The art of investigative journalism

The amount of work and effort put in by a reporter to reveal the true identiy of Dr Joseph Ong Chor Teck as the anonymous writer in Temasek Review deserves a lot of praise. Not only that it is newsworthy, it also set a new direction on what investigative journalism is all about and what it can do to tell more interesting stories about people and their backgrounds. We can expect that such important news and news trend would gain more acceptance and popularity both in the main media and in cyberspace. The other new media like TOC and TR and some others with the resources may also feel encouraged to do their own investigative journalism and tell their versions of interesting and newsworthy stories. It will add a lot of zest and jest in cyberspace and the media reporting as a whole. Great development!

Asean now a US protectorate?

Is Asean a US protectorate? From what the Americans are saying or doing, it appears so. In mypaper's front page news today, it has this, 'US: We'll protect states unnerved by China.' This statement was made in Vietnam prior to the Asia defence talks attended by all the Asean defence ministers plus China, US, Japan and other Asia countries. What did Asean do to deserve this honour? Isn't Asean professes itself to be a non aligned organisation, freeing itself from big power rivalry? How did Asean become a US protectorate. No, Asean did not ask the US to be their protector. Asean only invite the US for tea. And on entering the room the US took over the tea room. It then appointed itself as the protector of Asean with China in mind. This is much easier than setting up Seato. Here there is an organisation and the Americans just walked in, declared that it is now the boss. What is happening? If there was any invitation for the US to be the dominant power in Asean to take on China, it is likely to come from Vietnam, and very likely without the approval of the other Asean members. The possibility of confrontation and conflict is very real given the track records of Vietnam and the US, both belligerent countries and trigger happy. Would the peace in the region and Asean's neutrality be compromised and be dragged into a war it does not want? Would the region become another Middle East? In reality, Vietnam does not need Asean to take on China. It has defeated the mighty Americans in the Vietnam War. It is reputed to have taught the Chinese a lesson during their last border war. Vietnam should confront China using its own mightly army, seize the islands it claims. And if China reacts, Vietnam should conduct another border incursion into China like it did before. And now with the Americans supporting from behind, the Chinese would not be able to teach Vietnam a lesson any more. Why the need to drag in Asean into their foray? Would Asean leaders be foolish enough to turn their organisation, painfully built over the years, into another American protectorate, and be sucked into a war it does not want and is meaningless to them? Whatever, the US has now assumed the role as master of Asean. The mafia boss has shown its true intent.

An oasis for freedom of expression

I am proud to say that mysingaporenews.blogspot.com and redbeanforum.com are two rare gems where you can find freedom of expression as best as it could be. Seldom are post deleted, nor are they moderated, or subject to a moderator's whims and fancies. All posts are posted as they are. Rarely were there be exceptions, thanks to the mature bloggers posting in these the blog/forum, that the moderator would have to remove a piece. I have done it a few times on grounds of extreme vulgarities for the sake of vulgarites, or when the posts were inciting violence on religious or racial grounds. I am happy that this simple ground rule is observed by all here. Thank you and continue to post freely and sensibly. Cheers.

Is China being over assertive?

The Western media has been drumming up this tune, that China is being over assertive and bullying its smaller neighbours. Really? China has been a victim of aggression for several centuries. Some of its territories are still in the hands of the colonialists. It suffered trade sanctions, economic embargoes, containment, threats of nuclear attacks, unfair trade practices, isolations etc etc. Then it wakes up one day and sees aggressive countries still conducting war games in its courtyards and backyards. And there are big powers forming military alliances at its front doors with its neighbours. And little upstarts also trying to claim its territories when the territories belong to China for centuries, centuries before these little upstart countries could call themselves countries. Is it wrong for China to drive away the bullies and retake what historically belonged to China? Turn it the other way round, how would the Western countries react if China were to form military alliances with their immediate neighbours, conduct war games in the Carribeans or the Mediterraneans, send spy planes across Europe and the USA? What or how would the West responds or reacts? How would the Americans and Europeans react if China were to incite their neighbours to champion their rights? China should work with the Red Indians and aborigines to defend their rights, reclaim ownership of their land, and ask the perdatangs to go home to Europe. Would that be seen as being assertive? Is reclaiming their rights and land from the robbers, yakuzas, gangsters and frivolous opportunists assertive? Is telling the marauding hordes of hyenas swarming around their homeland and territorial waters assertive?

Trivialising a mistake!

The same attitude emerging. So what if the swimmers did not compete in the finals of the men's 4x200m relay? They are not medal contenders anyway, and swimming in the final or not swimming in the final would not make any difference. Really, why are we sending athletes and swimmers to the game for? Participation, sportsmanship, learning, experience and exposure to an international meet is it not? And, shsssshh, why are we spending all the money to send our swimmers there if participation is not important when they are not going to win a medal? I want my money back. Please don't waste public money like that. And in the next international meet, please do not send any athletes when they do not stand a chance to win a medal.

The third scenario

I have posted two possibilities of how the govt could be like after the next GE. The first is to increase the number of MPs to 100, plus more ministries and ministers, to keep pace with the changes and developments of the island. If this path is taken, we will have a bloated govt and the people will have to sacrifice another 3 plates of char kway teow to feed them. The next option is a lean and young govt, cutting away all the fats and waste. Then the people may be able to save on a plate of char kway teow and still having a govt to run the place. The third option which is highly likely is that there will be hardly any changes except for the inevitables and cosmetics. For sure LKY will not be in the next govt. So Chok Tong may be elevated to the revered title of Minister Mentor. Hsien Loong may want to move up to become SM and Chee Hean the next PM. The rest of the changes would be the normal self renewal with some oldies stepping down, and some with serious medical conditions may as well call it a day before it is too late. With the third option, basically nothing changes.

A Sunday morning mood

I have not had a Sunday morning mood for a long time, the kind of feeling or sensation of doing nothing or just relaxing and smell the roses. Browsing through the Sunday Times this morning did that. It actually tells me to reframe my mindset into the less serious or more pleasant things, like food and food and how in the hands of genius chefs, simple stuff could be turned into something so appetising and mouth watering, even a sight to behold. There were plentiful of articles about food this morning. Or perhaps I shall reflect on the number of top notch gyms and their programmes or where they are located and how they could have such a great influence on the people’s lives. And there is the iphone and ipad to marvel at the wonder of technology and how to live my life around them. They make the best companion in a modern world, so nice to have, so nice to hold. Now I understand why so many people are hooked on to playing games or watching movies in the trains and buses. Maybe I shall take the train and go malls counting. It can be a delightful past time for an oldie that has nothing better to do. They can exercise the mental by trying to do some calculation on how many malls are necessary and efficient to serving the population. Oh, there is an interesting article that made me turn a little serious. It is about expert advice to the widows and widowers who are griefing over the loss of their life long partners. The recommendation points to the visit to a shrink, or a psychiatrist, or is it psychologist, to help them overcome the difficult period of grief. Other than trying to share their grief, ask them to cry it out, talk about it, go out and mix around, try a new lifestyle, even relocation, not to live in the same room, house or location, professional help is still the best answer. And another advice, don’t throw away the deceased personal belongings too quickly, they bear many memories for the surviving spouses. Good, now I know what to do to help the grieving spouses, especially the older ones. The older they are, the more help they needed. The Sunday Times can be very educational on a Sunday morning.

When gods must also die

Would the demise of Balaji and Kwa Geok Choo make any difference to the political landscape of the future? Balaji was 55 and Geok Choo was 89. This simple statement could make some open their eyes a little to the fragility of life, that between 55 and 90, one could be called home with very short notice. Gods or immortals, no exceptions, no wonder drugs could prevent this eventuality from taking its natural course. Would those who have plentiful of wealth sit back and relax and say, what’s all the money if at the end of it they could not spend a cent on themselves? Would they decide to call it a day and enjoy the time with the wealth they have accumulated in abundance, to lead a life of their own choosing, at their own pace, without having to watch the clock or appease anyone? Life can be a very pleasant experience to those with the means. And it could be heaven on earth if they want it to be. But how they create this heaven is very individual. Some may find peace in solitude, free from the worries of daily living. Some may want to frolic with the nubile kind, of wine, women and song. Some will find contentment with their children and grandchildren, some with a book in a lonely beach. And there are some who would want to continue with the banter and battering of life till their legs no longer run. One possibility is the acceptance of a new political reality, with the oldies calling it a day, not wanting to be in the thick of things, not wanting to waste public resources for doing so little and collecting so much. We could have a trim and lean, and younger govt in charge. Hsien Loong could wipe the slate clean, no more MM or SMs, or ministers without portfolio in the PM’s office, except for the traditional Labour Chief. Even at the MP level, it could be more refreshing to see new and younger faces that are filled with energy than the lethargy of old have beens. It could be a welcoming breath of fresh air for a new beginning if these changes would to take place after the great revelation that life must come to an end for everyone, even to pseudo immortals…unless they prefer the existence of being I, Robot.

Michelle Obama is world's most powerful woman!

Really? What did she do to deserve that title? Does she run the state of USA and make decision for the country? All I know is that she is the wife of the President and maybe decide what food the President eats and what clothes he wears. Does she have any executive power, other than pillow talk? And second most powerful place goes to a food manufacturer, Irene Rosenfeld of Kraft Foods. Third to a talk show host called Oprah Winfrey, then Angela Merkel, German Chancellor and then Hilary Clinton, Secretary of State of the US. All these is bull. The woman that I think should deserve the honour is none other than Ho Ching. Who in the top 10 list manages a few hundred billions, maybe one trillion dollars in hard cash and has the power to decide on how to invest this sum of money? None of them comes near to Ho Ching. The people producing the ranking must either be ignorant or biased. oh yea, they have their own criteria, influence on the American public opinion is a major factor huh? My vote goes to Ho Ching, the world's most powerful woman, not that she is the wife of the world's highest paid Prime Minister, but truly on her own merit, as the person in charge of a war chest that could be $1 trillion in size or there about. And the authority to decide on how the money is to be used. That is real power.

Do we need more MPs and Ministers?

My answer to this is an unequivocal yes. Look, our population has almost doubled, land size increased by at least 20%, economy tripled, oldies quadrupled, foreigners almost half of the population, and many more. With all the big developments, we could easily need double the current MPs. We can start off in the next election by having 100 MPs. And with more MPs, we should increase the number of mayors and town council CEOS as well. That will make our constituencies better managed and with better facilities. My other consideration for this is to separate the roles so that more people can enjoy such quality jobs with quality pay. Also, we do not want to over work our MPs to death do we? With more MPs, there should be more ministers too. I can see the need for a minister for the islands and islanders when they are occupied, a minister for public housing and one for private housing. With hospitals doubling, and the bill size unimaginable, we can afford to have a minister just to take charge of hospitals and manage the revenue. We need a minister for foreigners and foreign workers for sure, in view of their size and importance. The job of looking after the oldies shall be formalized with a minister for the oldies as this is becoming a bigger issue over time. The ministry of Home Affairs will need a minister to take care of terrorism. Transportation too needs another minister as the job is getting too big for one minister to handle. So does education with more universities coming up. With more ministers and ministries, we will need to have more coordinating ministers to prevent the same problem happening again, when one ministry is doing something while other ministries are sleeping or have no clue of what is going on and ended with big uncoordinated problems. We deserve to have the best govt. And big is good.

The credibility of media and reporters

Many media pride themselves as serious and credible institutions reporting and producing news that are reliable and newsworthy. But when it comes to political agenda, many drop their guards and went on a rampage printing silly news, ridiculous news, unsubstantiated housewives gossips etc etc. The darling of such gossips and petty news, if they are news, is North Korea and its leaders. It is almost a daily occurrence, and the source is often western, and often reproduced in silly Asian media, things like the successor of Kim Il Sung has gone for a plastic surgery to look like his grandpa? Or Kim Il Sung is buying French wines etc etc. How credible are such media and their reporters when they resort to petty gossips of little minds and published them as news! At best it makes their newspaper like evening tabloids famed for scandals or comic strips. At worst, it puts off serious readers for insulting their intelligence. Why would serious and reputable media willing to put up such craps as news? Do they have a special agenda or are they paid to do so?

What's there to grief?

Human beans have made progress in many fields, in leaps and bounds. The one area that is most neglected is life's journey, living and dying. All the best brains do not think the understanding of the meaning of life is that rewarding and devote their energy in science and technology and in fields that are more rewarding in material comfort. What ended up is that the meaning of life is left to many rascals and half literates to interpret and formulate for the rest of the beans to observe and follow. Why should there be grief when someone passes away to start another journey in a different realm of existence? For those who believe that dying is the end and nothing happens after that, dust to dust, I can accept their belief. I can also accept whatever beliefs about life after death. My belief is that there is life after death and living is just a short sojourn on earth. No need to go into big argument about the different beliefs here. My question is that why should there be sorrow and pain when someone has lived a good life, a life of abundance, a life of comfort and luxury, having everything there is to have? There could be some sadness for the living that the deceased will not be around anymore. But it is nothing more than going on a long vacation. Grief and sorrow are understandable for the down trodden who did not live a good life, depending on one's individual interpretation of good and bad of course. The deprived, the people who are struggling to have the minimum of material comfort and necessities, full of wants but not having them, those who died living behind dependents to eke out a living on their own, those who left behind young and helpless children, those who have many unfulfilled dreams, unfinished tasks, there are reasons to grief and to be sorrowful about. The Chinese custom also acknowledges that people who lived a good life calls for a celebration. The green joss sticks were changed to red joss sticks. There will even be live shows and orchestras at the funeral. Such death is called 'hee song', meaning happiness cum sadness, a mixed of both. But in most instances like this, the family is well off, abundance of children and wealth, and the deceased live through a ripe age, generally above 80 with at least three generations of family relations, and passed away peacefully. It is time to understand and appreciate life and what is a good life. It is time to re edit the customs to see life in another perspective, and call for celebration in recognition of a life well lived.

Indonesia an up and coming big power?

Indonesia's aspiration of becoming a respectable big power took a knock in Holland yesterday. Yudhoyono had to cancel his 3 day state visit for fear of being arrested by the Dutch court. The court was to hear a trial against him lodged by the separatists from the Maluku Islands. Another reason quoted was the indignity of the trial of an Indonesian President in its former colonial master's court. Is Indonesia still a colony of Holland? Or what audacity would the Dutch court think that it has the jurisdiction to trial an Indonesian President or even an Indonesian citizen? The whole issue is so absurb that at best it was a rude reminder to the Indonesians who their master was. The Dutch court is totally ridiculous and pretentious to think that it is proper to put an Indonesian President on trial. The Dutch govt is wholely arrogant and disrespectful to even allow the trial to go on. Indonesia is no longer a Dutch colony. But the colonial mentality and mindset is still prevalent among the Dutch. So what if Indonesia is being dined and wined in the White House? It is still regarded as a colony or at best a pariah state in the eyes of the western powers. What aspirations of greatness is poof poof and smoke in the air. Yudhoyono should just go ahead with the visit and tell his rude host to get lost in their face if Indonesia is to be respected as an equal to Holland. It is unimaginable that the Dutch would dare to touch him or arrest him in Holland. And to conduct the trial during his state visit is totally disrespectful and a slap in the face of Yudhoyono and all Indonesians.

I am impressed with Western Australian Police

Saw this video clip on Australian Police manhandling an aborigine man on the news last night. I was so impressed by the use of force to protect the policemen. Oops, I mean to protect the aborigine. The whole episode should be used for training purposes for policemen around the world on how to handle a ‘violent’ aborigine. Let me try to recall the procedure involved. First you will need about 6 to 8 burly policemen, preferably twice the physical size of the victim. Then give them a Taser gun each. The next important thing is to handcuff the victim. When the victim, in this case an aborigine, is safely secured, take turns to use the Taser gun on him. The safety of the policemen is guaranteed. But just a precautionary statement, don’t be over zealous in the application of the gun. And never exceed 13 times. By 13 times, death is highly possible. In this case the aborigine died after being hit by the Taser gun for 13 times. Oh, one more precaution. When conducting such an exercise, make sure that no one is video taping it, whether by a handphone or a close circuit TV. The aborigines in Australia are in good hands. They are safe under the protection of the Australian police.

Behind the veil of civility

Everything on the surface looks fine and nice. All the pleasantries and heaps of praises poured in. Everyone has something good to say, so refined and well mannered, so cool and measured. Everyone is so sweet. Why am I seeing things? Behind the veils of niceties and civility I am seeing the face of a beast. I can’t really figure it out, could be a tiger, a wolf, a hyena or a crocodile, but a beast alright. The great pretence is first class, betterer than anything MediaCorp can produce. It even beats the best make up artistes of Hollywood. The battle will soon be fought. The daggers are hidden for the time being. Occasionally a little blinding reflection flashes across the scenery when a knife is unsheathed prematurely, only to be quickly put away. Brutus, where are ye? Brutus, my good friend!

While there is still time

For the good of the country, LKY must divorce himself from all aspects of govt while he still can. Goh Keng Swee was also a giant in Singapore politics. His passing away did not rock the boat and life goes on as usual. It should also be the case for LKY. But this is not going to be if LKY is still in the thick of govt and the sudden eclipse of his overwhelming presence will trigger a shock, and foreign funds will use the opportunity to sell down the stock market for sure. It may be a knee jerk reaction but the damage can be severe. There is still time to prevent this day from happening. LKY should retire completely and be out of the picture to let the govt run without him. There is a need for a transition period for the world to know that nothing changes with or without him in charge or in the govt. His fading away is good for the country and for everyone. No one knows how long he will be around and the earlier he takes step towards this end will give the govt that much more time to run on its own. It will also prevent the doomsayers from creating havoc at the crucial moment when it arrives. As long as he continues to grant audience to state dignitaries, there is no doubt who is in charge of the country. LKY owes it to Singaporeans to make the transition of Singapore without him as smooth and uneventful as possible. That will be his last great contribution for the country.

When workers raid the treasury

How could that be when they are still begging for some kind of minimum wage for their labour? And they are fighting only for another $30 or $50 more, not like asking for thousands or millions more. The workers that are raiding the treasury are those at the top of the heap. Whether they call themselves presidents, MDs, CEOs or whatever, they are workers, employees, employed to do a job. The owners of the property or organisation are the minority shareholders, who are lost, disunited, and did not know their rights. And the expensive workers at the top took over the organisations and began to pay themselves crazy without the owners consent, but by default. That is when the workers start to raid the treasury. It is happening everywhere, from small to big companies. When this takes place, it is a matter of time when the greedy workers break the bank and let it go bust. It happened in America and Europe, during the financial crisis. It is back to square one when the workers are back to do what they know best, for their own interest, by raiding the treasury. Until the minority shareholders wake up and exercise their rights as shareholders, to stop the raiding, the raid will continue. The raiders will usurp the power granted to them with the silent consent of the powerless shareholders and manage the treasury as their own personal coffers. And they will tell the workers at the bottom of the heap to take whatever there is left and not to ask for a cent more.

The lure of the dark side

It is officially approved. MAS has given the green light to Chi East, a joint venture between Chi X Global and SGX to operate a dark pool trading platform here. This controversial trading platform that hides under a cloud of secrecy for big traders as against the principle of aboveboard and transparency trading is not new in Europe and America. So the big boys, the front runners, the smart asses are doing it and it cannot be wrong. I remember toxic notes and minibonds that were then so respectable because it came from the world's centre of finance and cannot be wrong too. The dark side has always been sexy and exciting. And playing with secrecy, like James Bond, with a licence to kill, is that much more glamorous and adventurous. It has all the thrills of cloak and dagger and the advantage of being above the law. Has any trading principle been undermined by the dark pool operation? Are the operators having an advantage over those that trades in the open? Is the principle of a level playing field been violated? Every step taken, even a small step, towards the dark side, is a wrong step. It may not be apparent now. It will eventually, but only when the sky turns dark. A frog being boiled to death never know how far it had crossed to the side of death. Little incremental changes are deceiving and comforting. Skirting with the danger of going down the slippery slope may not be evident. Yes, a single step has been taken. Welcome to the dark side.

Obama apologises for Americas evil deeds

by Karin Zeitvogel Karin Zeitvogel – Fri Oct 1, 6:43 pm ET WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama personally apologized Friday to his Guatemalan counterpart for a US-led study conducted in the 1940s, in which hundreds of people in the Latin American state were deliberately infected with sexually-transmitted diseases. In a phone conversation with Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom, Obama expressed his deep regret for the experiment conducted by US public health researchers in Guatemala between 1946 and 1948, and apologized "to all those affected." The US president also vowed that all human medical studies conducted today will be held to exacting US and international legal and ethical standards. "This is shocking, it's tragic, it's reprehensible," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters, adding to apologies and outrage voiced by the president, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other US officials. Is it really shocking? Robert Gibbs really did not know how reprehensible the Americans were and still is? This is nothing compare to all the genocides of the past and present. Do the Americans really believe that all was well in Guantanamo, in Abu Ghraif, in Iraq, in Afghanistan and in Pakistan and elsewhere around the world when the American’s dirty hand is present? This is the true America, the real America that all Americans did not want to know, and neither did the rest of the world. They only want to know the great and charitable and honourable America created in Hollywood. Long live the Empire. Below are some of the comments from the innocent and naïve in the same article. "What happened all those years ago is a crime against humanity and the government reserves the right to lodge a formal legal complaint over it," Guatemala President Alvaro Colom said. Hilary ‘Clinton and Sebelius said in a joint statement Friday that the study was "clearly unethical" and apologized to all those who had been affected by it.’ Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the US government body that funded the study, called it "deeply disturbing" and "an appalling example in a dark chapter in the history of medicine." Senator Robert Menendez, a member of the congressional Hispanic caucus, called the experiments in Guatemala one of the "darkest moments" in US history. "No innocent fellow human should be treated as a lab rat, no matter your nationality," Did the Yakuzas in Japan remember their chemical and biological plant in northern China during WW2 era and how they experimented with Chinese prisoners as guinea pigs not dissimilar and could be worst than what the Ameicans did to the Guatemalans.

I almost bought SPH shares

Looking at how thick the daily newspapers have become, it is a good sign that the media companies are making good money. The advertisements, including obituaries, are filling up the pages. And these are real money pouring in. And the last few days the obituary pages could swell into a voluminous book if the PM's Office had not made the announcement of no obituaries for Hsien Loong's mother. The idea of obituaries in full page or double spread can be a great source of income. It would be better to market the idea of having colour pages for obituaries or even gold plated one with special papers for keepsake, to be framed up, or as collector's items. When that day comes, I will definitely rush out to buy up shares of media companies.