Update on mysingaporenews book

To date I am still short of a few hundred dollars to get the book printed.
I am renegotiating with the printers to print lesser copies at a lower
cost. Very likely I may have to cough up the balance to get it done.

I am quite confident that it can be done. Hopefully there will still be a
trickle of donations coming in to make up for the shortfalls.

Thanks everyone.

Redbean

Is the out of this world minister salary worth preserving?

One of the most controversial policies of LKY must be the high minister salary that he introduced as a compelling must do thing in his time. He made such a ‘convincing’ case for it that there was hardly anyone opposing to it. The country needs the best men and women in political leadership. The country is so big, the job is so big, the salary must be so big also or else no good men or women who need big money to satisfy their ego would want to serve the country. Of course these were his assumptions. His other unstated assumption is that good men and women would step forward to serve when the money is there.
 
As usual he used Richard Hu from Shell as an example to push his case. He assumed that everyone was as highly paid as Richard Hu when they stepped forward. The policy has been in force for two decades. Let’s take a look at LKY’s assumptions for this policy and whether it lives up to his expectation and effectiveness.
 
Look at all the ministers and MPs and ask yourself a simple question. Are they the top talents in the island and deserving of what they are being paid, in the millions? If yes, good, the policy has served its designed purpose in getting the best men and women to be in politics. If no, why? Are the best men and women stepping forward or backward from politics despite the big draw in monetary terms? If not, why? Maybe the carrot is not big enough. Maybe politics is just not their cup of tea even if the carrot is blown up another 10 times its size. Maybe, this is important, good men and women do not think money should be the reason to be in politics.
 
Again, if the policy is serving its purpose, keep it. If the policy is not getting the best men and women into politics, it is like saying we are overpaying the lesser than the best men and women by the millions to go into politics while the best men and women remained out of politics. Which is which? I am not even dealing with the situation when the best professional in whatever fields, earning millions, turned into a political dud but still being paid millions for becoming a misfit in a profession they were not trained for or neither have they the heart and instinct to do a good job.
 
If it is not working, not attracting the best men and women into politics, should good money, millions, continue to be paid to the ‘not the best men and women’ in politics? Should this policy or legacy be reviewed?
 
Are we getting value for money? What do you think? I heard some giggling.

Amos Yee – The charges

Amos Yee and his parents appeared in court yesterday to face the following charges for his YouTube video clip. ‘Police said Amos will face charges in court today under Section 298 of the Penal Code for utterances against Christians with a “deliberate intent to wound religious feelings”. Other charges include circulating an obscene object and making threatening, abusive or insulting communication which is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. The Straits Times’
 
Read carefully and you will notice how serious the charges are. ‘Deliberate intent to wound religious feelings’ means that the act was intentional and touching on a taboo area in the city state, ie religion and religious feeling. These two points are serious and not to ‘pray pray’ with.
 
The other adjectives used, ‘threatening, abusive or insulting,…likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress’ …to who? Amos’ offending words were in the YouTube. You know what is the YouTube? A YouTube is like a private document, not sold on the street sides, not forced onto the audience like the TV or Radio, demanding your attention. If you want to view the clip you would have to intentionally access it through a gadget or computer. You seek for the video or info. They don’t come breathing down your neck. Amos did not ask anyone to go to his YouTube to listen to him. The viewers seek to view on his own volition. The viewers trepassed into his video or a blog. He did not broadcast to everyone. Intent?
 
Perhaps all YoutTube postings or blogs should have a privacy clause, ‘The material or info is private, enter or view at your own risk’. Now, would this make a difference and protect the author from being accused of being intentional or threatening anyone, or harassment or causing alarm and distress to others? A YouTube or blog is passive. If a person does not intent to visit, the person would not notice anything or be offended by its content. Someone shitting in the toilet, another one enters and feels offended by the shit. The person shitting has intent to shit on him? So very funny. Actually it is not funny at all.
 
But in this city state, the law is the law. Just obey the law and know the peculiarities of the law that is uniquely Singapore. Enter at your own risk. I mean visiting YouTube or blogs.

The Strange Disappearance of The Men-in-White

by MIKOspace

As long as I could remember as a little boy, they were always there.  One or two of them would come to our house almost every week to talk to my dad, and neighbours.  They asked him what issues he might have regarding anything really.  Whatever my dad raised, they would promise to do something about it and come back to him with some answers. They always returned. Most times, my dad seemed quite happy with whatever actions reportedly taken. 

I grew up accustomed to see them around the community. On some occasions, they would wear their all-white signature shirts and pants, or skirts for the ladies.  Later, a book would be written about these Men-in-White, or MIW, who belong to the People’s Action Party (PAP) who has formed the government of Singapore over the past 55 years since 1959.  

Just over a week ago on 23 March 2015, MM Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first Prime Minister (1965-1990) and the Founder of modern Singapore passed away at the age of 91 years old.  During the following National Mourning Week (23-29 March), I did not see any MIW.  Indeed, where did the MIW go as the nation engulfed in sorrow and grief?  He was one of the Founders of the PAP, and the longest-serving Secretary-General of the Party of MIWs; their Grandmaster, their Paramount Leader, their Mentor, Advisor and General of Generals who led the MIWs from victory to victory at every general election battle after battle over the past 50 years!

Did the MIWs scatter upon the death of their first leader Lee Kuan Yew?  Lee’s son, Hsien Loong, is now the 3^rd Prime Minister, after PM Goh Chok Tong.  Were the MIWs so devastated by the loss of MM Lee that they became dissipated, disorganised and disappeared?

   

I decided to investigate the strange disappearance last week of the ubiquitous Men-in-White members of the PAP rank and file.  Here’s the Report of the purportedly missing MIW.   

The first discovery was that the MIW did not disappear last week during the National Mourning Week.  It was such a relief and comfort.  Yes, their PAP Branches remained opened as per their weekly schedule from Monday to Friday.  Yes, the MIW were there as usual serving the residents who came to see them.  However deep their sorrows and grief over the death of MM Lee, the MIW remembered that the weekly Meet-the-People Session (MPS) were instituted by him to connect the PAP to the people regularly.  This Mission continues relentlessly even as MM Lee rested in state at the Istana’s Sri Temasek and Parliament House later. 

The people’s issues and grievances have to be heard; their petitions to appropriate government bodies advocated, and they have to be assured of being represented, so that the masses’ confidence in the “Party of the People” be always reinforced and sustained.  For the MIW, the PAP is always there to help lift up the poor, assist in the healing of the sick and the protection of the weak.  Overall, the continuing Mission of the MIW is to assure, ensure and create the greatest benefits, the greater good, for the largest number of Singaporeans for a more secure future and better society for them, their children and their children’s children. 

During the National Mourning Week, the MIW were in fact everywhere, somewhere and anywhere the observance activities were taking place.  And then some. The MIW were there among the people queuing up to 6-10 hours along Clarke Quay, UOB Plaza, One Fullerton and the Cavenagh Bridge on Wednesday, as well as the Padang over the next 3 days.  As always, the MIW enjoy no special privileges or special shorter queue, and they also help to ferry the old and elderly as well as distribute water to the people in the queue.

No, we did not see the MIW in their customary white attires. The Men-in-White had joined common cause with the People-in-Black united in the common painful sorrow of the death of the People’s Champion.  They were indistinguishable. Dressed in common black, the MIW and people entwined in painful grief as they comfort one another to make the transition easier to bear.  The pain grew deep and unbearable as to be intolerable at times during the funeral procession on Sunday.  Together, they were one; united in loss, side-by-side as one people, facing tomorrow as one nation and reaching beyond our grasp towards realizing the fuller vision of the remarkably extraordinary man who took us on the road of no return arriving at the Metropolis which he promised, and which he has now entrusted and bequeathed to us all – MIW and people – to be One People and One Nation forever.

The Mystery solved – the MIW did not disappear last week.  Perhaps, they are always with us and never left us under any circumstances.  In times like the mourning and passing of our Father of the Nation, it is refreshing to know that MM Lee has left behind his MIW to guide and lead Singapore through whatever challenges and prospects await us.  We shall know that MM Lee is always with us, his legacies our foundation and his words of wisdom our pillars, as long as the MIW are around. 

Remembering MM Lee Kuan Yew:

Eulogy to MM LKY (with Pix)

Last Walk with MM LKY (with Pix)

Obituary 2015 – Lee Kuan Yew

A Conversation with Lee Kuan Yew

MM Lee’s Timeless Advice: “Peace & Progress in East Asia”

The World Will Miss Lee Kuan Yew

The Strange Disappearance of the Men-in-White (with Pix)

Daft Sinkies deserve to be kicked out from this island.

Below is a letter of complain against a foreigner by a daft Sinkie appearing in The Real Singapore blog.
 
‘FT TEACHER HOGS 2 RESERVED SEATS IN BUS AND IGNORES ELDERLY COMMUTERS' STARES
THEREALSINGAPORE 16 March 2015 - 9:42am
 
This PR lady was infront of me in the line queueing for the feeder service which plys 10 bus stops around my estate. First when i stood behind her she gave me a very dirty stare like i had done something bad to her. I turned away.. immediately she took her phone started dialling and i guess the other party answered... she started reprimanding the person with her very heavy accent and was giving instuctions to run a class.’
 
I take issue with this good for nothing daft Sinkie not because he shied away when confronted by a nasty stare when he did not do anything. I take issue not because he did not do anything about the ugly situation in front of him. I take issue not because he acted like a lame duck, afraid to defend what is right or wrong. I take issue not because he thought it was a brave thing to complain in the net and not deal with the matter there and then.
 
I take issue because he cannot tell the difference between a lady and a bitch. He called a bitch a lady! For goodness sake, he is so stupid. With this kind of useless Sinkies around, this island would eventually be taken over by foreigners and bitches.
What is happening to the once proud Singaporeans who built and own this island? Do they have to behave like pariahs, like aliens in their own country and be allowed to be bullied by foreigners and got frightened by a hostile stare of a foreigner?
 
God, please get rid of all the useless daft Sinkies. They don’t deserve to be citizens of this island. Wait a minute, they have given it up by default and allowing the foreigners to stake a claim on this island as theirs. It is only a matter of time before they become boat people, chased out by foreigners from a country they no longer think is theirs.
 
My message to all the daft Sinkies, if you are afraid to defend your rights and ownership as citizens of your country, if you don’t defend your rights to be citizens of your country, you will lose your rights to be a citizen of your country and you will lose your country.
 
Stop behaving like foreigners. Defend your birth rights to this country your Ah Kong and Ah Mahs fought and built for you.