Hong Lim Affair - Latest news

Reported in ST today 25 Oct 14

'She(NParks spokesman) said NParks did not cancel the approval given to Ms Han's "Return Our CPF" event on Sept 27. One of the charges Ms Han and Mr Ngerng are expected to face on Monday is of organising a demonstration without approval.'  Rachel Au Yong

Is there a fine distinction between having a free speech, protest rally and demonstration without approval?

Kopi Level - Green

What would Singapore be like without the true blue Singaporeans?

The true blue Singaporeans built this place from Independence to a prosperous first world country. Now they are deemed as redundant, obsolete, lazy and don’t have the skills to fit in. So they are now systematically being replaced by hungry 3^rd world talents and rogues from the West.

The question, what would Singapore be like in the future if the true blue Singaporeans become insignificant? Would Singapore still be a safe, rich and attractive place for the foreigners to come here to live and work?

Would the island still be a good and safe place to bring up children, low drug problems, women and children can go home safely in the early hours of the night without being raped, mugged or robbed?

Would the streets be clean and safe? Would the housing estate be rundown and turn into slums? 

Would there be law and order, rule of the law?

Would the businesses and industries continue to have the same vitality and productivity?

Would the foreigners turn this island into a better place or into hell? Would Singapore return to the 3^rd World like where the foreigners came from?

Kopi Level - Green

 

Below are two video clips of what Singapore is turning into if lawlessness rules the day.

VIDEO: Debt collectors behaving like loanshark thugs harassing and threatening a debtor at his HDB flat

VIDEO: Coffee shop patron beaten up by a group of unruly PRC gangsters operating in Hougang

 

New recommendations for protesters at Hong Lim Park

All protesters planning to hold a protest or even a party at Hong Lim should take note of the charges against Roy Ngerng and Han Hui Hui. Both have been charged for   “disrupt(ing) the YMCA event and caused annoyance to the public” and having committed the following acts:

1. marching around the general vicinity of the YMCA event
2. shouting loudly
3. chanting slogans
4. waving flags
5. holding placards
6. blowing whistles loudly
7. beating drums

I think the above charges are relevant when there is another event with participants in the Park. I am not sure if the above charges can be levied for annoyance to the public nearby. What if the hotel or hotel guests complained of the noise and disturbances? This point needs further clarification.

So, in view of the above, may I offer a few suggestions to protestors so that they would not be charged for the same offence by committing the same crime and doing the same things as Roy and Hui Hui. The Hong Kong Govt can learn a trick or two from Singapore and charge those students for causing annoyance to the public and all the 7 points above plus misuse of umbrellas and pitching tents at the wrong place.

Let me concentrate on the Singapore scene so that protesters in the future would not get into trouble with the law. Yes they can protest at the Speakers’ Corner but must get a permit first from the NPark. What about the provisions in the Constitutions and the POA? What about them? I am not a legal expert.

The protesters must observe the following:

1.  Check if there is another event in the Park. If there is, speak to them nicely and beg them not to report to the police if they are disturbed by the noise make by the protesters or offended by the placards, slogans, flags etc etc.
2.    Do not march around in the Park close to the participants of another event. I am not able to advise how close is close. This point must get clarifications from NPark or the Police.
3.    Don’t shout loudly even if it is a protest. Speak in a normal tone like talking to someone in a kopitiam. I think loudspeakers are definitely out now. Too loud and very disturbing.
4.    No chanting of slogans.
5.    No waving of flags even if it is the national flag.
6.    No placards, especially those with not nice things on them.
7.    No whistles ok. This is not a football match and Hong Lim Park is not the National Stadium.
8.    And also no beating of drums. What do you thing, a protest rally is not a dragon or lion dance ok.
9.    The best is to ask NPark and the Police what can or cannot do for additional safety measures. Perhaps the two agencies could come up with a Can Do and Cannot Do list to help the protesters not to break the law.
10.     And make sure it is not an illegal assembly even if the Park is designated for public assembly and protest. It can still be illegal.

I think protesters would be able to protest in peace and would not be heckled or harassed by other park users if they observe the above 10 Commandments. Good luck.

PS: The above should be read in conjunction to my other recommendations posted earlier.

Kopi Level - Green

Must say something good about the Courts

Credit must be given when it is due. There was a report in the ST on 22 Oct titled ‘SMC witness accused of overcharging’. A Dr Hong Ga Sze, ‘an expert witness for the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) to the high profile disciplinary hearing two years ago that saw Dr Susan Lim convicted of misconduct for overcharging the Queen of Brunei’s sister, had his claim of $42,000 for appearing as a witness sliced to $5,000 by the High Court.
 
Another expert witness, Dr Tan Yeow Oo, had his bills reduced from $12,145 to $9,000. These two cuts were the latest after the Court slashed the legal fee of Wong and Partners from $1.3m plus to about $300,000.
 
What is strange is that the SMC case was all about overcharging and now the experts have also been accused of overcharging and had their bills slashed by the Court. OK, I stand corrected, though it was reported as overcharging, or like overcharging, or something like overcharging, it may not be overcharging at all. So it is not exactly right to say it was overcharging as according to the Law Society, just because the Court reduced the legal fees by $1m, it did not imply or say that there was overcharging.
 
The correct version could be that no one was overcharging. Susan Lim also did not overcharge and neither the two expert witnesses. They just submit an excessive sum in their bills and it was the Court’s prerogative to slash the sum to a more realistic or reasonable level. And the sums decided by the Court just happened to be a fair amount in the eyes of the Court, not because anyone had overcharged. Or is it like that? No?
 
I rest my case. But must say that the Court has done a great service in assessing what were fair amounts to be paid by the parties. If not, the cost of everything will keep going up and inflation will hit the roof and those on the wrong side of the equation would be paying very, very much more than they should.
 
Thank God, or thank the Courts, to deliver justice to those who needed justice.

Kopi Level - Green

Mark Zuckerberg - Why my Mandarin listening ability so bad

Mark Zuckerberg won over many Chinese fans when he met them and spoke to them in Mandarin while in China. They enjoyed his casual style and personal snippets like when he asked his Chinese wife why was his Mandarin listening ability was so bad.

His wife, 'You're also bad at listening in English'.

My answer would be, 'You are American'. The Americans have very serious problem listening to the Chinese even when the Chinese speaks in English.

Kopi Level - Green