4/20/2016

Elected President – A can of worms

The Constitutional Commission of wise men and a woman has opened its door for business and several wise men and wise women were invited to share their views on the task set for the Commission. What the Commission is not set up to do is to examine the primary basis for the need of an Elected President, the first assumption. In political science, the first thing we were taught to do was to examine the assumptions of a political theory. Without doing so we could be sent on a wild goose chase and feeling very happy about it, that everything is sound and right. 

It is like someone claiming that sugar is the cause of diabetes and everyone would be shouting, ‘hang the sugar’!  Get rid of sugar, ban sugar, increase sugar tax, fine people consuming too much sugar!  In politics, it could be like someone propounding the theory that dictatorship or one party is best and everyone will be going about praising dictatorship or one party and trying to make a dictatorship/one party better and betterer.

Well, since no want is going to talk about the first principle, about the first assumption, it is pointless to ask such a question. Everyone is taking for granted that the Elected President is the best thing to happen to our political system, or a motherhood that we have to live with, just like a rogue govt or a rogue president waiting to happen, hiding behind the bend.

Since this is the case, let me join the circus, oops, I mean the circle of wise men and women, to make the best of the Elected President thing. This I must again confess, I don’t think is a good idea or necessary, but a waste of public money and resources that can be put to better use. Oh, and before I go and make myself silly,… among the wise men and women that have spoken, the wisest of the wise is, I must say, the legal intern called Brian Chang. This is what he said in a simple sentence that said so much. ‘ I think we need to (be) very careful with whether we want to introduce race based criteria which do not exist at the moment into any of our political offices and if we want to take the first step down the (slippery) slope.’

This sentence alone already shows the kind of complex and multitudes of problems that will come along when ethnicity or race is embedded into our political system, in the Elected Presidency. No need to elaborate further. No one is more blind that those with eyes but could not see. It is an enormous can of worms that would start to wriggle out once it is opened. Do we want to ask for something that we cannot cope with that we don’t have to in the first place?

Ok, now that I have vented, let me get to the great silly ideas that I have been playing with, the minorities in our Elected Presidency concept. What is the meaning of minority? The original CMIO or more? How much more would we want to classify an ethnic group as a minority and eligible to have a right to be the Elected President by default, provided and protected by the Constitution? Would we be welcoming the Pinoys, the Myanmese, the Banglas, the high caste Indians, the Vietnamese, the Thais, the Indonesians and what not as our new minorities and enjoying equal rights as the MIOs, to have a right to be an Elected President?

And why stop at ethnicity, what about women as a minority, (AWARE has spoken), what about age, religion, the non meat eaters, there are many kinds of minorities in our little piece of rock.  Oooh, I forgot about the beautiful pink people. They are minorities too.

Ok, ok, this is pushing the limit too far. Let’s get back to the ethnic minorities. What is the best formula to work with? Now it is 75:15:8:2, or there about.  Can this be crafted into a scientific formula of relative representation? Or should it be a simple rule of thumb, 3C:1.5M: 1I: 0.5O?  To make this formula workable, multiply by 2 and we will get 6C:3M:2I:1O. Just ignore the new minorities until they start to protest violently.  The formula will mean over 12 terms of EP, 6 terms will go to a Chinese, 3 terms to a Malay, 2 terms to an Indian and 1 term to an Others. My apologies to call you Others, not my choice of words.  How to count if one minority president sits in the Istana for more than one term?

What about the new Others that should be added in? Should the new formula be CMIOPIMVBT? It would be quite a ‘chap cheng’ formula and quite perplexing. It may be better to reengineer the population to a point where each ethnic group is 10% and every tribe will have one term of Elected President each, very fair and very easy to manage. Next time got 20 tribes, can change formula again.

I won’t want to go further than this. It is already complicated enough. What do you think? A race embedded formula for the Elected Presidency to make sure every minority group is treated equally and fairly. Can it ever be fair? Never mind, the silly majority here is very generous and will go along with anything, with any formula, even reducing its majority status. They believe in meritocracy and excellence regardless of nationalities. You can sell them to be prostitutes and they would not mind.

Enshrining racial differences into our political holy grail? Anyone think this is a good idea?

Does anyone remember what is this?

‘We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society
based on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity
and progress for our nation’.

Please respect this national pledge. Sorry Raja, need to remind the daft and dumb about what you said, even if it is an aspiration.

60 comments:


  1. CMIOPIMVBT! CMIOPIMVBT! CMIOPIMVBT!

    I like your new ‘chap cheng’ formula CMIOPIMVBT!

    You are indeed very very imaginative and very very "deep"!

    I m not sure how many singaporeans are actually following this very very important issue of EP.

    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Do we have high frequency traders in SGX?
    =============================================

    /// Eric Hunsader, founder of Nanex, has been at the vanguard of warning about the dangers and the rampant fraud that the rise of high-frequency trading (HFT) algorithims have let loose in today's financial markets. .....

    Of the situation that led to his award, he says:

    "The folks at the NYSE were selling their direct feed for north of $30,000 a month versus the SIP which is under a thousand dollars a month. Their customers are not buying it because it has that much more rich data. The thing that makes it worth $29,000 more is that it is faster, but that is illegal. Up until this point they deny that that is the case. And somehow it works. So the exchanges make all their money from their highest paying customers which are the high frequency traders. And the high frequency traders pay the exchanges exorbitant amounts of money to have a slight advantage.

    That's how the whole system works. It is absolutely, positively rigged. There is no question about it. It is rigged on many different levels in many different ways -- for example, no retail order ever gets to see the light of day of the stock exchange. That's one of the many eye openers. People who aren’t pros in the market don’t realize that it's all a rigged game. "

    Hunsader also had opportunity at one point to access the audit trail data from the CME futures exchange, data that the central authorities almost never allow outside eyes to see. What he found was clear evidence that a very small number of very large players push prices and volume around at will to vacuum up profits at the expense of everyone else:

    SOURCE:
    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-04-19/eric-hunsader-financial-system-absolutely-positively-rigged

    ReplyDelete
  3. In Matland, the Malays don't give two hoots to any other race to be their PM.

    LKY past baggage with them of being multi racial that others can be the Chief as long as they are capable and the main reason is that he is aiming to be so.

    Now sinkieland, the majority of boh lean chor yellow chinees tried to be magnanimous and hypocritically tried to show the world that this should be the way.

    You think other countries follow your high priests teachings? ?

    Once you have this Law that is embedded in the Presidential Constitution, then future minority races will start demanding the same.

    70 percent majority controlled by a 2 per cent minority.

    What's mediocrity then??

    Better live in Matland be a so-called second class citizen than be own second or third class citizen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My Lao Hero Laochek Virgo ah..

      You should shout "Heng Ah" to be able to live in Matland.
      To me there is no such thing as so called second class citizen in Matland.
      Your ability to adapt and get along well with all races is most important.
      Forget about the injustice you faced in Sinkie land and be happy in Matland.Not many has this privilege.
      Come Penang .I buy you durian..
      Be magnanimous and stay happy.
      Leave the fate of Sinkie land to Sinkies.

      Delete
  4. Did not the advisory board of wise men and women thought of all the issues when the elected Presidency was advocated?

    When they were arguing and thinking of GRCs, their first prority and intention was to ensure minority representation, or so they say, although my take is that this was just a lame excuse to ensure the PAP has all the advantage in the total numbers and the ability to fiddle around with boundaries.

    Forget about this present wayang, because it will ultimately end up with candidates from the PAP, by the PAP and for the PAP. Then they can continue to talk about how many keys we have and how safe the reserves are, all much ado about nothing.



    ReplyDelete
  5. George Carlin, "It's a small club, and you ain't in it."

    Does this quote apply to the Elected Presidency of Singapore?

    ReplyDelete
  6. When you have fools running the country, beware!

    ReplyDelete

  7. ah huat, my coffee kaki commented that why waste so much resources discussing about president......

    ah huat asked why need to elect president......

    ah huat said just appoint someone from any race will do, turn-by-turn..........

    ah huat said if no one wish to take up, he is very happy to volunteer.......

    ah huat ah huat, don't dream, maybe next life............

    ha ha ha............

    ReplyDelete
  8. Would there be a brave men from the Constitutional Commission to stand up and tell the PM to dissolve the Commission and close the inquiry before more damage is done to our political system and country?

    Do not mortgage your children's future away.

    ReplyDelete
  9. /// What the Commission is not set up to do is to examine the primary basis for the need of an Elected President, the first assumption.
    In political science, the first thing we were taught to do was to examine the assumptions of a political theory. Without doing so we could be sent on a wild goose chase and feeling very happy about it, that everything is sound and right. ////
    redbean

    This quote from redbean should be gold plated and hung over the entrance door into Singapore's Parliament House.
    - should be compulsory to include quote into every made in Singapore "Social Studies school textbook".

    ReplyDelete
  10. After so many years, Prof Chan Heng Chee must have forgotten what she taught in PS101.

    ReplyDelete
  11. A Pledge is a solemn promise:
    Below is the Cambridge Dictionary's definition

    "a ​serious or ​formal ​promise, ​especially one to give ​money or to be a ​friend, or something that you give as a ​sign that you will ​keep a ​promise"
    ..............................
    If you google for the meaning of the word "pledge" per below, nobody ever calls a "pledge" an "aspiration".

    https://www.google.com.sg/#q=definition+of+a+%22pledge%22
    ................................

    In the history of the whole wide world, only one person has ever called a "pledge" and "aspiration".
    - who do you think this person is?
    - do you want to enter into a contract with him?

    ReplyDelete
  12. When wise men are given a silly task to do, they would end up talking silly and coming up with all kinds of silly excuses and answers.

    This is like someone trying to cover up a lie with more lies. It just has to be. A lie cannot be covered up by truth, but more lies.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lesson to learn from the Malayan Union days when the British were about to give independence to Malaya. The British wanted to give equal rights to the 3 major races in Malaya, the Malays, Chinese and Indians. The Malays fought for Special Rights. The Chinese and Indians did not nothing that as long as they can continue to run their businesses everything will be fine.

    When the Malays got their special right, took over political power, they took over everything. The rest is history.

    Singaporeans must understand that without political right you can lose everything. Do not lose your political right under any circumstances. Don't be daft and sell out the future of your children.

    Know your history, learn from history.

    ReplyDelete
  14. /// Another idea that was hugely useful to me was that I listened in law school when some wag said, “A legal mind is a mind that when two things are all twisted up together and interacting, it's feasible to think responsibly about one thing and not the other."

    Well I could see from that one sentence that that was perfectly ridiculous, and it pushed me further into my natural drift, which was into learning all the big ideas and all the big disciplines. So I wouldn’t be a perfect damn fool who was trying to think about one aspect of something that couldn’t be removed from the totality of the situation in a constructive fashion. ///
    - Charlie Munger (Warren Buffet's Partner in Berkshire Hathaway)

    http://genius.com/Charlie-munger-usc-law-commencement-speech-annotated
    .................................................................................

    What about our "Constitutional Commission of wise men and a woman" ??

    Are they like a legal mind “... that when two things are all twisted up together and interacting, it's feasible to think responsibly about one thing and not the other." ??

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Ahgongkia,

    Think you are absolutely right.

    Leave the fates of the sinkies land to their sinkies.

    Pray, in time when the minority became the President, they be as magnanimous as the majority
    who are magnanimous to them.


    Living in the past "ideals" of an old man who had gone.



    ReplyDelete

  16. Righf Mr Redbean, in 1965 majority of Chinese Singaporeans prefer Singapore to Malaysia because of their fears of been subjected unfairly under the Malays who are not so big hearted and magnanimous as the Chinese.

    Now they seemed to throw away their political rights and take the risk of been subjected to unforseen unthinkable in the future.

    Last few decades protecting under so difficult circumstances to justify our survival.

    Now like madmen throwing all cautions to the wind.

    Must be a relapse.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ben & Jerry's (ice cream) co-founders arrested: You have to take a stand
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In a post on their website, Ben and Jerry have explained their arrest saying that "the history of our country is that nothing happens, until people start putting their bodies on the line and risk getting arrested," co-founder Ben Cohen said before getting arrested, according to a post on the company's website.

    The post said that the two co-founders, Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, haven't been "shy about taking a stand on issues that we care about, even when they're controversial." The post said that the co-founders' actions Monday came down to a "simple idea."

    "If you care about something, you have to be willing to risk it all — your reputation, your values, your business — for the greater good." The post on Ben & Jerry's website said the protests are just a start to make sure the peoples' voices are heard.

    When "something really matters, you have to put your body on the line," the post said, adding that "you have to take a stand."

    They appealed to reducing the power of campaign finance: "Democracy belongs in the hands of all Americans, not in the pockets of a few billionaires," the post said.

    "And no citizen who wants to vote should ever be kept from the polls. Democracy Awakening inspired hope and created excitement that all participants will carry back home with them to their own communities."

    http://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/ben-and-jerry-arrested

    http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/276842-ben-jerrys-co-founders-you-have-to-take-a-stand
    --------------------------------

    And this is what makes America and Americans great.
    - versus Sinkies like agongkia who want to hide in Penang to hug ugly women.

    ReplyDelete
  18. If you are going to have an elected presidency, then it will be a "can of worms" which will have to be thrashed out. Accept the messy, complicated processes because every minority and majority group will be vying for "representation". No one is willing to accept a losing proposition for their side, and everyone wants "fairness and equality" which is IMPOSSIBLE to achieve. People will have to fight it out until one set of ideas "wins" the battle, and the cuntry then proceeds with those ideas leaving the "losers" to lick their wounds and accept their "loss".

    I've already made the case several times that an parliament + non-parliament committee CHOSEN and APPOINTED president is a much safer bet---if you are really keen on this idea of a president being the head of state.

    However, in this matter, I go with the Worker's Party's position: Abolish this anachronistic office altogether. For fuck's sake, this is the 21st century. We don't need throwbacks to times when humankind was less intelligent and more gullible. Unless of course you want your cuntry and culture to remain in that awful past.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you Matilah, for being serious about this very serious discussion that would affect the fate of this city state and the fate of our future children.

    ReplyDelete
  20. "close the inquiry before more damage is done to our political system and country?"
    RB: b4 1965, a referendum in singapore, the only one, voted for merger with Malaya to form malaysia. U cannot use the one man s decision to opt out as a basic for all voted for joining malaysia. The issue for opt out was race.

    Now the issue to select president is also based on race. It is a similar issue of opting out of malaysia merger. A cowardly move to appease minority group to disadvantage the entire population.

    After 1965, the race issue continues in malaysia. But the opposition representing certain race was growing strong and they represent a sizable force to tame the racists policians there.

    On the other side of the scene, the race issue is playing like a snake growing big, eventually, future generations will have to deal with it, probably with blood.

    The current race issue, the potential "locally born" vs "foreigners citizens" and their descendants: one group needs to do NS, one group dont need to. The groups are race concentrated so much so that some local minority might have felt they are over numbered. Then this minority president comes into play to add flammable oil onto the burning heat.

    The article RB quoted is real concern of the young generations. Their future is not properly handled by current politicians. They should vote these players out to start a balanced future. Its dangerous to play on "race" president by setting the "rules" to force voters to vote.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Equal representations. Look at Parliament now. Are they equal.?
    Some are more equal.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ya, for fuck's sake get rid of the presidency.

    It is a waste of money, time, energy and not to mention wasting a hugh piece of prime land just to house a deity that does not even have the power to exercise or look after what he is supposed to look after.

    Even waving his hand is a bore, walking is a chore and if the breeze is strong enough he may even fall. And he needs a whole retinue of advisors to advise him. On what? Even Agongkia knows how to guard the reserves. Just a matter of yes or no if someone wants to take the money (in theory only), because in practice (never been known to exercise in 50 years) he does not even have the power to say yes or no.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Tan Cheng Bock already announced he wants to run for President but he is not a minority race.

    Is Tan Cheng Bock a preferred candidate for President by PAP?

    ReplyDelete
  24. How to safe-guard Singapore's Reserves?

    Very simple lah.
    Just pass a law.
    Every time a government wants to take out money from the reserves, they must make public announcements and send out notifications to all the major newspapers and Opposition Parties.
    - must state why they need the money
    - and also say how much money
    - and when they will return the money

    ReplyDelete

  25. "much ado about nothing", courtesy of Anon 8:52 AM.

    Exactly!
    Why mess up the Window with dressing?
    And
    why treat Sinkies as though they are all daft?

    If the Presidential Advisers are to guide and in some ways helm him(President), why CANT the Panel(of Advisers) guide and helm the Cabinet?
    Or
    is it as said by many that the Post of President and other Posts such as Emeritus and Mentor Minister, PMO Ministers etc are created to keep the Chiak Leow Bee cronies rewarded with fat remunerations? Could this be indeed the Reason as well as to disadvantage NON PAP CANDIDATES?

    Must say this Article by Sir Chua Chin Leng deserves the Attention of Sinkies.

    THERE IS INDEED MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING in having a window dressing president and the GRC System.

    patriot

    ReplyDelete
  26. Honestly, how many Singaporeans actually take interest in this issue? Do a survey and I can bet it is less than 10%. Why waste money discussing? The people do not care as most have very little confident that Elected President really has the power to safeguard our money. Period.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Allow me to air a few points.

    1. PAP, in all its existence since 1959, has been and still is a political party molded and fashioned to remain in POWER for as long as possible (or impossible), irrespective of what the citizens or voters thought, think and may think.

    2. PAP has enjoyed unfettered absolute POWER. since the blunder of the Barisan Socialists walked out of Parliament and boycotted Elections, over the last 40 years of the Existence of 'Independent' Singapore.

    3. PAP was and is still being controlled very tightly by the LEE Family, with top and key positions in the hands of either FamiLee Memebers, Relatives, Trusted Sycophants and Academicians and Boot-lickers.

    4. PAP, through the enacting and amendments of the Constitution, Laws, Rules and Regulations, has put almost ALL Institutions of Influence and Power under its TOTAL Control.

    5. PAP, through the Peoples' Association, which is chaired controlled by the Prime Minister and staffed with Directors who are existing or past Members of the PAP, to put all Grass-roots organizations under its TOTAL Command and Control for obvious advantages over all other political parties.

    6. PAP, whose Secretary-General is the Defacto Prime Minister, who wields all the POWERS, has put the Elections Department under the Prime Minister's Office for very obvious reasons, i.e. so that IT cannot and will not be able to exercise Independent Judgment, Decision, Conduct, Process and Actions. Shots are fired from the PMO.

    With the above SIX FACTS, one can easily single out what the President Post is put there for.


    TO SERVE AS A RUBBER-STAMP TO ABSOLVE ALL THE BLUNDERS AND SERIOUS MISTAKES MADE BY THE PAP GOVERNMENT.
    Full Stop!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Me fully concurs

      with

      Old Man of the Ocean.


      patriot

      Delete

    2. I like to say that many
      foreign talents that were
      made CEOs in some big
      corporations were not
      dissimilar to the RUBBER
      STAMP as mentioned by
      Old Man of the Ocean.

      Many of those CEOs were
      vacuum cleaners or sucker
      fish in aquarium.

      patriot

      Delete
  28. Matilar, this is a very rare occasion you do not talk nonsense so I shall not fuck you over here. I hope your future comments would be similar and you can be a valued contributor. The only thing I would like to advise you is to cease your incest activity as it is not doing anybody good.

    ReplyDelete
  29. @ RB:

    You mentioned political theory and making correct assumptions. Well, how about cancelling all that stuff which is only good for getting degrees and moving out of ivory-tower academia into the realm of OBJECTIVE REALITY (whatever the fuck that is)...or at least our brain-constructed representation of it.

    Political culture (the stuff that "controls" the cuntry) emerges from and has a REFLEXIVE relationship with the societal culture. Such as language, food, fashion, identity, family structure, social pecking order, what constitutes high and low "social value", relationship with religion spirituality and faith, what is "taboo" and what is "acceptable"...all that stuff which you can't put a metric on, but you "know" it is "Singaporean" or not Singaporean when you see/ hear/ experience it.

    In other words, you cannot do better POLITICALLY than what your culture can produce or will allow. That's why "chilled out" people like the many European nations, Canada, New Zealand have "relac-lah" very human-centered political systems with social safety nets and good education to ensure people have "good chance in life", plus lots of voluntary activity and generally a population of "nice people". That is their CULTURE.

    Then you go to the middle east/ Africa and the politics are a mess because all their cultures are completely FUCKED UP. The people are generally ASSHOLES.

    So same goes for Singapore: you cannot get better than what SINGAPORE CULTURE can produce.

    So how? What is "Singapore culture"? Up to you to observe, participate and discover lah.

    You already know my opinion on the issue 😂😂

    ReplyDelete
  30. Like you said, political culture evolved from the people and their way of life and a lot of things, and up to a point it would lose its basic purpose and reasons.

    Basic assumptions are very impt and is also impt to an evolving culture. One must always go back to check first base or one would be lost in what one is pursuing, because of evolving culture and evolving thinking madness.

    A party, a country, is first to serve the people. Now a party, a country, can be hijacked to serve a few individuals and the reasonings distorted, disguised and misrepresented until no one knows what is going one.

    The purpose of CPF savings is a very good example. It is not what it was meant to be, now a different animal, housing policies, education, scholarship etc etc.

    Relook at the basics, the whys in the first place. And the Elected Presidency, why and for what? This is not ivory tower stuff but serious stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  31. @ RB

    Ivory tower academics will never admit to well-worn tropes of the "uneducated dunces" (like me). Tropes like: "The People Get The Government They Deserve". I've had academics want to argue this point with me by using unproven "theories" as a basis for their laughable arguments.

    Theory vs Reality. I like reality. I do VERY WELL with reality. It is grimy and gritty and seldom "pretty", but I prefer this kind of "chaos" to neat and over-simplified nonsense coming out of the social "science" (??WTF??) faculties of the world's tertiary institutions. Tenured professors don't have to worry about their rice bowls. I have too. As do the majority of the planet's inhabitants.

    The notion of "Elected Presidency" is essentially "TRADITION" and in keeping with this "common practice" which many other nations have followed---despite its weakness, risk and short comings.

    Redbean, you make the mistake to assuming humans are "logical" and therefore their behaviour or prefences can be explained by "theories" put forth by tenured social "science" (???WTF???) professors. Humans are far from being "logical" or "rational". It is common for a human to passionately believe in one thing, then go off and do the complete opposite thing...and then DEFEND their choice by JUSTIFICATION.

    This is just one example of why I prefer observation of testable evidence over "theory". Every culture is different. And cultures seem to be "fixed" but they are constantly in FLUX on many levels.

    Another myth I don't subscribe to is the "Great man theory" of history. That being said, it DOESN'T MATTER who gets voted in. Political culture depends on societal culture, not ONE GREAT ASSHOLE who just happens to be "lucky enough" to get all the attention.

    Does that mean that Lee Kuan Yew didn't do shit for Singapore?

    That's a discussion for another time. But I think you already know my answer.

    ReplyDelete

  32. If the coming PE gonna have the rule of rotation among all races, we gonna see the scenario of

    1) Total votes cast: 89%- compulsory order else pay $5 or $25 to revalidate your voting rights.

    2) Valid votes counted: 10%

    PRESIDENT WON BY 8% MAJORITY.

    So we shall have an 8% elected president for next five years.

    This is when we have to choose between two roti pratas or two nasi lemak or two tosai from Indian nationals or two do not know name of pinoy makan.

    It be a laughing stock of the world.

    So stop this commission of wayang

    ReplyDelete
  33. RB: 11:48am.
    The question on basic is not as serious as the current changes.
    The current changes is twisting on VOTING, not whether EP is needed for what.

    The changes are: Voters must vote for someone based on skins color, (religions, culture, all comes in with the person).

    It means those not having skin color are kept out. They must say yes to the selected candidates.

    In future, politicians are voted based on the same basis? Now there are 4 in group, 2 must have different skin colors. In future, it can be certain changed to voting by skin color proportion? By certain qualifications, jobs, etc.

    It is a game plan not for EP alone, be smart. But the whole scheming to cling on to power can lead to chaos for future generations. We care for children s future, do we?

    ReplyDelete
  34. The thorny minorities bickering over power will be filtered by "the required disciplines" for a specific purpose. Don't go gunning the tree and miss the forest fire

    ReplyDelete
  35. The action of the PAP at the Bukit Batok By-elections is directly at odds with their expressed concerns over the minority candidate issue in a Presidential election.

    At Bukit Batok, PAP said they are fielding a minority-race candidate. We the public must conclude that PAP feels their minority-race candidate has the best chance of winning the By-election.

    And yet, in a complete turn-around, PAP says that there is a issue that a minority-race candidate may not get the votes in a Presidential election?

    So what is going on? Is the right hand of PAP not knowing what the left hand is doing? Or is this just a ruse, they are distracting us when there is some other secret agenda they want to do behind the scenes?

    Let me make a suggestion to all those who wish to speak at the Commission on tinkering with the Presidential elections. Tell the Commission to wait for the results of the Bukit Batok By-elections. They may save their time and taxpayers' money if the results prove that there is really no issue with minority-race candidates getting the votes of Singaporeans.

    ReplyDelete
  36. The diff btw a cardboard collector n EP.

    Is one collect cardboard n the other is one.

    ReplyDelete
  37. “To remain indifferent to the challenges we face is indefensible. If the goal is noble, whether or not it is realized within our lifetime is largely irrelevant. What we must do therefore is to strive and persevere and never give up.”
    - Dalai Lama XIV

    The above quote is dedicated to the 30%.
    Who persevere in our fight against tyranny and bullying.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Matilah, two errors you made.

    1. We don't have a tradition for an elected President.

    2. When we talk about rationalising the assumptions, we have to look at the people capable of rationalising, not the hoi polloi. Yes the masses are emotional and often hysterical and unpredictable too, though they have their own mass psychic and herd behaviour.

    In this EP case, the rational, assumptions and justifications must come from the rational man, the people making the decision why they want an EP and the reason for it. At this level of decision making, there must be a rational or even a fake rational also can.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Wasting taxpayers monies and also introducing another snake head. Should change the Merlion to two snake heads with a fishy body then.

    ReplyDelete
  40. They are guarding the nest eggs and you will have a hard time arguing against that. It makes sense to clever people who make a lot of money. Your money their lives at stake

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hi Anon 11.11

    Many Singaporeans are just too snooty thinking that they and the children are able to do well in this environment.

    They are the upper and muddle, oopsn middle upper strata of society.

    They do not spare a thought for their less fortunate fellow citizens who may have to bear the uncalled for circumstances.

    They thought that they able to migrate and survive in other better destinations.

    Little do they realised that one fine day they may have to scurry back to the native land and find it is too late to revive its survival.

    So they do not spare a thought of what coming if they tinker or have a new constitution for the Presidential Appointment.

    Men can propose but Heaven disposes.

    Your adopted country might not be so magnanimous as Sinkies to the foreign trashes now that overran our country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lao chek Virgo
      Chinese saying...
      Smart people use their brain quietly to execute or complete a task successfully .
      Daft use strength,hand,fingers on key...but chobolan.
      There are many loyal Sinkies out there but they do not show openly bragging in blogs khongcumly.


      Delete

  42. Bro Anon the Bukit Buttock bye-election on May 07.

    Nomination Day 27 April.

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha ha Uncle Virgo49,

      By right many know what it should be?

      By left, trying to 2nd guess sinkies maciam trying to figure out the "oscillating" mood of a temperamental"姑娘"?

      难?

      Delete
  43. whether in a democracy or totalitarian system, it is never the people choice but the elite choice. the elite will showcase a few candidates of their choice for people to chose from. whatever the system, we are still living in an elite system like in the medieval age.

    ReplyDelete
  44. The elite here today are like the MCA and Tan Cheng Lock during the Malayan Union days. They were/are too comfortable and if they are not disturbed, they just want to live their happy and comfortable lives. You die your business.

    Look at what happened to the MCA and the Chinese elite in Malaysia today? They are at the mercy of the political elite. This would be the fate of the children of the elite of today if they are so blinded and do not want to do anything. When political power is lost, they would lose everything.

    ReplyDelete
  45. May 7, some will have the choice to vote for a minority candidate. I guess many will vote for him as a person, not a minority race requiring extra sympathy from voters.

    However, when voting for 2017 EP, all voters are forced to vote for a few minority candidates who are present there due to some sympathetic reason that rules must be changed for EP for 1 of them (if there are 2, hopefully) to be voted in.

    May 7, voters at bukit batok will not feel the difference betw CSJ and murali by skin color. They are the same but differentiated by preference of abilities.

    In 2017 EP, voters will not feel the same, as the selected candidates are not allowed by their own will to join the election to compete. They are there because of race.
    If this is going to be the scenario, i will feel the disgrace, and it is a rolling-backward election i hate to be forced to vote.

    in election, candidates must come freely and qualified that was already done by GKS. Someone wants to change GKS s way to suit his political preference, ignoring the voters rights to have choice. So Bukit Batok voters, say something on the votes on May 7.

    ReplyDelete
  46. @ RB:

    >> 1. We don't have a tradition for an elected President. <<

    If you read me correctly, I stated that tradition is well established in human history. That's the ONLY REASON Singaporeans want an EP...just because "other cuntrees" have it and it appears to work.

    2. Everyone rationalises---especially "after the fact". Let's not waste time arguing this...it's human nature as thinking. Can't be helped.

    ReplyDelete
  47. I don't think any country got this kind of EP like ours, doing so little but paid so much. The US, Russia, China, India etc, have an elected president but only similar in name and nothing else.

    ReplyDelete
  48. i.e. You won't get a "Swiss standard of living" until the local culture becomes more "Swiss like" (whatever that means).

    Also Singapore will never achieve the Swedish or Danish "humanity-centered" political culture until Singaporeans can become more like those folks.

    The govt or president you get---by default, decree or by elections---is THE BEST you are going to do, as far as your culture can produce.

    That's it.

    ReplyDelete

  49. Ahgongkia, yes right, smart and cunning people as what I add do things on the quiet as what you said.

    That's why in Bukit Batok as what one bro said. The government should wait for the results and see whether need to have minority candidates to be nominated fir5 the Presidential Appointment.

    The PAP is smart to put Mr Murai against Mr Chee.

    Both ways, head or tail they win. If Mr Chee wins, they said: There you see the electorate is still race conscious. We must ensure minority representation.

    If Mr Murai wins, they will simply said we put up a more credible candidate.

    There you have it. SMART AND CUNNING PEOPLE DO THINGS THESE WAYS.

    Those who are strongly patriotic citizens will banged on their keyboards trying to save the Nation from doom.

    The Commission should take all these postings as the real feedback instead of those now apple polishing ones in front of them.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Why all the farce about the presidential post in Singapore. Don't waste money on the president whether elected or nominated or whatever since the president has totally no power whatsoever. Since the president has no power at all what purpose or useful function can he serve for the benefit of Singapore. He can only be manipulated to either serve the needs of the party in power or to shoulder all the blames and blunders of the government. Just look back and ask the retired president Nathan what good had he done for Singapore and what benefits did Singapore get in his twelve years of presidency. On the other hand what justification was there in his being paid tens of millions of dollars at the expense of Singaporeans for doing nothing. Similarly ask the present president what positive contribution has he done for Singapore if any.

    In the Bukit Batok By Election Singaporeans especially those staying in Bukit Batok should ask Murali what he thinks of Lee Wei Ling labelling of Lee Hsien Loong as 'Dishonourable 'and will the PM defend his honour in court. If not will the people think that if the label sticks and not defended and therefore if a leader is accused of being dishonourable and so shall all the rest in the pack be also bearing the stigma. In this case how can Murali face the people the constituents.

    ReplyDelete
  51. 7:43 comment

    Direct, plain and simple which is something the layman can understand instead, people rather get sidetracked by academic and legal complicating bullshitting.

    ReplyDelete

  52. When Mr JBJ won Anson by-election, the PAP does not claim that they had put up a not so credible candidate.

    Or do the Anson voters are all blind that they do not see and know JBJ is not a Chinese.

    What minority representation they harping??

    Insulting the intelligence of Singaporeans

    I had an interesting video which unfortunately still have not registered for the Skills Upgrading Fund to learn how to post it.

    This video will shock many who are still sheltered from the reality if we lose political rights as the true blue Singaporeans.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha ha

      Uncle Virgo49,

      The other side of the coin could be sinkies "giving a very long rope" to someboLEE?

      The Chinese have a phrase:

      "慈母多败子"?

      To paraphrase in sinkieland's lingua:

      "Daft citizens engender Jiak Liao Bee Garment"?

      It may not necessarily be a bad thing over the long term?

      The decline has long started and given more time, a tree infested with termites would be left with a hollow trunk?

      When the rotted tree ( finally ) collapses, then ( the ) rebuilding can start?

      Human nature is as such?

      长痛不如短痛?

      Delete
  53. We, the sinkies of Sin,
    pledge ourselves as one divided people,
    regardless of race, language or religion,
    to build a demonic society
    based on elite justice and inequality
    so as to achieve happiness, prosperity
    and progress, for the 1%, for Sin nation’.

    ReplyDelete