Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Clash of events at Speakers Corner on 29 November

Monday, December 01, 2008

Clash of events at Speakers Corner on 29 November

Dear Mr. Tan,

Do you think that the Indian cultural event held on 29 November at Hong Lim Park was arranged to make it difficult for you to use Speaker's Corner?

REPLY

I do not think so. This type of event probably takes a few months to organise. If anyone is suspicious, perhaps you can check the facts for me.

It appears that Hong Lim Park is not used exclusively for Speaker's Corner. In the future, I will check if there are competing events on Saturdays. I am also considering to move my regular meeting at Speaker's Corner to Wednesday at 6 p.m. There is less likelihood of a clash of events during the weekdays.

15 comments:

Singapore Short Stories said...: i agree with Mr Tan. Events take some time to conceptualise and plan.; December 01, 2008 10:31 AM
Chan J C said...: Either Sat 5pm or Wed 6pm, we will support you, Mr. Tan

Best regards; December 01, 2008 11:00 AM
Unknown said...: Under what circumstances would an application for open talk, ie at Hong Lim, risk getting turned down or postponed or whatever

there must be some sort of markers or parameters, as long as that list is available, then one can literally anticipate ALL the possible hurdles to getting the application thru and plan well ahead

in military talk, its not the line of tanks in front, its the Satellites above; December 01, 2008 12:52 PM
Anonymous said...: But some people who work till 6pm may not be able to come in time on Wed.

LPC; December 01, 2008 1:12 PM
Anonymous said...: Weekdays are difficult as my work is very hectic.

Any time during weekends are better for me.; December 01, 2008 1:26 PM
Anonymous said...: I still prefer currently at Saturday 5pm as it will impossible for me to come on weekdays due to work.; December 01, 2008 2:33 PM
Anonymous said...: Mr Tan,

Saturday at about 5.00 pm is a good day and time as most people would be free or have finished work by then.

Please do nto shift the timing to a weekday as many people like myself may not be able to attend the talk.

Thank you.
JL; December 01, 2008 2:59 PM
Unknown said...: Can anyone share any info if there will be other possible clashes of events on other dates of meeting/speech projected as at current

Is there a way to find out how do these clashing events come about and at which point and when they come up?

Surely even the most accessed phone booth right smack middle of Orchard Road would not be in use ALL THE TIME LAST MIN? And this is Hong Lim Park we talking about

I dont think I will be the ONLY surprised party, if theres suddenly whole series of carnivals and family days all packed right there til 2080; December 01, 2008 4:13 PM
Anonymous said...: I have problem attending week days as well. I think we can get bigger participation on the usual sat; December 01, 2008 4:16 PM
Anonymous said...: Let's face it, the money from investing these products are all gone. No use pointing fingers at the FIs for misrepresenting and expect them to cough out the money to compensate the investors.

The money from these structured products have already been used to fill the big hole in the US and never gonna come back. I agree that the FIs are at fault for misleading the investors, but how on earth are the FIs gonna squeeze out the money to compensate each and every one of them? If these products have been properly regulated, would there be misrepresentation? But people don't dare to point fingers at MAS, so they turn and point their fingers at the FIs.

Just look at how our hardearned money was handled; Temasek Holdings making investments in worthless companies, the Tanjong Pagar & Punggol-Pasir Ris GRCs investing in the minibond. After these investments failed, did the responsible parties make any apologies? Instead, they just kept quiet, cos sooner or later the fire will die down by itself.

We normal citizens are like taking the sampan while they are on a first class luxury yacht. When our sampan capsized, they ask us paddle hard to avoid drowning. They don't care whether you are young, old, sickly or disabled. They will just look on, enjoying their cavier and sipping their champagne and perhaps make occasional encouragement. Sorry hor, the floats onboard are only for their own use in case of emergency. Not happy?? There's nothing we can do except continue to paddle if not we will just drown and die.

If high pay = no corruption then it means us citizens also have to have high pay, no? Private sector also have chances of corruption right?; December 01, 2008 4:28 PM
Chan J C said...: "Let's face it, the money from investing these products are all gone. No use pointing fingers at the FIs for misrepresenting and expect them to cough out the money to compensate the investors."

Look into the eyes of those who has loss sleeps and has their health impacted and says what you have just said...

"The money from these structured products have already been used to fill the big hole in the US and never gonna come back. I agree that the FIs are at fault for misleading the investors, but how on earth are the FIs gonna squeeze out the money to compensate each and every one of them? If these products have been properly regulated, would there be misrepresentation? But people don't dare to point fingers at MAS, so they turn and point their fingers at the FIs."

I will pardon you if you are not a S'porean and so I hereby share with you our Pledge...

"We, the citizens of Singapore
Pledge ourselves as one united people
Regardless of race, language or religion
To build a democratic society
Based on justice and equality
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity & progress for our nation"

So.. we have to fight for justice and it is time for our government to show us what justice is IF they want the nation to progress together; December 01, 2008 4:41 PM
Anonymous said...: Dear Mr Chan,

Yes, it's true that those people have lost their hardearned money, and i truly sympathise with them. they may have spend years and maybe decades to save this amount of money and now it's all gone. But please open your eyes WIDE and look at what has been done so far.

It's naive of you to think that there is justice. If there is, would there be a need for Mr Tan to organise a meeting each week at the Speaker's Corner? If there is justice, would Mr Tan need to arrange for petitions to be signed and submitted but up till now there's no news? Shouldn't this be the job of MAS? Organising meetings with each and every investor and find out how they have been mislead into buying these products and negotiating with the FIs for the appropriate amount of compensation???

In fact you are so wrong, I've recited the Singapore Pledge for more than 10 years. Are we truly democratic? If there's equality, then why some people can command a $3 million salary after paycut while the others like you and me fear about losing our jobs in this bad economy?; December 01, 2008 5:07 PM
Anonymous said...: Mr Chan, in any case, please look at both sides of the coin. The investors are losing sleep and appetite over their loss, but if the FIs were to compensate in full to each and every investor, it would also mean that there's a chance that they would go bust or have to retrench large amount of employees. This in turn drags down our economy.

Don't tell me that DBS retrenching 900 employees has nothing to do with this saga. Aren't those employees innocent too? Aren't they losing sleep and appetite too? How are they gonna find a job in this bad economy?; December 01, 2008 5:17 PM
Unknown said...: The retrenchments by the FIs have a timely dual effect. first off they wanted to do so. second it paint the perfect picture that hey they too are in trouble. Exactly the image they wanted to project it.

But yes, pledge or no pledge, dubious legal system or no dubious legal system, the monies are goner.
They wont compensate becos that opens a whole series of Pandora Boxes on refunds, past, present, Future!!

Whatever happen next now is just the autopsy of how it all went. WHO that all went to; December 01, 2008 5:35 PM
Tan Kin Lian said...: The majority of the commentators prefer to continue with the meeting on Saturdays at 5 p.m. I will keep to this day and time. We will accept some clash of events.; December 01, 2008 6:21 PM