A bad feeling

Chen Show Mao spent 40 of his 50 years out of Singapore. There is this rumour that he may be disqualified to stand for election under the 10 year residency condition. The public data that I have gathered is that he came to Singapore in 1972, completed his primary, secondary and A level in 1979. This is followed by 2 ½ years of NS. He graduated from Harvard in 1986. From these data, the number is scary. Assuming that he continued to work outside of Singapore after graduation, and he started in Harvard in 1983, probably he will be safe. But if one is to take a fine comb and go through the days he was out of Singapore on holidays etc, it can be very dicey. This case his passport will be a key document, to count the number of days he spent in Singapore to make up for the 10 years requirement. And the number of days he returned to see his parents will be very crucial. Who will be tasked to do the checking? The WP better starts the checking to provide all supporting documents for this case. Will he be disqualified? Let’s hope that this is a false alarm.

Three tsunamis after the GE

Someone said the Worker's Party did not know that the tsunami is coming. Would there really be a tsunami? For the moment there is a calm before the storm. For 13 GEs, there were no storms to talk about after the GE. There were a couple of afternoon showers that were regarded as bad and shocking, like a little flooding in Orchard Road. The coming GE is the 14th GE. 14 is never a good number to those who believe in fengshui. Could there be a storm after the GE? What could be worst than a storm, more like a tsunami? As in all democratic elections, the people, the 'masters' of the country, shall decide. Three frightening results can actually happen. No one can really throw them out as rubbish, impossible. The first shock could be Chok Tong losing his Marine Parade GRC. The second shock, LKY and Tanjong Pagar go down. And the shock of all shocks, Hsien Loong loses Ang Mo Kio to a team of young turks. If any of these three events were to happen, it could rightly be called a political tsunami. And if all three were to happen, it will be a triple whammy. The falling of a few ministers and their GRCs is now more of a reality and can be expected. Nothing earth shattering. Are the people prepared for such a tsunami? No way, impossible! Is there such a thing as impossible in a free and open democratic election?

For goodness sake!

LKY just announced that he is standing for the next GE. Unbelieveable, but what to do? It is either both he and Chok Tong retire or both should stand. They have become inseparable twins. That is the political situation today. For if both were to retire, the supremacy of the PAP will be greatly compromised. The opposition will score when there is no goalkeeper between the poles. He is still needed to keep the party together I supposed.

Singaporean FT no good, foreign FTs betterer

Chen Show Mao was and is a Singaporean, studied here, served his NS before venturing abroad to make his mark. He is the role model for Singaporeans who want to make it good in the international scene, to compete with the best in the world and to be recognized as one of the best. He has returned home to want to serve the country in Parliament. His absence from the country is now frowned upon as a misgiving. Instead, foreign talents that took up citizenships here, did not do NS, are preferred as more desirable candidates to assume political office. Is this how we should treat our very own citizens, our very own talents vis a vis foreign talents? If this is the mentality, Singaporean talents better think twice before taking up that offer to work overseas. When you return home to roost, you will be watched with suspicion, that you are a lesser Singaporean than a new citizen. Your motives will be questioned. On the other hand the motives of new citizens are honourable or must be honourable. When we question our own sons for their motives for returning home, something is seriously wrong, insanity. When we don’t trust our own children but someone who just walked in and be easily convinced by this Ginny comes lately, what are we telling our children? Yes, foreign talents are better than our own children. Instead of challenging him on what or how he could contribute to the country, his integrity and ‘motives’ are now the subject of scrutiny. Basically, it becomes an assault on his character, and all because he went to find his fortune as a Singapore foreign talent.

National Service being insulted

In a brief few days, the national institution of NS has been insulted over and over again by people who are pleasantly disposed to FTs and new citizens. And this hurts, it hurts very badly to all NS men and ex NS men. The years of sacrifice that they gave to the country now seems meaningless. In just a few days, NS is no longer as important as it was. The rite of passage for all young Singaporeans is being brushed aside as something lesser, as little as any economic activity. For a start, a doctor claimed that his role as a doctor to treat his patients is as good as doing national service. This has infuriated many Singaporeans, especially the doctors that served as MOs. They must be wondering why are they so stupid when by the nature of their job, they are now doing national service. So what the heck, to don on the uniform for 2 to 3 years, and with reservist liabilities for another 20 plus years, when they don’t really need to? And for new citizens who have not don on the uniform, they can be found to be more deserving to be political masters of the country. Is that insulting? Now another one is saying that all kinds of activities in the country that benefits the country is as good as doing NS. Foreigners/PRs/new citizens who are contributing to the economy of the country, never mind if they did or did not serve NS, also can. I think he got a point. Our forefathers were immigrants and did not do NS also. So new talents, do or no do NS, same as our forefathers, immigrants. Immigrants have privileges too. Citizens? As an ex NS man, I am pissed off by the degrading of National Service as something as common as any economic activity. The amount of trouble and inconveniences to the NS men and their families, and their careers, are now being pooh pooh as just another mundane economic activity.