PM GOH IN GOOD MOOD

The Rhetoric

“PM wants to boost Singaporeans’ morale.”
– Straits Times, May 20, 2002

“PM to people : Snap out of gloom”
– Straits Times, July 22, 2002

“PM shores up spirit of young.”
– Straits Times, Nov 28, 2002

The Reality

“Gone forever: 42,000 jobs in Singapore. Why: high costs here; the recession; business restructuring.”
– Straits Times, June 17 2002

“Thousands of tertiary students here are graduating in the midst of an economic downturn.”
– Straits Times, Nov 1, 2002

“By year end, unemployment should rise to 5.5 per cent … a recent MOM survey says that three in 10 of the jobless are sole breadwinners which means more than 30,000 families could be living off retrenchment benefits, savings and any odd jobs they can snag.”
– Straits Times, Nov 23, 2002