Jess Scott is now following Tania Rozario
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Jess Scott is now following Tania Rozario
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Jess added 'Hard Choices: Challenging the Singapore Consensus'
Jess gave 5 stars to Hard Choices: Challenging the Singapore Consensus (Kindle Edition)
by
Donald Low
The opening line of this book is as follows:
“Singapore’s economic success masks some uncomfortable truths about life in this city-state.”
The text is very neatly organised into three sections:
I. The Limits of Singapore Exceptionalism
II. Policy Alternatives for Post-Consensus Singapore
III. Governance and Democracy: Past, Present & Future
The chapters cover a wide range of topics, from economics, to inequality, to land mass / population challenges, housing policies, democracy, meritocracy, as well as the concept of defining a national identity.
I like how most of the chapters have a distinct two-part feature, in terms of first explaining the issue at hand before offering viable and constructive solutions.
For instance, Chapter 9 explains why the trend of increasing income inequality in Singapore is worrisome.
Far from it simply being an issue about money, the authors cite an academic paper which correlates a high initial level of high inequality with the decreased likelihood of establishing social programmes that enhance social trust. And why is social trust important? Because it leads people to be “more inclined to have a positive view of their public institutions, participate more in their civic and political organisations, [and] to be more tolerant of [others].”
Historian Thum Ping Tjin’s chapter, “The Old Normal is The New Normal,” is a condensed version of Singapore’s political history (dark events included). This chapter is notably hard-hitting for it demonstrates how the lesson of history is clear — that “only democracy, dissent, and diversity can offer the leaders and ideas required to meet Singapore’s challenges.”
In Chapter 12, Donald Low analyses what went wrong for the PAP during the 2011 General Election (GE 2011). He writes that the Singapore population has become “more demanding of transparency [and] accountability.” Wise advice is laid out, such as how high ministerial salaries contribute towards the weakening of political discourse which is “not conducive to mature, reasoned public debate of our policy problems.” The chapter also suggests that political reforms “founded on the virtues of fairness, equality and resilience” will help sustain Good Governance.
Donald Low ends off the book on a personal as well as social note. He concludes:
“As a liberal, the policy and institutional changes I wish to see are those that would make Singapore a more just city-state, one that prioritises the well-being of its citizens over narrow measures of economic progress.”
The biggest strength of Hard Choices is the diplomatically critical tone throughout the writing. The style is moderate and objective without being too inaccessible to the general reader with an interest in Singapore’s politics and/or policies.
It is this consistency throughout the chapters which renders the writing as effectively persuasive, in terms of why Singapore needs to undergo vital and constructive change in terms of governance. This happens to coincide with a new generation of Singaporeans that are “empowered by the internet and social media,” which as Mr. Low and Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh write in the preface, has enabled citizens to “openly question many of the PAP’s long-held assumptions and beliefs.”
I would definitely recommend Hard Choices to people who may find “anti-government” or “anti-establishment” websites a bit too critical. I believe more than a few Singaporeans would be able to appreciate the book’s presentation of a wide range of pertinent issues, along with real alternatives that should be considered for the betterment of the nation and its citizens.
After all, it’s hard to argue with cool hard logic.
https://jesscscott.wordpress.com/2015...
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: All in the FamiLee
Associated words used by netizens: FamiLEE, LEE-gime and Marry-tocracy.
I was very curious about a Lee Family Tree graphic that was created by Alternative View SG.
I have gathered some excerpts from reliable sources which verify most of the family ties in this Lee Family Tree image.
If readers know of any inaccuracies, please contact me to verify the data. Thank you :)
* SECTION 1: RUMOURS AND SPECULATIONS
1) RUTH LEE = LKY’s Niece
Wong Kan Seng is married to Ruth Lee Hong Geok, who is rumoured to be the daughter of Lee Suan Yew (Lee Kuan Yew’s brother). If this is true, it makes Ruth Lee LKY’s niece.
Here are a couple of pictures of Ruth Lee and Wong Kan Seng:
Wong Kan Seng with his wife, Ruth Lee Hong Geok. Image from Veritas.
Ruth Lee and Wong Kan Seng. Image from RememberingLKY.
Lee Kuan Yew extended family picture, taken on Chinese New Year’s Eve (1993). From LKY’s memoir, “The Man and His Ideas” (pg-246).
In the above picture taken in 1993, it looks like the woman to the right of Ho Ching is Shermay Lee (LKY’s niece). Her parents are Pamelia Lee and Lee Suan Yew, who have four children.
In a Straits Times interview, Shermay Lee said she has an older sister and younger twin brothers. (Note: I am guessing these younger twin brothers are in the 1993 black and white picture above, in front on the right.)
Pamelia Lee is standing and in the centre of the 1993 photo. Looking at this pictures makes me wonder if the woman to the left of Pamelia Lee is “Ruth Lee,” the older sister that Shermay referred to.
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* SECTION 2: VERIFIED BY RELIABLE SOURCES
This section contains excerpts and screenshots which verify the other family ties in the Lee Family Tree graphic.
1) HO SING = HO CHING’S Younger Brother
Ho Ching (left; image from SI). Ho Sing (right; image from YTL).
A 2010 Today Online article mentioned that Ho Sing, then 44, is the brother of Temasek CEO Ho Ching.
Ho Sing has worked with several Singapore Technologies-affiliated companies. At YTL, Mr. Ho oversees a growing list of assets in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, China and Japan.
Ho Ching was the CEO of Singapore Technologies Group from 1997-2001. A 2007 NYT article mentioned that a Temasek spokesman was unwilling to reveal Ho Ching’s age or date of birth, although a Temasek bond document in 2005 said she was 52.
As the following netizen says: “I don’t understand why all the secrecy.”
2) HO PENG = HO CHING’S Younger Sister
Ho Peng. Image from ST.
A 2005 Fortune Magazine interview mentioned that Ho Peng, who was then working as the Curriculum Planning and Development director at the Ministry of Education (Singapore), is Ho Ching’s sister.
Ms. Ho Peng was appointed Director-General of Education in April 2009. She retired from the MOE in March 2015.
3) GRACE FU = DAUGHTER OF JAMES FU
James Fu was Mr. LKY’s press secretary from 1972 to 1993.
Grace Fu. Image from Wiki.
Grace Fu, senior minister of state, is the daughter of James Fu.
In 2012, she wrote about the difficulties of “the recent pay cut” in ministers’ salaries. With a 37% pay cut, entry-level ministers would get an annual salary starting from S$1,100,000.
4) KWA CHONG SENG = NEPHEW OF LKY’S WIFE
Kwa Chong Seng. Image from PSC.
Kwa Chong Seng, PSC member, was the Deputy Chairman of Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited from 1997 to 2012.
“It was in the immediate wake of the HPL affair of 1996 that LKY initiated a series of changes to the relationship between the DCAC and the GLCs — changes that were part of a broader overhaul of the financial sector that finally came to fruition in 1999. Lee Hsien Loong as Deputy Prime Minister was given special responsibility for this project and set about changing the structure — and the personnel — in the GLC sector.
This activity marked a major shift of institutional power away from Goh and Richard Hu and to members of the Lee family and a few Lee loyalists. First the power to appoint board members and non-executive directors of GLCs was transferred from the DCAC to Temasek holdings.
This is significant because it occured around the same time (1996) that LKY loyalist S. Dhanabalan was appointed Chairman of Temasek Holdings and LKY’s wife’s nephew, Kwa Chong Seng, was appointed Deputy Chairman of Temasek Holdings (1997).
It may be significant that at about the same time (1997) Lee Hsien Loong’s wife, Ho Ching, was appointed Executive Director and CEO of the Singapore Technologies Group, which is the Temasek-owned holding company for defence-related GLCs.”
(Source: The Ruling Elite of Singapore, by Michael Barr)
5) KWA SOON BEE (LKY’s Brother-In-Law)
Kwa Soon Bee. Image from KeppelLand.
“Many senior business figures in Asia are related to other prominent figures by blood or by marriage. The connections in Asia are often not obvious to outsiders but they can be a minefield for the unwary.
The mix of marriages and blood relations in Asia can make for some complex webs. Here are a few examples that involve some of Asia’s biggest business names:
Lee Kim Yew, Chairman of the Singapore food company Cerebos Pacific, is a brother of Singapore’s Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Lee Kim Yew’s wife is Gloria Lee, the founder of one of Singapore’s most prominent stock brokerages Kim Eng Securities.
A third brother is Lee Suan Yew, a past director of Singapore’s Hotel Properties Ltd. His wife, Pamelia Lee, has been a senior director at the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board. Kwa Soon Bee, the brother of Lee Kuan Yew’s wife Kwa Geok Choo, is a former permanent secretary of health and a member of the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board.
Lee Kuan Yew’s sons Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Hsien Yang are deputy prime minister of Singapore and head of Singapore Telecom respectively. Lee Hsien Loong’s wife, Ho Ching, is head of Temasek Holdings.”
(Source: Big in Asia, by Palgrave Macmillan / 2003)
6) TAN CHIN TUAN (OCBC Pioneer + Tony Tan’s Uncle + LKY’s Uncle-in-Law)
Group Photograph of Founding Members of OCBC, 1932, showing Tan Chin Tuan (front row; fourth from left) and Kwa Siew Tee (back row; third from left). Source: Veritas / NAS.
Kwa Siew Tee is Lee Kuan Yew’s father-in-law.
Lee Kuan Yew’s mother-in-law, Wee Yew Neo and Banker Tan Chin Tuan’s wife, Helen Wee (a banker’s daughter), are half-sisters.
Which makes Tan Chin Tuan LKY’s uncle-in-law.
Tony Tan is Tan Chin Tuan’s nephew. Tony Tan was sworn in as President on 1 September 2011.
This is a picture of Kwa Siew Tee and Wee Yew Neo:
President Yusof Ishak with Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew’s Parents, Kwa Siew Tee (left) and Wee Yew Neo (right), 1968. | Image from National Archives of Singapore.
This screenshot from Geni (a genealogy directory) states that Helen Wee and Wee Yew Neo are half-sisters.
Wee Yew Neo. Image from Geni.
These screenshots show that Helen Wee was married to Tan Chin Tuan.
Family of Tan Chin Tuan. Image from NLB.
Tan Chin Tuan. Image from Geni.
According to the blog Veritas:
Without the Kwa family network of powerful families, it is questionable whether LKY could have emerged as the leader of the PAP in the 1950s, given that there were many other extremely capable and charismatic leaders in the party. The nexus of Kwa family probably also helped LKY to win the trust of the British, which handed over to him the control of security apparatus. That is the key with which LKY was able to arrest his political opponents.
7) TEO CHENG GUAN (father of DPM Teo Chee Hean):
Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister of SG.
Teo Cheng Guan was the sixth chairman of OCBC Bank, and the father of Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.
He was on the same management board as Tan Chin Tuan, Tony Tan’s uncle.
Source: The International Corporate 1000.
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* SECTION 3: SAY THE WORD AND GET SUED
Definition of “Nepotism”: The practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. (Oxford)
A summary of how “nepotism” is a sensitive word in Singapore — including publications that were sued for alleging that high-ranking Singapore officials got their jobs through nepotism.
1) “Days after political website Temasek Review Emeritus (TRE) revealed Mr Richard Wan as of one of its editors, lawyers acting for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong issued him a five-page letter in 2012, demanding that the website remove an opinion piece that contained comments which alleged “nepotistic motives” in the appointment of Lee’s wife as head of sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings. After retracting the article, Wan published an apology on the website, and urged TRE readers to refrain from making similar comments.”
(Source: SG Rebel and Asia Sentinel)
2) “The problems created by Lee Kuan Yew’s urge to control most aspects of Singaporeans’ lives are more subtle than nepotism. Lack of political and economic freedom [is] the cancer at the heart of Singapore.”
(Source: WSJ)
3) “In its apology, Bloomberg said its article had implied that Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong had put the Lee family’s interests above the country’s in allowing Ms. Ho’s appointment, and that her husband and father-in-law were guilty of nepotism. Lawyers for the three men accused Bloomberg and Mr. Smith of acting maliciously. The article has been removed from Bloomberg’s Web site and subscription service.”
(Source: NYT)
4) “The Financial Times has apologised and paid libel damages and costs to Singapore’s prime minister and the country’s founding father after accusing them of nepotism.”
(Source: Guardian)
5) “The International Herald Tribune apologised, settled the $678,000 in libel damages, and, as part of the settlement, [columnist] Bowring agreed that he would not say or imply that Lee Hsien Long took office through nepotism.”
(Source: Foreign Policy)
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* SECTION 4: IS NEPOTISM CORRUPTION?
According to Wikipedia:
Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, influence peddling, graft, and embezzlement.
Some other excerpts:
1) “Corruption comes in different forms and nepotism is one of its most subtle and overpowering forms. . .it marks the destruction of a meritocracy which should be the basis of admissions or employment. The problem with nepotism is even though only a few people in power have the ability to use nepotism for their own gain, its effects are widespread and affect many people.”
(Source: DNA)
2) “Favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism all interfere with fairness because they give undue advantage to someone who does not necessarily merit this treatment.
In the public sphere, favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism also undermine the common good. When someone is granted a position because of connections rather than because he or she has the best credentials and experience, the service that person renders to the public may be inferior.
Also, because favoritism is often covert (few elected officials are foolish enough to show open partiality to friends, and family), this practice undercuts the transparency that should be part of governmental hiring and contracting processes.”
(Source: Santa Clara University)
3) “When patronage, nepotism, and cronyism become popular mechanisms for government to select appointees for important positions, the corruption of collusion (i.e. conspiracy) will unavoidably take place.”
(Source: Government Anti-Corruption Strategies)
4) “There needs to be a change. Singapore is not the Lee Family and we need to get rid of the climate of fear.”
(Source: KJ in IB Times)
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* SECTION 5: CLOSING COMMENTS
Chris Ho on Nepotism:
“Is nepotism not considered corruption? Just consider: LKY’s son is PM, his other son was head of Singtel and is CEO of Civil Aviation Authority, his daughter-in-law is in charge of the sovereign wealth fund, his relative is President. I could go on but it is absolutely clear that the entire family benefited enormously from his ruthless control of the government. The gov lost 40% of the vote in the last election & yet still retains 82 out of 89 seats in parliament? Why? The electoral system has been gerrymandered & twisted to the ruling party’s benefit entirely corruptly. No corruption? Absolute rubbish & nonsense.”
(Source: Chris Ho)
Former ISD Director on PM LHL and Ho Ching:
“She did not marry me and become Temasek Holdings’ Chief Executive Officer. I married her because she had the talent of a CEO.” This was the dramatic revelation of PM Lee Hsien Loong in referring to his wife, Ms Ho Ching, in an interview with Mr. Phil Ponce, host of the Chicago Tonight on WTTW Channel 11 last Thursday. Apparently, this was said to pre-empt Mr. Ponce from popping the question of nepotism in the Singapore government.
(Source: SG Recalcitrant)
Comment:
“You can see they all ‘kaki lang‘ (one of us) — damn jia lat (this is serious).”
(Source: breakaway)
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MORE INFO (re: the “wider” family tree):
1) Why It Might Be Difficult For The Government To Withdraw From Business
(Singapore-Window)
2) “The Lee Dynasty of Singapore”
(Comment)
3) The Beginning of The End of Lee Kuan Yew’s Dynasty?
(CSIS)Filed under: Excerpts, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Politics Tagged: corruption, cronyism, dynasty, ho ching, Lee family, Lee Kuan Yew, lky, meritocracy, nepotism, tan chin tuan
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Teo Chee Hean – Related to Lee Hsien Loong?
* Thanks to Veritas for making the original identification.
I have included a family tree chart and verification below.
Short Version: Teo Chee Hean is related to Lee Hsien Loong.
Long Version:
1) Kwa Geok Choo is the mother of Lee Hsien Loong.
2) Kwa Soon Chuan is the brother of Kwa Geok Choo.
Image from NLB.
3) Kwa Soon Chuan is the husband of Ivy Lim Seok Cheng.
4) Ivy Lim Seok Cheng is the daughter of Lim Chong Pang, a prominent businessman.
5) Lim Chong Pang is the son of Lim Nee Soon, one of the pioneers of rubber planting.
6) Lim Nee Soon is the son of Lim Peng Guan, who married Teo Lee’s eldest daughter (Teo Choon Lian). He died in 1887 and left his son Nee Soon in the care of his maternal grandfather, Teo Lee (1833).
7) Teo Lee was the husband of Tan Poh Neo, the granddaughter of the Kapitan Cina from Muntok. Teo Lee is the great-great-grandfather of Teo Chee Hean.
Teo Bah Tan = 5th son of Teo Lee.
Teo Eng Hock = Uncle of Teo Beng Wan (great-granduncle of Teo Chee Hean).
Teo Eng Hock = Brother of Teo Choon Lian and Teo Bah Tan (Father of Teo Beng Wan).
Teo Beng Wan = Father of Teo Cheng Guan
Teo Cheng Guan = Father of Teo Chee Hean
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Some closing words by Veritas:
It has been wildly speculated [that] family members of top civil servants and elected officers from PAP either own big businesses or hold important appointments. Although information regarding families of our politicians are held almost like a top secret, some interesting dots between them can still be connected thanks to the Internet.
Filed under: History, Lee Kuan Yew, Profiles, Singapore Politics Tagged: aristocracy, family tree, genealogy, kwa geok choo, lee hsien loong, Lee Kuan Yew, network, PAP, relatives, teo chee hean
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Saw Phaik Hwa, Former SMRT CEO
* Thanks to SGClub Forum for the images.
A few choice excerpts on Ms. Saw Phaik Hwa, former CEO of SMRT.
1) “The rot really started with the appointment of Ms. Saw Phaik Hwa as CEO. Her only experience was in the retail business and she knew next to nothing in the running of SMRT and its maintenance. She was however successful in making hugh profits for the shareholders, especially Temasek Holdings, mainly through rentals of SMRT properties and for a time she was able to ride high in the organisation.
It’s amazing that the Government had not learned from the bitter lesson of Ms. Saw Phaik Hwa. The point is as long as the SMRT is privatised and profit-oriented, the poor and unfortunate commuters will suffer from frequent rail breakdowns, not excluding massive disruptions.”
(Source: Singapore Recalcitrant)
2) [Saw joined SMRT] in December 2002. Her appointment raised eyebrows then as her background was mainly in retail and marketing, and she had no experience whatsoever in running a public transport business.
In early 2002, she was retrenched when the global airport retailer [DFS] consolidated its businesses. She then started her own consultancy business in international retail before applying for the SMRT job. “I didn’t have to learn to be a CEO, all I needed was to learn a new trade,” she says matter of factly.
(Source: AsiaOne, 2011)
3) When asked to describe her management style, Saw quips: “My dream management style is not having to do anything.”
(Source: AsiaOne, 2011)
Financial Information | Image from SMRT
4) “Since SMRT is a Temasek Holdings owned company, would Ho Ching herself have a say as to whom she appoints to head SMRT as CEO? Can anyone verify whether Ho Ching is good friends with Saw Phaik Hwa on a personal basis?”
(Source: travelbug)
5) Saw, who lives in a landed property off Lornie Road and owns two luxury cars, a Ferrari California and Mercedes-Benz 500, earned $1.85 million in 2010. She also said she had earned her right to spend. . .on her million-dollar pay package, she said, “the package is benchmarked to the job that I do. . .and the pay is not top-end. It’s not top-end.”
(Source: Yahoo, 2012)
6) YouTube video of Ms. Saw with 8 Hunks. Video creator says: “Shouldn’t the profits from SMRT go towards helping the old and needy in Singapore, rather than spending it on a meaningless annual dinner?”
Filed under: Excerpts, Singapore Politics Tagged: ceo, ho ching, leadership, management, public transport, salary, saw phaik hwa, singapore, smrt, temasek holdings
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Lee Kuan Yew: On Ministers’ Salaries
[LKY ON MINISTERS’ SALARIES (1980’s)]
1) “In Singapore, [wealth and power] are two different things. And we should keep them as two different entities.”
— LKY, National Day Rally 1984
2) “Recently, we persuaded a graduate, who is a journalist, to be a candidate for the next elections. He went through a stretch of soul-searching. He decided to take up the responsibility.
He explained it this way: In Malaysia, Dr Mahathir [warned] of dangers of using vast sums of money to buy voters. To be elected is the way to power and to wealth. This journalist found [that] in Singapore no one was fighting to be elected either into the Central Executive Committee of the PAP or into Parliament. There was no money to be made. . .no dishonest or opportunistic or selfish and greedy types [should] ever get into positions of powers.”
— Lee Kuan Yew (16 August 1984 / PDF Download)
[LKY ON MINISTERS’ SALARIES (1990’s)]
3) “It is possible that politically and socially uncommitted people from the higher management and professional brackets will be attracted to the idea of public office for this higher pay. . .[but] if this salary formula can draw out higher quality men into politics, whatever their motivations, I say, let us have them.”
— Lee Kuan Yew (1 November 1994)
4) “Ministers who deal with billions of dollars cannot be paid low salaries without risking a system malfunction. Low salaries will not attract able men who are or can be successful in their professions or business. Low salaries will draw in the hypocrites who sweet talk their way into power in the name of public services, but once in charge will show their true colour, and ruin the country.”
— Lee Kuan Yew (19 July 1996)
5) “Equality is an aspiration: it is not reality, it is not practical.”
— Lee Kuan Yew (19 August 2009)
[PERSPECTIVES ON SG MINISTERS’ SALARIES]
6) Mr Jeyaretnam: “The Prime Minister more than once said, “Let’s be honest with ourselves.” Well, let us be honest. What is the Prime Minister saying? Is he saying that his present Cabinet Ministers or the new recruits into his Party would not have come in unless they were promised huge sums of money by way of high salaries? . . . If they are only interested in the money, there is no integrity.”
— 1985 Budget Debate (via Roy Ngerng)
7) “How much money does it take to keep a Singapore government minister happy? The government says a million dollars is not enough.”
— NYT (2007)
8) “The broader issue is that politics is a public service. Other corruption-free countries such as Denmark and New Zealand do not need to pay their ministers astronomical salaries to keep them clean.”
— Tan Jee Say, former senior civil servant and fund manager (2011)
9) “Given that ministers get to decide on their salaries, aren’t we in essence giving them a blank check in the name of preventing corruption?”
— Aaron Chew (2011)
* ‘Blank Check’ Definition: An unlimited freedom of action.
10) “DPM [Teo Chee Hean] talked of the ethos of political service. How this can be reconciled with paying themselves obscenely high salaries in order to serve the people? Is this service to the people or self-serving?”
— Singapore Recalcitrant (11 March 2015)Filed under: Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Politics Tagged: corruption, Lee Kuan Yew, lky, ministers, PAP, politics, public service, salaries, singapore, wealth
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Lee Kuan Yew on CPF
1. LEE KUAN YEW on CPF:
“This is your wealth, the savings of people in individual accounts are not government reserves.”
Screenshot: LKY’s Speech | Page 13
Source: Speech by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, at The Fullerton Square Rally on 19 December 1984 (NAS)
2. BOARD OF DIRECTORS on GIC:
GIC is a sovereign wealth fund (i.e. government-owned investment fund) established by the Government of Singapore in 1981 to manage Singapore’s foreign reserves. GIC and Temasek Holdings are the soverign wealth funds owned by the Government of Singapore.
GIC’s Corporate Gorvernance page states that “the government holds the GIC board accountable for portfolio performance, but does not interfere in the company’s investment decisions.”
Screenshot: GIC Corporate Governance (1 Aug 2015)
The page goes on to list the GIC’s Board of Directors.
Some of GIC’s Board of Directors | Source: GIC
How is the government supposed to “not interfere in GIC’s investment decisions” when government members such as the Prime Minister and several Ministers are on the GIC’s Board of DIrectors?
Is the Prime Minister not supposed to discuss GIC and Temasek Holdings with his wife, Ms. Ho Ching, who has been the CEO of Temasek Holdings since 2004 and is the world’s 59th most powerful female according to Forbes?
As Roy Ngerng says in a recent blog post:
“Can the GIC claim not to have any regard to the sources of funds it receives if the government also sits on the GIC’s board of directors?
Can the GIC claim not to know if it is using Singaporeans’ CPF to invest?”
(Source: Roy Ngerng / The Mysterious Circumstances of How GIC was Formed)
3. OTHER PERSPECTIVES:
A modest selection of commentaries on CPF.
a) Leong Sze Hian
I thought it may be in the public interest, to try to summarise some of the questions on CPF that Roy Ngerng and others have been asking.
Is there any other country in the world that keeps so much of the returns from the national pension fund – from the people?
Is it true that since 1999, the CPF had the lowest real rate of return amongst all national pension schemes in the world?
. . .Does it mean that we may have lost [about] 84 per cent of our total CPF funds of $151.3 billion in 2008 (CPF Trends, October 2013) in just one year?
(Source: Leong Sze Hian – What are Roy’s Questions about the CPF?)
b) Roy Ngerng / CPF Blogger
Roy Painting | Source: SG Daily / FB
i) “DEMAND FOR TRANSPARENCY: What are the losses that GIC and Temasek Holdings have made since their inception? What have they done to manage the losses? How much “capital” has the government injected into the GIC and Temasek Holdings since their inception? Where does this additional “capital” come from?”
(Source: Roy Ngerng / 30 June 2014)
ii) As most Singaporeans would know by now, our CPF is being taken by the PAP to be invested in the Temasek Holdings and GIC. In 2008, Temasek Holdings lost $58 billion, which is equal to 40% of the value of our CPF (Chart 76). When this money is lost, who has to pay off the loss and the debt? It’s not them.
Short Version: When The PAP Started Turning Against Singaporeans
Video Version: When The PAP (Video)
iii) “This is the top viewed article on my blog and has been viewed more than 550,000 times. Many Singaporeans are angry because: the government said that since we borrowed our own pension funds to buy housing and they cannot pay us the interest on the money withdrawn, when we sell our homes, we will have to pay back this interest into the pension funds. This is possibly the article which started the government watching me.”
Article: Truth Exposed: The Dirty CPF-HDB Scheme To Trick Singaporeans
Video Version: Truth Exposed (Video)
iv) “This is my second attempt after I got sued, to trace how the government has been taking our pension funds to earn and use since the 1980s.”
Article: What PAP Has Done to Your CPF (The Real History)
v) “The Rothschild family used to control large swaths of the banking industry in Europe and effectively controlled their governments. In 1982, the PAP started working with them.”
Article: How the PAP Started Turning against Singaporeans from the Mid-1980s
c) Phillip Ang
i) PM Lee’s famous words which I think Singaporeans will now find them hard to believe: “Never forget that we are servants of the people. Always maintain a sense of humility and service.”
(Phillip Ang, 1 July 2015)
ii) “The total balance of our CPF is not $282 million but $282 BILLION. GIC should not be allowed to continue managing our CPF without providing a proper set of accounts as it would be logical to suspect something’s not right.”
(Phillip Ang, 30 June 2015)
iii) “There wasn’t a whisper heard in Parliament on the CPF issue until Roy came along. And what’s more outrageous – PM Lee did nothing because he had probably assumed zero transparency and zero accountability did not matter, as during his father’s time.”
(Phillip Ang, 4 July 2015)
d) Christopher Balding
i) “The claimed 17% earned by Temasek in SGD belongs to the people of Singapore who provided the public surpluses and capital investment to build companies.”
(Christopher Balding, The Real CPF Scam)
ii) “I have said many times that if I am wrong, it is easy to prove me wrong with very simple and data that should have no reason to be secret. They could easily prove me wrong if the truth was on their side. It isn’t. I know it and they know it.”
(Christopher Balding, In Singapore: Truth is No Defense)
e) Kenneth Jeyaretnam
“GIC has confirmed what I wrote that in fact GIC’s funding comes from CPF. They say so here: GIC, along with MAS, manages the proceeds from the Special Singapore Government Securities (SSGS) that are issued and guaranteed by the government which CPF board has invested in with the CPF monies.”
(Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Exposing the Problems with CPF / March 2015)
f) Chee Soon Juan
“PM LHL’s proposal to return retirees 20 percent of their savings upon retirement does nothing to resolve the problem of inadequate CPF funds. This move is symptomatic of Mr Lee’s leadership – trying to appease the public while sticking to unjustified, and unjustifiable, policies.”
(Chee Soon Juan / SDP / February 2015)
g) Martyn See
“There are over 450 comments to this open letter titled DEAR CPF: GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY!, virtually all of which support the writer’s plea. Many also describe their personal stories of financial struggle. There is no better way to understand the lives of the working class Singaporean than to start here.”
Excerpts: Compiled by Martyn See (FB)Filed under: CPF, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Politics Tagged: cpf, gic, ho ching, lee hsien loong, Lee Kuan Yew, lky, roy ngerng, SG50, temasek holdings, transparency
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Tony Tan – Related to Lee Hsien Loong?
* Chart and verification below. If readers know of any inaccuracies, please contact me to verify the data. Thank you :)
Short Version: Tony Tan is related to Lee Hsien Loong.
Longer Version:
1. Tony Tan’s father is Tan Seng Hwee.
Tony Tan, Family | Source: NLB
2. Tan Seng Hwee’s half-brother is Tan Chin Tuan.
Mentions Tan Chin Tuan is the adopted son of Tan Seng Hwee’s mother. Source: NLB (25 Nov 1934)
3. Tan Chin Tuan (Tony Tan’s uncle) was married to Helen Wee, who is the sister of Wee Yew Neo. (Sources: Geni, NLB, Veritas and Rojak Librarian).
Tan Chin Tuan (Mrs. LKY’s uncle-in-law) and Kwa Siew Tee (Mrs. LKY’s father) = sons-in-law of Wee Theam Seng. Source: Veritas and NLB (4 Feb 1946)
Wife of Tan Chin Tuan = “Helen.” Source: NLB (10 June 1954)
4. Kwa Siew Tee married Wee Yew Neo in 1910. They are the parents of Kwa Geok Choo (Mrs. LKY).
5. Tony Tan’s mother is Jessie Lim Neo Swee (refer to screenshot on Point #1).
6. Jessie Lim is the sister of Lim Geok Neo, who is the wife of Seet Cheng Kang.
Lim Geok Neo is the only portion in the family tree where I could not verify the information from more than one reliable source. However, the Geni profile for Lim Geok Neo was added by a family member (private profile), and is currently being managed by a fellow family member (Jimmy Seet).
Lim Geok Neo was the wife of Seet Cheng Kang. Profile was added by a Seet, and is currently managed by Jimmy Seet (son of Seet Cheng Kang). Source: Geni.
Jimmy Seet, son of Seet Cheng Kang. Source: Geni
7. Seet Cheng Kang’s second wife was Chua Swee Neo, who is the sister of Chua Jim Neo, who is the mother of Lee Kuan Yew.
8. This means that Tony Tan is related to Lee Hsien Loong through the family members of both Mr. and Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew.Filed under: Family Tree, History, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Politics Tagged: blood ties, family tree, intermarriage, lee hsien loong, Lee Kuan Yew, PAP, politics, singapore, tan chin tuan, tony tan
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Bukit Brown Cemetery
Many well-known and prominent Singaporeans are buried at Bukit Brown Cemetery.
According to Wikipedia / CNA:
It was originally announced by Minister Tan Chuan-Jin in Feb 2012 that 5,000, out of more than 100,000 graves, would make way for a new 4-lane road that would cut through the cemetery. This number was reduced to 3,746 from the original 5,000, on 19 Mar 2012. It was also revealed that the rest of the cemetery would make way for a new public housing town in about 40 years time.
While the bolded line is not shocking since many of Singapore’s urban spaces have been subjected to constant redevelopment, isn’t it sad that a place with such a rich heritage is deemed to be unworthy of preservation? Is it morally right to destroy a unique aspect of a country’s cultural and natural heritage?
This is a heartfelt letter penned by Raymond Goh, the “Tomb Whisperer” who captivates others with his passion and knowledge of Bukit Brown.
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A plea to the President – Discover your Roots in Bukit Brown October 13, 2011
* Reposted with kind permission from Raymond Goh.
Singapore President Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam
Dear Mr President,
A few days ago, we saw you sitting at the highest chair in parliament. Yes, you are the newly appointed president.
You have never disappointed your parents and ancestors, and they are certainly proud of you.
When you were a young student, you already excelled in your studies. In 1957, you were the top student in Singapore with 8 distinctions for the Cambridge School Certificate, and in 1959 again you topped the Cambridge Higher School Certificate while in SJI.
It is a pity your father Seng Hwee died young, at the age of 47, in 1962. At that time your mother Jessie Lim has to bring up herself the 4 children.
But she certainly had a full and wonderful life, and she died in 1999 at a ripe old age. If there is one rule which she lived by, it was to get on with life, as she did with determination for 36 years after your father Seng Hwee passed away.
But your grandfather Cheng Siong died young too as he died at the age of 42, just at the peak of his career as GM of Overseas Chinese Bank, and managing the United Sawmill Ltd, of which the directors included Lim Nee Soon, Ong Peng Hock and Lim Boon Keng.
Your grandfather was a JP and a prominent citizen of the community, and was ever willing to give a helping hand in any charitable cause.
Tan Cheng Siong’s tomb – Tony Tan’s grandfather
At that time, your grandfather has two wives, Lee Guay Eng and Wee Chai Neo. Both widows were left with young children of their own after Cheng Siong died. Guay Eng was just 35 and Chai Neo was 40 years old. Wee Chai Neo passed away in 1934 while Lee Guay Eng passed away in 1965.
Lee Guay Eng’s tomb
Now a bit of history to dig further to your roots:
You may not know, but in the past many years ago, there was a group of 36 businessman from Malacca who came to Singapore in the early days when Singapore was just founded.
This group of 36 young Hokkien Chinese baba traders, in their early 20 and 30s, from middle to upper income families most in Malacca, too came to seek their fortune in this new city.
Although they came from well to do families, business at that time was still considered risky. They have alliances with the Europeans, and can take goods on credit with them, but depending on the business situation, they would have to pay the Europeans with equivalent goods or cash in a few months. Sometimes if the goods could not be sold within this period, they would have to “lelong” the goods, resulting in financial problems for them hence the need to form such a mutual aid association for these businessman and their families. This mutual aid association was Kheng Teck Whay.
Each of the 36 members would have to contribute 100 big dollars to the Association fund, which will be used as seed money for the businessman’s families.
If a member unfortunately passed away or fall into financial difficulties, then this mutual help group would help the family.
Many of the 36 members did well in later life and have successful business. Some of them were managers of the neighbouring Thian Hock Keng. They constructed their HQ just next to Thian Hock Keng.
Together with Chong Wen Ge, the Kheng Teck Building and Chong Wen Ge formed the left and right pavillion of Thian Hock Keng.
One of the 36 founding members was Ang Choon Seng, who was born in 1805 in Malacca. Set up Chop Chin Seng in Philip St. He had 2 sailing ships Patah Salam and Kong-Kek, travelling between Saigon and Bangkok. He also had nutmeg plantations in Moulmein Road.
Ang Choon Seng’s son Ang Kim Tee was the chief of Keng Teck Whay from 1890 – 1892.
From the tomb, we can see that Ang Kim Tee has 5 daughters. Do you know he married 3 of his daughters to Tan Jiak Kim because they unfortunately died successively at young age?
The first daughter of Kim Tee married to Jiak Kim died in 1898, and he married then the 4th daughter of Kim Tee, Giok Yan.
Unfortunately Giok Yan died when accompanying Jiak Kim to England for the Coronation activities in 1911. She was only 33.
At that time, they decided to buried Giok Yan there. As it was in Europe, the usual Chinese funeral rites could not be observed, and a European coffin had to be used. No Confucian priest could be found to officiate, and the only Chinese accessories available were a candle and some joss sticks.
The next year, Jiak Kim married another daughter of Kim Tee, which is Geok Lan.
Tan Jiak Kim third wife Geok Lan (also daughter of Ang Kim Tee) and 2 sons (pic from G.R. Lambert & Co)
Now the first daugher of Kim Tee married to Jiak Kim gave birth to a girl Tan Sun Neo in 1894. Tan Sun Neo was married to Lim Kian Beng and had a daughter.
That daughter was Jessie Lim who was actually your mother.
So you can see you came from a very illustrious family, not to mention that Jiak Kim’s mother See Keng Neo also comes from the illustrious See Family.
Do you know that all the above tombs were found in Bukit Brown Municipal Cemetery? I think you probably have not visited the tombs of your grandfather and grandmother.
Perhaps you may not even know they are buried in Bukit Brown. There are so many pioneers and forefathers of Singapore being buried there, that the list go on and on…
There is so much history yet to be uncovered in Bukit Brown, but recently you would have heard the news from LTA recently about redevelopment of Bukit Brown.
A new road is being planned to cut right across Bukit Brown, a road that will cover an area of 24 hectares and affect approx 10,000 tombs.
Did the relevant authorities do a proper historical survey of the place before deciding on this new road? Or do they think it is just a cemetery?
Do you know that many tombs from the Qing dynasty era are relocated to this cemetery such as your ancestors? Tombs as early as 1833 and the mid 19th century can be found there.
Every one of those tombs tell a story, a story of birth, life and death, but in the end, they are all builders of what modern Singapore is standing on.
Our roots and links to the past are all here, buried in this cemetery, many still waiting to be discovered.
It is only in the recent past, that people are just rediscovering their roots.
For us, when we remember our roots from whence we came, can we really love the country and the people that nurture us to what we are today.
This cemetery definitely has historical and social values of great significance to our young country.
The present generation seems to have forgotten about the previous generation of nation builders and pioneers, but the current generation’s existence lies in the roots of these tombs, the roots of which are going to be dug up for a road if nobody does anything.
So, please come, dear President, please come to Bukit Brown. It has been such a long time, but I think your grandparents and other relatives are waiting for you to come and visit them, and remember your roots.
And in the meantime, please try to let the authorities fully understand the implication of what they are going to destroy. There is still time, although time is running out for the residents of Bukit Brown Cemetery.
It will be an irreplaceable loss.
From a Singapore citizen
Raymond Goh
on behalf of BBC residents
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MORE INFO:
1) 4.5 star overall review on Bukit Brown Cemetery (TripAdvisor)
2) Bukit Brown Cemetery on the World Monuments Watch 2014, the first time any site in Singapore has been named on the list (World Monuments Fund)
3) Bukit Brown Cemetery (Facebook Page #1 and Facebook Page #2)
4) Bukit Brown (Main Website)Filed under: History, Singapore Politics Tagged: bukit brown, cemetery, cultural heritage, History, natural heritage site, pioneers, raymond goh, roots, singapore, tombstones
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Chris Ho on LKY
Great post by Chris Ho in March 2015, with many pertinent points mentioned.
Re-posted below.
The SG PR machine will do its very best to persuade the world that Lee Kuan Yew was a benevolent man. The truth is far more complicated and in some instances downright sinister. His economic legacy may be available for all to see, but at what cost?
The Telegraph even chooses to repeat the lie that LKY believed in the rule of law. He believed in no such thing. He believed in HIS rule & HIS law. To this day, the judiciary remains a compliant poodle that dares not go against the government & has made the most outrageous rulings so as not to inconvenience the PAP (ruling party.) Just look up: Cheng San GRC polling day ruling
Consider the following:
1) SG, under his rule, had one of the highest execution rates per capita in the entire world – often for ridiculously small crimes. (See Van Nguyen’s execution – one of the least just executions ever).
2) To this day, it is still not mandatory to provide domestic workers with a day of leave each week. Nothing short of modern slavery for more than 100,000 poor, migrant labourers who can do practically nothing about it if they have a ruthless, uncaring employer-which many do. SG may have gotten rich but the exploitation of regional workforces has played a massive role in that wealth generation. That mindset has been passed into society which is one of the least caring rich countries on earth towards its migrant poor.
3) The claims of zero corruption are simply laughable. Is nepotism not considered corruption? The reality is that with such iron control of the media, it has been hard to establish who owns and controls what in SG – interestingly as alternative media has grown, so has evidence of corruption. Just consider: LKY’s son is PM, his other son was head of the Singtel and is CEO of Civil Aviation Authority, his daughter-in-law is in charge of the sovereign wealth fund, his relative is President. I could go on but it is absolutely clear that the entire family benefitted enormously from his ruthless control of the government. The gov lost 40% of the vote in the last election & yet still retains 82 out of 89 seats in parliament? Why? The electoral system has been gerrymandered & twisted to the ruling party’s benefit entirely corruptly. No corruption? Absolute rubbish & nonsense.
4) The birth rate. If you want a real indictment of his rule – look to the SG birth rate. SG has one of the world’s lowest fertility rates. People have simply given up having children because this densely populated island is a hot house of constant and almost unbearable pressure on its citizens. He created a school system that deliberately made people of lesser academic talents feel second class and were treated as second class. The result has been a brain drain of creative talents. Like the Mayans before him, his legacy may be to have eradicated his own people in the name of material glory. Some legacy.
5) Intolerance. The local and sympathetic foreign press will use euphemisms for his “knuckle duster” approach to dissent or political control. Ask those who have been imprisoned by him without trial whether they think it was just the knuckle duster? One of the world’s longest serving political prisoners, without trial, was in SG – 32 years – and there are literally countless others. See Operation Coldstore and Operation Spectrum for a hint of his charming, bullying, ruthless style.
6) Gay rights. SG is the only G20 country in the world where it is still illegal to be gay. Gay people are arbitrarily abused for their inherent sexuality and from time to time their sexuality is used against them. For that matter, try and be an independent academic. (See Cherian George – denied tenure simply because he was a mild government critic, despite being one of the foremost journalism professors in the country).
7) Opacity in government. The Singaporeans are forced to save their money in a scheme called the CPF. This is used for healthcare, housing, education and retirement. It remains to be seen, however, whether the way that money is managed is fair, reasonable and corruption free. Whilst it may indeed be all above the board, the government has refused to disclose much information about this giant pool of money and how exactly the money is used, invested etc. There remains a lingering doubt as to whether the money is truly available for citizens or used in their best interest. SG has no freedom of information laws, tightly controls the flow of information out of government and repeatedly refuses to provide data that justifies their actions.
LKY was a utilitarian, Platonic and Machiavellian bully. Praise his economic achievements but never forget those who have suffered, and there are plenty today and in the past who still do so, because of his ruthlessness. Spare a thought for the exiled, the executed, the unfairly punished, the bankrupted, and, above all the S’porens who were left for 30 years in a climate of utter fear. His legacy is far less benign than a sycophantic press will acknowledge.
Check out some excerpts by Chris Ho I compiled some time ago, and follow his witty, entertaining and enlightening updates on FB.
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[Photo from FB]
CHRIS HO is a singer/musician/author/underground filmmaker/music fan/DJ.
Chris Ho Online: Facebook | Photo Album | Website | Music | DJ ProfileFiled under: History, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Politics Tagged: chris ho, government, grc, History, law, Lee Kuan Yew, legacy, lky, politics, singapore
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Excerpts from “The Psychology of Military Incompetence”
Excerpts from The Psychology of Military Incompetence, by British psychologist Norman Dixon (1976). On authoritarianism, leadership, and more…
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Book Cover (published 1976)
EXCERPTS from THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MILITARY INCOMPETENCE
by Norman Dixon
1. Even the worst government and most inept prime minister come up for possible dismissal every so often. (Pg-21)
2. How, if they are so lacking in intelligence, do people become senior military commanders? (Pg-23)
3. Computers make poor leaders and indifferent father-figures. They may be quick and efficient, [but] withal remain cold fish. They do not inspire affection, are devoid of feelings and, what is worse, quite indifferent to the outcome of their decisions. (Pg-33)
* Note: Refer to LKY’s comments on Singaporeans as “digits.”
4. Authoritarian organizations [are] masters at deflecting blame. They do so by denial, by rationalization, by making scapegoats, or by some mixture of the three. The net result is that no real admission of failure or incompetence is ever made by those who are really responsible; nothing can be done about preventing a recurrence. (Pg-44)
5. Certain characteristics of incompetence include:
An underestimation, sometimes bordering on the arrogant, of the enemy
Little moral courage
An apparent imperviousness by commanders to human suffering
A tendency to lay the blame on others
A lack of creativity and open-mindedness (Pg-67)
6. Military leaders [displayed] behaviour symptomatic of extremely weak egos. . .breeding an insatiable desire for admiration with avoidance of criticism, and an equally devouring urge for power and positions of dominance. (Pg-115)
7. The army was described as “too rigid and lacking in flexibility to be really adaptable to the conditions of modern quick-moving warfare.” (Pg-128)
8. The authorities did become increasingly concerned to prevent the civilian population from discovering anything new that might conflict with the official set of delusions which they themselves espoused. (Pg-132; on Singapore)
9. Military incompetence involves:
Clinging to outworn tradition
A suppression or distortion of news (Pg-153)
10. In extreme cases. . .everything that is free, uncontrolled, spontaneous is dangerous. (Pg-190)
11. A snob is one who is impressed by, and therefore tries to identify with, those who are higher up the socio-economic scale, while straining to disassociate himself from those lower down. (Pg-201)
12. [Authoritarianism] produces submission to the authority of the in-group. It arouses aggression, which is displaced on to a carefully defined out-group. (Pg-260)
13. An authoritarian’s thinking is confined to rigid formulae and inflexible attitudes. He is intolerant of unusual ideas and unable to cope with contradictions. (Pg-261)
14. Since authoritarians have been found to be more dishonest, more irresponsible, more untrustworthy, more socially conforming, and more suspicious than non-authoritarians, they are unlikely to make successful social leaders. (Pg-264)
15. Blind obedience and loyalty [are emphasised] at the expense of initiative and innovation. (Pg-267)
16. One of the least attractive characteristics of authoritarians is their preoccupation with punishment and their incapacity to feel concern for the human rights of persecuted minorities. (Pg-314)
17. The symptoms of this process [of] ‘group-think‘, include:
An illusion of invulnerability that becomes shared by most members of the group
Collective attempts to ignore or rationalize away information which might lead the group to reconsider shaky but cherished assumptions
An unquestioned belief in the group’s inherent morality (i.e. “incorruptibility“), thus enabling members to overlook the ethical consequences of their decision
Stereotyping the enemy as either too evil for negotiation or too stupid and feeble to be a threat. (Pg-399)
AUTHOR BIO:
Norman F. Dixon, M.B.E., Fellow of the British Psychological Society, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at University College, London.
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NOTE: Check out Phillip Ang’s post on Singapore’s paper generals as well.
SEPT 21, 1984: Brigadier-General Lee Hsien Loong. Source: ST.
“Slightly more than a quarter [of The Singapore Cabinet] had been generals/equivalent in the military before becoming politicians.
Military men do not make good leaders in the government for the simple fact that they are used to giving orders. They are not listeners but control freaks.”
— Phillip Ang (4 Jan 2015)Filed under: Excerpts, Singapore Politics, Society Tagged: authoritarian, excerpts, government, group think, incompetence, leaders, leadership, military, paper generals, prime minister, singapore
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: The Over-Hyped National Day Rally
* Blog post by former ISD director Mr. Yoong Siew Wah, who blogs at SG Recalcitrant. Originally posted on TR Emeritus.
There was a publicity overdrive on PM Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally as it was obvious he was anxious that his Sermon on the Mount would reach as wide an audience as possible. As it turned out it was nothing more than a captive audience comprising mainly PAP minister, MPs, grassroots leaders, PAP supporters and a sprinkling of students, who listened in awesome attention to his so called exquisite oratory.
The Workers’ Party MPs very wisely gave the Rally a miss as it would have put them in an untenable position having to endorse the electioneering effort and excessive extolment of the late Lee Kuan Yew which they anticipated would be a feature of the Rally speech. They instead organised a dinner for their supporters to celebrate Singapore’s Golden Jubilee. Other opposition parties had also organised separate social events on that day.
The attendees at the Rally were a captive audience and PM Lee was at his best in mesmerizing his audience with his absorbing narrative on what social and political problems Singapore was facing and the Government’s efforts in overcoming them. He was seen to be in his element when he delivered his speech with such finesse that he had the audience applauding from time to time whenever he made a significant point.
It would have been a consummation of his oratory if he had refrained from extolling ad nauseam the so-called virtues of his late father Lee Kuan Yew and turning the Rally into an electioneering stunt calling for the election of the PAP team in the general election.
Of course the attendees by their very nature would be the PAP’s loyal electors. But how widely this will percolate down to the electorate will be a million-dollar question.
The PAP has the distinct advantage in its early announcement of its candidates for the general election and the fawning write-ups by a subservient press. The opposition has not disclosed its complete line-ups but the Workers’ Party will be defending its incumbent constituencies. So everything seems to be ready except the announcement of an election date by PM Lee which is thought to be likely in early September (update: September 11). The biggest PAP casualty so far seems to be the Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew who is portrayed as resigning to take the rap (引 咎辞聀）for the SMRT breakdowns. Ministers Lim Swee Say and Vivian Balakhrishnan who were given commendable mention by PM Lee in his Rally speech may have their work cut out in defending their seats because of their poor esteem with the electors.
PM Lee has said in his Rally speech that the coming general election is a critical one and that the PAP is going all out to win the election. He thinks the ground is favourable to the PAP for the general election to be called. This hustings may turn out to be a watershed election.
— Yoong Siew Wah / Singapore Recalcitrant
* Mr. Yoong Siew Wah was the director of Singapore’s Internal Security Department from 1971 to 1974. Before that, he was the director of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). Mr Yoong is now retired and blogs at singaporerecalcitrant.blogspot.com.
* Stay educated with some excerpts by Mr. Yoong (Part 1 and Part 2).
Filed under: Excerpts, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Politics Tagged: ge2015, general elections, isd, lee hsien loong, national day rally, PAP, politics, singapore, voting, Yoong Siew Wah
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Elitism Quotes (PAP)
Small collection of quotes by PAP Ministers etc. on the “aristocracy mentality.” Thanks to readers for contributing some of these :)
1. “Without a natural aristocracy. . .society will lose out.”
— Lee Hsien Loong, 2015
2. “I don’t respond to anything on The Real Singapore, which is a Facebook page and website written by morons, commented on by morons, and read and shared by morons.”
— Calvin Cheng, 2014
3. “The problem today is that PAP is a bit too elitist. . .they don’t feel for the people; overall, there is a lack of empathy.”
— Ngiam Tong Dow, 2013
4. “Maybe it made lesser mortals envious and they thought maybe he was a little bit boastful.”
— Charles Chong, MP (on senior civil servant Tan Yong Soon’s S$46,000 five-week course at a prestigious French cooking school)
5. “I feel my own angst riding with the common people. But I suppose it’s good to get the feel from the ground every now and then, to connect with the peasantry.”
— PAP Supporter and former Law Society employee, Nicholas-Seth Leong on his second MRT trip in 2012
6. “Please, get out of my elite uncaring face.”
— Wee Shu Min, scholar-daughter of former MP Wee Siew Kim
7. “Remember your place in society before you engage in political debate… Debate cannot generate into a free-for-all where no distinction is made between the senior and junior party… You must make distinctions – What is high, what is low, what is above, what is below, and then within this, we can have a debate, we can have a discussion… people should not take on those in authority as ‘equals’.”
— Former Foreign Minister George Yeo (1994)
8. “They (top civil servants) get paid more, they’re highly educated, and they have bigger egos, bigger than any government employees I’ve met anywhere else in the world. It’s not good or bad, but they consider themselves superior to almost any government employee in the world.”
— Renowned executive coach Marshall Goldsmith on civil servants’ ego in Singapore (2011)
9. “$600,000 a year is peanuts.”
— Mrs. Goh Chok Tong (2004)
Source: FB
10. “We are our own check. The integrity of our leaders, of our MPs. That’s where the check comes from.”
— Goh Chok Tong, 26 August 2015
11. “I didn’t ask for it. That was the rate for the job, that’s what I accepted. You don’t like the rate, I can’t help it.”
— President Nathan who doesn’t feel he needs to defend his high salary which was criticised extensively online. (The Sunday Times, 7 Aug 2011)
12. “I don’t think that there should be a cap on the number of directorship that a person can hold.”
— PAP MP John Chen who held 8 directorships
13. “It’s not for the money because some of the companies pay me as little as $10,000 a year.”
— PAP MP Wang Kai Yuen who held 11 directorships
14. “One evening, I drove to Little India and it was pitch dark but not because there was no light, but because there were too many Indians around.”
— Former PAP MP Mr Choo Wee Khiang, in a speech in Parliament in 1992
15. “Smaller Medisave means you’re lazy and work less.”
— Khaw Boon Wan (2013)
16. “There’s no ladder to climb when the top rung is reserved for people with a certain name.”
— Forbes (2009)
17. “The elite’s privileged position in decision-making and exclusive formulation of organisational policies will only serve to reflect the elite’s self-interests instead of that of the masses.”
— Classical elite theorist Robert Michels, via Soh Yi Da
18. “Our funds are accountable to the government. I would not believe that transparency is everything.”
— PM Lee Hsien Loong, The Telegraph UK
19. “As an anti-PAP retired civil servant, I can tell you that all the PAP media events are staged with great care. Every photo opportunity is meticulously planned. As a former government press officer told me, we must manipulate the message.”
— TRE Comment
20. “We are same — same but different.”
— Lim Swee Say via Teo Chee Hean (2015)
21. “The reality as societies developed is that leaders often come from the same social circles, educational backgrounds and even family trees.”
— Lee Kuan Yew, 2011
22. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.”
— Lee Kuan Yew, 1987
23. “In short, the elite.”
— Lee Kuan Yew, 1966
Google search for meaning of “Elite”
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For more PAP ministers’ quotes, check out the following resources:
1) Top 30 Quotes from the Ivory Tower (TOC)
2) Photo Album (Martyn See)
3) Great PAP Quotes (Comment saved by Chris Ho)
4) Infamous Quotes by SG Leaders (AskMeLah)Filed under: Excerpts, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Politics Tagged: aristocracy, elite, elitism, elitist, ge2015, Lee Kuan Yew, meritocracy, pap ministers, quotes, singapore
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Offshore Banking / Money Laundering
* Thanks to a reader for submitting this blog post topic.
1. WHAT IS MONEY LAUNDERING and HOW DOES IT WORK?
According to Investopedia:
[An offshore bank is] located or based outside of one’s national boundaries. A company may legitimately move offshore for the purpose of tax avoidance or to enjoy relaxed regulations. Offshore financial institutions can also be used for illicit purposes such as money laundering and tax evasion.
According to legal-dictionary, money laundering “allows criminals to transform illegally obtained gain into seemingly legitimate funds.”
Money Laundering is the process of taking ‘dirty’ funds and converting it into ‘clean’ funds | Image from KYC Map
According to A Beginner’s Guide To Money Laundering:
Let’s say you [want] to hide a massive bribe. First, you must convert it into another currency without the government knowing. The easiest way to do this is to contact [an agent] who will give you casino chips for your cash, minus fees of up to 20%.
Take the chips to a friendly, cooperative casino, or, for extra safety, take them to a lawyer specializing in offshore laundering. Meanwhile, the casino will mix your chips with those from legitimate gamblers, and its accountants will book your $1 million as paid-out winnings.
Your bank or lawyer must wire-transfer the funds in such a way that the money crosses multiple borders, to frustrate detection or confiscation. For instance, the money might end up in a US trust managed by a shell company in Grand Cayman, owned by another trust in Guernsey with an account in Luxembourg managed by a Swiss or Caribbean or Singaporean banker who doesn’t know who the owner is.
2. “CORRUPTION” and PORTCULLIS TRUSTNET
As concerns grow about the wealth of corporate oligarchs, government officials and their families, some Chinese have braved the government’s anger by raising questions about corruption.
“How can you fight corruption if you don’t even dare to disclose your personal assets?” New Citizens Movement’s founder, legal advocate and activist Xu Zhiyong, wrote last spring.
The government arrested Xu and detained more than 20 other members of the group, indicting some for “disturbing public order” or “illegal assembly,” charges frequently used to silence dissidents.
The files [from this report] come from two offshore firms — Singapore-based Portcullis TrustNet and BVI-based Commonwealth Trust Limited — that help clients create offshore companies, trusts and bank accounts.
Source: Leaked Records Reveal Offshore Holdings of China’s Elite
3. MONEY LAUNDERING IN SINGAPORE
ICIJ is an investigative journalism website which focuses on issues like cross-border crime, corruption, and the accountability of power.
Singapore Skyline Banking District
From one of their articles on offshore banking in Singapore:
More than 100 customer consultants at Deutsche Bank Singapore helped create or manage 309 offshore entities for its customers in the British Virgin Islands and other tax havens, according to secret records obtained by the news organizations.
Most of the companies carry fantasy names like “Thrilling Returns Incorporated,” “Amazing Opportunity Limited” or “Market Dollar Group Limited.” Public sources don’t show any business activities for most of these companies. Deutsche Bank registered the entities with the help of Portcullis TrustNet, an offshore services provider headquartered in Singapore.
Deutsche Bank’s private banking operations ranked No. 6 among the world’s largest private banks, increasing their assets under management from $180 billion in 2005 to $367 billion in 2010.
Source: ICIJ
From John Harding’s website [John Harding was the former Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Singapore’s Inland Revenue Department (IRAS)]:
Yeo Cheow Tong is a member of the investment team of Tembusu Partners. Yeo was given his retirement pay in a lump sum in order to pay off his debts to bankers and not embarrass the Singapore government.
The Trembusa fund has been awarded Pioneer Status with zero-rated tax incentive for both the fund and the fund management company. The fund has also qualified under the Global Investor Programme by EDB, where foreign investors with S$1.5 million investment into the fund may apply for Permanent Resident Status in Singapore.
Lim Hwee Hwa: Former Minister and current director at Tembusu Partners.
Andy Lim, who also runs Money World, has been banned from entering China due to money laundering activities of his firm. He has also been charged in court in the Fiji Islands. And here is the BIG CONNECTION with the Singapore Government that is making it all happen. Andy Lim’s wife is Lim Hwee Hua (former minister). Lim Hwee Hua was making nearly four times as much as President Obama, but this is not enough for the crooked lady. She has set up her husband, Andy, to run a scam investment company, where, as an investor, you can get residence in Singapore.
P.S. Lim Hwee Hua is currently a director at Tembusu Partners.
Source: YeoCheowTong.com
On an art scandal that could expose mass fraud in the global art market:
Lawyers and art dealers familiar with the discussions say the case could expand well beyond Bouvier and reach into the top galleries and billionaire collectors in New York, London and Hong Kong. It could widen to involve not only undisclosed mark-ups by dealers, but also tax fraud, global money laundering and possible bribery.
“This is just the beginning,” said one prominent art lawyer in New York who asked not to be named. “There will be a lot of big dealers and collectors involved.”
Source: CNBC
On 1MDB bank accounts:
Singapore police have started investigations into money laundering on two bank accounts linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in the island republic. Earlier this year, MAS said it was in touch with Malaysian regulators after Putrajaya said 1MDB had redeemed US$1.1 billion from the Cayman Islands and parked it in the Singapore unit of Swiss private bank BSI.
Source: The Malaysian Insider
4. SINGAPOREANS in ICIJ’S “OFFSHORE LEAKS”
This is a list of names from Singapore who have offshore companies and trusts.
One is former army general, LT-Gen Ng Jui Ping.
LT-Gen Ng Jui Ping: Offshore Leaks Database. Offshore Service Provider: Portcullis Trustnet (refer to Sections 2 & 3 above).
5. SINGAPORE & BURMA GOVERNMENT
a) For its part, Temasek does not respond to questions about its activities in Burma.
A Singaporean diplomat to Burma, Matthew Sim, says “many successful Myanmar businessmen have opened shell companies” in Singapore “with little or no staff, used to keep funds overseas.”
Sim may be referring to junta cronies such as Tay Za and the druglord Lo Hsing Han. Lo controls a heroin empire and one of Burma’s biggest companies, Asia World, which the US Drug Enforcement Agency describes as a front for his drug trafficking.
Lo Hsing Han or Law Sit Han (1935 – 2013): Burmese drug trafficker and major business tycoon.
Singapore is the Lo family’s window to the world, a base for controlling several companies. Lo’s son Steven, who has been denied a visa to the US because of his drug links, is married to a Singaporean, Cecilia Ng. A former US assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Robert Gelbard, has said half of Singapore’s investment in Burma has been “tied to the family of narco-trafficker Lo Hsing Han.”
Dissident groups say the trade-off for Tay Za’s government business contracts in Burma is to fund junta leaders’ medical trips to Singapore.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
b) Jelson Garcia, Asia Program Manager with the Banking Information Center (BIC), said World Bank, ADB and International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials informed him last year that Burma’s government held up to $11 billion in several Singaporean bank accounts.
In 2009, the US-based non-profit organization Earth Rights International (ERI) reported that the then ruling junta had excluded almost $5 billion in revenues — generated from the Yadana Gas project operated by oil giants Total and Chevron — from the country’s national budget. These funds, the group found after an investigation, had been placed in two Singapore-based banks — the Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation and DBS Group — which functioned as “offshore repositories.” The banks have denied the allegations.
Source: The Irrawaddy
c) Singapore’s economic linkage with Burma is one of the most vital factors for the survival of Burma’s military regime,” says Professor Mya Maung, a Burmese economist based in Boston. This link, he continues, is also central to “the expansion of the heroin trade.”
Singapore has achieved the distinction of being the Burmese junta’s number one business partner — both largest trading partner and largest foreign investor. The close political, economic, and military relationship between the two countries facilitates the weaving of millions of narco-dollars into the legitimate world economy.
Source: Covert Action Quarterly
6. SINGAPORE / DIRTY MONEY
a) Singapore’s national pension system resembles the mother of all Ponzi schemes which is about to implode.
The PAP is aware of the widespread perception that CPF resembles a Ponzi scheme but has not been able convince Singaporeans otherwise. Instead, it has continued to conceal important information from the public.
Source: Phillip Ang
b) The days of banging a million bucks into a secret account in Singapore are over. . .the ability to move corrupt funds overseas is a large part of what makes grand corruption possible.
Source: Global Witness
c) Historically, why are there so many alleged “illegal” monies linked to Singapore?
Source: All Singapore Stuff
7. PM LEE HSIEN LOONG’S COMMENTS on BILLIONAIRES
“If I can get another 10 billionaires to move to Singapore and set up their base here, my Gini coefficient will get worse but I think Singaporeans will be better off.”
— LHL, 2013
8. VIDEO ON HOW OFFSHORE BANKING WORKS:
The ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database cracks open the impenetrable world of Filed under: Excerpts, Singapore Politics Tagged: billionaires, burma, casino, corruption, deutsche bank, dirty money, money laundering, offshore banking, portcullis trustnet, singapore
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Mrs. LKY: “The Dragon Lady”
A look at Kwa Geok Choo (Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew) through the perspective of Peranakan culture.
This post is presented in 12 sections:
1. Peranakan Roots + Family Background
2. The Dragon Lady
3. Kwa Geok Choo’s Gold Coin Necklace
4. Images of Gold Coin Necklace
5. Peranakan Culture: General Info
6. Peranakan Culture: A Hidden Matriarchy
7. Peranakan Culture: Phoenix Symbol
8. Peranakan Culture: Females
9. Lee Kuan Yew on Kwa Geok Choo
10. Kwa Geok Choo: Intellect and Capabilities
11. Kwa Geok Choo: State Funeral
12. Kwa Geok Choo: Political Legacy
* * *
1. PERANAKAN ROOTS + Family Background
1) Madam Kwa and her husband, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, both Peranakans, are featured in the Great Peranakans — Fifty Remarkable Lives exhibition.
Source: The Straits Times (2015)
2) . . .born to a well-to-do family, studied law as a Queen’s Scholar in England’s Cambridge University, [and] remained a deeply private person.
Source: Philly.com
2. THE DRAGON LADY
Mrs and Mr LKY | Image from HerWorld
“Dragon Lady”: A woman of somewhat sinister glamour often perceived as wielding ruthless or corrupt power. (Dictionary.com)
Kwa Geok Choo was described as a “proverbial dragon lady” by a former senior correspondent for The Straits Times.
Francis Seow also referred to Kwa Geok Choo as a dragon lady (short version below; click here for the full-length interview):
Transcript:
The whole structure of government, from the time [Lee Kuan Yew] took office, to the present day, has been designed in such a way that his son will succeed him. And the son has succeeded him, you know?
Now in order to preserve that legacy that he has passed on now to his son, all the troublemakers have to be run out of town, to use an American expression. Behind all this grand scheme of things is. . .the word I’m looking for is. . .The Dragon Lady.
Lee Kuan Yew’s wife. She’s the one with the overweening ambition for her son to take over. She is the one who has been advising Lee Kuan Yew what to do, how to do it, etc.
Many people don’t know this.
Dowager Empress Cixi.
But I’m telling you today, the power behind the throne is the dowager. The dragon lady, if you like. And she is very smart! That is why all these guys have to get out of the way, and they had to be ruined. Or like me, driven out of the country. If I were to go back, I would go straight from the aeroplane to jail.
— Interview with Francis Seow (former solicitor-general of Singapore)
3. KWA GEOK CHOO’S GOLD COIN NECKLACE
Kwa Geok Choo’s gold coin necklace.
1) A nyonya and her jewellery are never apart. . . the display of opulence was not just a statement of wealth but also spoke volumes of their shrewdness and austerity.
Source: A Nyonya and Her Jewellery
2) For the 25th anniversary of Lee & Lee law firm in 1980, the firm’s partners had two gold coins specially made for the two senior partners, Mrs Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Dennis Lee.
Unbeknownst to them, Mrs Lee had a chain made for the coin, and would wear it as a necklace on special occasions and at formal functions.
Long after she left the firm, partners would glimpse the gold coin around her neck when her image appeared on TV or in newspaper pictures.
She was appearing at those formal functions as the wife of Singapore’s founding father. But the gold coin around her neck was a reminder that she was also a trailblazing legal luminary in her own right.
Source: Straits Times
4. IMAGES of KWA GEOK CHOO’s GOLD COIN NECKLACE
5. PERANAKAN CULTURE: General Info
1) The Baba Culture is one that is unique to the early settlers along the Straits of Malacca. Since the 17th Century, Chinese traders arrived and lived along these coastal lands bringing with them their wealth of wares, customs, traditions and religions from the south of China.
The off-springs of these ‘locally born Straits Chinese’ were called Peranakan Baba (or Nyonya for womenfolk).
With the arrival of the Europeans in the 18th Century to this part of the world, the Babas were quick to adapt to the changing environment. They became the compradors or ‘go-betweens’ for the Europeans and the locals. Many Baba men held office and important positions in the Portuguese, Dutch & British governments and they rose in status & stature to become successful businessmen who even took on leadership roles in society.
Source: The Main Wayang Company
President Yusof Ishak with Mrs. LKY’s Parents, Kwa Siew Tee (left) and Wee Yew Neo (right), 1968. | Image from NAS
Note: Kwa Geok Choo’s father, Kwa Siew Tee, had several leadership roles (he was one of the founders of the OCBC Bank which he served as General Manager from 1935 to 1945, the Municipal Commissioner of the Colony of Singapore in 1947 and Public Service Commissioner in 1953). (Source: PDF download)
2) Peranakans were bilingual, speaking English as well as their dialect of Baba Malay, and embraced influences from various religions including Buddhism, Taoism, ancestral worship and Christianity.
Source: Five facts about Asia’s unique Peranakans
6. PERANAKAN CULTURE: “A Hidden Matriarchy”
“Matriarch”: A woman who controls a family, group, or government. (Dictionary.com)
1) “While the males are out working to support the family, it is the females that preside the household. A hidden matriarchy, the Nyonya wives rule the household with an iron fist, managing and directing the day to day activities of the household and also controlling the funds in the family.”
Source: Women in the Peranakan Family
2) As someone who married into a Chinese/Peranakan family, [KMN’s] family does hold fast to one Perankan tradition: a powerful matriarchy. The women plan the gatherings, steer the families, and in my observations, usually have the first (and last) say on many matters of importance.
Source: I Married Into a Matriarchy
Source: ST
3) Chris reminded me that Peranakan families are ‘outwardly patriarchal and internally matriarchal’. Of course! Look at the Little Nyonya, scheming matrons obviously reigned over the households, pretending to be subservient to weak-minded husbands on the surface. Chris, who is Baba by the way and should be awarded some authority on the subject by way of relation, attests to the *fact* that the average Baba man is weaker than the Nyonya woman.
Source: Baba Bling: The Peranakan Museum
4) The portraits of matriarchs displayed above Peranakan Chinese altars in Malacca indicate the powerful position of the matriarch in ruling over the family. These Nyonyas came across as assertive, even bossy as they rose to the position as matriarchs in charge of running an extended family under one household. A mature Baba with great status and influence in the society would have to submit to an uncompromising mother at home.
Source: China Media Research: Analyzing the Little Nyonya
7. PERANAKAN CULTURE: Phoenix Symbol
What appears to be a “Phoenix” motif on Mrs. LKY’s cheongsam. The bird has a crest of feathers on its head.
1) [Kelvin Pow] explains that the Peranakan culture is matriarchal, hence the phoenix rather than the dragon is the preferred embellishment in its decorative arts.
“I think it is very important that we retain our heritage. I think it is also important for people, especially younger Singaporeans to understand their culture and where they came from.”
Source: ST Jobs — House of Antiques
Nyonya porcelain featuring a phoenix motif, at the Peranakan Museum.
2) A typical motif used in nyonya porcelain ware is the Phoenix, a symbol of the matriarchal infrastructure of a Peranakan household.
Source: On the Trail of the Phoenix
3) The images above show the Peranakan traditional wedding costume donned on the bride. The geometric layering around her neck is the phoenix collar to symbolise the power of the feminine phoenix in Peranakan society.
Source: lonelytravelog (Peranakan Museum + Phoenix Collar)
8. PERANAKAN CULTURE: Females
a) Young Women
In contrast to her sheltered teenage years, the married Nyonya was given relatively more freedom. It was as if she had served her time, and was now qualified to manage a household and take care of herself.
As she gained more confidence in her dealings with her neighbours, friends and counterparts, her role was likened to that of the strong-willed managing director of a corporation. She controlled almost everything that happened at home.
In public, however, it was the husband who was seen to be the number one person.
Image from BBC / Getty
b) Keeping it within the Family
In the early days, the younger members of the community married among themselves. This desire to remain within the community was so strong that it was common for people to marry their relatives, even their cousins. The only restriction imposed involved unions between paternal cousins.
c) Colourful Metaphors
Be warned that Peranakans have a way with words. Eavesdrop on two Nyonyas having an animated conversation, and you will be in for a linguistic experience that is hard to forget.
Source: Asiapac Books (Gateway to Peranakan Culture)
d) Cooking + Sewing
“Peranakan families are matriarchal, though the nonya’s role is often seen as supportive to the husband – women are often expected to cook and sew well.”
Source: FRV Bali: Peranakan Museum SG
“She was a skilful knitter, and knitted us sweaters to stay warm, one after another.”
Source: Lee Hsien Loong on Mrs Lee Kuan Yew
1) “Without her, I would be a different man, with a different life.”
— Lee Kuan Yew
2) “. . .a discerning judge of character. She would tell me whether she would trust that man or not. And often she is right.”
Source: Straits Times
3) “My great advantage was I have a wife who could be a sole breadwinner and bring the children up. That was my insurance policy.”
Source: LKY: The Man and His Ideas, Page 235
Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo. Image: ST
4) “. . .[she’s my] tower of strength.”
Source: Philly.com
5) “Over the years I’ve been a kept man. My wife keeps the family.”
Source: Lee Kuan Yew in Parliament, 1985
6) Lee Kuan Yew discussed the possibility of euthanasia with his doctors and family in his final years as he struggled with illness and mourned the death of his wife.
Associate professor Michael Barr, who has studied and published on Singapore, said Lee had been left lost and distraught following the death of his wife, Kwa Geok Choo, in 2010, to whom he had been married for 60 years.
Source: South China Morning Post
10. KWA GEOK CHOO’S INTELLECT and CAPABILITIES
1) The late Madam Kwa, wife of Singapore’s former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, was undoubtedly an excellent Peranakan woman, steel clothed in velvet, as Peranakan women were known to be!
Source: Passage Magazine by FOM.sg (PDF download)
2) Mrs Lee Kuan Yew was the firm’s ‘intellectual mind‘, while Mr Dennis Lee took care of the business side of things.
Mrs Lee’s personality, according to one prominent lawyer who declined to be named, is best summed up in the way she always dressed impeccably in a cheongsam to work, but would change into rubber flip-flops once there.
White cheongsam worn by Kwa Geok Choo. Image: Peranakan Museum.
‘When we heard her walk around in the flip-flops, I would joke that that is power,’ he said. ‘Power in rubber flip-flops.’
Source: Straits Times
3) In 1940, Geok Choo entered Raffles College where, to Kuan Yew’s consternation, she beat him in the English and Economics examinations.
They married while in Cambridge, and graduated together with first class honours degrees in 1949. Geok Choo did it in two years; he in three. She was the first woman in Malaya to get a first class honours law degree.
Lee Kuan Yew and his wife, Kwa Geok Choo in 1968. Photo: Benson Lo
Though she opted to stay in the political background and play the role of supportive wife, she was a founding member of the People’s Action Party (PAP). She was highly skilled in legal draftmanship, helping to draft the PAP Constitution, and later the crucial provisions that guaranteed Singapore’s continued water supply when Singapore separated from Malaysia.
Source: Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame
4) Standing proudly atop its box on the third floor of the Peranakan Museum, the barrister’s wig that belonged to the late Madam Kwa Geok Choo (21 December 1920 – 2 October 2010) is very much a tribute not only to its erstwhile owner, but also to the era’s fledgling coterie of able Peranakan women.
Kwa Geok Choo’s barrister’s wig.
Source: Passage Magazine by FOM.sg (PDF download)
5) Known for her attention to detail, Kwa Geok Choo once interrupted the taping of an interview to touch up [Lee Kuan Yew’s] hair and makeup.
Source: Straits Times
11. KWA GEOK CHOO: STATE FUNERAL
From the Press Statement from the PM’s office on the passing of Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew:
The family requests that no obituaries and no wreaths or flowers to be sent. All donations will go to the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) Health Research Endowment Fund.
Kwa Geok Choo was given a heroine’s funeral:
The glass-encased brown coffin of Kwa Geok Choo, who died aged 89 on Saturday after a long illness, was transported to a suburban crematorium on a ceremonial gun carriage normally reserved for state and military funerals.
Casket of Mrs. LKY
The government said the usage of a ceremonial gun carriage “is in recognition of her exceptional and unique contributions to Singapore for more than five decades, beginning before Singapore became independent.”
12. KWA GEOK CHOO: POLITICAL LEGACY
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew. Image: CNA
Her political legacy runs deep.
In 1959, she delivered her first and only party political broadcast during the general election that year, urging women to vote for the PAP. She was the only English-speaking woman in the party who had the requisite firmness and conviction for the broadcast.
‘I have been proof-reading and sometimes correcting [Lee Kuan Yew’s] speeches from his earliest 1950 speech to the Malayan Forum in London,’ she told The Straits Times in 1998.
The early history of the People’s Action Party (PAP) also bears the stamp of her involvement.
‘Who else would have drafted that Constitution for them?’ she said. ‘My husband doesn’t draft things. He was an advocate; he was a court lawyer.’
Drafting the rules of a society, by contrast, was her speciality.
Source: Straits Times
MORE INFO:
This blog post has a family tree of Kwa Geok Choo’s relatives holding government positions in Singapore.Filed under: Excerpts, History, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Politics Tagged: culture, dragon lady, female, History, kwa geok choo, Lee Kuan Yew, matriarch, peranakan, power, singapore
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: PAP: Royal Bloodline (Combined Family Tree)
Verification and some excerpts on “the aristocracy” below.
Presented in 4 sections:
1. Combined PAP Family Tree (image)
2. Excerpts on Meritocracy / Aristocracy
3. Verification (text + links)
4. Additional Info
P.S. Thanks to some hardworking netizens for help with research and fact-checking. Above image of LKY from Facebook.
2. EXCERPTS on MERITOCRACY / ARISTOCRACY:
1. “Meritocracy means a country picks its best citizens, not the relatives of the ruling class, to run a country.”
— Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (2015)
2. “Without a natural aristocracy. . .society will lose out.”
— Lee Hsien Loong, 2015
Group photo of founding of OCBC. FRONT ROW: Tan Chin Tuan (Tony Tan’s uncle) is fourth from left. BACK ROW: Kwa Siew Tee (Mrs. LKY’s father) is third from left. Source: NAS / Veritas
3. OCBC has been described as a “clan bank” with “familial ties between the bank’s directors and close networking.”
— The Star, 2011
NOTE: Teo Chee Hean’s father and grandfather; Tony Tan; Tan Chin Tuan (Tony Tan’s uncle); and Mrs. LKY’s father (Kwa Siew Tee) held senior positions in OCBC.
4. “It is all but impossible to distinguish between legitimate and ill-gotten gains because there is no public disclosure of the wealth of officials and their relatives. Conflict-of-interest laws are weak or nonexistent. The business dealings of the political elite are heavily censored in the state-controlled news media.”
— ‘Princelings’ in China (NYT)
5. The networks of hundreds of GLCs that are popularly referred to as Singapore Inc are not just vehicles for the conduct of business. Collectively they provide an extensive and almost inescapable vehicle of elite patronage and power.
Chan Heng Chee (left), former political critic, and Lee Kuan Yew during LKY’s visit to the U.S. in 2000.
There have been scholars who have been critical of the government in their youth, but by the time they have arrived in government, they have always transformed themselves into models of elite solidarity.
— Michael Barr, The Ruling Elite of Singapore
6. It makes it a lot easier to understand Singapore if you [begin] from the premise that it is a Chinese family business, complete with a patriarch, an eldest son, guanxi networks and questions of cross-generational continuity.
— Michael Barr, The Ruling Elite of Singapore
7. Guanxi refers to the benefits gained from social connections and usually extends from extended family, school friends, workmates and members of common clubs or organizations. It is customary for Chinese people to cultivate an intricate web of guanxi relationships, which may expand in a huge number of directions, and includes lifelong relationships. The more you ask of someone the more you owe them. Guanxi can perpetuate a never-ending cycle of favors.
— Wikipedia (Guanxi)
Chua Kim Teng (LKY’s maternal grandfather – centre row, 4th from left), Leong Ah Soon (centre row, 4th from right) Lee Kuan Yew’s mother Chua Jim Neo (centre row, 2nd from left), and her brother Chua Kheng Hoe (last row, second from left) was also related by marriage to Lee family (Family Photo from Lee Suan Yew)
8. “Family ties develop and strengthen over generations through family, clan, or tribal group activities and ceremonies. This family network can be a source of prestige as well as socioeconomic and political sucess.”
— Encyclopedia of Social Networks (SAGE)
9. “Fundamental change to the political regime will have to await Lee Kuan Yew’s demise. . .any legitimacy that Lee has secured through his personal authority will likely pass with him.”
— Cho Oon Khong, 1995
10. “It may not be imperative for us to know the family history of all the faces that appear in Singapore Tatler. But Singaporeans should at least know more about the roots of those who hold this country’s destiny in their hands.”
— Tan Sai Siong (Straits Times)
11. “Cling to people you can trust — your family, your clan.”
— Lee Kuan Yew, 1984 National Day Rally (video below)
+ + +
3. VERIFICATION (PAP COMBINED FAMILY TREE)
1. Verification for the right side of the image can be found on this post, re: how Tony Tan is related to PM Lee Hsien Loong.
2. Wee Kim Wee’s mother was Chua Hay Luan. Chua Hay Luan is the sister of Chua Kim Teng (father of Chua Jim Neo, LKY’s mother). Mr. Wee addressed Chua Jim Neo as “cousin” in the preface of a book published in the mid-70s. The preface was mysteriously removed from later publications.
3. This post has some text and links on how Teo Chee Hean is related to PM LHL.
In a 2006 Sunday Times article, Teo Chee Hean paid tribute to Tan Chin Tuan by saying:
‘I remember [TAN Chin Tuan] because he was very kind to my father (Teo Cheng Guan). After the war, he gave my father a job at OCBC and my father worked with him for many years. He was always very kind to our family.’
Newspaper article about Teo Chee Hean’s great-granduncle.
READER TIP: Newspaper article about Teo Chee Hean’s family (mostly about Teo Eng Hock, Teo Chee Hean’s great-granduncle). The man on the right is Teo Chee Hean’s father. The woman in the centre with black cheongsam is Teo Chee Hean’s mother (Mrs. Teo Cheng Guan, or Madam TAN Suang). 张志贤 is Teo Chee Hean’s Chinese name.
4. On Teo Chee Hean’s link to Ivy Lim (sister-in-law of Kwa Geok Choo / Mrs. LKY): Teo Chee Hean’s father and Lim Chong Pang are the same generation. Teo Chee Hean and Ivy Lim Seok Cheng (Lim Chong Pang’s daughter) are the same generation. So they would address each other as 表姐, 表弟. In English, “cousin.” The link is through Teo Chee Hean’s great grand aunt (Teo Choon Lian) and Ivy Lim’s great grandfather (Lim Peng Nguan; spouse of Teo Choon Lian).
5. On Lim Kim San: Lim Chong Pang’s father was Lim Nee Soon. Lim Nee Soon’s daughter, Lim Mui Gek, married Tan Huck Khong. Tan Huck Khong’s uncle is Tan Chong Teck. Tan Chong Teck’s grandson is Pang Kim Hin — Tan Chong Teck’s eldest daughter, Tan Poey Quee, married Pang Leong Chwee and is the mother of Pang Kim Hin (married to Chew Kheng Imm). Pang Leong Chwee’s sister, Pang Gek Kim, is the wife of Lim Kim San. Thus Lim Kim San is the uncle of Pang Kim Hin.
6. On Goh Keng Swee: Lim Chong Pang’s father-in-law was Lee Choon Guan. Lee Choon Guan’s father-in-law was Tan Keong Saik. Tan Keong Siak’s father’s brother had a son named Tan Kiong / Keong Keng, who had a daughter called Tan Siok Kim. Tan Siok Kim was married to Chew Cheng Yong. Chew Cheng Yong’s brother-in-law was Goh Leng Inn, father of Goh Keng Swee.
* Tip: Many of the names mentioned above were the leading pioneers in banking and trading sectors during The Straits Settlements. They also held many leading positions in the municipal commission where they worked closely with the British colonial government in the running of domestics affairs of Singapore.
Hence, they all played influential roles in the politics and economy during that time.
As such, readers are encouraged to do their own reading on these pioneers.
+ + +
4. ADDITIONAL INFO:
1. According to several netizens, this is the “main branch” of Singapore’s Royal Bloodline.
2. This chart shows the intermarriages between Straits Chinese Banking Families in Singapore. Done by Roy Ngerng (originally posted on his blog, TheHeartTruths).
3. A Feudalism chart showing the 99%’s place in society (image by Amendment Gazette).
4. Collection of “elitism” quotes by PAP Ministers.Filed under: Family Tree, History, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Politics Tagged: aristocracy, blood ties, clan, family, History, Lee Kuan Yew, meritocracy, relatives, royal bloodline, singapore
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Powerful Siblings in Singapore
Links and text below for verification. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this post.
Reader Tip:
“In Russia, they have the oligarchs and China the Princelings. In Singapore, we have the Siblings.”
FIRST COLUMN
1. Alan Chan Heng Loon, Public Service Commission (PSC) Member and former principal private secretary to Lee Kuan Yew, has two “illustrious siblings“: Professor Chan Heng Chee and Chan Heng Wing.
According to Singapore’s Constitution and PSC’s 2012 Annual Report:
The Public Service Commission (PSC)’s constitutional role is to appoint, confirm, promote, transfer, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over public officers in Singapore.
It considers the suitability of candidates for appointment as Chief Executive Officers of Statutory Boards; it is also responsible for the planning and administration of scholarships provided by the Government of Singapore.
Kate Middleton, Prince William, PM LHL, and Ho Ching. Source: Getty
2. Ho Ching, wife of PM Lee Hsien Loong, has two brothers and a sister. Her sister is Ho Peng and one of her brothers is Ho Sing.
3. Teo Chee Hean has three sisters by the names of Hee Lian, Chai Lian and Swee Lian.
There is a Teo Swee Lian (director) in Singtel who was formerly a Special Advisor in the Managing Director’s Office at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). There is a Teo Hee Lian who was formerly the Director of Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM). This Teo Hee Lian has had “extensive experience writing cabinet memoranda, parliamentary replies, reports, papers, minutes of meetings, and speeches.”
Will update this section if anyone can verify that these two ladies are Teo Chee Hean’s sisters. Images below from CSCollege and Singtel.
4. Richard Ong and Charles Ong are Chinese-Malaysian brothers. Charles Ong spent 10 years managing investment projects for Temasek Holdings, and was described as the “right-hand man” to Temasek chief Ho Ching.
The last two funds Richard led or co-led (in 2011) raised around $5 billion combined. At a 2 percent management fee — an industry standard — that’s $100 million in annual fees alone.
According to Wikipedia and China Economic Review:
. . .the true reason that the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) denied Goldman permission to name [Richard] Ong to his new position was due to his family ties to Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings and his own role in the money-losing sale of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s Shin Corporation to Temasek.
NOTE: Ho Ching’s (CEO of Temasek Holdings since 2004; wife of PM Lee Hsien Loong; on the Forbes Power Woman list every year since 2004) mother, Chan Chiew Ping, was from Taiping, Malaysia.
SECOND COLUMN
1. Ng Chee Meng has two notable brothers: Ng Chee Khern and Ng Chee Peng (both were President’s Scholars). Ng Chee Khern was Chief of Air Force from 2006 – 2009. Ng Chee Peng was Chief of Navy from 2011 – 2014, and was appointed the CEO of CPF in Jan 2015. Former defence chief, Ng Chee Meng, has been touted as a potential office-bearer.
Ng Brothers | Image by Roy Ngerng
As Roy Ngerng wrote in a FB post:
“Ng Chee Meng is expected to run for the PAP and would be the highest-ranking military officer to run for election. He could even potentially become a prime minister. This means that he could head the government. If so, the Ng family would control the government, the military and our CPF.“
2. Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim has a sister, Zuraidah Ibrahim (political deputy editor at The Straits Times, married to Cherian George). Yaacob and Zuraidah have a brother, Ismail Ibrahim, who was the first Malay President’s Scholar in SIngapore. Thanks to The Unseen Singapore for making the original identification.
3. Kwa Soon Bee, former Permanent Secretary for Health and Director of Medical Services, is a brother of Kwa Geok Choo (Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew). Kwa Soon Chuan was the first local appointed to the Colonial Administration. He is a brother of Kwa Geok Choo.
4. Lee Su Shyan, Money Editor / Business Editor at The Straits Times, is said to be the sister of Lee Yi Shyan. Will update this section if anyone can provide more verification.
THIRD COLUMN
1. Raymond Lim Siang Keat is the brother of Benny Lim, former ISD director.
2. Thio Shen Yi, President of the Law Society (2015), is the brother of Thio Li-Ann.
Thio Li-Ann’s views have been described as “anti-gay.” She described homosexuality as a “gender identity disorder,” said anal sex was akin to “shoving a straw up your nose to drink,” and opposed the repeal of a law in the penal code — known as Section 377A — that criminalizes sex between men.
(YouTube video of Thio Li-Ann in Parliament).
The Thio siblings’ maternal grandfather, Reverend Huang Yang Ying, was the founding Principal of Anglican High School (1956-1958).
Thio family. Source: BookSG
3. Chua Lee Hoong is the sister of Chua Mui Hoong. According to a reliable offline source, Chua Mui Hoong was a desk officer in the ISD.
4. Chew Men Leong took over from Chew Hock Yong as the chief executive of Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 2014. A reader pointed out that these two could be brothers or relatives.
Chew twin brothers. Source: Jasmine Tan / FB
5. Lieutenant-Colonel Chew Chun Chau is the identical twin brother of SLTC Chew Chun Liang. Chew Chun Liang is 1.5 hours younger than Chew Chun Chau.
6. Lim Suet Fern, wife of Lee Hsien Yang (brother of PM Lee Hsien Loong), has a brother called Lim Suet Wun, former CEO of Tan Tock Seng hospital.Filed under: Family Tree, History, Singapore Politics Tagged: blood ties, family tree, government, PAP, politics, relatives, siblings, singapore, temasek holdings, teo chee hean
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: PAP Relatives: Former and Current MPs
Thanks to some readers for contributing this list of names. Links below for verification.
1. FONG SIP CHEE = Father of ARTHUR FONG
Fong Sip Chee is the father of Arthur Fong.
Major Fong Sip Chee was Minister of State (Culture) in the 1980’s.
Arthur Fong, NLB.
Arthur Fong stepped down from politics in August 2015; he was the Assistant VP of OCBC bank from 1996-2000, and has been an NLB board member since 2011.
2. HO SEE BENG = Father of HO GEOK CHOO
Ho See Beng is the father of Ho Geok Choo.
Ho See Beng was NTUC’s first president from 1964 to 1966, and described by PM LHL as “the archetypical grassroots MP.”
Ho Geok Choo was elected as a Member of Parliament for the West Coast GRC from 2001 to 2011. A former of the PAP Women’s Wing, Mdm Ho has close to 30 years of experience in GLCs and the private sector.
3. CHOO WEE KHIANG = Uncle of DESMOND CHOO
Former PAP MP Choo Wee Khiang is the uncle of Desmond Choo Pey Ching, PAP candidate for Tampines GRC.
Choo Wee Khiang was charged with 3 counts of corruption in 2011. A quote by Mr. Choo below.
“One evening, I drove to Little India and it was pitch dark but not because there was no light, but because there were too many Indians around.”
— Former PAP MP Mr Choo Wee Khiang, in a speech in Parliament in 1992
4. ONG AH HENG = Father of ONG TENG KOON
Ong Ah Heng was the Member of Parliament for Nee Soon Central until 2011. He was appointed a non-executive Director of ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited on 18 February 2003.
Ong Ah Heng is the father of Ong Teng Koon, a commodities trader and MP for Sembawang GRC.
5. LEE YOCK SUAN = Father of DESMOND LEE TI-SENG
Lee Yock Suan is a former cabinet minister and member of Parliament. His son is Desmond Lee Ti-Seng.
6. CYNTHIA PHUA = Sister of DENISE PHUA
Denise Phua and husband Tay Kiong Hong (right); Denise Phua and younger siblings (left). Source: ST
Reader Tip: Mentioned in Chinese newspapers during former elections that Cynthia Phua is the sister of Denise Phua.
7. CHUA SIAN CHIN = Father of CHUA ENG LEONG
Former cabinet minister Chua Sian Chin is the father of Chua Eng Leong.
8. LIM KIM SAN = Uncle of PANG KIM HIN and LIM BOON HENG
Lim Kim San was a former senior cabinet minister and trusted political confidante of Lee Kuan Yew.
Pang Kim Hin is his nephew. A reader says that the Chinese newspapers reported that Lim Boon Heng is a nephew of Lim Kim San as well.Filed under: Family Tree, Singapore Politics Tagged: candidates, elections, family tree, ge2015, government, members of parliament, mps, PAP, relatives, singapore
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Ministers’ Wives: Rich or Corrupt?
Thanks to various readers/netizens for contributing to this post.
Links for verification and additional info below.
1. MINISTER’S WIVES in GIRL GUIDES ASSOCIATION
a) Teo Chee Hean’s wife is Chew Poh Yim (“Mrs. Teo Poh Yim”). Chew Poh Yim was the 10th President of Girl Guides in Singapore.
Girl Guides newsletter (2007). Source: GirlGuides.org.sg
b) Joy Balakrishnan, wife of Vivian Balakrishnan, is the 11th President of Singapore Girl Guides Association. She is a teacher turned housewife.
In 2015, Vivian Balakrishnan made the following comment (paraphrased):
“Only Rich or Corrupt people work for free.”
c) Mrs. Christine Dhanabalan, wife of former cabinet minister S. Dhanabalan, received an Honorary Membership to Girl Guides Association from Mrs. Joy Balakrishnan.
11th Girl Guides Singapore (GGS) president Joy Balakrishnan (in sleeveless white top), at the World Thinking Day 2015 event held at Methodist Girls’ School. Source: AsiaOne
d) According to AsiaOne and GirlGuides.org.sg, Ms Chang Hwee Nee took over from 11th President, Mrs. Joy Balakrishnan, whose term of office ended on 30 May 2015. Chang Hwee Nee is the wife of Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.
e) The patron of Girl Guides (in Singapore) has always been the First Lady (wife of the President).
A CAS UK PDF document defines a patron’s role as follows:
“Patrons” generally refers to well known or illustrious individuals who lend their name and support to an organisation.
On 12 November 2011, Mrs S R Nathan, former Patron of Girl Guides Singapore (GGS), received the Asia Pacific Region (APR) Appreciation Award. Mrs Nathan was also presented with the Long Service Award for her 12 years of dedication and invaluable support to the Girl Guiding movement.
Girl Guides Singapore is registered as a Charity with the National Council of Social Services (NCSS).
Girlguiding is a charitable organisation and adult leaders are not paid for their time.
2. MINISTER’S WIVES in BREADLINE GROUP
Breadline Patrons (Executive Committee Report: 2014/2015).
a) Breadline is run by Richard Lim, with the minimum of overheads – eg no office. Richard dedicates many hours to his work on a voluntary basis.
From the organisation’s website:
The Breadline Group is a community service comprising of volunteers. It was formed because we share a concern for the welfare of the old and needy in Singapore, and want to channel our efforts towards helping them.
b) Patrons are mentioned as Mrs. Jek Yuen Thong, Mrs. S. Dhanabalan, Dr. Sheryn Mah Bow Tan, and Dr. Seetha Shanmugam.
c) Jek Yuen Thong was the former Minister for Labour and Minister for Culture. He was part of the People’s Action Party’s Old Guard of politicians.
d) Christine Tan Khoon Hiap is the wife of former cabinet minister S. Dhanabalan.
e) Dr. Seetha Shanmugam, a Berkeley-educated, Chicago-trained clinical psychologist (not a foreign talent), is the wife of Law and Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam.
Minister K. Shanmugam was previously married to Jothie Rajah, the daughter of K. S. Rajah, former Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Singapore.
Shanmugam’s marriage to Dr Jothie Rajah failed and they divorced after 15 years, due to “mutual incompatibility.” In 2012, Dr Jothie Rajah wrote Authoritarian Rule Of Law, a critical text which alleges that the rule of law is a subjugating rather than liberalising force in Singapore. Shanmugam said he had not read the book.
In 2012, Shanmugam sent a lawyer’s letter to blogger Alex Au to remove “defamotary comments” with regard to an alleged affair with MP Foo Mee Har. As yet, no lawyer’s letter has been sent to U.S.-based lawyer Gopalan Nair, whose blog post contains a detailed comment on Shanmugam’s “affair with a Chinese colleague” while working in Allen and Gledhill law firm (where Shanmugam was formerly a senior partner).
In 2015, Shanmugam wanted to make a police report over an “inaccurate and seditious” Facebook post.
f) Sheryn Mah, wife of Mah Bow Tan, sits on the board of directors of Compassion Fund and is the president of Mainly I Love Kids (MILK), a non-profit charity organisation providing aid to disadvantaged children.
3. MINISTERS’ WIVES re: NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION (NKF)
In 2005, Tan Choo Leng (Mrs. Goh Chok Tong) stepped down as the patron of NKF after the T T Durai corruption scandal. She is remembered for describing a S$600,000 annual salary as “peanuts.”
Mrs. Goh Chok Tong had previously supported Durai.
Ms. Ho Ching, the CEO of Temasek Holdings, asked for continued support for the NKF after the scandal broke. On the issue of the CEO’s pay, she said:
“I would not begrudge Mr Durai a proper and well-earned compensation and bonus.”
Filed under: Family Tree, Singapore Politics, Society Tagged: charity, corrupt, girl guides, ministers, rich, singapore, spouses, vivian balakrishnan, volunteer, wives
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Jess C. Scott wrote a blog post: Ministers and Spouses
As netizens say: “Marry-tocracy!”
Thanks to some industrious netizens for help with this list. Links below for verification.
FIRST: MR. NGIAM TONG DOW on MINISTERS’ SPOUSES
“Even if he wants to [disagree with LHL on ministers’ salaries], his wife will stop him. When the salary is so high, which minister dares to leave?”
— Ngiam Tong Dow (2013)
LEFT SIDE
1. PM Lee Hsien Loong married Ho Ching in 1985. Ho Ching’s dealmaking ambitions span the globe; she started her career as an Engineer with the Ministry of Defence of Singapore in 1976.
2. Lee Hsien Yang is the brother of Lee Hsien Loong. Lee Hsien Yang is married to Lim Suet Fern. Ms. Lim is Singapore’s Managing Partner for Morgan Lewis law firm.
3. Tharman Shanmugaratnam is married to lawyer Jane Yumiko Ittogi. Ms. Ittogi is a partner at Shook Lin & Bok and board chairman of the Singapore Art Museum.
4. Teo Chee Hean is married to Chew Poh Yim. A 2008 press release stated that Chew Poh Yim was NTUC FairPrice’s Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications and General Manager of NTUC FairPrice Foundation. Chew Poh Yim is a SingHealth board trustee (2009, 2013; current).
5. Goh Chok Tong is married to Tan Choo Leng, who was a former patron of the National Kidney Foundation.
6. Ong Ye Kung (Sembawang GRC candidate; 2015) is married to Diana Kuik Sin Leng. Mr. Ong was a former top civil servant and Principal Private Secretary to PM Lee Hsien Loong.
Gripes over burst bathroom water pipes in DBSS flats at Centrale 8 (by Sim Lian). Source: ST
Ong’s wife, Diana Kuik Sin Leng, is the executive director of Sim Lian (owned by the Kuik family). Sim Lian has undertaken over S$2 billion worth of contracts, including public projects for the Housing Development Board (HDB), DBSS flats, and other government projects.
It is interesting to note that the Government did not consider the potential conflict of interests when it invited a Sim Lian board director to also sit on the board of HDB.
7. Sim Ann (MP, Minister of State, former assistant director at Ministry of Health and Ministry of Home Affairs, and former director of National Population Secretariat) is married to Dr. Mok Ying Jang, Group Director of Corp Services at Health Sciences Authority (a statutory board of the Singapore Ministry of Health).
A forum post has some details on Sim Ann’s grandfather being executed in the People’s Republic of China for treason. Will update this section if there’s more info on this in future.
The archive is still available in the China national archive.
Now Sim Ann, his granddaughter, is selling out Singaporeans — it should not be a surprise as it seems treason runs in their family blood line.
Sim Ann’s sister is Sim Min, 34, who was awarded a Monetary Authority of Singapore scholarship. Her brother Sim Kai, 31, is also a President’s Scholar.
Daughter of executed Prisoner PRC ID number (XD4429372J) – Choo Lian Liang
Father – Sim Hock Kee
This is a family of nation betrayers.
Source: Helium
8. Former MP Dr. Seet Ai Mee was married to Dr. Seet Lip Chai for almost 30 years. Dr. Seet Lip Chai was the former chief medical officer of the Singapore Armed Forces Medical Corps.
RIGHT SIDE
9. Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence, is married to Prof. Ivy Lim Swee Lian, CEO of Singhealth.
* Reader Tip: Something interesting about Ng Eng Hen. He joined PAP in 2001. In 2002, he was appointed as minister of state for 2 ministries. In 2004, he was promoted to full minister. That was also the year his wife, Ivy Lim, was promoted to CEO of KKH.
10. Grace Fu is married to technopreneur Ivan Lee Boon Hong.
11. Heng Swee Keat is married to Chang Hwee Nee. Mr. Heng was Principal Private Secretary to SM Lee Kuan Yew from 1997 to 2000, a Director of SingTel Optus, and a Director of Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. from July 4, 2003 to July 30, 2010. Ms. Chang, a President Scholar, is the former Deputy Secretary (Policy) of Ministry of Education and a member of various public institutions and organisations such as A*STAR Board.
12. Josephine Teo née Yeo Li Min is married to Teo Eng Cheong, former AVA board member and CEO of International Enterprise Singapore (a government agency).
13. Tin Pei Ling is married to Ng How Yue. Mr. Ng was former Principal Private Secretary to PM Lee Hsien Loong. Tin Pei Ling was a former senior associate at Ernst & Young.
14. Desmond Choo is married to civil servant Pamela Lee. In a 2012 PAP article, Desmond Choo mentions that Pamela Lee was in the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
This 2013 document lists Pamela Lee as the “Deputy Director” of the MOM (Workplace Policy and Strategy Division).
“Pamela Lee HuiYing,” PSC Scholar (Overseas Merit Scholarship; Cambridge University / Economics). Source: Data.gov.sg
This document says that “Pamela Lee HuiYing” was a PSC Scholar (2002), who was awarded an Overseas Merit Scholarship to Cambridge University to study Economics. This matches with Pamela Lee’s LinkedIn Profile (link and screenshot). The LinkedIn profile states that Pamela Lee has been Deputy Director of the MOM since 2011, and that she is an alumnus of Raffles Girls’ and Hwa Chong Junior College.
* TO BE VERIFIED: That this “Pamela Lee” is the spouse of Desmond Choo. Personally, I’m 90% sure it is the right Pamela Lee.
15. Dr. Aline Wong is married to Prof. John Wong. Dr. Aline Wong was elected Member of Parliament at four successive General Elections. Photo of the Wong’s from Singapore Tatler.
16. Hri Kumar Nair is married to Dilys Boey. Dilys Boey was Tin Pei Ling’s former boss at Ernst & Young.Filed under: Family Tree, History, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Politics Tagged: blood ties, family tree, government, husbands, marriage, ministers, PAP, political history, spouses, wives
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