A need for an Asean consensus on military spending

Eng Hen is boasting about Singapore eyeing the most advanced multi role F 35 fighters the Americans are developing, and new submarines too. All these are good as long as our pocket is deep and the people need not be shortchanged for other public services from the Govt. In a way these are very expensive toys that are very nice to have. I would even suggest we should have satellite defense system, killer satellites with leading edge technology and even ICBMs with multiple nuclear warheads. And of course the supersize aircraft carrier that can sail the seven seas. By the way, when an ICBM takes off it won’t land anywhere within a few thousand km radius unless it flies vertically, burns itself out and falls back under gravity.

While I am getting carried away with wild wet dreams, someone please jolt me back to reality. What are these expensive weapons for? Who are they intended to pitch against? Do we need a battalion of tanks to fight a mob? Do we need a fleet of warships to fight against sampans? The question is, who are our possible enemies and what are their capabilities? How far more do we want to have to be one step ahead of our ‘enemies’ to feel secure?

Then the obvious thing, if we up the bets, our ‘enemies’ also can up the bets. So I up you, up me, all for the sake of upping the stakes but with no ends to it. And who is gonna benefit from these extravagant expenses? The arms merchants of course.

The world has changed, and the possibility of wars between states in Asean region has diminished, at least under the present conditions. Oops, what’s happening in Sabah? While it is necessary to prepare for war in peace, it is even more necessary to build confidence between states, to build good relations and make peace more enduring with less deadly weapons pointing at one another.

There is now an Asean organization and relations between the Asean states are relatively very good. Would it then be possible and better for the Asean states to start discussing about arms reduction in the region, not only to keep big power influence minimal, but stop an arms race among the Asean countries? Time and effort spend towards this goal would be more productive, and save a lot of money and resources by keeping the military profile and budget of Asean countries as low as agreeable given the respective needs and considerations of countries, big and small.

If Singapore is not going to buy those monster killer weapons, there is less likely for the neighbours to want to buy even better or comparable machine. Save the money for better use. Think of consolidating the present status quo. There is no need to keep ramping up GDP growth, population growth, better military hardware growth etc etc. If the Asean countries can reach a consensus to accept a certain level of military hardware and build up, would it not be better for all instead of blindly buying and buying and expanding and expanding, to be what, a big time gangster? Who are we trying to frighten when a better way is to agree to lower the temperature? I am not saying no defence but at a level to keep everyone happy and comfortable without any need for excesses.

Putin's speech on February,4th , 2013

On February 4th, 2013, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, addressed the Duma,

(Russian Parliament), and gave a speech about the tensions with minorities in Russia:

"In Russia live Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws. If they prefer Shari ‘a Law, then we advise them to go to those places where that's the state law.

Russia does not need minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell 'discrimination'.

We better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of most minorities.

When this honourable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the national interest first, observing that the minorities are not Russians.

The politicians in the Duma gave Putin a standing ovation for five minutes!

May Day at Hong Lim – A sequel to the Feb 26 White Paper Protest

Gilbert Goh is organizing a second protest on the Population White Paper on May Day at Hong Lim Park once again. The mission of this protest is similar but would include more issues like jobs for Singaporeans, CPF, minimum wage and others. He is targeting a 10,000 crowd this time. This second protest rally will allow those who have missed the first one not to miss it again.

Among the speakers that have been lined up so far are M Ravi and Braema Mathi from Maruah Singapore. He is working to get more civic societies to come on board.

This is looking to be a rally the disillusioned Singaporeans are looking for having missed out on the first one. The momentum and support from the earlier rally in February could make this a must attend rally for true blue Singaporeans. After having experienced the first mass rally, the organizers are likely to be better prepared for the crowd this time.

The Govt cannot build more flats( part 2)

Even if there is genuine demand for more flats, the Govt, according to Boon Wan, will not build more flats as this will affect some 80,000 owners who are living on rental income. Is this an important reason not to build flats for those who need them? Another possible reason, build more flats will bring down prices. Is this also another reason not to build enough flats to meet the demand?

What is the mission of HDB? To build flats to provide an income to the owners? To build flats and to ensure the prices will not fall? Or to build flats so that the citizens will have a roof over their heads?

But the Govt will build more flats for more people that are going to be imported to increase the population to 6.9m. And it is going to build several hundred thousand units for this purpose. So opposition better don’t speak up against having more foreign workers to build these flats.

Is Boon Wan meddling with the supply and demand of flats and the market forces? Is it not the Govt’s top priority to build flats for its citizens to live in, have babies, to bring up a family? The rental income cannot be a major concern, and some price fluctuation due to market forces must be a natural order of things. Why is this preoccupation to support and prop up property prices to disadvantage and victimize genuine home buyers? The current property prices are abnormally high and need to be lowered by balancing the supply and demand and definitely not by curtailing its supply.

What kind of logic is this? The interests of the young home buyers and genuine home owners are expendable so that others can get higher rental income or be happy cause their property prices remain high on paper?

What do you think?

A monumental change in the making in the Singapore polity

I thought I sense something big is happening in the politics of this island. But I rule them out as voices from the lunatic fringe, congregating mostly in blogosphere. The anger and spitefulness cannot be missed and growing daily. Then, blogosphere is the equivalent of Liang Shan or Mt Liang in the classic Water Margin, where the heroes or victims of the establishment called home. So, I can only take the grumbling as a little disturbance and would come to nothing eventually. It is too small a group of people kpkb daily and awaiting for doomsday or a political judgement day.

Other than netizens in cyberspace, uneasiness and a sense of despair and helpless also pervade in casual discussions. The mood is that the ruling party has lost is support and trust from the people. The Presidential Election and the two by elections were seen as the harbingers of more of the same to come. The little crowd in Hong Lim too was read by many that it is not as small as it looked and the unhappiness is more widespread than thought.

Seah Chiang Nee, the ex ST editor, also wrote about the increasing vocal elite that were once part of the establishment and expressing their misgivings and disagreement quite openly. Then yesterday I read Catherine Lim, a doyen of govt critics, in an article about the PAP losing it. The party has lost its long taken for granted trust and support of the people. The people are cynical, and questioning, and doubtful of the direction going forward as plotted by the Govt.

In Catherine Lim’s view, all is not lost. The PAP only needs to cleanse its past by embracing the ex political dissidents that were forced out of the country, some released from political detention, and bows for forgiveness. That would show some sincerity and humility of the unpleasant past, and to emerge from the dark side in sparkling white once again.

I am less sanguine about this assessment and less optimistic that the problem is just about a dark chapter of our political history. I think the problems are more basic, bread and butter issues, jobs, cost of living and the increasing tension brought about by a misplaced foreign talent group that have proven to be more a pain in the arse than people deserving to be welcomed as new partners in our economic and social development. Many citizens are feeling cheated by Govt policies and a future of a highly intense society, of having to pay more for less, smaller homes, no cars, bank breaking hospital fees, and having to compete unfairly with foreign mobs that are haughty, cocky, unworthy and untrustworthy while feasting on our hospitality and taking away good jobs from the locals.

The PAP is losing its grip on the voters in more ways than could be envisaged. I don’t see any hope of them regaining the trust and support of the people like in the past. It is a slippery downward slide to oblivion. I qualify to say that my readings are one sided. Then again, the truth will surface very soon when grassroots leaders are also getting ambivalent about what is installed for them in the next GE.

Things are not looking pretty for the PAP. Feel free to disagree with my diagnosis. I am just a political watcher and commentator and I am looking at the scenario through tinted lens.