Public criticism in the state papers of the public transport system?
http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20080714-76503.html
Is this a revoke? The end of the “Everything is the best in Singapore” propaganda?
Or is it that the public transport has just gotten so bad over the last few years that it’s no longer taboo to talk about it?
A round of applause for the brave writer please.
My typical Saturday morning ritual, is to have a mid morning cup of coffee while scanning through the news, both local and international. And every Saturday I’m appalled at the discrepancy in news coverage locally.
Overnight in US, the stock markets have fallen by another 1%, global equities are officially in a bear market , 5 US banks have collapsed so far this year, and the latest buzz is if another government bailout of their largest lenders are needed immediately. Jobs losses and loan defaults are debated hotly.
And it’s not just the US, the housing bubble has officially burst in UK, Spain and Ireland. The EU is bracing itself for a recession. China’s stock market has been halved this year, for completely separate reasons. Hong Kong is not too far behind really.
Yet in the local news, there is not a whisper of the financial tsunami. Isn’t Singapore supposed to be one of the most open economies in the whole? Are we supposed to be a financial hub? There is no question at all that it will hit our shores. Yet other than the occasional article on inflation here, there is no mention of any economic news to give the population a heads up on what is coming their way.
Sure some prominent businessmen here have stepped out to say that the economic situation is bad and getting worse, but these articles are usually buried at the tail end of the papers, in small inconspicuous corners.
I know that the broad sheet is focus on local news and it is government censure, but the near complete blackout of bad economic news, seems like censorship that could rival the Great firewall of China.
When GDP growth contracted in Q4 of 07, it was brushed off by the ministers because according to them, the economy was growing too strongly the quarters before.
When it was repeated this week that GDP contracted again in Q2 of 08, it was also dismissed as a blip in drug export.
I’m sure the news will be quickly wiped off the table. Already 3 days later the papers seem to be more interested in what the MPs are listening to on their ipods.
Hmmm… so that’s why we’re paying them millions every year…
Is it me or is the Straits Times just trying to stuff it’s readers with feel good articles.
I’ve always mantained that the fuel surcharge by the airlines was a scam, it’s just like any other price hike, but somehow by calling it a fuel surcharge, the company is pushing the blame on something else, as if it’s not their intention to raise prices, and painting picture as if they are somehow victims too.
I guess profit maximisation by any means is fair game.
Now it seems the taxi companies have caught on as well, and are in on the act.
“ComfortDelGro said yesterday the surcharge is to help cabbies mitigate the unrelenting rise in fuel prices.” - AsiaOne 12 July 08
They almost try to pass it off as charititable donation to help the taxi drivers cope.
So the price hikes 6 months ago was not enough? Who wants to bet that ComfortDelGro will report another profit growth this year?
I have nothing against the taxi drivers personally ( other than how some of them drive!!!) But a monopoly operator, squeezing out yet even more profits, while providing what is supposedly a public good is truely disgusting.
Yet another reason to keep boycotting taxis.
Next up, hikes in bus and train fares.
Somehow I don’t see a pay hike coming up to help cope with the runaway inflation.
