I Turkey, I Duck

A turkey and duck standing side by side with the turkey in the far side. Another interpretation is that the duck is the turkey and the turkey behind is saying I duck. More pics in Art of RAR Gallery in top right link.

I was called a mobster in Temasek Review

Not by TR of course. TR reposted my article ‘The daft Singaporeans voted’ and it drew more than 110 responses and growing. One blogger by the nick of CPCM called me a mobster because he said I called the Singaporeans daft. Would he also label everyone who called Singaporeans daft as mobsters too? In his haste and anger, he forgot how the label ‘daft Singaporeans’ came about. If he bothers to read my article in full, he would have realised that I did not really called the Singaporeans daft, but responsible and thinking people, who voted using their heads. People who used their heads, thinking and rational cannot be daft, or could they? I quote from my article ‘The pattern and consistency in the way the daft Singaporeans voted are pretty predictable by now. They have seen what PAP could do and are enjoying the success and would only vote for good candidates if they are available. They are responsible and voted with their heads.’ The use of the word daft in the my article is in a cynical manner. Now who is daft, who is or are the mobsters: )

A joint statement to quit the cabinet

MM and SM are thinking more alike, it seems. Both decided to quit the cabinet to let a younger team of ministers led by a nearly 60 year old PM to start with a clean slate. Relatively, a young team was when LKY became a PM at 35, I think. Now that was a young team. At 60, many were grandfathers and have long forgotten about pacifiers and could hardly be considered young anymore. It’s better late than never. My original take was that both LKY and Chok Tong would not even contest the GE. I think LKY wanted to do that long ago, but for obvious reason, unable to let him go solo. Just before the GE, Hsien Loong was quoted to have said that both LKY and Chok Tong would be his advisers, a role that could make his job much easier, but also made him a PM under watch, with two yodas breathing down his neck. With Chok Tong still wanting to stay in politics, LKY too had to be around. It is either both quit or both stay. Chok Tong has proven to be quite a persistent stayer so far. And for him to quit the cabinet is the best that could be gotten. Now LKY can be more at ease as both are now MPs and should not be in the thick of decision making. The next move would likely be another joint statement that both would step down as MP. As precedence had been set, there would not be a need for a by election, and the govt will still be an absolute majority in Parliament, without rocking the boat. Only then would everyone be at ease, that a new era has dawn and the PAP’s internal struggle for power has a clear winner.

What if there was no alternate media?

Goh Meng Seng seems to think that the better performance of the opposition parties this round should be credited to the main stream media and that alternate media was redundant. There were obviously many factors that turned the tide against the govt this time round and not any single factor would have done it. The PAP had done itself in after years of aloofness for sure. From the word go, their presentation of new citizens and the own goal scored against Tin had already forced them on the defensive. But just look at the role of alternate media in this discussion in particular. Why did the main media take a more agreeable role of having a little more coverage of the opposition? Why were there lesser personal attacks on the opposition? The main media knew that if they did not give a more balance coverage, the alternate media would do it for them. Not only would they be seen as biased, they would lose readership if the readers found them wanting. Not only that the alternate media blew the trumpets of the opposition candidates, they forced the news on the main media. With the alternate media, without the twits and facebook, how many would be able to see the huge followings of Nicole? And in the absence of such news, how much coverage would Nicole be given in the main media. There are many other roles that the alternate media were performing. One of its major roles was to keep the ruling party candidates in check. Anything garbage they said would be amplified to an embarrassing level that they had to be very careful themselves. And if they dared hit below the belt, they could be assured that the alternate media would be there to tell all. The alternate media was the watchdog, the guardian, the rascals that would play foul if tempted or invited by foul players. Do not underestimate the alternate media. Think of the past elections when the alternate media was not there and coverage was the monopoly of the main media. That could be repeated with impunity if there was no alternate media. Any unfavourable news or remarks today would go viral in an instant. This is much more effective and efficient than going through the printing press and waiting for the news to be broadcast. Alternate media is instant media. Ignore them at your own peril.

One last chance

The professional reporters and journalists have a last chance to write about this newsworthy article before Leong Sze Hian starts to bang his abacus. The people must all be eagerly waiting to know how much George Yeo and Lim Hwee Hua will be getting for their pensions in the next 40 years, assuming they live till the ripe age of 90 or more. Their salaries are public knowledge and the formula for calculating their pensions too are available everywhere. The point now is who will be the first to claim credit for putting this as a piece of news and earn the right to put his/her name to it? Without even cracking my head, I think the ballpark figure will be $1m and $2m per annum for Hwee Hua and George respectively. The best part is that they will not have to lift a finger to get this sum of money, which incidentally, is more than the dumb ass sitting in the White House sweating his guts out to prove that he is a worthy President. It is so pleasant to live life on such a pension. Working for 15 and 23 years respectively, and they earn the right to millions for life. I wish I could be in their shoes. I will say a very big thank you to the people of Singapore for the dole. Now to step back and see whether TOC or which main media is going to claim this honour. I am sure it is newsworthy. The world too will be eagerly waiting to get a hold of this news.