In praise of LKY – The table turns

Singaporeans mourned LKY for one whole week and listened to praises of him for the same whole week as well. The glory and achievements of LKY and his PAP must be music to the ears of the govt and supporters of PAP. Many were saying that these were good news and would be in PAP’s favour in the GE. Some were asking for a GE to be held quickly to capitalize on the goodwill, good perception and good emotions generated by the week of mourning and media blitz, In praise of LKY.
 
It is barely a month and in normal circumstances the goodwill and sympathy should last much longer and still be in time to give the PAP a lift in the next GE. What had happened over the last few weeks has instead turned the table against the PAP. The sentiments, in the social media, do not bode well for the PAP. One week of praising LKY is turning into weeks of kpkb against Hsien Loong’s leadership. Ok, this is not happening in the main media and may not be cause for undue alarm. Just read the few comments here that I reposted from a post in the TRE written by a Phillip Ang titled, ‘PM’s May Day speech shows he cares not for SG workers’.
 
There are more than 40 comments to this thread that were generally very negative about Hsien Loong. Fortunately this is likely to be a minority view in the social media and would not affect the votes much in the GE. If such negativity is prevalent among the people, the next GE would be a tough time for Hsien Loong and his PAP. Just ignore this as noise from the lunatic fringe.
 
The majority of the people is still positive about Hsien Loong’s leadership and will vote for the PAP. This is the view from the other side of the coin.
 
• Please Forgive LHL:
May 3, 2015 at 7:21 pm (Quote)
Dear Phillip,
Please forgive L*L He is, as we all now know, a complete washed-out, an idiot who is totally incapable of taking the country forward and has to rely on self-praise and his dead father’s achievement, if any, to win votes.
Rating: +88 (from 88 votes)
 
• Chris K:
May 3, 2015 at 7:58 pm (Quote)
It is better for him to step aside and for the Lee family to be consigned to the dustbin of history. This nation needs to change underlying socio-economic-political framework to ensure Mr. Tharman’s “new normal” is a good quality and prosperous normal.A man who keeps harping back to the father has an Oedipus complex, his inner conflicts comes out in more than his fair share of the Freudian slip. Such a man cannot be counted upon to lead this nation – it is even dangerous to leave him still in charge.
Rating: +63 (from 65 votes)
 
• CPF how?:
May 3, 2015 at 7:59 pm (Quote)
Already cannot return all our CPF at 55, talk about what leadership?
Rating: +62 (from 62 votes)
 
• Truth:
May 3, 2015 at 8:03 pm (Quote)
Instilling fear in people to overcome own fear. No one is indispensable. The world will not come to an end with the ouster of a few undeserving politicians. CHANGE IS INEVITABLE.
Rating: +53 (from 53 votes)
 
• LIONS:
May 3, 2015 at 8:14 pm (Quote)
Whatever it is,a PRO-ALIEN ANTI-SGS politician should not be allowed to lead the nation.
Allowing it is daft.
Rating: +39 (from 39 votes)
 
• George02:
May 3, 2015 at 8:31 pm (Quote)
The problem we are now facing is not only that he has not care for workers.
There are so many issues arising since he came on board.
Sigh…. as time goes by….everybody will know this will be the ultimate outcome if you came to power not by meritocracy but because your father put you in that position. No more hiding once your father is gone. Maybe this coming GE (without the old man)is really a real fight unlike previous walkover.
Singaporeans will have a hard lesson learnt if they do not put in their brain and heart to exercise their due diligence to chose a capable leader. Choosing someone that really understand the ground and desire to serve Singapore just like the old gen leaders irregardless of party affiliation.
Maybe many years from now, we may also find out the truth on what is really the agenda behind those that were locked behind bars without trial. Are these men fighting for their own interest or for the better good of Singapore?
Rating: +26 (from 26 votes)
 
• opposition dude:
May 3, 2015 at 8:37 pm (Quote)
All that goondu Loong has said isn’t wrong, the only thing that is up for debate is whether PAP are still the ones to bring the country forward and keep it going.
Going by what we have seen in this election cycle alone, PAP can’t even keep its statutory boards straight let alone bringing the country forward and keeping it going.
Rating: +24 (from 24 votes)
 
• oxygen:
May 3, 2015 at 8:57 pm (Quote)
GOOD, INDULGING IN SELF-PRAISE tells us he is weak and vulnerable. He is worried sick about the possible annihilation of his Ministers in the GRCs wipe out in the next election.
AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE SHOULD STRIVE FOR – knock out as many Ministers in GRCs as possible in the next GE and reduce PAP into a minority in Parliament even if it is still the largest single party.
He will then have to negotiate with opposition parties from a position of begging weakness and submission.
Rating: +27 (from 27 votes)
 
• Dear Leader:
May 3, 2015 at 10:15 pm (Quote)
Today you talk talk we don’t understand. First, why you still insist on flooding our Island home with more outsiders? Second, why so many incidents happening but you and your team could not protect your citizens from insults and abuses? Third, more and more PMETs are unemployed despite having multiple real degrees (not fake) but you still welcome outsiders of funny background and take away citizen jobs. Hopefully you look at these before you ask citizen workers to work harder because we are already the most hard-working workers in the world – love bfear working hours and our salaries are peanuts compared with you and your team-members.
Rating: +13 (from 15 votes)

TRS, one down, one to go

In the social media scene, there is practically only a handful of active websites for alternative news. Taking away the more colourful sites, there are really only two decent sites that gave a good spread of the news in the social media and are the places that netizens hungry for alternative views will gravitate to, the TR Emeritus or TRE and The Real Singapore or TRS.
 
Being a ground up news and views and opinion provider, an aggregator of what the people say, mainly individuals expressing themselves on events and happenings here, the posts are expected to be very colourful and varied, from rumour mongering, drumming, serious opinions and serious news. There will be the occasional fabrications of lies, of distorted news and the one sided news that the main media are also well known for.
 
The TRS has been ordered by the govt to be taken down and they did since last night. It was reported that their ‘licence to operate the site was suspended by the MDA’. This is news to me, the part about having a licence to operate a virtual site in virtual space. Would a site operating in the US or Europe but with contents about Singapore and frequented by Singaporeans and citizens of the world require to get a licence from the MDA?
 
The reason for the closing down of TRS, ‘they have published material that is “objectionable on the grounds of public interest, public order and national harmony”’. These motherhood clauses can mean anything under the sky and violating this regulation could see the editor in jail for up to 3 years or a fine of S$200,000. A couple, a 26 year old Singaporean, Yang Kaiheng and a 22 year old Australian, Ai Takagi, have been arrested and charged ‘with seven counts of sedition and one of failing to produce documents to a police officer’. They were alleged to have published articles that ‘promoted ill will and hostility between different races or classes here’. The more serious part according to MDA is, ‘deliberately fabricated articles and falsely attributed them to innocent parties’.
 
With the TRS down, the only popular website left is the TRE. Everyone is wondering how long would TRE survive given the sensitivity of the MDA and the coming general election. TRE is now the preferred site of choice for alternative news and will be watched like a hawk. If the TRE also goes under, there would hardly be any worthy alternative sites left for the social media enthusiasts to visit. It would literally mark the end of social media here.

Is this the end of the light touch policy and a new beginning to the end of social media?

Taking a degree mill course and getting a degree mill degree is exceptional

There is no reason not to take a degree course for pleasure, as a hobby as long as you tell your employer that it is not to be taken into consideration if you put it in your resume. The ‘smart’ employers will understand. Tell them it is a hobby, a past time and you don’t mind wasting your time and money taking it.

Actually there are many reasons to take a degree mill course. In the first place it is cheap. It is also convenient, no need to leave the house for it. It is also easy, no need to do anything, no test, not attendance, no course work. And there are plenty of degree mills to choose from. It is also super fast to get a degree from a degree mill. A few days will do and one could get half a dozen degrees in month. One is also spoilt for choices as you can get any degree you want, from any country of your own choosing.

The only trick to make the degree from the degree mills worthy is to tell your employer you did it thinking, honestly, genuinely, that the degree mill is a real university, a legitimate one. Your employer would not judge you for your stupidity for taking a degree mill course without checking. Your intelligence is assured, and equal to the intelligence of your employer. If the employer is stupid enough not to know that you are stupid or lying, you can bet he is a good employer that would buy your degree mill’s degrees and would not see anything wrong with it.

They would even come out in your defence, so that they would not look stupid, in case people found out you got a degree from a degree mill and was employed. The employer would likely justify that they did not consider your degree mill degree when employing you. You are safe as they need to look NOT STUPID for their stupidity and for not doing due diligence.

And the best countries to apply for a good job with your degree mill degree are the exceptional cities. The more exceptional the better are your chances of being employed. And better still, go to a city where the citizens are infamous for being daft, the kind of people that cannot think and would accept anything you said. It is in their DNA. But they will pretend that they are super talents. So just play with it. Flatter them for their intelligence as long as they give you the job. Remember, do not tell them they are fake talents even if your degree is fake.

Money laundering, degree laundering

We have heard of money laundering where dirty money are washed and clean to become respectable money for circulation. One of the methods is to use layering, get the dirty money through several layers, buy, sell, buy sell, like buying stocks, properties or even winnings in the casinos. Then the source of the new money becomes legitimate. When asked, the money comes from selling of properties or stocks or from the casinos, not from drugs or corruption. And if no one is able to trace a few steps back, everything will be fine, no more dirty traces to cry foul.

Laundering of fake degrees and qualifications and CVs go through the same processes, layering. Start with some fake degrees, get a job through some connection, by paying if necessary, work in some organizations, resigned, changed jobs, and along the way get a lot of recommendations and testimonials. These recommendations and testimonials can also be bought without one actually working in any organization. Pad up the new CVs and go overseas to gullible countries that are lax in vetting and checking. Get employed in some genuine organizations.

After several layering, the fake past can be discarded. Even the fake degrees can be discarded especially in silly countries that claimed degrees are not important. Look at the track record, can do the job, with good references will do.  These stupid countries did not think resumes and testimonials can also be fakes, can also be bought.

After getting genuine work experience in silly but reputable organizations or countries, jump ship, go to the USA, Australia or Europe to start a new life with the new resumes.  After a few years can come to 1^st World countries like Singapore and look for top management positions as foreign talents. No one will have any clue of who this animal was. The past will be erased and forgotten, all the fake degrees and fake resumes no longer needed. Now walk around proudly with a newly minted or laundered CVs, work experience and new degree by enrolling in genuine universities using the work experience as requirements for admission.

See, laundering of CVs and qualifications can also be done quite easily.

Amos Yee – A new divide

The flutter of a butterfly has morphed into many butterflies fluttering in this island. When the fluttering of a butterfly is allowed to go flapping unrestrained you will get a storm brewing. The Amos Yee Incident has led to the gravitating of two groups, one hating him and wanting him to be lynched and another calling for understanding as he is just a wayward boy and needing guidance. When no one thinks it is right and prudent to tell the lynching mobs to back off, the mob went wild.

In the beginning there were the verbal threats of bodily harm to the boy, and this was followed by a man hitting the boy outside the court house. And there were applause from silly adults, supposedly responsible people, that the boy deserved it. And the icing to top up this comic tragedy of vicious attacks against a boy, a book store put up an insensitive tweet that went viral. I quote from an article in TRE on this,

‘Meanwhile, Popular bookstore posted an insensitive tweet on Twitter capitalizing on the “slapping incident” of Amos Yee.
It poked fun of Amos by putting up a picture of Famous Amos cookies and tweeting “Sorry you got slapped. Here, have some cookies on us!”.
Netizens were outraged and heavily criticised Popular bookstore. Many are calling for a boycott of the bookstore:… Facing a barrage of criticisms and calls of boycott, Popular bookstore later quickly put up an apology:
“It was a mistake that we accept and sincerely apologize for. We promise that we won’t do it again. #saynotoviolence”.
It has since deleted the insensitive tweet….’
The level of viciousness from the group against the boy, Amos Yee, is getting more serious and escalating. The voice of reason and compassion is also up a few scales to condemn those attackers. And the rest of those following this Incident are divided into two camps, one shaking their heads at how this is allowed to go on and on unrestrained, like it is the right thing to do, with approval from God, while the attackers behaving as if they are the righteous and godly people with God on their side. Come to think of it, when God is in the picture, who dares to go against God?
Everyone must be cowering in fear except some god fearing people that think they have the consent of god to do what they are doing to Amos Yee, the boy on the wrong side of god. What a heavenly divide this has become. And the storm is brewing, an act of God that nothing can be done to stop it except to hurry and evacuate to safety, away from the storm.
See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing and do nothing are the best things to do.
Which is the side of Darkness, which is the side of Light? Amen.
Below is a comment by a netizen, a father of 4 to Popular Book Store posted in TRE.

Trust et al:

May 2, 2015 at 1:52 pm  (Quote)

Dear Popular Book Store
I am a father of 4, a Singapore citizen.
I saw your utterly reprehensible disgusting and outrageous Tweet making fun of Amos Yee, a defenceless teen who was viciously assaulted at the doorstep of our Courts. There was the image of a human hand in the gesture of slapping accompanied by the words ‘Hi 5′ and ‘Ouch!’. This clearly meant you were celebrating and even congratulating the assailant and feeling gleeful about the attack. To a 16 year old imprisoned as an adult and in handcuffs and ankle fetters after an assault, you offered Famous Amos cookies, clearly to taunt him.
This was a carefully designed stunt calculated to capitalize in a sadistic manner on the trauma and agony of a teenager. You clearly sought to gain cheap publicity since the tweet featured stationery which you sell!
Minister of Law Shanmugan has categorically stated that this horrendous violent act cannot be condoned.
The Singapore Kindness Movement (whose Patron is our Prime Minister) has denounced the vicious online attacks on Amos Yee which led up to this atrocity.
You are a company which makes its fortune selling textbooks, guidebooks and stationery to kids.
I cannot comprehend how you could stoop to such uncivic and barbaric behaviour when a young person is being victimized.
It is highly probable that conduct such as yours will lead to further violence against Amos Yee and will promote a culture of political violence and thuggery in Singapore.
‎I am ashamed as a Singaporean that an apparently reputable company like yours could stoop to such reprehensible cyber-lynching.
You have not apologized to Amos and his family. Instead you are resorting to PR gimmicks.
Many netizen have called for a boycott of your store and products. I think this is the least that you deserve!