A state cannot exist without citizens. A state is created by the citizen as a protective umbrella for the common good of a collective citizenry. A state and its citizenry co exist in a symbiotic relationship. One cannot exist without the other. A people without a state become stateless. A country without a citizenry is waiting to be taken over, or a loose or disorganized state will soon be taken over.
The role of a govt is an intermediary between the citizens and the state. A govt in a democratic state is voted by the people as a caretaker of the state and to promote the interests of the citizens. Promoting the interests of residents or non citizens is incidental and can only be pursued by the good grace of the citizens, on the generosity of the citizens. A govt that usurped the power given to it by the people to take care of non citizens and neglect the interests and rights of the citizens has no reason to exist or be supported by the citizens.
Permanent Residents are not citizens and owe no loyalty or responsibility to the state but to themselves. They are fair weather residents and will move to greener pasture when things are not favourable to them. They have no right to vote and be represented in Parliament. They cannot enjoy the same privileges as citizens. Period.
Non residents or transient workers have even lesser rights than PRs. It is pure stupidity to allow non residents and PRs to have the same opportunities in all things, especially in employment opportunities. There could be exceptions for those who are here to contribute extraordinarily to the country and people. Such people, like the tycoons, may even get special privileges in some areas to make their stay worthwhile but not to compromise the well beings of the citizens. One glaring problem is the buying up of properties and high property prices.
Top talents in their respective fields, not joker talents dressed up as talents, can also be welcomed and bestowed with certain privileges. This group is unlikely to be more than 1 or 2% of the foreigners here. The rest are here to benefit themselves more than the state and better enjoy their time here and the hospitality of the state and people, and not to exploit the people.
Discrimination by foreigners against the citizens must be made a crime. It has no place in the country. The govt of the people, by the people must be for the people, must be there to protect the people in its own territory. Neglecting this principle cannot be tolerated. When a govt sees it its responsibility to care more for the foreigners than its citizens, it is a dereliction of duty to the citizens, a perversion of nationhood.
6/07/2013
Tan Chuan Jin the new poster boy of PAP
It used to be Khaw Boon Wan the devout Buddhist, the one that was full of compassion and very in touch with the ordinary people. Many could identify with him as a good minister. Boon Wan was THE man to front the party on any difficult issues. People used to listen to him in his cool, slow and measured demeanour. This is all history.
PAP now needs another poster boy to carry the flag. Among the new ministers, Chan Chun Sing is obviously out. Then there are Lawrence Wong and Heng Swee Kiat left. Baey Yam Keng was noted to be the auntie killer, but could be too junior to front the party. Between Heng Swee Kiat and Lawrence Wong, the party must have found Chuan Jin has a better face. So Chuan Jin is to be, the new PAP poster boy to get the party out of difficult position.
Now this should solve the mystery of why an unpopular new media regulation needs to be explained not by anyone from MDA or the Minister of Infocomm but an acting Minister from the MOM. What relationship has the MOM got to do with this media regulation to have its minister trying to explain away the unhappiness of the netizens? Anyone got any clue? I don’t.
So it must be an issue of putting the best face forward, the best front man. If Chuan Jin can carry this through, his future is going to be bright. But with a very unforgiving and cynical internet community and a very unpopular regulation that is seen more as not only unnecessary but obstructive, a good looker is not going to look much good in such a situation. Hope Chuan Jin does not get a broken nose or jaw in the process, and keep his poster boy image clean. He could be considered as having done well if he got away with a few scratches.
After Chuan Jin, can’t see anyone else good or pretty enough, or likeable enough to be the party’s mascot, except Singa.
Social Media Blackout – What you no longer read
Yesterday was the first time social media stopped writing about Singapore news. What the people could read was only news from the main media. Does it make any difference if there is no social media around and the people continue to read only news from the main media? Not really, life will go on as normal.
So, what is the point of a social media blackout or the total obliteration of social media? The main media will continue its responsible and professional role of feeding the people with the right thing to read and all the feel good news. The negative side of the news, the other version of the news, the other truth, will not be seen or heard. The people will be safe from reading the wrong news or not right news. No one will miss anything.
Would things be just as fine? It all depends on whether the main media is doing an adequate job in reporting all the right news. It all depends on whether the people are satisfied with reading all the right news. It all depends on whether the people, having been exposed to the other side of the news think the main media is doing enough and giving them a balanced news.
More than a hundred social media blogs and sites went black yesterday. Many of the bloggers saw the need for a protest to prevent the clamping down of information flow and news about Singapore from being black out in the social media in the future. What happened yesterday was a little blackout, a temporary blackout. The new regulation with its all encompassing rules could lead to a total blackout, a permanent blackout if not stopped in its path.
Remember the incremental changes to the CPF rulings, the incremental changes to the housing policies, the incremental changes to the import of foreigners to the country. The new social media regulation has set out with a very wide net. The implementation of bringing 10 websites under the regulation is only a very small step forward. The assurance by the ministers may seem comforting to some and brought about a false sense to relief that this is all about the new regulation. But with the provisions, incremental steps could be taken along the way and one by one could come under the net. Soon, when one becomes too complacent, the net could rope in every blog and social media site before you know it.
Don’t be complacent and drop your guards. Don’t ever think this is it and everything is ok or will be ok. Be afraid.
PS: The internet gives everyone a voice, a say in what he/she wants to say. Without social media, the people's mouth is shut for good.
6/06/2013
6/05/2013
MDA’s clarification on new regulation
After Yaacob and Chuan Jin’s clarifications the MDA’s position on the new regulation has been sieved and some concerns are slightly clearer though not conclusive. Both have stated that the regulation is meant more specifically for news sites or sites that report regularly on Singapore news. Blogs are not the concerns of the new regime and bloggers are encouraged to keep on doing what they have been doing, writing commentaries about Singapore affairs.
Both are taking a kinder and conciliatory approach towards bloggers and were in a way telling the bloggers to keep commenting on local affairs and express their opinions. The Govt’s position, presumably they are expressing the real Govt’s position, is that bloggers or citizens have the right to discuss and comment on local affairs.
This is actually a new situation as it takes a more positive turn from the past when anyone commenting on local affairs was frown upon and may be visited by Sue. There was this over aching fear that something untowards could happen any time. The invisible hand of the dark side is always around the corner waiting to lash out at the most unsuspecting moment.
The lighter touch and the more accommodating posture of the Govt is noted and welcomed. Let’s hope this will stay and citizens are encouraged to participate in the affairs of the country and not seen as enemies of the Govt when they hold contrarian views or are critical of Govt policies. This departure is a little progress towards a more liberal and inclusive society.
Another point that was acknowledged by Yaacob and Chuan Jin is that the internet is not easy to regulate and a lot of works need to be done if the Govt ever intends to take on the big international news providers. So who is the Govt going after other than Yahoo Singapore? TRE and TOC have been cleared as not the target news sites, and they are not news sites at least for the time being. Both have exceeded the two criteria of reporting on Singapore news and the 50,000 IPs by more than a mile. Having confirmed the fate of two of the biggest local aggregators, these two sites would now be the barometer for other bloggers to gauge themselves if they have crossed the line vis a vis the new regime.
Some of the doubts and worries of the bloggers and internet community have been explained and the fear allayed. But more assurance is needed from the MOM to include provisions in the new regulation to exclude the bloggers if they are to sleep in peace. Would there be amendments directly on this regulation or would MOM wait till the major review of the Broadcasting Act next year as mentioned by Chuan Jin? Before the ink is dry, before anyone breathes a sigh of relief, anything can still happen. This new regulation is encompassing as cyberspace.
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