From ‘SM Goh recasts the 5 Cs’, 8 Aug 2010, article by Zakir Hussain in Sunday Times
(SM Goh Chok Tong):…We have rebounded with a vengeance from last year’s recession. Take a walk along Marina Bay and soak in the beauty and vibrancy
…Look at the bright side of things and live your dreams. This is far healthier than to live the Singapore Gripe and drone on like vuvuzelas.
Red, white and blows
I remember watching the news clip and though the ‘vuvuzela’ reference was clearly intended as a joke by our SM, nobody laughed, no not even out of politeness (unlike the unnecessary, boisterous ovation to MM Lee’s ‘I don’t think there should be a retirement age‘ one-liner) . Either that or none of the 1000 residents at his Marine Parade residency followed the World Cup. Still, a sign of a politician finally attempting some trendiness in his speeches, even coming up with a name for our universal phenomenon of complaining like it’s some contagious epidemic. Surprisingly, the new 5 C’s didn’t include a ‘Casino (membership)’ among them, instead opting for more ‘work-life balancey’ platitudes like children and comfort. Whatever. To make our SM eat his words, I suggest everyone bring a personal ‘Singapore-themed’ vuvuzela to the NDP and blow our hearts out, and drone like we’ve never droned before.
In the 1980′s, our then Second Health Minister took a potshot at local forum writers for submitting sub-par letters after complaining that few are willing to air their views in ‘consult’ with the Government, as you can see from this 3 April 1983 ST article titled ‘You ask for it’. Well, it’ isn’t very ‘consultative’ to pick and choose only the feedback you deem worthy is it, especially if they’re mostly from non-Singaporeans. But then again what’s new.
Filed under: 1980s, 2010, Complaining, Politicians Tagged: | 5 Cs, complaining, National Day, National Day Parade, NDP, Politicians, Singapore Gripe, SM Goh Chok Tong, vuvuzela
