Yesterday in Parliament

I could not find any specific gems in yesterday's parliament session to broadcast. Instead I found a new mood of confidence and self assurance that everyone had done a good job. Getting betterer by the days. The new housing measures to curb speculation were carefully thought out to benefit everyone in the property game, from existing home owners, new home owners and even speculators. Only our supertalents are up to it to come out with such a perfect measure to correct the fiasco of yesterday. Then the abrupt curtailment of free bus services to the Integrated Resorts. The measures were timely and necessary and for the good of the people. The govt is in control of the whole situation and will tighten the noose when necessary or when the IR operators cross the line. Would the govt have let the free bus services to continue if the IR operators did not mention or promote anything related to the casinos but emphasising only the goodness and wholesomeness of the IRs? Are the two resorts meant to be for the family, wholesome activities where everyone from Ah Ma to Ah Soon can enjoy? Or the IRs were just cleverly disguised casinos with all its evils and should not be promoted to the hardlanders as wholesome family entertainment? I think the truth is out. The IRs are hideous highouts for gamblers. Keep the Singaporeans and their families away. No promotion to their attractions allowed. And no free buses from hardlanders. And the YOG was money well spent. I also think so. I remember one project where the towkay wanted everything to be the best and no one dare to say no to him. It also had the same result, everything was top notch, plus cost overrun. But then that project was on OPM. So didn't matter. Sylvia's question on why the cost was overran by 3 times was well explained by Vivian. Sylvia thought if the whole event cost $387 million, and the cost of the recording system and upgrading of the facilities already cost nearly $200m, the latter should not be too difficult to project . The reply was that we did not know that it was an international event and we needed a higher standard of everything when we knew that it was so. So the cost needed to be scaled up to meet the world standard expected of the event. Sounds very reasonable and convincing. Luckily they didn't provide food for the volunteers at international standard or the cost would blow a bit more. My overall assessment of yesterday's Parliament is that everyone was happy that they had a job well done. You could see that on their faces, full of confidence that everything is going well. It is good that they feel that way especially when the election is around the corner. Confidence means half the battle won.

Sylvia Lim – A pertinent question

Sylvia Lim is going to ask Kan Seng about employing non Singaporeans as security officers. To many, with the line between Singaporeans and foreigners being blurred, employing foreigners as security officers is just a commercial activity. Yes we also have the Gurkhas as a precedent. So nothing to sweat about. After all Singapore is now a country for everyone or anyone who is a talent and want to settle here. If they don’t, we may even want to force them to. For Singaporeans, the Sinkiputras who value this little piece of rock as their only home, seeing how it is being abused by the influx of foreigners is heart wrenching. Personally I will feel very pissed off if I return to my country and is being checked and queried by a foreigner. I hope no foreigners are being employed and deployed at our doors to check on Singaporeans. It is a very obnoxious and pungent thing to do. This is like asking foreigners who became Singaporeans and asked to defend the country. All you need is a few bad apples and many lives can be lost. Remember the case in Australia when two of our young men were murdered by a new citizen turned soldier? We accept foreigners on face value and with good intent. Do we know who they are and what they are in the first place, what is their intent? Yes Sylvia, please ask Kan Seng.

Theories of a little bird

All it took was one resident(dunno citizen or PR) to complain and a zealous MP to raise an alarm, and the free bus service to the IR was stopped, immediately. Got to be careful here, is it free bus service to the IR or to the casino? Are the IR operators allowed to provide free transport to their customers? The casino is only a small part of the whole IR and most of the people taking free transport went to many other places except the casino. But one resident and one MP were enough to ruin the pockets and enjoyment of the majority of Singaporeans. Many low income children will now not have a chance to visit the IR as their parents cannot afford to pay for the expensive public transport. And fuck heads are claiming that this is progress, a great achievement! Why should one resident and one MP dictate the lives of millions of residents? Or why should 10,000 residents and 30 MPs deprive millions of residents from free transport? There were several theories for the mad rush to stop the free bus service. One is that the free service is eating into the businesses of other transport providers. Another reason is that it is election time, so must show that the govt is listening to the resident's complaints. ST correspondence, Elgin Toh commented that this is encouraging. The residents must complain more to get things done. If they don't agree with the govt policies, complain lah. I know someone is frowning. The little bird has two theories. One is that is it similar to the Aware saga where a small group of bigots try to impose their holier than thou values on the majority. They are against gambling and took the opportunity to stamp the free bus service. Think they will all go to heaven after chalking up such great merits in saving so many mindless Singaporeans from gambling. The second little bird theory is that this is a sign of political struggle from within. The IR was Hsien Loong's baby. And if this is too successful, he will get all the credit. And maybe one or two more IRs could be added. This cannot do. The IR cannot be allowed to be too successful. Quickly take the opportunity to kill the free bus service when he is away. This is just a bird theory, mind you. Free bus or no free bus, I have not taken a step nearer to both IRs. But I was planning to take the free bus to visit my island in the sun. Now I can't even do that for free. Shit to those holier than thou creatures! I hate minorities trying to impose their superficial superior values on the majority. It is good for you! Duh. My middle finger to you.

Starting fires paying off

US plans massive arms sale to Saudi to counter Iran threat AFP - Tuesday, September 14SendIM StoryPrint. US plans massive arms sale to Saudi to counter Iran threat WASHINGTON (AFP) - – The United States plans to offer Saudi Arabia 60 billion dollars' worth of hi-tech fighters and helicopters to help counter the threat posed by Iran, in the largest ever US arms deal, officials said Monday. A senior defense official said President Barack Obama's administration would formally notify Congress this week or next about the groundbreaking deal, which follows months of talks with the Saudis, who are increasingly anxious about Iran's missile arsenal. "If you look at the kingdom, the major threat that they face in the region emanates from Iran," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. "And this gives them a whole host of defensive capabilities to defend the kingdom and deterrence capabilities.".... The above news will bring comfort to the American arms merchants. After years of inciting tension and wars in the Middle East, it is bearing fruits. The Arabs are divided and poised to attack each other and buying arms is an indispensable alternative. This is a US$60b deal. Finally the Arabs have an avenue to spend their old money. Who says starting war is not a profitable business? Next big buyers on the list are Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Asean states.

Bumiputra versus Sinkiputra

In Malaysia, Bumiputra connotes privileges, special, govt protection and favours, a kind of prestigious badge to be worn for the advantages it came with. In Singapore, Sinkiputra, the original citizens from the day it gained independence in 1965, does not seem to be a badge of honour. It is more a badge of hindrance, heavy responsibilities and disadvantages. The advantages are on the side of the PRs and foreigners residing in the island. The non citizens more or less have the cake and eat it as well. While the Sinkiputras are burdened with 2 years of NS and another 20/25 years of reservist liabilities, the PRs and foreigners are earning their keeps happily with the knowledge that the country is safe and sound for them to live and make money. While the Sinkiputras lost two years of income, work experience, training and expertise, the non Sinkiputras are filling up their bank accounts, gaining work experience, training and expertise and lining up for promotion ahead of the Sinkiputras. While the Sinkiputras are saving madly to pay for a 99 year lease micky mouse flat, the non Sinkiputras are saving their money to buy their dream homes in their home countries, one that is 10 times bigger than the Sinkiputra’s and sitting on freehold land. While many Sinkiputras are depleting their savings to buy that precious little cars for a little convenience, the non Sinkiputras are dreaming of the limousines they will get when they go home. While the Sinkiputras have to squeeze with the non citizens in their world class public transportations, which they could travel in comfort otherwise, the non citizens are enjoying them when compared to what they had to put up with at home. While the Sinkiputras were educated not to litter public areas, to keep the country clean, the non Sinkiputras are trying their best to do otherwise. While most Sinkiputras are educated in world best local universities, when come to hirings, the foreigners from foreign universities, probably ranked lower and with lower grades, are preferred. What else are the Sinkiputras disadvantaged in their homeland when they are the sons of the land? What else? Who enjoys better privileges, Bumiputras or Sinkiputras? Oh, a few more points, Bumiputras are allowed to talk louder against non Bumiputras, even offending them at will. Sinkiputras are told to talk softer and be nicer to non Sinkiputras. Sinkiputras even funded events to make the non Sinkiputras feel at home, welcome. On the contrary, Bumiputras will tell the non bumiputras that they are orang tumpangan, and to go home if they are not happy. If only Sinkiputras are treated betterer, a bit like Bumiputras….