a) Cutting Ministers' pay won't trim fat. You're getting a bargain for the ministers' pay. As a surgeon, I worked half as much and made 5 times more.
I can say this with a clear conscience because I have been in the private sector and come in to government, and I will tell you squarely in the face that you're getting a bargain for the ministers you get. (Channel News Asia, 9 Sept 03)
bi) "Is it better to take your medicine sooner or stretch it out? Take medicine once or two times? I prefer to make my medicine early..."- PM Lee Hsien Loong on reason for hike on GST from 5% to 7%
ii) "GST hike is to help the poor." - PM Lee
c) "Right now we have Low Thia Khiang, Chiam See Tong, Steve Chia. We can deal with them. Suppose you had 10, 15, 20 opposition members in Parliament. Instead of spending my time thinking what is the right policy for Singapore, I'm going to spend all my time thinking what's the right way to fix them, to buy my supporters votes, how can I solve this week's problem and forget about next year's challenges?"PM Lee Hsien Loong, 3 May 2006.
d) "The cure to all this talk is really a good dose of incompetent government," Lee senior told the Straits Times on Thursday, adding that it is "absurd" for Singaporeans to quarrel about ministerial pay and warned that Singapore would suffer if the government could not pay competitive salaries.
"Your security will be at risk and our women will become maids in other people's countries," he said. MM Lee April 2007
e) "Retrenchment is good for singapore. If there is no retrenchments, then I worry." - SM Goh
f) Our citizens put up chilies and onions to prevent the rain from falling
PM Lee at Grand Prix 2008
g) “No, it was not a U-turn, and neither was it a reversal of government policy. But you can call it a rethink.” - Yeo Cheow Tong
h) "People could buy frozen food instead of more expensive fresh food" "They could opt for house brand goods, which cost less than others. " - PM Lee
i) "'I mean, we are different. This was a lapse, what to do, it's happened." - PM Lee
j) 'This should never have happened. I am sorry that it has.' - Wong Kan Seng