Balakrishnan tells Chee: See YOG response on the ground

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Friday, 13 August 2010

Singapore Democrats

The Singapore Democrats wrote about the appalling way in which the Government was organising the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Dr Chee Soon Juan added that the "Singapore Government knows very little about what the sports world wants, and even less about its marketing."

In response, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports shot back and asked Dr Chee to see the response on the ground as the YOG made its way around the island. "The answer," Dr Balakrishnan pointed out, "lies on the ground."

You mean like this?

(YOG torch comes into view at 4:40)

The minister also took the opportunity to try to portray Singapore as a democracy. He said: "In any society there will always be people who disagree, that's fine. This is a democracy they are entitled to that."

Wrong again, dear minister. If this was really a democracy, you would be skewered by the media and the people, let alone the opposition, for running such a bad show and, worse, having the temerity to brag about it by asking people to see the non-existent response on the ground.

YOG a giant lead for small Singapore
AsiaOne News
12 Aug 10
(Excerpts of report)

When asked about the criticism from opposition politician Dr Chee Soon Juan, who in a recent article said that "Singapore government knows very little about what the sports world wants, and even less about its marketing," Dr Balakrishnan asked him to see the response on the ground as the torch is passed around, where Singaporeans have been participating as well as volunteers for the games and see how the national athletes are trying their best.

"The answer lies on the ground, what people do and how they feel. At this point of time, I am quite confident that Singaporeans are proud of this and want to show our best to the world. In any society there will always be people who disagree, that's fine. This is a democracy they are entitled to that," he said.

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Sports/Story/A1Story20100812-231747.html

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Comments (9)

Fri 13 Aug 2010 10:00 AM | Tan Tai Wei

There was a time when people would come out and forward to give mass support for a public cause. Barisan and PAP were able to overfill the Padang, Hong Lim Green and the Kallang stadium site with passionate, vociferous, clench-fisted participants.

LKY recently said if he wasn't feared, then he meant nothing. Well, the meaning seems clear. People have learnt to play safe. Come elections, they would do the done and safe thing, and only because it's compulsory. They vote the PAP, without attending a single rally. PAP rallies had for long been boring, unattended stuff.

LKY called off a national mourning holiday for a late President because Singaporeans, rather than lining the streets in grief as at Diana's funeral, would go on an overseas trip. Notice the empty streets too as Goh Keng Swee's gun carriage went by.

And now we have this video where the only passion shown is put on by only the participating youths.

The NDP? Well they have had to get a million dollar American show consultant to reduce it into a Pop show to draw the crowds.

Fri 13 Aug 2010 10:47 AM | quantum - Singaporeans & LKY

If every Singaporean listens only to LKY, who will they listen to when LKY dies?

Fri 13 Aug 2010 12:01 PM | ashinigami

HAHAHAHAHA!!

The voiceover's (some mediacorp DJ?) cringing attempt at trying to get the mood going despite numerous no-shows after his "here it comes... *empty road* it's obscured by the bus! *empty road* part of the motorcade there *citycab taxi??*

Well, only in a PAP-run first world Singapore would you get such justifications by a million-dollar salaried minister, no less.

Fri 13 Aug 2010 12:21 PM | ashinigami

More pertinently, since the YOG was bidded for and organised to put Singapore more on the international scene (I thought we're first world already? still need such marketing??), I am VERY interested to know how much international PR this has generated in terms of ROI.

I work in an ad & PR firm and one of the things I am most accountable to my clients is the ROI when it comes to the expenditure of any marketing budget. The formula for such calculations practiced industry wide and easily quantifiable. (ROI x 8 or x 16) Now wouldn't that be a piece of news that ST should be publishing already?

News in local media should and must be discounted from the total PR worth this event should be generating since again, this was hosted in an attempt to put us more on the WORLD scene.

Fri 13 Aug 2010 1:51 PM | tewniaseng - No Crowd

No crowd, what is there to cheer ? For sure the govt. won't admit its failure.Money wrongly spent.Pls account for it ?

Fri 13 Aug 2010 2:35 PM | Kit - Simply love the new media

Hmmmm....

Fri 13 Aug 2010 5:25 PM | Spoa - HE IS SUCH A SHAME TO SINGAPORE!

Dear SDP,
As this shitty Minister to open a survey to all Singaporeans...
We at Indonesia is laughing all the way at the way this dog & monkey show is going on in your island.
What you had written and say is fact, but your shitty Minister want to defend the ground after over spending so much money, what a corruption! No accountability and yet dare not so much.
Sometime how i wish to invite him to Jakarta and present himself with wayang like that, we shall show him our coutesy and true democracy but then again, a good 'dog lunch' for him.
He once asked if poor Singaporeans wants to have free meal in hawker center; food court or restaurant? well, come to Jakarta, we give you REAL DOG TO EAT and better then your volunteer eating shitty dog food.
And yes one more thing, don't talk only do the walk and surely this YOG is a WORLD LAUGHING STOCK FOR THE WORLD AGAINST YOU IDIOTIC MINISTERS OF SINGAPORE!

Fri 13 Aug 2010 10:01 PM | JM - Doing his Job

HE's just doing his job to collect his million dollar salary...the success of YOG may help him claimed some bonus!

Sat 21 Aug 2010 10:53 AM | Eddie

Now is the international media's revenge time ie not to carry news of this so-called inaugural YOG as SIN has been too arrogant to those international media in the past. This is sweet revenge and karma!
Also, as in most bidding for international events, the purpose is to open vistas for the country by way of building infrastructures etc even our own Sports Hub is delayed and fraught with lots of problems and issues. The current YOG is being organised and looks more like a Jamboree or medocre sports event albeit it is supposed to be a world event! The world is not interested; USA which is a sporting nation did not bother to send sportmens/women to this YOG too!