Singapore Democrats

"So you've got to accept the discomfort, which the local citizens fear that they are competing unequally for jobs. (It) cannot be helped."

- Lee Kuan Yew, former Minister Mentor (Channel News Asia, 22 July 2011)

"From time to time, fare increases cannot be helped," he said. But there are many schemes to help those in need, he added.

- Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister (The Straits Times, 24 July 2011)

"If the annual salary of the Minister of Information, Communication and Arts is only $500,000, it may pose some problems when he discuss policies with media CEOs who earn millions of dollars because they need not listen to the minister's ideas and proposals, hence a reasonable payout will help to maintain a bit of dignity."

- Dr Lim Wee Kiak, PAP MP for Nee Soon GRC (Lianhe Wanbao, 24 May 2011)

No, we are not preventing competition. What we are preventing is duds getting into Parliament and government.

Any person of quality, we welcome him but we don't want duds. We don't want Chee Soon Juan, or J.B. Jeyaretnam. They're not going to build the country.

- Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor
(“Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going”, by Straits Times Press, 2011)

While we allow a lot of foreign workers to enter Singapore, we've never done so at the expense of high unemployment in Singapore. (Today, 13 Jan 2011)

- Lim Swee Say, Minister and Labour Chief

(reiterating that the labour movement has no intention to adopt a minimum wage here.)

"If I could rewind time, with the benefit of hindsight, I should have budgeted a larger amount in the first place," he says.

"But the real question is if I knew that it was going to cost this amount, would I still have proceeded to bid for the games? The answer is a definite 'yes'." (BBC News, 14 Aug 2010)

- Vivian Balakrishnan,
Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports

On the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) spending which has surpassed the original estimates of $104 million by more than three times to approximately $387 million.

“The PAP makes promises they deliver. The Opposition cannot deliver.”

“If you have a flood, just carefully think who is more likely to get the drainage put right and have the flood alleviated as quickly as possible: A PAP candidate with links to the ministers and Prime Minister, or a non-PAP candidate who has become an MP, like in Potong Pasir or Hougang, and who has to manage on his own?”

“That’s a fact of life.” (Today, 29 April 2006)

 - Lee Kuan Yew,
Minister Mentor

"I hope people will be able to give (younger members) space to grow and learn. The last thing we want is people who are scared to express their views." (Today, 29 July 2010) 

- Baey Yam Keng,
PAP Member of Parliament

(on the callous remarks made by YPAP leader Jack Lin Xinli on Singaporeans being "3rd class citizens")

"There should be no retirement age for workers... You work as long as you can work and you will be healthier and happier for it." (Channel News Asia, 28 July 2010) 

- Lee Kuan Yew,
Minister Mentor

 

"Whatever we do when we get extraordinary rains like we had recently, no amount of engineering can prevent flooding... unless you want to lose half the roads and have canals." (Channel News Asia, 21 July 2010) 

- Lee Kuan Yew,
Minister Mentor

“The Taiwanese are ruthless, Hong Kongers are shameless and Singaporeans are ignorant. People who are ignorant are not corrupt and reliable.” (Today, 14 July 2010)

- Lee Kuan Yew,
Minister Mentor
(Speaking at the inaugural Future China Global Forum Meeting)