A place for our own children...in our heart.

Why would parents care for their own children, love them so dearly even though some may be less than normal, even unbearably handicap? This is the unexplained greatness of parental love. My child, and I love my child regardless of anything. Some spent a fortune, gave up jobs, sold all their belongings, just to look after the child, against all odds. There is no such thing as giving up on the child once brought into this world. They would not trade anything for the child, even if someone would to offer them a beautiful child in exchange. Parents will not abandon their own children. My child is everything. There is an emotional thing involved. Reflect on this and the concept of foreign talent. Why are we indulging and dotting on foreign talents and neglect our own children just because they are less talented? Why are we splashing valuable resources on foreign talents, not our children, and not using the same resources on our not too gifted children? Have we gone crazy? If foreign talents are so important, and no talents or lesser talents, even if they are our very own, are less regarded, would we one day exchange all our children for talented foreign talents? Would we forsake and trade our children for other people's children? Our parents will not. We, if we become parents, will not. We wish the talented children of other parents well. But foremost, we will care for our own children first, with everything we got. Don't get carried away with foreign talents. If this necessity is the way to go, culled our own less able children and replaced them with talented foreigners. To live with this logic of pragmatism and survival of the country, we cannot afford to have laggards even if they are our children. It is survival of the fittest. No feelings, no emotions, no attachment, no self. Just simple economics of survival. Take in only the best. Is this the way to go? Why do we called ourselves Singaporeans and this island our home?

Some still disagree with Hsien Loong's liberalisation

The ink is still wet, or the sound of clapping is still reverberating in the ears, and we are hearing the old message again. Hsien Loong has given the go ahead for netizens to blog about politics, even race and religion as long as they are treated respectfully. Now Baey Yam Keng is saying that bloggers reporting on govt issues should be regulated like traditional media. Did he attend Hsien Loong's rally? What is more ludicrous is that he waved the flag of objectivity and responsible reporting as the outstanding trademarks of traditional media when traditional media was not only bashed in cyberspace for its stupidity and highly biased reporting recently. What kind of objectivity are we talking about? And responsible to who? He added that the regulating of bloggers could happen in the future, but not now as the govt would not be comfortable. Is this the confidential thinking of the govt and regulation is only a matter of timing? Maybe it is only a personal view. Lam Pin Min 'was "not aversed" to credible bloggers covering press conferences to engage them in feedback.'

Notable quote by Philip Yeo

'Make sure that our young people are hungry. If our young people are not hungry enough, bring in hungrier ones from overseas. Make them feel hungry, increase the hunger index.' Philip Yeo This may be a magic formula to keep our young competitive and not becoming complacent. Get hungry people who are willing to do more for less, who wanted to do more just to make their lives a little better, bring them here. One very difficult task, and very formidable task, is to make people who are very full to feel hungry. One contradiction is that while everyone knows and can see that these very full people are very full of everything, they sincerely believe that they are very hungry and wanted to have more, but not to do more. This is the biggest challenge facing paradise. The money not enough is not a problem of the poor. It is the problem of the rich. Everyday they kpkb, money not enough.

Black cats and white cats

This is the famous quotation from Deng Xiao Ping. A cat that catches mice, black or white, is still a good cat. While we are in the mood for liberalisation, while we embrace all things, white, black and grey, there are certain basic values, moral values that we should not forget or lose them. Black cat or white cat, black talent or white talent, as long as they can produce are good cats or good talents. But talents who are cheats is not an issue of black or white cats. Cheats are cheats. It is criminal to praise cheats as talents and let the society think that cheats are ok as long as they are talented. This message must not go down to the people and everyone thinks that after cheating, pay a price, one can still be glorified, and walk tall. When out elite promote such a perception, our moral standing is in question. Yellow ribbon is good. The wrong doers must be given a second chance. But to praise wrong doers like role models or idols, that is not very right.

The Hsien Loong shocker

Did anyone of you hear what Hsien Loong said in his National Day Rally last night? It was a shocker alright. More space for political participation. Outdoor demonstration allowed at Hong Lim. Liberalisation of the internet for political campaigns and factual movie scripts. This is a big move definitely. The devil is in the implementation of this change. Would it be just a motherhood statement or is it real? It must be as this is broadcast over the TV and in the papers as well. I was getting worried a few weeks back when Chua Lee Hoong was trumpeting that our authoritarian system is the alternative model to the liberal western model. I thought we are heading that way. And when Ho Peng Kee still insisted that anyone who wanted to participate in political discourse must get into the political arena, things looked grim. Would Ho Peng Kee and his men go around cyberspace asking bloggers if they are poets, philosophers or public intellectuals, or else join a political party? Did Ho Peng Kee got Hsien Loong's message? Or would people and kids be rounded up for putting up white elephants or selling white elephant T shirts? The reality and perception must be in sync, and the reality speaks louder if it is different from the perception or publicly announced govt policies. If things are what Hsien Loong had said, we are marching into a new revolution, a New Age of Internet. And every blogger is a pioneer and active participant in this revolution. And we should be proud of ourselves to be in this movement. Over the last couple of years the govt must be monitoring very closely the happenings in cyberspace. And they must find some comfort that cyberspace could self regulate, and there are decent and passionate bloggers who are airing their views, disagreeing with policies, but all for the betterment of the country and people. Cyberspace is not just rubbish and rogues and scoundrels who abuse their freedom of expression to attack people recklessly. Mysingaporenews and redbeanforum have played a small and significant part in proving that discussion of political and national issues can be conducted rationally and sensibly. We have been in existence for quite sometime and no one has come knocking at our doors in the middle of the night. We should continue to say our piece in the way we are doing, kpkb if necessary, to get our views heard. 90,000 hits a month, that can translate into a substantial number of people reading our news. And they will pass it to their friends and their friends to their friends. It is a communicating process that cannot be under estimated. Keep posting fellow bloggers. Hsien Loong has given the green light. And if Ho Peng Kee ask if you are a poet, philosopher or public intellectual, tell him to see Hsien Loong for the answer.