Comments on Finance Minister Tharman Speech Delivery for Budget 2009

This year's budget was delivered by Finance Minister Tharman. For the past few years, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was also the Finance Minister, was responsible in delivering the budget. I would like to make some comments on Tharman's speech delivery by comparing the two speakers.

Though this year budget is unprecedented and massive, with a total of $20.5 billions allocated for and of which $4.9 billions are tapped from the sacred reserves, Tharman's speech was rather monotonous and boring at least in my opinion. Throughout the an hour and a half speech, it was more like a read aloud story telling for Tharman. My opinion of him was concurred by two of my colleagues.

In comparison, PM Lee usually can connect well with his audience. He sometimes cracks a joke or two to lighten the already serious setting. Listening to him for an hour and a half was never a problem.

The above is purely based on my own personal assessment.