myth 43

'Renewal of leadership will save the party and country' There is no doubt that renewal of party leaders is important to keep the party fresh and highly motivated and not be stuck with a stagnant system of ideas and people. But this is only a small piece of a whole tapestry. Sorry many are just tapestry weavers. There are many other aspects which have to be addressed other than just head counts. The goals, the direction and priorities to reorganise and restructure society and people as a nation are equally important. We have done very well as a nation for many years. But strains and cracks are appearing but either ignored or viewed as not important or irrelevant, or even as a part and parcel of progress. A little reflection on what life was before and now, how a single income family could live life quite comfortably, how a university degree was a passport to a comfortable lifestyle, how four figure monthly income was considered quite wealthy. The time when a decent semi D cost an equivalent of 3 or 4 years annual income, a car could be had at the price of half a years income of a fresh graduate. What is happening to our wealthy society when more people are feeling stressed and unhappy, got lost in the rat race, and a two income family can only just get by, a single income family is never enough? Are the masses of today really better off than the masses of yesteryears?

after singel, what's next?

This must be the most frequent asked question among Singaporeans since the announcement on Friday. After Singtel, where else? It has to be something better and bigger. Are there are not many companies that are bigger and better than Singtel? SIA, DBS? Not many to choose from actually. Or what about Temasek? Does Temasek's recent performance demands for a change of leadership? Or maybe Hsien Yang has a different call, maybe he has seen enough of the corporate world and wanted to live life and see the world in peace and quite, or to serve God. Not a possibility to rule out. The third option is politics. The reluctant brother who is thrown into the arena when saying no is not an option. We have seen how Rajiv Ghandhi was made to accept his political assignment when Sanjay was cut down. Would Hsien Yang be made to step into his brother's shoe because he has no other choice? Would we be hit by a second and bigger surprise of Hsien Loong calling it a day from politics? You never know would you?

the people is not your enemy

Tan Soo Khoon is in the best position to offer a balanced advice to his new and old comrades. Be humble, respect people who disagree and not to question their motives and live a normal life. Being out of the system, no longer entrenched in it and with the vested interest of preserving and protecting the system and policies, it is easier for Soo Khoon to look at the whole picture as a bystander. It is always clearer from that angle. Be humble may be asking too much when one is already told that he/she is the best, the cream of society. It is ok to have that wow feeling, just don't get too swell headed. It is difficult to be surrounded by power and wealth and to live like an ordinary man who has nothing. Good, live it up, but stay rooted to the ground. Accepting different views and knowing that there will always be people who disagree with you is a sign of wisdom and humility. Unless one still believes in being god, supreme wisdom, and unquestionable. As for motives, there are those who have real bad motives. There is no doubt about that. But not everyone harbours evil thought. If that be the case, all those gossipers in the kopitiams should be put away. And there are thousands of them, and the taxi drivers or officer workers. Everyone has something to say, good or bad. Only when it arrives at your ear or not. Or is it preferable to pretend that there is no disagreement by shutting one's ears or cutting off people who say something unacceptable? Living a normal life, continue to drink coffee in the kopitiam may have to go. Not realistic because of time pressure, the activies and the bulging pocket. But there will be opportunities to sit in the kopitiam with the grassroots. Plenty of opportunities to do so. But do not pretend that the kopitiam is still the natural habitat. What is most important is not to see the people as your enemy. The communists like to swim as fishes among the sea of people. The people is there to provide the props and support to raise a leader higher. Cutting off the people with the slightest annoyance will eventually destroy the connection between people and leaders. A few more cases of brown soup will definitely draw a clear line between the ruler and the ruled and the widening of the divide.

If Chok Tong is UN Sec Gen...

If Chok Tong is to be the UN chief, he will carry the trademark of incorruptibility with him for sure. And he will make the whole UN incorruptible too when he introduces the same high pay policy there. This is such a wonderful dream, when a Singaporean takes over the UN and transforms it into an exciting model of good corporate governance. I can also see a lot of our supertalents joining him to rebuild the world organisation. We hve experts in every fields. First on the list will be building Singapore style HDB flats for the world. World class hospitals, schools, and better still if he can get the UN to relocate to Singapore. The whole UN building can be sold en bloc and make a huge profit as the property cost here is definitely cheaper than New York. Wow, straightaway the UN is flushed with cash, probably can stash away as a 20 year reserve. Now, would that not be a great achievement for Singapore? And he can tap on the resources of LKY still. I am so excited over such a possibility. And Chok Tong can carve up a vision for the UN, Staying Together, Moving Forward. For this motto, just pay a small royalty will do. No need to engage a PR agency and pay a few millions for it.

Who is at war with the Arabs or attacking Lebanon?

US in no hurry to seek Mid East ceasefire. This is the heading of Jonathan Eyal's article in the Straits Times. Isn't the Israelis' who are fighting the Lebanon? The Israeli soldiers are attacking, and are preparing to move into Lebanon. But in reality, it is a proxy war of the US. Despite many calls from world leaders, including Kofi Annan, there was a stony silence and America just stand aside as if it is none of its business. But this is what Jonathan wrote,... "The reality, as every diplomat in New York knows, is that the US is quite content to allow Israel another week or so to crush Hizbollah. The Americans' ultimate aim is to humiliate Syria and Iran, the countries it regards as Hizbollah's paymasters.... But the US is keen to avoid any spillover into a direct confrontation with Syria. The Syrians are merely to be kept in check and, if possible, lured away from their alliance with Iran." There is no doubt as to who is the master of this show of force. And if the US continues to stamp its authority over the Arabs, the backlash will come. And it is gathering momentum across the world. Do not be surprised when US embassies will be hit and Americans become targets of attacks by the pro Arab groups.