>National Day Rally 2010 – YOG is a PAP Election Prop after all

>More than 2 years ago, I wrote about Singapore’s successful bid for the YOG – Youth Olympics – Victory for Singapore or 2011 Election prop for PAP? The main point I made was that the YOG was more of a Election Prop for the PAP to ride on, than for Singaporeans to benefit. Excerpt from article above.

So why is it so important that our government wants to have the Youth Olympics here in 2010? It must be remembered that the last elections we had was in May 2006. By 2010, the PAP would have already approached the end of their 5 year term. What better than to use this Youth Olympics to inject the feel good, bonanza, we did it, factor to rev up for their elections?

Last night, PM Lee mentioned the YOG in his National Day Rally. Note that it was the last item in his 3 hour long speech, probably so that you will remember it because if it had been in the beginning or in the middle of his 3 hour ramble, you would have forgotten it. Yes, he used the YOG to rev up the “we feel good, so let’s keep supporting the govt” mantra as predicted!

Here is summary of that “Hey, we all feel good so you should continue to vote for us” speech last night.
National Day Rally Part 3

(9.41pm) – On the just-concluded Youth Olympic Games, PM hails Singaporeans for taking part in the inaugural YOG with enthusiasm, and gives the volunteers top marks for a magnificent job done.

(9.45pm) – ‘The IOC, youth athletes and vistors were all impressed’ said PM Lee.

(9.47pm) – PM Lee winds up speech by saying that even though Singapore is a young nation, it has distinguished itself by looking forward, and daring to transform the city again and again.

‘Our future is bright,’ he says. While he cannot promise an ‘effortless cruise’, he says Singaporeans can expect good leadership, and a close-knit team.

‘We will seize the opportunities around us’ and ‘take our nation to the next level,’ says PM Lee.

Left unquoted in the above ST blog was PM Lee’s example how some foreign volunteers praised Singapore, including the catered food provided. Left unsaid by PM Lee himself was that there were reports that the very food the volunteer heaped praises on caused some volunteers to fall sick!

The bottom line to gauge if the YOG was beneficial to citizens is this – how does it help Singaporeans offset the high rising cost of living? If it does in no way to help them, what benefit is it to us?

We don’t need international praise. We need jobs and means to earn a living to keep us alive.

So how did YOG help? It helped PAP rev up the feel good emotion for the coming GE.

>YOG Bus Accident – 2 different versions

>Version 1
Fit to Post Version

A Youth Olympic Games (YOG) bus was involved in a seven-vehicle collision on Friday morning along the PIE heading towards Tuas, before Clementi Avenue 6.

When contacted by Yahoo! SEA, a Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee spokesperson confirmed the accident but said, “The YOG bus was not carrying any passengers and no one was injured.”

According to reports, two SCDF ambulances were sent to the scene.

The pile-up, which was cleared within an hour, caused a massive jam with the accident vehicles occupying two lanes.

Version 2
Milder, no issue, who gives a heck, but let’s put up a report just in case tongues start wagging that we censor this news, Straits Times Version

A Youth Olympic Games bus and seven other cars were involved in an accident on Friday at about 8.40am.

The mishap took place along the Pan Island Expressway toward Tuas, just before the Clementi Avenue 6 exit.

However the collisions were so minor that no one was injured, while the vehicles only suffered minor damage.

Some of them had also driven off before authorities arrived.

The bus, which had also left the scene, was originally travelling from Bishan Stadium to the bus holding area in Boon Lay.

Some points to note.

1. If some of the involved drove away before the authorities arrived, how did it cause an hour-long jam as reported?

2. If there was a jam for that long and the authorities arrived after some drove off, doesn’t it show the slow response of the authorities.

3. Heck, if the accident was really as minor with no injuries as what the Strayed Times reported, why the need to have authorities involved in the first place? Especially two ambulances, which would deprive real emergency cases?

It looks like the Temasek Review (it’s down at the time of this post so I can’t put up the link) has been hammering YOG so hard, the ST is now trying to do some damage control.

To me, YOG is a non-issue. A complete waste of time and Singapore’s resource. Here’s my take on YOG, posted two years ago. Youth Olympics – Victory for Singapore or 2011 Election prop for PAP?

>Youth Olympics – Victory for Singapore or 2011 Election prop for PAP?

>A fellow blogger wrote an interesting article about “our” successful bid for the Youth Olympics 2010. He/she pointed out that there was an overkill about the report in the media that every Singaporean was overjoyed.

I believe that there is more to our government ensuring that the Youth Olympics be held in Singapore. The government has spent tons of dollars to bid for this, while some of our poorest citizens get only the crumbs.

So why is it so important that our government wants to have the Youth Olympics here in 2010? It must be remembered that the last elections we had was in May 2006. By 2010, the PAP would have already approached the end of their 5 year term. What better than to use this Youth Olympics to inject the feel good, bonanza, we did it, factor to rev up for their elections?

It is not that I am against such extravagant expenditure per se. If we have the money, well and good. However, bidding for such an event, after a disappointing budget for those who have been struggling, is like telling these people that they are not important.

Our government has spent billions in bailing corporations around the world. It has probably spent millions more, in the preparation for the Youth Olympics bid. In the meantime, the elderly, the sick, invalids and those who are unable to earn a decent living are left in the cold, facing the escalating cost of living.

The spending won’t end here. We need to invest more in infrastructure, advertisements, marketing etc to make the Youth Olympics a success. I believe the preparations would be timed and synchronized before the next elections, to prop up the feel good factor.

Does all this extravagant spending mean that the underprivileged will be facing more hardships
for years to come?

We did it! We’ve found the perfect prop for the 2011 Elections! (Hahahaha)

PS – Isn’t it irritating that he laughs at almost anything? Including the poor man’s inability to buy unbranded bread?