Trump says that Singapore stole 199 jobs from America

Singapore - the little red dot of the world - has been put in the spotlight by the US Presidential Elections not once, but twice.

The first time was when Kenneth Sng, a Singaporean studying in Washington University, delivered the opening speech as the Student Union President, at the start of the second US Presidential debate on 9 Oct 2016. (See here for details.)

That was a moment of pride for Singapore. Even PM Lee praised Kenneth on Facebook, saying "Glad that he mentioned 'Singapore, my home', in his remarks. Well done Kenneth. Keep the Singapore flag flying high!"

Then came the second time when Singapore was again mentioned. However this time, the reason for the mention was puzzling, some even going as far as to say that it was an outright lie simply not true.

Then candidate Donald Trump (now, unbelievably, President-elect), during his campaign rally on 6 Nov at Florida, had stated that Baxter Healthcare Corporation had laid off off 199 workers and move their jobs to Singapore. (See here, here, here, here and YouTube video here from the 1:48:30 mark)

Needless to say, Singaporean netizens were quick to condemn curse Trump point out the fallacies in his statement.

Trump, whose own line of merchandise is made outside of the US.

Pic: SGAG

Some think that Trump was simply being his typical clueless self and probably thought that Singapore was part of China. (which actually happens more often that you might think).

Pic: SGAG

When you put Singapore next to the US, its obvious how small we are. (And we are NOT a part of China)

Pic: Mashable / Google Maps

Geographical Size
Singapore: 687 SqKm
US: 9,147,593 SqKm

Gross Domestic Product
Singapore: $293 billion which ranks 38th in the world.
US: $17.9 trillion which is the highest GDP in the world.
(Source)

Population Size
Singapore: 5.78 million (2016) (Source)
US:  323.95 million (2016) (Source)
The States has a population that is more than 50 times larger than Singapore!


As the facts above show, Singapore is really a microbe when compared to the US. And yet, Trump feels threatened by the loss of "199 jobs".

And as far as Baxter Healthcare is concerned, their global website states that "Baxter employs approximately 61,500 people worldwide and conducts business in more than 100 countries."

That isn't at all surprising considering that Baxter Healthcare is a global company. And when you consider the "199 jobs" that Trump quoted, that number becomes insignificant when you consider the size of the whole company. This isn't a fair representation of the facts at all, Trump!

Even PM Lee, whether as an intentional throw-back at Trump or not, mentioned in this little factoid in his congratulatory letter to Trump.

"... Investments by Singapore companies in the United States, combined with America’s exports to Singapore, have created some 240,000 jobs for American workers. ..."

And let's see what the facts are relating to US and Singapore Trade. Here's some information extracted from the Office of the US Trade Representative.

U.S.-Singapore Trade Facts 

U.S. goods and private services trade with Singapore totaled $68 billion in 2012 (latest data available). 

Exports totaled $43 billion; Imports totaled $25 billion. The U.S. goods and services trade surplus with Singapore was $18 billion in 2012. 

Singapore is currently our 17th largest goods trading partner with $49 billion in total (two ways) goods trade during 2013. Goods exports totaled $31 billion; Goods imports totaled $18 billion. 

The U.S. goods trade surplus with Singapore was $13 billion in 2013. 

Trade in private services with Singapore (exports and imports) totaled $17 billion in 2012 (latest data available). Services exports were $12 billion; Services imports were $5 billion. 

The U.S. services trade surplus with Singapore was $7 billion in 2012. 

Source: Office of the US Trade Representative website (as of 11 Nov 2016)

Read more:

Channel NewsAsia: PM Lee sends congratulatory letters to Donald Trump, Mike Pence

Mashable Asia: Trump accuses tiny Singapore of stealing U.S. jobs, immediately gets trolled

Channel NewsAsia: Singapore among countries stealing US jobs: Trump

Reactions to the KPMG Report on the AHPETC / AHTC

Pic: Singapore Matters FB Page

Pic: Screen-cap from Goh Meng Seng's FB page

Pic: Fabrications About The PAP FB page  Quote Source: Goh Meng Seng FB page

Danny Loh: the missing link in the AHTC saga

By Bertha Henson, The Middle Ground 

"... It’s a pity that documents and emails have been deleted from the accounts of the FMSS directors and employees.

Said KPMG: “Email archives pertaining to How Weng Fan were not present on the electronic device that we were informed was assigned to her.” 

On June 2 last year, 17 documents and four email archives were deleted from the profile of Mr Loh.

We wonder what Mr Loh could have said if he was alive. ..." (See Full Article here)

When Town Council managers start issuing cheques to themselves outside… 

By 'I Tahan You Very Long Already'

"... Now every resident of Aljunied and Hougang has to ask himself- Can I trust the denials of my Town Council and MPs any more? Will my hard-earned money be paid to WP supporters? Will the Town Council properly maintain my lifts, electricity fittings and other essential amenities?   ..." (See Full Article Here)

AHTC getting sued 

By 'Thoughts of Real Singaporeans'  

"... The Workers’ Party have always been a credible opposition party. They can no longer brush this issue aside as they had done previously because their own independent (read NOT PAP) auditors found these lapses (and there is just no way they could blame the PAP for it).

All eyes will be on their leader Low Thia Khiang as he needs to continue and show that the Workers’ Party are not like the cronies of the PAP and rise above this AHTC / AHPETC saga. 

Are his Workers’ Party members as loyal as they seem? or will they hightail, rat each other out and leave him to face the consequences? ..." (See Full Article here)

No Way Out for Workers Party 

By 'onwardssignapore' 

"... Some interesting observations, first, how long do they need to correct the accounts? It’s already slightly more than a year since GE2015. Time is precious, no? If this is a measurement of effectiveness, they have failed miserably. ..." (See Full Article here)

Pic: Onwardssignapore

Pic: FLOP FB Page

Pic: Squeaky Hammer FB Page

Read more below

• Straits Times: MND, HDB ask WP-run AHTC to take steps to recover improper past payments (4 Nov 2016)

• Ministry of National Development: MND’s Statement on the KPMG Report (4 Nov 2016)

• Channel NewsAsia: KPMG notes 'serious flaws' in AHTC's governance (1 Nov 2016)

• Mothership.Sg: KPMG’s report on Aljunied-Hougang Town Council’s so serious, the word “criminal” was mentioned (1 Nov 2016)

• KPMG Report on AHTC: Report on Improper Payments (31 Oct 2016) (Backup link)

Breaking news : Independent Auditors find questionable transactions amounting over S$1.5m

Now we know why WP has been so reluctant to resolve the AHPETC / AHTC Account mess.

Now we know why WP has been wanting to appoint their choice of incompetent Auditors.

Now we know why WP wants to have a "non-disclosure" clause before releasing the account documents to the Auditors and PRPTC.

As the Chinese proverb says, “紙包不住火“, which literally means that paper cannot cover fire.

The factual truth about how the AHPETC / AHTC 's sad state of financial affairs came about, will soon be exposed. 

Transparency and Accountability indeed. Let's wait and see what sort of lame excuses WP will come up with now.



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AHTC made millions in improper payments, KPMG flags concerns about criminal conduct

TODAY : http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/ahtc-made-millions-improper-payments-some-shortcomings-if-deliberate-could-amount-criminal

SINGAPORE — Independent auditors have found that flawed governance in the Workers’ Party-run Aljunied Hougang Town Council (AHTC) led to improper payments running into the millions to various parties, including to its former managing agent FM Solutions & Services (FMSS) and service provider FM Solutions and Integrated Services (FMSI).

In a report made public on the town council's website on Tuesday (Nov 1), KPMG said improper payments to FMSS and FMSI alone amounted to over S$1.5 million.

AHTC also overpaid when it appointed FMSS as its managing agent by more than S$1.2 million, said KPMG, which was appointed by AHTC on court orders to help fix compliance and governance lapses uncovered in a special audit by the Auditor-General’s Office.

Read the full article here : http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/ahtc-made-millions-improper-payments-some-shortcomings-if-deliberate-could-amount-criminal

Transcript of PM Lee Hsien Loong's interview with Ian Bremmer, Time Magazine

A summit with leaders of the (then) negotiating states of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP). Pictured, from left, are Naoto Kan (Japan), Nguyễn Minh Triết (Vietnam), Julia Gillard (Australia), Sebastián Piñera (Chile), Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore), Barack Obama (United States), John Key (New Zealand), Hassanal Bolkiah (Brunei), Alan García (Peru), and Muhyiddin Yassin (Malaysia). Six of these leaders represent countries that are currently negotiating to join the group. Pic: Wikimedia Commons

Interview Transcript Extract:

Q: What are the consequences of no TPP?

PM: Your standing goes down with many countries around the world. Your opponents as well as your friends will say, "You talked about the strategic re-balance, you talked about developing your relationships. You can move aircraft carriers around. But what are the aircraft carriers in support of"? It has to be deeper economic and broad relationships. You do not do things which the Chinese do. The Chinese go around with lollipops in their pockets. They have aid, they have friendship deals, they build you a Prime Minister’s office or President’s office, or Parliament House or foreign ministry. For them, trade is an extension of their foreign policy.

You do not do these retail items. The one big thing which you have done is to settle the TPP, which Obama has done. It shows that you are serious, that you are prepared to deepen the relationship and that you are putting a stake here which you will have an interest in upholding. Now, let’s say you cannot deliver on the TPP. After you have gotten Vietnam to join, after you have gotten Japan to join, after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made very difficult arrangements on agriculture, cars, sugar and dairy. Now you say, "I walk away, that I do not believe in this deal." How can anybody believe in you anymore?

It is not just on trade, even on strategic issues. The key thing in Northeast Asia is North Korea. They are unpredictable, they are developing their nuclear capabilities and their missiles. You do not want the South Koreans to do that, you do not want the Japanese to do that. What is the restraint on them? It is your credibility as an ally and as a deterrent. I do not think failing to ratify the TPP will strengthen that at all, or help Mr. Abe, who has gone out on a limb to support this and is in the process of ratifying it right now.

Read the Full Interview Transcript (from PMO) here.

Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong on the U.S. Election, Free Trade and Why Government Isn’t a Startup

By Ian Bremmer, TIMES

"Maybe Americans feel they don’t need the rest of the world anymore"

By virtue of its location—on the mouth of the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia, through which one-third of the world’s seaborne traffic passes daily — Singapore has always been a country that punches well above its weight on the geopolitical and economic stage. It’s a country of many cultures and languages, and one that is a staunch ally of the U.S. while maintaining strong trading ties with a rising China.

That makes Lee Hsien Loong, Singpore’s Prime Minister and the son of its founder Lee Kuan Yew, a good person to speak to if you want to understand how Asia works. TIME foreign-affairs columnist Ian Bremmer had a chance recently to sit down with Lee in Singapore. The full transcript of their conversation — which touches on U.S. politics, China’s reforms and how to run a country in the age of automation — is reprinted below:

Q: Let me ask you a couple of questions about the perception of the U.S. election in Singapore, because I am very interested in that. Let us assume Hillary [Clinton] is going to win, I feel very confident about that. Let us assume that Trump does not do significant damage after the elections are over. How much damage do you think has been done concretely through this 18-month electoral process?

PM: In every American election, crazy things are said. Positions are taken which the winners try very hard to forget afterwards. George Bush Sr. said “read my lips” and regretted it. All American candidates who won have before winning been very harsh on China, and after winning, much more restrained in their approach towards China. On trade too, that has been true for some time. But this time it has been so nasty and harsh that I think Hillary, if she wins, will have a lot of things to unspeak which she will find very difficult to do. I think TPP [the Trans-Pacific Partnership] will be a casualty if it is not settled by January.

Read the full  Times Magazine article "Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong on the U.S. Election, Free Trade and Why Government Isn’t a Startup" here.

Workers Party demonstrate what it means to be "Transparent & Accountable"

So in the long running drama that is the AHPETC / AHTEC Town Council accounts, the Workers Party have decided that in the best interest of the public, as well as to demonstrate what it really means to be "Transparent & Accountable", WP are demanding that a Non-Disclosure clause be imposed BEFORE any Town Council Documents relating to Punggol East SMC (which Lee Li Lian lost in the 2015 General Elections to PAP's Charles Chong) is released to Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC) to finish the handover of accounts.

According to a TODAY news article, there are two reasons given by AHTC vice-chairman Sylvia Lim to explain why there has been a delay in handing over the Accounts.

(1)  There are "... confidentiality concerns that “need to be worked out”. Information relating to the town council’s vendors, contracting rates, and staff must not fall into the hands of a third party."

and

(2) that it would be "... physically challenging for AHTC staff to sieve through files and extract documents pertaining only to Punggol East."

First reason given - The Docs are "confidential" and must not fall into the hands of a "third party".

Can we say that this reason is rubbish to the nth degree? Why should the documents of the Town Council be "confidential"?  Who are the "third parties" that you are afraid of?

You are managing and operating a public entity. You are dealing with pretty mundane municipal matters like maintenance, area cleaning, facilities management etc. You are NOT a company with confidential Intellectual Property or designs that could be stolen by a competitor.

And what third parties? The Govt? What bullshit! The AGO just audited you. The PAP? Come on lah, you lost the SMC to the PAP. And they (PAP & PRPTC) are taking over Punggol East SMC from you. They have every right to any and all documents relating to PE SMC.

Unless, of course, you have something to hide which is either horribly embarrassing or will be politically very damaging to the Workers party (like showing how incompetent the Town Council was managed and where all the TC surplus was spent on).


Second reason - "Physically challenging"???   

What kind of a rubbish, bull-shit, primary school level type of excuse is this?

Hello! Didn't you invest in a new accounting/Town Council Mangt system when you took over in 2011? (See here, here and here)

Are you now suggesting that that this accounting/TC mangt IT system never materialised and/or is the system so badly built that the Town Council accounts are all hard-copy based?? (which in itself is a real cause for concern too. You spent the resident's money on the system but it fails to do the job it was designed for??)

Come on lah.. who are you trying to bluff?

The last few times AHPETC / AHTC tried to put obstacles in the way of the AGO / HDB in trying to sort out the TC accounting mess that WP created, it turned out that WP was simply trying to hide their incompetence from the public.

For example, back in Jan 2016, WP refused to use a "Big-Four" Audit firm to audit the TC accounts. Instead, WP wanted to appoint their own Auditors. It would later turn out that WP's choice of Auditors would be poorly qualified and simply not up to the task. 

And what's even more interesting is that in the end, all of  the WP nominated audit firms Business Assurance and MRI Moores, withdrew from being considered as AHTC's nominated accountants, without providing for any substantial reasons to explain their withdrawal.

What is interesting is that WP then applied to the Court for ACRA’s PMP documents (relating to WP's choice of Auditors) to not be released to the public. (CNA, 22 Jan 2016)

Isn't this all very suspiciously convenient? WP (intentionally?) chooses an incompetent unqualified audit firm. When this rejected by the Courts , WP applies to for the relevant documents to be kept secret. 

Why does WP want to seal the documents? 

And here's another fine example of WP's Transparency & Accountability moto in action. When the Court decided that a Big-Four Audit firm would be appointed, WP then tried to put a limit on what the Audit firm could check!

In MND's Reply to Media Queries on the Court of Appeal Hearing of 7 Jan 2016, it stated that: 

2(ii) Accountants’ Terms of Reference – AHTC’s Statement refers to the Court’s “helpful clarification that the accountants… were not being given a carte blanche to look into the TC’s affairs”. 

However: the Statement fails to disclose that AHTC had tried, unsuccessfully, to limit the accountants’ terms of reference, to: 

(a) Only the non-compliances identified by the Auditor-General’s Report (the “AGO Report”) of Feb 2015, and 

(b) Only any improper past payments involving its former managing agent, FM Solutions & Services (“FMSS”) and FM Solutions and Integrated Services (“FMSI”).

In other words, when WP failed to appoint an unqualified Auditor (perhaps in hopes that using an unqualified Auditor would mean less Audit findings.), WP had attempted to restrict what the Independent Auditor could do in its Audit.

And since the appointment of KPMG as the Independent Auditors, the public has since come to known that there are so many problems with the AHPTEC / AHTC accounts, that it really simply unbelievable.

The TC Accounts are under WP's direct control and oversight. How can WP have let things get into such a mess?

Why is WP constantly blocking access to documents?

Why did WP attempt to appoint unqualified Auditors?

Why did WP attempt to limit the scope of the Independent Auditors?

Is this an attempt at hiding something that would be disastrous for WP?

What ever happened to WP's promise of Transparency and Accountability?

What happened to WP's "over 25 years of experience managing Town Councils" ?

This are pertinent questions that remained unanswered by WP.

And yet, Low's response to the whole mess is simply this.

Read more here:

• TODAY: 25 Oct 2016 - AHTC seeks non-disclosure clause for document handover to PRPTC

• CNA: 7 Jan 2016 - HDB raises concerns about AHTC's choice of accountant

• Ministry of National Development: Reply to Media Queries on the Court of Appeal Hearing of 7 Jan 2016

• CNA: 22 Jan 2016 - Court orders AHTC to appoint 'Big 4' accounting firm 

• Read more about the AHPETC / AHTC saga

As expected, cowardly Alex Tan Zhixiang changes his tune once his lies have been exposed

Pic: Fabrications About The PAP FB page

On 22 Oct 2016, STR Editor Alex Tan Zhixiang, falsely claimed in an article that Law Minister K Shanmugam had said "Eurasian Singaporeans are Indian" in a forum on the changes to Singapore's Elected Presidency.

Shortly after, Min Shanmugam posted his remarks on his facebook page, slamming STR for the false attribution.

What happens next is typical (cowardly) behavior from Alex Tan Zhixiang.

Pic: Fabrications About The PAP FB page

Here's the screen-capture of STR Facebook post's edit history.

Pic: Fabrications About The PAP FB page

This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time, that STR Editor Alex Tan Zhixiang had posted a false and sensational headline/article on his rubbish website, ONLY to change the headline/article shortly after his lies had been exposed and debunked.

Alex Tan Zhixiang will blatantly lie, even in the face of photographic evidence.

Despite the widely available photos and videos which clearly show Alex Tan Zhixiang taking an active role in the Sept 2014 YMCA Charity event Heckling incident at Hong Lim park, Alex Tan was quick to dissociate himself when news of Roy Ng and Han Hui Hui were being called in to assist with police investigations into the incident.

• Read the official SG Govt response here.

• See what TODAY paper reported about what the Law Minister actually said here.

• Also see what Min. Shanmugam had to say about the STR article here.

• You can read more about Alex Tan Zhixiang's various past antics and lies here.

• Read why we have given Alex Tan a crown of dead prawns here.

This is what happens when you read STR articles and believe what it says

This is exactly what happens when anyone reads a bullshit-filled STR / Alex Tan Zhixiang article and simply believes what it says without fact-checking.

Screen-capture from Hamish Brown Facebook page

The STR article by Alex Tan Zhixiang is written with lies and misleading half-truths which are intended to cause anger and provoke ill-feelings towards the Law Minister.

Have a read the comments under Hamish's first post. His friends were also reacting with anger, believing that the lies spread by STR was what the Minister had said.

Their reactions are the reason why race, as well as religious issues are still treated with extreme care in Singapore.

Racial sensitivity is the reason why the Editors of 'The Real Singapore' website  - Yang Kaiheng and Ai Takagi were arrested and charged under the Sedition Act for posting false articles which were intended to inflame racial relations and cause outrage between races in 2016.

It is also the same reason - religious sensitivity - why Amos Yee had to be taken to task for his videos which insulted various religions.


This is Hamish Brow's subsequent when he realises that he had been tricked by the falsehoods in the article from Alex Tan Zhixiang.

Screen-capture from Hamish Brown Facebook page

Here is the official SG Govt response here.

The Minister never said any of the things STR attributes to him. (22 Oct 2016) 

States Times Review (STR) article "Law Minister K Shanmugam: Eurasian Singaporeans are Indian" is a disgraceful fabrication. 

The Minister never said any of the things STR attributes to him. Indeed, he never said anything about Eurasians nor were there any questions posed to him about Eurasians at the IPS conference. 

It is malicious of STR to spread such vicious falsehoods, calculated to sow discord among our different ethnic groups. The Government will review STR's post and decide whether to take further action against STR.

See what TODAY paper reported about what the Law Minister actually said here.

Also see what Min. Shanmugam had to say about the STR article here.

You can read more about Alex Tan Zhixiang's antics and lies here.