Singapore International Commercial Court(SICC)

Parliament approved the concept of setting up an international court to arbitrate international legal disputes here. As rightly pointed out by Shanmugam, international disputes are now handled in London and New York and there is a void that Singapore can fill. A Singapore International Court is our contribution to the international legal system, to provide a neutral judicial court for parties that do not feel comfortable going to New York and London. These western courts have been the default arbiters for international disputes and also have issues that some parties, especially Asians or countries that are not on friendly terms with New York and London, are not comfortable with.
 
SICC will fill this void and ‘will bank on Singapore’s outstanding “brand name” for good governance, low corruption and efficiency, its highly regarded judiciary and high quality legal services’. Well said. This is our capital, our unique position, our strength, to provide a neutral and fair justice system that is not beholden to any country or superpower. If SICC can do that, it will have its work cut out for it. No matter how good the reputation of New York and London, the western and American bias are not comfortable and at times unfavourable to some litigating parties.
 
Let’s hope the SICC bench consists of Singaporeans and not be another New York or London with no Singaporean faces. It will be as good as saying Singaporeans are unfit to serve in the international arena, that Singaporeans are half bakes and yes, the courts must be filled by foreign talents. We have to be ourself and take pride in being Singaporeans, real true blue Singaporeans, not those given a new pink IC. There is something special in true blue Singaporeans that is intangible and much more valuable than just pure academic abilities. The Singapore Govt must trust Singaporeans to have the ability to be the best, as good if not better than New York and London. The last thing we want to do is to become a branch of New York and London and share the same disease. Those legal minds in London and New York do not have 3 heads and 6 limbs. They are like us, with a head, a pair of eyes and 4 limbs.
 
I read the report in the media and there is no mention of foreigners becoming the judges in SICC. I hope it will stay that way, and SICC will surpass New York and London in providing justice to all, the Singapore way. We must raise the profile of the Singapore Brand, be proud of the Singapore Brand, and not be another bastardised brand. We don’t have to become bastards to be good.

Kopi Level - Yellow

An open plea to the Prime Minister – The fate of Singaporeans

This is a very sad letter from a citizen to the Prime Minister on how local talents are rapidly being replaced by foreigners under the open leg wide wide policy. Foreigners are brought in with very high pay and Singaporeans are sacked and have to go to 3rd world countries to earn lower pay while leaving their family members behind. And more 3rd world talents are brought in to fill the gaps. This is the process of Dalitisation of Singaporeans. Here is the abridged letter from Delwyn Yee. Full letter posted in The Real Singapore.
 
Dear Mr Prime Minister,
 
My name is Delwyn Yee Zheng Ting, aged 21 and I wish to discuss a very dire issue regarding my father Dallas Yee Kok Keong aged 48.
 
My father is a very hardworking man who was working for Jaguar Landrover as a manager and was forced to resign by his superior who is a Canadian. This particular superior was a bully. He draws a high salary and would always push all the work to my father who was already very busy but my father was way too good a person to make a fuss with him….
 
3 months ago, my father was called up by his Canadian boss and was told that my father had to either resign or be sacked by the company. The reason he gave was they thought my father would also resign like the rest of the managers. They told my father that the company had already employed someone else to replace him. This was even before my father’s resignation….
 
My father had no choice but to resign and was told to leave the company immediately….
 
Thankfully, my father, having a good reputation in the industry, was immediately approached by Jaguar in the Philippines. He had to accept the position because he had no choice. He left with my younger brother and sister and my step mother. I am now studying in Poly and cannot go with him. Now I am living alone in Singapore with my family so far away. Is this fair? Is this fair to me or my dad?
 
I really hope that you can come up with something to bring justice. Why are so many foreign talents allowed to work in Singapore even when they didn’t have the necessary skills?.....
 
I know foreign talents are important. But my father is also a talent. He has 30 years of experience in the industry and has been hard working. Why should he lose his job for no good reasons and now have to leave Singapore to work in the Philippines?
 
Please understand that I miss my father and my siblings. I am now all alone in Singapore. The foreign talents came in to Singapore and now Singapore talents have to leave and families break up. Is this what Singapore should become?
 
Your faithful citizen
Delwyn Yee Zheng Ting
 
Is this an isolated case or this is the trend? Is this good for Singaporeans or killing Singaporeans. How many of you agree that this is good? Don’t answer first, wait till your turn comes to be sacked by the foreigners?
 
不见棺材不流泪
 
I do not see anything is going to change as they are going to stick to their tough and hard policies. What suggestions? Deaf frogs would not listen. They are too full of themselves.

Kopi Level - Blue, thank you

PAP Dream Team for Aljunied GRC – Redbean’s Choice

The PAP fielded a very strong team in the last GE in Aljunied. Led by the highly intelligent Foreign Minister George Yeo, the other members included Minister Lim Hwee Hua, Parliamentary Secretary Zainul Abidin, MP Cynthia Phua and newbie Ong Ye Kong who was no light weight, touted to be of ministerial material. This was a very strong team but lost. If this is an indication of the strength of the WP team, PAP would have to field an even stronger team if it seriously thinks of taking back Aljunied. Anything less would be no go. It could also opt out by sending a token team of newbies like the young commando team at TecK Ghee in the last election to try their luck. By doing so it would be losing Aljunied by default.
 
Putting a strong team of ministers is going to be a difficult choice. How many ministers would want to risk losing their multi million dollar income to volunteer for this battle? Hsien Loong too would not want to risk the few talented ministers he is left with in case they also join George Yeo in the private sector.
 
My solution, assuming that PAP wants to take back Aljunied, wants to send a strong team, and having ministers to volunteer for the job, is to field Wong Kan Seng, Mah Bow Tan and Raymong Lim. They would even volunteer for it if given a chance. This is exactly the situation that PAP stalwarts would want to prove their loyalty and bravery to fight for PAP. It is an honorable duty I am sure.
 
And don’t dismiss them as not ministers. The pension each is drawing, if I am not wrong, could be more than the whole team of WP MPs’ income or near there. They are really heavy weights and befitting to take on the WP with their experience in the game.
 
To add weight to them, if PAP still does not think they could pull it off, PAP could draw on the weight and drawing power of Chok Tong and LKY. With these two super heavyweights, it is a sure win formula. They would definitely answer the call of duty if needed. Chok Tong would love to serve another term as ESM. And for winning Aljunied, he could be honoured with the title Senior ESM. As for LKY, his charisma and aura would give me many additional votes for sure.
 
The only problem with this team is the lack of a minority candidate. So either Chok Tong or LKY would have to be sidelined. But the good news, PAP would be spoilt for choices for a strong minority candidate. Hsien Loong could volunteer Vivian or Yaacob for the job. They are unlikely to volunteer themselves, just my opinion. And with either one in the team, no one can say there is no incumbent minister like the last team. Perfect match.
 
For those who are thinking of the missing female touch, and still aware that there is a Sylvia Lim in the WP team, and wanting a female candidate, the top choice would be Intan. Then you will have a female candidate and a minority candidate in one to pull in female voters and minority voters.
 
For those who would want a minister in waiting like Ong Ye Kung, it is unlikely that he would return to Aljunied, there is no better choice than Janil Puthucheary. Both have the same pedigree of being scions of former Barisan Socialis MPs. Both are ministerial material. And having Janil PAP will have a 3 in 1 candidate that is difficult to find today, ie a minority, a ministerial caliber and a son of Barisan Socialis, to win them votes. And oh, maybe a 4 in 1, using a new citizen to show to the new citizens and potential new citizens that they too can become MPs and ministers too. Janil’s will be able to attract all the votes from ex Barisan Socialis supporters, new citizens and of course the minority groups.
 
Wow, this minority candidate is going to give Hsien Loong a pleasant headache, so many attractive candidates to choose from. Having considered all the pros and cons, my first Dream Team would be Wong Kan Seng, Mah Bow Tan, Raymond Lim, ChokTong and Janil. My second Dream Team would be the first four and Intan. Janil beats her in many areas, ministerial caliber, Barisan Socialis roots, and will be a model for new citizens and more foreigners would even take up citizenship because of him.
 
Either of these Dream Teams would be hard to beat for the WP. Low Thia Khiang would be scratching his head with no reply to the weight they carry.
 
Good choice or not?

Kopi Level - Blue, Thank you

SGX to mandate sustainability report

A long and beautiful article on the great things the SGX will be doing to make it the best bourse in the world by Jessica Cheam, like all the great things it introduced to increase market volume, participation and trading activities came out last week. I read and read and it sounded so beautiful that I knew it was on the right track. So I knew I don’t have to waste time reading further. The sustainability report is the thing to turn SGX around.
 
What is this sustainability report about? In brief, ‘it requires a company to measure and report on the environmental and social impact of its business on top of its financial and governance performance, which is already part of the regulatory disclosure practised today…includes a wide range of issues such as biodiversity loss and green house gas emissions(environmental); workplace health and safety and employee relations(social); and bribery, corruption and business ethics(governance).’
 
Put it simply, it is like dressing up a model with the best protective gear ala the Ebola health workers, plus the best makeup on a super model. All the best protection gears needed but without knowing that the worker is already infected by the virus and dying.
 
How could this sustainability report help to bring the market to life? Or does the SGX know why the market is dying or already collapsed through lack of real investor participation? The industry is going kaput, and is this sustainability report another sophisticated window dressing like all the new dressings!
 
Now you know why I gave up reading half way? I would like to take a bet that the market will get worse with this sustainability report, like all the no lunch breaks, smaller bid size, smaller lot size etc etc. It is not going to work and it is not going to bring the market anywhere except down.
 
This is just my view. Please feel to disagree, especially the experts who know better.

Kopi Level - Blue, Thank you.

Jokowi forgives satay vendor that defamed him

Below is reported in the Jakarta Post and copied from TRS. It shows how big this man is and how his act of magnanimity would raise him above ordinary people with small hearts. He would gain more and win the hearts of more people by a simple and generous act like this.
 
‘President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has forgiven Muhammad Arsyad, a satay vendor who was detained by the police for allegedly defaming him online.
 
Jokowi said he forgave Arsyad during a meeting with the satay vendor’s parents, Mursidah and Syafrudin, at the State Palace on Saturday.
 
“I forgive him 100 percent. I forgave him through his parents,” Jokowi told reporters. First Lady Iriana was also present during the 30-minute meeting.
 
Jokowi added he had asked the police to release Arsyad from detention. ...Jokowi also called on the public to learn from Arsyad’s case and promote decency and respect for others online. ‘
 
When you are a big man, there is no need to throw your weight on the small men to show you are a big man. Doing that is a sure sign of weakness and insecurity, the sign of a small man. People will not see you as a big man anymore.

Kopi Level - Green