Roy Ngerng – In the cauldron of fire

It was a bit sad to read Roy’s confession that he was feeling the stress and strains fighting the CPF battle alone and facing charges in court for defamation and a public nuisance. I must say that it is no mean feat for a young man, and Hui Hui included, to face such pressure at such a tender age. It is like the whole world closing up on them, no jobs and no prospect but with an axe over their heads.

There are not many people, young and old, who could take this kind of heat like JBJ and Chee Soon Juan. And no one is resolute and tough enough to give up a good life like Poh Soo Kai and Chia Thye Poh. These people too went into the political cauldron of fire and survived, becoming bigger men but financial paupers.

Roy Ngerng is starting to go through the same regime, to be melted down in the cauldron of fire, to be turned into pig iron or steel. Could he continue to take the heat? Women are described as made of porcelain and would get harder and stronger in extreme heat. Men will melt like iron. But at the end of it, they would still be iron or strong as steel.

Is it worth it to sacrifice once life for a cause, for the good of a nameless mass who may or may not appreciate what Roy and Hui Hui are doing? It is not only a thankless task. Some would even ridicule them for being silly and nothing better to do. This separates the ordinary from the extraordinary, the men from the boys, from people who lived for an idea or cause and people who just live simply and die in a life of non events.

I can’t tell Roy and Hui Hui what they should or should not do. If the heat is unbearable, they might want to call it a day and take a breather. It is all a matter of a calling, to answer to their hearts, to do what their hearts want them to do, not the reasoning of their heads. Rational thinking would say, why waste time on a losing cause and worse, when the people whom they are standing up for just do not care.

It is your call Roy, and Hui Hui. Yes it is a very lonely journey, a battle against a huge machine with many buttons to press to hurt, to persecute and to humiliate. How many of you out there appreciate what these two young persons are doing and are going through? When they need you most, would you be there to stand by their sides?

The only positive thing is that the end is near. Roy and Hui Hui did not come along for no reasons. Together they have scored three goals, the CPF issue that awoken the sleepy masses, raising the consciousness of the people to act in the crowd funding when he was charged for defamation, and making things looked ugly and silly, the biggest goal, when the machinery came down hard on them but with very little to go on. Many ended up with red faces and many would have to face their desserts for what they had done to Roy and Hui Hui.

Even if Roy and Hui Hui would to call it quits now, these three goals would be the legacy that could be very telling in the next GE. 

Kopi Level - Green

LKY – Two articles drew more than 200 comments in TRE

Two articles, “Disrespectful to say LKY doesn’t deserve to be an MP” and “Ungrateful to criticise LKY” have attracted 131 and 97 comments so far. The gist of the discussion is about the amount of money paid to LKY as an MP. Some were not happy that LKY was only paid $16k as an MP and there were criticisms that he should not even be paid that amount, two different and opposing schools of thoughts.
 
Is respect to a person all about money? And how much should LKY or other ministers be paid to be respectful? It would be nice to look at the full picture instead of just talking about the last drawn basic pay. To really appreciate what is going on, perhaps someone could collate the gross sum of money paid to the top 10 ministers over their full career as politicians and ministers.
 
The final sum should include everything that is legitimate and legally paid to them as politician/ministers, ie basic salary, bonuses, allowances, and other legitimate and official appointments associated with their political office. This would take some time and a lot of effort but definitely would not take 56 man years.
 
Leong Sze Hian and company have a job cut out for them to settle this issue for the people who are showing respect and disrespect to the top ministers. At least the people would know how many millions have been paid to each of them and whether these are respectful relative to their contributions to the country. Blindly screaming paying LKY $16k a month is uttering rubbish and totally out of context. And to make judgments based on this miserable $16k pm as a measure of respect or disrespect is for the simple minded.
 
What do you think?

Kopi Level - Green

The history behind the current state of politics in Hongkong

U.S. funded NGOs
 
Below is part of a write up by Sara Flounders.
The full article on American and foreign meddling in Hongkong is at http://www.4thmedia.org/2014/10/hong-kong-protests-why-imperialists-support-democracy-movement/

Fearful of democratic change coming from the working class as soon as the British signed the agreement in 1984, the ruling class began to violate it, putting in place new political parties and organizations to operate after the return of the territory to China. After 145 years of appointed government, they pompously called for
democratic change.

Three years before the 1997 handover of sovereignty, the British changed the constitution and set up district boards, urban and regional councils, and a legislative council. These top-down reforms were strongly opposed by the Chinese government as a violation of the agreement and a tactic to subvert its political system.

But more insidious than the official changes was the vast expansion of U.S. “soft power” in Hong Kong. Today more than 30,000 NGOs are registered in Hong Kong. They cover every aspect of life. (Social Indicators of Hong Kong)

The U.S. funds NGOs for political subversion through the U.S. State Department’s U.S. Agency for International Development, which makes grants to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), National Democratic Institute (NDI), National Republican Institute, Ford Foundation, Carter Center, Asia Foundation, Freedom House, Soros’s Open Society and Human Rights Watch, among others.

All these groups and many more fund projects that claim to be supporting and promoting human rights, democracy, a free press and electoral reform. This funding of social networks operates for the same purposes in Latin America and the Caribbean, throughout the Middle East and Africa, and in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics.

U.S. imperialism has not established democracy in any of its hundreds of interventions, wars, drone attacks, coups or global surveillance. But “promoting democracy” has become a cover for attacks on the sovereignty of countries all around the world.
Of course, religious groups and other states, especially those in the European Union, also fund political associations and social networks in Hong Kong and everywhere across the globe.

A few of these groups may genuinely operate independently and provide aid to immigrant workers, help low-paid workers organize, or address housing and health needs of the most unrepresented in Hong Kong. But for the most part, the NGOs are a network of “civil society” organizations controlled by and for U.S. corporate power.

A growing number of articles in the Chinese press have connected the dots of the leaders of Occupy Central and the U.S.-funded NGOs. According to China.org.cn, “Each and every ‘Occupy Central’ leader is either directly linked to the U.S. State Department, NED, and NDI, or involved in one of NDI’s many schemes.” (Oct. 6)

Occupy Central’s self-proclaimed leader, Benny Tai, is a law professor who has received NDI and NED grants and was on the board of the NDI-funded Center for Comparative and Public Law. He attended many NDI-funded conferences. This is also true for another prominent Occupy Central figure, Audrey Eu.

Also, according to China.org.cn, “Martin Lee, founding chairman of Hong Kong’s Democrat Party, is another prominent figure who has come out in support of Occupy Central. Just this year, Lee was in Washington meeting directly with Vice President Joseph Biden and Rep.

Nancy Pelosi and even took part in an NED talk hosted specifically for him and his agenda of “democracy” in Hong Kong. Lee even has a NED page dedicated to him after he was awarded NED’s Democracy Award in 1997. With him in Washington was Anson Chan, another prominent figure currently supporting the ongoing unrest in Hong Kong’s streets.”

A number of publications in the West are picking up on these exposés, including Counterpunch in “Hong Kong and the Democracy Question”; Global Research in “U.S. Now Admits It Is Funding Occupy Central in Hong Kong”; and InfoWars.com in “Is the U.S. Secretly Egging on Hong Kong Protesters?”….

U.S. and British imperialism hope to use Hong Kong as they did 150 years ago as a stronghold for pushing deeper politically into China. Today, however, they are not facing a backward feudal dynasty.
As U.S. corporate dominance in production and finance slips, the Asia pivot of the Obama administration means that the U.S. ruling class and its military apparatus has made the decision to become more confrontational toward Russia and China.
Opponents of U.S. wars and organizations defending workers’ interests in the U.S. can play an important role by refusing to align with U.S. schemes aimed at overturning pro-socialist norms inside China and undermining Chinese sovereignty. 




Kopi Level - Green

By Sara Flounders, Workers
http://www.4thmedia.org/2014/10/hong-kong-protests-why-imperialists-support-democracy-movement/

GE, the Silver Brigade fighting back

It is quite a surprise, quite shocking, to see the Pioneer Generation, PG, fighting back against daft govt policies. The PG has always been the staunchest supporters of the PAP. They were the backbone of the PAP and the building of this modern Singapore. They fought and slogged with the PAP/Govt for the last 50 years and are synonymous with the PAP/Govt. They have always given their votes to the Govt and the PAP always counted on them for their votes. And they are feeling betrayed.
 
There is an article in TRE by a PG calling all PGs to stand up to fight for the future of our children and grandchildren. The call, it is not too late to fight, and probably the last battle before this country is lost to foreigners, to aliens. The title of the article ‘Elderly SG: Why I’m worried about population growth!’ was prompted by a rude and callous remark, very likely by a silly IB, called @ Why you worry?:

November 12, 2014 at 10:45 am (Quote)
“At 70 you are 4/5 of your legs in the coffin why are you so worry about population growth? You yourself have seen the benefit of population growth since WWII and why you so worry? You better worry about yourself!”
 
This insulting remark from a young and unthinking man has drawn all the PGs together in defence of their position and the future of Singapore. The attack was uncalled for and expected from shallow young people misled by a false mission that everything is fine and any critics of govt policies and the direction the country is taking must be attacked and thumped down.
 
In a way, these silly Internet Brigades are doing more harm to whoever are behind them. They really came out as empty heads and blindly charging at anyone in their way. One such asshole came to my blog to threaten my life, thinking that he had all the power behind him to harm anyone with impunity.
 
It is good that the Silver Brigade of the Pioneer Generation picks up the cudgel to do battle for their children and grand children. They should rightfully take the lead. With the years of wisdom behind them and their perspective of history, where we were and where we are going, the Silver Brigade is a voice of wisdom. Their voice will be heard. Their concerns for the future of Singapore and the children and grand children must not be ignored. They may not be book smart but they are street wise and are very clear in their vision.
 
To the Internet Brigade, the Silver Brigade is sending you a warning. They are going to take you head on and whack the daylight out of your numbskull. They are going to hantam you until you wake up and think of the future of this country, your own future and the future of your children.
 
The agenda and mission are very simple. We are the owners of this island. We must take back this island. We must stop the reckless influx of foreigners. We must take back the good jobs for ourselves. We must take back the university places for our children. We must take back our CPF. We must take back our dignity and not be called daft, treated as daft and to be replaced by fakes and the real daft from the 3rd World. We must take back our dignity not to work till we died in old age but to be the owners of our country, to put our heads high with pride. We must not allow politicians to gag us and think they have the right to do so. We must take back our freedom to be who we are, our freedom of speech, to elect our representatives to represent us and our interests in Parliament. We must not elect unthinking parrots to Parliament.
 
Let the Silver Brigade show the way, shine the light to a brighter future for our children and grand children. Here is your destiny. The Silver Brigade is not washed out silly old men and women, like dried prunes. They are still strong and healthy and must be treated with respect. They will show the way to the young and the blind on what is installed for us and our future generations.
 
The Silver Brigade has spoken and has stood up.

Kopi Level - Green

Unethical business practices are still legal

‘Mr Iswaran said that he agreed that the sales tactics employed (by rogue merchants) are unfair to buyers and that "we must not let such unethical practices tarnish Singapore's hard-earned reputation". He said that he was glad that many have spoken up against such behaviours, and that some have even come forward to help the victim, referring to a crowdfunding effort initiated by Mr Gabriel Kang to buy the Vietnamese tourist an iPhone 6.
 
However, Mr Iswaran went on to say that "some have gone too far", revealing that the police are looking into reports regarding the alleged cheating case as well as "a related report on harassment".
 
Mr Iswaran urged the people to "exercise restraint and do not take matters into your own hands". "Let due process take its course," he wrote.’
 
Above is copied from AsiaOne Singapore. 9 Nov 14.
 
So, is Iswaran going after the rogue merchants like Jover Chew or after netizen vigilantes who shamed him? Who is the rogue that the police would deal with and who should be protected? This Jover Chew seems to be very important or may have good connections that his acts are touted as legal and clever and instead of punishing him, the netizens are warned not to go too far.
 
Law Minister K. Shanmugam was reported by The Straits Times to have said that Chew's actions were "completely unacceptable", and that "bad conduct should be dealt with strictly". He said: "My own view is that there are laws which can deal with that kind of conduct. I know the police are looking into it, and I know AGC (Attorney General's Chambers) is working with the police."
 
This must be a very complicated case that the police and the law are scratching their heads on how to deal with it. It must have just happened after 50 years of independence, something new and no one knows how to handle it.
 
May I suggest try heckling. If it doesn’t work, try harassment. If it still doesn’t work, try public nuisance. I think the last one sure to work.
 
What do you think? Can or not?

Kopi Level - Green