New rules for grassroot organizations

The popularity of grassroot organizations has taken an unusual turn for the better. Many are wondering how they could miss all the fun and happenings in grassroot activities. There are rumours that crowds and long queues are forming up, not to buy Toto but to join grassroot organizations and grassroot activities. And organizers of such organizations and activities are having a tough time trying to manage the crowd and the sudden surge in interest.

Because of exceptionally strong demand, new rules and regulations, new criteria are being mooted to limit and control the crowd. Among the new rules are things like female participants must be more than 60 years old. And for younger females wanting to join, for the singles they must get consent letter from their parents. For the more mature females they must get approval letters from their husbands. Oh, they must sign non indemnity forms as well as the organizers and organizations would not want to be liable for any mishaps or injury due to over zealousness and very hardworking members. Another condition is that all activities must end by 10 o’clock and office lights must be left on till morning daylight.

As for the manfolks, places are limited and will be on a first come first serve basis. It has also been reported that tussles and quarrels broke out in the queue because everyone is so excited and wanted to cut queue. Some have even paid their maids to queue for them overnight. Some more entrepreneurial foreign workers have been chopping places and selling them to the eager uncles for a good profit.

There is a new oomph in the air for grassroot activities. It is not just volunteering their time and services. People are paying just to be members and to participate in grassroot activities, locals and foreigners alike. And they are not asking to be rewarded.

Why not, many are using their skills future fund to pay for such activities so more.

The recolonisation of the Philippines and Asean

The Americans have just announced that they have reached an agreement with the Philippines to station American troops and weapons in 5 bases in the Philippines. In the 16^th century, the colonialists had to fight their way to colonise the Philippines. Today they are invited by the Philippines to recolonise the country.

The Americans now have bases in several Asean countries. The next American base would be in Malaysia. While the Americans are screwing Najib’s ass, his Defence Minister Hishamuddin has been sleeping with the Americans and talking about military cooperation with the Americans.  The Americans would be most happy to make him the next Malaysian PM in a regime change when they got rid of Najib. Then the Americans would have military bases in most of the Asean countries. The pivot to Asia would be complete.

None of the silly Asean countries are asking why is there a need for so many military bases when the Americans could use one carrier group to retake all the islands in the South China Sea?  What is the real intent and ambition of the Americans?  Do the silly Asean leaders understand the meaning of ‘pivot to Asia’? Put it simply, it is the recolonisation of Asia, starting with Asean.

The South China Sea is just a red herring, a convenient excuse to play up to deceive the daft Asean leaders who are scrambling to claim islands in the South China Sea in direct competition with China, claiming islands that China had claimed centuries ago, centuries before these countries were even countries, long before these countries regained their independence from their colonial masters.

Now, because of their wild ambitions, to claim little islands and rocks in the South China Sea, they are compromising their independence and inviting a colonial power to put soldiers in their countries. It is like inviting the wolves into the house to guard the chickens.

How daft can these Asean leaders be, wanting to fight for a bird in a thorny bush that was already claimed by someone else and risk losing everything, without getting the little bird?

MOM’s labour and employment data

What is MOM’s data on employment saying? Total growth in employment for 2015 is 23,300 compared to 131,300 and 122,100 in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Of these, local employment, or Singaporeans and permanent citizens took up 700 jobs compared to 82,900 and 96,000 for 2013 and 2014.

The data told of a shrinking economy with lesser jobs being created and lesser jobs going to Singaporeans and PRs. Of the 700 that went to Singaporeans and PRs, how many went to Singaporeans? 50% or less?

Each year’s citizen cohort by birth and coming into the job market is about 33,000. Even if only 50% of the cohort is seeking employment, that is 16,500. Add another 15,000 imports of foreigners, the total number of job seekers would be 31,500.

If the job market continues to shrink or remain at a level less than 30,000, many Singaporeans would have problem looking for a job. When job creation were in the 100,000s, things were ok though some Singaporeans were still finding it tough to land a job, especially the PMEs,  how bad would it become if job creation is in the 20,000 level?

Are we heading into a recession? Analysts are saying a recession is around the corner and the worse is yet to be.

Bukit Batok residents - Listen to him again

Chee Soon Juan may be the SDP candidate standing for Bukit Batok. I would advise the voters in Bukit Batok to listen to these two clips and hear him out once again in the quiet and leisure pace before the election campaign go into full swing. Assess this man and ask a few simple questions, is he a reasonable man, a sound man or as what people tagged him, a mad and rash man? Has this man grown up, mellowed and has he become a better man today?

The two clips were his speeches in the last GE. Make your own judgement and do not allow other people to plant their ideas and agenda on your mind. Be your own master. You deserve that, to judge freely on your own terms.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IkF7jZjNRU
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnJxdO-6nuQ

Animal Farm Revisited

One of the famous quotes of this classical political satire is that All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. This state of affair came to passé when the pigs usurped the power given to them by default by the other animals in the farm. The pigs conveniently took over the farm and treat the farm as their rightful inheritance and the rest of the animals as their slave workers.

In our Constitution, every citizen is equal under the law, has equal rights to what everyone should have as a citizen of the state. No one is more equal than others unless one achieves greatness, or appointed/employed to positions of power and authority when the power and authority are vested in those positions. Before that, everyone is just an ordinary citizen, everyone is an Ah Kow, Ahmad or a Muthu, equal under the law.

There is now a Constitutional Commission to rewrite the laws and regulations on the eligibility to be a candidate to stand for election as the Elected President? Before this, it is already regulated that only some clever and powerful people have the right to be Elected Presidents, in other words more equal than other citizens. Is this a violation of the rights of the citizens provided in the Constitution?

So far no legal minds have stood up to say anything about this change, that some are more equal than others. Does this silence mean that it is legally right, constitutionally right, to legislate that some are more equal than others by virtue of wealth and position?

The Constitutional Commission is reviewing the eligibility criteria for the Elected President. Maybe, with the privilege of having two high court judges in the Commission, that this issue be aired and cleared once and for all. The privilege and rights of the people as equals provided by the Constitution is sacred and must not be violated and legislated away.

No, the Constitution can be changed and some should be made more equal than others? Would Singapore turn into an Animal Farm like the animals allowing their rights to be taken away without any resistance or protest?

What do you think? Anyone writing to the Commission wants to bring this point up? Non issue? Not important, no need to defend this right? Ok, I heard it, the legal minds and all the wise men and wise women have spoken, in silence. And they said silence is consent.

I rest my case. Four legs are good, two legs are better.

No more A Class ward for me

Still reminiscing the good old days when life was good, when many things were free. Dental and medical treatments were free for children. And as adults working in the civil service, hospitalization entitlement was free even for the wife, and in A Class ward. Many retired civil servants that opted out from the old medical schemes are kicking themselves silly today when the cost of A Class ward today is like paying for a Presidential Suite in a 5 star hotel.

 

Just a few decades ago, practically every Singaporeans, technicians and taxi drivers, would opt for A Class wards on admission to a hospital. A Class was affordable to the average Singaporeans with their large savings in their CPF. Today, you no longer hear the average Singaporeans asking for A or even B1 wards in privatized public hospitals. They know that one admission would make them a bankrupt or in debt forever. I have made up my mind that C Class is what I could afford should I ‘sway sway’ get admitted to a private public govt hospitals. And I am not even sure if I could afford to pay the medical bills even with subsidies and with the MediShield Life Scheme.

 

Below are a couple of comments from bloggers posted in TRE in an article by Phillip Ang titled, ‘PAP should not disguise a subsidy as a grant’.  But let me quote a para from Phillip, ‘The more citizens are assisted by the govt the worse off we are.  If our economy was really on steroids, why should we need an ever increasing amount of handouts? Something is very wrong here.’ And here is a comment by a Tuck Wan and a Oxygen.

 

Tuck Wan:  Phillip Ang, You are 100% right. I was billed $900+ after 80% subsidy for 3 days stay (C class). No surgery just medication, blood test and microprobing the stomach. If no subsidy then bill should be $4,500+.  Still scratching my head why so expensive…

 

Oxygen:  Quality of healthcare in C class care risk aggravation of patient’s health recovery from major surgery. The tragic result, if not eventuating in the death of the patient through breakout of infectious clusters, could prolong the stay of patients adding to their cost of hospitalization stay. Less in class C could well ended in a lot more for the unfortunate few – after hospitalization stay complication arising from lower quality care.

 

The hospital bill for a C Class ward has been inflated to such a huge sum that even after a 80% subsidy, the amount still comes to a substantial sum. And the people are not really paying for the services of world class doctors and nurses but those from the 3^rd world countries where the medical training and standard are sub par from our very own medical professionals. And as Oxygen mentioned, and had happened several times, there is now a higher risk of getting infected in a breakout of infectious diseases due to lower level of medical standard. We had hepatitis C breakout that had never occurred before, then TB affecting children and babies and what else.

 

Everyone should be praying not to get sick, not just because of the hefty medical bills after subsidies and after Medishield Life but also the fear of the unknowns. How have we progressed? How many are still opting for A Class wards in privatized public govt hospitals? How many can afford this luxury?

Fake moral superiority or moral righteousness

The personal indiscretion of public figures is now the talk of the town (in the social media only) and receiving unnecessarily extra attention that should not be the case. And ministers have been pleading for privacy and to respect and protect the innocent parties like children and family members. Such calls for decency were a bit unnatural, hypocritical and not necessary when decency and privacy were respected in the past when others fell from grace due to such indiscretion. Many politicians left the scene quietly without anyone knowing what was happening, until Yaw Shin Long’s case.  Many ‘gooder’ than good people were asking for his blood, wanted to drag him through the mud. Must tell, must tell, for the sake of transparency and accountability, must tell all.

Who were the culprits or the most indecent ones calling for more details of such discretions to be aired in public just to score political points. Kee chiu please.

Humans are all subject to temptations of all kinds, greed, power, sex, corruption just to mention a few. It is human to err but what to do? The offenders often withdrew and felt guilty of what they had done which was enough a punishment. There is no need to rub it in with more salt or to make a public issue to embarrass the offenders. Whether one forgives the offender or otherwise is a personal choice.  And if it is a crime, the law would take its natural course. If it is a moral or ethical issue, the court of social justice and conscience would extract the price accordingly.

The most decent and honest man in this regard was Lee Kuan Yew. When faced with such an embarrassing situation, he said, ‘I do not expect my ministers to be celibate… but if it becomes an issue, they should just resign.’ This is as close to what he actually said then. He did not call for more accountability and details to be aired in the public. Several of his ministers just resigned and left quietly. It is a private matter to be dealt with by the affected parties, and legally if it is a legal issue.

Unfortunately we have more than righteous, holy and morally spotless people today to demand a public airing and dressing down for personal indiscretions. How decent are these people? I am not writing this to defend or protect the offenders.  Just cannot tahan the hypocrisy of rogues behaving like priests and angels. Wait for the day when they are in the shoes of the offenders.  Maybe they realized their past follies and are asking for privacy now for reasons that served their interests best.

Most seniors working past retirement did not suffer pay cut

I quote Leong Sze Hian from his article posted in the TRE.

‘I refer to the article “More in Singapore remaining in workforce past 65” (Straits Times, Mar 7).

98% who continued working beyond 62 did not suffer any basic wage cut

It states that “”Nearly all who approached 62 are offered re-employment.

“Most do not suffer any cut to their basic pay if they continue on the same job with the same job scope and responsibilities.”

In 2014, 98 per cent who continued working beyond the age of 62 did not suffer any basic wage cut, with about 10 per cent earning higher wages.”

Why are these seniors so lucky? I think many are working as cleaners, security guards, or like what Leong Sze Hian said, as operators or service/sales workers. These are jobs that many Singaporeans shunned and also paid very lowly. There is no way for the employers to lower the pay further and to think of being able to hire more of such workers. In fact many cleaners and security guards are getting raises instead of pay cuts.

So you see what the statistics are saying? What about the PMETs who ended up as self employed bosses driving taxis? Are they part of the statistics for employment? Also, read carefully, it is all about ‘re employment’ not new employment. A PMET joining the workforce as a security guard may not be called ‘re employment’.  ‘Re employment’ means being reemployed in the same job. So if one is employed first time as a security guard, it is new employment, no count. But once employed as a security guard and reemployed as a security guard, like that can count.

This is just one possible explanation to make the statistics make sense. Please feel free to disagree with me.

PAP sending their strongest candidate to Bukit Batok

According to one Ajay’s article posted in the TOC, PAP will be sending their strongest candidate to Bukit Batok for the by election. And this candidate is Muralidharan Pillai. Who said minority candidate sure to lose and needs to get in through a GRC? This is what Ajay wrote,

‘Their candidate of choice is likely to be lawyer Mr K. Muralidharan Pillai, a long-time PAP activist, who contested in Aljunied GRC in the last General Election (GE) and was part of the PAP team that lost narrowly, garnering 49% of total votes. Mr Murali also defeated the incumbent MP, Mr Chen Show Mao of the Workers’ Party in his Paya Lebar ward. Mr Murali is likely to be chosen because he has been battle-tested in an opposition ward and more importantly, used to serve in Bukit Batok as the PAP branch secretary before he was transferred to Aljunied GRC. He has a strong connection with the PA grassroots in Bukit Batok since he served there for 15 years, participated in many activities and helmed many committees.’

Not only that, Bukit Batok is PAP’s stronghold and Tharman has a very strong influence in the ward and winning it back for the PAP would be like a cake walk. What’s more, and ‘all the PAP had to do to win, was to use Dr Chee’s past baggage to finish him off,’ said Ajay. He forgot to add that Muralidharan was also very hardworking, and ‘has a strong connection with the PA grassroots in Bukit Batok’ to his credit.

Looks like Chee Soon Juan would be fighting an uphill battle in this by election. With the PAP being so strong, even with Paul Tambyah’s help, it is still a tough call. And to make things even harder, the independent candidate in the last GE, Samir Salim Neji may join in the fun to make things more interesting and more difficult for Chee.

And this could be a test case to prove the myth that minority candidate cannot wind an election on their own merits against a candidate from the ethnic majority.  If Muralidharan were to defeat Chee Soon Juan, would the PAP scrap the GRC scheme or would they said this is another miracle or another one in 50 year incident?

Would it make SDP’s chance brighter if it were to field Paul Tambyah instead? Would it be a fairer fight?

What do you think? Ajay is very confident of a PAP trouncing of the SDP.

Korea – Who is the maddest of them all?

The answer is so simple. It must be the North Koreans. See, they keep on testing the patients of the Americans and the South Koreans, developing nuclear weapons and testing missiles and threatening to use them.  Is that your final answer? Want to call your papa or mama, or your girlfriend?

It is so easy to be misled by the media with an agenda when one is lazy and refuses to think. Everyone reading the western media, including our local media will come up with the same answer, the North Koreans are mad, crazy, irresponsible, going to start a war any moment?

Put yourself in the shoes of the North Koreans and ask why they are doing what they are doing? The fear of an invasion by the combined forces of the American Empire plus the Japanese and South Koreans is very real. The only means of defence to the North Koreans is to ensure they have a very powerful armed forces, and that is not all, to possess nuclear weapons with a second strike capability. The fact that North Korea is not invaded still is that they have the capability to deliver a nuclear strike, maybe not to the USA yet, but no problem hitting Tokyo and other major Japanese cities and the whole of South Korea. The fact that they did not do it said it clearly, they are no fools.

An attack on the South would bring in the Americans and would put an end to the North Korean regime. This is as sure as the sun will rise the next morning. North Korea will be minced meat if a war starts tomorrow. Now, why would the North Koreans want to court their own disaster? Only fools would think they would.

And two countries were invaded for exactly not having nuclear weapons, Iraq and Libya. Would the Americans dare to invade Iran or North Korea?  No they would not. But they would want the South Koreans and the Japanese to do so, so that they would kill each other while the Americans gave them full support from behind, from afar.  This is as good as you die first.

The question again, who is the maddest of them all? Why are the Americans, South Koreans and the Japanese so adamant to want to provoke the North Koreans and knowing that when pushed to a corner, if there is an outbreak of war, they would be the first to be nuked by the North Koreans? The North Koreans may beat the war drums when provoked but would not risk a war and invite their own destruction. They are smarter than you. It is the Americans that want to provoke the North Koreans to fight. And who would suffer most other than the North Koreans? No prizes for the right answer.

No the North Koreans are not mad. No the Americans are not mad. So who is the mad one that wants to have a war with the North Koreans and invite their own destruction? Again, no prizes for the correct answer.  Everyone knows who is the maddest of them all.

The answer, you, the one who thinks the North Koreans are mad? Who wants war and who stands to benefit the most from this war? Who is the puppeteer?

A Constitutional Commission to prevent rogue immortals in Parliament

While the Constitutional Commission is mulling over what they should do to prevent a rogue Elected President, there is now a more urgent task, to prevent rogues for entering the Parliament. The temptation of lust is just too great when powerful men are rich, adorable, lovable and touchable and easily accessible. How to prevent this oldest temptation of man to happen in our squeaking clean Parliament where everyone is as pure and clean as a priest or a monk, or immortal?

I can think of the principles behind the solution to prevent corruption. Pay them enough not to want to corrupt? Would this principle be applicable, workable or effective in keeping immortals from the temptation of the flesh? Give them enough to eat, just like the lions, once well fed, they would not want to hunt and to kill, until they are hungry again.

If this solution is not workable, then another Constitutional Commission may be necessary. The big question or problem would be the composition of the commission members? What kind of people would be suitably qualified to sit in such a morally righteous commission to pass moral judgement on what is acceptable and unacceptable and what should be done to keep man from sin?

Obviously we need the holy ones, the pious ones, the religious ones, to be up to it to execute such a task, to lay down the ground rules and regulations to protect the Parliament from rogue immortals. Just look around for people walking around with a halo on their heads. That would be a good start.

Should the govt order another Constitutional Commission for this, or apply the same principles and solution for corruption? This is also a kind of corruption isn’t it?

In the Today forum page, some forumers were asking for more transparency and details. They must have learnt from past public comments on how important it is to come out clean, to tell the truth and everything. This is the standard of political culture here when Yaw Shing Loong was exposed. Everyone wanted to know the juicy details in the name of transparency and ‘the right to know what exactly went wrong…’

Is that the way to go?  Tharman had said the right thing. ‘I think he needs some private space now and that’s something for him to decide in the goodness of time. That’s something he’s already made a statement on and we’ve stated our position on it quite clearly as well.’ This must be the new official position of the PAP govt. I don’t think anyone in the PAP camp would be asking for more transparency and details again.  And I think this position would also apply to opposition politicians when they are caught with their pants down in future.

Chan Chun Sing also had similar views about privacy. He ‘called for restraint, toi protect the children involved in the case.’ Not sure if this restraint would apply when there is no children involved.

Transparency for one and for all. Privacy for one and for all. This is only decent to do. No one upmanship like public figures must drop their pants to show everything. The opposition politicians can now breathe easier with this kind of position and precedence and standard set by the PAP govt.

The Constitutional Commission – A few good men?

The Constitutional Commission set up to review the criteria for the Elected President is made up of a few men and a woman, all very well established and with very fine credentials that made them very highly regarded in the community. Their names will be in the history books of Singapore, to be read by the millennial in perpetuity.

This ambiguous and highly controversial task of setting the rules for the Elected President could bring out the best in these men and woman, to be remembered as the few good men and a good woman, if they set out to do something good for the people and country. They are shouldering a heavy responsibility, but some may say, caught between a hard rock and the deep blue sea. They could shine or falter and live the rest of their lives in ignominy, depending on the outcome of their recommendations.

What is the real purpose and intent of the Elected Presidency? It is not as simple and straight forward as a school boy would think. Everyone with a little awareness of what is happening in the politics of this island knows exactly what the hell this Commission is supposed to do. It is like a case of do and be condemned or not do and be condemned.  This is how dire the task facing this Commission.

There is the constitutional right of the people to protect, there is democracy to reckon with, and they are the unwritten laws of the day to answer to.  Would the Commission recommend the rights of the people, all being equal under the Constitution, be compromised, that some will have more rights than others, that some are more equal than others, that some can be qualified to be President by virtue of their wealth, position and power and that the common folks have no such right because they did not have the wealth, position and power?

This is a very fundamental position the Commission has to deal with and to answer to the people, oops, to the govt of the day. And it is good that there are two high court judges in the Commission, including the Chief Justice, the man appointed to protect the Constitution and the rights of the people legally, to keep an eye to ensure that the Constitution is not violated.

Would the people applaud at the end of the day, that we have a few good men and a good woman to do what is good for the people and country and keeping the spirit of the Constitution intact? Or would it be something else, that there is no good man or good woman to talk about? Would some be saying, ‘Welcome to the Dark Side?’

Would the Force be strong to keep the good men and good woman away from the Dark Side? These men and a woman would have to answer the call of their duty and the mighty, or almighty to do what is right and what they think is right. No easy task. It is a daunting mission that calls for fearless men and woman to be strong and do the constitutionally right thing.  Their life long reputation is on the line. Would they end up saying ‘inside the centre is not within 200 metres?’

May the Force be with them.

PS. Quote from ‘Musings from the Lion City’. Everyone in Singapore believes that Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong set up the Constitutional Commission to ensure the presidency stays within the control of the PAP. He does not want another contest as close as the one in 2011. It seems Tan thought this as well and is now trying to pre-empt the Constitutional Commission.

Singapore needs a Chee Soon Juan

The stigma on Chee Soon Juan is still thick in the heads of the unthinking. And the parrots are out parroting that Chee is not the right man to be in Parliament. I defer. Chee is exactly what this Parliament needs, someone to speak out for the people, on national issues and issues that affect the people of this country.

What kind of Parliament are we having today? What kind of opposition are we having today in Parliament? The Parliament we have today, and the kind of opposition we have today are exactly designed and molded by the ruling govt. It is a Parliament of prepared questions and prepared answers. And opposition MPs are there to ask the right questions. I also not sure what ‘right questions’ meant.

Out of Parliament, the role of the opposition has been crafted and framed nicely by the ruling govt, to be town council managers, to make sure the streets are clean, the rubbish are cleared, the street lights are working. Why are we paying so much money for part time politicians to do these things? Hire a few road sweepers and cleaners would have done the jobs better.

The Singapore politics is a model designed by the ruling govt. It is deemed to be the best and working model. It is like all the policies, all well thought out and planned by the govt, including the life savings of the people and how they should spend the money and how they should live. For those who agree with this model, good for them.

But there are alternatives, alternative ways of doing things, of living our lives and how we should use our life savings. Singaporeans cannot be so daft that when the govt said ‘eat shit’ and they will eat shit without protest, without asking why. When the govt said do, then they do, cannot do, then cannot do.

Singaporeans need people like Chee to say no, there are other ways, to say no, we don’t want to eat shit. The role of politicians is not to prepare written questions in Parliament. The role of politicians is not to be road sweepers and cleaners of an estate. There is a need for an alternative voice in Parliament to change the ethos of politics in and out of Parliament. There is a need for the people to have a voice to tell the ruling govt what they want, not what the ruling govt wants, to tell the govt what the people think is good and not what the govt thinks is good.

Parliament needs more politicians of the Chee Soon Juan caliber, to speak their minds, some may be right and good, some may not be right and good, some a matter of doing things in different ways. Unless Singaporeans want to accept that this political system is the best, and there is no room for politicians like Chee Soon Juan, that politicians paid handsomely are to be estate managers, to look after the lifts, the roads and the longkangs, then they don’t deserve politicians like Chee Soon Juan.

The people of Bukit Batok would have to decide soon, what kind of politicians they want to serve them and to be in Parliament to speak out for them, for their interests, not the interests of political parties.

Killing Fields – Where are the good men?

Marina Mahathir wrote an article in the mypaper on 11 Mar titled ‘Evil wins when good men do nothing’. She referred to the days of the genocide in Kampuchea under the Khmer Rouge when millions were killed by the regime of Pol Pot. The question is that why were there no good men to stop the killings. It is easier said then done when the regime were dominated by people of the same mindset, same indoctrination, same motives and aspiration.

Why was this applicable to Malaysia today? The recent politics in Malaysia and the several unnatural deaths that occurred must be the reason why she raised this issue. But she acknowledged that ‘Malaysia was no where near these sort of brutalities. But it is easy to slip into a subtler version of the mindset without noticing…The use of the media to propagate discriminatory stories and untruths about people is becoming the norm.’

Singapore is definitely even further than the case like in Malaysia. We are no where near Malaysia as for now, even with the high profile deaths of children and young NSmen.  Some may say it starts off very innocently and like oppression, soon people will get use to it and become very comfortable with the new norms.

Singapore is different. Look at the noise made in Parliament about the death of Benjamin? The silence is so loud. Singapore has no shortage of good men and women. They are all sitting in Parliament. They would even cry over cruelties to dogs and cats. One animal lover even got handpicked to become an MP. That is how much we treasure life, the lives of animals. The politicians care!

Singapore is a caring society, all inclusive, inclusive of animals. We will never become a Killing Field. Marina Mahathir is very worried about the emerging Killing Fields in Malaysia.

Heaven opens the way for the SDP

Hard work, perseverance, dedication and the passion to want to serve the people will be rewarded. For that is what the SDP has been doing. And heaven got eyes and has finally relented to let the SDP take a first step into Parliament. Before I sell my koyok on why the SDP is deserving of a seat in Parliament, let me sing a few praises for the immortals as well.

It is very tough to be an immortal in Sin City. Heard of the temptation of Jesus? When you are a super talent, all goodness, honourable, powerful, very rich, and very good looking, very caring, very kind and helpful to the people, and especially when one is an immortal on earth, you will stand out as very attractive and likeable, and the opposite sex would only fall all over you, helplessly. Be kind to them when they could not resist the attractiveness of the immortals. They are just weak human beans. It is tough for humans to resist the temptation of the flesh. It is even tougher for immortals to do so when temptation is everywhere. Do not blame both the human beans and immortals for giving in to temptation.  It is easy for human beans to fall and even for immortals to fall. It is a miracle that so many immortals are able to stay clean and not fallen to the same weaknesses of human beans.

Let me get back to serious business. The hard work and good will of the SDP are starting to pay back. Many opposition parties are getting itchy again and the devils will not hide the horns on their foreheads. The devils will appear to do the damage they are supposed to do. That is the job of the devil. Itchy the opposition camp may be, but there must be some honour, some discipline and reciprocity, and of course no more stupidity, opportunistic and irresponsibility. Everyone in the opposition camp must remember the gracious withdrawal of the SDP in the Punggol East by election to avoid a fight with the WP.  Also the withdrawal of the WP from Potong Pasir. Two others stupidly went in only to be mauled in Punggol East.

The Bukit Batok by election under the existing understanding in the opposition camp will go to the SDP. They fought there in the last GE and thus has the first right of refusal. Any opposition party wanting to come in will be a sign of bad faith, dishonourable, spoiler and would not be forgiven.  And SDP is the only opposition party that did not fold up and went to sleep after the last GE. They continue to speak up for the people and this would put them in a good stead in the eyes of the voters. The SGP is not a fly by night party, but here to stay, with the people.

Now it is up to the SDP to put up their best candidate for this opening. Be very sure the PAP would put up their very best immortal or super talent to want to retain this seat. The SDP cannot be slipshod in the selection of their candidate and only the very best would do. It is either Chee Soon Juan or Paul Tambyah to take up this fight.

This is a by election for the PAP to lose, like in Punggol East. And it could be a repeat of Punggol East with spoilers coming in to try to mess things up, but will be mauled and sent to the sewers if they do so.

The SDP has been rewarded with a penalty to convert. Send in the best forward to do a clean job with this gift from heaven.  Heaven has finally smiled at Chee Soon Juan, the man that deserves more than anyone to be in Parliament.. 

Has the govt forgotten the meaning of National Service?

The death of Dominique Lee and the revelation of a law that said SAF soldiers cannot be sued for negligence in the course of duty for tort even causing the death of NSmen is very disturbing indeed. Has the govt forgotten the meaning of National Service? The govt is conscripting the sons of Singapore citizens to be trained to defend this country, to die for this country in the defence of this country, not to die because someone is negligent and irresponsible, or doing something rash or stupid.

The govt and the SAF owe every NSman and their family an unqualified duty to ensure that the NSmen are in good and safe hands, in responsible hands, that the people looking after them, training them and leading them to war, are professionally trained, responsible and NOT negligent in the conduct of their responsibility. The last part is the least that the govt and the SAF must do, to make sure that no one is negligent or thinks he can be negligent and get away with it when the lives of NSmen is at stake.

The NSmen did not volunteer for National Service. They are not professional soldiers, ‘tan chiak peng’, who joined the SAF for a salary. They are conscripted and paid a miserly allowance for their service at the prime of their lives. The govt and the SAF must take absolute care to see to it that negligence is not to be condoned. The parents brought up their sons for 18 years. Do return their sons healthy and alive at the end of their NS. Accidents cannot be prevented, but negligence can and cannot be encouraged or protected.

A law that said negligence cannot be sued is like protecting people who are negligent and that negligence is acceptable. Negligence is UNACCEPTABLE. Not in a NS military organization when young people are conscripted by law to serve. A law that protects negligence has no place in a NS army. It compromises the safety of the NSmen. The rationale for such a law is unbelieveable! It cannot be justified under any ground.

The sons of our citizens deserve better protection from the state, from the SAF. They did not ask to be NSmen. Don’t forget this.

In memory of Dominique Sarron Lee and Benjamin Lim 13 Mar 16 (Sunday 6 pm) Hong Lim Park

Parents with children are encouraged to show up this Sunday at Hong Lim Park to support the parents of Dominique Sarron Lee and Benjamin Lim. Gilbert Goh has finally got a last minute permit for this event to speak about the ordeals and the pains the parents of these two boys are going through and would have to live with them for the rest of their living daylight.

The event is primarily to voice the concerns of Singaporeans and parents for the safety of young children and NS men, to create awareness and to tell the govt that more must be done, urgently for the sake of our children and to protect their lives while in NS or in police custody and investigation.

The event, In memory of Dominique Lee and Benjamin Lim

Sunday 13 Mar 16

Hong Lim Park

6 pm

More Questions on LTA’s Wrongful Tesla Decision

Mystery Deepens in Singapore’s War on the Tesla All-Electric Vehicle

By Michael Heng@MIKOspace

More questions emerged even as the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) attempted to explain further its decision to impose a S$15,000 carbon tax surcharge on a Tesla pure electric vehicle (EV) which emits no CO2 from its non-existent exhaust. 

The LTA claimed to have relied on the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) R101 standards. UNECE told a Singapore news agency that Singapore is not one of the contracting parties to the 1958 Agreement which ratifies the harmonisation of vehicle regulations.  In any case, the UNECE R101 standards do not have any provisions to measure non-existent carbon emission of all-electric vehicle like the Tesla Model S.   

The news agency quoted Mr Jean Rodriguez the UNECE Information Chief that the “LTA appears to have applied UNECE R101 correctly when assessing the carbon emission of a used Tesla Model S recently”.  Yet, the only R101 protocol pertaining to pure electric vehicles only specifies the way to measure the energy consumption of the vehicle or “tank-to-wheel”.  The alleged statement by Chief Rodrigeuz would thus “appear” disingenuous since it is inconsistent with the capability of his R101 Standards.

At best, the LTA could only apply R101 Annex No: 7 which describes the “Method of measuring the electric energy consumption of (pure battery-operated electric) vehicles”. 

It is however unknown whether VICOM, the Singapore vehicle inspection company, has been assessed to have the necessary equipment and has actually been certified by UNECE to conduct the R101 tests so as to make the relevant valid computations.

Chief Rodrigeuz also further pointed out that Singapore LTA appears to be the only national regulator to have included power grid emission into the evaluation of electric vehicles’ (EVs) carbon footprint.  What this means is that the LTA had acted arbitrarily when factoring in the power grid emission without scientific support from any international authoritative test or quality standards.

From the determination of electric energy consumption to the attribution of carbon emissions by the Tesla EV would require the LTA to adopt a series of assumptions not hitherto supported by any international protocol or quality standards. The results are understandably dubious and questionable.  For example, the LTA claimed to have calculated that the electric energy consumption of the imported used Tesla car to be 444Wh/km, and translated that to the equivalent of 222g/km of CO2 after factoring a grid emission factor of 0.5 CO2/Wh.

Actually, the official Singapore’s Grid Emission Factor is about 0.43g CO2/Wh not 0.5 g.  And the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had recommended electric energy consumption of almost half of 444Wh/km for city driving.

Now we know a little more how LTA determined and subjected the Tesla EV to the resultant C3 S$15,000 carbon tax surcharge band under its Singapore's Carbon Emission-based Vehicle (CEV) Scheme, thus placing the Tesla all-Electric Vehicle with non-EV car models like the Mazda 8, Land Rover Freelander, Lexus RX270 and Maserati Ghibli. 

In other words, the LTA has deemed the Tesla Model S pure electric vehicle to be as polluting as the other fossil-fuel vehicle addicts.

Seriously, LTA? This would of course make Singapore a laughing stock in the world of sustainable energy and sustainable electric mobility. 

This incident with the Tesla EV severely tested the capability of our fossil-fuel based authorities and the limits of fossil-fuel vehicle regulations.  We are found seriously wanting and in need of fundamental change in our mindsets, policies and practices.

In the final analysis, the LTA has actually made a decision error in the Tesla EV case.  It failed to apply and follow its own definition and policy.  The LTA has already defined carbon emissions explicitly in its CEV Scheme as “the release of carbon dioxide from the use of a vehicle” and it “measures … the weight of carbon dioxide (CO2) released for every kilometre that the vehicle is driven”.   

It is thus disingenuous to compound its error by confusing sustainability-minded motorists with references to irrelevant and non-universal variables and factors.   Singapore’s reputation as a leader and active warrior against climate change by making fossil fuel history has been damaged by this incident.  Let’s restore our reputation for political leadership and hard-headed decision-making.

NUS cooking up more First Class Law graduates

The law students must be in déjà vu with the recent announcement by the Dean of NUS Law Faculty that there will be more First Class honours graduates from the faculty.  Now, how can they be so sure that there will be more First Class honours graduates? Are they going to teach them better or are they going to admit more better grade students and coach them better to get the First Class honours? It is quite easy really, no need to work so hard or teach so hard.

You see, statistically, other world class universities are producing many more First Class honours than NUS. Some are producing as many as 30% of a cohort. NUS is producing a miserable 10% or at times 5%. How can be like that? So to get even with the best universities of the world, NUS would be raising the percentage to maybe 20% or 30%. See, it is so simple.

One big question, have we been shortchanging our graduates and depriving them from getting First Class honours for the last few decades? What a crime against our local talents. And is this applicable to other faculties as well? Is this also one of the reasons why ‘foreign talents’ are all flashing First Class honours degrees and deemed better than our graduates caused we were so stingy in giving First Class honours to deserving or undeserving graduates?

Who is doing the right thing and who is doing the wrong thing? How about flashing First Class honours from degree mills or Timbuktu? Who are the fools that have been fooled all these 50 years?

No wonder we have so few talents in all fields while other countries are producing First Class honours in everything, making every fool looking like super talents flashing their First Class honours degree here.

This foreign talent law dean is doing something right for Singapore. We need more clever foreign talents. He deserves every dollar we are paying him. Singaporeans would not be able to think of such an innovative and clever idea to produce more First Class honours graduates. The other faculties must also learn from this.

The Americans are militarising Asia

The daft Asians could not bother to think what the American pivot to Asia is all about. They only listen to the Americans screaming China is militarizing the South China Sea. And when they blow the pipes, the daft Asians all fall in line and follow the pipe piper without knowing where they are being led to.

China is the expansionist power. So it is right for the Americans to sail their warships and fly their war planes to balance this new emerging power when the while the world’s Number One hegemon continues to militarise Asia and threatens everyone with wars. The American pivot to Asia is as good as the Americans saying ‘We are back, to take control of you, yes you, the daft Asians.’ We are the Empire and we will rule you, daft Asians. We will tell you who is good and who is bad and we will make you fight among yourself, Asians against Asians, and we will sell you all the weapons to kill yourself.

While the daft Asians are still smoking the American designed drugs, the Americans are moving in, bases in Singapore, negotiating for bases in the Philippines, in Vietnam and Australia. They are going to station nuclear bombers, the B1s and B52s in Australia with enough reach to the South China Sea and the whole of Asia. These are on top of more than 100 military bases in their semi colonies in South Korea and Japan, the military fortresses in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean that the Indians could do nothing about, and in Guam.

The nuclear bombers are offensive weapons with a global reach. The whole of Asia is now under the American nuclear umbrella. They can do regime change to any Asian country they want and no one can do anything about it. They are here to balance against China? China’s military strength is not even one tenth of the American military power. Who is balancing against who? I am posing this question to the daft Asians.

And what kind of weapons did China placed in the South China Sea? Defensive missiles, to protect the islands, not offensive bombers and aircraft carriers with strike aircraft and bombers.

Daft Asians cannot tell the difference between offensive and defensive weapons. The Chinese are arming themselves with defensive weapons to defend against the American offensive fighters, bombers and aircraft carriers. The American aircraft carriers, bombers, missile destroyers are all attack weapons of war. Understand?

Who is the aggressor? Who is amassing attack weapons in Asia, not just the little pond called South China Sea. Who is in charge, in control, militarily of Asia? Is China putting defensive weapons on the islands a threat or Americans moving in their nuclear weapons and offensive weapons to rule over Asia and the daft Asians a bigger and real threat, clear and present danger?

How daft can Asians be? The Ameicans set up a straw man to distract their real intention and the daft Asians swallowed it without thinking and keep throwing stones at the straw man while the region is taken over by the Empire.