MH370 – There is no closure

After more than two months of crazy searching nothing was found of the MH370. There was no debris, no sign of any passenger’s body floating anywhere, no sign of the black boxes. Is it about time to close the chapter and send everyone home?

An aircraft with 239 passengers cannot just disappear into nowhere. And the most foolish thing to believe is that the aircraft crashed and sank into the Antarctic Ocean. A suicidal pilot, a mad pilot, a dead pilot, all would not have reason to want to fly the aircraft to the Antarctics. An aircraft on auto pilot, with a destination in Beijing cannot be flying to the Antarctics.

But then, there seemed to be someone deliberately and intentionally wanting everyone to believe the aircraft sank in the Antarctics. This someone was even influential enough to have agencies cooking up flimsy evidences to point to the Antarctics. Destination Antarctics was a deliberate hoax to turn all attentions away from the real location of the aircraft and its passengers. Sure, maybe 3 years or 5 years down the road they will pick up a rusty black box in the Antarctics to prove that MH370 was there but with all information destroyed.

The clue to the missing MH370 lies in its cargoes. Malaysia must come up fully open to disclose everything that was in the cargo hull of the aircraft, the owners, the cargoes, where the cargoes were heading to. Malaysia cannot hide under the secrecy excuse and refuse to cooperate on this revelation. 239 lives are at stake. Malaysia must lay bear everything for the investigators to work on and to find out the motive and reasons for the missing aircraft. There are too many things that the Malaysian govt is not telling and is thus implicated in this sordid and wicked affair.

It is time for Malaysia to come clean and transparent to tell the whole truth to help investigations to go on to the next stage. Two months have been wasted by misinformation and disinformation. It is so evil for people to mislead the search parties who were trying to save lives. Would the Malaysian govt have the conscience to raise the bar and tell all for the truth to surface? Or would Malaysia choose to continue with its wayang that it was also a victim, an innocent party that did not know anything? The least the Malaysian govt can do to distance itself from being implicated is to tell all it knows starting with the content of the cargoes and the details of ownership and destination.

There will be no closure until all stones are unturned. It cannot be otherwise. The most irresponsible thing to do now is to close the chapter and presume all the passengers are dead. They may be still alive waiting to be rescued. And the perpetrators may just be waiting for the signal that the whole world has given up on the passengers as the green light to terminate them.

This is the time to conduct extensive investigation work to find the passengers. Follow the examples of the Israelis to track down the hijackers. Deplore all resources and people to every nook and corners to track down the evil doers. This is not the time to call it a day. It is just beginning. The passengers could be waiting to be saved. Do not pronounce them as dead and gone.

The hidden agenda of Abe and his revisionists

The revival of Japanese Imperialism and its glorious military past are top on Abe’s agenda. Abe wants to lead Japan to become a major world power like Hitler did to Germany. Japanese nationalism, militarism and imperialism are all the cards Abe has been playing with. But this is not all.

Japan has a willing partner in the Americans who would want to continue to be the unchallenged superpower in the world. By playing up the fear of China, by provoking China to react, to become more assertive to reclaim its territories, Abe is dragging the Americans by the nose. The Americans have no choice but to go along. And it makes a lot of sense for the Americans to be supporting a second rate power to oppose and contain China. Japan could do anything it wants to irritate and agitate China and any reactions by China would be pleasing news and excuses to exaggerate the threat of China to its neighbours. China is expansionist, China is expanding its military expenditure, China is getting more assertive, China is going to swallow up all its neighbours. What else is new?

It was all very convenient and expedient for the Americans to play the backbencher to cheer the Japanese on and to carry the big stick to keep China in check. So thought the Americans, that they could have the cake and eat it too, with the Japanese doing all the banging and screaming and the Americans standing behind like the guardian angel.

Japan cannot expect to be a superpower in the league of the US and China. It is just too small to compete with the two giants. This is not the 19^th or 20^th Centuries when a small country could rule half the world with technology when other countries were underdeveloped, weak and disorganised. How then could Japan achieve super power status in the ranks of the US and China, and if better, surpass the two giants? What is up Abe’s sleeves?

Now, would it be nice if the US is made to take on China in an all out war? All Japan needs to do is to keep provoking the Chinese and when the latter retaliate, runs back to the Americans for help and get the Americans in direct confrontation with China. It is like killing two birds with one stone with the two giants not knowing how they ended up in an all out war destroying each other. It would also in a way avenge the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by destroying the American military and economic might as well as that of China.

When these two giants went into a head on collision, none is going to come out alive, at best half dead. Who would be the victor, the next Number One superpower, when the US and China were spent force? Are the Americans seeing the big picture? Hopefully. Hopefully their Asian pivot is only rhetoric and the Americans would not be deceived into an open warfare with China and fall into the Japanese trap.

Can Abe fix Obama and the Americans to court self destruction and reap the reward to become the next Number One super power?

Kopi Level - Red

Chee Soon Juan - A time to Chee

How shall I write a piece on Chee Soon Juan without being seen as biased, partial or stereotyping or unthinking? If I say he is good, some quarters would be frowning. If I say he is NG, would I be doing justice to this man?

Everyone has an impression on Chee Soon Juan, mostly negative. The reason, they read the media and listen to the official news. Has there been anything written or spoken on Chee Soon Juan that is good or fair comment on this man? People who made a judgement on a person like Chee based on what they read about him in the media must seriously do some thinking and ask themselves what really happened and was he that bad a guy? And there are many questions to be asked as to why he has such a bad public image for so long, as an aspiring politician. He is so brash, he is so disrespectful, he is…. but that was 20 years ago.

Look across the causeway and look at Anwar Ibrahim. This one was imprisoned, tarred and feathered, charged for sodomy and all the hideous things that his political opponents could think of to fix him. The big difference, though some of the charges were really very serious, is that the Malaysian public are more sophisticated than the daft Sinkies. They do not believe everything that is published in the media and definitely would not believe the bad things the politicians said about Anwar. They are thinking and will challenge the official truth. They believe that those who cast stones at Anwar were many times worst than Anwar. Do the Sinkies bother to think and challenge the official truth on what Chee Soon Juan is all about?

Historically, many politicians found themselves on the wrong side of the political equation and were condemned or imprisoned for political crimes or for being politically incorrect. We have many that were detained for half of their lives without trial. Were they really bad people or simply politicians of the wrong camp? And there were many infamous personalities that have to seek the safety of foreign shores, never to return home.

On the international scene, there are great names like Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and Deng Xiaoping. All were once on the wrong side of the political divide. They came back, rehabilitated, and rose to become very good leaders in their countries. If the opportunities were not given to these politicians, they would have ended in the dark corners of history, might even die in prison, for political crimes or just being on the wrong side.

Are Sinkies wise enough, mature enough, to do their own thinking, to make their own judgement on what is a good man or a bad person? Chee Soon Juan is definitely not an immortal, but an ordinary man. He would have all the flaws like you and me. Only immortals are flawless, mind you. All men have flaws, only discovered or exposed or the time is not ripe yet. Do not take anyone at face value. Do not make a judgement on another man by what others make out of him. Do your own thinking, and it is very easy. Scrutinise the facts, the intents and the truths imposed on your thinking. Be a bit cynical and critical and be a bit smart for your own good.

Is Chee Soon Juan what he is made out to be? Would he make a good politician to serve the people, speak up and stand up for the people? A good politician is one that serves your interest, not his own interest, not one that ignores your interest. A good politician is one that listens to you, not to himself.

Is it time for Chee? Is there room in Parliament for Chee?

Kopi Level - Red

10 reasons and 10 rebuttals on high ministerial salaries

Below are the 10 reasons put up by Roy Ngerng on the govt’s justifications for high ministerial salaries that Roy called 10 logical fallacies. I will attempt to rebut what Roy wrote in defence of the high salaries and hope my explanations are logical. And I think the IB will not attack me for writing this piece. I will want to clarify here that they are my versions and not PAP’s versions and I have not been commissioned to reply on their behalf. I just hope that my reasonings would make good sense.
 

1.      Why would the government fight to pay the highest salaries to themselves in the world but would not fight for the wages of Singaporeans, and would allow Singaporeans to earn the lowest wages among the high-income countries?

RB: If the govt does not fight to pay themselves, who else would fight for them? Tiok boh?  If Singaporeans would to fight to pay them high salaries then they would not need to fight for themselves right? And Singaporeans are earning the lowest wages because of competition. This one can’t be helped or Singaporeans would not even have jobs if they don’t accept low salaries. It is a global market, people can come in freely to replace Singaporeans. Heard of boh cheng hu?

2.      The government says that we need to pay them high salaries so that they won’t be corrupt. But they would pay Singaporeans low wages. If Singaporeans do not need to earn high wages, yet we can be honest, doesn’t that mean that there’s no need to pay the government such high salaries?

RB: Corruption at govt level is very serious as a lot of money will be involved. The higher in the govt the bigger will be the corruption. So very important to make sure ministers are not corrupt or tempted. This kind of super logic only can be found in Sinkieland. Singaporeans not earning high wages corrupt or not corrupt not important. At those low levels how much can they corrupt? How much is a Brompton bicycle cost. Peanuts right? They will be more interested in blowjobs than money. So no big problem.

3.      If we are paid low wages, does that mean Singaporeans are a dishonest lot? If we are not, then can the government earn lower salaries and still be honest?

RB. See answers above. The assumption is that everyone can be tempted to be corrupt. Only how much to corrupt and the price to prevent corruption. It is all about the temptation of man. And political leaders are only man, not immortals. Oops.

4.      If we have to pay the government such high salaries so that they can honest, doesn’t that mean they are corrupt in the first place?

RB: See answers above.

5.      If we need to pay the government high salaries so that they are willing to do the work, shouldn’t we fire them and bring in someone who’s willing to be honest and do the work at lower salaries?

RB: The problem is that you cannot find such talented people in the whole world that could be contented with a few millions dollars and would not be corrupt. Paying a few millions and have no corruption is really very cheap.

6.      If the government wants us to pay them high salaries to improve their performance, but the income inequality and poverty in Singapore has now become the highest among the developed countries, and Singaporeans earn the lowest wages and have the lowest purchasing power among the developed countries, doesn’t that mean that the government hasn’t improved Singapore? If so, shouldn’t we pay the government much lower salaries or shouldn’t the government step down?

RB: Depending on who you are, at least 60% of the Singaporeans have seen their lives improved. It is not possible to improve the lives of everyone right? And some Singaporeans are just not good enough, have skills mismatched, or some working for fun or for dignity. Money is not important to them. Didn’t you see the old uncles and aunties so happy and so proud of their jobs in the foodcourts and hawker centres? They are going to work till they die, happily.

Cannot pay the govt lower salaries or they will be corrupt or worse, they may resigned, then no talented people will step up to run the country. Cannot ask them to sacrifice too much.  Like that damn jialat you know. They will all go back to work in the private sector to earn more millions.

7.      If the government is willing to keep themselves on the highest salaries in the world, even as Singaporeans have been earning the lowest wages among the high-income countries for many years now, shouldn’t the government also reduce their salaries in the face of the stagnating wages among Singaporeans? If the government is not willing to do so, doesn’t that mean that they are being dishonest?

RB: Cannot reason like that one. Top talents must use top talent logic and no talent must use no talent logic. Just imagine if we remove this govt, there will be no more talent left in the island. This is the best team that can be found, A Team. And cannot accuse them of being dishonest, these are the most honest and honourable people, self sacrificing leaders that money can buy. Or you want to leave the country to Team B to run or the no talent opposition parties to run? All the talents available in the island are in the govt. Other places cannot find, got no more talents to find.

8.      If the heads of the Nordic countries can earn $300,000 and are able to turn their countries into one of the most equal in the world, where their citizens are able to earn one of the highest wages and have one of the highest purchasing power and happiness in the world, then why are we paying the Singapore prime minister 7 times more to create the most unequal society among the developed countries, where we earn the lowest wages among the high-income countries?

RB: You want to live in the Nordic country or you want to live in the most expensive city in the world where every one out of two person is a millionaire? You want to be millionaire or not? Income inequalities in a capitalist economy is normal. Can’t be helped. This is progress.

9.      If the government wants us to pay them high salaries so that they are able to be honest and perform, but if they have proven themselves to be dishonest and unable to perform, doesn’t that mean that we should reduce their salaries drastically or fire them?

RB: Where, where got govt not performing? Where got govt dishonest? No right? So second part of question irrelevant. We have the best performing govt that is the envy of the world.

10.  If they do not want to return us our money, what are they doing with our money?

RB: Return what money? You mean your CPF money? They are safe in the CPF. The govt are not touching your money. Can you prove that the govt is touching or ‘doing with’ your money? No proof cannot anyhow claim lah.

Are my answers sensible, logical and reasonable?

Kopi Level - Green

China Russian conducting war games in East China Sea

China and Russia have announced they will conduct a naval war game near the disputed islands of Diaoyu/Senkaku. This will be held in August and more exercises are being planned. China should just announced that the exercise is to simulate the capture of islands and no need to be shy about it.

China and Russia should also plan to hold joint exercises with the North Koreans in the sea around Korea. There is no reason why the Americans can conduct military exercises all year round and China and Russian refraining from doing so. The Americans have made their intention very clear about what the Asian pivot means. They are the global gangsters and wanting to rule over the countries in Asia.

Russia and China should make it equally clear to the Americans that they got the message loud and clear and will take the necessary actions and preparations to meet the American hegemonic intent. Running away and acting meek will only embolden the Americans and her allies like Japan and the Philippines. It is only a matter of time when a confrontation will result with the American camps becoming more provocative and raising tension in the region.

China and Russia should not limit their military exercises just in East Asia but should conduct some exercises in West Asia. That would make everyone more friendly and respectful. It is like gun ownership. When everyone walks around carrying a gun, everyone else would have to act more carefully and not to provoke the other. The South China Sea is also a good area for joint Russian China military exercises.

It is only war games!

Kopi Level - Green