Only 300 Sinkies against fare hike

Gilbert Goh’s protest gathering at the Hong Lim Park only drew a miserable 300 protesters. How to read this? One way is to declare that only 300 Sinkies are unhappy with the fare hike. The silent majority are supportive of the fare hike. Tiok boh?

It is so lucky that 300 turned up. If only a handful, then it could be safely concluded that no one is protesting and the fare hike must be reasonable and welcomed by the commuters.

When the first protest movement of more than 5000 people turned up at Hong Lim against the PWP, it was hardly reported in the main media. Yesterday’s protest was reported and with photos too. What is the sublime message? Go figure.

Do not underestimate the power of the media.

A news headline can be taken seriously

 

Take this headline in the Straits Times for discussion, “Briton and family leave for Perth amid threats”?

What would the readers think if they did not have the full story? Would they think that this City state is not safe for foreigners and foreigners are being threatened with serious harms and forced to move out for their own safety? If one is a foreigner in the US or UK or Australia, and planning to come here as a mercenary, to find paradise on earth, would one be having second thoughts?

Would the embassies be sending out travel warnings to their citizens to warn them of the risk if they come here? Or this is intentional, to tell the foreigner not to come here?

This is a very interesting and controversial headline indeed. Maybe a bit of sensationalism but with selected truth. It is true that Anton claimed that he was threatened. Anyone done any investigation that this is indeed true? What kind of threat, life threatening, serious, genuine, or some bloggers sputting nonsense in the net using Anonymous like the hackers?

Still a good headline to catch the attention of the readers.  Maybe I shall write an article with a headline, ‘Xenophobic Sinkie hordes threaten life of talented expat to run for his life from Paradise’? Would this be sensationalism, a bit of half truth?

Top Indian university students are brilliant

 

"Students in the top universities of India are brilliant. India is a world leader in many areas particularly in low-cost engineering. We have to learn a lot from India," said Peter YH Pang, assistant vice-president (university and global relations) NUS during his visit. Peter Pang was reciprocating the visit of the Indian academic team led by NIT-T director Sunderarajan in October last year to NUS, to explore the possibilities of academic collaboration.’…The Times of India

This kind of statement generally is applicable to all countries as their best students must be in their top universities, otherwise the country will not progress. The only exception is the USA where many rich families could buy places in top universities for their D grade scions.

Low cost engineering is definitely a niche in India. This has nothing to do with the low cost labour we have here that India is exporting. India is able to do a lot of engineering stuff cheaply, like cheap cars and equipment. This is the forte of India.

NUS is looking like embarking on an academic collaboration with Indian universities to introduce low cost engineering into our university syllabus and soon we will be opening up a new industry for low cost engineering stuff. Singapore could then have two Science Parks, one for leading edge science and engineering and another for low cost engineering. We can dove tail our economic growth strategy with two engines of growth.

This is like having the best of both worlds. And our industries that are relying on low cost labour will become even more competitive with low cost engineering products.

What a way to go. Come to think of it, it is like a first world city with a third world vitality. The future of Singapore is getting brighter.

Power of the internet took its first scalp

Do not ignore the power of the internet and the voice of the people, even if they are daft Sinkies. At times, in the most unusual of places, they can strike and get their target down. Think Punggol East.

Over the last few days, the uproar in the internet over an insult to Sinkies brought things to bear on the trespasser. It was a public lynching of sort on an unsuspecting victim who thought of nothing like the foreigner cyclist threatening a woman Sinkie driver in broad daylight, or those that beat up Sinkies to let off steam. The angmoh cyclist got to walk away like a world boxing champion and strutting his stuff with a big ego. Beware you asshole, the next time you try that on a Sinkie it could be very different. The govt may not come out to defend the rights of Sinkies and their dignity, but the netizens will be very unforgiving.

Kindness begets kindness, as a minister said. And shits will beget shits.  Or is it that whatever the Sinkies do it will only beget shits? There is a new mood in the air. Call it xenophobia, yes, I think it is. It was xenophobia of the rich elite in cahoots with the foreigners to spit at poor Sinkies, thumping poor Sinkies as daft and wuss. The poor Sinkies will not take that lying down anymore and will turn it around to the foreigners who attempted to do so.

This is people’s power in a non violent way. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But don’t bet on it that it doesn’t work all the time. It would be too late to say sorry.

While this event has aroused the daft Sinkies to be more assertive, the Ah Q mentality of the meek Chinese is resurfacing again. In today’s Sunday Times, an article by Chua Mui Hoong tried to justify the Anton Casey episode the way Ah Q would do to claim some psychological consolation after being kicked in the ass. The argument goes like this, ‘…by showing contempt for and mocking ordinary people, Mr Casey has insulted and disrespected himself more than he has Singaporeans. By his own hand, in his own words, he has shown the world what an intolerant person he is, chockful of conceit.’

Singaporeans that are being beaten or shitted on by foreigners should recite this everyday and they will feel much better, that they are superior to Mr Asshole, just like Ah Q. This dismissive trait of the Chinese to address their attackers respectfully is a very silly thing and they duly deserved to be treated that way no matter how much dignity money can buy them.

Remember what LKY told his young PPS, that he had to look them in the eyes or they would not respect him. How does this compares to the Ah Q’s way of dealing with his bashers? Would Ah Q gain more respect from Mr foreigners by being meek and consoling himself with more silly justifications short of saying thank you?

Kopi level - Yellow

Many support the transport fare hike

This must be the reason why they went ahead with the fare hike. So many people supported it. It only makes a mockery of the little survey conducted here in mysingaporenews when 231 out of 239 were against it.

And with so many people supporting it, it is ridiculous for anyone to organise a protest at Hong Lim on the fare hike. And Gilbert Goh is doing exactly that today at 5pm. Sure the turnout is going to be pathetic.

Let’s see, if only 500 turn out, then I can foresee that it will be reported that only 500 people were against the fare hike and the rest of the 3.4 million Sinkies and also the foreigners here supported the fare hike.

It is a good call, a good decision to have the fare hike when it is supported by the silent majority.