Heng SWEE Keat collapsed in cabinet

[Blackyv]

i stay any ward that has nice young nurses

[Icemaiden]

A minister has a stroke and suddenly its due to hard work. Being active and working hard is not exactly a risk factor of a stroke. The risk factors are a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, lack of exercise, family history, age etc. A person can work hard and still not hv a stroke if he doesnt hv clogged arteries. We don't know if his stroke is due to his inability to cope with his work or some other factors. So why are these reporters jumping into conclusions that Singaporeans are too demanding?

 

Singaporeans are the most homogeneous and well-known to be the most obedient in the world. To insinuate that our "high expectations" is indirectly causing his stroke or Mr Khaw's heart bypass is really too much. SUDDENLY its's Singaporean's fault again when VIPs hv poor health? Ordinary people hv heart attacks and strokes too u know. How does she even link poor health with hard work? I know of successful people who work hard and contribute n still find time to exercise, eat healthily etc. And when bad things happen, sometimes its due to bad luck, sometimes poor lifestyle choices etc. At the end of the day, all of us are responsible for our well being and managing our stress levels.

 

But the most ironic part is, most Singaporeans prefer our Ministers and MPs to focus on setting policies and charting the future direction of the country. In fact many prefer the Ministers to stay away from estate management work which can be carried out by the civil service. But guess what? The PAP is not ready to give up that power. After all, every election is about municipal matters n carrots n sticks on estate upgrading. This is the most important weapon in every election. Having a heavy weight PAP MP n Minister means your estate will be better managed. So Singaporeans are prepared to decouple the policy making role and estate management role n lessen the workload of our Ministers. But who is the one not prepared to give up that power?

 

Real food for thought than the meaningless article above.

 

Wishing Dr Heng a speedy recovery.

Edited May 15, 2016 by Icemaiden

[Showster]

Not all prefer paper generals. In fact, most people don't prefer.

 

It's not about power but more of relating to people.

 

Although I agree with some of your points that fall sick may not mean work too hard and there are those who work very hard but do not fall sick, statistically I believe in the conclusion.

 

When CPU is overclocked, something gives. Its a matter of time.

 

A minister has a stroke and suddenly its due to hard work. Being active and working hard is not exactly a risk factor of a stroke. The risk factors are a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, lack of exercise, family history, age etc. A person can work hard and still not hv a stroke if he doesnt hv clogged arteries. We don't know if his stroke is due to his inability to cope with his work or some other factors. So why are these reporters jumping into conclusions that Singaporeans are too demanding?

 

Singaporeans are the most homogeneous and well-known to be the most obedient in the world. To insinuate that our "high expectations" is indirectly causing his stroke or Mr Khaw's heart bypass is really too much. SUDDENLY its's Singaporean's fault again when VIPs hv poor health? Ordinary people hv heart attacks and strokes too u know. How does she even link poor health with hard work? I know of successful people who work hard and contribute n still find time to exercise, eat healthily etc. And when bad things happen, sometimes its due to bad luck, sometimes poor lifestyle choices etc. At the end of the day, all of us are responsible for our well being and managing our stress levels.

 

But the most ironic part is, most Singaporeans prefer our Ministers and MPs to focus on setting policies and charting the future direction of the country. In fact many prefer the Ministers to stay awsy from estate management work which can be carried out by the civil service. But guess what? The PAP is not ready to give up that power. After all, every election is about municipal matters n carrots n sticks on estate upgrading. This is the most important weapon in every election. Having a heavy weight PAP MP n Minister means your estate will be better managed. So Singaporeans are prepared to decouple the policy making role and estate management management role n less the workload of our Ministers. But who is the one not prepared to give up that power?

 

Real food for thought than the meaningless article above.

[Icemaiden]

I guess I'm just perplexed - an Minister falls sick and its because Singaporeans are too demanding. Everything is Singaporean's fault, including the health of VIPs. And a person with poor healh does not means he works hard. Similarly a person in the pink of health doesn't mean he is lazy. The correlation between work and health is not necessarily negative. I know of people whose health deteriorate after they retire at a young age. So thats is why I find the article linking some Minister's poor health to Singaporeans being too demanding in rather poor taste. Everyone of us, VIP or otherwise, must take charge of our health and well being.

[Little_prince]

I guess I'm just perplexed - an Minister falls sick and its because Singaporeans are too demanding. Everything is Singaporean's fault, including the health of VIPs. And a person with poor healh does not means he works hard. Similarly a person in the pink of health doesn't mean he is lazy. The correlation between work and health is not necessarily negative. I know of people whose health deteriorate after they retire at a young age. So thats is why I find the article linking some Minister's poor health to Singaporeans being too demanding in rather poor taste. Everyone of us, VIP or otherwise, must take charge of our health and well being.

4 legs good! 2 legs better!

[Showster]

Deleted

Edited May 15, 2016 by Showster

[Invigorated]

I guess I'm just perplexed - an Minister falls sick and its because Singaporeans are too demanding. Everything is Singaporean's fault, including the health of VIPs. And a person with poor healh does not means he works hard. Similarly a person in the pink of health doesn't mean he is lazy. The correlation between work and health is not necessarily negative. I know of people whose health deteriorate after they retire at a young age. So thats is why I find the article linking some Minister's poor health to Singaporeans being too demanding in rather poor taste. Everyone of us, VIP or otherwise, must take charge of our health and well being.

Agree on this. I think even if one were to ask FM Heng, he wouldn't be pointing fingers at anyone except himself.

 

I wish Mr Heng a speedy recovery and this episode does serve another reminder to me to take more responsibility in my life and health. Have been taking health for granted in my younger days and now starting to pay back for some of that.

 

Good health to all bros and sis here and for those of us who haven't been exercising for whatever reasons, a good time to start on that today.

Edited May 15, 2016 by Invigorated

[Kangadrool]

Singaporeans where got demanding? They are the meekest. Wait until you kena from other nationalities. 

[Jamesc]

hearsay more sex can help 1 relax

 

No one supports more sex than me.

 

Male, female and something in between.

 

[Lala81]

Agree on this. I think even if one were to ask FM Heng, he wouldn't be pointing fingers at anyone except himself.

 

I wish Mr Heng a speedy recovery and this episode does serve another reminder to me to take more responsibility in my life and health. Have been taking health for granted in my younger days and now starting to pay back for some of that.

 

Good health to all bros and sis here and for those of us who haven't been exercising for whatever reasons, a good time to start on that today.

If you have an aneurysm, hypertension just makes it more likely to burst and bleed.

Based on current evidence, I don't really think working long hours provided you are not hypertensive is definitively linked to this condition.

 

But the japanese have the Karoshi death. I'm not sure what the coroner's report on these cases reveal. 

Did they die from heart related condition vs aneursym bleed?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kar%C5%8Dshi

 

Statistically speaking, the longer u spend at work/office, the more likely u will suffer an event there? No?

But saying all this, I'd rather not work such long hours 

At least not for your physical health, for most people, it takes a toll on your mental health like what someone else mentioned earlier in the thread.

Heng ah! So u maintain ur evergreen look as a lady killer. Haha

 

Btw, TTSH is d one of d best hospital in d region for treating stroke or nerve disorder. So, it makes sense, if one got a stroke (touch wood) to get admitted to TTSH instead of any others.

 

Singapore is small. But for big issues, generally stick to going to the nearest hospital.

 

In singapore, tertiary level care doesn't really differ too much. Just that SGH is the biggest hospital in SG and TTSH/NUH are the 2nd biggest.

[Lala81]

Good points.

 

A minister has a stroke and suddenly its due to hard work. Being active and working hard is not exactly a risk factor of a stroke. The risk factors are a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, lack of exercise, family history, age etc. A person can work hard and still not hv a stroke if he doesnt hv clogged arteries. We don't know if his stroke is due to his inability to cope with his work or some other factors. So why are these reporters jumping into conclusions that Singaporeans are too demanding?

Singaporeans are the most homogeneous and well-known to be the most obedient in the world. To insinuate that our "high expectations" is indirectly causing his stroke or Mr Khaw's heart bypass is really too much. SUDDENLY its's Singaporean's fault again when VIPs hv poor health? Ordinary people hv heart attacks and strokes too u know. How does she even link poor health with hard work? I know of successful people who work hard and contribute n still find time to exercise, eat healthily etc. And when bad things happen, sometimes its due to bad luck, sometimes poor lifestyle choices etc. At the end of the day, all of us are responsible for our well being and managing our stress levels.

But the most ironic part is, most Singaporeans prefer our Ministers and MPs to focus on setting policies and charting the future direction of the country. In fact many prefer the Ministers to stay away from estate management work which can be carried out by the civil service. But guess what? The PAP is not ready to give up that power. After all, every election is about municipal matters n carrots n sticks on estate upgrading. This is the most important weapon in every election. Having a heavy weight PAP MP n Minister means your estate will be better managed. So Singaporeans are prepared to decouple the policy making role and estate management role n lessen the workload of our Ministers. But who is the one not prepared to give up that power?

Real food for thought than the meaningless article above.

Wishing Dr Heng a speedy recovery.

 

[car50]

Bro, Sex is Good, Sex is great

But like all things in life, moderation is key

You do not want to be so fired up    and chase after every little living thing that moves

 

 

No one supports more sex than me.

 

Male, female and something in between.

 

 

[Doppel]

NS is uniquely Singapore? Then Switzerland, Norway, Israel are fake one?

Give chance lah...I never said the others are fake.

 

Sigh, as if I stepped on your toes like that.

 

Relax lah.

[Bystander50]

It's simple, can't take the load, can jolly well resign.

Not a very difficult task when we have seen 2 + 1 MPs resigning due to misbehaviour.

 

The ministers are paid for doing their jobs.

If you find you cannot take the stress, you can quit. But if you choose to stay on, then can't blame the people for "expecting too much". There's always a price for everything.

 

It's always better to have a graceful exit where a suitable replacement can be found.

 

Quite curious, what are we "expecting" from the ministers and MPs?

Likely they piah hard meeting their KPIs, no difference from the commercial world outside.

 

 

To be fair, most MPs work very hard. Ministers, can only imagine the load...

http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/do-we-expect-too-much-of-our-ministers-and-mps

Do we expect too much of our ministers and MPs?

Chua Mui Hoong
PUBLISHED10 HOURS AGO
On Monday evening, I accompanied a friend to see his Member of Parliament. He had gotten into trouble over a driving issue, and I had suggested he seek his MP’s help to appeal a decision by the Land Transport Authority.

 The Meet-the-People’s Session (MPS) for his constituency was on Monday, and we made our way down to Jurong West that evening.

Those who have gone to MPS know the process is very much like visiting a busy doctor’s clinic. You get a queue number. You wait for your queue number to be called. Then it’s registration time and you give your particulars. You wait again to be called to see a case worker. Our case worker was a nice, soft-spoken, young woman. She asked some questions earnestly and typed an appeal. 


We are told to wait again. There’s Gurmit Singh on television with the game show Don’t Forget to Remember, to entertain constituents waiting their turn.  Faster than I’d expected, my friend’s name is called and we are told we can see the MP.

There was a minor mistake in registration, and we were kept waiting a few minutes. Then Dr Amy Khor came  out to greet and welcome us.
She was professional, polite and pleasant. She looked at the LTA penalty and exclaimed at its severity. She called up the case writer’s draft appeal. She asked my friend a few sharp questions on the circumstances. She looked at the details of the correspondence on the issue. And she painstakingly edited the appeal, hammering at the keyboard.

I looked at her from opposite the table of her MP’s office, on which hung photos of events with constituents.  I’ve met Dr Khor professionally several times over the years and seen her in action. She is always poised, well-dressed, well-coiffed, with a ready smile.

 That evening, her dress was a little rumpled, her make-up a trifle smudged. She still looked well put together, but tired. I hadn’t introduced myself by name. I had said hello and shaken her hand, just as a friend accompanying a constituent.

As a journalist, I knew she had been in Parliament that afternoon. As Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, she had addressed questions on the use of styrofoam packaging in hawker centres. 

She finished editing the appeal letter and  explained what she had written.  She had dark lines under her eyes, but when we thanked her sincerely, she perked up visibly.

The exchange took about 10 minutes. It was close to 10 pm when we left, and there were still more cases she had to attend to. My friend said he hadn’t realised how hard MPs worked and said he would vote for her if she stood for election again. 

Depending or regardless of how the appeal went? I asked. 

My friend is not a  fan of the People’s Action Party and had agreed to see his MP, I think mainly because I  had promised to accompany him. Even then, he said, “Regardless.”

I got to thinking of Dr Khor and how hard MPs worked, when news broke on Thursday evening that Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat had collapsed from a stroke during a Cabinet meeting in the afternoon, and had been rushed to hospital. The Prime Minister’s Office statement said he "had a sudden stroke due to an aneurysm, which is a localised weakening of a blood vessel. He underwent initial neurosurgery to relieve pressure in his brain due to the bleeding.”

The surgery was reportedly successful in closing off the aneurysm to block further bleeding and Mr Heng was moved to the  Intensive Care Unit.

His Cabinet colleague, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, wrote on Facebook that he had been working closely with Mr Heng  on a number of things. 

“I could see that he was very tired. I have been telling him that he was overworking so much that it will affect his health.

"He was carrying an incredible load, handling the Finance Ministry, various important projects, including SG50, and the Committee for Future Economy – this Committee has the crucial task of charting our economic future."

I should add at this point that  we can’t really tell what the cause of Mr Heng’s collapse is. 

It is sometimes hurtful to the very sick and their family members, to suggest that their choice to work hard had brought about their own sickness. This is tantamount to blaming the victim, no matter how well-intentioned. Instead, doctors will drill down into the actual risk factors.

The Mayo Clinic website does not list overwork as a risk factor for brain aneurysm. Instead, it cites family history and genetic factors as among the risk factors present at birth. Other risk factors are  older age, smoking, high blood pressure (hypertension), hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), drug abuse, had injury, heavy alcohol consumption, certain blood infections.

Still, most of us ordinary folks tend to think that working too hard and dealing with too much stress, are debilitating to health.

Last year, Mr Lee Yi Shyan said he had decided to step down from his office-holder position to return to the backbench. “Many of my friends have asked about my health and it is true that I was hospitalised for a mini-stroke in May this year," Mr Lee,  said in September last year on  his last day as Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development. He said he took their advice to "change gear a little bit" by deciding to "step back and serve in a different way".  

In 2010, then-Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan had coronary artery bypass surgery. 

This got me wondering: do we demand too much of our ministers and MPs?

In the past, political leaders had to be both policy wonks ( masters of the minutiae of policies)  and leaders (who can rustle up ground support for  change).
That already required two sets of contrasting skills: intellectual ability  and a high emotional intelligence quotience to be able to relate to, and rally,  people.
On top of those two  sets of skills, the age of social media and the peculiarities of Singapore’s political landscape require ministers here to be many more things.

We want ministers to be leaders, yet likeable. They have to be able to relate to the CEO and the cleaner with equal sincerity and warmth. 

We go to MPs with issues that are policy-related, or municipal, or personal. Those seeking a job/ a flat/ a waiver for a fine/ even a spouse (marrying a foreigner) or child (adoption), may camp out at a meet-the-people session to seek the MP’s help. 

We want the MP to be chief social worker, unrolling family services, help for the low-income, help for the elderly, for at risk kids. 

 We want an MP  also to be a brilliant legislator,  to make dazzling speeches in Parliament. We expect office-holders to  know the ins and outs of their ministry’s policies, to have at their fingertips arcane figures,  and to be able to recount stirring tales of inspiration at will. 

In the age of social media, they are  on view 24/7. Every utterance, appearance, is captured, shared and scrutinised.

We want them to be available   and accessible - we send email to their  mailbox or post Facebook comments on their page and expect a personal reply. Fast.

And at the same time, we expect them to find time to cultivate family ties, to have stable, happy marriages (if married) and to bring up well-behaved children.  

As constituents, we want to see them around our  neighbourhood. As citizens, we want them to engage us in dialogue, in conversations, to consult widely on some policies, yet be decisive and act quickly on others.

And oh, how swift we often are to blame, to castigate, to mock, when a politician speaks, looks or behaves in a manner that it is off key or disagreeable, and how reluctant we can be to forgive and overlook mistakes.

It all adds up to a very difficult environment in which to be a minister or MP: under constant, intense scrutiny by a demanding, complaining electorate.
I don’t know how they do it, frankly, these politicians. I sometimes think voters should moderate our expectations, and not expect our MPs and ministers to do so much, and be everywhere. I also think that citizens should also cut them some slack and not expect them to  be word perfect  and in control, while being on show all the time.

If you asked me, I would think that MPs and ministers can cut down on the number of VIP appearances they make at events. They also don't need to conduct so many briefings personally, or engage with people so intensely. That's what delegation is for; and the junior ministers, even the permanent secretaries and deputy secretaries, should just step up.

The one thing I would be loath for them to give up, is the meet-the-people session.  It is constituents’ direct channel to the powers-that-be, and MPs and ministers' direct channel to constituents. Face to face, across a table, you realise, this is not a VIP on stage or just a talking head on television; it is a person doing his or her best. And they can be fatigued, and they have feelings, and they can be hurt.

[email protected]

CHUA MUI HOONG BLOGS REGULARLY ON NOTABLE ISSUES AND COMMENTARIES.

 

[Nav14]

A minister has a stroke and suddenly its due to hard work. Being active and working hard is not exactly a risk factor of a stroke. The risk factors are a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, lack of exercise, family history, age etc. A person can work hard and still not hv a stroke if he doesnt hv clogged arteries. We don't know if his stroke is due to his inability to cope with his work or some other factors. So why are these reporters jumping into conclusions that Singaporeans are too demanding?

 

Singaporeans are the most homogeneous and well-known to be the most obedient in the world. To insinuate that our "high expectations" is indirectly causing his stroke or Mr Khaw's heart bypass is really too much. SUDDENLY its's Singaporean's fault again when VIPs hv poor health? Ordinary people hv heart attacks and strokes too u know. How does she even link poor health with hard work? I know of successful people who work hard and contribute n still find time to exercise, eat healthily etc. And when bad things happen, sometimes its due to bad luck, sometimes poor lifestyle choices etc. At the end of the day, all of us are responsible for our well being and managing our stress levels.

 

But the most ironic part is, most Singaporeans prefer our Ministers and MPs to focus on setting policies and charting the future direction of the country. In fact many prefer the Ministers to stay away from estate management work which can be carried out by the civil service. But guess what? The PAP is not ready to give up that power. After all, every election is about municipal matters n carrots n sticks on estate upgrading. This is the most important weapon in every election. Having a heavy weight PAP MP n Minister means your estate will be better managed. So Singaporeans are prepared to decouple the policy making role and estate management role n lessen the workload of our Ministers. But who is the one not prepared to give up that power?

 

Real food for thought than the meaningless article above.

 

Wishing Dr Heng a speedy recovery.

Mr Heng has been on the chubby side for quite some time until recently. You are right in saying hard work being a reason could be overstated.

[Lala81]

Less speculation/layman assumptions and more facts would be helpful.

 

We can't understand why everything happens but this is what is known to predispose to bleeding aneurysms.

 

http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/AboutStroke/TypesofStroke/HemorrhagicBleeds/What-You-Should-Know-About-Cerebral-Aneurysms_UCM_310103_Article.jsp#.Vzh6Rvl96M8

 

What causes an aneurysm to bleed?

We usually don’t know why an aneurysm bleeds or exactly when it will bleed. We do know what increases the chance for bleeding:

• High blood pressure is the leading cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Heavy lifting or straining can cause pressure to rise in the brain and may lead to an aneurysm rupture.
• Strong emotions, such as being upset or angry, can raise blood pressure and can subsequently cause aneurysms to rupture.
• Blood “thinners” (such as warfarin), some medications and prescription drugs (including diet pills that act as stimulants such as ephedrine and amphetamines), and harmful drugs like cocaine can cause aneurysms to rupture and bleed

 

 

[Duckduck]

A minister has a stroke and suddenly its due to hard work. Being active and working hard is not exactly a risk factor of a stroke. The risk factors are a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, lack of exercise, family history, age etc. A person can work hard and still not hv a stroke if he doesnt hv clogged arteries. We don't know if his stroke is due to his inability to cope with his work or some other factors. So why are these reporters jumping into conclusions that Singaporeans are too demanding?

 

Singaporeans are the most homogeneous and well-known to be the most obedient in the world. To insinuate that our "high expectations" is indirectly causing his stroke or Mr Khaw's heart bypass is really too much. SUDDENLY its's Singaporean's fault again when VIPs hv poor health? Ordinary people hv heart attacks and strokes too u know. How does she even link poor health with hard work? I know of successful people who work hard and contribute n still find time to exercise, eat healthily etc. And when bad things happen, sometimes its due to bad luck, sometimes poor lifestyle choices etc. At the end of the day, all of us are responsible for our well being and managing our stress levels.

 

But the most ironic part is, most Singaporeans prefer our Ministers and MPs to focus on setting policies and charting the future direction of the country. In fact many prefer the Ministers to stay away from estate management work which can be carried out by the civil service. But guess what? The PAP is not ready to give up that power. After all, every election is about municipal matters n carrots n sticks on estate upgrading. This is the most important weapon in every election. Having a heavy weight PAP MP n Minister means your estate will be better managed. So Singaporeans are prepared to decouple the policy making role and estate management role n lessen the workload of our Ministers. But who is the one not prepared to give up that power?

 

Real food for thought than the meaningless article above.

 

Wishing Dr Heng a speedy recovery.

 

LKY time ministars can relax coz pple vote for p8p one. Now its totally different looking at d recent erections results d trend is going towards oppo so ministars actually have to do groundwork on top of portfolio. IMO our ministar system only works during LKY era. When hes not ard it doesnt work well anymore.

 

Going forward our economy n politics will b in for a long uncertain period compared to "LKY golden era". Therefore SGD may well turn a different path of decades long strengthening vs other CCYs...

[Showster]

Maybe the journalism angle is not very accurate.

 

I suppose the key things I read was whether the system (political system) had too high expectations of certain groups of people.

 

I did not read the blame part but that is certainly not the correct angle.