A day of mourning

I dunno why. I feel like today is a day for mourning. I feel that something went drastically wrong over the last few days but I just could not put my fingers on it. It is just something out there that is stifling, frightening, shameful and disgusting.

Let me meditate over it. For those who should feel shameful or shameless, please repent.

Those who can feel it may want to wear black to mark this day. The sun is so bright but the feeling is so dark.

M Ravi is so lucky

Lawyer M Ravi must count himself lucky to be in a first world city state that operates under the rule of law. In such an environment he has all the instruments of the state and law to protect him from being put into a mental institution for good and never see daylight again. We have an incorruptible govt that respects the constitution and the law, a highly regarded judiciary with upright judges, a law society made up of professional and learned men and women, and a medical profession that is beyond any ill repute. And we can count on whistle blowers and civic minded individuals that would stand up to tell the truth if anything is wrong.

Put it in another way, if Ravi is living in a communist country, or a dictatorial regime, or in the USA, he must be very wary of his personal well being and freedom. They could easily asked a stooge, like a psychiatrist to diagnose him as mad and get a lawyer to file a charge against him, then the judge will receive a phone call and know exactly what to do. The next thing is that he will be escorted by the secret police in an unmarked car and dumped into a mental institution which is really another kind of prison. Once in there, the doctors will inject into him all kinds of drugs to make him delusionary, videotaped his behavior while in a hallucinated state and publish in the media as proof that he is mad when he is really not. And that will be the last time the citizens hear of him. He will be obliterated from the pages of history.

Back to our civilized first world country, we know that such things would not happen to Ravi. The lawyers and Law Society will be there to assist and protect him in case there are funny charges leveled at him. The Medical Society will have many eminent psychiatrists to challenge any wild diagnosis raised against him. He will have the opportunity to call for a second opinion from a more renowned psychiatrist with better reputation. And he will be given a fair trial in courts when justice will be duly carried out.

Ravi is safe here. Thank God we have such a wonderful rule of law system in place and the citizens can feel so secure, unlike those communist and dictatorial regimes, or even the USA.

Learning investigative journalism from social media reporters

TNP reporter tries to track down NParks brompton bike whistleblower


Hardwarezone Forum, 18 Jul 2012


This is abit irritating. The story is not about me, that why i tell them to focus on the actual story instead. EXTRA CSI Attempt -nParks Brompton procurement process ended up with a dodgy winning bidder? [Extra]


Also, i were got so stupid... give them everything now, then next time how i going to continue do any future undercover CSI works to expose other sagas and keep check on the authorities?


Hi Singaporean1st,


I'm Benson Ang, a reporter from The New Paper. I'm contacting you because of your post about the Brompton bike issue. I must say that you have done a lot of research about the matter, which is quite impressive.


I'm the reporter who wrote the initial article about NParks' purchase, and am writing an follow-up article based on the details shared in your post, alleging there was bias in the purchase.


Some of the questions I would like to ask you are:


1. How long did it take to do research on Mr Bernard Lim, BikeHop and Mr Woon Tianwen?


2. What is your motivation to do such research? What do you hope your research will achieve?


3. Are you friends with any of the parties? Are you involved in the cycling community in Singapore?

The above is part of an article posted in Singapore News Alternative but originated from Hardwarezone. This is another evident that social media reporters are getting more recognition from their main media counterparts in investigative journalism. The ability and skills of the writer is receiving admiration from both social and main media and everyone who wants to learn investigative journalism can take a few notes from him.

Exemplary conduct of civic minded citizens

The ST has a pretty good summary of the events leading to lawyer Wong Siew Hong turning up in court to make a representation to the judges while the courts were in session. For a lawyer representing the Law Society to do such a thing is unprecedented and he must have found the matter of grave importance to do it. This is an act that could get him charged for contempt of court. But he is a very brave man, acting without fear or favour, even at risk of offending the judge in a court session.

What happened was that two public spirited professionals, a consultant psychiatrist and a practicing lawyer representing the Law Society, who found something so serious that they must quickly act on it to prevent whatever they thought would happen that could be very bad. This kind of conviction and dedication to walk that extra mile, doing something beyond the call of duty, is truly commendable and the two deserved to be given a medal for civic consciousness, acting for the good of country and people. They acted on their own accord and professionalism, without consulting anyone as it was a weekend. It was like a tsunami approaching and any delay could be a life threatening situation.

On Sat, lawyer M Ravi was examined by psychiatrist Calvin Fones. On Sunday, the police received a report around 8am that someone was causing a disturbance at the Sri Mariamman Temple and the person was Ravi. It was also reported that Calvin Fones alerted Wong Siew Hong who was overseas. When and why he alerted Wong was not stated. Was it because of his examination of Ravi on Sat or was it because of the disturbance at the temple that he came to know about was not clear.

On Mon at 9am, Wong was back in Singapore and called Fones to prepare a letter. He also said he had alerted the Law Society Secretariat and was going to the High Court. There he informed State Counsel David Chong and Ravi that ‘he wishes to get the court to stand down and to inform the judge about the letter in chambers.’ Wong got the letter at 10.45am and entered the court room while hearing was in progress. Judge Pillai did not allow him interrupt the proceedings. After the hearing the two were called into the judge’s chamber and Wong presented the letter. He admitted that there was no precedence of such nature and the judge ruled that as long as Ravi still had a practicing certificate he could continue to represent his client.

Later, not sure what time, Wong went to another court to present his letter again. Justice Quentin Loh too ruled that Ravi could continue to represent his clients.

The event showed how persistent and dedicated was Wong in what he was doing which he must have viewed as of utmost urgency and importance to the good practices of law in the country. The Law Society has also made a statement that the ‘Society not involved in any conspiracy.’ The LSS also stated that Wong ‘decided to go to court “on his own volition” …”LSS is satisfied that although Mr Wong had acted very much on his own, he did so with the best of intentions.”

All the events that occurred only proved that there is a very civic minded lawyer acting on his own, thinking on his own with the diagnosis from a psychiatrist that something must be put right, to do something good. And no joke, the lawyer and psychiatrist were working through the weekend, and trying to rush a letter to court on Monday morning to make sure it got there on time. Such public spirited dedication must be appreciated and highly rewarded. National Day is just around the corner and a National Day Award is deserving as it is unusual for daft Sinkies to work so hard for free but for a good and just cause.

Kangaroo on the lose

A kangaroo was seen hopping around in town and barging into many buildings without notice, causing annoyance to its owners. It was driven out by the respective owners but not before leaving a smelly trail of kangaroo stench.

The zoo did not know that the kangaroo had bolted out on its own until it was reported in the evening news. The zoo owners denied any prior knowledge of the mischievous kangaroos and they would not be responsible for all the droppings it left behind. How the kangaroo could go to town is still puzzling to everyone. And how it got so far without anyone knowing, without being stop by the police or knock down by the traffic on the roads must be a miracle.

The strange behavior of the kangaroo, of all places, appearing in town and try barging into buildings is even stranger. Should not kangaroos be running to places that it is familiar with and comfortable, like the kangaroo grass courts or kangaroo playing fields?

Now the zoo is going to conduct an investigation to check the mental health of the kangaroo. There are vets for animals. Are there psychiatric vets for animals to examine if this kangaroo has any disorders that need to keep it in a lock up for its own good?

It is strange that there are kangaroos in a cosmopolitan city and running around excitedly. This story is totally fictional and any resemblance to anything is purely coincidental.