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Monday, August 22, 2011

More volunteers to act as polling/counting agents

We are looking for more volunteers to act as polling/counting agents. If you can help, please come to Level 9 of Hub Synergy Point (Building opposite from M Hotel), 70 Anson Road, on Thursday or Friday, 25-26 Aug, 1PM to 10PM. Please bring along your NRIC.

Thanks for your support!

Tan Kin Lian Campaign team

Tan Kin Lian Rally, 7 pm on Wed 24 August

I will hold my rally on Wed 24 August 7.00 pm to 9.30 pm at Yio Chu Kang Stadium (next to Yio Chu Kang MRT station). Please give me your support and encourage your friends to attend also. More details will be released later.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Use of veto power

Dear Mr. Tan,

I am referring to this article: http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_704453.html

I think this suggestion is genius and can win you many points. It is completely lawful, and shows how you can think out of the box.

Straits Times posted the link on their Facebook page and it attracted a large number of negative comments, 90% of which from fake users (users who have no friends). These users are likely to be hired hands, and such large negative response means the establishment does not really like what you have said.

Please continue to press this. It will give you an edge over TJS.

REPLY
The media took my statements out of context and distorted it with a bad headline.

My use of the veto will be used as a last resort to make sure that the request for the use of the past reserves is more balanced and does not favor only a specific sector. A specific example was raised about the use of the past reserves to fund the job credit scheme. If a future request comes to me, I like to see some of the funds being used to benefit the people directly, rather than through the employer.

I do not intend to use the veto power to push social programmes that are not related to the specific request for the use of past reserves.

I had earlier suggested that the HDB housing grant could be modified to favour people who served full time National Service. This will not be an additional cost to the state, as the housing grant is now provided to all eligible people, including new citizens or permanent residents who did not serve National Service. The cost will increase if the housing grant is higher than the grant provided previously. Even so, the increased cost can be funded out of current surplus, so do not need to dip into the past reserves.

The payment of a modest pension to elderly poor above age 75 or 80 will not be a large burden on the state finances, and can be met out of current revenue.

I have no intention to paralyse the government or cause gridlock by the inappropriate use of the veto. There is no need for people to interpret my views in its worst possible form and create fear mongering. We have to get away from this bad habit and adopt a more constructive approach in looking at the issues.

Tan Kin Lian

Words from a young graduate

I watched with great interest your interviews on Straight Talk and the dialogue session hosted by The Online Citizen. I am also an avid reader of your blog ever since you started it.

In fact, you may not remember, but I had a brief encounter, albeit only virtually, with you in year 2000. I was very impressed by your readiness to extend a helping hand, notwithstanding your busy schedule as the CEO of NTUC Income.

I was then an undergraduate in NUS doing my final year project in evaluating the value of adequacy annuities as a retirement planning tool in Singapore. I emailed to ask for your help to access some pricing data from NTUC Income. Not only you replied within an hour, you referred your managers to assist me. I was deeply touched. You were the only CEO among all the insurance companies I wrote to then who did that. I have, of course, long graduated; your kind deed, however, has been remembered till today. Incidentally, I graduated with a First Class Honours -- your act of kindness has certainly helped!

Now that you are running for the Elected President Office, I am again seeing in you the commitment and passion that impressed me so much a decade ago. Your Hi-5 resonates with me. I, too, believe that those 5 values are very important, may it be for someone assuming a high office or even a man in the street. Your background, too, has inspired me. I came from poor family as well. Education, hard work and character can make a difference.

I like what I see in you -- your character, your beliefs, your efforts and your deeds. I have asked my friends and family to support you, too.

Do push on in your beliefs. Many of us are behind you!!

Wei Peng