Haze: SG govt acts

This government has no lack of critics and detractors. Up to a point that is good as how do you keep them on their toes without adequate competition?

One thing the government has a long way to go or in the PM's mind, "we can always do better" is the most difficult job of communication. It goes far beyond giving out information.

Don't try to please everybody that is impossible - they knew that long ago, but try to please more people as often as possible keeping in clear sight what the objectives are.

I got calls, messages yesterday to go out and buy N95 masks before they run out. I didn't. I was fully confident the government will deliver. Anyway I am not sure we would know how to wear that mask properly and could end up worse unaware. Smarter to adapt the routine and remain indoors as much as possible.

Detractors it is time to watch your words or you might end up eating them later. All over the First World, well organized governments always shine in acute national non-political crises. Watch and learn. In the category of 'what we can control' this government will shine as we learn to cope with this bloody haze.

On a side note as I often think of how we could have leverage over the Indonesians, I wonder if we should not keep a secret list of some of their plantation tycoons and culpable legislators. Not so much to bump them off the street but denying them medical treatment in Singapore. This is not personal. Just desperately looking for leverage in states relations. We must really grow our leverage. Almost all the measures we are entertaining are not really feasible and come across more like cutting their nose to spite our face. I am really skeptical you can hunt down those responsible for the haze with the law. I wonder if it would not be like going after Al Capone....Keep thinking. Now working backwards from extra legal means.

Update: 11:25am

Hats off to TOC. People doing what they believe in versus civil servants on salaries. You know who is likely to come out better.

I prefer to see this as a friendly competition. This government badly needs competition or the good can never become great. After all they are quick to tell us how good they are but that's always comparing themselves to failures elsewhere.

Update: 11:50am

I have started the post proposing that the government would shine in their effort in the areas we have control. I also obliquely suggest that they are lousy communicators.

Here is something my nephew shared.

Thumbs up although from the medical and health angle the case is not completely tight but this is a first class gesture to tell our foreign workers their work is very much appreciated.

Update: 1:20pm

Looks like my rare gesture of optimism toward this government is a let down. Lots of people complaining N95s cannot be bought or very pricey. Well the science of it is that they aren't actually necessary under present conditions but most people do not know. It is prolonged exposure to this haze that is hazardous and the government was right to focus on the vulnerable.

When you are a lousy communicator you come across as incompetent.

If politicians cannot communicate what use are they when they cannot rally the people? Nature abhors a vacuum. Who is going to fill that?

In a way this is an interesting post. I started confident about them, which in the essentials that has not been lost. Then I noticed how bottom up here and there people are doing wonderful work without compensation, i.e, they are doing better than the government with its information, reach and resources adjusted for scale.

I wonder at the end of the day I would have an update to scold them as I had often done. Still the same old problem: a government that is out of touch with the people. Obviously they fail to see that people are hoarding masks. Few people are like me and my brother who know what to do. My calm has blindsided me under estimating the run on masks.

At his rate, if we ever we have a bank run can this government cope? I still remember how they failed to guarantee all bank deposits in the global financial crisis five years ago until they saw Hong Kong did.

Update: 2:30pm

A picture for keeps of embarrassment of Ng Eng Hen committee.

This is Funan Centre, not an office or apartment block. This is the queue outside Guardian at 10am. All N95s were sold in minutes.

How many know that for practical purpose you could just use a moist surgical mask to achieve what is needed. You are not trying to ward off pathogens. Ng Eng Hen and Vivian B are both doctors but clueless on how to communicate.


Update: 4:40pm

I have been following this one: an urgent need from St. Luke's Hospital. Ng Eng Hen committee didn't come to their aid and I am not sure if they were suppose to and if not, why do we have his committee for? They can't even supply face masks or effectively communicate with the public not to be anxious about getting an N95.

Update: 5:05pm

This one is from The Real Singapore.

Yet another example to show how sloppy Ng Eng Hen's committee is. First you can't supply and of course going with it must inform where the supply of N95s are going to. Then you do not advise appropriate price range especially when this is not an ordinary purchase.

We are going to come out of this crisis ever more convinced how $$$ minded this government is.

Your regular detractors are not eating their words, I am. No problem. My faith in this government has fallen into the basement and all because it is out of touch with the people and a hopeless interlocutor.

PM put the wrong guy on this job. Perhaps the minister in charge of the civil service Teo Chee Hean would be obeyed than you. I think only Mindef will take orders from you. Well what can I do but 'logically speculate'. This is quite harmless as Singaporeans by and large are over reacting to the haze anyway. Nothing wrong except it show your scant respect for the people. You are suppose to lead, inform and protect instead you leave them to their ignorance to make fools of themselves buying up these N95s. No problem for those who can easily afford but what about the fearful poor?

Ng Eng Hen's committee is for press briefings only. We can write them off. Looks like the real work is done by us organizing ourselves using social media.


Update: 5:20pm

Good job from a PAP MP made possible by TOC :-) Not until now I didn't even know there is a David Ong in parliament.

Unlike the many unnecessary N95 purchases, this was a real need identified and met without the government involved.

Of course this is an exaggeration but the way things are happening from the ground up than top down gives it a certain Hurricane Katrina deluge on New Orleans.

Update: 6:00pm

I have never updated a blog post as quickly or furiously as this one! But this is really something to remember. It's just like the profiteering you might see in a natural disaster crisis but to be fair not as inflated. Still it looks ugly.

See what not Mt. Elizabeth or Gleneagles but TTSH is charging for a box of 20 N95s

Now compare this with what you have to pay at Amazon.com US$8.89 or you might go and pay no more than US$13.99 elsewhere

TTSH is three to more than five times pricier than Amazon! Government profiteering at our expense in a crisis.

Update: 7:35pm

In a way we (because I have read the comments) are partially angry with the government for nothing - we should be unhappy for their stunted communication abilities.

The government just could not respond quickly enough. They ran a machinery that belongs to the world of the slow going dinosaur and they thought they were shipshape.

They have to rethink government to move faster and more flexibly. This is not a challenge that can be addressed with tweaks.

It is good that we have a hint of it now than in even more unfortunate circumstances.

In this environment you need to be faster and yet be careful not to go too fast. Readers of this blog wouldn't know but there were countless times my gut feel told me to hold back and wait to be surer before writing. This post started differently. A wish to see the government redeems itself at least in my view. So I took a bet which turned out to be wrong.