An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
Not only is the process of data collection and analysis inherently problematic within bureaucratic organisations when they try to deal with vulnerable communities, most government departments in Singapore — and MOM is one of the major culprits — are suspiciously opaque about how their numbers and statistics are obtained. Whenever it is convenient to them, a number is fetched from a department’s bowels, terminology not explained, methodology, definitions, and comparative data over longitudinal periods (10, 20 years) not provided. Most times it is impossible to discern meaning from such isolated information. Over time, as this habit is observed again and again, ever contemptuous of the public’s intelligence, the overall credibility of the government department just sinks.
And when divisional directors make bald assertions on the basis for such disconnected, suspect data, they shouldn’t be surprised when they are mocked on social media.
It bears repeating that information is collected only when pertinent questions are asked. But, as I mentioned in the opening paragraph, there is so much faith invested in theory, and so much unwillingness to uncover facts that undermine the comfort of theory, that, based on my own observations of MOM, pertinent — nay, pressing — questions are seldom asked.
Next, we move on to deal at length with the assertions that Teoh made. They were in response to the points made by Russell Heng to the Committee earlier.
http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/20...d-by-ministry/
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