Religious extremism – beware!

The words ‘religious extremism or fanaticism’ give people a very clear idea of what they mean today. And the minds would simply wander off to the Middle East, to Iraq, to Syria and some of the countries that are homes to ISIS and the Al Qaeda.

Over the last few days, religious extremism in a different form is showing its signs in the world’s most expensive and supposedly cosmopolitan city called Singapore. A young boy of 16 insulted their ‘God’ in a YouTube broadcast and was met with threats of having his cock cut and shafted down his throat. Another gave a mild threat that the boy could be killed. Just imagine if the two were to say these to an MP like burning him? This is no joking matter. Yes, religious extremism can crop up anywhere, even in a cosmopolitan city, and the extremists could be the goody goody boy next door. In this case they are not boys but supposedly ‘responsible adults’ with good connections to the establishment.

Were they saying or uttering the threats to a boy as a joke? There were many calls for them to own up, for the police to investigate and find out what was their intent? These should be serious enough for them to realise that if they meant what they said as a joke or a figure of speech, they should explain, yes they should explain, and come out clean, that they were misquoted.

No, there was no explanation, no apologies. The big question, is this a joke, a figure of speech or an intended threat? If not, then is this in the mould of religious fanaticism, that the believers felt so aggrieved by words that hurt their ‘Gods’ and they were really furious, filled with anger and hate? Are they planning to carry out their threats? Is the boy’s safety at stake? Should there be a clarification of their intent or have they gone underground, untraceable, gone to their equivalent of the middle eastern hideouts to lie low when the heat is on?

Religious extremism can come in any form when people are easily provoked or excited or feel wronged and are strong believers of their beliefs and their ‘Gods’. Do not say anything to offend such extremists. Do not take social security and safety for granted. Do not take threats for granted. Be very careful in what you say, even in blogs and in YouTube.

PS. I too was threatened and I have to take it seriously until the asshole comes out with a statement that he did not mean it. Wherever I go, I am still watching my back all the time. And if something bad happens to me, please remember this threat against me and get the authority to go after him.

Just hope no harm goes to Amos when the extremists are still at large and did not own up. Do not take an open threat lightly no matter how subtle it is worded. You do not know what is in their minds and what is the real intent.

Education standards in Singapore universities going up again

In Singapore, you pay a price for quality. And anything that is good is expensive, priced according its quality. The SMRT is one of the best in the world. And it is so good that it is raising its fares again to match its quality of service. Fares will go up on 5 Apr 15.

Yesterday it was also announced that all the universities will be raising their fees again for the next academic year. So if you put one and one together, the quality of our universities will go up again. You pay for quality. The quality is in the price you pay. The increases range from 1% to 8% depending on the courses and the institutions. This must be good news for the students eyeing for a world class university education in Singapore. The rankings of these universities will definitely notch up a few more rungs. At the rate they are raising the quality of university education by raising the fees respectively, soon they will be better than Harvard or MIT or Cambridge and Oxford. And of course they will have equally high course fees to match.

But just be careful about job opportunities. It was reported in the media yesterday that 60% of the local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) that lost their jobs could not be reemployed because they lacked the skills set. And they are the products of our world best universities.

And the lack of skills set is not confined to the older graduates from our universities. Fresh graduates also have difficulties finding jobs due to lack of skills set. I quote a comment in a local social media, the TRE,

‘crush the PAP:
so if PMETs young and old have lack of skills, then what are the polytechnics and SIM, SMU, NTU,NUS teaching in their degree and diploma syllabuses??? all outdated stuff???
its like the educational institutions are still teaching DOS and Word Star and the outside world is using windows 8 and office 2013.
if you are a fresh grad from Poly and NUS and outside interviewers are telling you you lack the relevant skills, then what the f*ck are these educational institutions teaching???
education ministry sleeping and daydreaming still isn’t it??’

I can guarantee the students that the qualities of these universities are definitely world class. But I am not sure world class in what ways. The students must be mentally prepared that getting a degree from these universities does not guarantee them a good job as the experience of the PMETs and the fresh graduates are anything to go by.

My recommendation is to go the neighbouring countries, 3^rd World also good, if they want to get the right skills set to be employable. An easier and cheaper way is to buy from the degree mills. Not to worry, many of them are getting good jobs here and doing very well. Everyone is sleeping and no one is checking. Be street smart, get a degree, fake also can, that can get a job, not a world class degree that no employers want or worst, did not teach you the relevant skills set to get a job.

What do you want, a good degree from a world class university that cannot get a job or a fake degree or from an unknown university but can get you a job? It is very easy to con or cheat the talented employers in this 1^st World city. They did not know what the hell is going on. They are too busy counting their money. See the ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs on their doors?

The angst and pain of being Singaporeans that assholes cannot understand

Below is a post by a commenter called Tham in TRE.  If you can’t feel the pain and the frustration of this Tham, and the many filial children that shared the hapless feelings of Tham’s son knowing the financial problems they caused to their parents, you are inhuman. Read on to share the plight of being average parents in this extremely expensive city and trying to make ends meet. I just have to share this post to let the world know what the average Singaporeans are going through. This is the norm.

Tham: Readers out here, do share my grief; do share my agony; do share my anger; do share my frustration, when :

My son was graduated in NUS in year 2012 and the graduation ceremony was held in middle of July 2012 whereby more than 700 fresh graduates were waiting for their turns to be given the University Degree Certificate on stage…!!!!

As parents, both myself and my wife attended the grand convocation together with my daughter on that very evening.

There were thousands of parents serving as audience attended to this event held on that very day’s graduation apart from the volume closed to a hundred of convocation ceremonies held before this said date and immediately thereafter.

From the mother tongue these huge pool of audience attended to this ceremony alone, more than 70% are from PRC…!!!!

As a matter of courtesy and carried with joy witnessing the graduation of our children is something great…!!! We did not hesitate chatting freely with all these PRC parents who were there as audience giving their cheers and support to their children…!!!!
What really frustrate, angered and antagonized us is that parents of these PRCs were saying :

1) Ooooh, this Singapore PAP Government is very kind and generous in giving out FREE EDUCATION, FREE TUITION FEE, FREE LODGING & FOOD AND EVEN MONTHLY POCKET MONEY FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO STUDY HERE WHICH THEY CAN HARDLY FIND IN THIS WORLD….!!!!

2) Even a BOND is required to be signed as a formality so that after their children are graduated and comes out to work, they will have this revenue source to repay back whatever Educational Loans so far extended to them BUT AT ANY TIME THEY CAN FLED BACK TO CHINA WHICH IS VAST ENOUGH FOR THEM TO TEMPORARILY HIDE THEMSELVES UP AND THEREAFTER GO TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO SEEK FOR A HIGH SALARIED JOB WITH GREAT PROSPECTS…!!!!

From here we need to ask ONE VERY BASIC SIMPLE QUESTION :
Why aren’t our own True Native Born Singaporeans being privileged with all these Benefits when they are eligible to enroll for a seat & their parents have been all along over the past contributed towards the building of this Nation…???

My son, a True Native Born Singaporean; served the two & a half years of Full Time National Service in the Army; his parents are both also True Native Born Singaporeans who have contributed for the past decades in serving this Nation and myself too served the Part-Time National Service for 12 years with 5 years in the Army and 7 years in the Police Force…!!!!

WHY ARE WE NOT PRIVILEGED WITH THIS BENEFITS FOR OUR OWN CHILDREN TO OBTAIN & RECEIVED THEIR TERTIARY EDUCATION FOR FREE WHEN OUR CHILDREN ARE ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL THEMSELVES FOR A SEAT IN THE UNIVERSITIES…????

As a filial piety son, he was reluctant to take out borrowings from my CPF money to pay for his University school fees and tuition fees in view of my health & age, among others…!!!!
My son worked full time during the day as a simple technician and with his lean income, he saved hard to ensure he can afford to pay for his semester fee and tuition fee when falls due during his course of study at NUS…!!!!

Far 5 years back when my daughter studied at NUS, she borrowed from my CPF to pay for her semester fees and tuition fees…!!!!

AND THERE WAS COMPULSORY NEED FOR HER TO SEEK FOR A GUARANTOR WHO MUST BE A WORKING SINGAPOREAN BEFORE SHE IS APPROVED TO TAKE UP THE BORROWINGS FROM MY CPF ACCOUNT…!!!!

We (our whole family) together with our relatives, friends and colleagues whom are acquainted with us do share this : UNFAIRNESS AND ABUSIVE POLICIES OF THE PAP GOVERNMENT OVER ON HOW THEY HAVE ILL TREATED ALL OUR TRUE NATIVE BORN SINGAPOREANS….!!!!

Least but not Last or Last but not the Least, rest PAP can be assured that from all those within our known circle who knew about our predicament will NEVER VOTE FOR THIS PAP FROM THEREON IN EACH GENERAL ELECTION…!!! Thank you very much…

Early signs of rebellion

Less than one week after the state burial of the founding Prime Minister of Singapore, two incidents hogged the headlines. One is the abusive tirades of a 16 year old boy in the YouTube against the man himself. And this was taken very seriously, top priority and urgency. One day after it hit the news the boy was charged in court for 3 offences. How could it be when more than a million people paid their respect to the man, queuing for more than 8 hours just to walk pass his body lying in state over a whole week? And immediately there was this big hooha by a boy that took a diagonally opposing view that frayed raw nerves exposed by a week of mourning and public weeping.

To raise the temperature higher, some pro establishment grassroot leaders made threatening remarks like cutting the cock of the boy and shaft it in his mouth, and another insinuating that the comments by the boy could get himself killed, … in this first world city! My God, we are not far from the mentality of the medieval age or the tribes in the jungles.

Yesterday, the angry residents of an upper class public housing estate found it necessary to air their grievances publicly in the social media when they could not get the attention of the authority and the main media to deal with their unhappiness. A state organisation, the Residents Committee, in their zealous effort to help and bond with the residents, insisted on building more facilities in the estate. They already have a big presence but the residents are not happy with their generosity to help them. The residents did not want more RC facilities in their midst. But the RCs are adamant to build more facilities against the wishes of the residents. Strange that the state wanting to help the residents but the residents rejecting the help.

The residents have approached the social media to air their grievances in an open confrontation and to challenge the authority. They did not want the RCs, or as good as please go away. More details are available in an article in the TRE, ‘War breaks out between RC and residents in Toa Payoh’. This is a sample of the comments in the article:
‘Another resident told TRE, “We are being bullied by our RC and PA!”
“There is already an existing RC at our block and they want a 2nd RC. Seriously the residents don’t need 2 RCs within 5 blocks!” she explained.
She asked TRE to help spread the news. “We are really desperate and need your help to make this public as they are going to construct the RC soon. We have written several emails to the authorities but they are not addressing the issue,” she said. “This means a lot to the residents. We sincerely thank you loads.”’
Everyone is wishing the man to RIP and things are beginning to turn bad. How to rest in peace? You want him to jump up so fast? Leave the man in peace can?

Transport Fare Hikes – Still Necessary Now?

Are You Ready for the Ride?

As expected, the two public transport operators (PTOs) in Singapore, ComfortDelGro (CDG) and SMRT had achieved unprecedented profits due mostly to the more than 60% drop in oil prices over most of their past financial operating year.  It was reported that CDG’s FY14 revenue rose 8.1% while its PATMI (post-tax profits minus interests) grew 7.7%.  Its PATMI was attributed to broad-based revenue growth across bus, rail and taxi segments.  Similarly for SMRT, its 3QFY15 PATMI jumped 58.4% year-on-year as revenue rose 6.8% on both non-fare and fare businesses recorded huge broad-based growth due to vastly improved operating margins also in the fourth consecutive quarters.

Even without the impending transport fare increase, both CDG and SMRT enjoy continually low and lower oil prices as well as huge Singapore Government subsidies.  Their stock prices have soared through the roof and huge profitability are eagerly expected in 2015 and possibility 2016 by their private shareholders as they milk the public and docile cash-cow. 

So, are the Transport Fare Hikes for 2015 still necessary?    

The 2015 transport fare hikes which is effective from 5 April 2015 is highly controversial, for reasons unlike previous transport fare hikes which were deemed necessary to maintain the “economic viability” of the PTOs.  As evident above, the PTO are enjoying unprecedented windfall profits and very remote from becoming “un-viable”. In view of falling oil prices, the increase in public transport fares has sparked an outcry in Singapore. Many raised questions about why falling oil prices did not translate into lower commuter fares. Despite numerous responses and explanations from the PTC, the general public sentiment has been one of dissatisfaction, where for some the government broke a “social contract” in the provision of public transport services.

Watch the Debate Video by Inconvenient Questions (IQ):

In the Video, you would hear many reasons for the public frustrations towards our transport system, not least the impending fare hike in 5 April 2015. 

The IQ Team has also selected a reading list focusing on various aspects of Singapore’s public transport system, including a statement from the Public Transport Council.

GoTo:

Transport Fare Hikes 2015: Seriously, Are You Ready?

More on Singapore Transport System

 

Related Posts:

Singapore - The True Lies of Public Transport Operators

Restoring Public Trust in Singapore

Singapore - Social Contract Breached

Should Singapore Nationalise Our Public Transport Companies?