Prince William amused by PAP’s grand ‘wayang’ at Queenstown
Posted by temasektimes on September 14, 2012
The grand ‘wayang kulit’ put up by the PAP at Queenstown to welcome Prince William not only failed to impress, but made Singapore a laughing stock in the world.
The usually quiet and deserted playground at Queenstown was suddenly filled with children playing and elderly practising Tai-Chi and silat to welcome the royal couple who are on a tour of the Asia-Pacific region to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond jubilee:
Obviously amused and befuddled by the spectacle, Prince William asked the MP for the area Indranee Rajah who accompanying him if it is common for senior citizens to practise tai chi in the playground to whom she replied rather embarrassingly ‘yes, but not at 3 in the afternoon’.
Speaking to queries from the state media later, Ms Rajah said the photos were ‘taken out of context’:
“The presentation was a collaboration between HDB and the People’s Association. We want to show the royal couple the latest generation of Singapore’s public housing and to exhibit our community activities as well as the multiracial, multicultural aspect of life in Singapore.”
Ms Indranee Rajanee should have saved taxpayers’ monies by bringing the royal couple to visit Tanglin Halt a stone’s throw away where elderly can be seen scavenging for cardboard in the streets to showcase the real Singapore.
Singapore is one of the few countries in the world to stage such ‘wayangs’ for foreign dignitaries together with other repressive regimes like China, North Korea and Myanmar.
THE TEMASEK TIMES 
Eddie Mendoza said
“Ms Indranee Rajanee should have saved taxpayers’ monies by bringing the royal couple to visit Tanglin Halt a stone’s throw away where elderly can be seen scavenging for cardboard in the streets to showcase the real Singapore.”
Well said TT. This is the sad truth about Singapore and not the wayang they staged to impress the royal couple.
In fact just this morning as I was headed for work, I saw the same sad familiar scene of a very elderly citizen, scarcely able to walk, bent over sweeping around a MRT station.
In the not too distant future, those elderly struggling to sweep our streets and clean our tables will not be true blue Singaporeans who have aged but daft foreigners stupid enough to accept Singapore citizenship.
Gina said
It’s really such a ridiculous spectacle,, an artificial show put on to impress the royal visitors – from the photo, I can see elderlys dressed in their very best and practising tai chi in the hot sun…a totally artificial scenario!
This is very similar to North Korea only allowing visitors to certain areas of Pyongyang which have Ben spruced up.
As I am also very sure the surroundings of the HDB flat that the royal couple viewed would have been super cleaned,freshly painted..just to impress for a short few hours!
Why does the government need to go to such artifice to do do?
oldguard said
senior citizen practise tai chi, not staying in this area, brought in from PA to showcase,
spotlessleopard said
The Royal Couple are not dummies the are polite enough…..not to redicule the Govt. for they understand fully well Singapore is no different from North Korea in many ways…
teo cheap buy said
Taken for a drive
Mike Zeng said
Proves that netizens really love PAP-bashing at every turn. But they deserve it! They simply love to make fools of themselves every now and them. They have very thick hides and shameless following the example of their grand old leader as well as Pinky. Back in 1994 Cathy Lim already wrote about the Great Affective Divide between the PAP leaders and the rakyat….still remains true today! And it all started with the day they made themselves multi-millionaires overnight.
Singkaypoh said
Should have taken the royal couple to the $$1 million luxury HDB there to appreciate the “fantastic views” too… I’m sure they’ll be damn impressed!!!
Jaded said
hahaha only the bookworm civil servants and their equally clueless masters could have come up with something like this. This is really too good… LOL
Walls have ears said
WOULD THE PRINCE BE READING ALL THIS
SHiiiiiiiiii …… !!!
Charlie Tan said
Can any resident of the estate confirm if the playground was renovated and the blocks of flats given a new coat of paint.
Gina said
Easy to confirm, just make a trip down to the area.
Singkaypoh said
What! Didn’t let them shake hands with the other “foreign dignitaries” the pandas???
Singkaypoh said
Oh, it is common for MIW to practice “tai chi” anywhere, anytime, like for example our National CONtheNATION, haha!
spotlessleopard said
The must have learnt this type of Wayang from the the KIMS of Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea….well done…
Yharyah said
asking the senior citizens to practise tai chi at 3pm is utterly silly!
Tan Kow Ku said
I don’t even know that SinkaPoor govt behave like a Communist China for staging such a wayang all along to foreigners. May be TT should consider sending this article to the Prince William.
Henry said
Let’s make this topic part of the National Conversation!
spotlessleopard said
As the saying goes: “Only Mad dogs and English men go out into the Afternoon Hot Sun”…and Indranee may wish to apply for a Scholarship to North Korean to learn how to put up a really grand show …..
singaporean said
Ultimate disgrace…
Bapok Sissy AssLoong said
Wah !! I really like your comment.
Two thumbs up !!
Prince William and Princess Kate must have giggled between themselves after their visit to Queenstown… and will roar in laughter when thinking back on the silly wayang put up by the PAPpies during their visit to Singapore.
Hahahahaha…..
hahaha said
lol pap turn on damage control. its so obvious to the royal couple that its a fake setup. how can on one side got hundreds of screaming fans that have to be barricaded away then few metres opposite the kids and oldies just carry on with their stuff uninterested? it just goes to show that pap thinks the royal couple are so dumb that they want to deceive them to this extent.
Singkaypoh said
They think royal couple are daft peasants, loooool
Daft Peasant said
you calling me??
😛
spotlessleopard said
those barricaded are rif raff….and those not barricaded are decendents of the Ruling Class…
botak said
scavenging for cardboxes & empty cans @ ANGMOKIO also….PM LEE?
Omayi said
Hmm……….striking resemblance on the Munich during their hosting of Olympics where they put up a show for everybody around the world to see.
Poor Man said
You are clearly an idiot for confusing the Berlin Olympics with the Munich Olympics.
Fox said
You shouldn’t put the word “embarassingly” in the sentence:
“to whom she replied rather embarrassingly ‘yes, but not at 3 in the afternoon’.”
I am sure as part of the PAP she is immune to embarassment.
Troll King said
Welcome to North Korea.
Goh Tong Seng said
North Korea don’t usually receive westerners…
spotlessleopard said
It should be “Welcome to North Korea WANNABE”
rojak said
never show prince william papee’s million dollar pigeon hole? more expensive than buckingham palace.
Sure Can Do said
Impressing foreign dignitaries, while necessary, is a passing concern. Touching locals is the essence of govt, favourably or otherwise.
Where govt is for a small clique of elites and their cronies, the impact of bad policies upon the ppl is pervasive and there will b much discontent. Worse, if an elitist govt favours FTs over its citizens, adding insult 2 injury.
If LHL is genuine to connect with the ppl, he needs 2 do a 180 degree about-turn to empathise with the coomon ppl, the elderly and the poor, to get down from his high hobby-horse tailor made 4 him by his old PAPie fox-dad and infamous seat-warmer we all know, to look abv and beyond his cronies 2 the hard truths of the ppl’s hardships in transport, social security net, lock-up of CPF funds, miserable false doles of money 2 the ppl near election time 2 take them back and more post-elections, etc., etc.
But, as Catherine Lim rightly asks, can the PAP turn around?
Julie Ong said
Thanks for your comments, Sure Can do.
Agree with your critical but fair views.
Mr Lee Hsien Loong does not have to struggle with the day to day existence like most of our fellow Singaporeans do. He has a privileged upbringing. Therefore, he doesn’t understand the hardships of the poor and weak. But assuming that he does have some ‘feelings’ his action thus far towards the plight and hardship of our poor is negligible. Some Ang Pows to the needy during Chinese New Year as an example. Nothing to really help them to improve their lives on a long term and sustainable basis. Certainly, not everyone can be helped, but the point is that the government is not helping much at all except helping themselves to higher salaries.
The royal couple are not fools. I’m sure that they know that the whole thing is put up for show and not real life. For that matter no one is stupid.
We can only hope that with this National Conversation things will improve.
If not we’ll have to continue whingeing and put even more pressure on the government.
Life in Singapore will increasingly be more difficult. That is reality. However the government can make it a little easier.
But then …… it’s so much easier to talk than to actually work ….. so we’ll certainly hear more nice and pleasant things……. which in the end actually counts for Nothing!
Dulan Pee-A-Pee said
Why do until like this?
为设么要做到这样？
Ron said
The Prince is intelligent enough to know that in bloody hot, humid Spore, no one with cow sense will be exercising outdoors in the sun. And the Prince must have been sweating too in his suit, the wrong garment for that location. Of course he was on his way to the next engagement and hence was better suited for that.
A better idea would have a cruise through the picturesque Spore harbour and visit Sentosa island.
Frances said
Such a spectacle! One elderly dressed up in full kungfu-style pyjamas, and two others in polo shirts topped up with vests and jogging pants – at 3 in the afternoon in the current heat and humidity a la haze!
Singkaypoh said
What? They didn’t spend $8.6 mil air-conding the place like the panda cage?
RC said
Reminds me of all those wayang kulit shows North Koreans put up for all their leaders in their country.
Poor Man said
Don’t tell me you don’t know the difference between wayang and wayang kulit?
FTs who dun like PAP said
Yah, everyone cried for the dead leader.
I can’t wait to pee on our dead leader’s grave!
RC said
Prince William has already been warned “never believe what pap says or shows you”
FTs who dun like PAP said
Really? When was that?
ngpy said
Doing silly things as if all people are dafts. They are thinking Ang Mos are so stupid to believe this is is the way of life of Singapore and Singaporeans.
5vvaper said
Maybe the grassroots people should just put up the Gangnam Style dance instead cos this wayang show just gave me cancer
Yuko said
the only thing missing is the army or civil defense people to show off their skills haha
FTs who dun like PAP said
Want to show off their skills?
Start WAR III loh!
FTs who dun like PAP said
start WORLD WAR III !
ngpy said
How much did they pay for, to stage the WAYANG SHOW and how much are being paid to “KE-LE-FEs” (part timer roadside actors). Please count count me in, if they pay well.
Amabelle Kok said
Indeed making a fool of ourselves !
Damm embarrassed especially when the prince asked .
Daft Peasant said
ha ha ha ha………does the crowd get chicken rice?? Or NTUC voucher???
Ken said
We have 1000 and 1 ways that we can impress the Royal family on a typical Singapore living life but the PAP government just screwed it up with a joke for the rest of the world.
Kosan said
Singaporeans are not stupid. Please stop acting as if we are. This is show put up by the ball licking PA for their beloved MP.
Dee said
Wayang kulit is totally the wrong choice of word. You are the embarrassment.
Adolf Meinstein said
Wayang Kulit means shadow puppets…so aren’t these guys puppets? Why wrong choice of words?
Poor Man said
Where is the shadow coming from? Your German backside?
Goh Tong Seng said
They are doing it out in the open, not behind a back-lighted screen casting shadows.
jess tan said
to showcase to the royal couple the life of children and elderly here; The organiser shld bring royal couple to school see the children still tuition aft school hour and go to kopitiam; the place in real life of local uncles spending their aftnoon time and aunties playing 四色牌 under voiddeck: it a joke to showcase the’fake wayang’ to royal couple;(
Idamayang said
Nothing wrong with showcasing what is quite true. I do see elderly doing tai chi very frequently at the playground, under the void deck and the multi-purpose hall at Boon Lay and Jurong areas and yes, there are certainly lots of kids who love our playgrounds and will play there after school. Er..wasting taxpayers’ monies? I am sure our govt did not pay millions of dollars to the elderly doing tai chi or the small kids who were playing. Even if they did, there’s surely more good than harm to give our elderly and our young generation some recognition and monetary reimbursement for their efforts.
Alex said
Can U just stfu pls?
pi said
tall and handsome prince
Goh Tong Seng said
What does anyone expect? White guys eat a lot of beef, therefore their height.
When the Japanese first saw white people, they were amazed at their height, even without their big hats.
This got them started when it comes to beef consumption.
True Singaporean said
I seriously do not think that it had become a world laughing stocks. TR is just bullshitting! Yes Pap might not did a fantastic job, however i bet you guys commenting here cannot even fit the bill of being in that position. seriously get a life! i am not a PAP supporter, but you are making so much noise that you might be a laughing stock to other countries
Liar Liar said
People who feel the need to declare they are not pap supporters always turn out to be so indeed! Why do you even feel the need to utter this point in the first place?? Who is accusing you of being a pap supporter in the first place? Your conscience stricken?
Ah Gong said
Now everyone knows what is UNIQUELY SINGAPORE
E said
Oh dear Singapore. Big fail. The world stage has moved on from the silly puppet shows that seemingly pass as authentic “communications” here. You should have had dozens of third world crooks / drug lords / ex dictators waving their Singapore privately banked dollar bills – much more representative of the current nation’s state than ridiculing your own elderly citizens like performing zoo pandas. You could have introduced Robert Mugabe in Sentosa. Bloody sad.
LittlePanda said
the elderly are being fetched by bus from yishun. Their rewards is one packet of nasi lemak or chicken rice.
Izzie said
HAHAhahahah tai-chi at 3PM in the evening
Well done guys! i’m sure you trained hard for this “dress rehearsal”
Pray tell, lemme know when is the next “school play dued yeah ?”
Alex Tong said
Get a damn grip. The last line does not make ANY sense whatsoever.
(1) How do you know that China and North Korea stage such “wayangs” before dignitaries? Evidence?
(2) You claim that SIngapore is one of the few countries in the world to stage such “wayang”. What about the inspection of troops in any military parade before a foreign dignitary? That would be “wayang” too, wouldn’t it? After all, which Armed Force would have soldiers march and do drills in full ceremonials in the middle of the day?
If you have so many issues with Singapore, either (i) make the change from within; or (ii) leave the country. Don’t perpetually gripe, whine and complain. It contributes NOTHING to the situation besides evoke self-gratificating, masturbatory releases of angst and vitriol.
hee said
the man in the blue silky is a taichi master? should have get a girl to dress as chang-er
Ee Er San said
I was told that the royals enjoyed our wayang more than a Shakespearean play. Keep it up, guys!
baey yummy said
thanks to the pap bootlickers who made sg a laughing stock to the britons.
Striking Angel said
Prince Wiliam, I hope you are reading this. What you have seen, honestly – they are not real. Don’t believe me, you can ask your loyal subjects those who have been living here for years to verify. This had resulted in causing great embarrassment to us as Singaporeans. Our government has made Singapore a laughing stock to the world. Even tonight Chinese tabloids had made a big hooha out of this subject! Those Taichi practitioners whom you had seen don’t even lived in the estate. LOL!!!
kums said
All them Clowns in the playground should have been put in a circus. No ST report on Guess What’s Wrong In The Picture?
Victoria said
Wah… swiss standard of living????….we are like North Korea!!! cannot believe it!!!
Goh Tong Seng said
Why is this here?
Arun said
Epic Disgrace!..To the ‘brilliant” minds behind this mind numbing wayang..You have single handedly made us the laughing stock of the world.. words cannot elaborate the incompetence portrayed ……
keksim a sinkapo lang said
Swiss Standard of Living means staging silly puppet show for the british royal!
Willie said
Too structured, too organised, too rigid, too fake. You should see the Malaysians running around freely without all the fake protocols imposed by the Singaporeans
chua said
We have to give PaP and PA credits for staging this kind of showcase. They’re indeed the Best in what they do!
Reality is perception said
I’m surprised they didn’t roll out a red carpet.
hotelguest said
Stinkapore will and always be a wayang state….no different from North Korea
Lee Son said
By Idranee’s own admission, it is a form of disrespect to mislead will and kate – to “showcase” old folks dressed up and doing tai chi under the hot sun.
johnphoon said
No one ever happy with whatever the govt.’ does. What do you SIngaporean expect your govt. to do? is this wayang too difficult to swallowed by Singaporean that is the most urgent talk of the town? or you don’t think the Royals have not seen such scene before in many countries before? Anyway maybe Singaporean be happy when you are in a complacent state like us Malaysian? life and let life and take it easy guys. we in Malaysian sometime hope to be more like you guys. Primp and proper and things get done.
HP said
Yes, I don’t know why they have to make Songapore a laughing stock. Just imagine if Prince William and his entourage were shown the HRBS (High Rise Bomb Shelter) in the new HDB housing blocks, 30, 50 storeys high. Then they will really laugh all the way back to England. High Rise Bomb Shelter my foot! Get Real! Sick.
Singkaypoh said
With $1 mil fantastic view some more!!!
Singkaypoh said
with $1 million fantastic view some more leh!
Elliot said
I suppose it would be in the best interests of the Singapore government and all Singaporeans, to show foreign dignitaries, such as Kate and William, the elderly scraping for scraps and other negative aspects of Singapore life. Come on guys. We can do better. Lets hit the PAP but hit them objectively.
seriously said
I would like to see a country which goes out of the way to show foreign dignitaries the worst side of its country. Yes, there are the poor who are struggling to make ends meet. However, do name me this utopia where there are no homeless, no poor people. Will Obama showcase his veterans living on the streets? Will William bring LHL to meet the man asking him for some change. Are these playgrounds which we are showing Will & Kate fake? They are there for people to use. They were not constructed yesterday. And they do not only exist in Queenstown. Will the people in Queenstown agree to them being removed? Will all the people slamming the government randomly and irrationally agree to not building these playgrounds and living areas in their estate so we can help the poor? Is the playground spruced up for the visit? Of course, its common courtesy. You will be a poor host if you don’t pack up your junk when your relatives visit you during CNY. Why is there litter in the first place? Why are people throwing rubbish on the floor when they can just put it into dustbins?
ron jon said
poverty is the final stage in singapore .