Seniors coping with job transition, boom or bane?

The topic of concern in the main media these few days is about how seniors are coping with job transition. Let me quote a few paras to give an idea what the discussion is all about.

‘A job change is not a disaster, it can open doors to opportunities to new fields…To profit from these developments and best tackle job change, we must first stay positive and motivated, trust in our abilities and believe there are more good years ahead.’

If I were a natural aristorcrat, the above is very meaningful. A job change is opening the door to new opportunities, to better and cosier jobs, to continue to get paid handsomely or even more.  This does not apply to the many PMETs who were laid off. What happened to them is more like this, ‘The next step is to get to work, research jobs of interest, apply for them confidently and not hesitate to seek help in doing so.’  And prepare to send 500 resumes with no replies over a year or more, and then give up.

And yes, how not to be confident when the next job is several notches down the line, from a PMET to a counter salesperson or a waiter. With the kind of experience PMETs have acquired, they must be absolutely confident in applying for the next job if they can get by their ego. This is the fault, forget about ego, a job is a job.  That is what many silly Singaporeans have been told and accepting this dreadful fate. Just be realistic with the expectations and ‘be receptive to other work as well as remuneration arrangements.’ It is not business as usual. All your training, degrees, experience is not worth a half baked, dunno got degree or fake degree foreigners. Do not question their credentials. You are expected to be stupid to accept them as your replacement even if they are fakes, with lower qualifications or degrees from Timbuktu.

Oh this part is best, ‘It pays to approach new jobs with the same hunger as we did our first job, except we have the benefit of experience and wisdom to accompany the application.’  I would say approach the jobs like those jobless from the third world countries. These people never have the same angst as our PMETs in job transitions. Our PMET’s job transition often is a nightmare except for the natural aristocrats when a shop keeper can end up as the CEO of a big corporation. The experience of the third world jobless job applicants is always a pleasure, from out of job to fully employed. From being paid in third world currency, at minimum wage scale to being paid in Singapore currency and at Singapore rate.  They are chasing their dreams and rainbows here but our PMETs are chasing to see who would accept the lowest rung job available, and temporary somemore.

Job transition for the foreign job applicants is such a great thing to happen, but a nightmare and humiliating experience to our PMETs. Why so lidat? Something is wrong somewhere? Something mysterious? Maybe the brains of our PMETs are overused, overtrained and no longer usable.  But must trained some more so that they can downgrade their expectations.

The demand is for clean, young and unused brains from the third world countries. To these third world job hunters, what job transition are they talking about? It is like a trip to paradise, a sweet dream turning into reality, finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Pope Francis slammed western fallacies

The Western powers are not just exporting democracy but forcing democracy to countries that are not ready for it, countries that have very different culture and ended up worse off than where they were. A startling example is Libya. After murdering Gaddafi, as commented by a Libyan, ‘We used to have one Gaddafi, now we have 50.’ This is the kind of crimes and tragedies the West has brought to countries around the world when the cultures are very different, when the social structures and way of life are different.

In a scathing attack aimed at Western powers, Pope Francis said, ‘Faced with current Islamic terrorism, we should question the way a model of democracy that was too Western was exported to countries where there was a strong power, as in Iraq, or Libya, where there was a tribal structure…We cannot advance without taking these cultures into account.’

Didn’t the West see what the Pope is seeing after so many decades to forcing democracy to Afro Asian countries? Of course they knew what they were doing. Forcing democracy on other countries is just an excuse to dominate and control these countries and disorder and instability, even war were desirable outcomes for the West to exploit them, selling them more weapons and destroying their economies.

While the Pope was slamming the West, John Kerry was backing a proposal to provide more weapons to the Arab countries to fight IS and other Jihadist groups that were likely to be nurtured by the USA. In fact most of the terrorist organizations have in some way received military or financial support from the Americans in covert operations to keep them alive and healthy, to be used against any govt of the day that the Americans deemed fit to do a regime change. The presence and existence of these terrorist organizations would come in very handy to do the destabilizing job and be the excuse for American intervention, as the white knight in shining armour coming to their aid.

It is good that the Pope speaks out against this Western conspiracy to destabilize countries in the name of democracy, human rights or whatever shit that the Americans did not believe in. Would the believers now listen to the wise words of the Pope, have their eyes open to see the evil Western regimes doing their evil deeds? God has sent his chosen One in Donald Trump to do the necessary, to get rid of the evil regime in Washington and the power oligarchs. It is about time.

America, repent before it is too late.

Benjamin Lim’s death – Who caused it?

The inquiry into the premature death of this 14 year old boy is all about how or what led to his death. It is not about whether he did or did not molest the 11 year old girl.  When State Counsel Wong Woon Kwong posted the question to the judge, ‘Ultimately, the finding as to whether there was (a) touch is for Your Honour to decide upon your review of the objective evidence’, the State Coroner Marvin Bay replied, ‘This is (an) inquiry into the death of Benjamin. It is not a criminal trial.’ With that reply the question of whether Benjamin did touch the girl or touched her skirt was left unanswered.

According to the Investigating Officer ASP Mohamed Razif, ‘…he (Benjamin) used his right hand to touch her….The girl felt a soft tap on her left buttock…’ According to Benjamin’s father, after viewing the same footage, ‘From what I observed, I saw (Benjamin’s hand) brush at the area of the girl’s skirt. But it appeared to me that there was no bodily contact.’  Different parties watching a short video footage and came out with different interpretations. Is this a case of seeing what one wants to see? Would there be a neutral party, an expert witness to tell the truth? So difficult to tell whether touching the skirt or touching the buttock in a video footage?  It must be either touched or no touch right? Can view it in slow motion right?

I am disturbed by the report that said ‘A serious offence involving the outrage of modesty of a very young girl’ was reported. And the police took this case so seriously after viewing the video footage and 5 police officers were sent to the school to bring the boy in. Even Shanmugam said, after viewing the same footage, that at most Benjamin would get a reprimand. Nothing so serious as an outrage of modesty.

I contend that young boys and girls would behave like young adolescents, sometimes trying to get friendly, to want to know the other party but did not know how best to go about it and fumbled along. Outrage of modesty in this case is, in my view, you can disagree, going a bit too far.

A proper investigation is needed to clear the air for Benjamin and his family. Did he or did he not touch the girl’s buttock or skirt? But this is not in the agenda of this inquiry on how and what causes Benjamin’s death. Many young and hot blooded kids may fall to temptations of the opposite sex and went one step too far in their youthful innocence and ignorance. But outrage of modesty is seldom in their minds.

I hope I did not in anyway affect the minds of anyone in the inquiry and some jokers start to wave the sub judice flag at me. I just commented on what was reported in the media yesterday. Today’s report is even more interesting. Today’s report comes closer to link the causes of Benjamin’s death and I shall not touch on it. I can only say that I am astounded by what is being reported in the media, so eerily kind, good and proper to the point of perfection. Oh, must add the word sensitive.

President Duterte – A new hand of cards

Under Aquino, Philippines did well economically, shrugging off the Sick Man of Asia title with decent economic growth rate. It could have been better if he has chosen a path for economic growth than to align with the two bankrupt powers in the USA and Japan. Both countries count offer aids to the Philippines, but not the kind for economic growth, aids in the form of more military hardware for war, to booster the fire in the belly of masochists in the Pinoys. Yes, Philippines is going to claim Chinese islands at all costs, even if to fight a war with China. Never mind if trade slowed to a trickle, never mind if bananas went back and returned to the Philippines.  The chest thumping in the South China Sea islands, the acquisition of out of shelf life antique warships to sail around the islands are big ego booster. The hungry can go hungry, the economic, well, never mind.

Duterte has arrived at the scene, clean and free of options. He has so far towed a neutral line between politics and economics with economics take a stronger precedent. Duterte has the same choice as Aquino, American and Japanese weapons to go to war, or economic aids, finance and development to rebuild the Philippines, to go for higher economic growth to benefit the people of the Philippines and the country. China has the cash and the knowhow and the big market to drive the Filipino economy to greater height, to rebuild a new infrastructure that is badly needed, to link up the country with highways and super trains.

The politics of the South China Sea cannot be resolved in the foreseeable future and is best to go to the negotiating table while the two countries build on improving economic ties and cooperation to improve the lives of the Pinoys. Or would politics still be the dominant force in Filipino politics at the expense of economics? China could pour in billions into the Pinoy economy and only good can come out of it.

On the contrary, Duterte can join the American and Japanese alliance that could lead to nought but the possibility of warfare that the Pinoys would pay dearly. The Americans and the Japanese are broke and can only offer the rejects of their military arsenal, the mothball hardware or hardware destined for the museum to the Pinoys. Would these be good enough, would these improve the lives of the  Pinoys and their economy?

At stake is the modernization of the Philippines, the rebuilding of a whole country to become a jewel in Asean. Which way would Duterte choose? He is new and has the liberty to choose with the mandate as the new President of the Philippines. His victory is testimony to what the ordinary Pinoys want, a better life, a peaceful life, not war and political rhetoric and libido.

Perfect gentlemen police force

I read this report of a drunk Japanese man slapping three policemen while being held at an MRT station office.  It is so unreal, so unbelieveable. Let me quote from the Straits Times,

‘At about 11.25pm, he slapped a policeman once each on his right and left cheeks. Ten minutes later, he slapped another officer's right cheek once. Takeshi then stood up, fell backwards and hit his head on a bed frame.

The officers helped him up and sat him on a chair. They saw that he was bleeding at the back of his head and used a bandage to apply pressure on his wound to stop the bleeding. When a policeman tried to ask him about his condition, Takeshi suddenly slapped the third officer's face several times.’

From the above quotes different people would have different opinions on the conduct of the policemen being slapped by a drunk. I would like to take a positive viewpoint on this, that the policemen were absolute gentlemen, that they would not hurt a drunk and would even turn the other cheek. This is how civilized and sensitive our police officers have become, and Singaporeans too, even being slapped they would not retaliate. This is a different kind of utopia.

Foreigners are absolutely safe in the hands of our policemen, and would not be subject to bashing like in some countries. Normally, such incidents would see the culprit being given a few blows by the police as it is very unnatural for anyone being beaten and not reacting, but not in Singapore.

The Singaporeans are exceptional even if they are policemen. They are so gentle, caring and sensitive towards offenders. Handle with extreme care and sensitivity must be the hallmark of our police force.

Singapore is infamous for its citizens, particularly the taxi drivers, to be beaten up by foreigners.  Such incidents are so common. So being beaten up by foreigners is fair game. It is in their mentality. Some may call this a kind of sickness, a people losing its pride or right of self defence, and would not defend itself even being beaten. This is quite like the times when China was the Sick man of Asia that you see in the movies when the Chinese were hapless and bullied by the foreigners in their own country.  

Look at this from another angle, the situation is different in Singapore. We are a powerful little state that punches above our weight.  It is perhaps the ultimate state of being civilized, being well mannered, not timid for sure.  Singaporeans knew it is wrong to hit back, in this case a drunkard.

So the court did the justice for the policemen by finding the Japanese drunk $6,000. Some may say so that the rich can spend some money and go around beating up Singaporeans including policemen. As a civilized people, a law abiding people, Singaporeans would not take the law into their own hands. They would rather the court punishes the culprit legally, than to break the law.

Singapore is indeed a very civilized place with very civilized Singaporeans. Did anyone say it is a past time of foreigners to beat up Singaporeans?  Just ignore this rubbish thinking. Singaporeans are a very fine specimen of the human race, polite, well mannered and non violent creatures and have a very high tolerance for being beaten. It is an exquisite character trait that is very rare in human beans.

What do you think?

PS. The incident was posted in the HardwareZone.com and the bloggers there were laughing themselves crazy. Some fuming in disbelief.

Obama visiting Vietnam – Time to reminisce Nam

The Obama visit to Vietnam is getting a lot of attention in his last days in the White House. And many war veterans are taking the opportunity to reminisce their exploits in this tropical jungle in their youth as 18 and 19 year old draftees, sent to kill Vietcongs in the hot tropical jungle.

The main concern of most Americans is the remains of Americans, dead or alive, in Vietnam. They have no interest in what they did to that country and the number of Vietnamese killed and maimed. They are not interested in the number of Vietnamese children still alive and still falling victims to Agent Orange.  Like in the Middle East, those were war collaterals. But in Vietnam, they were more, enemies, to be killed at all costs. The carpet bombings by B52s over the Plain of Jars, over the expanse of the jungle and country were testimonies of the savage hate for the country and its people, the Vietcongs.

Those were the glorious days of American fire power demonstrated in its full ferocity, not giving the VCs any chance of survivor.  Let me quote a Nam veteran in Chuck Hagel, ex Defence Secretary, ‘It still haunts us. That terrible waste of lives and the lessons we learnt there, the terrible lessons that still hang over us.’ Yes, the terrible lessons still hang over the US, but no lesson learnt. If the Americans have learnt anything, they would not be agitating and starting wars and fighting wars all over the planet. The victims in the Middle East are just as devastated as the victims in the Vietnam War. And there will be more victims if the Americans continue with their pivot to Asia to start more wars.

And what is there to regret about? To John McCain, it was the lack of acknowledgement for the boys and their good works in Vietnam, killing VCs and dying for the country, the USA.  He said, ‘The lack of a welcome home is still a national shame. You had…draftees who did their duties and were…spat upon by their fellow citizenry when they returned.’ Why? Why were they spat on by fellow Americans? Because they were sent into other people’s country and homes to kill them. The same soldiers returning from the Middle East and Afghanistan would also share the same fate. You are invaders, aggressors, killers, murderers of innocent people who have nothing to do with you Americans.

Yes, it is not right to shun the draftees. They were innocent young men who did not know what they were doing. They were sent by the orders of the evil regime in Washington, to kill equally innocent people they did not know and did not want to cause them harm, had nothing to do with the Americans and their lives.  The young draftees, the war veterans, deserved to be honoured even if they did the killing and destruction of the lives and homes of innocent people far far away.  They did not know what the hell was going on, they did not know why they had to kill innocent people.

Would the Obama visit bring a closure to the Vietnam War, like the dropping of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? John McCain is still reminiscing his war in Vietnam, as a POW. ‘To this day, I’ll get up real early sometimes and go down to the Vietnam Memorial just as the sun is coming up…It is always a great experience for me to think and remember.’

The real leader is a dead man

This phrase came out in one of the comments in the blog. The first impression is that the reader was referring to China or North Korea where the big names were Mao Zedong and Kim Il Sung. These two names are so big in the two countries that Deng Xiaoping and Kim Jung Il and Kim Jung Un paled in comparison.  Though dead many years ago, they are still revered leaders to their people, legendary heroes, folk heroes.

In this case, the blogger was referring to Singapore. The real leader of Singapore is still Lee Kuan Yew.  Singapore just celebrated in a big way, with spontaneous ground up cries to revere Lee Kuan Yew. The initiatives came from the people, more than 100 celebrations, I heard, were organized by the people, ground up initiative, to show their love for their leader, like he is still alive.

To many of the supporters, the leader is still alive, never left, so no need to jump up from the grave.  To many Singaporeans there is and always will be one leader. No one could come near him as a leader, no one is seen as a leader in the same light. Singapore is Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Kuan Yew is Singapore.

In this sense, yes, the real leader of Singapore is Lee Kuan Yew. People still look up to him for leadership, for direction, for solutions and answers when things go wrong.  Lee Kuan Yew is still the leader of Singapore, like him, hate him, it doesn’t change anything.

If this is the case, when would Singapore have another real leader? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Small countries punching above their weights?

Sometimes people are made to believe in fiction. Sometimes, after believing in fiction for too long they think fiction is the truth. This mantra of small countries punching above its weight is something Singaporeans were told to believe, ie, Singapore is a small country but can punch above its weight. In some circumstances this is true, like when people messed up their finances and come begging for money and we have the money to throw. When people want to build a monument and we have the money to help them pay for it, we throw money around thinking that we are some rich philanthropists and people are admiring at us, at the amount of money we can throw. When there are big white elephants that no one dares to touch, we would go out to buy them at a handsome price, like buying a piece of fake art at an auction to show people we have the money, we are rich.

In situations when national interests are at stake, no amount of money can buy glory, no amount of money can a small country get what it wants.  I have been writing about this, that the ability to punch above one’s weight is because the other parties allowed the small country to do so. Or the small country is like the proverbial little rat standing on the head of a lion and shouting at everyone, thinking it is really powerful.

This mantra of punching above our weight is now put to test by the Indonesians. Among the haze affected countries, we have been shouting the loudest. We finally have the gut to want to pull the culprit corporations to court. This is the right thing to do, except that when the jurisdiction is transboundary, when the parties are not inside this island but in other countries, you need to measure how much power or authority you have to bring the culprits to justice. You cannot simply send a legal letter to someone and demand that he appears in your office, in your courts, in your country. Oops, you can, but whether he would appear is another issue.

If you want to punch above your weight you better know who you are dealing with. The Indonesians are furious and are reviewing all agreements with Singapore, haze related and others.  This is like the Indonesians are tearing every agreement they have signed with us, or are going to tear them if they are not happy with them. And they are doing it unilaterally. They do not need to consult us and they are not going to consult us. They would only tell us what they have decided and what they want to do. 

The Indonesians are telling Singapore to shut up and haze is their problem and they will deal with it the way they like it. They are saying it is none of Singapore’s business even though the haze will affect the way of life, the economy and the health of Singaporeans. Now Singapore is put in a spot. What is Singapore going to do or can do with this snub? Now is the time to mean business, to see if Singapore can really punch above its weight with a neighbouring giant.

This is a new drama that is unfolding. When a giant flexes its muscles, the small countries better take notice.  Now to bring an Indonesian corporation to task, to appear in our courts, is going to be a very sensitive and touchy issue.

Trump, the chosen One

I viewed a couple of video clips in the net on the coming of Donald Trump. One pastor from Australia spoke about evidence in the Bible prophesising the coming of Trump as the last President of the USA before end time. In his delivery he quoted a few chapters and versus and how The Donald, what Trump is popularly known, is stated in the Bible and the meaning was the one who would ruled in triumph.

Another American believer was more explicit, that God spoke to him several times and revealed to him that Trump is the chosen One. He said God has created Trump, made him rich and not beholden to anyone so that he could do God’s work by ridding America of the evil regime that has been running American to commit hideous crimes all over the world.  Trump is his own man, chosen and groomed by God. Actually he revealed that Trump was supposed to be the President in 2012, but the Americans were not ready for him.

Trump, in a way like Jesus, has been condemned by the American elite and power brokers. Trump has been called all kind of names, sexist, arrogant, racist, and so many other things. But he added, every time they attacked Trump, he grew stronger. Some of his attackers met with accidents or mishaps for attacking Trump. He quoted the female anchor of Fox News and Mario, another presidential hopeful that either lost their jobs or struck with disasters. His message, God is protecting Trump all the way to the White House. Trump would win a landslide victory against Hillary who would be indicted just before the Presidential election.

This guy was convincing and very serious. Trump is the One to save America from the sins and crimes of the establishment. Trump would appoint 5 new judges to replaced the corrupt judiciary, get rid of the corrupt and sinful regime. Trump would make the USA the most powerful nation once again.  Trump would be the most powerful American President ever.

Funny, I got this feeling that God is white or an American, and only care about the Americans. And all the riches robbed by the enemies of America would be returned. He did not clarify if the enemies were foreign powers or the bankers and the corrupt regime.

If the prophecy is true, there will be a new World Order under Trump and all goodness for the Americans. And all the evil men and women in the American establishment, in the White House, in the Pentagon and in Congress would all be put behind bars for crimes against humanity.

Elected President – Protecting the minorities

So the Constitution Commission is set up to protect minority interests, so that minorities are represented or elected to the Presidency. Everyone is taking this minority interest at face value, that the minorities mean the Malays, Indians and the Others. I have earlier wrote about the definition of the minorities and how the great influx of foreigners here has actually changed the social fabric of our country and several third world people are now forming significant numbers as minorities here and would definitely want to be included into this minority or racial game. Why not when the door is open for all the minorities to stake a claim to the Presidency?

I am quite sure our Constitution does not define who or which racial group will be regarded as minorities and thus entitled to be appointed for the Elected Presidency on a merry go round or roulette wheel system of preference. Perhaps the Commission would also have to toy with the idea of amending the Constitution to define which racial groups would now be officially, legally and constitutionally given this special right to the pot of gold. Did I just say Special Right? Would Singapore, a democratic country based on justice and equality regardless of race language or religion, be sanctioning a Special Right to the minorities based on RACE?

By doing so, is Singapore starting to play the race game? I really hope not and no race is Special to have their rights protected by an amendment in the Constitution. I dread the day when the minority definition would include the Pinoys, Myanmese, Indonesians, Bangladeshis, maybe Vietnamese or what not and be protected by the Constitution saying that they will have their turn to be the President of Singapore.

What is the real definition of the word minority? So far everyone is presuming, assuming that it is all about race and all about Malays, Indians and Others.  But they are many kinds of minorities in the island. There are the religious minorities, the social minorities, the gender minorities, the cultural minorities and also the economic minorities. And there is also the elites that would form another economic minorities as the super rich, the natural aristocrats are a minority too.

Let me try to imagine protecting or ensuring that the minority of natural aristocrats, the super rich and powerful, are also a minority group to be protected by the Constitution so that they can be the preferred choice for the Elected Presidency. Does it make sense? Can this be a possibility? Protecting a small group, a minority, the super rich elite to be the Elected President?

I don’t think anyone would dare to have such a thought or make such a suggestion. Got or not? But what is de jure may not be possible does not mean that what is de facto without being de jure cannot be a reality. Would we end up with a system, written into the Constitution whereby an economic minority, the super rich or super powerful, or super talented, or natural aristocrats be protected and have a Special Right to be the Elected President? Would we end up with a situation where some people are more equal than others and provided and protected by the Constitution?

What do you think?

Good news, no fleeing of capital and foreign investors!

When news of Heng Swee Kiat’s collapse in a cabinet meeting hit the streets, there must be fear of a fleeing of foreign capital from the island. This rumour or line of thought has been speculated for several decades to frighten the Singaporeans, that stability of a one party, one man govt is the key to Singapore’s success. Now that the one man is no longer around, it is the composition of the one party that matters. And the composition of the one party actually is about a few men countable by the fingers in one hand. And Heng Swee Kiat is one of the fingers, touted as the future PM.

Heng Swee Kiat’s collapse may send fears to some that it is a sign that Singapore may be collapsing or the future is collapsing. So foreigners, those from the first world, would be packing their bags and businesses and running away. There is no fear from those of the third world as Singapore is still too good for them than their third world homeland. They die die will stay.

Nothing happens. No one is running away. Let me offer two possible reasons. The foreigners and their investments did not see anything fearsome to want to run away. Two, there are very few from the first world. Most of the foreign investors and investments are from the third world, where else to run to?

Oh, a third point, Singapore is now quite stable. It is no longer dependable on one man or one party to continue to grow and prosper. The country is stable enough to withstand the loss of the one man or the one party and its constituent key members.

This is the good news. Singapore will not be shaken just because of the loss of one man or one party. Singapore will not be turned into a third world country just because one opposition candidate gets elected into Parliament. No foreign investor will panic just because Chee Soon Juan would to get into Parliament.

Singapore is safe. The govt has done a good job to ensure that the country will continue to prosper with or without one man or one party.  Thank you very much. This is like a corporation not depending on an indispensable CEO and would collapse if the CEO is dead. I think my conclusion is good for Singaporeans. A country with a stable and sound system that would not be shaken and fell like a pack of cards when one man or one key minister suffered a stroke. I don’t think the situation would be different if it was not Heng Swee Kiat but someone else, like Tharman, Chee Hian or Hsien Loong.

The system will continue to run as if nothing had happened. The island would still be here. The property prices would not fall, and no one’s daughter or wife will become foreign maid. Singapore has passed its second durability test.

China’s inexplicable policies in the South China Sea

Everyone is making claims to the islands in the South China Sea. China’s 9 dash line claims it meeting overlapping claims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Until the dispute is settled, the claimant countries are trying their best to enforce their claims by exerting control of the seas with their patrol boats. No clear cut answers would be appearing in the near horizon.

The biggest teething problem is not land reclamation but the presence of fishing boats in the disputed seas. Chinese fishing boats, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Thais, Malaysians and Indonesians have often been caught by the patrol boats of respective countries, some held for ransom, some blown to pieces.

Chinese fishing boats appear to be a common feature in being arrested by the claimant countries’ patrol boats, impounded or blown up. And other than some protests from the Chinese government, there seemed to be nothing that China could do to protect or demand the release of the fishing boats and the fishermen.

The fact that Chinese fishing boats and fishermen were arrested by claimant countries is an implicit sign that the fishing boats and fishermen were in the wrong, operating in other country’s territorial sea. It must be. If they are operating in Chinese or international waters they would not be arrested. If this is the case, it is simply a legal matter and rightly China cannot and should not be doing anything to protect the wrongs of its fishing boats and fishermen.

What if the fishing boats and fishermen were arrested in disputed seas claimed by China and other claimant countries. The implications, China has be default of its inaction, conceded that the fishing boats were in the claimant countries’ territorial waters. This would weaken China’s claim of the area under the 9 dash lines. The second implication is that China is a weak power, unable to protect its citizens in its own territorial waters. This point is even more damaging to China’s reputation as a sovereign and big power.

What is China’s stand or what would China do to maintain order and respectability in such cases? A straight forward position is for China to protect its fishing boats in the disputed waters and prevent them from being hauled away by claimant patrol boats. This is the least respectable thing for China to do and to uphold its claim to the sea within the 9 dash lines.

If China does not want to enforce its claims in the disputed waters, does not water to use force to protect its fishing boats, China could simply order its fishing boats to avoid the disputed waters. It would save the embarrassment of them being arrested and blown to pieces.  By allowing its fishing boats into disputed waters and be arrested is bad news, bad publicity from all points of view.

Would China take a firm and clear position on this matter to avoid being embarrassed? It is either enforce the claim or keep the fishing boats from trouble waters. The present situation of no policy and no stand is a bad policy.

The bigger question is would China take a stronger stance against the American provocation by sailing warships within the 12 nm of China’s territorial waters? Not doing anything would only encourage the crazy Americans to think China is weak. The latest report said China had scrambled fighter aircraft to intercept the ship. Is that enough or would China have to do like what Putin did in the Baltic Sea by screaming pass the ship at low level or more?

The attack on China continues

Tang Siew Mun, Head of Asean Studies Centre at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, continues the attack on China by calling on Asean to stick together to confront China in the South China Sea dispute or be hanged separately. I think this must be his personal view and not that of the Institute or the govt.

Let me quote what he said in his article, ‘Hang together or hang separately?’ published in the ST on 12 May.  I think as an academic his comments would not draw another strong protest from China for meddling with China’s internal affairs and not having to qualify that he is speaking in a personal capacity.

‘Asean has to take a firm stand on the SCS not because it wants to favour one claimant over another, but in order to protect the integrity and unity of the 10 member organization. If Asean shows that it is susceptible to any kind of external interference, it would lose its credibility and in the process declare itself “fair game” to any external powers.  Benjamin Franklin’s advice that “we must all hang together, or assuredly, we shall all hang separately” is particularly pertinent for the Asean leaders.

The above comment emphasizes integrity and unity of Asean and the assumption that Asean as a united block can take on a big power as an equivalent of a big power.  Talking about integrity of Asean is laughable since Asean discarded the concept of a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality. When Asean countries started to become allies of big powers, providing military facilities for big powers to exert their influence in the region, signing military alliances with big powers, engaging in warfare on the side of big powers, the integrity of Asean as a neutral block of countries is already a big question mark. 

Asean unity? Asean as a united block too is an aspiration rather than a reality. There are the pro US and pro China camps within Asean.

What is more naïve is to think that Asean, acting together as a block, would be a force to be reckoned with against big powers like the USA, PRC or India. Such big powers would give Asean a kick in the arse when they deemed fit and when their interests are challenged. The insanity of small countries thinking that they can punch above their weight or a small half past six regional block taking on the big powers can only be found in Asean countries. Some wanting to go to war with China, some wanting to push China out of the South China Sea. The most realistic of the Asean countries, and the most powerful militarily, having fought and defeated the Americans and a border war with China, understood what it is like to take on China in war. 

The only chance for Asean to hang together is to add on the American factor, to hang together with the Americans and go and fight wars all over the world with the Americans. Other than this reality of joining the international gangster, punching above your weight is only possible when the big powers graciously allows you to do so, partially also to cater to their interests. When their interests are at stake or violated, you will be punching a hard rock. And the weight of a mustard seed against a big rock is not difficult to comprehend.

Singapore is praying very hard to hitch a ride on the Chinese economic locomotive and is best not to be too cocky and indiscreet in taking sides when China’s core interests are involved. Yes, Singapore is a non claimant state in the SCS. Why is Singapore crying out loud everyday when the other claimant states are lying low?  Oops, it is not Singapore that is ruffling the feathers of China, but individuals speaking in their private capacity. And pray China would not because of these casual remarks by individual Singaporeans and cut off Singapore from the Chinese gravy train.

Where are these anti China rhetoric coming from? What is the agenda?

LKY’s hard truths outdated

There are many thoughts of LKY but not many are outdated. Many are still valid and would be valid for a long time to come. I am just referring to a couple of his thoughts or hard truths that have been superceded by recent events, proving that they are no longer valid.  The first is the belief that Singapore is not ready for an Indian Prime. This is no longer true. From my observation, Singaporeans are ready for an Indian PM plus an Indian President simultaneously. Singaporeans are even ready for a cabinet filled with minority ministers on the principle of meritocracy. As long as they are meritocratic, that is all that Singaporeans want to know and will accept them. Black cat white cat, can catch mouse, good cat.

The second thought, that Singaporeans would vote based on their racial identity, the sole justification for the need for GRC, is coming to question as well. In this case, LKY is partially right, or his thought is still valid to some extent and circumstances. I will use the Bukit Batok by election to support my case.

Let me start with voting by race. How could a minority candidate win an election competing one on one against a majority candidate in a constituency that has 75% of the majority race? This simply says that the majority did not vote by race. Otherwise Murali would at most be left with 25% of the votes presuming all the minorities voted for him and the majority voted for Chee. And throughout the election you could see how popular he was with the Chinese voters, from Hsien Loong down to the grassroot leaders and ordinary voters.

In this by election, very likely the Chinese votes were split 50:50 or 60:40 in favour of Murali. If this was not the case Murali would have no chance of winning. In the case of the Malay voters, it could be the same pattern. The only part of LKY’s thought that is still valid is that the Indian voters would likely vote along racial line, ie more would vote for an Indian candidate. This is the only portion of the thought that is still holding true.

The most important thing, the by election dispelled the basis for the continued existence of GRCs. The majority Chinese would vote based on meritocracy or on party track records. They are colour blind. So, this LKY thought is not wholly true today. And the same argument should also be applicable to the Elected President.

The reasoning and voting on merits among the Chinese is now the dominant force in their thinking or no thinking. The Chinese have embraced meritocracy like it is the golden truth. Race is no longer an issue. They are only capable of thinking on one single factor, nothing more. They are incapable of thinking of other factors like social and political considerations. They could not see anything further than today. What is going to happen tomorrow with the full force of meritocracy is beyond their grasp. Look at how they accept the huge influx of foreigners into the country, how Singaporeans are conveniently being replaced by foreigners in work places for all the wrong reasons? As far as the Chinese Singaporeans are concerned, their mindset is already stuffed with the word meritocracy, and if they are replaced at work or forced to leave this country, it is meritocracy.  They would not think that they have been cheated. Some even concede that this island belongs to anyone that comes here, and everyone and anyone has the right to take over this country as long as they are ‘good’ or ‘betterer’ than the daft Sinkies.

With this kind of mentality, to be generous, one can say the Singaporean Chinese are politically naïve. To be honest, the Singaporean Chinese are political idiots. On this ground, I conclude that the Singaporean Chinese are ready for an Indian PM plus an Indian President at the same time and with minority ministers in charge so long as they are meritocratic. I am not sure if the Malays would think like the idiotic Chinese and accept the same development.

So, the Bukit Batok by election has confirmed two things or thoughts of LKY. The Chinese would not vote on racial grounds. The Chinese are ready for an Indian PM and more. Having an Indian or minority President is not an issue. Many minority Presidents have been appointed and ‘elected’ as well.

The USA continues to raise tension in the South China Sea

The Americans continued with its third ‘freedom of navigation’ provocation a couple of days ago, this time sailing a warship within the 12 nautical miles of a Chinese island. This is an aggressive act, intruding into another country’s territorial waters, and would be expelled if not for the restraint the Chinese were exercising on their troops. It was an intrusion into another country’s territory by a warship without permission.

It is a matter of time when an impatient Chinese soldier will pull the trigger ‘accidentally’ and sink one of these warships and all its naval crews, just like the American ‘mistake’ in striking the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade with a cruise missile, in time of peace and under no provocation. The Chinese will not forget this hostile incident, an act of war, and will wait for the opportune moment to return the compliment. American naval military personnel on such ‘freedom of navigation’ or aggressive intrusion into Chinese waters must be prepared to be buried in the South China Sea, a matter of when. The Chinese must be calculating when would be the best time to commit a ‘mistake’ by a low level gunner that doesn’t normally think too much.

The crazy and belligerent Americans must be warned, the families of these sailors must be warned, it is a mission waiting to happen, and their fathers, sons and daughters, and husbands, may not come home, or if lucky, come home in black plastic bags. American exceptionalism does not confer the Americans the right to infringe and violate other country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. And the Chinese have all the good reasons to make such a ‘mistake’. 

With Belgrade vivid in their minds, it is a convenient target to avenge the humiliating attack on their Embassy. A tooth for a tooth. When China is ready militarily, an American tooth would be extracted to pay for the Belgrade Incident.

The American people must send a message to the crazies in the White House and the Pentagon that the game has changed and China is about to take a tooth back from the Americans unless they stop their hostile acts in the South China Sea. You cannot go on provoking another big power in their homeland and think you can get a way with it. The whole world is watching this American provocation and military adventurism in the South China Sea. Aggression will not pay, will no longer pay, especially when the other side can hit back.

The USA must repent, now before it is too late.

Why is Singapore educating, feeding and enriching foreigners?

We built universities to be staffed by foreigners and the places to be filled by foreign students. We brought in foreign lecturers academic staff, paid them handsomely and housed them in very good accommodations. All paid by tax payers’ money. We brought in foreign students, gave them scholarship to live better than Singaporean students who either laden their parents with debt or themselves in debt for borrowing to pay their own tuition fees. The foreign students got it all for free, paid by our taxpayers. We rejected our top students in medical and law schools, forcing them to go overseas, many ended not returning, but in their place recruited half past six foreigners to be doctors and practicing lawyers here.

We created two supposedly ‘think tank’ institutions on top of ISEAS, to be staffed with many foreigners, to be paid handsomely by tax payers money, for what? What are the returns or benefits?  Justifiable or for show? Or are we doing charity or do we owe these foreigners a living, to pay for their education, to pay them damn well to work here? Are we responsible for the well beings of foreigners or to our taxpayers and their children, the citizens of Singapore?

We keep giving generous grants and scholarships to foreigners to improve their qualifications, to gain experience and expertise, to gain credibility, from taxpayers’ money but neglected our own talents. The grass in the neighbours’ lawn is greener? Sowing wild oats and forsaking our own children? No need to grow our own timber, take short cut, no need to nurture our precious seedlings?

Hope Leong Sze Hian could do a compilation on the billions wasted on training, educating and feeding foreigners instead of our own children. Wastrel? Anyone know the meaning of wastrel? Or profligate, squanderer?

The so called elite realm of existence is now filled by foreigners with doubtful credentials when they should be filled by our very own citizens, paid by our taxpayers’ money. We keep paying the foreigners to be better but not to our own, preferring to force our own away to foreign shores.

Historically anti people policies were prevalent during the reigns of a ‘hun jun’ or 昏君, marking the end of a dynasty, for forsaking the interests of the people.

Bukit Batok By Election – The day after

To those looking at the result of the by election superficially, there will be despair, the cursing of the voters for being silly and selfish, and the gutter politics that got another PAP MP into Parliament. But there are several positive trends developing and clearly evident in this by election and a confirmation that the trends would continue and change will come, a matter of when.

The first trend that is getting more serious today and reflected in this by election is the ‘absence’ of spectators at the PAP rally.  The few hundred attendees were there for all the wrong reasons. What is very important and evident is that the people are tired of the PAP narratives and no longer listening, not wanting to listen, nothing to listen anymore. It is all the same.

The fact that the people were crowding and flooding the SDP rally is a sign that they were hungering for change. They wanted to hear something new, they wanted to see something new, they were looking and hoping for change, hoping for a messiah to lead them to freedom. The forces are building up for an exodus. Do not foolishly write off the crowd at the SDP and opposition rallies. They took the trouble to be there. They were serious people wanting change and the crowd is growing.  As long as they are listening they will be converted and more will be converted in a matter of time. As long as the people are listening, willing to listen, coming all the way to the hill where he spoke, taking time and effort to be there, they will become believers one day, if not already.

The other major trend is the coming together of the professionals to join the opposition camp. In this by election, more professionals are stepping forward to be counted. The trickle is getting stronger and more will join this flow. The result of the by election may not be something to gloat about for the opposition camp, but for those looking for signs of progress, signs of positive change, they could be comforted. The effort is starting to pay off. It is not total despair.

The build up to the next GE in 3 to 4 years’ time is now, to build on the momentum gained in the by election. The SDP and serious opposition parties must jump onto this trend, go out to invite the professionals to join the camp. They are coming and waiting for the right time. The time is now.  There is a 3 year grace and reprieve to build up the strength of the opposition camp. Do not go to sleep. The work has started, starting from the by election it should continue towards the next GE. Winning the professionals will raise the interest and confidence in the opposition cause.  Change is on the way.

Who knows, there could be more miracles coming the way of the opposition camp.

American politics – No fear, No Sue

The Americans are giving the world a taste of what mature democracy is all about. Donald Trump, the maverick Presidential candidate for the Republican Party is as good as breaking ranks and convention and protocol and policies and everything, and is the top choice to be endorsed by the Party. His controversial stance drew a lot of flaks and opposition even from his own Party, but he would be nominated by virtue of the popular votes of the people.

Democracy is of the people, from the people and for the people.  American democracy is personified in Donald Trump and the American public. They are the voices and the people to decide who should be the president of America, not an elite entrenched by years of corrupting the system to their advantage. Would there be any call for a change of the Constitution to prevent people like Trump from becoming the President and upsetting the aristocrats and the vested rich and powerful in the establishment?

No way, the power is not only divided and diversified, power is not vested in one person or one party. This is the strength of the American Constitution, that no one can suka suka change the Constitution on his whims and fancy. The American Constitution is sacred and a piece of wisdom that would not allow fools of the day to change as they like to their advantage. The Americans protect their Constitutions zealously to ensure that power is separated and would not be abused by any one arms of the govt or an individual.

The right to oppose and disagree is part and parcel of the American democracy. Party members and leaders of the Republican are free to express their opposition to Trump and vote against him or abstained. They cannot be herded like sheep with a whip to do the callings of a small group of elite in the Party.

And most important of all, the power is really in the people. The people decide, not a few elite or aristocrats. It was like that for a while until Trump stood up and trumps them to their proper places. And Trump could do it protected by a strong and endearing Constitution and an educated people that would speak and vote for what is best for them, not to be dictated by a few elite or aristocrats.  And don’t forget the extremely independent and powerful judicial to uphold the Constitution of the USA, to protect the rights of the people against the abuses of the elite and aristocrats. The judicial will not be little office boy to do the running for the govt of the day without questioning the right and needs of what they are doing.

There is no Sue and no fear in American politics, and freedom of expression is a guarantee that cannot be violated by the power of the day. The world is getting a lesson in democracy, the rights and freedom of a free people who know that they are the real master of their country.

Elected President – Minorities need a lift?

The Constitution Commission must be deliberating on the numerous wise cracks submitted for consideration. Dudley Au, the grand old man, wrote to the ST forum and this is his opening paragraph. ‘I read with amusement the suggestion that we simultaneously have two presidents of Singapore, with one representing a minority group.’ I too laughed until I almost fell off my chair. Just imagine if this idea was put forth by someone from the opposition party camp, I can’t imagine what kind of comments would be printed in the media.  The media would have a field day writing about the ridiculous nature of the proposition. Dudley Au was just too polite, so I also better be polite. No comment is the best option.

Dudley brought up the case of Barack Obama being elected as the President of USA, a highly racist country, and also the newly appointed mayor of London in Sadiq Khan, a Muslim. Wow, in the thick of Islamophobia in the city of London, a Muslim was elected to be the mayor in a society hostile to Muslims in the face of terrorist acts committed by Muslim radicals.  How could these two be elected without the assistance of affirmative actions? Impossible, unimaginable, not in Singapore. We need affirmative actions, we need the protection of the Constitution to make these happened.

And we have our recent Bukit Batok by election to prove that a minority candidate, not the best, could beat the best opposition candidate squarely, without any crutches and special advantage. How’s that?

So, do we really need to have special provisions in the Constitution to ensure that minorities are represented in the Elected Presidency? If one is to look at the track record of the Presidency, the minorities are over represented in tenure in the last few decades.

So, what is the fuss about the need to protect minority representation in the Elected Presidency?  Another red herring, another wild goose chase? When the premises for this exercise are so flimsy, it is not unexpected to get flimsy and crazy ideas, even bizarre ideas.  Two presidents at the same time!  So much money to throw meh? Do we need to build another Istana?  Or would each president be getting half of the nearly $4m annual salary plus bonuses that could come to another $4m to make it a cool $8m each annually?

If money is not a problem, allow me to offer another silly idea. How about having 4 presidents at one time so that all CMIO would be represented? And if the new citizens would also want to be represented, make it 10 presidents sitting in the Istana at one time to please all and sundry. Only $40m plus plus, at most $80m a year. Sup sup suey. We got so much money to throw to make every minority happy, old minorities and new minorities.

Seriously, do we need to continue with this exercise? If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. What’s the hurry, what is so urgent, so paramount to have this Elected Presidency fixed?

In my blog, the quality of a blogger, commentator, is not in his rank or richness, but in the quality of the post. A stupid post is a stupid post. A silly post is a silly post. A silly idea is a silly idea. No one can pull rank to win an argument or to look clever or sound clever.

China will never accept Pinoy's fraudulent claims on Chinese territories, islands and reefs in the South China Sea

China will never accept Pinoy's fraudulent claim on Chinese territories, islands, shoals and reefs  in the South China Sea

China will never accept Pinoy's fraudulent claims on Chinese territories in the South China Sea

Before the 1970s the Pinoys like all other countries accept and recognise Chinese ownership and sovereignty of all the Paracel and Spratley islands inclusive of all shoals and reefs in the South China Sea. Somewhere in the

mid 1970s China announced the presence of huge deposits of oil and other minerals under the seabed of the South China Sea. The international gangster and Evil Empire USA then  as part of its plan to contain China's

peaceful development started a clandestine design to destabilise the region by both overt and covert means to create instability and choas and hostilities through buying over corrupt Pinoy politicians especially Aquino to

start laying unfounded claims on part of the Chinese islands and shoals . Not contented with just using the Pinoys as a ploy and proxy against China the Evil Empire plodded the Vietnamese vermins to also lay claims on

Chinese islands in the South China Sea. The Evil Empire had taught the Pinoys and Vietnamese rats to lay the claims under the guise of  legitimacy in the context that these islands and shoals fall as part of their continental

shelves. When the Pinoys were under the American colonial rule even US never claim those islands and shoals. Similarly when France was ruling Vietnam it never claim any of these Chinese islands and shoals. In fact prior

to the mid 1970s the whole international community including all European countries , US and Japan recognized Chinese sovereignty over all the Paracel and Spratley islands . This was clearly shown in all the European and

American atlasses prior to the 1970s when Paracel and Spratley islands were clearly marked within brackets ( China ) as Chinese owned. This can be verified in the British Philip Atlas printed in England in the 1950s. The

boundaries and sea limits of the Pinoys were indeed demarketed in the three international  treaties of  ( 1 ) The 1898 Treaty of Paris  ( 2 )  The 1900 Treaty of Washington  and ( 3 ) the 1930 convention between the  US  and 

UK. Thus the present illegitimate claims of the Pinoys and Vietnamese rats is clearly due to the unseen hands of the Satanic US plotting and instigating behind the screen in the hope of making use of these silly vermins as

frontline pawns to fight the Evil Empire's proxy wars against China . In this way US hope to eventually gain control of the whole of South China Sea and with that its rich oil and mineral resources and virtual hegemony over  all Asia.


Below I quote an article by  Bai  Tiantian of  Global  Times

   

China will refuse to accept S.China Sea arbitration result: FM
By Bai Tiantian Source:Global Times Published: 2016-5-7 1:03:01


"China on Friday reiterated its stance of non-acceptance and non-participation in the South China Sea arbitration case, adding that the case is a "political farce" unilaterally brought up by the Philippines to cover up its acts

of illegal encroachment of Chinese territory.

China also warned the Philippine's approach to territorial disputes set a dangerous precedent as it would allow other countries to be dragged into arbitration cases involuntarily.

The UN arbitration court in the Hague is due to release the ruling at the end of May or in June.

Ouyang Yujing, director-general of Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, told reporters at a press conference in Beijing that the Chinese government's attitude on the case is clear, which is

that the case has been illegal from the beginning.

"There have been major flaws and errors in the arbitral proceeding of the case in terms of laws, facts and evidence," Ouyang said.

He emphasized that the Philippines did not engage in any negotiations with China before it made the submissions at the UN arbitration court but went on to claim that it has "exhausted all negotiation measures."

"This case is a reality check to some countries because over 30 countries in the world have excluded themselves from compulsory arbitration following Article 298 of UNCLOS. This case shows that such countries can get

involved involuntarily in arbitration cases and be totally unaware of it. And this is a great harm to the international rule of law," Ouyang said.

The US has not ratified UNCLOS. The UK said it remains ready to consider the submission of disputes on a case-by-case basis, according to UN website.

The real intention of the Philippines, Ouyang said, was to negate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and cover up its illegal occupation of eight Chinese islands and reefs in the Nansha islands.

He said the territorial limits of the Philippines are decided by three international treaties - the 1898 Treaty of Paris, the 1900 Treaty of Washington and the 1930 convention between the US and the UK.

"According to such conventions, the western limit of the Philippine territory is 118 degrees east longitude. China's Nansha Islands and Huangyan Island are to the west of this line, meaning all these islands are beyond the

Philippine territory," Ouyang said.

Since the 1960s, he claimed, the Philippines has engaged in territorial expansion and moved beyond the 118 degrees east longitude line.

"The essence of the lawsuit from the Philippine side is to cover the fact of its illegal occupation of Chinese islands and reefs," Ouyang said, adding that the Philippines is trying to deceive the international opinion.

When asked about China's final goal on the South China Sea, Ouyang said China wishes to settle the disputes.

Since the 1960s, China has resolved territorial disputes with 12 out of 14 of its land neighbors through negotiations and consultations.

"It is important for the nation to reiterate our stance, which is reasonable and legal, at this particular time," Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the National Institute for the South China Sea, told the Global Times on

Friday.

It will also help China lay a foundation and get better prepared to handle more pressure from international public opinion, according to Chen. "

 

 

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