1984 George Orwell
said...
No County In The World Can Be Corruption-Free
There is no such a thing as a corruption-free country. Corruption is free, yes. Not corruption-free.
Not
a single country in the world is not corrupted in one way or many ways.
Most of them are corrupted in many ways and many forms.
Even the
US system is a corrupted system through and through. Lobbying by itself
is already a very obvious form of direct corruption - using donations
(as an alternative word to "bribes") in exchange for a favour.
Corruption is not just about taking bribes. It permeates much deeper and wider in the daily life and running of the country.
Doing
something for someone as a favour, or as a result of fear,and threat,
coercion, or own ill-will, is actually a corrupted mind working in the
devil's workshop.
Corruption encompasses anything that affects our life, our living conditions and our living environment.
It
encroaches into the political system, the economic system, the
education system, the financial system, the social system, the cultural
system, the civil service system, the legal system as well as the
parliamentary system.
No sub-system can be free of contamination
if the overall system of the country is already corrupted in one way or
another, in one form or another.
As long as human beings are
imperfect, as long as humans have very strong desire and ambition, as
long as humans have greed, and the desire and tendency to want to
control others, to subordinate the masses to their will, as long as we
have leaders who are only interested in their own high pays, by hook or
by crook, as long as we have leaders who raise their sons to White Horse
status and given preferential treatment, we will not be
"corruption-free" but "corruption-is-free"!
Yes, corruption is free, free to practice freely, but don't get caught!
Anyone thinks or believes that Singapore is really corruption-free?
If any countries' judges can be beholdened, bribed, coerced, controlled, dominated, intimidated or threatened, then there cannot be corruption-free in that country.
ReplyDeleteAny action that involves Fear, Favour or Ill-Will is a corrupted action derrived from a corrupted mind.
Sometimes the corruption is in-built into the system, any system. Sometimes, the corruption is individualised and personalised, eg. fearing, beholding or obeying the paramount leader like a God.
Even highly educated people can also behave like an obedient, beholden, unthinking idiot when confronted with fear or greed.
ReplyDeleteTuition centres are flourishing all over the island and the owners of tuition centres are making good money even to the millions of dollars. If teachers in schools are doing their duties and teaching well why then do children from primary schools to secondary schools need to have tuition. Schools should be dispensed with and children should just sit for official state examinations as they are all taught by tuition centres. Now even the parents of poor families are forced to borrow money to send their children for tuition. So is tuition a racket whereby the well connected are running the tuition centres and getting rich. Is there anything wrong with our education system. If so the state need to look into it and rectify it for the good of our countrymen and our country.
Concerned patriotic citizen.
The Education system is the worst of the worst. Last time, less teaching staff, less facilities, less teaching materials, less pay, yet principals and teachers were doing their best to ensure the students learn.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, with this idiotic policy, directed from PMO, of "Teach Less, Learn More", the whole Education system becomes screwed up good and proper.
Sso lucky u are asking a question on sg not making a statement. If not u will kena sidomized jialat jialat lar
ReplyDeleteI believe that Singapore is non-corruptible to a large extent but it is not corruption-free.
ReplyDeleteRecent cases of corruption in Singapore are:
1. Keppel M&O involved in bribery in Brazil for 13 years,
2. AMK GRC Town Council ex-GM jailed 27 months for bribery case,
3. Ex-CPIB Assistant Director Edwin Yeo jailed 10 years for CBT,
4. Former LTA Deputy Group Director charged with taking bribes amounting to $1.24 million and for cheating his colleagues.
5. The case of the Commissioner of SCDF Peter Lim jailed six months.
6. The case of the CNB Chief Ng Boon Gay, who was charged for oral-sex in exchange of confidential information, but was later found not guilty by a judge.
7. Other cases such as sex-for-grades professor and misappropriation by civil servant.
Former ministars in the past were charged for corruption, one jailed but the one escaped and lived in a foreign country for donkey years, and one committed hara kiri before the case was mentioned. Any other cases ? So, how to be a corruption-free country ?
ReplyDeleteCapitalism and cronyism usually go hand-in-gloves. That's why crony capitalism is so easily and rampantly spread throughout the world. irrespective of system of government - be it communism, monarchic dictatorship, democracy, socialism or pragmatism - no country is spared.
ReplyDeleteIs crony capitalism a form of corruption or not?
In business, it is always: For mutual benefits. You rub my shoulders and I rub yours. Is this a form of corruption or not?
Is giving contracts and projects to those who donate to your political party's activities a form of corruption or not?
Is persecuting those who protest against your unfair, unequal and disparity treatments a form of ill-will corruption or not?
I think there is a very thin indistinguishable line. Moreover, this thin line is subject to different perceptions and interpretations. That's why crony capitalism continues to flourish everywhere in the world.
There are two distinct camps: one camp cries out for protectionism, while the other cries out for globalism. Irrespective of which camp you are in, there is bound to have corruption in one form or another. No system is absolutely clean.
It is human nature to get the most advantage for themselves. It is human nature to solve problems amicably. It is human nature to be liked and loved. It is human nature to socialize. So how can there be no corruption??? It is virtually impossible, no matter how hard one tries.
Is giving tips for services rendered a kind of corruption?
ReplyDeleteCovid-19: With Vaccines Available, What Next?
ReplyDeleteWhile vaccines are being rolled out in various countries like China, Brazil, Russia, UK and USA, there are still infections and deaths occuring increasingly by the day in many countries.
The total world record has hit above 71,115,149 cases and 1,592,783 deaths.
Worldwide daily cases has reached 623,311 infections and 10,210 deaths. This is very serious.
The disease has hit hardest in countries like Brazil, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and Sweden. It is still raging havoc in these countries. There seems to be no end in sight yet.
It is likely that during the next 4 to 5 months, the Covid-19 pandemic will be at its highest. Therefore, to let the guards down now, that vaccines are being rolled out, would be a foolish move of unthinking people.
No country is safe until all countries are safe because it is a trans-border, cross-border, easily imported and easily spreaded and transmitted disease.
Countries like Singapore may have only a few or no community transmissions but the fact that imported cases happen on a daily basis is no good news at all. These imported cases can and will spread the disease if guards are down, if there is a relaxation of the controlling and containment measures, and if we move from prevention to fire-fighting reactive measures again, i.e. Let it happen, then react with whatever protocols in place.
PS: PM Lee is going to make an announcement this evening at 5 pm and the Task Force will also give its take on the matter. Let's wait and see what they have in store for Singapore and Singaporeans.
Covid-19: Europe - Here We Go Again
ReplyDeleteGermany
Germany is to go into a hard lockdown over the Christmas period, from 16 December to 10 January, as the number of deaths and infections from the coronavirus reaches record levels. Hospitals are being overloaded.
The latest figures showed 20,200 more infections and a further 321 deaths on Sunday, bringing Germany's total to more than 1.3 million. The death toll has risen to 21,787.
From Wednesday, schools and non-essential shops will close across the country.
Restaurants, bars and leisure centres have already been closed since November, and some areas of the country had imposed their own lockdowns.
Under the national lockdown, banks and essential shops, such as those selling food, will stay open. Outlets selling Christmas trees can also continue trading. Hair salons are among the businesses which must close.
Companies are being urged to allow employees to work from home. Care homes will be authorised to carry out coronavirus tests. New Year events and the sale of fireworks will be banned. Drinking of alcohol in public places, such as popular mulled wine stalls, is also forbidden.
Affected businesses would receive up to 500,000 euros (£457,000, $605,000) in government support per month.
A maximum of five people from no more than two households are allowed to gather in a home. This will be relaxed from 24 to 26 December - one household can invite a maximum of four close family members from other households.
Italy
With vaccines from China, a vaccination campaign in Italy will aim to use flower-shaped gazebos set up in parks, sports fields and city squares to begin inoculating the public by 15-16 January, 2021
The architect behind the gazebos' design, Stefano Boeri, said the flower was the sign of the beginning of spring, "a symbol of serenity and rebirth".
Italy is now Europe's highest coronavirus death toll country, according to the latest figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. It has recorded 64,036 confirmed Covid-related deaths, overtaking the UK, which has recorded 64,026.
UK
People across the UK have been asked to think "really carefully" about the risk of more social contact over Christmas as restrictions are eased between 23 and 27 December.
Three households will be permitted to form a "bubble" and mix indoors and stay overnight during the five-day period.
Netherlands
Meanwhile in the Netherlands, which recorded nearly 10,000 new Covid infections over the latest 24-hour period, officials are urging Christmas shoppers to avoid city centres - such as Amsterdam and The Hague - at weekends.
"Come alone, don't linger too long, keep your distance and shop at quiet times," authorities said in a statement.
The country has been in partial lockdown since 13 October. The Dutch government has been discussing additional measures to curb the spread of the virus.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, the health care system is on the brink of breaking down.
At least five hospitals have sent letters to the Health Minister Alain Berset expressing "great concern about the current situation" relating to Covid-19 patients.
Hospitals in Geneva, Bern, Zurich, Basel, and Lausanne have indicated that their intensive care units (ICU) have reached full capacity and doctors and nurses were under extreme pressure.
Sweden
From Monday, schools across the Stockholm region of Sweden have been asked to switch to distance learning for 13 to 15-year-olds for the first time.
Students over the age of 16 returned to digital lessons nationwide on 7 December.
Among other measures for the Christmas period, Swedes are also advised to meet a maximum of eight people, gather outdoors if possible and avoid travelling by train or bus.
Elsewhere in the EU, the situations are almost similar, preparing for the worst during the Christmas season and beyond.
Covid-19: Death Of A Prime Minister
ReplyDeleteThe government of Eswatini (former Swaziland) says Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini has died, four weeks after he tested positive for coronavirus.
A government's statement said Dlamini, 52, died on Sunday afternoon in hospital in South Africa.
No cause of death was mentioned, but Dlamini had recently been receiving treatment for Covid-19 in South Africa.
Dlamini had been prime minister of Eswatini since October 2018.
The tiny landlocked country in southern Africa is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world.
With a population of about one million, the country has recorded 6,768 coronavirus infections and 127 deaths linked to the pandemic, according to the health ministry.
Prime Minister Dlamini announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus on 16 November. At that time, he said he was asymptomatic and was feeling well.
A few weeks later, on 1 December, the Eswatini government said PM Dlamini had been moved to a hospital in South Africa, with the aim of fast-tracking his recovery.
Sunday, 13 Dec, the Eswatini government said PM Dlamini died "while under medical care in a hospital in South Africa", without providing details.
This is the price to pay for taking it too easy, for belittling the power of the tiny coronavirus, for not getting treated much earlier, thinking "I am feeling well."
Their vaccines are meant for white men first.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the world has to depend on China to deliver them the vaccines.
Indonesia got 1.2 million doses of Sinovac vaccine Sunday. President Widodo said another 1.8 million doses are expected in early January. Indonesia said interim vaccine trials data showed 97 per cent efficacy. “Our clinical trial team found, within one month, that the interim data shows up to 97 per cent for its efficacy,” said Bio Farma's Iwan Setiawan. Read full article →
ReplyDeleteThe UAE found Sinopharm’s vaccine is 86% effective in protecting against the disease and 100% effective in preventing moderate and severe cases. The vaccine relies on chemically inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus to trigger an immune response. The trials included 31,000 volunteers and the vaccine had no serious safety concerns, according to the country’s Ministry of Health and Prevention. Read full article →
Brazil got a million doses of Sinovac vaccine, to be distributed pending approval. Read full article →
Sinovac secured $515m funding from China’s Sino Biopharmaceutical to double the production capacity of its coronavirus vaccine from 300 million to 600 million doses. Sinovac aims to complete construction of a second production facility by the end of 2020 to increase annual COVID-19 vaccine capacity to 600 million doses. Read full article
Source - Here comes China
Pfizer Vaccine - Full Exposure And Revelation Are Required
ReplyDelete1. The public has the basic and common right to have the full exposure and revelation of the Pfizer vaccine, or any other vaccine, before they are given the vaccination.
2. Advertising and recommendations, by words of mouth or written, through manifacturer or third parties, must not hide any inconvenient truth, or any facts, from the public whatsoever regarding any vaccine.
3. All vaccines have side-effects, ranging from mild to severe, and from drastic to fatal.
4. If anybody only talked about a particular vaccine's effectiveness without revealing its side-effects, such a vaccine must be viewed with conscioncious suspicion and great caution.
5. More data is needed to understand how the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.
6. Will it be dangerous to pregnant women, to children,to the aged, and to people who are immuno-compromised? To what extent?
7. Does the vaccine provide long-term immunization to those who have taken it? If not, how long will it last?
8. Has it been proven, through mass testing, to determine exactly the extent of its efficacy and detriments?
9. What percentage of failure-rate and how severe were the failures in terms of human health and well-being?
10. Are the clinical test reports made vavailable to the public in full, without having to be asked?
11. Haa the manifacturer of the vaccine hide any fact or data from the public?
Please think hard and do the necessary. Millions of human lifes are involved.
Human life is precious. One fatal causalty is one too many already. Just imagine that fatal casually is your ownself or your loved ones.
Be responsible. Be fully responsible!