Exposé (Part 1): Culture of Fraud in Singapore Universities

Flexible Standards of Honesty, Ethics and Fraud Exist.

Fraud Encourages Fraud.  Fraud begets fraud; and then some.

It is just a matter of time.  The erosion of integrity and authenticity must eventually destroy the moral basis for ethical management and burst the bubble of dishonesty.

   

The latest revelations that Singapore’s premier Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has revoked the 2013 PhD degree of a former Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) scientist, one Ms Sabeera Bonala, after she admitted that she had falsified data in her research and doctoral thesis.

This is the latest fallout in one of the biggest cases of scientific fraud in Singapore, which first came to light in July 2016.  Six research papers were retracted then, including three that had listed Ms Bonala as the first author. Two other researchers have left their posts and another one had his PhD revoked in the earlier episode.

The trio involved in the 2016 scandal are Professor Ravi Kambadur, who was with NTU; Dr Mridula Sharma, who was associate professor at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; and former NTU researcher Sudarsanareddy Lokireddy, who had his PhD from NTU.

Dr Sharma is no longer at NUS and Dr Lokireddy’s PhD from NTU has also been revoked. NTU investigations in December 2015 led to 3 papers on Myostatin, a muscular growth protein, published in 2011 and 2012 being retracted. Another paper was withdrawn before publication and the other 2 papers were corrected. Three more papers published from 2012 to 2014, based on research funded by A*Star and the National Research Foundation (NRF), were also retracted from the prestigious Molecular Endocrinology and Biological Chemistry journals.

NTU has earlier in June 2016, following an unrelated investigation into allegations of research malpractice, retracted 11 academic papers authored by researchers from the National Institute of Education (NIE). Dr Noel Chia who joined NTU in 2006, promoted to Associate Professor in 2014, is the lead author of 8 papers and co-author of the other 3 papers. He was a well-known local expert in the area of special-education needs such as autism, dyslexia and dyscalculia. Of the 11 papers that came under investigation, 9 were published in the prestigious Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP).

I am sadden by these revelations but not surprised. I have expected these research frauds to surface much earlier.  As an NTU Associate Professor, I have been told some of most unbelievable research malpractice, and often similar things from more than one person! Here are just a few, albeit unverified:

1) The known record is nearly 40+ research papers claimed by a single staff (with various co-authors) in a single year. One Professor actually claims to have more than 1,000 publications over 15+ years, but whose expertise has remained relatively unknown!

 

2) It is “common” to have more than 10+ research papers per year claimed by a single staff (with various co-authors).

3) Many research papers claimed by a single staff (listed among first 3 authors) are in technical areas not within the staff’s known expertise, training or technical competence.

4) A paper where authorship claimed was 15th among a longer list of authors.

5) Cases of papers submitted under different titles, but with similar contents.

6) Cases of papers submitted under the same title to different journals.

7) Papers translated from their original non-English, foreign language, and claimed as one’s paper and submitted to a English-medium refereed journal.

8) …. And then some.

A Google Scholar search for the publications of senior Professors will return a lisiting of their publications and citations.

The prevalent NTU research practice of questionable ethics involves situations of "gratuitous" or "gift" authorship, where co-authors are added either by themselves or by their subordinates and where they were not involved in the research in any significant manner.  Supervisors generally expect junior Professors to include them as “co-authors” as a matter of normative practice. The latter sees evidence that those who did so would often get compensated and promotions for their generosity in gratitude.  

The Fraud Culture IS the New Normal

Especially noteworthy is the fact that the above affected Professors and staff joined the NTU and NUS at a time when the Universities have fully embraced the bogus and fraudulent World University Rankings standards.  The timing is not coincidental.

By 2010, any seriousness in research vigorousness has been abandoned.  Research integrity suffers as NUS and NTU blindly embraced THE [Times Higher Education] and QS Rankers, without demanding to examine the scientific basis of their “methodology”; especially the criterion factors selected as measures of “best” Universities, nor the population and samples of the respondents who participated in surveys purportedly conducted and whose “data” were used to compile the final annual league table rankings. 

Finally by 2014, NTU was ranked as the Top Youngest University in the World by QS Ranker, from 77^th in 2008, and ranking just 39th Worldwide.   

The new guiding principle for integrity is "the end justifies the mean”.  Authenticity has become immaterial and irrelevant as they buy into what the United Nations, UK and European Governments, as well as eminent Professors of Higher Education have already condemned as a bogus standard of questionable excellence.

Given the dodgy nature of World University Rankings and their questionable deliberate fabrication of unreliably unscientific methodologies, NTU victories to their top ranks are in essence as pyrrhic as winning a beauty contest; the mere appearance of uncertain meaningless quality.  

By flaunting the bogus World University Rankings as its fake brand of questionable quality, both NTU and NUS have flouted its blatant disregard for research integrity and ethical authenticity.  

Whither the basis of their moral authority to discipline their Professors and staff for their disdain and defiance of academic honesty and research integrity and ethics?  

Where is NUS/NTU “zero tolerance” towards the research malpractice of the World University Rankings standards?  By embracing and adopting it?

And indeed, whither NRF’s claim to “high expectations” with regard to research funding as it disburses millions of public funds to Universities who embrace and support fraudulent and bogus quality brands that have no integrity and authenticity?  

End the Culture of Fraud in Singapore Universities, now!

Integrity lights our Path to Excellence.

Do it Right and Do it Best!

  .

Emperor Trump and his tributary states

Finally an Emperor has arrived to take his rightful place at the throne of the American Empire. His antics and behavior are exactly a replica of the last emperors of China in their dying decadent days. Trump is telling the world that the American Empire is The Empire and is self sufficient, does not need to trade with the rest of the world. His first edict was isolation. His second edict was to build the Great Wall of America. This is going to cost the Empire billions, to keep the barbarians out. Trump would be remembered in history as the Emperor who built the Great Wall of America, a man made feature that can be seen from the moon. Not bad for an Emperor.
 
Trump is also in a way replicating the Chinese tributary system and vassal states. America’s vassal states must pay tributes to the Emperor and visit the White House with gifts. And the Emperor will say ‘Good boys, good boys’ and then shower them with gifts, like an audience with the Emperor himself.
 
Vassal states of America please take note and start queuing up with largesse for the Emperor. Some have already been there to kow tow to Emperor Trump and brought gifts to please the Emperor. For those vassal states that are not going to bring tributes, or pay to the Emperor for the protection, they could expect pressure to come down on them hard.
 
Long live the Emperor, Long live Emperor Trump.

Forum on Rise of China and implications to US and Europe

‘NEW YORK, March 20, 2017 — Experts discuss how Europe and America might stand to achieve shared goals while navigating China's growing relationship with the West. Speakers include Sebastian Heilmann, La Repubblica’s Federico Rampini, Ambassador Peter Wilson, Susan Shirk, and Asia Society's Orville Schell.’
 
This forum was on the book by Sebastian Heilmann titled Everything under heaven…. After a short exchange the discussion turned into another China bashing session with the panel of pretentious white gods passing derogatory and negative comments about China and Xi Jinping. China is unreliable, untrustworthy, did not play by the rules, mischievous intent, a country of liars and out to destroy the world by hook and by crook.
 
Unfortunately I was not there for this would be what I would ask the panel of righteous, high and mighty white gods if they have read the history of China in the last 200 years and what the white gods, their forefathers did to China. Did they know that they invaded China, robbed and looted China, defying all ethics and international rules, forced China to sign thousands of unequal treaties with the barrel of the gun, forcing China to sign all its rights and national interests away, annexing territories/colonising China, bankrupting China with compensations and reparatory extractions for wars against China and to pay for their opium burnt by China, and still forcing China to buy their opium.
 
How righteous and ethical were their forefathers, all white gods? Everything they are accusing China was applicable to their white forefathers. How they forced China to trade with unfair rules, unfair playing fields, burning the Summer Palace and looting everything in there, and today trying to sell the loots back to China? Today they are claiming themselves to be champions of free trades and globalisation, honourable, righteousness! And I am not even talking about the rest of the colonised countries in the whole world that became their victims and how they were conquered, ruled, robbed and looted by the European countries under the rule of the gun and their white God and gods.
 
Compare the excesses and behaviours of their forefathers to what China is today. Who are the evil ones? Did they play be the rules then, or did China play by the rules today?
And the guests at the forum, also white gods and some coloured gods which, by their appearances you can guess that they were the descendants of slaves or nigger comfort women of their white masters, and they were all just as righteous and dismissive in their comments about China.
 
What is wrong with China wanting to continue to play within the rules of the free trade systems designed by the white gods while the white gods are crying foul all because China is making the best out of it. Now they are demanding to change the trade system they designed quoting human rights and labour rights. Did they remember they did not care a damn about human rights and labour rights and national sovereignty when they invaded and looted China for 200 years and the rest of the world as colonies?
 
How pretentious and hypocritical are these white gods? There were two guys trying to be rational and balanced, Sebastian, the author and the British guy. Watch the video to see how they behave, like white gods, doing all the right things and China the bad guy doing all the bad things. I wanted to puke looking at how they acted like the good gods, the ones that were wronged by China and they were trying to teach China what is right and wrong. It is not an exaggeration to say that the wealth of the western world today was built on what they robbed and stole from the rest of the world. They did it fairly?
 
See this video to see how the white gods were telling their white lies in straight faces. And I was not alone to feel so disgusted by their cheap and shameless charade, especially that little Italian guy.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2UUN1xFlA4
Below are some comments from viewers of this clip.
 
wikct2
Basically the West leading by the US is the biggest control freak and that poses the biggest threat to the development of the world that including all countries. The West leading by the US is realizing that China is finally catching up and this is the reason for them to constantly make up stories to make people to believe China is a threat and China must be contained. But in fact, rising China has been making positive contribution to the world, especially to the developing nations who have not been benefited from the West. Rising China is a different than the traditional dominators from the West. China is for peace, stability and prosperity for people from all over the world. The West leading by the US only cares about the well being for themselves at the expenses of others. We can see that from all events happened in the past. How come I don't hear the complain from China about the threat from the West leading by the US? The West leading by the US not only they are doing everything they can to contain China themselves but they are very good at creating conflict between China and its neighboring countries and using other Asians to fight against China
 
Spadey SayI am actually quick sick to hear of how it is the West who should decide what China should do. China should do this, China should do that. It would be more productive and do the world a lot of good if America and the west spend more time in thinking what it should do for its own countries in the very criticism that they are directing at China.
 
battwann88
A panel discussing China without a Chinese member. How interesting
 
teofilo
what's the deal with a bunch of white men and women talking in a program of Asia Society?
 
Shinji Kataoka
I greatly applaud China for their dedications and hard work. With that said, you guys should see some of the negative comments posted on many of the videos that were uploaded on the CGTN channel. Many are from the Americans. Also, China Uncensored channel ln YouTube are always posting their anti China propaganda videos and fake news about China and guess what? Many Americans, especially the Trump supporters and the right wing Americans. (they sure hate China, do they?)
 
Josh Tep
This forum was very, very well articulated and I loved how it showed different sides of the spectrum. To those that are still disillusioned about the Red Menace, I'd like to say that your opinions are outdated and are a threat to the modern world.
 
MrCrazyboyravi
That italian guy is so fascist , just like mussolini in WW2
 
MoonResident No.9
Disgusting... Remember, in the history, the past 400 years are the darkest authoritarian world ever since human emerge.
 
Gilles Milaire
Not a well informed panel, hence very little information except for their arrogance.
 
Yow Beng Lim
Five blind humans describing an elephant without having seen or touched one but assuming the smell they smell is from the elephant.
 
Mel Xin
Supremacists are always bad losers!
 
wad wdf
You're more likely to be killed by a US soldier on this planet than a Chinese one - that's just statistics. We should look forward to China's rise, the world needs a realignment in the balance of powers.
 
Pre114
These people behave as if today were still the heyday of imperialism. Well, news flash, the Chinese are becoming a major power. The west could either deal with the situation in a pragmatic way, or hang on to delusions of superiority and attempt to isolate China. I guess it's no surprise they chose the latter option.

Hsien Loong - I did the right thing

A few weeks back Hsien Loong said he did the right thing by changing the Constitution to entrench race as a key factor in the election of a president. The statestimesreview has this to say,

'In his speech addressing to PAP grassroots leaders on Friday (Sep 29), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong claimed that Singaporeans are unhappy that he did the “right thing” to create a race-based election leading to his choice of candidate winning without a contest:
“Did I know that this subject would be a difficult one? That it would be unpopular and cost us votes? Yes, I knew. If I do not know that these are sensitive matters, I cannot be in politics. But I did it, because I strongly believe, and still do, that this is the right thing to do.”'

This thing about doing the right thing regardless of how the people thing is a LKY legacy. It was relevant then as most of the people were either illiterate or not well informed. Today, with so many people educated to tertiary level, many are more well informed than those in govt and this kind of thinking can only get increasing irrelevant and misplaced.

How many people agree with Hsien Loong that he did the right thing? It all depends on who you ask and under what circumstances. The answer will be yes if the right group would to conduct a survey, for sure. If social media were to conduct a survey, it will be unanimously NO.

Hsien Loong admitted that it was a difficult one, an unpopular one and very costly politically. So what is so right about this EP thing? That the majority of the Chinese population is racist? That the Malays would never be voted to be the president? Why not do the simple and right thing and go back to square one, return to the system of a president appointed by the Parliament?

Practically every ‘racist’ Chinese is rooting for Tharman to be the next PM. Queer isn’t it? How about this? ‘According to Yahoo survey, almost 70% hope Tharman to be the future PM’. Tharman, do you think the Chinese are racist by voting for you and wanting you to be the PM? Oops, maybe Tharman is a ‘Chinese’ and only the racist Chinese know about this secret.
What about this comment in TRE:
NC Tay wrote, “Stop accusing the Chinese of being racist just to push your agenda! I’m all for a minority PM now as Long as he’s capable. Mr Tharman is much more capable than you, why don’t you step aside and let him be the PM. Are you oppressing the minorities?”

Why so gungho about wanting to do the unpopular, the difficult and the costly thing? Is this stylo milo, a show of statesmanship, great leadership, a show of great political thinking?

What is going to happen down the road following this highly controversial and to a certain extent bizarre decision is very serious. In the first place I don't think the Malay community is amused or won over by this funny walkover EP in Halimah. As some Malay leaders had said before this event, we did not ask for it, we did not want it, but since it is given, we will accept it, but not really happy about it.

This change, in my view, did not win the Malay votes but actually undermine the trust among the Malay to serve a political agenda. The Malays are not daft. They could see everything clearly in black and white.

As for the rest of the races, it is a no go from the start and many are fuming. What did Hsien Loong gain to push this through? Political wisdom or what?

Just because Hsien Loong said it is the right thing does not make this the right thing to other people. This could be the worst mistake that he had made in his political career. Not to mention the indiscriminate influx of foreigners and the withholding of the people's 'blood and tear' money in the CPF.

History will be the judge. If this is not the right thing, history will be very harsh on him. But that is not the point. The point is that the people will have to bear the consequences of this constitutional change, and our politics will not be the same again. Race is entrenched in our Constitution when we are singing and pledging regardless of race language or religion everyday

North Korean missile test – Freedom of Navigation

While every country has the right to develop their own defense weapons to protect themselves, the American outlaw and its crony allies are saying the North Koreans cannot do so despite the daily threats of an American invasion. Now the North Koreans are testing their ICBMs in over flights over Japan and both Japan and the Americans are crying foul. Did the Americans and Japanese remember anything about freedom of navigation? Can the North Koreans exercise this right to fly over Japan peacefully? A missile test with unarmed warhead cannot be more threatening than B52s, B1s armed with nuclear weapons or American destroyers similarly armed, flying and sailing in other countries’ territorial waters and airspace.
 
What are American and Japanese satellites overflying North Korean territories daily and snooping on NK compared to the missiles flying over Japan?
 
The Americans are threatening war again. And so is Japan. Now, would it be nice for the Americans and Japanese to give the North Koreans a reason to drop a couple of nuclear bombs over Tokyo or Osaka or any big Japanese city? Can the Japanese absorb such a consequence and live with it like Hiroshima and Nagasaki? If not, then both the Americans and Japanese should tone down their war drums and be more civilized and go talk to the North Koreans. Threatening a preemptive nuclear strike is easy but the consequences of millions of casualties in Japan are no joke. Can Japan afford a nuclear bomb on one of its big cities?
 
The warmongers should stop their madness and use their heads for a moment and return to sanity. War is no longer an option in the Korean Peninsula except for mad men and women.
 
The more the mad men and women threaten war with North Korea, the more they would lose their credibility unless they dare to start a war. Come to think of it this is not an issue, not important. The most important part about all the ratcheting and drum beating for war is that Japan, South Korea and that Americans would have more reasons to buy more weapons. And so would little USAs that fear North Korea in their drugged non thinking leaders’ head and also want to buy more weapons. It is good for the weapon makers and arms merchants, the military war complex. There is a lot of money to be made. The American war machine makers must send a big bonus or commission to Kim Jong Un for fattening their pockets.
 
Just a point to note. If the Americans keep on threatening the NK with preemptive strikes by flying their nuclear bombers near the border, one day Kim JongUn is going to miscalculate and think the Americans are going to strike and he panicked and strike first. Then the world of the Americans, Japanese and South Koreans would be burning in a hell fire. Just keep provoking at the North Koreans, just keep at it.

Kevin Shipp - CIA agent turned whistleblower

Watch this video of a CIA agent whistleblower. Kevin Shipp talking about the deep state and shadow govt in the USA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHbrOg092GA

CPF - It's now or never

The proposal of a class act to sue the govt on the CPF money by Lim Tean/Phillip Ang and their team is a once or never event. Never has such a task been taken up by a group of professionals for the people, to protect the people's money from disappearing without their consent, to return them to their rightful owners at the rightful time that the scheme was meant to be.

Lim Tean and Phillip Ang are asking just for $10 or $20 from each CPF account owners to build up a war chest to pay for the expensive legal fees to fight this case. Many are still hesitating, some even bo chap. Think about it, for $10/$20, what do you get? Lim Tean/Phillip Ang would have to gather a team of legal experts to study the case and to make a legal case to sue the govt. A lot of people, money and time will be involved to make this possible for a miserable $10/$20. That is about the cost of a pack of cigarette or a lunch.

And more, Lim Tean/Phillip Ang and their team would be putting their necks on the chopping block, risking their career and reputation, and many things at stake. It is not so simple as just fighting a legal case but with many political considerations and consequences. Some are still hiding behind the kiasi label and not willing to contribute the $10/$20 when the stake is so high for this commando team.

Now, where is Tan Cheng Bock, Tan Jee Say and Tan Kin Lian on this issue? And where are the political parties claiming to want to represent the people in Parliament? Would they stand up and join Lim Tean and Phillip Ang in this fight for the people? If they don't, they might as well pack up their bags and leave politics altogether. Do not stand for any election be it just as an MP or the EP if they cannot see it important enough to stand up and fight together with Lim Tean and Phillip Ang. They need to put down their differences and other agendas to close rank for once, to represent the interest of the people, to protect the interest of the people, to protect their life savings.

Where are you, aspiring politicians? Where are you Singaporeans, ever complaining that always talks only and no actions when there is now a group of dare devils brave enough to stand up to fight for you?

The team is not asking for that special peanut but $10/$20 which should be reasonably affordable. They are not asking for a drum stick or a whole chicken. It's now or never. If you fail this team, no one would be there to fight for you anymore when you needed help.

This is your chance to say yes and to do your little part to make this happen. Here is the POSB Savings 198-91842-3 of Lim Tean to deposit your contribution. This is not a donation, this is a contribution to fund the legal suit to get back your CPF money.

The plains of Jiangsu

Our trip to Rugao, a third or fourth tier city in China took us out from Shanghai to tour the plains of Jiangsu. This piece of land is incredibly flat and fertile and gave us a totally different impression of China, the big crowded cities, over built, bad air and dull over cast sky. The plains of Jiangsu is open land, agriculture land, and land for the people, for homes and industries, ie plentiful of land and space.

The pics in this post started from Rugao by coach all the way to Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, about 120km distance. Enjoy the scenery and open space and the architecture and homes of rural China and take note of the old tiny houses that were once there, some still there in the forefront of the bigger new homes, landed homes that are now the new China. The first pic is the city of Rugao to give a comparison of the landscape and infrastructure.

Highrise estates already starting to take shape in the rural backyard of China

Windmills along the Yangtze River

Closer look of the windmills and green energy

Still low rise homes as we approached Shanghai

Crossing Yangtze River

Outskirt of Shanghai, still flat land but more buildups

Outer city of Shanghai

Looking at Shanghai along the way to Pudong Airport.

Benjamin Lim - Do you still remember him?

Terry Xu of TOC tried to assist the parents of Benjamin to raise fund using GIVE.asia fund raising platform to sue the govt for the lost of their 14 year old son. After raising more than $2,000, the campaign came to an abrupt stop with GIVE.asia saying it is against their mission in this campaign. Some netizens are furious at the way the campaign was disrupted.
 
There is an article by a Ghui posted in the TRE on this subject and here is a comment from the same post.
 
Painful Justice:
October 20, 2017 at 4:42 pm (Quote)
Benjamin was just a very young 14 year old boy and did not deserve the heavy handling meted out to him even if he had misconducted himself as alleged. Oops, my apologies, this is what everyone thought or else he would not have taken his life. But the court found that everyone who had contact with Benjamin were very professional and very caring and thus free from blame. Benjamin's case was a totally unnecessary tragedy and no parents could have found closure losing a son under such circumstances. As parents, we empathize with the Lim family and fully understand what they are going through. We support the steps they are taking to seek redress.
 
I can feel the pain in the parents for losing a child at this tender age for something that did not deserve this kind of ending. You can bet how many tears have flowed in the family and how difficult it is to come to terms with losing a loved one. How can there be a closure to this case?
 
Would anyone who have directly or indirectly caused the premature death of Benjamin be man enough, be courageous enough, be honourable enough to kneel in front of the parents and beg for forgiveness? I think if such a thing happens, maybe healing will start. For the parents to want to pursue this matter, it is a sign that the grief is not going away and there is a deep sense of injustice in how they see how the case was closed.
 
It is very painful. It must be, and worst when no one owns up or found responsible for the lost of their beloved son, Benjamin.
 
Can this case be over because legally it is over, settled in the court of law? The court has already made its ruling that no one is found culpable to Benjamin's death?
 
Hope Benjamin would always be in the minds of those wielding power and authority to think very carefully, act very carefully, that such a painful tragedy would never ever happen to another child and another family. No amount of words and apologies can reduce the pain and sufferings of the parents and family members for losing a child in such circumstances. It was totally unnecessary and unacceptable and intolerable and inexcusable.
 
The law may say it is over. The conscience would not allow it, except for those with no conscience. Anyone think there is any injustice in this case?

US to be more focused and engaged in the region

This is the wish of Hsien Loong as the PM of Singapore. Singapore needs the Americans to be here, to balance China’s influence and the neighbouring countries. This sounds good as a geopolitical strategy. There is a Chinese saying, 引狼入室, translated as inviting the wolf into the house.
 
The USA used to be seen as a benign and gracious power particularly to its allies for several decades. But the history of US conspiracies and meddling with the domestic politics of countries, regime change, inciting and provoking wars, did not speak well for this once great power. It is now the cause of all the wars and troubles in the whole world. Every trouble spot has the American finger prints on it. It has rapidly assumed the image of the Evil Empire.
 
Now, how is this new image of the Americans going to fit in with Singapore and Singapore’s security? Is Singapore inviting the wolf into the house, inviting the Evil Empire to remain engaged in the region to create more trouble for the region, instigating one country against another? Please note, this country thrives on selling weapons and needs wars to sell weapons and to keep the Empire going.
 
While you are reading this, the Americans are at the verge of starting World War 3 in the Korean Peninsular and Iran. If the Russians and Chinese have not put their foot down to stop this menace, World War 3 would have started, by the Evil Empire of course. And there is the new hot spot, waiting for another invasion by the Americans, Venezuela. South China Sea is the reserved spot for the Evil Empire should other regions stabilized. Inviting the USA to the region, to stir shit in the South China Sea?
 
Things have changed. The world has changed. Lee Kuan Yew had died and his policies and world view of the Americans and their usefulness in the region must die with him. The Americans’ interest in the region is the American Empire, the perpetuating of the Evil Empire’s hegemony in the region and the world.
 
It is only luck that Singapore’s interest in some areas coincides with the interest of the Evil Empire. When the interests divert, Singapore too would be subject to regime change and interference by the Evil Empire. For the time being, Singapore is still safe but not for long. The Evil Empire only pokes its fingers in countries that are not loyal to the Empire. That does not mean it does not poke its fingers in the affairs of its colonies. 

South Korea and Japan and the Philippines are clear cases of being under the control of the Empire. The latter has recently broke free from the American grip. Lately Qatar also came under the attack of the Empire for getting a bit closer to China. And Tillerson is in India stoking the flame between China and India and poking at the Indians to be another American proxy against China. The Indians love this attention.
 
Singapore is stuck with the Evil Empire and would not be able to steer a more neutral policy for its own interest. The deeper the Evil Empire stays here, the more it would be entrenched and the more difficult it would be to extricate it from the region. It would not go away.
 
There is no need to beg the Evil Empire to stay. Tell them to go away and they will beg to stay, and by force if needed be, to stay in the region to protect the Empire. Why does Singapore think it is necessary to go begging the Evil Empire to stay? Do a little bit of thinking. Does Singapore really believe that the Evil Empire will go away, will beat a quick retreat from the region on its own if Singapore does not beg it to stay? Silly isn’t it? See what is happening in the Philippines? When Duterte wants to evict them, the Americans went down on their knees begging to stay. They refused to go away.
 
Now who is planting this silly idea that the Evil Empire is going away and Singapore must constantly remind the Empire that they should be here, that they are welcomed and needed? Becare of 引狼入室!

PS. Watch this video and listen to Prof Martin Jacques' advice to the Philippines and how relevant it is to Singapore.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc56bWY7oRg

What is so competitive about the media industry?

I am not so sure what Warren Fernandez meant by saying that SPH would hire more foreign correspondents when 130 staff was retrenched as part of 240 eventually. Was he talking about hiring foreigners to raise the quality of the paper to compete with other media in Singapore, to boost readership and sales?
 
What kind of environment is SPH operating in this little island? What kind of news would be attractive to the readers? Who forms the majority of the readership? Would better quality news, like foreign news, or more EPL news be needed to raise sales and readership?
 
Is not that SPH operating in a monopolistic environment when the competitors are also part of SPH? How many foreign media are circulating in Singapore and what kind of readership, what volume of readership to they command? Is the foreign readership significant enough to hire foreign correspondents to win them over to improve sales of local papers?
 
By the way, with the tight control over the local media, what kind of news would appear in the papers or be allowed to be printed to attract more readers? Does it really make any difference if the reporters/journalists are foreigners? I am presuming here that foreign correspondents that SPH is planning to recruit are foreigners. I may be wrong here. And by the way again, what is the percentage of foreigner reporters/journalists in SPH and what is the percentage of locals, oops, I mean Singaporean reporters/journalists?
 
Should not the SPH be catering to the bulk of the readership whom I believe are Singaporeans and some PRs? I may be a bit behind time here knowing that more than half the population are foreigners now and it would be wise to write things that these foreigners would want to read even though some have become citizens and PRs. How about a few more newspapers for China Chinese, India Indians, Pinoys and what have you? Would these foreigners be interested in reading papers specially written by their kind and writing news about their homeland?
 
This is something SPH must be seriously thinking about. More than half of the population is foreigners. No wonder readership is falling with local news written by local reporters. Half the population of foreigners is a big market.
 
I read in theindependent talking about SPH going regional, to write about regional news, maybe competing in producing regional papers. Not sure if this is true. If SPH cannot even compete and be successful with a monopolistic environment in home ground, can it be a success competing in open seas, unknown territories full of sharks? This kind of one trick pony thinking is very similar to sending our sacked and jobless PMETs that could not get jobs in our very own country against foreigners and expect them to get jobs in the region when every country is protecting their jobs for their own citizens.
 
Stupidity has no cure.
 
PS. In a monopolistic environment, what competition is SPH facing? Got competition meh?

Trump likes Loong

Photo credit to the statestimesreview and the Straits Times. I copied from the former site.

From the facial expression of Trump in the above pic, it is evident that Trump really liked Hsien Loong. Look at his face carefully, it is like he is saying, 'I like this chap. He knows what I want. He is so sweet.'

Prime Minister Loong invited to the White House

Donald Trump twitted about his meeting with Hsien Loong by calling him Prime Minister Loong. For other Prime Minister or ministers to be misunderstood is quite understandable. Didn’t Trump know that his famous father is Prime Minister Yew? Oops, I mean Prime Minister Lee. And the son cannot be Prime Minister Loong but Prime Minister Lee. Is Trump another hillbilly?
 
Some Singaporeans tried to explain this stupidity or ignorance to Trump by adding in their two cents worth of stupidity. They told Trump that Hsien Loong’s last name is Lee. What? What is that? When was Hsien Loong’s last name Lee? Are they telling Trump that Hsien Loong’s name is Hsien Loong Lee?
 
For goodness sake, Lee is the first name of Hsien Loong and the first name is the family name. The western convention of first name and last name do not have the same meaning as a Chinese name. The Chinese write their family name first. Their second and last names are their individual name. The last name of a Chinese is not his family name, stupid. Of course this may be true if he is a banana and wrote his name as Banana Tan or Papaya Lee.
 
There is no need to change the convention of how a Chinese name is written to fit into the western convention. Any westerner that has met up with a Chinese would know the difference, or at the most make the mistake once. It is not that hard to understand this little cultural difference. No need super intelligence to know this.
 
By the way, President Donald, did you get it? It is Prime Minister Lee. Don’t you remember his father used to visit the US and even addressed the two Houses? And his name, Lee… Kuan Yew. Please don’t tell Hsien Loong that you have met Prime Minister Yew, his father. It is not very nice. George Bush Jr could do better than that. Trump could not be pretending that he is another George Bush right?

CPF - Do you want your money back? Act now

CPF – An unending scheme that was meant to end at 55
 
A great saving scheme for retirement has now been turned into a nightmare for many hapless Singaporeans. They entered this compulsory scheme with the promise of getting their life savings back at 55. Without their permission and consent, many outrageous legislations have been introduced to hold back their money till eternity without having a say or a chance to say no or to opt out from it by the most honorable govt run by the most righteous and honorable men and women elected by the people to look after their interests and to protect their interests.
 
In the case of the CPF, many do not see their interests being protected but eroded by the very people they elected to protect them. Many want their life savings back but their voices were drown in the wilderness. Their elected representatives refused to hear them or to represent them. Instead their elected representatives participated in the horrendous schemes to hold back the money from them at 55. Now this scheme, instead of terminating at the age of 55, would only end when they die. Oops, not really the case. In some circumstances the scheme or the money would continue to be locked up in the CPF, transferred into the accounts of their beneficiaries and could go on and on, never ending.
 
What kind of monstrous scheme has this life saving scheme for retirement turned into? You ask me. Do you want it to be this way, without your consent, to becoming a money eating monster that eats away your life savings? Compulsory purchase of life insurance scheme, compulsory purchase of medical insurance scheme, and aka datang, or brooding, compulsory schemes for the seniors.
 
Take the case of the money that is to be pledged against the CPF you withdrawn, your own money, to purchase properties. Not only that you have to pay interest for borrowing your money, you would have to cough up more money to return to the CPF even if you are 100 or 200 years old or more if you have not met the minimum sum stipulated. Should not such pledges be terminated once a person reached the age to withdraw his CPF savings? There is no provision to end the pledging scheme. By right one’s obligation to contribute to the CPF should end at 55 and everything squares of as that is the age when one should be withdrawing his savings from the CPF. But now, when you sell your property, you must pay back to the CPF the money you borrowed from your own savings, plus interests, with no time frame in sight, with the conditions set for the minimum sum. Why like that?
 
What kind of fucking nonsense is this? Return our money. We want our money back.
Lim Tean and Philip Ang are risking themselves to fight for you, on your behalf to take back your money. The hope for success is very small, because the people you elected to protect your money would not be protecting you and your money but fighting against this. But don’t give up hope. This is your only chance to take back your money. 

We must all do our part. This is what Philip Ang and Lim Tean expects from you, a small contribution to the huge legal fees that would be needed to fight this case legally. The details are a work in progress. Everything must start with a small step, a first step. Philip Ang wrote this, posted in TRE,
 
‘CPF members (non members are also welcomed) who wish to right this sorry state of affairs should contribute and no freeloading, please. Even if 20% of members contribute $10 each, this will be more than sufficient.
 
Our present priority is to create more awareness and raise sufficient funds before initiating action.
 
Lim Tean and I have set up a crowdfunding account @ https://www.facebook.com/tean.lim.75. (POSB Savings 198-91842-3) Please keep a record of your transaction as your particulars will be required before the launch of the class-action suit. Unused portion will also be returned, pari passu.’

This is the time to act to do something good for yourself. You need to act to protect your own money. Whatever the amount you can contribute, just send it to them in the above account provided.
 
This is the first time that Singaporeans are standing up for their own right, fighting for the right to their money, their life savings. Every drop counts. Do something to help yourself. Do it now.
 
PS. I have sent in my contribution by the time you read this.

Han Fook Kwang - A happier story to population woes

I just want to quote this from Han Fook Kwang's article on the above.

'For the glass half-empty brigade, they all add up to a future Singapore

that is shrinking and ageing and so will be increasingly reliant on new

citizens, permanent residents and foreigners to make up the shortfall.

 

This sobering view is the dominant narrative whenever Singapore's

population numbers are discussed.

 

So, what's the glass half-full version of the story?

Interestingly, it also borrows from economic theory.

 

Experts say there is a demographic dividend which countries reap when they

bring down their birth and death rates. With smaller families and fewer

young children to feed, more resources can be deployed to each individual,

resulting in better educated and more productive workers. Smaller families

also mean greater opportunities for women to work.

 

The result? High economic growth, provided, of course, the right social and

economic polices are implemented. In fact, the theory is that after this

round of benefits from smaller families, there is a second round to be

enjoyed when significant numbers retire with savings and assets that can be

invested to produce more growth....'

I must say that the experts that thought of reaping rewards from no

population growth really have no intellectual depth. How can there be

economic growth when there is no population growth? This is outrageous

thinking according to the one trick ponies. You want economic growth, then

you must accept population growth. And Singapore can only continue to grow

with growing the population to 10m.  But such one pony theory for stopping

the story at 10m is as far as their intellectual depth would go. For they

presumed that once 10m is reached, the story would end. No need to have

more economic growth, no need more population growth. To them it is a

static thing, with a good ending when 10m is attained.

While in the process of growing the population to 10m it is so easy to

stuff them in high rise housing blocks. But what would happen if they leave

their homes, all 10m of them? Now with half that population everything is

running to a stand still. What about more schools, hospitals, recreation

facilities, transportation network, jobs, water, energy, food, social

security etc etc. So easy to grow population to 10m and everything will

take care of itself meh?

Sorry, my intellectual depth also limited and cannot offer any solution to

a 10m population and when 10m is reached, and if the people want more

economic growth, the 10m would become 20m and on and on to 100m or else how

to sustain economic growth?

What do you think?

An honest inside view of the Evil Empire

Watch this video, just for 2 minutes, the rest is up to you, to understand what is really going on in Washington and what the Evil Empire has been plotting to do while deceiving the world. Listen to the comments by Gen Wesley Clark on how the evil men in Washington decided to invade countries for no reason, made the decision to conduct regime change and then fabricated lies to deceive the world of their real intent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHHKz-7KDV8

How to solve the sick SMRT?

After hiring a salesgirl and paying her millions to run the MRT and making great profits while the train system headed to a standstill, SMRT did not learn anything. You just cannot hire someone with no experience in the running of a train system to manage a train system. The train system is more complicated than what it appears to be. This is the view taken from recent comments after the flood of problems and breakdowns. And they went to hire another with no experience in running a train, a soldier, to run it and the rest is history.

Then there is this volunteer in Khaw Boon Wan, also got no experience in running a train, that came in to try to solve the problem but also hitting a dead wall. He thought it was a piece of cake. Nah, it is not so easy to fix a faulty train system. This is not like switching it on and off, like stopping the building of more HDB flats and then restarting the same process.

The commuters are disgusted, exasperated, frustrated, losing their patience, and now every commuter, from the old to the young are crying out loud to voice their two cents worth of opinion and solutions. Outsource the management to some experienced train operators, hire foreign talents, send our millionaire train managers to learn from those earning peanuts in other countries, and all the standard solutions that one trick pony can think of. Then the same bunch of commuters answered themselves with their self doubts and doubting questions. Could these work? Of course cannot lah.

The best solution I can think of to temporary solve this problem and stop all the kpkbs and the pressure exerted on the train operator/govt is to tell the people that a complete overhaul or a complete rebuild, a new system, is the answer. Just this announcement alone will immediately stop all the kpkbs. Tell them the replacement system will take 5 to 10 years and the commuters would just have to live with it. You want a new and trouble free train system or not? The answer must be yes. And if yes, you got to bear with it, just 5 or 10 years to wait. In the meantime when the train is down and out, it is the commuters problem to find their ways to their destinations. As for the train employees, tell them to apply long term no pay leave and return when the new train system is up and running. Can save a lot of manpower cost.

This decision will buy 5 to 10 years of peace or at least the criticisms and complaints would die down for sure. And during this period of waiting and getting more frustrated, the commuters would get to reflect on the half baked or half working system and might even say, at least it is working now and then. It is better than nothing. They would get to appreciate a flawed system when there is no working system available, just like in the land of the blind, the one eye jack is king, even if they demand to be paid in the millions.

And you know what would happen after a few months without the train? The commuters would be begging for the flawed train system to run again. Never mind if it breaks down everyday, at least sometimes it would be working. Then the operators can be reemployed with all the staff and run the flawed and daily breaking down train all over again and no one would dare to complain again. If they dare to complain, threaten to take down the train and to rebuild a new one and the commuters have to wait for another 5 or 10 years for it to be operational.

This solution is kinda sound like Redbean's Art of Management, don't you think so? Just kick the bucket further down the road to buy time and peace.

Fancy finding a Singaporean with a little talent

This titled was inspired by a report on Banyan Tree Holdings, a Singapore based hotel chain, building an eco friendly hotel in the backyard of the Singapore Zoo. The front page article in thenewpaper on 12 Oct read, ‘Fancy sleeping in luxury ,quoting the CEO elaborating about this novel and creative concept of building a hotel in the jungle for guests to experience what it was like living in the midst of a tropical jungle and about co existence with wildlife and nature.
 
On reflection, I think I will not be far wrong to say that all the CEOs of Singapore’s holiday attractions like the Zoo, the Bird Park, Botanic Garden, Sentosa are all foreigners. Not sure about the artificial garden in the heart of Singapore, could also be a foreigner. This one could be an exception as Singaporeans are very good in anything that is fake. And foreigners are heading most of the banks in Singapore, local banks and foreign banks. And foreigners are CEOs in many other institutions including institutions of higher learnings. Singaporeans first, do good, do together.
 
What do all this said about Singaporean talents? Is Singapore able to produce Singaporean talents for employments? I am very specific here, I am referring to Singaporean talents not locals. And to be more specific, Singaporeans that were born and bred here?
 
Why is it that Singaporean organizations are hiring foreigners as CEOs? Is it that our universities are not producing them, not doing the right stuff? What about our super talented students sent abroad to study in the best universities where these foreigners were educated? If it is due to a failure in our own education institutions, then sending them overseas should do the trick. But no, many of our best students went overseas also came back showing very little employable talent except to be civil servants or generals.
 
So what is the real stuff that makes the difference if it is not education? I think the foreigners are born with talents. Talents are born, and no amount of university educations, from the best universities could make the difference. There is no need to go for that expensive education. When one is born, one is either daft or talented.
 
Now you can understand the title, Fancy finding a Singaporean with a little talent. Singaporeans just don’t have talents and it is right and necessary to hire foreigners that are born talented to run Singaporean corporations and to provide jobs for Singaporeans. Without these talented foreigners, Singaporeans would be clueless about anything, except maybe queuing up to be Grab and Uber drivers. Or is that what they were taught in the universities, to become taxi drivers?
 
Let me be a little bit generous to say that actually Singaporeans still have two skills left. One is the ability to employ foreigners to hire more foreigners to replace Singaporeans. The other skill is to train jobless displaced Singaporeans to work overseas. This last skill is admirable, a heart of gold, thinking and caring for Singaporeans.

Xi Jinping, a man of his time

The leaders of China since 1949 had their roles cut out for them by history. The most difficult period was the unification of China and the driving out of foreign invaders that wanted to break up China as their respective colonies. During such turbulent times, a tough and strong leader with strong charismatic appeal in the form of Chairman Mao was necessary to bring about a new unified China and avoided disintegration. Chairman Mao was a leader of his time. Mao was an exceptional leader under very demanding conditions, the founding of a new nation rising from the ruins of historical forces.
 
When Deng Xiaoping took over the reign of China, his task was to rebuild China practically from scratch. Mao tried but with limited success in wanting to build a strong and self reliant China. Deng was a very brave and decisive man, to break away from doctrinal constraints and Mao’s ideological dominance and embarked on a new economic experiment, embracing the full force of capitalism and individual endeavour. Deng was instrumental in laying out the blue print and the foundation for rapid economic growth for China, breaking all rules as long as they worked.
 
Apart from opening up China to the world, Deng was best remembered for China to be patient, to bid its time, and plunged head on into economic development at all cost, even to ‘swallow bitter pill’, to stay away from major conflict whenever possible. Under his policy of rebuilding and reconstruction, learning everything from the world, China also had to suffer humiliation in silence by not fighting back in many occasions.
 
The two immediate successors to Deng, in Jiang Zeming and Hu Jintao were dedicated leaders/administrators to continue Deng’s work diligently, and yes, also taking a low profile, avoiding the limelight, avoiding playing an active role in world affairs. The works of Jiang and Hu saw China going through a carefully planned economy nation wide and the rise of China as an economically successful model of development. China moved from an underdeveloped nation state into a highly developed and industrialized country. The quality of life of its people and their economic well being took centre stage. During this period China successfully eradicated poverty country wide. The people were well fed and the country becoming more self sufficient in every field of economy and enterprise. China has arrived as a newly industrialized and rich nation.
 
Xi Jinping inherited a China that is very different from that of Mao and Deng. The efforts of Jiang and Hu as great disciples of Deng Xiaoping and dutifully executed his plans for China have bore great results. The basic problems of poverty, survival, a disunited country, were no longer problems to Xi. Xi Jinping would have to take China forward, to carve out a new role for this new China.
 
Xi Jinping is in uncharted territory. Just to continue economic growth like Jiang and Hu would not be good enough. He would have to show that he could stamp his own mark as a worthy leader of a new China. The rapid expansion of China’s economic development also brought about different sets of domestic problems with corruption being a troubling task for Xi to tackle. Xi’s performance in domestic policies has been commendable. While the country’s economy is steaming ahead, Xi has chosen to take China forward as a world leader. It is this new international role for China that puts Xi apart from his predecessors.
 
Stepping into the international arena would put Xi in direct conflict with the major world powers, particularly the USA. There would also be opposition from the pro American camp. These forces would stand in the way of Xi as was proven in the launching of the AIIB and the BRI but would not stop him in his pursuit for a greater China.
 
Under Xi’s leadership, China would take the initiative in world affairs. China is not going to ‘swallow bitter pills’ anymore. Deng’s policy is passé and a new course and direction are taking shape. China would assume its rightful place as a respectable world power in the international community. And there were many opportunities for Xi to stand firm, to hold his ground and make his mark.
 
The American provocations in the South China Sea put Xi to his first test. This was followed by the rising tension in the Korean peninsula, climate change, free trade, border disputes etc etc. The China of Xi Jinping is a world power with a bigger role and responsibility as expected by the nations of the world.
 
The deployment of the PLA in peacekeeping role in support of the UN missions, in protecting Chinese nationals overseas, and the setting up of military bases in Africa and the South China Sea are the manifestations of a China emerging from its past shadow as an active participant in international affairs, to play a part in keeping the world peaceful and safe. China is not only an economic powerhouse but also a responsible military power and would exercise its power if called upon, responsibly.
 
This is a new moment for China and a calling for a new kind of leadership in the likes of Xi Jinping, a world leader, not just the President of China. The geopolitical forces need an international statesman. The world is the new stage for China and Xi Jinping, the President of China, the man with a new calling.

We Have NO Shame - Part 2

Willing, Happy Victims of the Long Con!

Did Singapore Government officials and NTU/NUS Managers knowingly become willing participants of the World University Ranking scam and fraud for the past 10+ years?

Nunzio Quacquarelli, the founding partner of Quacquarelli Symonds or the QS Ranker was amazed at the reactions from governments and the universities because the QS rankings were NOT set up to serve University administrators!

"What we've been surprised is the extent to which governments and university leaders use the rankings to set strategic targets. We at QS think this is wrong.  Also "Ranks should not be a primary driver of university mission statements and visions.”   

Just read for yourself:

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20100514204441858

Authenticity is the utmost important characteristic of integrity.

How much longer should Singapore continue to participate in the bogus and fraudulent World University Rankings? Have we no shame?

Read more about our Decade of Shame.

We need to set an honest and genuine example for our NTU Alumni, our Singapore Community and the world;

Or else, we are much better off selling fake Rolex at NTU

As the Chief "replica" Rolex Salesman has said: "It's fake, but it's a Rolex!" And he's selling them like hot “Hello Kitty” dolls! Well, the NTU grad is just copying NTU's branding strategy.

WHEN can we stop our Shame? If not now?  If not by us?  

Must Read: True Lies About Universities Rankings

Read All the Links … It’s Time to Stop our Shame!  Now!

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