping and rectification costs are borne by the supplier.

The trains were ordered in 2009.

The hairline cracks were found during routine inspection in 2013, more than 2 years after the trains were put into service and after they had each clocked an average of 300,000 km.

Computational tests found that despite the defects, the bolsters could still withstand pressure loads of more than three times the maximum measured levels on the system.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, part of the Japanese-Chinese consortium that won the contract in 2009 to supply the trains is the lead contractor responsible for the design and procurement of parts such as the brake.

Vivian Balakrishnam in Parliament: the South China Sea issue and their resolution:

PRC Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced in April 2014 a four-point consensus after his trips to Brunei, Cambodia and Laos. There have been no public statements on this four-point consensus from ASEAN Member States to date.

2 ASEAN’s last public consensus position on the South China Sea was reflected in the Chairman’s Statement following the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Vientiane in February 2016. The Chair, Lao PDR, had emphasised that all 10 ASEAN Foreign Ministers remained seriously concerned over the recent and ongoing developments in the South China Sea, and reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence. In addition, there was the need for all stakeholders to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities, and to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law.

3 This sentiment was most recently conveyed by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers during the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting which we held in Kunming, China, on the 14th of June. We had a very frank and robust exchange of views , including the situation in the South China Sea. ASEAN Member States and China broadly reaffirmed the importance of our multi-faceted and our mutually beneficial relationship. We also underscored the importance of ASEAN unity and Centrality in issues of common interest to ASEAN, including the absolute need for peace and stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.

4 The media attention that occurred after that meeting on the failure to issue an ASEAN Joint Press Statement in fact reflects the importance the international community places on ASEAN’s unity and on the developments in the South China Sea. The 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is scheduled in two weeks’ time and I’m sure this issue will arise again.

5 On our part, I just want to emphasise that Singapore is not currently the Chairman of ASEAN and we are also, very importantly not a claimant state in the South China Sea. We have consistently stated that Singapore takes no position on the merits of the specific territorial claims and the Philippines’ arbitration proceedings against China was a national decision undertaken by the Philippines without consultation with the rest of us. Singapore’s position on this matter has also been clearly articulated in January 2013 by my predecessor, Minister K Shanmugam, here in Parliament. In brief, our position is that the overlapping sovereignty claims in the South China Sea should be settled by the parties concerned. However, this should be done in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). All parties should refrain from provocative behaviour that could raise tensions in the South China Sea.

6 Territorial claims could be resolved by negotiations, adjudication or arbitration. The Six-Point Principles on the South China Sea that was adopted by ASEAN in 2012 clearly states that ASEAN supports the peaceful settlement of disputes, in accordance with international law, including 1982 UNCLOS. In fact, seven out of the ten ASEAN Member States have used adjudication and or arbitration to resolve disputes in the past. ASEAN at the highest levels has also consistently reaffirmed the principle that disputes should be settled peacefully, with full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, and this was most recently issued by our Leaders in the Sunnylands Declaration after the Special ASEAN-US Leaders’ Summit in February 2016.

7 As the current country coordinator for ASEAN-China relations, Singapore will fully support and we will facilitate the existing ASEAN-led processes to manage or to help manage the tensions in the South China Sea. We will continue to perform this role in a transparent, objective manner, with the aim of preserving ASEAN unity and credibility while simultaneously advancing our multi-faceted and mutually beneficial relationship with China. This includes the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the expeditious conclusion of a legally-binding Code of Conduct for Parties in the South China Sea (COC).

8 We have made some, albeit slow, progress in confidence-building and conflict-prevention measures. At recent ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Meetings on the Implementation of the DOC that were co-chaired by Singapore and China, we adopted the MFA-to-MFA hotline for maritime emergencies, which will be manned on a 24/7 basis. This hotline will help build confidence among parties to the DOC, and hopefully help prevent ground accidents. We also started preliminary discussions on a proposed Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea to be applied in the South China Sea, on which I had previously briefed Members. We hope the observance of CUES, this Code of Unplanned Encounters at Sea, will send a positive signal and help manage the situation at sea and prevent miscalculations.

9 Our officials have also begun looking at possible elements of the Code of Conduct but quite frankly, this will take time. Progress has been extremely slow on this front. As country coordinator of ASEAN-China dialogue relations and as the co-chair of the DOC process, Singapore will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to advance ASEAN unity, credibility and centrality.

https://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/press_room/pr/2016/201607/press_20160711_2.html

Halimah Yacob conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by National University of Singapore (NUS)

Her father died when she was eight. Her mother became an itinerant food hawker to raise her five children.

The young Halimah would wake up early to help prepare the food before going to school.

She had just $5 the day she matriculated at NUS.

But with a bursary from MUIS and part-time work, she graduated with honours and became a legal officer at the National Trades Union Congress.

Halimah Yacob is a trail blazer.

She was the first Malay woman to be elected an MP in 2001. She became the first female Speaker of Singapore's Parliament in January 2013.

She was also the first Singaporean to be elected to the governing body of the International Labour Organisation, a United Nations body that sets labour standards.

Madam Halimah Yacob has been conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by National University of Singapore (NUS), its top honour for individuals who have served the community and country with distinction.

Madam Halimah, 61, received her scroll from President Tony Tan Keng Yam, who is also chancellor of NUS, during a ceremony at her alma mater yesterday.

ST Photo

Asean Economic Community: No common currency

How Asean Economic Community is different from European Union: NO COMMON CURRENCY

The Southeast Asia economic bloc wants to preserve the competitiveness of the exports sector of each of the member economies.

So it will not adopt a common currency.

This was stressed by Le Luong Minh, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), at the MAP International CEO Conference in Makati City on September 10 2013.

He said when countries form a single currency, they give up the power of an independent monetary policy and can no longer use tools, like interest rates, to address cyclical needs of a country's specific industries or financial services.

This point is reiterated by the Malaysian Minister for International Trade and Industry, Mustapa Mohamed when he told the BBC at the World Economic Forum held in Jakarta in April 2015 that the single market that the 10 nations of South East Asia (Asean) are forming by the end of the year will not include a single currency in their deliberations.

 
 http://www.rappler.com/business/economy-watch/38664-why-asean-will-not-have-a-common-currency

 http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32383929

How the Asean Economic Community differs from the European Union - Shanmugam

How Asean Economic Community is different from European Union: no free movement of labour, limited movement of skilled labour

Back in July 7 2015 Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmgam said at a Business Luncheon organised by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce on July 7 2015 that the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will not be the same as European Union.

He said that due to the lack of commonalities for living standards and common-value based system, the AEC will not incorporate free movement of labour.

Mr Shanmugam said: "There will be some movement but I think it has to fit within our current frameworks."

A core tenet of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is to be a free flow of skilled labour.

However, it is only making concessions to eight professions at this point in time: engineering, nursing, architecture, medicine, dentistry, tourism, surveying and accounting. This is less than 1.5 per cent of the ASEAN labour force.

There are further limitations on the free movement of that small slice of skilled workers. There are minimum years of experience requirements, labour market tests, pre-employment requirements such as health clearances and numerous other domestic immigration and professional boxes to tick.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/aec-will-not-be-the-same/1967528.html

http://www.cipd.asia/people-management-magazine/hr-news-opinion/asean-free-movement-labour#

Unemployed while employers struggle to find workers!

It's better to anticipate the challenges of the future and take steps to face them than to wait for problems to come upon you and then try to solve the problems.

In SkillsFuture, that is what the government is trying to do - address the challenges of a fast changing world in which many jobs will become irrelevant and new skills needed.

SkillsFuture is a national movement to enable all Singaporeans to develop to their fullest potential throughout life. Whichever stage of life you are in, whether you are in your schooling years, early career, mid-career or silver years, SkillsFuture will enable you to take advantage of a wide range of opportunities – to help you realise your aspirations and attain mastery of skills.

At a national level, SkillsFuture will play an important part in charting Singapore's next phase of development towards an advanced economy and inclusive society. Every individual’s skill, passion and contribution counts.

With the help of the SkillsFuture Council, education and training providers, employers, unions – you can own a better future with skills mastery and lifelong learning. Your skills. Your asset. Your future.

http://www.skillsfuture.sg/

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-01/spain-is-running-out-of-workers-with-almost-5-million-unemployed

Against Elections - David Van Reybrouck

At least one man who believes in democracy is AGAINST ELECTIONS.

That man is Belgian historian, David Van Reybrouck. According to him, the voting system is broken.

Elections, he says, are the fossil fuel of politics. Once upon a time they gave a huge boost to democracy but now they cause colossal problems.

Brexit is an example.

In Brexit, a drastic decision was taken through a primitive procedure - a one-round referendum that is based on a simple majority. Thus was the fate of a country, of an entire continent, changed - just 'by the single swing of such a blunt axe, wielded by disenchanted and poorly informed citizens'.

In Reybrouck's view, democracy is not the problem. The problem is voting. Democracy has been reduced to elections. Indeed, it has become synonymous with elections.

When western countries call for democracy in countries ravaged by conflict, what they really mean is that these countries must hold elections.

BUT election can have all kinds of outcomes including violence, ethnic tensions, criminality and corruption. Elections do not automatically foster democracy but may instead prevent or destroy it, a fact that, in Reybrouck's view, is often conveniently forgotten in the single-minded focus on elections.

In short, elections actually undermine the democratic process.

Unlike in the past where people followed the political theatre on radio, television or the internet, today they can respond to it from second to second and mobilise others.

Social media gives people a voice but "the nature of this new political involvement makes the electoral system creak at the joints all the more".

Politics has become a soap opera with commercial and social media creating an atmosphere of perpetual mudslinging, and the most popular politicians are those who can bend the media to their will.

Democracy, as Reybrouck says, flourishes by allowing a diversity of voices to be heard and in order to keep democracy alive, it must not be reduced to voting alone.

Elections and referendums have become dangerously outmoded tools if they are not enriched with more sensible forms of citizens’ participation, he says.

Reybrouck thinks sortition is the remedy. Sortition is democracy by lottery. It works this way. You draw from the pool of names of every eligible voter, a certain number of names, and these people whose names are drawn become your legislators! With this method, there is no election fever.

Sortition was the main system for choosing political officials in ancient Athens. The Athenians considered sortition to be an especially democratic way of choosing certain decision-makers.

Singapore has a better solution than sortition.

That solution is our NMP Scheme. In this scheme, well qualified men and women in their respective fields and contributions are nominated as MPs to represent and speak on behalf of specific groups of people or interests. They are the diverse voices that allow democracy to flourish.

When you can see that democracy is not about election, that democracy is not synonymous with election, but that it is about having a diversity of voices flourishing, then you will see that far from being undemocratic, the NMP Scheme enhances the democratic process.

References:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/29/why-elections-are-bad-for-democracy

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/08/is-it-time-to-take-a-chance-on-random-representatives.html

One Man's View of Euro troubles

In his book, One Man’s View Of The World, Mr Lee Kuan Yew explained why the euro, in its present form, cannot be saved. He wrote:

"The fundamental problem with the euro is that you cannot have monetary integration without fiscal integration - especially in a region with spending and thrift habits as diverse as those of Germany and Greece.

The incongruity would break the system down eventually. For this reason, the euro was destined to flounder, with its demise written into its DNA.

Its difficulties over the last few years should not be seen as stemming from either the failure of one or two governments to spend within their means or the failure of others to warn them of the dangers of not doing so.

That is to say, the euro’s troubles are not the result of a historical accident that could have been prevented if a few actors involved had made different decisions - more responsible ones - in the course of its implementation.

Instead, it was a historical inevitability that was waiting to happen. If things had not come to a head in 2010 or 2011, they would have come to a head in another year, with another set of circumstances.

I am not convinced, therefore, that the euro can be saved, at least not in its present form, with all 17 countries remaining in the fold.

From the inception of the euro project, clear-eyed and well-respected economists, including the likes of Harvard Professor Martin Feldstein, had been sounding alarm bells about its inherent paradoxes.

The British did not join because they did not see it working. They were not convinced about the benefits and were fully cognisant of the dangers.

However, the governments which joined the euro zone in 1999, as well as the populations that elected them, while eager to move on the single currency, were not prepared to accept fiscal integration because of the loss of sovereignty that it obviously implied.

In the end, their choice to go ahead with the euro anyway reflected a misplaced belief that Europe was somehow special enough to overcome the contradictions. It was a political decision.

In the United States, one currency can work for 50 states because you have one Federal Reserve and one Treasurer.

When one state runs into economic hardship, it receives generous transfers from the centre in the form of social spending on individuals living in that state and government projects.

The federal taxes raised in that state will not be sufficient to pay for the federal spending disbursed to that state.

If one were to keep accounts, that state might be running deficits for years - but it is a sustainable situation precisely because nobody is keeping accounts.

The people living in that state are considered fellow Americans and the people living elsewhere do not actually expect the money to be repaid. It is effectively a gift.

The other extreme works too, of course - that is, Europe under a pre-euro system, with each country having its own finance minister and managing its own currency.

Under that system, when one country experiences a slowdown, it can roll out remedial monetary policies because it is free from the shackles of a common currency.

These include expanding the supply of money - what the Americans call “quantitative easing” - and devaluing the currency to make the country’s exports more attractive.

But these were tools that the euro zone countries gave up as a result of their entry into a common monetary community.

They did so, furthermore, without ensuring that there would be budgetary transfers similar in type and magnitude to those that depressed states in the US receive.

What do you get, then, when a motley crowd tries to march to a single drummer? You get the euro zone.

Some countries surged ahead while others struggled to keep pace.

In countries that fell behind economically, governments were under electoral pressure to maintain or even increase public spending, even though tax receipts decreased.

Budget deficits had to be financed through loans from the money markets. That these loans could be obtained at relatively low rates - since they were made in euros, not, say, drachmas - did nothing to discourage the profligacy.

The Greeks eventually became the most extreme example of this decline, going further and further into the red.

To be fair, the community as a whole also has to bear some responsibility, since there were rules under the Stability and Growth Pact that allowed for sanctions on governments that ran repeated deficits. But these sanctions were never imposed on any country.

For some time, experts with boundless optimism hoped that these governments could close the competitive gap with stronger nations like Germany by cutting welfare programmes, reforming tax collection, liberalising labour market rules or making their people work longer. But it did not happen.

The situation finally began to unravel with the global financial crisis of 2008.

Easy credit dried up and the markets’ falling confidence in the credit-worthiness of governments like Greece’s caused their borrowing rates to soar.

Germany and the European Central Bank were forced to intervene with bailouts to stop the debt crisis from spreading throughout the already crestfallen euro zone.

As at June 2013, the euro community has avoided catastrophe by throwing enough money at the problem.

But the 17 governments need to face up to the more difficult question of what to do to address the fundamental contradiction in the euro project - monetary integration without fiscal integration.

They might try to postpone this for some time, but they know they cannot do so indefinitely or history will repeat itself and another crisis will come along, requiring bigger bailouts, which, if push comes to shove, the Germans will probably have to underwrite.

Prompt action is far better than procrastination, especially since further down the road, as memory of the pain and panic of the debt crisis fades in the minds of voters, the political will to act decisively is also likely to wilt."

Euro zone cannot be saved, says Mr Lee Kuan Yew back in 2011

Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew believes the euro zone cannot be saved, although the collapse of the currency union will be 'a very painful business'.

He said European leaders will try very hard to keep the euro zone from collapsing as this would be "an admission that their aspiration of one Europe is not achievable."

"But I do not see it being saved. But they'll try and keep it going."

Life and personal accident insurance coverage for both full-time and operationally ready national servicemen by Mindef and MHA

This applies to Servicemen in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and
Singapore Civil Defence Force

It will take effect on July 1.

Mindef and MHA will fully pay for $150,000 group term life and $150,000 group personal accident insurance coverage during the servicemen's full-time national service or reservist duties.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Ong Ye Kung announced this in Parliament in April.

The same insurance coverage will also be extended to regulars in Mindef/SAF and the Home Team (Uniformed Officer) during their period of employment.

National Service (NS) volunteers from the SAF Volunteer Corps, SPF Voluntary Special Constabulary and Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit will also be granted the same insurance coverage during their official duties.

Those under the scheme who wish to further insure themselves outside these periods or insure their dependants can purchase additional coverage on a voluntary basis at "competitive premiums", the authorities said.

MHA director of NS Affairs Directorate Colonel (Ret) Rupert Gwee said: "This group insurance is one of the many ways in which we look after the well-being of our officers, whether they are regulars, national servicemen or volunteers, as they go about their duties to keep Singapore safe and secure."

NS HOME Awards

Have you heard of NS HOME Awards for National Servicemen?

NS HOME stands for N-ational S-ervice HO-using, M-edical and E-ducation.

And NS HOME Awards recognise Singaporean NSmen at each of three significant milestones during their NS journey.

The three milestones of a NSman's NS journey are:

1. Completion of full-time NS
2. Mid-point of ORNS Training Cycle
3. Completion of ORNS Training Cycle

At each of these 3 milestones, eligible NSmen will each receive $5,000.

NSmen who are commanders (ranks of Third Sergeant and above for SAF NSmen and Sergeant and above for HomeTeam NSmen) will receive $500 more; that is $5,500, at each milestone to recognise the heavier responsibilities they shoulder.

Servicemen who enlist on or after 1 Dec 2011 and complete their full-time NS (NSF) on or after 1 Dec 2013 will be eligible for the first milestone of the NS HOME Awards. NSmen who reach the mid-point of their Operationally Ready National Service (ORNS) training cycle or complete their ORNS training cycle on or after 1 Apr 2014 will be eligible for the awards.

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/press_room/faqs/faqNSHOMEAWARDS.html#.V2jWWdfxSnM

Ex-ST Editor Han Fook Kwang on what it was like to work with Mr Lee Kuan Yew

"Once he had decided to do something, whether it was writing a book or securing Singapore's future, he was impossible to shake off.

"When he called me one night in August 2008 to do another book, I wasn't thrilled at the prospect. I was then the editor of The Straits Times, with my hands full running the paper. The editor's job was demanding, the hours long, and I did not relish doing another book on top of that.

"But it was impossible to say no after he said he had only two to three years left and he wanted to put across his views on some of the issues that troubled him: the call for more political openness, the backlash against foreigners and the challenges facing Singapore in a rapidly changing world.

"Given his failing health, it might well be his last book. When I took some time to get back to him on the concept of the book, he urged haste, telling me in an e-mail: 'Don't let the grass grow under your feet.'

"Finally, when we had settled on how the book should be done, he was impatient to start, and wrote: 'Try it the way you propose. Outline the subjects to be covered and draft a few chapters. Then, let's try your vigorous probing and challenging of my positions.'

"The book, Hard Truths To Keep Singapore Going, was two years in the making. When we finally launched it in 2011, his health had deteriorated significantly after the death of his wife.

"Indeed, he loomed large in my professional life."

ST Photo: Mr Han looking on as then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, with his wife Kwa Geok Choo, took part in a webchat organized by ST for Mr Lee to field questions for his new book, From Third World To First, in 2000.

Orlando Shooting: what US can learn from Singapore

I am a naturalised Singapore citizen, having surrendered my United States passport in 2010. I have resided here for 31 years, marrying into a local family in 1988.

There are so many reasons to count my blessings that I am permitted to live in Singapore as a member of a diverse and enlightened community.

Consider two recent incidents which are dominating the headlines in the US media - the lenient jail sentence given to a Stanford freshman convicted of rape, and the mass shooting in Orlando which claimed 50 lives ("Storm over Stanford rape"; Sunday, and "50 dead in worst mass shooting in US history"; Monday).

My younger American self would have focused on the perpetrators, absorbing all the sordid details about their depraved backgrounds.

However, living in Singapore has changed my perspectives and outlook radically.

My reaction today is to focus on the pain and suffering of the victims, while questioning what actions societies can take to prevent these catastrophes.

The US might do well to consider some measures that Singapore has implemented.

In the rape case, if the man had been convicted here, he would likely have been given a longer jail sentence and, perhaps, even multiple strokes of the cane.

After completing his sentence, he would have better prospects of rehabilitation and re-entry into society.

He may not have to live with the stigma of registering as a sex offender, as he would in the US, but the incarceration and punishment would be more commensurate with the gravity of his crime.

In the shooting case, we are reminded of how Singapore has been spared the painful ordeals of schoolyard massacres, random gun-related violence and armed crime, due to its prohibition of firearms.

Capital punishment has proven an effective deterrent and our country is free of lobbyists, zealots, hunters and gun collectors who claim the right to brandish automatic weapons.

We mourn and remember the victims in Stanford and Orlando, and we remain grateful for the institutions which ensure that we, Singaporeans, live in a reasonably just and safe country.

John Driscoll

http://bit.ly/1UkxQeV

Dealing with cyber threats: taking the disconnection route

 By deciding to delink some computers from the Internet, the Singapore Government has effectively signalled that, faced with unquantifiable risks, one prudent course is simply to roll back technology. And in that respect, Singapore may be a trend-setter, for other governments are also mulling over similar approaches.

... For it is by now abundantly clear that many of the current strategies designed to ensure computer security and vital data integrity are not working, that the entire subject requires a fundamental reappraisal, and that going back to basics, to a period when not all computer systems were interlinked, is a useful way to launch this rethink.

THE NEW CYBERWAR THREATS

China is often identified as the originator of many cyber intrusions, allegedly tolerated or even encouraged by its government. The US and Britain were also revealed as key operators in this field. But as security experts know, the real global leader is Russia; its stealthy operators are regarded as the true "gold standard" in cyber warfare.

Meanwhile, government vulnerabilities increase all the time, since much of every nation's critical national infrastructure - banks, all utility installations, roads and aircraft traffic control systems to name but a few - ultimately depend on interlinked computer systems.

It's not for nothing that Mr Leon Panetta, who served as President Obama's defence secretary and chief of the Central Intelligence Agency, once prophesied that America's "next Pearl Harbour" military surprise "could very well be a cyber attack".

As the ultimate custodians of their nations' biggest collections of data in almost every field, governments are also targeted by malicious organisations and criminal individuals.

And although protecting the secrecy of communications and data has been a problem for centuries, it is particularly so today, for in the era when information was stored on paper, a security leak would have involved the loss of a few pages of sensitive data. But today, the smallest of security mishaps results in the exposure of, literally, millions of pieces of information.

There are plenty of such mega-disaster examples, from every continent.

Last year, the US Office of Personnel Management, the agency that manages America's federal civil service, admitted that the files of 21.5 million people were stolen from its servers.

Earlier this year, every registered voter in the Philippines became vulnerable to fraud after the entire database of the Philippines' Commission on Elections was compromised.

That won't come as a shock to the people of Turkey, where servers belonging to the Interior Ministry leaked the personal records of 49.5 million citizens, or to people in Greece, where highly sensitive personal information on nine million people - 86 per cent of the local population - was stolen.

And then, there are the major security breaches perpetrated by hostile governments seeking information, such as last year's theft of e-mails from the servers of the US State Department which was so clever that America's National Security Agency needed months before it succeeded in evicting the intruders from its servers.

Or are the intruders still there? How does one know for sure that the US State Department's servers are clear of previous intrusions, or uninfected by fresh ones?

One of the fundamental problems with enforcing cyber security in any government machinery is that the people who have the technical knowledge and responsibility for policing the integrity of the structures are often not the ones to decide how these systems are ultimately used, while officials higher up who do make decisions about how their systems are deployed seldom have the detailed technical knowledge.

'RETRO' SOLUTIONS

The result is an almost perpetual ignorance loop, as ministers and politicians know that their systems are inherently insecure, but are resigned to continue using them since they are unable to quantify the risks involved. And the risks may be huge: as American journalist Fred Kaplan points out in his recently published book Dark Territory: The Secret History Of Cyber War, whenever the US military stages war games in which experts are invited to hack into its systems, "they always get in".

By deciding to delink some computers from the Internet, the Singapore Government has effectively signalled that, faced with unquantifiable risks, one prudent course is simply to roll back technology. And in that respect, Singapore may be a trend-setter, for other governments are also mulling over similar approaches.

A handful of highly sensitive computer systems operated by the British government are already permanently disconnected from the Internet, or connected to an internal network whose physical integrity is entirely contained within one office.

The Russian intelligence services also revealed a few years ago that some of their most classified materials will continue to be generated by old-fashioned typewriters.

More significantly, members of the US Senate's Intelligence Committee currently looking at ways to protect America's critical national infrastructure are examining a new Bill which will compel the US energy grid to replace some key computer- connected structures with "analogue and human-operated systems", as Senator Martin Heinrich, one of the new legislation's drafters, puts it. "A 'retro' approach has shown promise as a safeguard against cyber attacks," he told fellow US lawmakers.

None of these "retro" initiatives offers impregnable security, for old technology has its own vulnerabilities. Keyboards of typewriters can be eavesdropped, allowing the text of what is being typed to be recorded, as Soviet intelligence proved during the 1970s, when it successfully planted such eavesdropping devices in US diplomatic offices. And the information stored on computers not connected to the Internet can also be hacked or pilfered wirelessly.

So, the real significance of Singapore's decision is that it forces decision-makers to have another look at the balance between the efficiency of electronic systems and the dangers they entail. Yet the decision to downgrade on the use of technology is not the solution but merely a solution, and a temporary one at that, pending a better understanding of these risks and opportunities.

For, as computer pioneer Willis Ware also accurately pointed out decades ago, ultimately "the only completely secure computer is a computer that no one can use".

- Excerpt

http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/states-seek-solutions-to-deal-with-cyber-threat

Why the icy Arctic matters to Singapore

Our decision in 2011 to apply for observer status in the Arctic Council took many people by surprise, as the connection between Singapore and the Arctic region is not readily apparent.

...We are driven by our desire to deepen our understanding of the Arctic as global warming and rising sea levels will have a profound and direct impact on low-lying Singapore.

As a low-lying coastal nation, Singapore is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Much of Singapore lies only 15m above sea level, while 30 per cent of the island is less than 5m above sea level.

If global temperatures continue to rise, many parts of Singapore could eventually be submerged under the water. Singapore has started making preparations to adapt to the impact of a rise in sea levels. For example, Nicoll Drive, which runs for 1km along Changi Beach, is being raised by up to 0.8m. In 2011, the minimum height for land reclamation projects was raised from 3-4 m above the mean sea level. At the same time, a warmer Arctic will result in the opening of new water channels, which will significantly reduce travel time between Asia and Europe by two or three weeks.

The possibility of the Arctic sea routes becoming a seasonal complement to traditional trade routes therefore presents Singapore with both challenges as well as opportunities.

On the one hand, Singapore has one of the world’s busiest ports and these new routes are likely to change maritime transportation patterns.

At the same time, our marine industry has built up strong credentials in sectors such as shipbuilding and repair, offshore engineering, and marine support services, and we are well-placed to provide enabling technology for Arctic development.

Some of our companies are developing Arctic capabilities to leverage on the economic potential of the region. For example, Keppel Corporation has constructed a number of ice-class vessels, including the first icebreakers built in Asia in 2008, and is now working with oil majors and drilling contractors to develop the world’s first Arctic-grade, environmentally-friendly “green” rig.

If countries do not look at the possible global challenges that may emerge 30 to 50 years down the road, their eventual preparations would be inadequate to deal with these challenges when they do strike.

One of Singapore’s key strengths is our ability to scan the horizon and start preparing solutions to these challenges, sometimes 50 to a hundred years before they surface. If we lose this important survival instinct, we will become history when the challenges strike us in our face.

Excerpt of interview of Sam Tan by TODAY
--------------------------

Sam Tan has personally attended the Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (CPAR) in 2012 in Akureyri, Iceland and 2014 in Whitehorse, Canada; the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2013 and 2014; the Arctic Frontiers Conference in Tromso, Norway in 2015 and January 2016, and most recently the Arctic Circle Greenland Forum in Nuuk last month.

http://www.todayonline.com/world/why-icy-arctic-matters-spore

GENEROUS HOUSING GRANTS!

Do you know that housing grants are actually very generous?

Up to 80k for the lowest income group if you apply for a BTO in a non-mature estate.

Now you know why a 2-room flexi flat can cost just a few thousand dollars.

A 2-room flexi flat at West Plains@Bukit Batok (non-mature estate), for example, costs from just $5k with grants.

No mistake.

What most people also do not realize is that these housing grants are more than just a discount on the price of the BTO that you buy. They become money in your CPF.

 http://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/residential/buying-a-flat/new/first-timer-applicants

 http://esales.hdb.gov.sg/hdbvsf/eampu02p.nsf/0/16FEBBTO_page_2402/$FILE/about0.html

SPEECH BY THEN PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, White House State Dinner, Oct 8, 1985

Prime Minister Lee and Mrs. Lee, honored guests who are here tonight, Nancy and I welcome you to the White House.

It was a great pleasure for me today to renew a valued friendship with Prime Minister Lee. I first met the Prime Minister on a trip that I took on behest of President Nixon. And when we stopped in Singapore, I was amazed at the dynamic society that I found there. How could a country with such a small area and few resources be making such strides? And then I met Prime Minister Lee, and my questions were answered. He is a man of principle and vision. His leadership has provided the vigorous and creative people of Singapore the means to move ahead, to achieve, and to build.

Singapore's experience has been in stark contrast to developing countries where political power has been derived from terror and brute force. Instead, Prime Minister Lee's authority has rested on his capacity to mold the opinion of his countrymen and build consensus. He has used his position to free the talents and energy of his people so they could be channeled into constructive, society-building activity. Fortunately, Prime Minister Lee's sound judgment does not stop at the water's edge. American leaders, including this one, have frequently benefited from his wise counsel. Our meetings today were no less beneficial. Our exchange was cordial, reflecting a mutuality of interests and a harmony of views.

Mr. Prime Minister, I want to express my personal admiration for your recognition of the contributions America makes to world peace. As the world's most powerful democracy, our people carry a heavy military and diplomatic burden and often thankless task. But you have demonstrated an appreciation and understanding that makes it all worthwhile. This spirit of mutual respect was evidenced in our meetings today. None of this should be reason for surprise. Our two peoples may, at first glance, seem worlds apart, both in geographic location and culture; but a closer look reveals that Singapore and the United States are nations made up of hardworking immigrants and their descendants, who came to a new homeland to improve their lot and build a decent life for their families. We're both democratic nations committed to peace and to the preservation of human liberty. And these bonds are being bolstered by continued cultural and educational exchanges and, of course, the many commercial ties between our peoples.

Mr. Prime Minister, we're aware that your people are now faced with severe challenges brought on by international economic conditions. The United States faced economic adversity not long ago; tough decisions had to be made. It's heartening to see that you're moving forward, Mr. Prime Minister, with an eye toward the long-run well-being of your people. I understand full well this is not always easy to do, but I want you and your citizens to know that the people of the United States want you to succeed and prosper. Our meetings today confirmed again the people of Singapore, as we say here, are our kind of people.

So, would you all join me in toasting the people of Singapore and the distinguished leader, Prime Minister Lee, and Mrs. Lee.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=37878

LKY: World Statesman of the First Rank according to Richard Nixon

In making his toast, then President Richard Nixon described founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as a WORLD STATESMAN OF THE FIRST RANK who:

(1) ran Singapore well "with respect for the great traditions of FREEDOM" and

(2) helped US to "develop the kinds of policies that will maintain a world in which freedom can survive for larger countries like the United States and for smaller countries like Singapore".

White House State Dinner in honour of Lee Kuan Yew on April 10 1973.

Four Things About The White House State Dinners

Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was hosted to three White House State Dinners during his time as Prime Minister - 1973, 1975 and 1985.

Four things about the White House State Dinners

1. ORIGIN

When it was first initiated in the 19th century, the term “State Dinner” was used to denote any affair that honoured the President’s Cabinet, Congress, or other dignitaries.

In 1874, President Ulysses S Grant changed the meaning of the term when he welcomed King David Kalakua of the Kingdom of Hawaii. These days, state dinners are grand affairs hosted to welcome a visiting head of state or government.

2. INTENSE PREPARATIONS

A state dinner requires months of preparation, sometimes a minimum of six months. Thorough research is conducted to celebrate the guest of honour’s country, culture, and preferences. Hallmarks of American culture are also chosen, often by the First Lady, and these considerations are translated — with approval by the First Lady, State Department and White House Social Secretary — into invitations, menus, guest lists and entertainment.

White House state dinners are not only lavish affairs, they’re “bigger than the biggest weddings,” former White House chef Walter Scheib once said. “State dinners (are) not just an opportunity to show off American hospitality,” he wrote in his book White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen. “They are a chance to parade American food and wine before the world.”

3. RARE EVENT

Under President Obama, State Dinners have become quite rare. He and the First Lady have held only 11 state dinners thus far, beginning with then-Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009. The Obama’s most recent State Dinner was an unusual joint affair: With the five leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

Among modern-day US presidents, Mr Harry Truman was said to have held the least number of State Dinners — just six in about eight years, while Mr Lyndon Johnson’s record of 54 State Dinners in 62 months has yet to be surpassed.

4. HIGH COSTS

The general price tag of a State Dinner is US$500,000 (S$687,736.20). In 2015, it cost about US$590,000 (S$810,877.94) to remodel the White House’s State Dining Room, the venue for the event.

But costs can often vary. According to the Washington Examiner, the Obama White House reportedly spent nearly US$1 million on the State Dinner for Mexico’s then-president Felipe Calderon, which included a performance by Beyonce.

Source: TODAY

SPEECH BY PRESIDENT GERALD FORD: White House State Dinner 1975 in honour of then PM Lee Kuan Yew

WE ARE here, all of us this evening, to welcome to Washington the very distinguished Prime Minister and Mrs. Lee of Singapore, and we are delighted to have both of you here, Mr. Prime Minister and Mrs. Lee.

Regrettably, I have not yet had the opportunity, Mr. Prime Minister, to visit Singapore, and unfortunately, until this morning, I had never had the opportunity to get acquainted with you and to exchange views with you. But obviously, because of your reputation and your country's reputation, I have known both of you.

And I must say that the reputation of both the country and yourself is carried very far throughout the world. In its brief existence, Mr. Prime Minister, a decade of independence, Singapore has compiled a tremendous reputation and record of accomplishment.

Asian traditions have blended in this case very successfully with modern technology to produce a prosperous and a very progressive society without sacrificing a distinctive cultural heritage.

Singapore has built for itself a position of great respect and influence in Southeast Asia and throughout the rest of the world, and I have noticed that in my many contacts with other leaders in the Commonwealth as well as elsewhere.

As the principal architect of this success, the Prime Minister has become widely known, not only for what Singapore has accomplished under his leadership but also for his very broad grasp of international relationships.

Over the last decade, he has achieved a very special status among world leaders for his very thoughtful and his articulate interpretations of world events. He is a man of vision whose views are very relevant to world issues and whose advice is widely sought.

When the Prime Minister speaks, we-all listen most carefully for good and sufficient reasons, and we come away from those experiences far wiser.

And I am especially pleased that we have an opportunity to exchange views with the Prime Minister at this time. We have had a tragedy in Indochina. It is affecting all of the countries in Southeast Asia, as well as all of us who are deeply concerned for the future of Southeast Asia and for the cause of freedom. It has made the problems of Southeast Asia much more difficult. But let me say without reservation, we are determined to deal affirmatively with those problems, and we will deal with them.

The Prime Minister's visit gives us the benefit of his experience and his wisdom in assessing the current situation in that part of the world. It also gives me the opportunity to assure him that our commitments in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, if I might add, are honored and will be honored, and that our concern for the security and for the welfare of free nations in Southeast Asia is undiminished.

Mr. Prime Minister and Mrs. Lee, it is a great pleasure for Mrs. Ford and myself to have you here with us this evening and at last to have an opportunity to have an acquaintanceship and a fine evening with you. Both Mrs. Ford and I have looked forward to this for some time.

Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you now to raise your glasses .and join with me in offering a toast to the Prime Minister of Singapore and to Mrs. Lee.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=4904

#rememberingLeeKuanYew
#proudtobeSingaporean
#ThankfulAndGrateful
#WeWillNotForget