How did we end up with a bunch of spin doctors who would give any excuse to explain any situation rather than tell it straight to Singaporeans?
Over the years, we’ve been given so many excuses that they must either think we are such gullible people or they are supremely gifted at getting away with pulling wool over our eyes.
During this COVID-19 pandemic, the excuses have been coming thick and fast – the latest ones being no need to be “overly alarmed” by the high cases among migrant workers because it’s due to comprehensive testing, dormitories are designed for communal living, and poor dormitory living conditions are not to be blamed, it’s due to the contagious nature of the virus.
On why Parliamentary proceedings cannot be broadcast live, they said it was because of low demand, now they have switched to saying it’s because the House could be turned into a “form of theatre”.
The truth is, we know who are the ones who have been putting up theatrics in Parliament to avoid answering questions on matters such as salary, size of reserves and breakdown of jobs filled by Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and foreigners.
But he volunteered for this job!
When SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek came under fire for not fixing the problematic company culture after several years, the reason given was that his heart was in the right place – in fact, he was not parachuted in to fix problems “but he volunteered for this job”.
In this case, the excuse made the whole thing look even more ridiculous – Singaporeans didn’t know that one could volunteer for a job that paid millions.
In his six years with SMRT, Kuek was paid close to $10 million.
On the elderly poor being reduced to collecting cardboards for a living, they said it was done “as a form of exercise and activity rather than being cooped up at home”.
Either they tried to fool us or if they really believed in what they were saying, it only means that they themselves were cooped up in an ivory tower.
It’s a freak, it’s a once in every 50 years flood!
When there was flooding in Orchard Road some years back, they attributed it to a “freak event” that happened once every 50 years. Then the floods came back again with a vengeance and people realised that there was no such thing as a once in every 50 years flood.
Orchard Road flooding was also referred to as “ponding” – as if all of us are dumb and do not know the difference between flooding and ponding.
The fact of the matter was the authorities misjudged the flood risk and let their guard down.
It would appear that every time they misjudge or mishandle something, there is an excuse for it.
The excuses will never end so it’s best that we end it here with the words of Rudyard Kipling:
“We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.”
