Foreigners can protest but local Singaporeans cannot?!? Like tat win liao loh!
I am dumbfounded when I read this article from Today online... Here is an excerpt:S'pore to loosen up for IMF- World Bank talks
WASHINGTON — Neat, tidy and fabulously wealthy Singapore will loosen up for law-abiding protesters when it hosts next year's annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF, a minister said yesterday.
Mr Raymond Lim, Second Minister for Finance and Foreign Affairs, promised that the demonstrators who traditionally dog the meetings of the international financial organisations would not be kept out. "Absolutely — within the limits of the law," he told reporters when asked if Singapore would tolerate public protests at the meetings next September.
"We can't be prim and proper Singapore. To stay relevant, you can't wipe the dust off all of the time," Mr Lim said, in advance of this year's IMF-World Bank meetings in Washington this weekend.
Singapore, one of the richest countries in Asia, is the land that famously banned chewing gum as a sticky menace to its spotless streets. However, the authorities hope to showcase the city-state as a lively hub of cutting-edge technologies and vibrant arts when the 184 members of the World Bank and IMF descend upon it in 12 months' time. ...
Walau like that S’pore gahmen win liao loh. This must be another first in the world for S’pore.
All the funny funny foreigners can come to S’pore to hold public protest to kao peh kao bu about IMF and World Bank, while local S’poreans cannot even hold a peaceful march against the building of not one but TWO casinos in our own country! I still haven't mention the 4 people who kenna confronted by about 40 police, about a dozen are riot police, when they hold a silent protest outside CPF HQ to kao peh about the lack of transparency in gahmen institutions like CPF, HDB and GIC hor...
Somehow this reminds me of a Bruce Lee movie where there is scene in which Bruce was barred from entering a park in China by a jarga who pointed to a sign that stated: “Dogs and Chinese are not allowed to enter.” Maybe hor, our S’pore gahmen should also make a law that state: “Dogs and S’poreans are not allowed to protest.” Then they no need to worry that the local Singaporeans will try to do stupid things like holding public protests or demonstrations ever again.
posted by at82 @ 9/24/2005 11:40:00 PM
3 Comments:
Protectivism at its best...
High net worth protesters = good for economy
Poor Chee Soon Juan with $50 in the pocket = bad for economy...
Haha...
Nonetheless, skepticism and cynicalism aside, there is a catch in Raymond Lim's words. It means that all protest have to be licensed, be it foreign or local. So chances of disapproval for foreign still quite high...
Wah trasy, our gahmen really must do until like tat meh. Can treat us as citizens and not consumers for once or not...
Anyway on a serious note, I don't believe that having peaceful marches are bad for the economy. See HK, see Melbourne etc. Their economies are not affected by those marches.
BTW are those weird anti-global ppl high-net worth? They don't seem rich to me. I also don't understand why these ppl who claimed to stand on the side of the poor keep protesting against the very thing that are lifting millions out of poverty.
Oh just to tell u trasy, I like your blog very much and is one of your loyal reader. Hope to see you update more often. ;)
Hi at82
Many thanks for your wonderful comments. Peaceful marches are not at all bad for economy, but it does have it's implications. I ever attend a board meeting in a financial service bank, and one of their many reasons and criteria on choosing their HQ in any countries is the potential for any protest. More so American firms. As they are constantly being protested against, they are quite edgy over any peaceful protest spillovers.
As for HK, they still go there as it has the lowest tax rate in Asia and the gateway to China. As for Melbourne, not many people who choose it as their HQ as they have a "different culture" (workers are usually home by 500pm sharp).
Nonetheless, I agree with you, we are turning into a "Singapore Inc" where everything is run like a corporate level.
Thanks for reading my articles! Take care and keep up the good works in your blogs!
Cheers!
T
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