8/11/2011
Kopitiam Movement
The Americans have their Tea Party Movement to fight for issues that are important to them. Without trying to reinvent the wheel, we may want to call the fight by netizens as a Kopitiam Movement in general, for the good of Singaporeans. There are so many issues that netizens have raised but are scattered all over cyberspace and often lost in time. I would like to sum up a few key issues that a Kopitiam Movement can stand for and to stay the course.
1. To reclaim the rights of the people to decide the size of the population and new citizens.
2. To reclaim the rights of the people to their money in the CPF and Medisave.
3. To reclaim the rights to have a say in how essential services like transport, medical services and education are run for the benefits of citizens.
4. To reclaim the rights to limit the building and sales of properties to foreigners.
5. To reclaim the rights of every citizen to stand for the office of the President.
More missions can be added on to this Movement in the course of time. I will post a window on this blog as a reminder of this Movement and what it is fighting for.
A Kopitiam Movement does not need an official leader like the Wear Black Movement. The Movement is identified by what it stands for and anyone can push for the cause or add new agenda to the cause. It is a Movement without forms but with certain identifiable objectives.
A fearful lesson from London
The rioting continues in England and spreading. The police seem to be at a lost or treating the rioters too leniently that the country is turning into a state of anarchy. The underprivileged are taking things in their own hands, to take whatever they want, and at the same time to burn and destroy. They are the underclass in a first world and rich country.
We have our underclass, not so much as the poorer citizens who are really not in such a dire state. What we have in our midst are the half a million foreign workers, maybe more, that are hungry and unpredictable. What if they run amok, and thinking that they could loot and take from our well stocked stores of goodies?
I believe we have contingency plans to deal with such a situation. But it will be very messy. A rampage through Orchard Road is unthinkable. 500,000 hungry workers on the loose are uncontrollable. And many are living with our people, in rental homes. A couple of them running wild can be very destructive too.
Do we believe that the lawlessness will not happen here? Or do we believe that we can handle such a situation? Bringing in the super rich has a different set of problems. Bringing in the poor workers can become a disaster. Can we afford to push our luck and hope that nothing of such a magnitude happens here?
Please don't make our foreign workers angry.
We have our underclass, not so much as the poorer citizens who are really not in such a dire state. What we have in our midst are the half a million foreign workers, maybe more, that are hungry and unpredictable. What if they run amok, and thinking that they could loot and take from our well stocked stores of goodies?
I believe we have contingency plans to deal with such a situation. But it will be very messy. A rampage through Orchard Road is unthinkable. 500,000 hungry workers on the loose are uncontrollable. And many are living with our people, in rental homes. A couple of them running wild can be very destructive too.
Do we believe that the lawlessness will not happen here? Or do we believe that we can handle such a situation? Bringing in the super rich has a different set of problems. Bringing in the poor workers can become a disaster. Can we afford to push our luck and hope that nothing of such a magnitude happens here?
Please don't make our foreign workers angry.
8/10/2011
Not everything can be compromised
We have spent 46 years to stew a broth, today some of the newcomers are complaining that the broth smells, and they don’t like the smell. We have spend several generations, a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and the newcomers said they are not happy and wanted us to change, to accommodate and adapt to their new ways, or even adopt their new habits. And some silly Singaporeans are telling our native Singaporeans to be tolerant and to appease the newcomers. (No wonder they even dared to beat up Singaporeans in broad daylight in Clementi).
I am referring to the cooking of curry in HDB estate and a foreigner complained, and the local mediator told our native Singaporean to give way to make the new citizen happy. The mediator must have been briefed on how to deal with such matters. There must be an official position and the mediator must be following that official position. For racial harmony, it is always good to compromise, even on things that we have done for the last 46 years, never mind, make the newcomers feel welcome and make their lives more pleasant. Can that be?
Is this the official position? I wanted to pui. For so many years, we have been emphasizing on racial and religious harmony, and we have accepted certain social norms and practices that we are comfortable to live by. This incident is threatening the very fundamental principles that we have built on. This must be put to and end.
New citizens must not be allowed to challenge and demand that we change to appease them. If they think they can get away with their demands, soon we they will be telling us that they want their own language, custom, newspaper, play area, and TV channels as well. They may want their languages to be taught in our schools or be spoken in Parliament.
The people of Singapore must take a stand to protect what we have built and not allowed any newcomers to suka suka change them. We welcome them since our govt wanted them so much, but they must accept what we hold sacred. We cannot let them change the status quo, the social norms, and undermine the mutual tolerance among the various people. The newcomers must adapt to our way of life, not the other way round. Is there anyone telling Singaporeans to adapt to the newcomers way of life? Now what is the govt going to do about it?
PS. There is a simple Simon approach to solving social problems. Compromise, no need to bother about right or wrong, as long as the two parties don’t give problem it is settled. I have experienced this attitude in the mediation of minor disputes. I had a bad experience with a crazy neighbor who came to my floor to threaten my family. I was told to stay indoor when he appeared. I was telling myself, I will do anything I can, even to break his legs if I have to. My freedom and safety of my family were compromised by a mad man and I was told to hide behind closed doors.
I am referring to the cooking of curry in HDB estate and a foreigner complained, and the local mediator told our native Singaporean to give way to make the new citizen happy. The mediator must have been briefed on how to deal with such matters. There must be an official position and the mediator must be following that official position. For racial harmony, it is always good to compromise, even on things that we have done for the last 46 years, never mind, make the newcomers feel welcome and make their lives more pleasant. Can that be?
Is this the official position? I wanted to pui. For so many years, we have been emphasizing on racial and religious harmony, and we have accepted certain social norms and practices that we are comfortable to live by. This incident is threatening the very fundamental principles that we have built on. This must be put to and end.
New citizens must not be allowed to challenge and demand that we change to appease them. If they think they can get away with their demands, soon we they will be telling us that they want their own language, custom, newspaper, play area, and TV channels as well. They may want their languages to be taught in our schools or be spoken in Parliament.
The people of Singapore must take a stand to protect what we have built and not allowed any newcomers to suka suka change them. We welcome them since our govt wanted them so much, but they must accept what we hold sacred. We cannot let them change the status quo, the social norms, and undermine the mutual tolerance among the various people. The newcomers must adapt to our way of life, not the other way round. Is there anyone telling Singaporeans to adapt to the newcomers way of life? Now what is the govt going to do about it?
PS. There is a simple Simon approach to solving social problems. Compromise, no need to bother about right or wrong, as long as the two parties don’t give problem it is settled. I have experienced this attitude in the mediation of minor disputes. I had a bad experience with a crazy neighbor who came to my floor to threaten my family. I was told to stay indoor when he appeared. I was telling myself, I will do anything I can, even to break his legs if I have to. My freedom and safety of my family were compromised by a mad man and I was told to hide behind closed doors.
Great Britain and London on Fire
The looting and burning in London has England up in flame. Starting at Tottenham, it spread to more than 15 areas in London and now Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol. The causes, some highlighted the big income divide between the haves and the have nots, some seemed to be getting things for free, and the lost of jobs.
This is almost unheard of in the developed world. Riotings, lootings, breakdown of law and order are associated with third world countries. The events in the Middle East are different as they are politically motivated with foreign forces in play. The events in England are mainly social and economic. The inequalities in society will lead to tension and stress. Don’t pooh pooh away big income gaps as part and parcel of rapid economic progress. It only needs a little spark to tear down everything. Economic inequalities cannot be taken for granted as a necessary evil. They must be addressed when times are good.
For those who are enjoying the richness of their good fortune, they are numbed by their wealth and would not care a dime about what happens in the poorer neighbourhood. To them, it is all due to their cleverness and good fortune to be living in luxury. The poor are in a state due to their own laziness and dullness and ought to be blamed. Can’t be helped.
Let’s pray that the lawlessness in UK will not spread like the Arab Spring to other parts of the world.
This is almost unheard of in the developed world. Riotings, lootings, breakdown of law and order are associated with third world countries. The events in the Middle East are different as they are politically motivated with foreign forces in play. The events in England are mainly social and economic. The inequalities in society will lead to tension and stress. Don’t pooh pooh away big income gaps as part and parcel of rapid economic progress. It only needs a little spark to tear down everything. Economic inequalities cannot be taken for granted as a necessary evil. They must be addressed when times are good.
For those who are enjoying the richness of their good fortune, they are numbed by their wealth and would not care a dime about what happens in the poorer neighbourhood. To them, it is all due to their cleverness and good fortune to be living in luxury. The poor are in a state due to their own laziness and dullness and ought to be blamed. Can’t be helped.
Let’s pray that the lawlessness in UK will not spread like the Arab Spring to other parts of the world.
The greatness of Benjamin Sheares
Who is Benjamin Sheares? In case you are still scratching your head, he was a highly regarded and prominent doctor in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, the doyen of the profession in his time. And he was also the second President of this country. A quiet and dignified man who did his job without blowing his own trumpet, without pretensions.
Today in the ST, a Dr Chew Shing Chai who had worked with President Sheares, shared a little insight of this great man. At that time, before the high salary is good mantra struck this land, his income was a paltry $2000 as a medical doctor, maybe slightly more. When he was appointed as the President, his monthly salary was $17,000, big by the standard of the day. And unknown to the public till now, he donated his entire salary to charity, according to Dr Chew.
What the people don’t know, now they knew. My respect to this great man. I didn’t know either. Thank you Dr Chew, for this enlightenment.
I am sure many ministers and presidents too would have donated a handsome chunk of their salaries to charity without declaring it. Some may, like President Sheares, donate their entire salaries to charity too.
God bless them. Cheers to President Sheares.
Today in the ST, a Dr Chew Shing Chai who had worked with President Sheares, shared a little insight of this great man. At that time, before the high salary is good mantra struck this land, his income was a paltry $2000 as a medical doctor, maybe slightly more. When he was appointed as the President, his monthly salary was $17,000, big by the standard of the day. And unknown to the public till now, he donated his entire salary to charity, according to Dr Chew.
What the people don’t know, now they knew. My respect to this great man. I didn’t know either. Thank you Dr Chew, for this enlightenment.
I am sure many ministers and presidents too would have donated a handsome chunk of their salaries to charity without declaring it. Some may, like President Sheares, donate their entire salaries to charity too.
God bless them. Cheers to President Sheares.
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