The police have completed their investigation and 28 foreign workers had
been charged in court for rioting. Another 53 are waiting for
deportation. Some were given warnings. This is the end of the first
chapter of this nasty incident. Hopefully there is no need to open a few
more chapters and followed by a sequel. The accident that caused the
death of the foreign worker by a bus is still under investigation and
this would ensure the story would not end just yet.
There were comments that our laws may not have been fair for not giving
the foreign workers due for deportation a fair hearing. But our laws do
not provide that comfort. The arrival of foreigners to work here is on
their free will, like someone accepting a job offer voluntarily. The
owner of this land has the same right to ask the foreigner to leave
without the need to give a reason, or like an employee resigning from a
company without the need to give a reason.
Under the Immigration Act, we do have a provision ‘that someone has
acted contrary to our interest or public security or safety, to ask them
to leave.’ Throwing the book to the foreign workers may appear to be
harsh as these are people from different countries, different culture
and different socio economic background. They could be behaving normally
as rioting is normal to them in their country. But this does not mean
that we have to accept their normal and to tolerate their wildness and
lawlessness. They have to accept what is normal to us, to be civilized,
to learn what modernity is all about and the social norms of a developed
country. We must not go down to their level.
This also does not imply that people in developed countries, like ours
or the west, would not behave like animals. The aggressive and boorish
behaviour of some foreigners that are in the PME levels have been in
display many times, with Sinkies on the receiving end. The Law Minister
should make use of this same Immigration Act to send those unruly and
uncouth animals home as well. We must apply the Act fairly across the
spectrum of people regardless of their income and appointments.
Send them home if they are nasty to Sinkies. This is our right ya? We
need to make an example out of some foreigners that think they own this
country. Start by sending the cyclist in Vivo City home. No reason is
needed. That will send a message to the hooligans in suits that they are
also hooligans and will be dealt with like hooligans. We do not have to
live with monkeys.
12/18/2013
12/17/2013
US gangster behaviour in the South China Sea and the PACIFIC OCEAN
Communication key to avoid sea incidents
| Global Times | 2013-12-16 0:43:01 By Global Times |
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The US
media has reported, citing sources from the American military, that on
December 5 the Cowpens, a US guided missile cruiser, was forced to take
evasive action to avoid a collision with a Chinese warship when the
Cowpens was near the Liaoning aircraft carrier in the South China Sea.
Anonymous sources from the US side called it a "dangerous maneuver" and said the US has made protests to China through diplomatic and military means. A statement issued by the US Pacific Fleet said that the State Department has taken the issue up with China and thinks the acts of both "not uncommon." As of last night, the Chinese military has not responded. This is not the first time that Chinese and American warships have confronted each other in the South China Sea. Airborne confrontations have also occurred often.
It is a fact that China has already announced three regions in the South China Sea as its military areas. The outside world knows that they are used for scientific research and training of the Liaoning aircraft carrier. Meanwhile, many areas in the South China Sea are China's exclusive economic zones. Clearly, the US missile cruiser has come to China's threshold and posed a threat to China's military security.
If the American navy and air force always encroach near China's doorstep, "confrontation" is bound to take place. In 2001, the collision between an American spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet was such an accident resulting from constant confrontation between the two.
The US side demands the Chinese navy and air force abide by "rules." Such rules are only served at American convenience to conduct inspections and show off its military strength. They do not belong to international laws. With its overall strength as the backing, the US forces the world to abide by them.
But the US should not go too far. Especially, it should show respect for China's legal interests and concerns for its own security and should not harm China's security at will.
We don't think the South China Sea is a stage where the US 7th Fleet flaunts its prowess. We try to avoid friction because we wish for a new type of major power relationship with the US rather than being pressured by this fleet.
The China-US crisis management system should be based on past rules on the one hand. On the other hand, China should also participate in rule-making. American leaders have welcomed China's peaceful rise, but they didn't actually respect the fact that as China's interests expand and its strength increases, its concern for security also deepens.
As China's strength grows, the US should learn to communicate with and respect China if it doesn't want a collision on the sea or in the air.
China should speed up empowering itself. Only when the US feels China is a well-matched adversary, will it deal with China in a reasonable way. China is trying to avoid friction with the US. But it should also be firm about safeguarding its own interests.
This has nothing to do with the "China threat" theory. Only when the world acknowledges China's deterrence, could the South and East China Seas stay in peace. We will bear every risk involved in this process.
Anonymous sources from the US side called it a "dangerous maneuver" and said the US has made protests to China through diplomatic and military means. A statement issued by the US Pacific Fleet said that the State Department has taken the issue up with China and thinks the acts of both "not uncommon." As of last night, the Chinese military has not responded. This is not the first time that Chinese and American warships have confronted each other in the South China Sea. Airborne confrontations have also occurred often.
It is a fact that China has already announced three regions in the South China Sea as its military areas. The outside world knows that they are used for scientific research and training of the Liaoning aircraft carrier. Meanwhile, many areas in the South China Sea are China's exclusive economic zones. Clearly, the US missile cruiser has come to China's threshold and posed a threat to China's military security.
If the American navy and air force always encroach near China's doorstep, "confrontation" is bound to take place. In 2001, the collision between an American spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet was such an accident resulting from constant confrontation between the two.
The US side demands the Chinese navy and air force abide by "rules." Such rules are only served at American convenience to conduct inspections and show off its military strength. They do not belong to international laws. With its overall strength as the backing, the US forces the world to abide by them.
But the US should not go too far. Especially, it should show respect for China's legal interests and concerns for its own security and should not harm China's security at will.
We don't think the South China Sea is a stage where the US 7th Fleet flaunts its prowess. We try to avoid friction because we wish for a new type of major power relationship with the US rather than being pressured by this fleet.
The China-US crisis management system should be based on past rules on the one hand. On the other hand, China should also participate in rule-making. American leaders have welcomed China's peaceful rise, but they didn't actually respect the fact that as China's interests expand and its strength increases, its concern for security also deepens.
As China's strength grows, the US should learn to communicate with and respect China if it doesn't want a collision on the sea or in the air.
China should speed up empowering itself. Only when the US feels China is a well-matched adversary, will it deal with China in a reasonable way. China is trying to avoid friction with the US. But it should also be firm about safeguarding its own interests.
This has nothing to do with the "China threat" theory. Only when the world acknowledges China's deterrence, could the South and East China Seas stay in peace. We will bear every risk involved in this process.
Samurai in the train
A man or was it a boy, dressed up in a samurai attire complete with a
samurai sword boarded a train in Paya Lebar and went to town. Some
passengers were wondering if he was involved in some cosplay event until
he unshielded his sword which looked very real. Then panic struck.
Apparently the men jumped over the gate at Paya Lebar station and the MRT staff alerted the police. Inside the train the passengers kept a safe distance from the man while the police stood in front to protect them. After the man left the train, the police went into pursuit and eventually arrested him after a struggle. Presumably the man was of unsound mind at this moment.
There is a photo of the man in the train in the ST. His face and hand were blurred, very likely he is a juvenile and there is a need to protect his identity. It cannot be a case of the media protecting a potentially dangerous criminal or too shy to show who he was.. It is a practice to protect the identity of young people caught in violation of the law. This guy must be very young. It is so thoughtful of the media.
Apparently the men jumped over the gate at Paya Lebar station and the MRT staff alerted the police. Inside the train the passengers kept a safe distance from the man while the police stood in front to protect them. After the man left the train, the police went into pursuit and eventually arrested him after a struggle. Presumably the man was of unsound mind at this moment.
There is a photo of the man in the train in the ST. His face and hand were blurred, very likely he is a juvenile and there is a need to protect his identity. It cannot be a case of the media protecting a potentially dangerous criminal or too shy to show who he was.. It is a practice to protect the identity of young people caught in violation of the law. This guy must be very young. It is so thoughtful of the media.
Crooked bridge and crooked expressway
When Mahathir insisted on building his crooked bridge everyone had a
good laugh. For whatever crazy reasons, he wanted to demolish a land
bridge in the form of a solid causeway just to build a bridge in its
place, presumably more efficient in that way and awe inspiring.
Fortunately the Malaysian govt had the commonsense not to believe him
and his crooked bridge.
How can a bridge be more efficient that a piece of land with relatively little maintenance and could easily be expanded to take in more load? How could a straight causeway, with shorter distance to travel be less effective than a crooked bridge with more distance to cover and high in the air? And there would be the cost of demolition and relocation cost of the causeway and the water pipes and all the businesses in JB town to account for.
While the crooked bridge is now history, Singapore has built a crooked expressway in Marina South and capped with an undersea tunnel and earning the accolade of being the most expensive stretch of road on earth. While Mahathir failed to get his pet project off the ground, Singapore got its pet project underground and under the sea.
In many ways, the crooked bridge and the crooked expressway have a lot of similarities. Cost is definitely one. A simple surface road plus a bridge could be much cheaper than the elaborate and highly geared tunnel with so many electrical and safety gadgets attached to it. And it is crooked, and its existence led to a stretch of ECP being chopped off. The trade off is a bigger piece of land to build more highrise buildings. Driving through a straight expressway from Tanjong Pagar to Fort Road must be faster and more economical on fuel and tyre wear for sure. Could a straight tunnel work and still create additional space?
Suffice to note these similarities, and there are many more that are obvious to everyone. Both are state of the art engineering feats, and monuments of achievements for whoever desired them, a legacy of sort.
And one thing for sure, the crooked bridge and crooked expressway would cost the users that much more in tolls to be paid and time to travel for the unnecessary distance added on. To the masterminds of these two projects, there must be great reasons and benefits to build them crooked instead of straight. Crooked is definite better than straight in both cases.
How can a bridge be more efficient that a piece of land with relatively little maintenance and could easily be expanded to take in more load? How could a straight causeway, with shorter distance to travel be less effective than a crooked bridge with more distance to cover and high in the air? And there would be the cost of demolition and relocation cost of the causeway and the water pipes and all the businesses in JB town to account for.
While the crooked bridge is now history, Singapore has built a crooked expressway in Marina South and capped with an undersea tunnel and earning the accolade of being the most expensive stretch of road on earth. While Mahathir failed to get his pet project off the ground, Singapore got its pet project underground and under the sea.
In many ways, the crooked bridge and the crooked expressway have a lot of similarities. Cost is definitely one. A simple surface road plus a bridge could be much cheaper than the elaborate and highly geared tunnel with so many electrical and safety gadgets attached to it. And it is crooked, and its existence led to a stretch of ECP being chopped off. The trade off is a bigger piece of land to build more highrise buildings. Driving through a straight expressway from Tanjong Pagar to Fort Road must be faster and more economical on fuel and tyre wear for sure. Could a straight tunnel work and still create additional space?
Suffice to note these similarities, and there are many more that are obvious to everyone. Both are state of the art engineering feats, and monuments of achievements for whoever desired them, a legacy of sort.
And one thing for sure, the crooked bridge and crooked expressway would cost the users that much more in tolls to be paid and time to travel for the unnecessary distance added on. To the masterminds of these two projects, there must be great reasons and benefits to build them crooked instead of straight. Crooked is definite better than straight in both cases.
1.1m foreign workers, not 500k
In a Bloomberg report today, it is stated that the number of foreign
workers here is 1.1m and not 500k. In the same report it quoted Chuan
Jin as saying that the govt is slowing down the number of foreign worker
intake in view of the riot in Little India.
This change in policy would invite criticism from the same bunch of idiots accusing Singapore of racism, discrimination and exploitation of foreign workers. Now when lesser workers are allowed, they will change their tune and would demand that more workers be allowed to work here. These double headed snakes would always have their say, that Singapore owes them a living but they could not do anything to provide better jobs and decent standard of living for their fellowmen in their own dastard countries.
1.1m or 500k is still too big a number for a highly densely populated island to absorb. And the risk of rioting, in bigger number, is always there. With more than 1m of them here, there will be 1m reason to trigger a riot. With 500k, there will be 500k reasons to do the same.
Are our police prepared and equipped to deal with a mob of 50,000 on the street? Do we have the manpower, equipment and resources to be mobilized when there is an outbreak of violence? How many men will be needed to quell such an unrest? It only takes 20 minutes to set the city and the housing estates ablaze. It is not easy to mobilize so many uniform men to take on such an urgent task even if this is carefully planned and with many drills conducted to get the men ready. I have not seen such an exercise carried out in a scale that may be warranted one day.
We have been playing with fire for so long and getting away with it through our good fortune. After the Little India Riot, the reality of such an eventuality is getting very real and the risk that much higher. As of today, if a massive riot occurs, I am very pessimistic of the outcome. I don’t think our police are ready for it. And the likelihood is that they would not have enough troops on the ground and a joint operation with the support of the military must be in order.
How fast can the govt mobilize enough men in a short span of time to deal with a major unrest is a big question. The root of the problem is the big number of foreign workers in our midst. Would we get away a second time with minimal life lost, injured or equipment and buildings razed?
Oh, it is an isolated incident that would happen once in 50 years. Not to worry. The next one will be another 50 year.
This change in policy would invite criticism from the same bunch of idiots accusing Singapore of racism, discrimination and exploitation of foreign workers. Now when lesser workers are allowed, they will change their tune and would demand that more workers be allowed to work here. These double headed snakes would always have their say, that Singapore owes them a living but they could not do anything to provide better jobs and decent standard of living for their fellowmen in their own dastard countries.
1.1m or 500k is still too big a number for a highly densely populated island to absorb. And the risk of rioting, in bigger number, is always there. With more than 1m of them here, there will be 1m reason to trigger a riot. With 500k, there will be 500k reasons to do the same.
Are our police prepared and equipped to deal with a mob of 50,000 on the street? Do we have the manpower, equipment and resources to be mobilized when there is an outbreak of violence? How many men will be needed to quell such an unrest? It only takes 20 minutes to set the city and the housing estates ablaze. It is not easy to mobilize so many uniform men to take on such an urgent task even if this is carefully planned and with many drills conducted to get the men ready. I have not seen such an exercise carried out in a scale that may be warranted one day.
We have been playing with fire for so long and getting away with it through our good fortune. After the Little India Riot, the reality of such an eventuality is getting very real and the risk that much higher. As of today, if a massive riot occurs, I am very pessimistic of the outcome. I don’t think our police are ready for it. And the likelihood is that they would not have enough troops on the ground and a joint operation with the support of the military must be in order.
How fast can the govt mobilize enough men in a short span of time to deal with a major unrest is a big question. The root of the problem is the big number of foreign workers in our midst. Would we get away a second time with minimal life lost, injured or equipment and buildings razed?
Oh, it is an isolated incident that would happen once in 50 years. Not to worry. The next one will be another 50 year.
12/16/2013
Foreign workers in Little India
This is a photo of foreign workers relaxing and having a drink with friends in Little India. Photo courtesy of Singapore News Alternative.
Are these workers having a hard time in Singapore? Look at their dressing, the enviroment they are in, would they be better off in India? These are not the well educated professionals. Would they be able to enjoy such comfort in such a fine and clean surrounding? If they are back in India, would they have the money to enjoy their drinks or would they be jobless, poorly clothed and could not even afford a drink?
Who is claiming that they are being exploited and living in drudgery, in a fearful environment and being discriminated by the Chinese majority in Singapore? Look at their faces, are they unhappy, in pain, in fear, being harassed? Or are they free and relax and happy, enjoying their drinks in the company of friends?
They may not be making a lot of money. But they are getting on well and with the freedom to do as they pleased in their off days.
How the rich get richer and the poor get poorer
The infamous photograph posted in Baey Yam Keng’s facebook is going on
its second round of circulation. A plate of nasi padang with fish,
chicken and cuttlefish I think, and probably with vegetables, cost
$2.50. And there is the even more infamous $8 open heart by pass, and
free serving of quality grade tooth picks in boxes, are privileges of
the rich and famous. They seemed to know how to get things cheaper than
the common folks.
Most ordinary people would be charged at least $6 or $7 for a plate of similar nasi padang. Most people would be broke or have their Medisave savings emptied and probably not enough if they have gone for a heart by pass. And if they need some tooth picks, probably will get the ordinary ones and comes in a few pieces.
While the poor have smaller incomes got to pay more for what they need, the rich with million dollar incomes could get things so much cheaply. Now you understand why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
And this is just a natural thing in life, one of those hard truths. Some are born more equal than others. And some don’t even know what $2.50 can get for a nasi padang lunch. And some don’t even know there are poor people in this rich city. This is uniquely Singapore. And you can’t blame them. They don’t eat in hawker centre like the poor do. They don’t walk in the company of the poor or when they did their walkaround the poor might have been shooed away, not to be seen.
Heard of the story that there are only 3 seasons and not four?
Most ordinary people would be charged at least $6 or $7 for a plate of similar nasi padang. Most people would be broke or have their Medisave savings emptied and probably not enough if they have gone for a heart by pass. And if they need some tooth picks, probably will get the ordinary ones and comes in a few pieces.
While the poor have smaller incomes got to pay more for what they need, the rich with million dollar incomes could get things so much cheaply. Now you understand why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
And this is just a natural thing in life, one of those hard truths. Some are born more equal than others. And some don’t even know what $2.50 can get for a nasi padang lunch. And some don’t even know there are poor people in this rich city. This is uniquely Singapore. And you can’t blame them. They don’t eat in hawker centre like the poor do. They don’t walk in the company of the poor or when they did their walkaround the poor might have been shooed away, not to be seen.
Heard of the story that there are only 3 seasons and not four?
500,000 march with their feet
DNAIndia.com, 14 Dec 2013
‘While it is no one’s case to condone Sunday’s violence, Singapore would do well not to treat the incident as an aberration, and not be dismissive about the larger sociological implications. It would be wrong to ignore the underlying simmering resentmentand frustration of Singpaore’s imported labourers. It is Singapore’s worst-kept secret that most of the lowly jobs (housemaids, construction workers, garbage removal and sewer maintenance personnel, so on) are performed by non-Chinese immigrants from South/Southeast Asia. Stories of worker abuse, intimidation and exploitation are aplenty : employers lodge thousands of imported workers in poorly provided cubbyholes, subject them to long work hours and confiscate their passports during the contract tenures….’
The above is a comment in DNA India which reflects the kind of thinking in India over the plight of the Indian workers here. Many of the claims are true, but things are improving dramatically and many dormitories are now like little country clubs with facilities that the workers would never dream of at home. Some of the dormitories are quality housing, better than HDB flats, and thousands of time better than the broken sheds they had at home with poor or no sanitation. Once the full programme dished out by the MOM is implemented, the quality of living condition in dormitories would be like heaven and hell from where they came from.
The proof of all these is that 500,000 of them are voting with their feet and more are craving to be here. There are exploitations, sure. Who are the exploiters? Who did the workers took their loans from? The Singapore side of the equation is no angels, but the law is coming down fast on them. Would the Indian media and their heart wrenching journalists and reporters offer these ‘exploited’ workers jobs that are better or at least the same as what Singapore can provide, with the same decent income? The answer is a big NO. They could not give these workers decent jobs, decent income and decent lodging and they are blaming Singapore for providing them a decent alternative! If these workers are thrifty and not exploited by their agents and employers, many of them would not only provide well for their families, some would return fairly rich, much richer than the reporters writing their nonsense.
If India is so good, these 500,000 workers would not be here. If the terms of their employments and life are so bad, they would not pay thousands to their agent to be here. And not only the workers are here, many of the professionals that India could not provide them with decent jobs and incomes are escaping from India to the West, with many coming to this island that are victimizing them on racist grounds. Many of their top brains are here to be exploited. Either their top brains are fools or the reporters are talking rubbish.
The truth is that they are exploiting Sinkies and the good infrastructure here for their own good. The people that are exploited are the Sinkies, particularly the PMEs. Wait till these local PMEs find life unbearable and unsustainable when they could no longer provide for their families. Just wait for their wrath.
And a final word, if the Indians, professionals and the workers, find it so bad here, exploited here, discriminated by the racist Chinese here, please get lost, go back home to the great comfort of your great country.
If our relations with India are so good, why are the Indian media so hostile to Singapore? Remember Sun TV. Who is spreading the myth that relations between the people of the two countries are so good that it deserves a big celebration in 2015 using public money? How much of the people’s money would be spent on this make belief while the Indians are cursing us everyday in their media?
Do we still want to spend public fund on this 150th Anniversary? For those people who believe that relations are so good and it is deserving of a big celebration, can they please use their own pocket money for it and not the people’s money? It is so easy to spend OPM ya.
‘While it is no one’s case to condone Sunday’s violence, Singapore would do well not to treat the incident as an aberration, and not be dismissive about the larger sociological implications. It would be wrong to ignore the underlying simmering resentmentand frustration of Singpaore’s imported labourers. It is Singapore’s worst-kept secret that most of the lowly jobs (housemaids, construction workers, garbage removal and sewer maintenance personnel, so on) are performed by non-Chinese immigrants from South/Southeast Asia. Stories of worker abuse, intimidation and exploitation are aplenty : employers lodge thousands of imported workers in poorly provided cubbyholes, subject them to long work hours and confiscate their passports during the contract tenures….’
The above is a comment in DNA India which reflects the kind of thinking in India over the plight of the Indian workers here. Many of the claims are true, but things are improving dramatically and many dormitories are now like little country clubs with facilities that the workers would never dream of at home. Some of the dormitories are quality housing, better than HDB flats, and thousands of time better than the broken sheds they had at home with poor or no sanitation. Once the full programme dished out by the MOM is implemented, the quality of living condition in dormitories would be like heaven and hell from where they came from.
The proof of all these is that 500,000 of them are voting with their feet and more are craving to be here. There are exploitations, sure. Who are the exploiters? Who did the workers took their loans from? The Singapore side of the equation is no angels, but the law is coming down fast on them. Would the Indian media and their heart wrenching journalists and reporters offer these ‘exploited’ workers jobs that are better or at least the same as what Singapore can provide, with the same decent income? The answer is a big NO. They could not give these workers decent jobs, decent income and decent lodging and they are blaming Singapore for providing them a decent alternative! If these workers are thrifty and not exploited by their agents and employers, many of them would not only provide well for their families, some would return fairly rich, much richer than the reporters writing their nonsense.
If India is so good, these 500,000 workers would not be here. If the terms of their employments and life are so bad, they would not pay thousands to their agent to be here. And not only the workers are here, many of the professionals that India could not provide them with decent jobs and incomes are escaping from India to the West, with many coming to this island that are victimizing them on racist grounds. Many of their top brains are here to be exploited. Either their top brains are fools or the reporters are talking rubbish.
The truth is that they are exploiting Sinkies and the good infrastructure here for their own good. The people that are exploited are the Sinkies, particularly the PMEs. Wait till these local PMEs find life unbearable and unsustainable when they could no longer provide for their families. Just wait for their wrath.
And a final word, if the Indians, professionals and the workers, find it so bad here, exploited here, discriminated by the racist Chinese here, please get lost, go back home to the great comfort of your great country.
If our relations with India are so good, why are the Indian media so hostile to Singapore? Remember Sun TV. Who is spreading the myth that relations between the people of the two countries are so good that it deserves a big celebration in 2015 using public money? How much of the people’s money would be spent on this make belief while the Indians are cursing us everyday in their media?
Do we still want to spend public fund on this 150th Anniversary? For those people who believe that relations are so good and it is deserving of a big celebration, can they please use their own pocket money for it and not the people’s money? It is so easy to spend OPM ya.
The simplicity of it all
As life gets more complicated, as solutions to problems get more
complex, some things are getting simpler. The Little India Riot is a
case in point. It was all because of alcohol. Stop the selling of
alcohol and the problem will go away. And the govt did just that over
the weekend, and yes, no more rioting in Little India after the ban. It
was a peaceful and quiet little place for the families and children to
walk around and feeling very safe from the fierce bottle hurling and car
burning mob. This is like a miracle.
The solution is simple and effective, like what Singapore is all about. It also sent a signal to all the drinkers around the island, if they want to continue to enjoy their booze, keep the peace. Any sign of trouble will mean no more booze. Yes, got it. Who says complex problem needs complex solution?
In the MyPaper today, Dr Koh Poh Soon diagnosed his election defeat to something he said or should not have said. The offending statement was ‘everybody has a car’. And to make it worse, he added that he and his wife had two cars, one each, caused they were professionals. Another reason was the parachute. He was seen as a paratrooper dropping in from the sky. These two reasons caused his electoral defeat to an unknown. And the margin was quite a trumping.
Dr Koh is still walking the ground in preparation for his next election. By then he would not be seen as someone dropping down on a parachute. So this problem would be a non issue. As for the two cars he and his wife owned, he can either not talk about it, or to make a bigger show, sell one away. This should make him more like everybody else, owning one car and could give him the votes for a victory.
Thank God that life is getting so simple. Time to reconsider cutting the salaries of ministers when solving problems is so easy.
What do you think?
The solution is simple and effective, like what Singapore is all about. It also sent a signal to all the drinkers around the island, if they want to continue to enjoy their booze, keep the peace. Any sign of trouble will mean no more booze. Yes, got it. Who says complex problem needs complex solution?
In the MyPaper today, Dr Koh Poh Soon diagnosed his election defeat to something he said or should not have said. The offending statement was ‘everybody has a car’. And to make it worse, he added that he and his wife had two cars, one each, caused they were professionals. Another reason was the parachute. He was seen as a paratrooper dropping in from the sky. These two reasons caused his electoral defeat to an unknown. And the margin was quite a trumping.
Dr Koh is still walking the ground in preparation for his next election. By then he would not be seen as someone dropping down on a parachute. So this problem would be a non issue. As for the two cars he and his wife owned, he can either not talk about it, or to make a bigger show, sell one away. This should make him more like everybody else, owning one car and could give him the votes for a victory.
Thank God that life is getting so simple. Time to reconsider cutting the salaries of ministers when solving problems is so easy.
What do you think?
12/15/2013
150th anniversary of Sin India fraternal relations
I remember that 2015 has already been earmarked as the year
to celebrate the good relations between India
and Singapore
and a long list of activities will be planned for this great event. The presidents
of both countries will pay homage to each other with their entourages of
courtiers and royalties. Dunno who is paying for this great year long party.
Maybe they will provide for it in the next budget.
As a warm up to this event, it would be appropriate to build
up the tempo early to get the people of the two countries in a celebration mood
and to be emotionally prepared to love and hug each other when 2015 arrives.
The little isolated incident at Little India may mar the mindsets of the two
people at the moment and both may be looking at each other with suspicion.
Those who listened and believed what TV Sun had broadcasted over the air may
not only be harbouring hatred against the Sinkie Chinese, some may even be
planning some vengeful treats in return. It is thus of utmost importance to
cleanse out this bad and wrongful thought that had been planted in some
unthinking minds, of course done unintentionally, just an innocent mistake.
Make 2014 a year of love and peace between the two people
prior to the year long celebration in 2015. And this can start almost
immediately, now, and encouraging all Sinkie households to adopt an India
worker and play host to him till 2015. The Indian workers can be invited to stay
with Sinkie families and enjoy the tender loving care of Sinkie families and
our way of life. This would definitely be the best integration exercise of all
integration exercise. This would not only build a damn good relationship with
the people of India, it will also save a lot of other problems, like housing,
saving them on food and lodging, govt no need to build more dormitories to ‘angrify’
the neighbourhood, and the Indian workers need not go to Little India to feel
at home, thus reducing their tendency to drink and get drunk and ending in
rioting.
Singaporeans will also not be attacked and blamed for
xenophobia. The whole country may be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for
building a harmonious relationship with poor foreign workers needing shelter
and love and a home away from home. Hey, if every home has one, there should be
enough to go round with half a million of them here and more to come, there
would not be any enclaves forming. They will all blend in nicely with the
families and the housing estates.
Now would not this be nice? And come 2015, we can celebrate
together all year round with Indians visiting here and Sinkies visiting India.
The visiting should not be confined to just the Presidents and govt
dignitaries. That would be too selfish. Let the joy be shared by the people of
both counties. I am already looking forward to it.
Inviting the wolf home 引狼入室
The
wolf cub is very cute and cuddly to play with, just like the Alsatian dog. But
it will grow up fast. When it becomes an adult, it will still be quite cuddly
and friendly, a very good pet to keep for company. It would still wag its tail
and give the owner a very warm smile. The only difference is that the teeth are
sharp and shiny and the jaws are huge. And it has a very big appetite. Just
feed him well.
Just
feed him well and good. Don’t ever provoke it or step on its tail. When it
turns against the owner and snaps its jaw, it will be too late to regret. A
wolf is still a wolf. Don’t pray pray.
And
don’t let the weak and vulnerables unattended, especially the infants. You just
won’t know. There is an animal inside the friendly and apparently harmless beast.
Economic cleansing by Gilbert Goh
Below is the first part of a long article by Gilbert Goh on the grave changes in our socio, economic and political landscape. I will post the other parts as a series.
I seldom felt so enraged when I received emails from our readers
until I received one from Francisthe
other day.
Francis wrote how he was ousted from his company – a global
Fortune 500 conglomerate, by a foreigner Indian IT director from India. He is now happily
resettled in Melbourne – one of the tens of thousands of Singaporeans forced by
the recent economical circumstances to relocate elsewhere in search of greener
pasture.
What irked me was how easily the Indian IT director could replace
our own local executives, without any repercussion, with his own people from India. Something is wrong
with our human resource policy here and so far the ministry of manpower has
kept quiet about this hiring discrimination….
Economic cleansing
being practised here?
Though we may not have entered into such grotesque activity yet,
the signs are there and its pretty ominous.
Nevertheless, we may have enter into a dark period of economic cleansing – foreigners arriving on
our shore invited with open arms by a regime to take over our jobs and hiding a
sinister agenda for political gain.
The agenda though subtle is equally damaging as economic cleansing
has driven many of our citizens into deep depression and some have even
attempted suicide. Those who can emigrate will do so – leaving the country to
well-to-do foreigners with good paying jobs to gain control.
One in three workers in Singapore is a foreigner now and at least
1.5 million foreigners, carrying all kinds of work permits, have settled down
on our tiny island state – artificially inflating our population to a miserable
5.1 million and stretching infrastructure and employment opportunities to the
maximum.
Amidst this economic sizzle which is supposed to benefit its own
people, entire companies have been replaced by foreigners and one only needs to
walk along busy financial centre at Marina to witness the ugly
manifestation.
Singaporean executives ironically remain a rare representation in
our best economic model thus far – the financial sector.
Deustche Bank, Barclays, Credit Sussie, Hong Kong Shanghai Bank –
all banking giants out to clamour for a lucrative piece of the Asian economic
miracle here could only mysteriously employ a majority of foreign executives on
its payroll. We don’t have enough talents – so say the employers and agreed by
our government.
Let the foreign talents come in – not by the tens of thousands but
hundreds of thousands as our own local workers sit by the wayside and envy the
smartly-dressed foreign executives filing past on their way to work in gleaming
glass-towered buildings! Never before has any country in the world imposed work
discrimination so obviously and maliciously played out - against its own people
mind you.
For the first time in history, more foreign doctors (60%) last year registered
with our Singapore Medical Council (SMC) than local ones – a reflection of
economic cleansing that will continue unabated in the near future.
The government has also shamelessly used tax-payer money to lure
foreigners via a comprehensivewebsite meant to simplify procedures
for immigrants coming into our country.
Government-linked companies, multi national companies and even small
and medium enterprises splashed out full page advertisement abroad in search of
foreign workers to fortify their economic prowess as companies continue to shun
local workers labelling them lazy, choosy and hard to please.
The government has always asked its own people to welcome
foreigners into our midst as if not – jobs will evaporate, investors will run
away and the economy will collapse.
However, it could not properly explain why capable well-educated
citizens continue to stay jobless or enter into under employment by driving
cabs and taking on low level jobs in order to survive.
If this happens in any country in the world, citizens will gather
together and speak out against such employment discrimination but in a
law-abiding country like Singapore - whereby even a
lone demonstrator can be arrested, we are being denied such basic human rights
and can only count emigration as a way out of our misery.
12/14/2013
The attack on Sinkies has just begun
Sinkies are xenophobic, very bad, they must reflect on themselves, to
treat the foreigners nicer, help them to be civilised, to have good
manners, to be like them, oops, but not the xenophobic part. Arising
from the riot in Little India, the attacks and vehements are all
targeted at Sinkies. It is all the sinkies fault. The foreigners are
nice people. Only a minority is bad.
Seriously, fucking seriously, to all the fuckheads, who started the rioting? Sinkies? Who are the rioters? Sinkies? Who got beaten up? Sinkies? Who overturned police cars and ambulance? Sinkies? Who burnt the cars? Sinkies?
Why are Sinkies now at fault, and are called xenophobic when they had nothing to do with the rioting? The leaders are blaming the Sinkies, the media are repeating it, forum writers are also adding fuel to fire. Sinkies must reflect on their behaviour and how to treat the foreigners better. Sinkies are guilty of xenophobia!
Who are getting displaced by foreigners in good jobs? Who are being discriminated by foreigners in this island? Sinkies?
For fuck sake, the Sinkies are not that daft to be branded as xenophobic when they are not. But I bet you, the daft Sinkies will take this with a smile, a shrug of the head and walk away. If Sinkies are not prepared to defend their rights in this island, their rights to be respected, their rights to good jobs, their rights to an orderly and peaceful country, safe and clean and harmonious, they deserved to be kicked out of this island.
Don’t the Sinkies feel violated, the peace and tranquillity of their island home is now threatened and are the Sinkies expected to keep quiet, and even have to sayang the foreigners because they are such nice people but are being bullied by the Sinkies, and like the Sun TV report, being beaten up by Sinkies and are hiding in fear?
The foreigners are exploited for sure. By who? Who are the exploiters? Not the ordinary Sinkies that are being blamed for xenophobia. The riot is expected given all the factors that are conducive for a riot. It is only a matter of time and how severe it would be. It is not just the exploitation. Pay them well, give them the best in everything, but if you have a mob of tens of thousands, a hundred thousand, all hungry and lonely men, bored, far away from their home and family, a little spark is all it needs to start a mayhem, a pandemonium. You have all the ingredients for a bloody riot in a big crowd, not necessarily in Little India, but in any corner of the island when you have such a big gathering of single males, foreigners, workers, and from the less developed parts of the world when violence and rioting is normal.
Please stop putting the blame on Sinkies. Please stop calling the Sinkies xenophobic. The Sinkies are innocent bystanders. There may be a few minorities in cyberspace venting their anger. And can you blame them when they saw the peace and safety of their country going up in flame? It would be worse if they really sheepishly and meekly say nothing about this violation of their country. It is only natural and understandable for Sinkies to be angry. It is good to be angry when you are wrong. Some may say things a bit too harshly, but none of them are out there beating any foreigner or burning cars.
Would the assholes stop attacking and branding Sinkies as xenophobic? They are trying to pass the buck, to make Sinkies feel guilty for their devious ways.
Seriously, fucking seriously, to all the fuckheads, who started the rioting? Sinkies? Who are the rioters? Sinkies? Who got beaten up? Sinkies? Who overturned police cars and ambulance? Sinkies? Who burnt the cars? Sinkies?
Why are Sinkies now at fault, and are called xenophobic when they had nothing to do with the rioting? The leaders are blaming the Sinkies, the media are repeating it, forum writers are also adding fuel to fire. Sinkies must reflect on their behaviour and how to treat the foreigners better. Sinkies are guilty of xenophobia!
Who are getting displaced by foreigners in good jobs? Who are being discriminated by foreigners in this island? Sinkies?
For fuck sake, the Sinkies are not that daft to be branded as xenophobic when they are not. But I bet you, the daft Sinkies will take this with a smile, a shrug of the head and walk away. If Sinkies are not prepared to defend their rights in this island, their rights to be respected, their rights to good jobs, their rights to an orderly and peaceful country, safe and clean and harmonious, they deserved to be kicked out of this island.
Don’t the Sinkies feel violated, the peace and tranquillity of their island home is now threatened and are the Sinkies expected to keep quiet, and even have to sayang the foreigners because they are such nice people but are being bullied by the Sinkies, and like the Sun TV report, being beaten up by Sinkies and are hiding in fear?
The foreigners are exploited for sure. By who? Who are the exploiters? Not the ordinary Sinkies that are being blamed for xenophobia. The riot is expected given all the factors that are conducive for a riot. It is only a matter of time and how severe it would be. It is not just the exploitation. Pay them well, give them the best in everything, but if you have a mob of tens of thousands, a hundred thousand, all hungry and lonely men, bored, far away from their home and family, a little spark is all it needs to start a mayhem, a pandemonium. You have all the ingredients for a bloody riot in a big crowd, not necessarily in Little India, but in any corner of the island when you have such a big gathering of single males, foreigners, workers, and from the less developed parts of the world when violence and rioting is normal.
Please stop putting the blame on Sinkies. Please stop calling the Sinkies xenophobic. The Sinkies are innocent bystanders. There may be a few minorities in cyberspace venting their anger. And can you blame them when they saw the peace and safety of their country going up in flame? It would be worse if they really sheepishly and meekly say nothing about this violation of their country. It is only natural and understandable for Sinkies to be angry. It is good to be angry when you are wrong. Some may say things a bit too harshly, but none of them are out there beating any foreigner or burning cars.
Would the assholes stop attacking and branding Sinkies as xenophobic? They are trying to pass the buck, to make Sinkies feel guilty for their devious ways.
Little India Riot – a 500,000 puzzle to solve
There
are half a million single men women workers from all over the world working
here in the numerous construction site. On weekends or day off, there are half
a million men and women not working. What would they want to do? Where would
they want to go? What were they thinking? What were they dreaming?
There
are these half a million lonely men and women away from their homes that have
social needs, human needs, emotional needs. How to take care of them? Little India, Golden Mile, Peninsula
Shopping Centre, Lucky Plaza etc are where they gathered. If they are not allowed
to be in these places, where will they go, what will they do?
The
places they congregate are the lesser evils. If they don’t have these places to
go, what do you think would happen? Half a million men and women, not counting
the PMEs that would make it more than a million, are in need of leisure,
entertainment, relaxation, let off steam. They exist and cannot be ignored.
This
is the puzzle that people who brought them here do not want to know and think
that the problem will go away if no one talks about it. These are real people,
the good, the bad and the ugly. They cannot be bottled up in a can. And the
people of Singapore are now faced with this
problem, to live with them and hoping that nothing bad would happen to them. If
it does, it is the fault of the Sinkies.
12/13/2013
Haven for FWs
By not letting the FWs have their alcohol, not having buses to fetch
them to meet with their friends in Little India, what would the workers
do? Stay in their dormitories, watch TV or video, play caram,
basketball, volley ball? And they would eat instant noodles, drink tea
and kopi and get high? Are there other ways to help them unwind and be
happy with their friends and alcohol?
If I am not mistaken, the old Turf Club is the ideal place as a haven for the foreign workers. It is big enough, centrally located, big car park, and unused but with all the facilities for a big crowd. All the dormitories can hire coaches to bring the FWs to this great common area to have fun and some private time among themselves. There is no need to disturb the residents, no need to cause traffic jams, no need to pee and shit on the road side as the toilet facilities are more than ample for their needs. And it is a damn decent place with good lightings and security fences.
All that is needed is to put up some food merchants to provide everything they need. The liquor licence holders can relocate their stalls in this new haven and no need to kpkb that they have invested so much money and no liquor sale means lose big money. The current foodstalls at Turf City will also be seeing a boom in their businesses and would be very thankful to the govt.
Think this is not only a win win for every party. It is a win, win, win, win and win for more than everyone. The entertainment industry can also do their bit to liven up the place. And no one can complain that they have been kept in a slum area. This is district 10, mind you. Ok, Ok, some shops in Little India may lose a bit of business. But allow them to open branches in the new place should help to increase their income. Can rename this place as the Little Taj Mahal.
What do you think? Or else rent a vacant piece of land in Batam and send them there during the weekend? Batam businesses will boom and the island will become another vibrant and busy place, more GDP, more foreign exchange and prosperity for the islanders. There will be big demands for food, entertainment and properties and all the services the FWs need. Still better than one of our precious little island that is undeveloped, no facilities and too small.
If I am not mistaken, the old Turf Club is the ideal place as a haven for the foreign workers. It is big enough, centrally located, big car park, and unused but with all the facilities for a big crowd. All the dormitories can hire coaches to bring the FWs to this great common area to have fun and some private time among themselves. There is no need to disturb the residents, no need to cause traffic jams, no need to pee and shit on the road side as the toilet facilities are more than ample for their needs. And it is a damn decent place with good lightings and security fences.
All that is needed is to put up some food merchants to provide everything they need. The liquor licence holders can relocate their stalls in this new haven and no need to kpkb that they have invested so much money and no liquor sale means lose big money. The current foodstalls at Turf City will also be seeing a boom in their businesses and would be very thankful to the govt.
Think this is not only a win win for every party. It is a win, win, win, win and win for more than everyone. The entertainment industry can also do their bit to liven up the place. And no one can complain that they have been kept in a slum area. This is district 10, mind you. Ok, Ok, some shops in Little India may lose a bit of business. But allow them to open branches in the new place should help to increase their income. Can rename this place as the Little Taj Mahal.
What do you think? Or else rent a vacant piece of land in Batam and send them there during the weekend? Batam businesses will boom and the island will become another vibrant and busy place, more GDP, more foreign exchange and prosperity for the islanders. There will be big demands for food, entertainment and properties and all the services the FWs need. Still better than one of our precious little island that is undeveloped, no facilities and too small.
Why we should not buy the F35s
‘Singapore’s Chief of Defence Lt Gen Ng Chee Meng has confirmed purchase
of F35B fighter plane: US General.’ This is the title of a report in
The Diplomat on 18 Oct 13. It quoted Gen Herbert J Carlisle saying that
he had spoken to Lt Gen Ng and Singapore has decided to buy the B model
VSTOL F35 for a start. In the latest media report Ng Eng Hen was quoted
to say that no decision has been made yet but Singapore is seriously
considering the aircraft. Eng Hen also said Singapore is in no hurry to
decide on the purchase. What is the truth the public would not know as
this must be Top Secret in military terms. Let’s take Eng Hen’s word at
face value as he is the Minister and would not lie in public.
There are many reasons why Singapore should not buy this crazily priced fighter aircraft. Why do we need such an advanced and expensive aircraft for? Who are we going to fight with and what kind of aircraft do our enemies have to contend with? There is no sense if Singapore is buying this aircraft to defend against a superpower.
The only reality is to be better than our neighbours. So we are going to spend billions of our public money to be like the Joneses? And this one upmanship can only last for a few years if our Joneses have the same mentality and go one up after we paid for these toys. Then we would have to go one up on them again, spending more billions. The only people who are going to be very happy and laughing themselves silly at us would be the arms merchants. They make silly govts trying to outdo each other by buying their expensive toys.
Why can’t a deal be made with our neighbours to cap our military expenditure and not be exploited by the arms merchants and make a fool of everyone of us while they make themselves very rich with our money?
The other simple reason why this aircraft should not be bought is being practical and sensible about how we spend our money. Each aircraft is costing a few hundred million dollars. Every aircraft that falls off the sky is going to burn a big hole in our pocket. And the aircraft can be shot down by cheap missiles in the air or cheap mortars on the ground. Worst, any pilot error or mechanical trouble in the air would mean the ditching of a few hundred millions at one go. It is just too expensive a toy to maintain and to lose.
With the same money we could have many more F15s and F16s to do an equally good job. We are not going to fight the Martians with the latest technology in the world. Think money so easy to come by meh? The planes are just too expensive to operate. We are not Third World leaders with Third World mentality and craving for the biggest gun to show off. We are First World leaders and should be able to think more wisely not to go blindly into an arms race when there is no need to do so.
There are alternative ways, just like there are alternative ways to grow the economy without flooding the island with more people.
There are many reasons why Singapore should not buy this crazily priced fighter aircraft. Why do we need such an advanced and expensive aircraft for? Who are we going to fight with and what kind of aircraft do our enemies have to contend with? There is no sense if Singapore is buying this aircraft to defend against a superpower.
The only reality is to be better than our neighbours. So we are going to spend billions of our public money to be like the Joneses? And this one upmanship can only last for a few years if our Joneses have the same mentality and go one up after we paid for these toys. Then we would have to go one up on them again, spending more billions. The only people who are going to be very happy and laughing themselves silly at us would be the arms merchants. They make silly govts trying to outdo each other by buying their expensive toys.
Why can’t a deal be made with our neighbours to cap our military expenditure and not be exploited by the arms merchants and make a fool of everyone of us while they make themselves very rich with our money?
The other simple reason why this aircraft should not be bought is being practical and sensible about how we spend our money. Each aircraft is costing a few hundred million dollars. Every aircraft that falls off the sky is going to burn a big hole in our pocket. And the aircraft can be shot down by cheap missiles in the air or cheap mortars on the ground. Worst, any pilot error or mechanical trouble in the air would mean the ditching of a few hundred millions at one go. It is just too expensive a toy to maintain and to lose.
With the same money we could have many more F15s and F16s to do an equally good job. We are not going to fight the Martians with the latest technology in the world. Think money so easy to come by meh? The planes are just too expensive to operate. We are not Third World leaders with Third World mentality and craving for the biggest gun to show off. We are First World leaders and should be able to think more wisely not to go blindly into an arms race when there is no need to do so.
There are alternative ways, just like there are alternative ways to grow the economy without flooding the island with more people.
Let’s talk xenophobia
A common definition of xenophobia is the fear or hatred for foreigners
and often translated into hostility and beating of foreigners.
Singaporeans have been accused by Singaporeans, by the media and even by
people in high places of being xenophobic. These people must have seen
many foreigners being challenged or beaten up in this country by
Singaporeans. Otherwise they would not be making such foolish statements
as they will affect their credibility and as leaders of this country.
Let’s look at the facts.
1. Most taxi drivers are Singaporeans. Most taxi drivers are beaten up by foreigners.
2. Singaporeans are reported to be chased around by foreigners and beaten up by foreigners who have taken up jobs in the country.
3. Foreign companies here prefer to hire foreigners than Singaporeans with no violent protest from the Singaporeans.
4. Singapore companies prefer to hire foreigners as their CEOs and senior managers.
5. Singaporeans must pay $100 to enter the casinos. Foreigners can enter without paying.
6. There are more than 1 million foreigners in the island with a population of slightly more than 3 million. Foreigners find it easy to get a job than Singaporeans. Many Singaporean graduates are unemployed or replaced by foreigners. No protest.
7. Discriminatory advertisements for jobs specifically hiring foreigners and not Singaporeans have been a fair game for a long time.
8. In the recent rioting in little India, Singaporeans were the ones got beaten by foreigners. Singaporean police vehicles were torched. Singaporean police officers were hurt. Other than one drunken foreigner that died because of a traffic accident, not a
single foreigner was beaten up by the Singaporeans.
9. Not a single Singaporean was involved in the rioting to beat up foreigners.
10. No foreigners have been beaten up by Singaporeans because they were foreigners.
11. Foreigner cyclists are often scolding and taunting Singaporeans and threatening to beat them on the roads for horning at them.
That’s it, from the above facts Singaporeans are definitely xenophobic and hate foreigners. It is so obvious. The media also said so, some politicians also said so. Some Singaporeans also said so. And the Singaporeans did not deny this. Thus this conclusion cannot be wrong. The Singaporeans must now reflect on themselves why they are xenophobic or why everyone is accusing them of being xenophobic.
They must be nicer to foreigners, and if they are beaten up by foreigners it must be their fault. If they lose their jobs to foreigners it must be that the foreigners are more talented and more deserving and qualified for the job. Singaporeans only have themselves to be blamed for being so xenophobic.
I have a Ph D from the University of DKW and an adjunct professor of BTH School of International Strategic Studies. DKW is short for Don’t Know Where and BTH means BehTahan.
Let’s look at the facts.
1. Most taxi drivers are Singaporeans. Most taxi drivers are beaten up by foreigners.
2. Singaporeans are reported to be chased around by foreigners and beaten up by foreigners who have taken up jobs in the country.
3. Foreign companies here prefer to hire foreigners than Singaporeans with no violent protest from the Singaporeans.
4. Singapore companies prefer to hire foreigners as their CEOs and senior managers.
5. Singaporeans must pay $100 to enter the casinos. Foreigners can enter without paying.
6. There are more than 1 million foreigners in the island with a population of slightly more than 3 million. Foreigners find it easy to get a job than Singaporeans. Many Singaporean graduates are unemployed or replaced by foreigners. No protest.
7. Discriminatory advertisements for jobs specifically hiring foreigners and not Singaporeans have been a fair game for a long time.
8. In the recent rioting in little India, Singaporeans were the ones got beaten by foreigners. Singaporean police vehicles were torched. Singaporean police officers were hurt. Other than one drunken foreigner that died because of a traffic accident, not a
single foreigner was beaten up by the Singaporeans.
9. Not a single Singaporean was involved in the rioting to beat up foreigners.
10. No foreigners have been beaten up by Singaporeans because they were foreigners.
11. Foreigner cyclists are often scolding and taunting Singaporeans and threatening to beat them on the roads for horning at them.
That’s it, from the above facts Singaporeans are definitely xenophobic and hate foreigners. It is so obvious. The media also said so, some politicians also said so. Some Singaporeans also said so. And the Singaporeans did not deny this. Thus this conclusion cannot be wrong. The Singaporeans must now reflect on themselves why they are xenophobic or why everyone is accusing them of being xenophobic.
They must be nicer to foreigners, and if they are beaten up by foreigners it must be their fault. If they lose their jobs to foreigners it must be that the foreigners are more talented and more deserving and qualified for the job. Singaporeans only have themselves to be blamed for being so xenophobic.
I have a Ph D from the University of DKW and an adjunct professor of BTH School of International Strategic Studies. DKW is short for Don’t Know Where and BTH means BehTahan.
12/12/2013
Singapore should learn from China how to deal with illegal expatriates from western countries
China has been rounding up foreigners especially ang mohs who have been sneaking into CHINA by the thousands to work illegally in the country. Singapore should follow the step taken by CHINA and do the same instead of having the colonial hang of coddling to them. Also in China, unruly expatriates are being arrested, fined and punished with jail terms before being deported. In Singapore it seems a lot of westerners especially American ruffians are getting away scot free with boarish rowdy behaviour towards our local citizens. Is the authority doing anything to protect Singaporeans or else why are these aggressive western ruffians behaving as if they own this island.
Below is an article from CHINA DAILY on how it deals with western expatriates who are nothing but ruffians who sneak into the country to work illegally.
Below is an article from CHINA DAILY on how it deals with western expatriates who are nothing but ruffians who sneak into the country to work illegally.
Beijing to deport unruly expats
( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2013-12-11 21:56:04
A foreigner in Beijing has been given a 12-day detention and a fine of 6,500 yuan ($1,070) for traffic violations and illegal employment and will be deported along with his father after serving the term, said police on Wednesday.
The foreigner, whose nationality and name haven't been disclosed, hit a middle-aged Chinese woman at the Zuojiazhuang intersection in Chaoyang district when riding a scooter on Dec 2.
The woman suffered minor injuries and was sent to a nearby hospital, and the man agreed to pay her 1,800 yuan in compensation.
The man was also detained for 7 days and fined 1,500 yuan for other breaches of the traffic regulations, as during their investigation into the accident the police found the foreigner had neither a driving license nor a motorbike plate and he was carrying a passenger on a scooter.
Police also found that the man and his father were working illegally. So he was detained for another 5 days and fined 5,000 yuan; his father was detained for 14 days and fined 10,000 yuan. The company that illegally hired the pair fined up to 20,000 yuan.
Both the man and his father are to be deported on their release, the police said.
The police said expatriates in China should comply with the country's laws and regulations. Police protect their rights, but they will also keep lawful management of them and crack down on illegal behavior to maintain social order.
The foreigner, whose nationality and name haven't been disclosed, hit a middle-aged Chinese woman at the Zuojiazhuang intersection in Chaoyang district when riding a scooter on Dec 2.
The woman suffered minor injuries and was sent to a nearby hospital, and the man agreed to pay her 1,800 yuan in compensation.
The man was also detained for 7 days and fined 1,500 yuan for other breaches of the traffic regulations, as during their investigation into the accident the police found the foreigner had neither a driving license nor a motorbike plate and he was carrying a passenger on a scooter.
Police also found that the man and his father were working illegally. So he was detained for another 5 days and fined 5,000 yuan; his father was detained for 14 days and fined 10,000 yuan. The company that illegally hired the pair fined up to 20,000 yuan.
Both the man and his father are to be deported on their release, the police said.
The police said expatriates in China should comply with the country's laws and regulations. Police protect their rights, but they will also keep lawful management of them and crack down on illegal behavior to maintain social order.
The dramatic runaway price increase of cylinder gases
Runaway price increase of cylinder gas and petrol
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Motorists would have noticed the creeping silent increase of petrol prices in petrol kiosks this year. And now housewives have to worry about the sudden dramatic increase in prices of cylinder gases. Can you imagine just within a period of over a month a canister of 12.7KG CYLINDER GAS increase steeply by about ten dollars. Just around the 5th of november a 12.7KG CYLINDER GAS cost twenty-nine dollars. It was increased to thirty-two dollars around 26th of November. Hardly half a month past it is now again increased by four dollars to thirty-six dollars. And according to dealers the price may yet increase again. This quirk increase in prices within a short period of less than two months has a hard impact on the poor and the middle class citizens.
The people demand to know what is the underlying cause or causes of this sudden price increase. May be the government has something to say or explain about this price increase phenomina. The people are speculating that it is due to high ministers'pay , the insane COEs, the illogical and indiscriminate ERPs as well as the punishing GSTs. The impact is felt even harder because of the lesser earning power of the people which is caused by the mad influx of foreign work force that has not only depressed wages substantially but also result in unreasonable and unconscionable retrenchments of SINGAPOREANS.
THE GOVERNMENT needs to take immediate action to relieve the people's pain without further delay. When the people are driven financially against the wall the consequnces may be heavy and unprictable for there is always a price to pay for government's inaction.
EAGLES EYES.
US curbing banks from high risk tradings
The Dodd Frank Act aka Volcker's Rule proposed by Paul Volcker has finally been passed
after 3 long years of struggle in Congress. And it would take another
year for it to be in effect. Thanks to all the congressmen that were
bribed into opposing this necessary bill to stop the banks from taking
high risk positions in proprietary trading for their own benefits and often against
their clients.
The need and importance of this piece of regulation are real and urgent. They should be put in place 3 years ago but unfortunately the banks could get away by bribing the congressmen to oppose it. This is the treachery of the bankers and the banking system. The law makers and people like Paul Volcker knew what they were doing and knew that it was wrong for them to carry on and risking the collapse of the financial system if not put to a stop. But they were helpless given the power of what money could do to make the congressmen vote the other way.
It is of paramount importance that the same fraudulent game should not be allowed here. We don’t have corrupt congressmen to bribe to stop the criminal practices of bankers indulging in the same activities. We can stop the crime immediately and don’t have to wait for the Americans to enact this law in 2015. If we do not have the guts and confidence to do what is necessary for the good of our banking and finance industry, it doesn’t cost much to invite Paul Volcker here to use his weight to sit on the problems and squeeze them out from our system.
We can do it ahead of the Americans. We need the political will and wisdom to do the right thing. Paul Volcker may have a whole congress in his way. He would not have to face one here and could do the right thing for our banking and finance industry. Not asking him here is a dereliction of duty and responsibility.
Would our govt, Ministry of Finance or MAS do the right thing? The Dodd Frank act is the right way to go before it is too late. Would the American system last till July 2015? Could we take the leap and save ourselves first while the Americans continue to do themselves in?
The need and importance of this piece of regulation are real and urgent. They should be put in place 3 years ago but unfortunately the banks could get away by bribing the congressmen to oppose it. This is the treachery of the bankers and the banking system. The law makers and people like Paul Volcker knew what they were doing and knew that it was wrong for them to carry on and risking the collapse of the financial system if not put to a stop. But they were helpless given the power of what money could do to make the congressmen vote the other way.
It is of paramount importance that the same fraudulent game should not be allowed here. We don’t have corrupt congressmen to bribe to stop the criminal practices of bankers indulging in the same activities. We can stop the crime immediately and don’t have to wait for the Americans to enact this law in 2015. If we do not have the guts and confidence to do what is necessary for the good of our banking and finance industry, it doesn’t cost much to invite Paul Volcker here to use his weight to sit on the problems and squeeze them out from our system.
We can do it ahead of the Americans. We need the political will and wisdom to do the right thing. Paul Volcker may have a whole congress in his way. He would not have to face one here and could do the right thing for our banking and finance industry. Not asking him here is a dereliction of duty and responsibility.
Would our govt, Ministry of Finance or MAS do the right thing? The Dodd Frank act is the right way to go before it is too late. Would the American system last till July 2015? Could we take the leap and save ourselves first while the Americans continue to do themselves in?
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