One casualty before the GE

Temasek Review has been down for a couple of days. It announced that it will not be in business in July. We are now still in April. Does anyone know the reason why Temasek Review is down and out? It can’t be the GE and that someone thinks that it is a threat and blocks it from broadcasting. It will be a sad day for the internet if it is so. Maybe the fear of the internet is true. Is this the beginning of a clamp down prior to the GE? How many will still be broadcasting throughout the GE? The humble internet is growing in importance to compete against the main media in the coverage of socio political news. And in the GE, its role is all cut out, to ensure a more level playing field for all parties. The opposition parties do not have the privilege of a friendly media covering and presenting their side of the story in a better light. With the internet, they practically have their own reporters and broadcasters to say what they really want to say. Then there is this dirty tactic that some like to used to attack their opponents, peeping into candidate’s key hole, sneaking in to find juicy news, digging out candidates history or things like candidates digging their noses and wearing pink panties. When candidates run foul, play foul, the internet could make it into an issue to embarrass the trespassers, to shame them for hitting below the belt, even to question their integrity and suitability to run for political office. This is the least the alternative media can do, to be the watchdog for fair play. The dirty game is just starting and more can happen without the internet to check such abuses. Let this game be a fairer game, a decent game and the better and more deserving man or woman be elected to Parliament. And let the punks be made known as punks. This is what citizen journalism is all about.

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.