The Singapore Government yesterday distanced itself from comments made by a Member of Parliament (MP) who said in a media interview that the Malaysian authorities could have better managed the MH370 incident.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Foreign Affairs and Culture, Community and Youth) Sam Tan said the remarks by Nee Soon GRC MP Lim Wee Kiak, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs, “do not represent the views” of the Government.
Mr Tan said: “The Singapore Government position has been clearly set out in the remarks by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam to the Foreign Correspondents Association on March 28, as well as by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to the editors of the Asia News Network on April 9. It is an unprecedented and very difficult situation and, as Prime Minister Lee said, the Malaysian Government has done a ‘manful job’.” He added: “Singapore deployed aircraft and ships in the search and rescue operations, and has conveyed that we stand ready to provide further support as needed.”
read more
PAP MP's views on MH370 not the Government's: Sam Tan
A People's Action Party MP's criticism of the way Malaysia provided information in the first few days after Flight MH370 went missing does not represent the views of the Singapore Government, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Sam Tan on Thursday.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defence and an MP in Nee Soon GRC, said in an interview with The Straits Times last week that Malaysia could have better handled the communication of information on the missing flight.
If Malaysia did not have information, its officials should have said so "rather than come up with theories", as it added "confusion and grief to family members", he said.
read more
MP Lim Wee Kiak retracts criticisms of M'sia over MH370
People's Action Party MP Lim Wee Kiak has taken back his criticism of the way Malaysia provided information in the first few days after Flight MH370 went missing.
This is after several people had “taken issue” with comments he made in a Supper Club interview with The Straits Times last week, he said.
His retraction came after Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Sam Tan said on Thursday that those criticisms are not the Government’s view.
"Manful job" by M'sian govt in managing MH370 incident: Sam Tan
The Malaysian government has done a "manful job" in managing the MH370 incident, reiterated Sam Tan, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Culture, Community and Youth.
He said this in response to a Straits Times interview ("Lessons from an unfortunate event" on April 5) with Dr Lim Wee Kiak, the Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs.
In the article, Dr Lim was quoted as saying that the Malaysian authorities could have done better in managing the incident.
read more
Manful Job and 'Boyful' retraction
Boy, the good Dr. Lim Wee Kiak is once again caught with his foot in his mouth. It is not easy to be an PAP MP because you cannot be yourself but you are told to be. Also how could you get a perfect record of second guessing the big bosses. Senior civil servants have the same unenvious task as well. I never got close to the political big shots but I have seen up close some of the small LKYs and how their underlings also mightily struggled with what to say or do to please the boss.
This is a terrible habit which is guaranteed to bring us down if we don't break it. In the past the top man can hold everything or enough in his head, these days we are experts in our areas and the top people must take advice or we would fail.
Why not Lim Wee Kiak do a manful retraction of his 'boyful' retraction. Give us some hope eh? Not a chance. Most PAP MPs are just Yes-men and that's why they aren't getting the respect they crave for.
read more
PAP MP’s views on M’sia do not represent Govt’s: Snr Parl Sec
People’s Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Lim Wee Kiak has retracted his criticisms of Malaysia for its handling of the flight MH370 incident. Mr Lim, who is also the Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, had lambasted the Malaysian authorities in an interview with a local paper on 5 April.
Mr Lim’s remarks were criticised by some for being insensitive and for lacking understanding of the tough situation Malaysia was in, trying to deal with the global focus on the incident.
Mr Lim then issued a response to Mr Tan’s statement, and said he has “reflected” on his remarks about Malaysia and that he “agree[s] with the comments of our foreign minister [sic] and our PM.”
read more
MP Lim Wee Kiak retracting statement on MH370
MP Lim referred to the communication lapses among ASEAN counterparts as a ‘missed opportunity’, which is a euphemism for ‘failure’. He also compared the Malaysia Airlines’ handling of MH370 to the ‘better media management’ by SIA when the latter’s plane crashed in Taiwan back in 2000. The difference is till today no one really knows for sure what happened to MH370, so the comparison may not be entirely fair.
Besides, what’s the point of complaining now anyway? It’s as helpful as camping on an island in the middle of the Indian ocean with a pair of binos and waiting for a piece of wreckage to bob your way.
PM Lee’s compliment is a headscratcher though; Is a ‘manful’ job a ‘brave’ effort as in ‘manly’ or does it mean a manpower-heavy mission? An archaic term used as far back as 1917 to describe what I can only guess to be ‘backbreaking’ work, I’m not sure if this was a deliberately diplomatic choice because the more flattering option of ‘courageous’ would be overdoing it, especially considering what many furious Chinese think of the whole incident. After sharing a selfie bromance, it looks like Singapore is set to support Malaysia through thick or thin, though we’re not so certain if that loving feeling is mutual.
read more
LIM WEE KIAK RETRACTS COMMENTS ABOUT MH370 CRISIS AFTER GOVT DISTANCES ITSELF FROM HIM
Following the comments made by PAP MP for Nee Soon GRC, Lim Wee Kiak, about the poor handling of the MH370 incident, the government issued a statement saying that they did not hold the same views.
Lim had criticized the Malaysian government about their handling of the MH370 crisis during an interview with the straits times and raised issues such as the poor communication during the crisis.
He also suggested that misinformation lead to a waste of resources in search efforts.
related: MP LIM WEE KIAK DEMONSTRATES HOW TO PUT HIS FOOT IN HIS MOUTH
read more
PAP MP Lim Wee Kiak introduces his foot to his mouth. Again. For the 4th time
Lim Wee Kiak, People’s Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC, had to eat his own words — again.
This time round he had to retract his comments about the way Malaysia is handling the missing MH370 plane incident.
Lim, who is also the Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, was unusually critical about the Malaysian authorities in an interview with The Straits Times on April 5, 2014.
read more
PAP MP Lim Wee Kiak demonstrates how to put his foot in his mouth
In a media interview which was published on 5 April, PAP MP Lim Wee Kiak dished out his unsolicited advice on how the Malaysian authorities should have better handled the MH370 incident. Taking a pot shot at our neighbour, MP Lim sang praises of SIA’s media management after 2 plane had crashed in 1997 and 2000.
The Singapore government has rightly distanced itself from Lim’s pot shot. What was Lim trying to prove by kicking our neighbour when they are down? Where was his common sense? But this is not the first time he exhibited his ZERO EQ.
In 2011, Lim’s associated having a million dollar salary with dignity and it earned him the Dumbass Remark of the Week from a well-known blogger. In an insincere apology after “further reflection”, Lim agreed that his statement was inappropriate and incorrect.
Lim Wee Kiak wrote on his facebook page
In an interview with the Straits Times that was published on 5 April 2014, I said that the Malaysian authorities could have done better on the MH370 issue.
Several people have taken issue with this comment. Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Foreign Affairs) and Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Culture, Community and Youth) Sam Tan has also come out to say that this is not the position of the Singapore Government.
This is truly an unprecedented incident and would have been difficult to manage for any country.I have reflected on my comment and agree with the comments of our foreign minister and our PM.
I hope that the ongoing search efforts are successful, and that Malaysia, particularly the families of the victims, can reach some closure on this tragic incident.
Why SMC should act against PAP MP
One day after foot-in-mouth* and eye specialist Dr Lim Wee Kiak retracted his criticisms of M’sia’s handling of the MH 370, Reuters reported Malaysia’s government has begun investigating civil aviation and military authorities to determine why opportunities to identify and track … MH370 were missed in the chaotic hours after it vanished, two officials said*.
If only he waited another day, he would have come up roses, in his original criticism. And the govt would have looked stupid in implicitly castigating him.
Seriously, if the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) can censure plastic surgeon Dr Woolly Woffles Wu for getting his employee to take the blame for his speeding offences in 2005 and 2006 when the courts take a lenient view of this offence (unlike the UK where it is considered a perversion of justice, jailable up to eight months it should censure Dr Lim for stupidity.
read more
The Reflections Of Lim
Lim Wee Kiak couldn't be more wrong when he said that Singapore Airlines (SIA) has better media management than Malaysia's handling of the MH370 incident. A senior Yahoo executive was furious when SIA spokesman Rick Clements told CNN that there were no casualties after SQ006 turned into the wrong runway on the night of Oct 31, 2000, and crashed into a construction vehicle, killing 83 of 179 passengers aboard. Screaming his frustration on TV, he asked aloud how could that be when he personally saw a fellow passenger in his first class section burst into flames?
“Everyone here knows who the dead are but we were still crying back in Singapore and up till now, we know nothing. You owe us an explanation!” a Singaporean woman shouted at SIA CEO Cheong Choong Kong. The brother of a man who died in the crash was also not impressed by Cheong's lame excuses. “Tell the press the true story,” he said. “Don’t hide any more. Are people’s lives more important or SIA’s reputation?” It all sounds so familiar, only the angry voices were not PRC Chinese.
Lim had to eat humble pie - with a side order of grovel sauce - for different reasons. He dared suggest that the MH370 incident "revealed glaring gaps in communications among ASEAN countries". Foreign Minister K Shanmugam couldn't have been pleased. Lim didn't just stop at undoing regional relations, he ventured further into territorial security, "This episode into may give China a reason to say they should manage the airspace over South China Sea." This time it's the Defence Minister's turn to facepalm.
read more
MP Lim Wee Kiak says Asean could have done better in MH370 crisis
The first few days after the incident, there were many conflicting reports on what exactly happened. When the reports came out, there’s no single spokesperson. Everybody was speaking and everybody was giving their own version. That adds a lot of confusion and grief to the family members.
The first few days after the incident, there were many conflicting reports on what exactly happened. When the reports came out, there’s no single spokesperson. Everybody was speaking and everybody was giving their own version. That adds a lot of confusion and grief to the family members.
It seemed like in the earlier hours everybody was in the dark. If they didn’t have information, they should just say they have no information, rather than come up with a lot of theories. When they do this, people will think they already have some information.
If you look at what happened in the MI185 and SQ006 incidents (the first was a SilkAir flight that crashed in Indonesia in 1997, and the second was a Singapore Airlines flight that crashed in Taiwan in 2000), I think SIA had better media management. There was just one spokesman, so at least information is clear, coherent.
MP criticise Malaysia over MH370
Dr Lim boasted that SIA has done a better job in media management when its planes met accidents in the past. One was SilkAir’s Flight MI185. SilkAir is a subsidiary of SIA. Flight MI185 crashed in Indonesia in 1997. The other mishap involved SIA SQ006 in Taiwan in 2000.
“If you look at what happened in the MI185 and SQ006 incidents, SIA had better media management. There was just one spokesman; at least information was clear,” he said.
The MP said that the MH370 incident revealed glaring gaps in communication among ASEAN countries.
read more
Serving Two Years Of National Service Should Be A "Privilege" That Belongs To Singaporeans Only: PAP MP Lim Wee Kiat
Also read:
Lim Wee Kiak defends ministerial salaries: Low pay is a loss of dignity
MP Lim Wee Kiak apologises for comments on pay
Dumbass Remark of the Week: Dr Lim Wee Kiak
read more
Lim Wee Kiak defends ministerial salaries: Low pay is a loss of dignity
MP Lim Wee Kiak apologises for comments on pay
Dumbass Remark of the Week: Dr Lim Wee Kiak
read more
KEEP IT UP! DR LIM WEE KIAK MAKES MORE PEOPLE WANT TO TURN AGAINST THE PAP
It seems Dr Lim Wee Kiak has not learned the lessons.
What exactly happened to Dr Lim Wee Kiak? Why made him to make such a careless remark that "Serving NS is a privilege that belongs to Singaporeans."
A few years ago, Dr Lim also was forced to apologise that it would be a 'loss of dignity' when their salaries are not benchmarked to million dollars. He justified that if he is paid lower than his lawyer colleagues, bankers and specialists doctors colleagues, he would not be able to have bargaining chip.
read more
Dr Lim later offered an apology to Low Thia Khiang
And just last year, Dr Lim had to again apologise – this time to opposition MP, Low Thia Khiang.
During a parliamentary debate, Dr Lim had charged that the Workers’ Party’s position on the number of new citizens differed from what Mr Low said during the previous year’s Budget debate. When Mr Low countered that his remarks had been taken out of context, Dr Lim said:
“I will quote (from your speech then) one more time. And maybe your hearing aid has to be (turned) up a little bit.”Mr Low did not respond to the comment. Dr Lim later offered an apology for the remarks:
“Madam Speaker, in the heat of the very passionate debate, I’ve made some very insensitive remarks about Mr Low. I would like to express my sincere apologies to the honourable member Mr Low Thia Khiang for my comments on his hearing aid.”read more
PAP MP Lim Wee Kiak apologises to Low Thia Khiang for a rude remark made during parliamentary debate
The cut-and-thrust between the People’s Action Party and the Workers’ Party (WP) over the latter’s population proposals peaked yesterday, with Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Lim Wee Kiak making a personal remark against WP chief Low Thia Khiang, for which he subsequently apologised.
The cut-and-thrust between the People’s Action Party and the Workers’ Party (WP) over the latter’s population proposals peaked yesterday, with Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Lim Wee Kiak making a personal remark against WP chief Low Thia Khiang, for which he subsequently apologised.
The incident was sparked by Dr Lim’s charge that the WP’s current position on the number of new citizens differed from what Mr Low said during last year’s Budget debate. When Mr Low countered that his remarks had been taken out of context, Dr Lim said: “I will quote (from your speech then) one more time. And maybe your hearing aid has to be (turned) up a little bit.”
Mr Low did not respond to the comment. Immediately after the next speaker, MP Ellen Lee (Sembawang GRC), ended her speech, Dr Lim rose and apologised. Full story
related:
MP Lim Wee Kiak apologises link ministerial pay with dignity of politicians
PAP MP Lim Wee Kiak apologises to Workers’ Party chief - inSing.com
related:
MP Lim Wee Kiak apologises link ministerial pay with dignity of politicians
PAP MP Lim Wee Kiak apologises to Workers’ Party chief - inSing.com
Lim Wee Kiak wants Low Thia Khiang’s hearing aid turned up
From ‘MP apologises to Low for comment on hearing aid’, 8 Feb 2013, article by Woo Sian Boon, Today
The cut-and-thrust between the People’s Action Party and the Workers’ Party (WP) over the latter’s population proposals peaked yesterday, with Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Lim Wee Kiak making a personal remark against WP chief Low Thia Khiang, for which he subsequently apologised.
The incident was sparked by Dr Lim’s charge that the WP’s current position on the number of new citizens differed from what Mr Low said during last year’s Budget debate. When Mr Low countered that his remarks had been taken out of context, Dr Lim said: “I will quote (from your speech then) one more time. And maybe your hearing aid has to be (turned) up a little bit.”
Mr Low did not respond to the comment. Immediately after the next speaker, MP Ellen Lee (Sembawang GRC), ended her speech, Dr Lim rose and apologised. He said: “Madam Speaker, in the heat of the very passionate debate, I’ve made some very insensitiveremarks about Mr Low. I would like to express my sincere apologies to the honourable member Mr Low Thia Khiang for my comments on his hearing aid.”Lim Wee Kiak is not a man known for his subtlety. Previously, he made a careless remark about how PAP Ministers should be paid to match top CEOs in order not to ‘lose their dignity’, which he duly apologised for.
read more
This makes it a hat-trick of apologies for Lim
First his comment on ministers’ salaries and their dignity, followed by his mocking of Low Thia Khiang’s hearing, and now getting ‘distanced’ from the team because of what he thinks not just of Malaysia but ASEAN as a whole. In local parlance it’s the political equivalent of ‘Eh, I don’t know you’ when someone in your circle of friends does something to embarrass the entire group, and you slowly inch away, pretending that he’s just some crazy stranger talking nonsense.
Nonetheless, I wonder if our ministers would still give Razak and company a pat on the back for a job well done and dismiss Lim’s remarks if it had been SINGAPOREANS missing and it were their families banging on doors and tables demanding answers instead.
Dealing with critics should be the last thing on the Malaysian authorities’ minds anyway. Every second spent rebutting a loose cannon is a ‘missed opportunity’ in moving one step closer towards solving what looks set to be one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history.
read more
On hearing Aid and ministerial salaries
The Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament (MP) once told Workers’ Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang “I will quote (from your speech then) one more time. And maybe your hearing aid has to be (turned) up a little bit.” Maybe all of us, Lim included, need to have our hearing checked. How can the chair of the Government Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs not speak for Defence and Foreign Affairs?
If there's one good reason to distance yourself from this controversial character, it should this defence of ministerial salaries by arguing that a reasonable payout helps maintain "dignity" for politicians dealing with media:
"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 told LianHe ZaoBao in Chinese.read more
MP Lim Wee Kiak apologises for comments on pay
Lim Wee Kiak defends ministerial salaries. (Yahoo! photo)
Member of Parliament Lim Wee Kiak of the Nee Soon group representation constituency has apologised for his remarks linking ministerial pay with the "dignity" of politicians. In a note on his Facebook page on Friday, MP Lim said he would like to clarify the comments he made to Lianhe Zaobao and reproduced inLianheWanBao. The comments had been quickly slammed by netizens.
He had been quoted by the Chinese paper last week as saying, "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."
In his Facebook note, the MP said, "I withdraw those remarks and apologise for making them. Dignity cannot be and must not be measured purely in monetary terms."
Debate on ministerial salaries
This is not the first time that DrLim has had to retract or apologise for remarks he made.
In May 2011, during the debate on ministerial salaries, Mr Lim said:
“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.”Following a public outcry over his remarks, Dr Lim said that “on further reflection”, his remarks were “inappropriate and incorrect.”
He said:
“On further reflection, I agree that the example I quoted regarding a MICA minister meeting the heads of telcos and saying that there may be some loss of face if the minister’s salary is low is inappropriate and incorrect. I withdraw those remarks and apologise for making them. Dignity cannot be and must not be measured purely in monetary terms.”read more
PAP MP Lim Wee Kiak Apologises for Comments on Ministerial Pay
Lee Wee Kiak’s infamous quote that angered thousands of Singaporeans:
“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.”
In his Facebook note, the MP said, “I withdraw those remarks and apologise for making them. Dignity cannot be and must not be measured purely in monetary terms.”
He said he agreed that the example he gave and his comment that there may be loss of face if the minister’s salary is low “is inappropriate and incorrect”.
related: Dr Lim Wee Kiat: Reasonable (Ministerial) Pay Will Help Maintain a Bit of Dignity
read more
Dumbass Remark of the Week: Dr Lim Wee Kiak
The winner this week is... PAP MP for Nee Soon GRC, Dr Lim Wee Kiak!
The good doctor said:
"If the annual salary of the Minister of Information, Communications and the Arts is only $500,000, it may pose some problems when he discusses 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."From omy.sg: ‘ 部长薪酬过低 有失身份地位’ 林伟杰言论遭网民批评 ("Lim Wee Kiak defends ministerial salaries: Low pay is a loss of dignity")
Aiyah, now I know why my ministers don't listen to me. I don't earn enough.
Underpaid ministers lose their dignity
From
‘‘ 部长薪酬过低
有失身份地位’ 林伟杰言论遭网民批评’,
26 May 2011, article in omy.sg (LHWB)
义顺集选区议员林伟杰认为，合理的薪酬有助于维持部长“尊严”，引起网民批评，表示按照他的逻辑，“恐怕胡锦涛和奥巴马遇到李总理时，连握手的‘尊严’都没有！”
…针对这一课题，林伟杰接受媒体采访时认为，部长薪金调得过低是不合理的要求。
他说：“如果新闻、通讯及艺术部长年薪只有50万，当他和身价数百万的电讯公司总裁开会商讨政策问题时，可能面对一些困难。因为总裁们可能认为没有必要听取部长的意见与建议，因此合理的薪酬将有助于维持一点尊严。”
Translation:
MP Lim Wee Kiak thinks a reduction in ministerial pay would lead to a
loss in dignity, leading some to complain that if that’s the case,
President Obama, with a lower wage than our PM, would be ashamed of
even shaking the latter’s hand. If the MICA minister had a lower
salary than media CEOs, the latter wouldn’t take him seriously.
Postscript:
Dr Lim eventually made a public apology for equating salary with
dignity. Mistake made, lesson learnt, time to move on. With dignity I
must add.
Being a Minister is so stressful
Being a Minister is so stressful, no wonder they need to be paid higher...
- Yaccob Ibrahim worried why M1 and Singtel are not perform their duties
- Teo Chee Hean worried why civil servants are increasingly corrupt
- Gan Kim Yong worried why there hospitals are short of beds
- Tan Chuan-Jin worried why employers prefer to employ foreigners
- Khaw Boon Wan worried why housing prices are too high
- Ng Eng Hen worried why Citizens not treating others as they would like to be treated
- Lim Hng Kiang worried why SG's FTAs are not working well
- Vivian Bala is worried why NEA cant nail WP for the lapses
- Heng Swee Keat worried why education system is not producing employable citizens
- Chan Chun Sing is worried why there are so many poor citizens in SG
- Lee Hsien Loong worried he feels S'poreans are like a pack of hounds going after him
read more
related:
MH370: Five Years On
MP Lim Wee Kiak Retracts Statement On MH370
Debris of MH370 found after 515 days
Zero Days To Locate Black Box of MH370
Search For Mystery Of MH370 Continues
Searching For The Disappearance of MH370
Flight MH370 Ended In The Southern Indian Ocean
Flight MH370: What's Known And What's Speculation
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Goes Missing
