(Asiaweek, March 10, 2000):
in January 1986 I did sanction a strike, the first for about a decade. It was in the shipping industry where the management was taking advantage of the workers.
I did not even tell the cabinet about sanctioning the strike. And some of them were angry with me about that. The minister for trade and industry was very angry, his officers were very upset. They had calls from America, asking what happened to Singapore? -- we are non-strike.
I said: if I were to inform the cabinet or the government they would probably stop me from going ahead with the strike.
It only lasted two days. Then all the issues were settled. It showed that management was just trying to pull a fast one. So I believe what I did was right.
So, who was this "very angry" Minister for Trade and industry, who could not be bothered with solving the exploitation of Singapore workers, and whose interest and concern was with protecting a management which was "taking advantage of the workers"?
Answer: The very same man who is now busy (passively) shaking the hands of fishmongers and saving fainting children (on camera), desperately hoping that such comical last-minute manoeuvre can help hide his true colour from voters!
Meet Tony Tan, the very angry Minister for Trade and Industry in January 1986, who now wants us to pay him $4,000,000 per year as our President!
Is this the kind of President you want?
Someone whose interest is aligned with unscrupulous employers who demand cheap foreign workers and/or obedient work-till-you-drop-dead Singapore workers?
Someone who will become "very angry" if Singaporean workers refuse to be exploited?
Someone who will never, ever, speak up for ordinary Singapore workers like you and me?
Please think carefully:
Which of the 4 "Tan, Tan, Tan, Tan" is most likely able - and willing - to continue the unfinished work of President Ong Teng Cheong?
Perhaps the following "How to vote 101" video will help?
4 comments:
good work bro
bro, good article! Do I have your permission to submit it to TR?
Bro, good article. Ok for me to submit to TR?
Sure, no problem, Kojakbt. Just make sure Temasek Review acknowledges that the article is by me and preferably with an url linking back to this blog, instead of writing up another article under the pretense of having received a "tip-off" from some non-existent anonymous reader! TR has a very bad habit of doing that eg. see my "NOTE TO TEMASEK REVIEW" near the end of this article.
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