The militarization of the oceans and South China Sea

Is that a problem? If the islands are claimed by the Philippines or Indonesia or Vietnam and they put troops there, would that be militarization, would that be a problem? The Philippines still have a rusty unseaworthy junk rotting away in a Chinese island that they called a warship. Was that militarization? What if the Americans claim one of the islands and put turned it into another military base, would it be militarization?

What do you think the Americans have done in Guam and Diego Garcia? Both islands are military fortresses, one to control the sea routes in the western Pacific and another to control the Indian Ocean.  Any problem with that?  Not militarization? It is ok if the Americans turned these islands into military bases, islands they seized far away from their now homeland they seized from the native Americans and turned them into military bases, and yes, for peace, for Pax Americana.

Would there be any country out there to say no to the American military presence in the Indian and Pacific Oceans? No, even India is prepared to live with the American military presence in their sphere of influence, used to be the Brits in the island of Gan. But of course India could not say no, unable to drive out the Brits or the Americans.

With the Americans setting up military bases in Japan and South Korea and the Philippines, are they militarizing the region, the East China Sea and the South China Sea? With the 7^th Fleet armed to the teeth and the impending entry of the 3^rd Fleet, are the Americans militarizing the South China Sea and western Pacific Ocean? There is no need to put weapons on islands to militarizing the region. The American Fleets are moving islands of war. And what is so wrong about China building military bases in their own territory, their own islands?

According to Wikipedia, these are the military facilities in Guam,

·         ‘U.S. Naval Base Guam, U.S. Navy – Sumay

• U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam, – Sumay
• Andersen Air Force Base, U.S. Air Force – Yigo
• Apra Harbor – Orote peninsula
• Ordnance Annex, U.S. Navy – South Central Highlands (formerly known as Naval Magazine)
• Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, U.S. Navy – Barrigada and Finegayan
• Joint Force Headquarters-Guam, Guam National Guard – Radio Barrigada and Fort Juan Muna

In addition to on-shore military installations, Guam, along with the rest of the Mariana Islands, is being prepared to be the westernmost military training range for the U.S. Guam is currently viewed as a key military hub that will further allow U.S. military power to be projected via sea and sky.

The U.S. military has proposed building a new aircraft carrier berth on Guam and moving 8,600 Marines, and 9,000 of their dependents, to Guam from Okinawa, Japan. Including the required construction workers, this buildup would increase Guam's population by 45%. In a February 2010 letter, the United States Environmental Protection Agency sharply criticized these plans because of a water shortfall, sewage problems and the impact on coral reefs.^[27] By 2012, these plans had been cut to only have a maximum of 4,800 Marines stationed on the island, two thirds of which would be there on a rotational basis without their dependents

American military facilities in Diego Garcia

Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia[edit]

B-1B Lancer bombers on Diego Garcia in November 2001 during the Afghanistan bombing campaign

Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia provides Base Operating Services to tenant commands located on the island. The command's mission is "To provide logistic support to operational forces forward deployed to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf AORs in support of national policy objectives."^[124]

United States Air Force units based on Diego Garcia[edit]

• 36 MSG, Pacific Air Force
• Det 1, 715th AMOG, Air Mobility Command
• AFSPC Det 2, 22nd Space Operations Squadron, a GPS control facility, Air Force Space Command
• AFSPC Det 2, 18th Space Surveillance Squadron a GEODSS facility, Air Force Space Command

China should not back down when the Americans are militarizing the South China Sea and raising tension in the region. China should respond accordingly and bring in their defensive weapons to counter the irresponsible provocations and aggressive moves of the Americans. The US is forcing China to militarise the islands in the South China Sea. The Chinese must do it. The Americans only understand the reason of might. Learn from Putin and put military hardware in the islands and ask the Americans what do they want? War?

The hypocrisies of the Americans must be pasted on their faces. They have been militarizing the seas and oceans and have been the biggest provocateurs of war. Wherever there are Americans, there will be military tension and wars.

Britain committed an abominable sin

The whole of the western world, particularly the American allies, are fuming mad at Britain as if this ex world Empire has committed an unforgiveable sin. They are furious, how could Britain go it alone, broke ranks to party with their ‘enemy’ that they pretended to be friendly with?

What did the Brits do that invited the curse from every corner of the American alliance?  The British broke ranks when they took the lead to join the AIIB, A Chinese initiative to help the developing world in infrastructure development. This Chinese initiative was bad, anything the Chinese did must be bad. The American and western allies have always stayed together to divide the world among themselves, to stay together to whack and bully the rest of the world, one country at a time. They succeeded for several centuries by breaking up the countries of the world into individual targets to be ruled by the West.

Now, after joining the AIIB that led to the breaking of the dam for all the European countries to follow suit, Britain again has done the unspeakable, opening the door, roll out the read carpet, to invite Xi Jinping to Buckingham Palace and all the sacred places in Britain. How could Britain do these things? These places are only meant for the allies, not for the rest of the African and Asian countries, and definitely not for Communist China. They forgot that the wealth of Britain and many European countries, including Japan and the USA, were robbed from China and other colonized countries of the world.

Britain, the ever brilliant strategists, they did not rule the world for being daft, has seen the opportunities opening up for them in a China that is growing richer economically and a strategic alliance is the best thing for Britain. Britain will be the leader of Europe again, to take the lead, as the leader into a new world of cooperation with China. By courting China, Britain is positioning itself to benefit from trade and investments with China, undercutting the rest of Europe as the biggest beneficiary for being the first mover.

According to a senior western intelligence officer, too ashamed and afraid to be identified in case he needs to make a living in Beijing or Shanghai, as reported in the Financial Times, ‘The most charitable spin we can put on the current China policy of the British government is to say it is a pure mercantilist, unprincipled, self serving decision aimed at attracting short term investment. The big question is whether it works.’

What is so principled about western domination of world trade at the expense of Asia and African countries? What is so unprincipled to trade with China, to court China on mutually beneficial terms? Is he letting the cat out of the bag? What had the western allies been doing under cloak and dagger to control the world trade and to isolate and contain China?

Britain would have nothing to do with the old western dominance theory and policy. The world has changed and the Brits have seen it and are taking the bull by the horns to move ahead and leaving the scheming European and American allies sulking and sucking their thumbs. They can cry foul, but what is best for Britain, a former world empire, would be best left to the Brits. They needed China to grow, and so is the rest of the world. The European and western allies can cling on to their past glory and old method of divide and rule, and try to contain China, which is no longer containable. Not only China is rising, the rest of the world, Asia, Africa and Latin America are also rising.

Good luck to the ageing American Empire and their allies. The world is not going to wait for them and to be controlled by them anymore. They can frown and cry in disapproval, Queen Elizabeth is going to host Xi Jinping and his wife in Buckingham Palace as planned. British interest comes first.

Welcome to Britain and a decade of golden years in Sino British ties. It’s elementary, Watson. This is British diplomacy at its best.

Transparency and integrity of the govt and public officers

'The Minister for Health was first informed about the matter on Sept 18. He directed that it be made public, and that a full public explanation be given. Ms Chang makes much of the minister being ”officially” informed on Sept 18, implying that he knew unofficially before that.’

Lim Bee Khim (Ms), Press Secretary to the Minister for Health

The above is quoted from an article posted in TRE by Lim Bee Khim of MOH. This was a reply in response to all the doubts, queries and insinuations that the Minister of Health, Gan Kim Yong knew about the hepatitis outbreak in May but did not make it public to alarm the people and might even affect the GE. The negative rumours are understandable given the serious nature of the outbreak and the concerns on the outcome of the general election. The public are questioning the integrity of the political leaders who have been the most vocal about transparency, integrity and timeliness of reporting such a matter. In fact the same concerns were the key issues in the AHPETC disclosure. And the WP was accused of not being transparent, not reporting the shortcomings timely and all the same things the public are accusing the govt now. When a govt knew how to call on the WP to answer to such charges, it is clear that the govt knew such things are wrong and definitely would not stoop so low to commit the same.

Now, to imply that the govt also committed the same sin of not disclosure of such sensitive matter, not being transparent or intentional hiding the information from the people would justify a robust reply from the govt. How can the public accuse the govt for such wrongdoings? Read the above comment of Lim Bee Khim, the minister when informed ‘officially’ quickly asked for it to be made public and called for an explanation. This kind of swift action and accountability is the standard of this govt. They deserved the 70% support from the people.

We have leaders with high integrity and unquestionable honesty in the govt. To cast doubt on their integrity and honesty is unacceptable. The public officers in the MOH too are men and women of the highest caliber and integrity. They would not hide such information from Gan Kim Yong. And if Gan Kim Yong knew about it, he would not hide it from the people as well.

There is no question of their integrity and honesty. The people must trust the public officers and the minister for doing their job professionally and not to serve political expediency. If they were found out to be otherwise, it would drag down the reputation of the whole govt together with them. See, after 6 months of investigation they could not find out anything and are reporting the matter to the police for more investigation. They are also getting international experts to look into the matter. They want to know the truth, even if it is 6 months late.

Anyone wanting to cast doubts on the public officers and the minister must have facts to prove them. And in this case the MOH has given a clear explanation beyond any reasonable doubt with all the time lines of the events happening, and has nothing to hide.

How can there still be doubts of their honesty and integrity? Case close, unless they can put up proof to show otherwise.

PS. OK IBs, your turn to add more to my comments. I don’t think Gan Kim Yong dare to cover up this incident if he knew about it officially or unofficially before the GE. If kena found out he will be finished.

Freedom of Navigation, a cunning American move

In the name of Freedom of Navigation, FON, just like in the name of human rights, the Americans are accusing the world, particularly China and the Soviet bloc, of violations but the truth is that the Americans are the worst violators of human rights and FON. They killed the natives in North America and seized their land under the Doctrine of Discovery, where the inhabitants are presumed to be sub humans and have no rights to their land. So it is only fair and just and god given to take over the lands of natives, killed them in the name of God or civilized them in the name of European civilization.

And being the Number One super power and self appointed world cop, they asserted the right to intercept ships of other nations, boarded them, searched them and arrested the crews and detained the ships in open seas. This is what the Americans called Freedom of Navigation but under the control and supervision of the American navy. They have violated the rights of many countries in international waters. Now they are using the same trick to call China building lighthouses on their islands a cunning trick. Did China seize the islands from the natives? Did China kill the natives in the islands to take over their land? And has China imposed any restriction on FON in the South China Sea?

Reuter reported a ‘Trevor Hollingsbee, a retired naval intelligence analyst with Britain’s Defence Ministry, said building lighthouses on the reclaimed reefs was a “rather cunning” move by China.’ Was the selling of opium in China a cunning British move to poison the Chinese and to start a war with China? Were the signing of protection treaties with African countries, India and Malaya to colonise them also cunning moves of the colonialists?

What is more important and serious is the American’s cunning trick of using FON to control the whole of South China Sea. The Americans again have appointed themselves as the gangsters that owned the South China Sea in the name of FON and would sail and fly their weapons of war all over the South China Sea as if they owned them. And there is also the small town self proclaimed sheriff in Australia claiming a right to carry its little water pistol to strut around under the watchful eyes of the big gangster.

And the silly Asean countries could not see the implications that the Americans and Australians are saying they owned the South China Sea.  But what can you expect from dull minds not knowing that they have lost the whole of South China Sea to a cheap American cunning move? While they tried to compete with China to claim little uninhabited islands, they did not know that the whole area is now controlled by the Americans?

The burden of Mao’s Thoughts versus Lee’s Hard Truths

China’s leaders of today lived through an era imbued with Mao’s Thoughts. The overly powerful leader in Mao turned him into a godlike figure where his words were as good as gospel truths. The lives of the Chinese population centred around reading, reciting and living the thoughts of Mao Zedong, for good or for bad.

Mao was the ideolog and his thoughts were in many cases idealistic ideologies. China was thrown into turmoil when the young followed the thoughts of Mao blindly and religiously. Many suffered, many lives were lost, arts and cultures were burnt and destroyed.

Then came Deng Xiaoping who brought some realism and pragmatism into the lives of the Chinese, moderating the extremes of Mao’s Thoughts and made them more relevant to the new realities of a new world. In the tussle between ideologies and pragmatism, China found a middle path to modernization. The thoughts of Mao are still there, vivid in the minds of the present day leaders, but in most cases, for recitation and to respect the great leader. In practice, Mao’s Thoughts were furthest in the minds of the new leaders in China.

A leader that has acquired a stature that is undisputed and held in awe could do good and also harm to the people and country. Blindly following old thoughts that have gone irrelevant is a recipe for disaster.

Singapore has a similar all powerful and influential leader in LKY, a deity like figure that still lives in the lives of many Singaporeans. LKY is still very influential in the lives of Singaporeans in the leaders and the common folks. The hard truths of LKY still linger in the thinking of many who had worked with him. His words are gospel truths to many and acted as guiding principles in what they are doing. Like Mao’s Thoughts, some of the hard truths, principles and policies have been overtaken by time and no longer relevant, obsolete. Sticking to them unthinkingly would do more harm than good to the people and country.

Unfortunately there are still many parrots parroting some hard truths as if they are the perpetual truths to be passed down to the future generations in the same manner when they have been overtaken by events. Though many of LKY’s hard truths would transcend time and have far longer usefulness and implications, there are surely some that must be discarded into the bins, or be modified to the new realities. It needs thinking and reassessment to use and apply the hard truths and wise quotes of LKY to be effective and useful. Blind parroting is a sign of trouble, of lazy and unthinking minds at work, of cheapo with no confidence and ideas of their own. The safest thing is to parrot the oracle.

The quoting of LKY’s hard truths and assumptions of things and policies will still be heard for a long time to come. Some quoting them knowingly, some unconsciously as the thoughts have been ingrained into their psychic for good or bad. Some will still apply them blindly without knowing that time has changed, things have changed, to the detriment of the people and country.

This is the curse of having leaders that have too overpowering influence on their believers and being too godlike, or elevated to the level of powerful and beloved deities. Would Singapore suffer the same curse and fate of gods and deities? Or would there be another equally powerful, respected and wise leader to emerge to moderate the hard truths and wise quotes of LKY, to make them relevant to the changes in time?

There are just too many parrots all over the place. You can hear them when they open their beaks to expose their bird brains.

Khaw Boon Wan got another job waiting for him

Khaw Boon Wan must thank his colleagues for providing all the opportunities to make him look so good, by digging holes for him to fill and to be carried around like the hero that is there at the right time to save a bad situation. The housing problems in Singapore were so classic that it must be the best case study of how a govt can turn a good situation into the biggest flop in public housing. And it did not need a genius to turn it around. Surprisingly no other ministers was confident or smart enough to see the opportunity to turn it around, and for this credit must go to Boon Wan to seize the moment, to make it right.

Now with the Transport Ministry facing a crisis with all the super talented ministers failing one after another, it would be foolhardy for any minister to volunteer for this job.  Boon Wan ended with this unenviable task to right a very difficult task. This one I must admit would test his mettle in working out a sustainable long term solution.

Should Boon Wan come up on top in the Transport Ministry, he has another job waiting for him urgently. He would be badly needed in the Health Ministry this time to stop the rot. An outbreak of hepatitis C and causing so many death is just unbelievable and unacceptable in Singapore. This kind of thing is quite normal in 3^rd World countries when basic hygiene, equipment, facilities and well trained medical staff are lacking. How could it happen in our everything world class, everything so expensive hospital? Are we that much different from the 3^rd World village medical standard?

And as expected, we have no talents to deal with such a bad situation and the MOH is calling for foreign experts to find out why and to provide the solutions. I would like to suggest the academia and professional bodies to decorate our local talents with more beautiful titles, strings of them, to add glory and colour to their credentials so that they will be invited to sit on such expert boards to solve our problems. They may also be invited to solve problems of other countries as experts. Give them more and better titles as specialists, experts, emeritus or whatsoever, to walk around and be noticed.

Boon Wan better get his job in the Transport Ministry done quickly as he is badly needed, urgently needed in the Health Ministry. This is a job waiting for him, the master problem solver, the minister with all the answers when other ministers are found wanting.

Education – Reading the news on the coming changes in education with trepidation

Two new ministers, freshly baked from the election have taken over the MOE and hard at work at changing and redefining education that will alter the fate of our young. These are very bright men and their intelligence cannot be underestimated, and the public must presume that they know what they are talking about and what they are going to do to our young. They must have come with the skill sets, the necessary qualifications and experience in education to do what they are going to do. The education of our young is no masak masak and can make or break their lives and the future of Singapore.

We have had several great ministers in the MOE with great slogans like holistic education, teach less learn more and all kinds of jest or jazz in the past and our education system is now world class or world best, if the rankings are to be believed. The only few success factors today are more qualified taxi drivers and security guards and ‘no talent or skill sets’ in important professions and industries. The damage, they did not call it damage, is that we will need another generation to produce the needed talents for our industry.  We are so short of IT, finance, banking and medical professionals despite the claims of doing a great job in education that our standards in these professions and fields are now compromised by half bakes from the 3^rd World filling the ranks.

With the new ministers and the new changes, would we continue to under produced or produced the wrong kinds not needed by the industries and economy? Or would it be another few generations and with more professions and industries being hollowed out?

Our holistic education, or hollow education, is turning out jacks of all trades and masters of none, and incompatible to the needs of the industry.  There are many good reasons for good quality education. But yes, education should not be just for the pursuit of a piece of paper that cannot be eaten. It must be a piece of paper that can be eaten or give the product from the system a good life, good jobs and professions, and be the best they can be.  I only think like that in my dreams.

The luxury of a holistic education is only good for those who do not need to work, no need to get a job, and education is for education’s sake. Many people still need to put food on the table and education is the means to that, to move up the social ladder, to uplift their stations in life. Isn’t that so, education the greatest leveler? Have no doubts about that, not everyone is a son or daughter of a millionaire or have parents who are millionaire ministers and want an education for the sake of getting an education and no need to get a job.

How much can we teach, what to teach, to get a good job and how much to enjoy education, to develop a better individual, a holistic person, a renaissance man or woman, needs to be carefully calibrated. We have failed in many areas in our education policy to the extent that we have no talents or not enough talents in many critical fields when good young men and women were wasted to spend time and money reading things they did not like or wanted to do. And while they are wasting their lives away in regrets, many half baked foreigners and foreigners with fake degrees and qualifications are brought in to replace them. The wasted generations due to clever or silly tweaking of our education system and policies are a sorry sight and state of affair.

It is very brave to jump into the deep end and start to think like a wise man or genius, a ‘knows all’ and trying to mend or bend the education system into another mould. It is better to think carefully, deeply, sleep on it or dream on it for a while, take your time before messing around with our education policies and the future of our young. Know where we are before thinking of going any where.

Should our young be excited by the impending great changes in our education policies and system or should they be shivering in fear of being experimental guinea pigs again?

How low can the Washington Post go?

Britain was attacked by the Washington Post for ‘kowtowing’ to China. Below is a report in the Global Time showing the low thinking of their China bureau chief.

‘The Washington Post on Wednesday ran a commentary by its China bureau chief Simon Denyer, which accused Britain, as its headline suggested, of "bending over backward to prove its friendship to China." 

What sour grapes!

The article criticized the British government as having been "working overtime to ingratiate itself with Beijing" and for "complete kowtowing to the Chinese dictatorship." The article also mocked British Chancellor George Osborne for envisioning a "golden relationship" between China and the UK.

The British newspaper The Times also ran an article blasting China's "despotism," and demanded that the British government should raise the human rights issue when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Britain next week. 

Apparently the concept of a "golden era" between the two countries has made some people uncomfortable. The former imperial power is placing much of its future on China. This has hurt the twisted dignity of those who still consider the West the center of the world….’

Can anyone believe that this is the kind of thinking in the Washington Post, making spiteful and callous remarks like spoilt adolescents? My God, Washington Post, aren’t you supposed to be some high brow newspaper? Or is the Washington Post now another trashy tabloids indulging in sleazy gossips?

This is the new normal, the new quality of America’s standard bearer, supposedly a top and reputable media. What a shame!

Johore threatening to secede from Malaysia

The comments by the Johore royalty of the possibility of Johore seceding from Malaysia have hit the news again. The Crown Prince has said it again, indicating that the frustration over the mess created by the Federal Govt and the politics of  racial unrest have upset the royal family in Johore. Several news agencies have the same report below:

“I am going to be the future Sultan of this state and my main responsibility goes towards the people of Johor. Malaysia is important to me, but Johor and JDT will always come first.

He also explained that Johor only agreed to be a part of the Federation of Malaysia provided “several basic terms” were fulfilled and added, “And if any one of those terms are breached, we have every right to secede from this country.”

Expressing his strong sense of duty to the people of Johor first and foremost, he said, “You can accuse me of instigating state-based sentiments, but to me, I’m merely doing my duty to the people of Johor, and reminding them of the history and heritage behind this great land.”

He also said it was important that everyone was aware that the current political and economic maelstrom in the country was not of the Johor royalty’s doing.

“People deserve to know, that the mess we have in the country right now, should in no way be associated to the Johor royal family. Over the years, we’ve always been strong and independent as well as resourceful.”….

Talk of secession first surfaced in June when the crown prince’s brother, Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim, posted a reminder to Putrajaya over Instagram that the Johor government had joined the Federation of Malaysia on the conditions Islam be declared the religion of the state; that the state have absolute right over water and land issues; and that the state royal house has its own armed forces….

He said that over the decades and centuries, the people of Johor were encouraged to be united and committed to a cause.

"So politicians may instigate racist sentiments, but the people of Johor will always be racially united and that very unity will go on to become the backbone of this football club," said Tunku Ismail. See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/malaysia/johor-always-first-says-crown-prince#sthash.Dd5HiHtt.dpuf

The frustration by the royalty family with Federal policies that in many ways could scuttle the State’s development plans must be a big sore point given the mammoth development projects in Johore and the risk of them being killed prematurely. Johore is in a rapid phase of economic development, probably the fastest pace among all the Malaysian states and huge funds are involved. Failure for these projects to take off is something the Johore royalties will not swallow without a good fight, and secession is a last option that may be considered if the big plans are put to risk.

With a small city state like Singapore, 1/100 the size of Johore, succeeding in going alone, big states like Johore, Sarawak and Sabah, with huge natural resources, land and people and good leaderships, cannot do worse and breaking off to found new states is a very attractive option. Singapore and many smaller countries in the world have proven that small states can carve out a living and be sustainable as small economies. Bigger states like Johore would have lesser problems with sustainability issues. Johore is self sufficient in everything and an independent Johore, Sarawak or Sabah and as new members in Asean would be a natural outcome. Brunei is doing exceptionally well too in Asean as an independent state.

The fear of the politicians in KL turning Malaysia upside down and burning is very real. The cries for independence and statehood to the more progressive and dynamic leaders who could be founders of new nation states and to be able to chart the destinies of their people and country in their chosen path, to be in full control, must be a very attractive and sexy inspiration. Why would they want to let foolish politicians to destroy their plans for their states and people?

If the politicians in KL do not get their acts together and continue to run down Malaysia, the secession dream could become a reality. The Johore royalties are no longer the little village sultans but sophisticated and worldly statesmen with clear vision of what is good for their people and state. They would not tolerate imbecile politicians to ruin their plans and statehood.

The prophecy of the 6 prime ministers of Malaysia in the name ‘Rahman’ is coming to an end with Najib as the last PM. After him, there is no mention of another PM. What would it be for Malaysia, who would it be as the next PM, or would it be a case of no more PMs?

Putin is the best thing to happen in the Middle East

Putin is the man that the evil American Empire must face up with. His decision in eastern Europe has put a stop to American aggression and encroachment into Russian sphere of influence. What is more important is Putin’s decision to send in his military forces into Syria. The presence of the Russian troops, ships and aircraft is to tell the Americans that the Russians will not go away and the Americans cannot go on taking down Arab leaders one by one in their so called ‘regime change’.  The Russians would not allow that and the Arab leaders now have a backer and need not fear the Americans anymore.

Putin is the best thing to happen in the Middle East and to the Arabs that have been bullied and murdered by the Americans since the end of WW2.  Putin must put in more troops into other Arab states. He is now more than welcome than the evil Empire. If the Arab leaders are confident that Putin will  stand up to the Americans, they would stand up and be united to take on the Americans instead of waiting to be killed and raided by the Americans.

There is hope for the Arab countries. Putin is the man, their hope for independence and free from American aggression, free from being bombed and killed by the Americans is getting brighter. The evil Empire would now have to overcome Putin if it wants to doing regime change and control the Arab countries and their oil.

Khaw Boon Wan – Like it or not, this man works

Boon Wan only took over the Transport Ministry a month ago after the GE. It is amazing at the things he is doing and at the rate he is doing them. It would take a new person some time to understand the new job and the problems and work on the solutions. Here it seems that he already has a full grasp of not only the problems facing the train system but also have solutions in his hand. And he is not only looking at the problems of the trains but also implementing contingency plans for both the aviation and rail sectors.  On top of these he appointed PUB Chairman Tan Gee Paw as his adviser on rail transformation.

Boon Wan has in a way taken over the running of the train operation and looking at all the angles he could look at and all the problems the system may face.  He is not just the Minister of Transport but also the executive officer of the train operations. Things are changing very fast and today he has decided on the decoupling of the power system between the NS and EW lines. And the transport experts agreed that this is the right thing to do and should have been done long ago. KNN why no one thought of it before.

So lucky to have Boon Wan taking over. In his hands every problem becomes so simple.  He is indeed a miracle worker.

Mobile Air Scam – due justice

Many may have forgotten about the Mobile Air scam and Jover Chew. But the mentioning of the video of a Vietnamese tourist forced to go on his knees to beg for mercy from the thugs at Mobile Air must still be fresh in the minds of many.

When the incident was made public, many including some from the legal fraternity were claiming that these were smart alecs and knew the law well and knew how to play around with the law and kept themselves above the law and the legality of their scam.

Yesterday four of the employees were sentenced to jail between 4 to 15 months for their thuggish behavior and cheating. Wow, they were not that clever after all and the judge was able to slam the sentences on them. Jover Chew, the mastermind, is facing 28 charges and his case would be heard on 28 Oct.

What were their clever crimes? ‘These include them quoting attractive prices and then altering the invoices after deals had been inked, so as to inflate the amount customers have to pay…The main purpose of quoting their victims an attractive price was to induce them to hand over their hard earned money and to thereafter use various means to try to extract more money from them. These are the elements that comprise the offence of cheating.’  The judge said.

And they were so sure of their clever scam that they even taunted their victims to report them to the authorities. They must have received good legal advice from some clever people that what they had done were legitimate and nothing could be done to them.  According to the DPP, the four men even accused the authority for not stopping them in their acts, indirectly saying if the authorities did not stop them then it must be ok. So it is the fault of the authorities.

Now justice is waiting for Jover Chew and very likely he is not going to act smug any more after the judgement and sentencing of his case.

American aggression in the South China Sea

Australia and US warned China while India, Japan and the US were conducting military drills in the Indian Ocean. India is going to conduct naval drill in the Andaman with the Indonesians. These sabre rattlings are the news on the flexing of muscles by the evil Empire and its little gangsters to show how powerful they are and how willing they are to go to war with China. China’s spokeswoman Hua Chunying had commented that some nations have moved military weapons hundreds and thousands of miles from their illegally occupied territorie in North America and Australia to flex their muscles in the South China Sea. And they even threatened China in the pretext of freedom of navigation to sail their warships into Chinese territorial waters.

China must be prepared to go to war with these rogue nations when provoked at its door step. The Americans and the gangsters are militarizing the South China Sea and China has no choice but to bring in their military hardware into their islands in the South China Sea to defend their territorial integrity. It is time for China to mean business and not be bullied by these gangsters of the sea. By not doing anything, they would still be called the aggressive party or the meek one.

By stationing more anti ship missiles in the islands, China can then play with the gangsters and let them sail around, burning fuel, exhausting their sailors and wasting their financial resources circling the high seas. Let the gangsters burn a big hole in their pockets and see how long they can last to stay in the area. China only needs to stay put on shore and watch the silly buggers sailing aimlessly, away from their illegally occupied countries and homes doing silly things.

But China must not do nothing. They could sail their fishing boats into the path of the American warships intruding into their territorial waters and if any fishing boat is being rammed by the Americans, the Chinese should just sink them with their anti ship missiles, like target practice. These rogues have sailed thousands of miles from the land they seized by force from the native Americans to cause trouble in the South China Sea. How wild and aggressive can they be? It is time they be stopped in the path of madness, thinking that they can bully the world by their big guns.

India and Japan can also join the circus if they are too free and did not notice the presence of the evil Empire occupying and controlling the Indian Ocean through Diego Garcia and military bases in their semi colonies in Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. The South Koreans and the Japanese have no choice but to pretend that the Americans are not occupying their countries and violating their national and territorial integrity. They grudgingly pretend to be happy to be semi colonized and controlled by the Americans. The Philippines too would turn itself back into a semi colony of the Empire voluntarily once they allowed the American troops back to occupy the military bases in their home land.

The playing up of the China threat is the American strategy to con these semi colonies and Southeast Asian states to give reasons for them to continue to be in the area and forcing their semi colonies to willingly allow American troops to occupy their land. And these silly countries could not see that by falling into the trap of a China threat they are actually compromising their independence and willingly subjecting themselves to be semi colonized by the Americans forever.

How stupid can they be?

A Phony Class War in Malaysia

by MIKOspace

“A silent Civil War fought among unseen Enemies by unthinking Soldiers led by cowardly Leaders with their own vested Agenda hiding in plain sight behind Racial Fire-walls. And where Winning was Never their Mission Goal.”      

Nobody knew when the Malaysian phony class war actually began.  Some said it became public in the 2008 Malaysian General Elections between aspiring but frustrated young Malays and long-suffering frustrated ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities against the rich, powerful Malaysian political and economic elite consisting of the Malay ruling class together with their non-Malay cronies in the Chinese and Indian political parties.  By this time, a mature class-based alliance has already been carefully nurtured and cultivated out of the “Racial Bargain” arrangements of 1948 when Malaya was formed.  

The 1948 Racial Bargain was a compromise agreement among the three major ethnic groups – Malay, Chinese and Indian - when none actually constituted more than 50% of the population. They agreed to a separation of economic and political powers whereby the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), representing the Chinese and Indians respectively, would not challenge the political pre-eminence of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) representing the Malays.  In return, the Chinese and Indians shall be granted cultural and religious freedoms and citizenship rights, as well as enjoy “exclusive” economic dominance.  Politically, they also formed the National Front which to this day has continued to form a coalition-like government ever since.

Conceptually, the “bargain” was full of internal contradictions and unfair to all the Parties concerned. It was not sustainable. The Malay leaders had to depend on Chinese economic wealth to maintain its prestige, ostensible expenses and various outward extravaganzas like palaces, houses, mosques and harems.  The Chinese were in turn generously granted “Datukships” (akin to Malay royal “knighthoods”) as well as bank licenses and various exclusive economic businesses and industries.  

By the early 1960’s prelude to the formation of Malaysia, Malay dominance began to be challenged by many who were parties to the 1948 “bargain” as well as those who were new-comers to Malayan politics eg Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak.  UMNO stalwarts also questioned their “exclusion” from lucrative economic deals, and some Chinese groups began to visibly participate actively in the emergent Malaysian politics.  It was the beginning of the end for the 1948 Racial Bargain.  

Competing, mutually exclusive visions to the “racial bargain” polarised between a “Malaysian Malaysia” where equality and multiracial principles would prevail, and a “Malay Malaysia”, an unequal society with Malay dominance and supremacy.  In 1965, Singapore was expelled from Malaysia for her strong advocacy of a “Malaysian Malaysia”, which was later proven to be a superior political and economic principle when applied in a multi-racial, just and equal “Singaporean Singapore” who had over 75% Chinese population.

In 1967, after a series of racial riots in Singapore and Malaysia, rumored to be instigated by UMNO elements, a State of Emergency was declared to be subsequently followed by a new Malaysian Constitution which enshrined and entrenched Malay dominance and Malay supremacy in all and various economic, social and cultural sectors of Malaysia.  Non-Malay indigeneous tribes were also added to Malays to create a new privileged group known as “Bumiputra” or “Sons of the Soil” which would provide numerical superiority justification for Malay dominance and supremacy.   

Political Islam was officially adopted and all critics to the new Malaysian Constitution would also be branded anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Muslim.       

Malaysia thus entered the 1970’s in a golden era for its Malay ruling elites who were now in possession of desirable and lucrative economic licenses to be shared, for a price, with their family members, relatives, cronies, and especially with non-Malay power elite “partners” to create “Ali-Baba” companies, where the Malays (“Ali”) would provide the license and the Chinese (“Baba”) would appoint them on Company Boards with attractive compensation.  The “Baba’s” would of course do all the requisite work. 

The emergent class-based alliance between the Malaysian upper-class power elites composing Malays, Chinese and Indians political, social and industrial leaders would multiply its strength and pervasiveness under Prime Minister Mahathir from and beyond 1981.  For over 22 years under Mahathir’s Administration, Malaysia prospered much with the bulk of its wealth accruing to the political elites of the three major Malay, Chinese and Indian political parties in the ruling United Front coalition. 

Under his leadership, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir’s economic and business agenda has also created a large number of politically connected Bumiputra rent seekers promoting a business system riddled with kickbacks and corruption.  As surely as power would corrupt and absolute power will corrupt absolutely, the “Bumiputra” Malays-first policies began to unpack as they develop complacency, gross mismanagement, discrimination against Malays; giving rise to class and religious divisions among the Malay elites and ordinary Malays.  

The poor economic attainment of many in the privileged Malay majority in Malaysia can now be better understood. Not in racial terms, but in the context of a class structure of social inequality created by their own Malay power and political elites. 

Failed economic policies, corruption, cronyism and class-based institutional practices have locked-in a large proportion of Malaysians in a perpetual low-income-low-productive social stratum which few could escape from.  As the largest racial group, more Malays have suffered despite the numerous pro-Bumiputra and other explicit privileges granted to and for them. 

Rumours will continue to persist of a phony class war in Malaysia in spite of widespread disenchantment with growing income inequality fueled by corruption and cronyism, social and racial discrimination.  The slowly rising middle-class of various ethnic group members also has no stomach for a class war and is even less committed to racial politics.  They instead prefer secular policies not in favour of any racial groups.   

This is understandable as they are quite blinded to the reality of their own political enslavement after more than 50 years of subjugation to the combination of class and racially based political and economic forces.  Such is the Stockholm Syndrome nature in Malaysian race relations. For while they may complain and agitate against the extreme symptoms of her corrupt and racialist political system, the minority ethnic groups (as well as the vast number of poor Malays) seem strangely incapable of comprehending the precise nature of their situation so as to formulate feasible solutions to escape or reform the political-economic and social status quo.     

The REAL Class War in Malaysia shall begin only when a critical mass of “good” Malaysians recover from their “Stockholm Syndrome” which has "brain-washed" them to embrace the false social reality of non-existent Malay privileges and to reject the bogus "fundamental" social principles of Malay “dominance and supremacy”. The only effective and sustainable recovery therapy for a truly prosperous Malaysia is to recognize and embrace the actual social-demographic geo-political realities, and develop the new, necessary capabilities and social institutions to nurse the great country towards the potential road to eventually seize her day of glory and multi-racial acclaims. Basically, nothing short of radical constitutional reforms, perhaps involving revolutionary political re-calibrations with a popular mass movement to dismantle the current man-made class-based Malaysian society would be needed to drive the current “delusional” aspirations of change towards any realistic hope of attainable success.

Read the Full Article @ MIKOspace

Safety concerns in India over app taxis

India has taken tough stands on app taxis and is introducing new regulations to control the proliferation of unlicensed app taxis after rape cases appeared in the news. The Indian govt is concerned for the safety of their female passengers.

China too has revised taxi regulations but for different reasons, to regulate the app taxis to protect the traditional taxi trade. Singapore is also sounding out more changes in the pipeline to regulate app taxis to bring them in line to the licenced taxi drivers, in a way to protect the highly regulated but less than satisfactory taxi service.

The advent of app taxis is a natural development and a need for a more efficient service to favour the commuters. More app taxi operators will mean more competition and should also lead to better services, and maybe cheaper as well.

The safety of female passengers is something that is not being raised. Maybe this is the culture of crime free Singapore where passengers being raped by rogue taxi drivers is a rarity. Maybe all the foreigners landed here, and now can also drive app taxis will be more like the decent Singaporeans after drinking our newater.  So rape of female passengers or other crimes would be rare and if happened, acceptable and nothing to worry about.

Just wondering whether this kind of attitude is bravery, daft or cavalier, or I am just being too conservative, paranoid and not up to date with the new mindset, that taking taxis and being raped is part and parcel of life and the female victims must live with it.

Let’s see if the govt will introduce some measures in this line. The need for checks on criminal records and the registering of all taxi drivers could be the ways the govt is keeping tap and keeping crimes by taxi drivers in control. By allowing so much freedom for app taxi drivers to operate, would crimes by these new drivers be an issue or be too small to be significant enough to warrant any measures or concern by the govt?

What do you think?

GE 2015 – A rude awakening for opposition parties

The pathetic performance of the opposition parties in the GE 2015 is a rude awakening of their standings in the eyes of the voters. It is a wake up call for them to relook at themselves, to reflect on what they could have done better or should be doing. Low Thia Khiang must know that he cannot rest on his past laurel that the WP was the opposition party to note. Not a single opposition party in the current political demography stands a chance against the PAP.

Whither the opposition parties? Chee Soon Juan was the first to accept the new reality and to recognise the steps needed to go forward. He has extended his hand to the WP to come together and review what is best for the opposition. Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim must have seen the same picture and must know that going on alone, building on the success of WP, with WP as the anchor party without the rest, will lead to nowhere.

The opposition parties have 4 short years to reflect on what they should do for the next GE. Whatever differences there are, they must not be in the way to commit themselves to become a more united and bigger force to take on the PAP. After this GE fiasco, practically every opposition party is left in the dust with the WP licking its wound and with very little hope of doing better in the future. The prospect of being wiped out is there going forward.

The fiasco also showed up the more credible parties that could stand a chance of moving forward but definitely not alone like in GE2015.  WP and SDP stood up from the rest, and to be generous, SingFirst could also be counted, being a new party, they did just as bad as the rest but a little better. Perhaps these three parties should hold a pow wow session to build a bigger base for a new coalition to fight the next battle. In the process, they could round up the better potentials in the remnant parties and invite them to the coalition or new party.

There is an urgent need to get the act together, to get all the good candidates together to mean business. To put up an opposition party is a very serious business and there is nothing better than to join forces to stand united. No more loose cannons and mavericks standing alone shouting in the wilderness. It would not do. A real, credible and substantial force is needed to win the confidence of the voters if they want to stand a chance in the next GE.

What are you guys waiting for?