Jun 24, 2008

Wong Kan Seng's Latest Career Achievement

First, the terrorist Mas Selamat escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre in broad daylight.

Then two detainees at the Subordinate Courts lock-up beat up the police officer supervising them and made an escape bid, also in broad daylight.

And now, a 61-year-old retiree breaks through all the security measures at Changi Airport - without even meaning to.
ST June 24, 2008
Dad flies off using son's passport
He checks in at Changi, clears immigration and gets on Tiger Airways jet to Vietnam
By Carolyn Quek

IN HIS hurry to catch a flight at Changi Airport's Budget Terminal yesterday morning, retiree Ang Heng Soon, 61, grabbed the wrong passport and left home.

He took his 39-year-old son's passport. They had left their passports on the dining table, because the son was also flying from Changi Airport.

The father's mistake, and how he cleared all security checks at the airport and flew to Vietnam, led to a long day for both.

Even with the wrong passport, Mr Ang first checked in at the Tiger Airways counter for his flight to Ho Chi Minh City, where he was headed for a six-day holiday.

He next got past the security check by Certis Cisco officers at the entrance to the restricted passenger area.

Then he ran into problems, failing repeatedly to scan his fingerprint at the immigration Automated Clearance System.

Noticing his difficulty, an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer directed him to a lane for manual clearance.

There, an officer cleared him to leave Singapore, and he boarded his plane.

Mr Ang told The Straits Times he realised his mistake only during the flight.
You know what will happen next, don't you? The Little People will be punished again. You know, the Cisco guard, the lady at the airport check-in counter, and so on.

The good minister Wong Kan Seng will strut around, point his finger and say, "Tsk tsk ... you so naughty ... you so negligent ... your pay is docked ... you are sacked ..." and then he will probably look at the TV camera and say, "Lee Kuan Yew was right - you Singaporeans are too complacent."

Someone might quietly suggest that in view of all these security lapses, perhaps the Home Affairs Minister is not doing his job very well and should resign. Whereupon Wong Kan Seng's eyes will widen slightly in surprise.

And then he'll say: "Ooh, I am sorry that this has happened. But in Singapore, sacrificing the minister for political expediency is just not right. I am very highly talented, you know. I must be - otherwise why would you be paying me a world-class salary? It will be a tragic loss for Singapore if I were to quit."

59 comments:

Anonymous said...

Aren't those rioting Gurkhas in Mount Vernon Camp under MHA too?

Anonymous said...

This nincompoop was reported to have said "I am totally appalled". Well, he should have been "shamefully disgusted". Some third world african nations would have done better and this is a first world country?

Any rhino with any kind of self respect would have resigned.

Personally, I pity him. Maybe someone or some group is out to sabo him!

Anonymous said...

Mr Wang, I couldnt help but feel my blood boil when i read the article in the Straits Times this morning. The biggest irony is that when something goes well on the ground level; when the "little people" do a good job, he, along with the rest of the government are first to pat themselves on the back. They are utterly shameless and have huge egos and no self respect. Well, maybe they do have self respect, but its because they are soulless enough to think they are always in the right.

OBVIOUSLY, when the those being led screw up, they deserve to be punished. But when they do it MULTIPLE TIMES and never learn that security, the NATIONAL SECURITY they are supposed to protect is at stake, even after A TERRORIST escapes their own detention centre, then the effectiveness of the leadership should be questioned, especially when the leadership is wasting hard earned taxpayers "peanuts"

Anonymous said...

I love your latest post.

I would love to see Mr Wong Kan Seng 'tio Kan' by Singaporeans, no point expecting bl**dy Lee to whack him. He's a cooing pigeon to 'em.

Add all these chee bye achievements to his CV in the next election.

Anonymous said...

The oft-repeated argument that ministers are irreplaceable is the root of all our problems. It will be a tragic day for Singapore if the minister responsible is not removed and terrorist succeeded in mounting an attack in Singapore. Then it may be too late to say 'What to do? It happenned!'

But, whatever, it will be, as Mr Wang predicted, the 'Little People' and Singaporeans who will have to take the blame for complacency. It is the best of both worlds for the talented, high pay without the corresponding responsibility. No wonder some are sitting tight to a ripe old age.

Anonymous said...

"...Yet Mr Low was 'totally silent' when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong asked if he thought Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng should quit.

Said Dr Ng: 'His statement is baffling. What then was the point of his question to the Prime Minister? Was it just another political ploy?'"

LTK might juz get his 2nd chance...

Anonymous said...

The obviously complacent MHA Head obviously doesn't want to do anything about it.
The list now get longer.
MSK toilet break 3 Mth+ no more news, no update.
2 guy Toilet break. caught but now we know how secure the court toilet is.
Now this :|
The implication is they can catch Illegal immigrants but can't check Exit properly?
There will be a lot of illegal immigrants catching after this with a lot of media coverage.
But look at it this way, the people getting punished are those who used to have promotion dreams , boot lick them and vote them in.
Imagine what will happen when they realize that they are expandable pawns destined to take the fall.
All it take is the courage to see that truth.
Everyone is fallible but a series of failure one after another does not add up. And only serve to magnify that lack of accountability and responsibility.

Anonymous said...

I am a basball fan. In baseball, strike 3 and you're out, or, 3 outs, the innings is over. Obviously, baseball is not the game that PAP and WKS play.

Anonymous said...

To those currently in MHA, good luck to you ! You'll always 'pay' for the incompetence of your master or those that fail the rest of you.
Think more carefully on your next Vote.. you can be sacrificed..

Anonymous said...

Chinese proverb :-

Top pillar not straight, lower support will bend.

replace the lower support will not resolve the problem. FIX the top pillar is the way

Anonymous said...

Read somewhere that his CEP by was not that promising hwen he started. He starts off a teacher - he is replaceable. Goes to Admin service - he is replaceable. Goes to HP - he is replaceable. Then strangely he becomes a MP. Not a very outstanding record I would say to be invited to tea. And then he becomes irreplaceable. Anyone know what happened from the time he was in HP till he got into politics. It seems he suddenly become so brilliant and irreplaceable.

Anonymous said...

hahaha....

This piece of news is laughingly ridiculous. Can't wait for the govt's response to this...

Anonymous said...

The proverb pointed out by pc is brilliant.

Anonymous said...

All I know is that WKS contested and won one election against some nobody. That was way back in 1984.

Then wow, WKS had 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 election walkovers in a row, over the next 24 years. And ta-daa today he is DPM and Home Affairs Minister of Singapore.

Well done, Mr Wong Kan Seng! Truly you must be the people's choice!

Anonymous said...

Some of MHA's achievements:

2004 - Huang Na's killer escaped on toilet break under police custody.
2006 - Tan Chor Jin (One-Eyed Dragon) escaped to Malaysia, allegedly on a fake passport.
2006 - NKF Richard Yong managed to flee to Hong Kong.
2008 - Mas Selamat Kastari - toilet break again.
2008 - Two detainees' attempted escape frorm Subordinate Court.
2008 - Ng Ting Hwa, the employee who siphoned almost S$2m from his company, fled to Malaysia when he's under investigation.
2008 - Gurkhas' scuffle over salary.
2008 - A retiree unintentionally bypassed Changi Airport's security using his son's passport.

If a cat has nine lives...

Anonymous said...

Remember Huang Na case, the murderer suspect Ah hao run to Malaysia, even without a passport, as he said, he just walk through the checkpoint at midnight, no body stop him, and the security camera proof he is right!

Compare with that, we must said, DPM doing a better job now, he is improving, at least there is a passport now.

We should give him more time.

By the way, last month, there is a gambler whose passport is confiscated, and he still manage to apply a new passport and go overseas.

and last year, there is another murderer who run away from court, only get caught a few days later when he is shopping.

Anonymous said...

Guess what? If you don't turn up for reservist, the next day, wait no, within the next half day, you will probably be arrested.

des

Anonymous said...

"Some of MHA's achievements:

2004 - Huang Na's killer escaped on toilet break under police custody.
2006 - Tan Chor Jin (One-Eyed Dragon) escaped to Malaysia, allegedly on a fake passport.
2006 - NKF Richard Yong managed to flee to Hong Kong.
2008 - Mas Selamat Kastari - toilet break again.
2008 - Two detainees' attempted escape frorm Subordinate Court.
2008 - Ng Ting Hwa, the employee who siphoned almost S$2m from his company, fled to Malaysia when he's under investigation.
2008 - Gurkhas' scuffle over salary.
2008 - A retiree unintentionally bypassed Changi Airport's security using his son's passport.

If a cat has nine lives..."


You forget the most ultimate escape of all times, far greater than any of the mentioned cases ! The greatest escape of Wong Can't Sing outperform any of escape history ! Not only he escape but he is still a deputy PM holding $5millions dollars, bonus, perks and simiing happily ever after.

Anonymous said...

Three foul-ups within 6 months and he just could only say that he is appalled and flabbergasted. I think Singaporeans are more appalled and flabbergasted that he is still keeping his job. Wonder what his boss is going to say this time around. I hope it is not the same 'what to do? it happenned' attitude. That is a sure sign of rotting from the core.

Anonymous said...

Not forgetting laughing all the way to the bank and clucking: "I am totally appalled"!

Is that all for that few million bucks?

He should have added: "And I take full responsibility for all the mess under my watch and I will tender my resignation which is irrevocable.It has been wonderful serving the nation to the best of my, ahem, abilities"

If he had said the aforementioned, I would graciously apologize on mine and the others' behalf for being less than polite.

Anonymous said...

The longer LHL keeps Wong Kan Seng, the more he will pass his bad luck to the whole government. You will see the Leegime being hit by one scandal after another right up to the next GE.

Anonymous said...

News article carried in Hong Kong:
http://www.mpinews.com/htm/INews/20080624/ta22034a.htm

Singapore's name ought to get run in the dirt more often!
Littlespeck's article says Singapore is all about HOT AIR! How true.
First Class? My foot.

Anonymous said...

So maybe Mas Selamat used his father's (or son's) passport to escape from Changi Airport?

Anonymous said...

i remember a very old home owner was held accountable and was arrested and send to jail for housing illegal immigrants, just because he did not follow the "correct" procedure of checking their travel documents...

Luther

Anonymous said...

I recall an incident several years ago. The government had passed a law restricting the sale of chewing gum into Singapore. Having followed the story on the news paper for the few weeks prior to the new law, I knew that the law was then written that one could not sell chewing gum in Singapore, but could bring in chewing gum for one's own consumption.

Having gone to JB, I bought some chewing gum into Singapore on my way home. It happened that a customs officer stopped me an checked my bags an saw the chewing gum. He said "You cannot bring chewing gum into Singapore." I asked him "are you sure?" to which he backed down and said "next time, don't do it.

Not wanting to confront him further (as they can give you a hard time by holding you back to search) , I just took my stuff and left.

Recently, I went to change my address for my NRIC. I explained to the officer that I was moving out of the country. I told the officer that I would be using my mother's address as my NRIC address. (An address is required by law). I was promptly asked to produce a bill of some kind to prove that I reside at that address.

The stupidity of her question of course did not strike her. I was leaving the country and did not have a home in Singapore (which I clearly told her) and I was using my mother's house address.

I also find it incredulous that the NRIC department will not take a citizen word but treats a phone or utility company as trusted source. (We as individuals are not worthy!)

From these and other experiences that I have had with MHA officers, I am not surprised the number of screw ups that happens all the time.

What surprises me is that the Minister is not held responsible for what are obviously systemic problems in his Ministry!

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

If a man can accidentally leave Singapore on a plane without a proper passport, one suspects that it would't have been that difficult for a trained terrorist like Mas Selamat to find his way out quite easily too.

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Remember Tok Liang Hao? Walked past Causeway without passport.

MHA also right?

How many lives does a Minister have ah? Can call life line one anot?

Anonymous said...

LHL to LTK: "Do you think my cousin-in-law sould resign?"
LTK: "...."

related la, must support

Anonymous said...

Can't sing but sure can let people sneak out or leave the country using someone else's passport. Another world first for Singapore

Anonymous said...

Re Huang Na, she could not even be the woman's blood daughter. If someone comes to you and say "How about I pay you money every month to look after my son/daughter while he/she studies in Singapore? You just pretend to be his/her divorced mother." In China, it's very easy to get new identities, divorce papers, marriage certs, etc. If Huang Na were her real daughter, do you think she would have let the girl run around in the wholesale centre after school? Noticed how many of the peidi mamas here are so-called divorcees? Only a DNA test would verify the blood relationship between the China kids here and their supposed parents.

Anonymous said...

I actually pity WKS for all the brickbats hurled at him. Home Affairs is a big operational ministry that is not easy to manage. Daily it deals with many people, the good, bad, ugly, foreign and local.
But the reason for these brickbats is that ministers are paid sky high salaries so people naturally associates them of being super people. If they are not so in some area, they will get hell (scoldings only, nothing more) from the people. Just like you buy a very, very expensive item, you will have very low tolerance for any slightest faults, right?

Anonymous said...

Mr Wang,

Under Singapore's law, will the father get charged for using his son's passport?

Anonymous said...

I agree that it is hard to overlook any flaw when you have purchased a very very expensive item. And even more so when the sales person brags like hell about it. A good analogy that applies to WKS and the other ministers.

Mr.Wang, Looks like WKS has made more than one great escape. I think the public is really tired of the fiasco and WKS should make one last final escape from the MHA and also from Singapore. He should be like Mas Selamat, never to be found.

Anonymous said...

Mr Wang,

from what i see, all these problems arise from the way our Ministries are structured.

There is no empowerment, the kiasu syndrome, or i would say, cover ba**side syndrome that we have in singapore's civil service.

Govt depts dont have empowerment to make decisions. Everything must be approved higher up. Added to this, we have staff who will never want to change or make suggestions, or decisions, because they know when things go wrong, they're to blame. There is no sense of responsibility or accountability, except when things go wrong.

the solution is - empowerment, accountability and responsibility. let junior dept heads make decisions. rather than following SOP after SOP, processes after processes.

If you dont allow people at the lower levels to make decisions, and let all of it escalated upwards, then when things go wrong, those people up there should take the blame...not the little people.

Aygee

Anonymous said...

The Government and those in charge of our security should know that security is often as much a matter of hardening a facility as of perception. A houseowner might put iron grills round his house, install an alarm with flashing lights for all to see and rear a few dobermains as well - the purpose being to signal to any would be burglar that his is not a easy place to break in. The purpose of all these: try somewhere else if you want to steal something. What has the MHA signalled through their repeated serial bungles? I leave it to your imagination but as a citizen I would be very concerned that the very terrorists the Government trumpets as keeping at bay (after spending so much public money) are now sharpening their knives at the prospect of visiting a bunch of mickey mouse operators. Never mind, that we are the laughing stock of security personnel throughout the world! I am afraid these serial and unforgivable bungles may have invited trouble in one form or another.

Anonymous said...

Wong can't sing but he sure can siam when the shit hits the fan!!!

Anonymous said...

I think our Government must have make one of the the biggest mistake in HR operations.

WKS must have picked the wrong men to lead in his Home Team - most probably asslickers and political yes-men.

It's the same if you scrutinise the directors & heads of departments in Temasek & GIC and the rest of Government linked companies.

What can we expect if you start placing the wrong people with the wrong type of experience & exposure in high places ?

A whole team of complacent leaders in charge of remaining competent team members who will get demoralised because of such political appointments.

At the end of the day - the complacent leaders are will continue to lead & honest mistakes continue to be made.

Anonymous said...

I am serving NS in the Police now and we all got lecture to be more vigilant. As if we all don't work hard enough already. I think it's all because of MSK, now every incident is under the microscope, but when you put it into perspective, such boo boo take place all the time what. How you think the cigarette and drugs come into Singapore?

No security system is 100% one lah. You find we a place where no screw-up one, you either live in the land of the dead or in heaven where everyone is goodey two shoes. The problem is our Government like to blow trumpet so much that we are formidable that we now kena left, right, centre.

WKS never go and "拜太岁" this year, it seems that it's really suay for him. Every little wrong the "little people" do now become all his fault also.

Ser Ming said...

I wonder how many dangerous people have sneaked into Singapore...

Hmmm...

Anonymous said...

I think PAP should keep WKS in parliament till the next election. This can only be good news for the opposition when elections come :)
The fall will be swift.
Wong Kan Seng has come to represent everything bad about PAP and their pay structure. I love it!

Anonymous said...

Singapore's low crime rate seems to be a success.
There is a story that keep bugging my mind. A-mei is a m'sian ger used to rent a room from my mum's flat. She shared with another ger as $450/mth is too expensive for her to rent alone.
One day, the other ger moved out. As she enjoy my mum's company and vice versa, she tried hard to find another roommate, to a extend of posting in public notice board next to MRT station. Then.. a pervert call.. and call more and more frequent. From our advice (i even shout at that pervert), she reported the case to police, and yes, that pervert's number was in her caller display.

Guess what, she was "advice" by police not to file as a case!! I think she end up changing her number.

It happened a few yrs ago. Come think of it, One less crime case reported. Our society is safer!! or is it?

RICHARD SEAH said...

Anonymous said...

Add all these chee bye achievements to his CV in the next election.

******

No wonder the gahmen is trying its best to get rid of Mr Chee. Then it can truly say: Chee bye bye!

Anonymous said...

If Law enforcements get too lax, I am going to worry very much for the elderlies, the handicaps and the youngs. Recently, the spates of snatch thefts, robberies and housebreakings etc and murder cases have risen and one wonders if this country has LAWS.

And may I add here, the drugs and cigarettes smugglings mentioned by the Anonymous NS Policeman

However, no matter how bad the situations have become, curses of death and hatred are not the ways. The wishes that we should have; firstly, the Responsible be made answerable to negligences, failures and derelictions of duties. Incompetent Servants be replaced and inept ones to buck up. Death of anyone will not amend problems and really the Responsible people should live to see the consequences of their incapabilities and follies.

There is a dire need to remind the people now that the challenges ahead are abound and sufferings will follow if our leaders perform and behave as they do. Indeed, we may even say what tomorrow will be is beyond telling, that’s how unsure many of us are, NOW.

The many ‘enlightened bloggers’ could and should do their fellow Singaporeans the great deed of imparting your wisdoms and the guidings of the masses. You should know that the laymen are very much ‘brainwashed’ by the Official Medias and their Shepherds on top of the shortcomings of the Leadership.

Do be kind and help!

patriot.

Anonymous said...

Btw, while all laughable issues are being washed in public, where is Mas Selamat?

Perhaps in Vietnam already?

Rather quiet on the home front regarding this issue?

Anonymous said...

With so many cockups happening one after another at the operational level, it is clearly a manifestation of a bigger problem of system and structure in Home Affairs Ministry. The control from the top and the engagement or even morale of the lower levels is out of sync.
This type of problem the top fellow (WKS) must be held accountable. That he has not resign or sack shows a much bigger problem of governance and talent in Lee Hsien Loong's cabinet - ie he could not find a better person to totally replace WKS.
Yet this is a cabinet of super salary ministers. Singaporeans are wondering if they are getting value for money.
But the biggest problem is a lack of a credible political alternative, and because of this we will continue to have many election walkovers and 66% mandate and MM Lee will say that without PAP Singapore will be ruined, never mind the not-so-worth-their pay PAP ministers.
For those who choose to remain, they are truly cornered and screwed.

Anonymous said...

No no no, we must not allow Wong Kan Seng to step down. It will work against the opposition. Keep Wong in office till the next elections. The government must not listen to its people. PAP knows best!

Anonymous said...

maybe mas selmat took his dad's passport to get out of singapore.....

denzuko1 said...

" I am appalled...."

Does he not know it is his department? Anyone but him can say that. It is really shameful of him to try distance himself of his own mis-management.

Anonymous said...

Failure in leadership. No longer appalling.

Anonymous said...

theory: mas selamat "escape" was not real. in fact he was tortured until death under ISA, hence the government had to do something

Anonymous said...

Another blunder in the Home Ministry.

The police took 3 years to prosecute the maid abuser. According to the Public Prosecutor, the Police had been "sitting" on the case.

What a joke !

Anonymous said...

Can't believe after all this the fella still wants to take others to task. Totally shameless of him to continue to point fingers when as the chief he should shoulder the responsibility esepcially after so many incidents in such a short time. He should be asked to step down.

Anonymous said...

I think that's because Mr Wong KS can't see himself in the mirror.

so many people ask him to quit and all he is capable of responding (despite million $$$ salary) is:

WHO???

because that shortie see nobody in the mirror.

Anonymous said...

I started reading a book by Steven Covey Jr on "The Speed of Trust".

By keeping quiet, mum and no comments is definitely not an attribute that a Mini-star should response to in such times of 3 lapses within half a year.

Anonymous said...

Aiya ... ! talk facts and figures or just cock ? does not matter lah... all ye people let's make a chg just like M'sia lah. Let your vote swing WKS and the incompetent lots. Once u do tat, there are many goodies :)

1) likely remove all ERPs
2) remove GST
3) remove GIC
4) get your CPF at 55...maybe at 50
5) remove ministers over silly mistake instantsneously ... albeit honest
6) reduce pap salaries
7) chg to a probing news broadcasting company fair for all in the interest of the public

Anyone cud think of more ? ....

Anonymous said...

This time I don't see how it can be deniably ridculous..but going by the talent of some people, it probably still can be..any1 betting on a certain somebody's resignatn? I bet one cent..after all, a MIRACLE might happen..hahaha

Anonymous said...

no more NS.

Taiwan is striving to reduce its NS forces every year and eventually convert to all volunteer army.

Singapore leh?
Its male citizens = slaves
coolies for NDP.
you die your business.

Anonymous said...

Wong Can't Sing said Mas Selamat still in some Singapore forest.

So why until now still can't find him ? By now , he must have eaten all the durians in the jungle to survive.

Hello WKS , u think we are stupid to believe your 'intelligence '