Nero fiddled while Rome burned

There is sadly a general feeling that the narcissistic PM Lee Hsien Loong may be suffering from some kind of myopia in that he could not or would not want to face up to the deteriorating economic situation in Singapore or in the region. When questioned, he had the gall to dismiss it as a seasonal trend urging the people not to worry over it instead of coming up with any possible solution to mitigate the beleaguered big and small businesses from their hardship. The happy-go-lucky Prime Minister  would rather spend his time playing with babies and mingling with his constituents. It goes the same with his millionaire ministers except one or two who would harangue the populace on the imminent threat from Islamic terrorists and the measures to mitigate it should Singapore be attacked.

Depending on how one would look at it, it could not escape the indignity of the public that it is a kind of travesty of justice for the Prime Minister and his ministers to draw such obscene salaries from the taxpayers' money for giving such run-of-the-mill service. And the one who takes the cake is PM Lee himself who could make such stupid and insensible statement about the deteriorating economic situation. They fit the Chinese saying:"Pocket and pocket till contented" (袋袋平安) which is a pun on the real adage:"Generation after generation to live peacefully” （代代平安).

Now it takes the hard-hitting words of the Chief Executive of the Singapore Business Federation to jolt the inebriated PM Lee from his deep slumber. He painted not only a deteriorating economic situation this year but a worsening situation in 2017 for businesses big and small in Singapore. He also urged the PAP Government "to consider measures to assist businesses to overcome headwinds in the upcoming Budget 2017, even as it considers longer-term strategies."

Is it not an apt title to describe Singapore :"Nero fiddled while Rome burned"? How on earth can the 70 % electorate vote in such a mediocre PAP government is still an enigma. But they will have to face up to the unpalatable fact of voting in a self-serving government giving mediocre service to the public, a result of their incomprehensible ingenuity to cast their sacred votes for the PAP. There is an appropriate Chinese saying: "A wrong step will lead to an eternal regret" (一失足成千古恨).