a dog park at east coast park

well, with $160 million to be spent, great ideas are aplenty. a letter to the today's forum from jessica chan asked for a big dog park with facilities like dog cafe, pet shops, place for dog shows, place for dog obedient classes etc. shoo, shoo, we need more space for dogs. excuse me?

melvyn tan's concert

the mistake made by melvyn tan is not to denounce his citizenship earlier, ie, before he is due for ns. if he had done so and taken up another citizenship then there will not be the need to call him up. he would not be a defaulter and he could return as a visitor or even live here as a pr. the irony is that his delay is probably due to his desire to retain his citizenship, continue to be a singaporean, and that is something he values. while on the other hand some will be quite decisive in giving up the singapore citizenship and prepared to cut off all ties here. as much as the country appreciates his talent and sincerity to return and contribute whatever he has, accepting melvyn tan has and will upset the whole ns system and all the ns men past, present and future. the $3,000 fine was a way of telling melvyn tan that he is welcomed home. but given the reaction to this reception, no one can really tell how bad this will turn out eventually. how could the nation answer to all the ns men to treat melvyn tan as an exception? how could the nation reconcile the return of a prodigal son? any leniency shown to defaulters will have to contend with the feelings of hundreds of thousand of ns men. there must be a way to accept our sons who have made a wrong decision when they were young or when their parents miscalculated. but whatever ways, it must not be seen as to encourage young men to abscond when they are called up for ns and think that the nation will welcome them with open arms, one day. perhaps allowing them to return as prs is not a bad idea. and melvyn tan could just do that if he had denounced his citizenship before he is callup. it is more a technical fault. could there be a formula to allow our sons to return and be singaporeans again without incurring the wrath of all ns men? it is a pity that melvyn tan has to cancel his concert.

corporate governance by khaw boon wan

according to khaw boon wan, 'the key points about corporate govenance, aside from accountability and transparency, is checks and balances. This is not your own company, your own family business. Even if it is your own family business, and you have minority shareholders, you have to be accountable.' in corporate governance you need watchdogs to watch the professional management. but how can watchdogs be watchdogs if they are appointed by the people they are supposed to watch?

how truthful is the media?

the rot in the integrity and reliability of the american establishment and media is starting to show. selling, publishing and disseminating false information are now out into the open. there is no need for denials. only the stubbornly naive and well conditioned mind will still attest to believe the words of the american establishment and the western media. for decades and perhaps centuries, the western media and literature have been feeding and conditioning the minds and thinking processes of the world, especially the ex colonial countries. they have set the agenda, feed the doctored input and direct their views and behaviour to serve western interests. and many asians and africans are totally oblivious to such covert manouvres and swear by the western press as the god of freedom and truth. sure there are many truths, not that all were lies. all the truths will be truths as long as they serve their intended purposes and objectives. and among the truths will be all the untruths and half truths and lies that were presented as truths. the wmd in iraq is the greatest of all truths. the other aspect is the untold truths. and for the same reasons, many truths were kept hidden and not revealed. the number of american casualties in iraq is the truth. the untold truth is the number of iraqi casualties. not appropriate to tell. and you can't accuse them for lying by not talking about it. the recent drug trafficking case is another example of unspoken truths. the less than pristine background of the twins and their criminal records were deliberately not spoken. they don't lie. but they don't tell the whole truth. shall we ask how truthful is the media? or how much truths that they will not tell? which is more pertinent and which is a disservice to the public who wants to know the whole truth? one needs not tell a lie to lie. However, Howard said it was important to be realistic about what could be achieved. "If anyone imagines a diplomatic offensive by Australia is going to change the attitude of China, or the attitude of Singapore or Malaysia or other countries in the region to capital punishment, then I think they are mistaken," he said on Australian Broadcasting Corp. television. howard is telling the truth but excludes the usa when bush has spoken in favour of capital punishment. what howard had done is to paint a picture that all these countries are somewhat barbaric for having capital punishment but not the usa.

a time bomb waiting to blow apart

in the following days or weeks, our social and political picture is going to take a dramatic change, blown apart. if the words of khaw boon wan are to be taken seriously, he has in all but said that many heads will row in the aftermath of the nkf investigations. for khaw boon wan to state it out front that the investigators should also investigate on his ministry, and he is willing to listen and correct any shortcomings, he has set the tone that everyone is accountable for his own actions. seldom has a man in authority in this nation to admit categorically that he could have been naive and over trusting, which means that he was misled. such admission of fault in the public is unprecedented. but it means that whatever that is going to happen is going to be serious. and khaw boon wan is serious. the misconception that corporate governance will take care of itself if reputable, well trained and professional people are placed in the board, will now take a heavy blow. men of skills are not necessary men of good will. men of reputation and high office are just as vulnerable to the temptation of power and greed. men with a good heart and moral integrity do not necessarily come with professional skills and expertise. and this is an area that is sorely lacking in the world of corporate governance.