PAP has never been so vulnerable

What is left of the PAP after 50 years in power? Superficially there is still a little fading glory of the past to hang on for a while. There is still some historical evidence to claim it has done good for the people. What else is left of the mighty political machine that could devour any opposition in its path effortlessly at its prime? The confidence, the war cry and the fake jeering of expecting and wanting stronger and more worthy opponents, the walkovers and the lame wishes to win an election the respectable way to enter Parliament were long gone.
 
Today, PAP is going to fight for its survival. Yes it is going to fight for its life or death in the next election not another 10 or 15 years There are so many very serious issues that it could not solve and could not sweep under the carpet. The people are demanding for answers that were not forth coming. The problems will not go away, the people will continue to demand for answers till the very last day of the GE, or else.
 
The team of politicians in PAP’s stable is like a list of has beens or understudies. The olds are too feeble to do anything. The young are too young to make any impact, all lightweights that could be blown away by a gust. The senior ministers that were dependable to carry their own weights have discredited themselves to beyond redemption. Some were just waiting to be shown the exit.
 
Where is the strength of the PAP today? Where or who are the leaders that could call the shot and carry the day? Is there anyone out there of such illuminating stature that could captain the team to victory? As for the run of the mill MPs, what the heck are they doing? Finding little silly faults with the opposition? Is that clever, a wise thing to do when living in a big glass house, wholly transparent and with all the problems waiting to shatter the glass to pieces? The more these MPs try to diminish the opposition for the slightest flaw, the more ridiculous they looked. And the more they remind the people of the hypocrisies, of the big issues not mentioned, the white elephants everywhere.
 
PAP is like a headless mammoth machine going nowhere. Where are the brilliant policies to give hopes to the people of a better future other than more shopping malls, more ‘affordabl’ housings, more food courts and more foreigners to bloat the already over populated city state? What kind of good life is there for the people other than higher and higher cost of living and lower and lower income? What aspirations are they when people are being prodded to ride bicycles, to become taxi drivers and security guards, not to pursue tertiary educations, and being replaced by foreigners from God forsaken places and from universities with names like Apapa and Amama? The better ones would produce certificates from the like Unversities of Calipornia, Harward, Cambrick, and more infamous brands.
 
There is also this dark force in the social media messing around with netizens. Unfortunately the quality of these insurgents and internet brigades (giving a false impression of who they are) are doing a great disservice to whoever is behind them. If they are what they portrayed to be, their hooligan and gangster behaviors and aggressive tactics are doing more harm than good.
 
With only a handful of safe candidates, the rest are touch and go with many more on the side of go. And for bragging about how they would fight for every inch, somehow it is not convincing and more like putting up a bad pretension. The next GE will find every PAP candidate fighting for survival on their own right with little room for comfort. Never has this state of affair happened in the PAP’s dominance record except for the early years when they were fighting the Barisan Socialis for their dear life.
 
History has come full circle. It is back to the days of fighting a life and death battle this time round. Can the PAP win the hearts and minds of the people again?

Kopi level - Green

Tanjong Pagar – The fengshui of PAP

Anyone wonders why PAP has enjoyed so many years of good fortune? Has any one ask the geomancers or the monks in Kong Meng San why? Someone said Tanjong Pagar is the seat of PAP’s power and good fortune. And that is why LKY has been sitting there for the last few decades, guarding the sacred ground for PAP.
 
Tanjong Pagar is so important that even at his advanced age LKY will not let go. Die die must take Tanjong Pagar to ensure PAP’s prosperity and good fortune. Of course Ang Mo Kio is another good fengshui site and naturally Hsien Loong is sitting there.
 
Now Tan Jee Say is mounting a challenge to the most important PAP fengshui site, Tanjong Pagar GRC. You can bet that the PAP will go all out to secure Tanjong Pagar to protect its continued good fortune. But someone said fengshui could change over the years and there are some signs that Tanjong Pagar’s good fengshui may have shifted.
 
This could explain why Chan Chun Sing has to vacate Tanjong Pagar. But this is yet to be confirmed by any fengshui master. Just watch, if another big gun is stationed in Tanjong Pagar in the next GE, it would mean that Tanjong Pagar is still the key to PAP’s longetivity. And it could also mean that PAP is not confident that Chan Chun Sing could hold on to this hot and very important seat. A stronger candidate must take over from LKY to secure Tanjong Pagar. Losing this seat would bring an end to PAP’s rule. The only misgiving is that there are only a couple of strong candidates left. Who is strong enough to hold on to Tanjong Pagar?
 
The Singaporean First’s foray into Tanjong Pagar is strategic. It is an attack on the most important ‘xue mai’ 穴脉 of PAP. Hsien Loong is likely to guard the other important ‘xue mai’ at Ang Mo Kio. It is inconceiveable for the PAP to lose these two vital positions. It will be the end of PAP if it happens. It would be scary if Singaporean First would to launch a simultaneous assault on the two GRCs. Winning both would assure Singaporean First’s political fortune to outshine that of the WP from the fengshui point of view.
It looks like Tan Jee Say has consulted his feng shui master and knows what should be done and where to go after. Secure the most important fengshui point and the rest will follow smoothly.

Kopi Level - Blue. Thank you

Jover Chew – Board of Inquiry

There is this rumour, or gossip, in the kopitiam that Jover Chew’s company is conducting an independent investigation on the recent sales tactics in Sim Lim Square. The Board of Inquiry will comprise independent directors of the company. Experts in the business and witnesses from Sim Lim Square will also be called to make sure the inquiry will be transparent and above board. Justice will not only be done but also seen to be done.
 
Some people are still unhappy with the board of inquiry. Why not follow the Little India Riot precedence and an independent committee be appointed to sit in the Board of Inquiry? Would it be really independent when the Board of Inquiry consists of members of the same company?
 
Is it not a bit funny to have the directors of the same company investigating the company’s wrong doing? Would they want to wash their own dirty linen in public? Or would they find in more important to cover their own ass and turn it into another wayang for public consumption?
 
I am sure if this rumour is true the happiest person would be Jover Chew. If I were to give my 2 cents worth, at least I would want the investigation to be conducted by the management committee, a slightly more neutral part. And if really want to be independent and neutral, it would be good for the Tourist Board to investigate as it is its mission to protect shoppers and the reputation of Singapore as a shoppers’ paradise.
 
Having an internal party to hold an investigation is at best a show. No matter what, the public would not be convinced that the BOI would be forthcoming when evidence did not reflect too well on the organization.
 
What say you?

Kopi Level - Blue. Thank you.

APEC Without Japan is Better for Regional Stability & Security

By MIKOspace

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2014 gathers this week in Beijing, China, against the backdrop of deep tensions between host China and neighboring Japan over the Diaoyo Islands and Japan’s continual honouring of her war-time war criminals at a Shinto Shrine. Oft-times over the recent decades, Chinese unhappiness at Japanese recalcitrance have raised unnecessary concerns of military confrontations between the emergent largest and the 3^rd largest economies. Japan has never apologized for its initiating role in World War 2 in the Asia Pacific and for her brutalities and war-time atrocities, including Chinese genocides, in the countries she conquered.   

Thinking the Possible – APEC Without Japan

APEC is important to Japan.  Japan is the 3rd largest economy and the eighth most populated nation in the world. Its role in the international community is also considerable as a major aid donor and a source of global capital and credit.

In a Joint Statement release last Friday, Japan continued to deny Chinese sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, and merely “acknowledging differing views” over Diaoyu status.

According to Japan's state minister of defence Akira Sato: "The Senkaku islands are an inherent part of Japan". Never mind that it was on Chinese Maritime Charts in early 13th century; but conspicuously absent on both the 1783 Japanese Maritime Charts & 1876 Official Imperial Japan Map. Japan occupied Diaoyu in 1895 after the 1st Sino-Japanese War, making it part of Okinawa, and renamed it Senkaku in 1900. So HOW is Diaoyu (Senkaku) an "inherent" part of Japan?

Tensions also remained strained from the regular annual visits by Japanese top politicians, including its Prime Minister, to Tokyo Yasukuni Shinto shrine honoring Japan's war dead, including executed war criminals. Such actions are evidence of Japan’s lingering expansionist militaristic tendencies as well as demonstrate Japanese insensitivity to China’s, the US’ and the APEC Countries’ suffering during the Pacific War started by the Japanese.

The continual visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese Leaders also insults the memory of the 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and marines killed on the USS Arizona during the Japanese cowardly surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. 

It is clear that Japanese persistent recalcitrance over Diaoyu Islands would merely postpone the Day of Confrontation between her and China. This does NOT augur well for APEC as a zone of peace and stability for economic growth and prosperity.

It is difficult to foresee any credible role for Japan in APEC, or in the whole world, unless her impugned integrity and shameless injustice over Diaoyu is reversed together with her militaristic mindset regarding her neighbours. Japan can of course continue to play bilateral roles outside APEC with individual APEC countries.

Kopi Level - Blue. Thank you.

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APEC Without Japan is Better for Regional Stability and Security

TPP versus FTAAP

The Americans from across the Pacific Ocean is pushing for the Trans Pacific Partnership. China is pushing for the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific from the Asia side of the continent. The latter is of course Asia centric. The TPP is Pacific or American centric. It does not even mentioned Asia and trying to exclude Asia’s largest economy from the pact. It is an American and Pacific power wrangling to have a foothold in Asia with a token of Asian countries in the pact. It is more political and strategic in geo political terms than an economic trade pact.
 
The Asian countries are giving the TPP a cold shoulder, knowing what it is. There is already several economic pacts in Asia. There is the APTA which is open to all members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. There is also the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) for the 10 states of Asean and the Asean Economic Community coming into force soon.
 
These are all Asian initatives primarily for the interests of Asian states and led by Asian countries. Why is there a need for the Americans to be on this side of the Pacific Ocean telling the Asian countries what is good for the Americans is good for Asians? Why should Asian states be always under the control and domination of the Americans and expected to kneel to the Americans as the warlord, the Emperor with Asian states as members of the Empire?
 
It is about time that Asian states break free from the clutches of the American Empire and take hold of their own destinies and decide what is best for themselves, and not what Americans say is best for them. Asian countries should not allow themselves to be semi colonies of the US like South Korea and Japan. Why are Asians so eager to be led and controlled by the Americans?
 
Asia is for Asians like Singapore is for Singaporeans, not Asia for Americans and Singapore for foreigners.
The Americans just simply announced that they are going to pivot to Asia and automatically assume the role of big brother, the Emperor of Asia. Remember how they were warmly received by the Red Indians and see what happened to the Red Indians? Look at the fate of South Korea and Japan, unable to remove the military bases on their land. Philippines were lucky to be another independent and respectable country without the presence of permanent American bases in the country. The colonial mindset of some Asian countries is still fertile and alive and wanting and longing to be colonies of the West again.

Kopi Level - Red