China needs to play a bigger and more responsible role

I am picking up the cue from Straycat on the historical rights or wrongs of the past. The Americans and western media have a very good memory of China’s past. Every little indiscretion or mistakes would be lifted out from the pages of history to remind the world of a negative China. China is always wrong and never right, never good, never responsible. The western countries, particularly the Americans, their histories were always about rights and goodness. They never commit crimes like China. They were peace loving countries unlike China. They were never aggressors, never invade or conquer other countries, never claim no man’s islands as theirs. They were angels, godly people.
 
China is dangerous. Look at how China bullied the small countries in the South China Sea and claiming islands belonging to no one, but some South East Asian countries are also trying to claim? Look at how the Philippines are telling the Chinese that they would fly their aircraft over Chinese islands defying China and this bully could not do anything about it? Who did you say is the bully?
 
The Americans and the West have a global responsibility to stand up for the victims of China’s aggression and expansionism and bullying. Which country has China invaded, are there any Chinese troops in foreign soil? The Americans and the West have appointed themselves as the global policemen and the power to fight for justice and for the victims of aggression. Who are the aggressors?
 
According to the Americans China is not playing any responsible role in the world. It must play a bigger role. There is a role that is cut out for China, to defend the weak and victims of Imperialism, Colonialism, of aggression and invasion. The victims of such nations need a great power to fight for their rights and justice, to take back their countries lost to the invaders. For a start, China should speak to the natives of conquered land, the Red Indians, the natives of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many Pacific Islands and those in the Indian Ocean, to reclaim their rights to their homeland, ownership of their ancestral land.
 
China must speak to the natives, champion their rights in the UN and take the invaders and occupiers of their land to the International Court, to reclaim what they had lost to the invaders and conquerors. These injustices cannot be simply forgotten, not to talk about again. It is history, and history is right. Fait accompli! It has been done. Cannot bring back the past. Who is bringing back the past?
 
Fortunately there are still a few Red Indians, natives and aborigines that survived the genocides and could lay claims to their father land. These survivors of genocides have rights too. Don’t they? Where is the conscience of the Europeans that robbed their land, their inheritance, and murdered their forefathers?
 
Should China play a more responsible role to fight and defend the rights of these dispossessed people? The victims of aggression and conquest need a spokeman and a champion to stand up for their cause.

Law to protect Lee Kuan Yew

‘The government announced that it would come out with a law to protect the name and image of Singapore’s former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, whom many around the world have regarded as a controversial leader. The official reason given by the ruling party was to ensure no commercial misuse and exploitation of his name and image. Lawrence Wong, the minister in charge of proposing the law, reminded Singaporeans, “I should make it very clear that the intent is not to restrict people from coming up with their own creative ways to PAY THEIR TRIBUTE TO MR LEE.”’
 
A blogger, Celia Lim, wrote the above in her article, ‘Law to protect or glorify a dead man?’ appearing the TRE. For a controversial leader, it is expected to hear all kinds of views and intent about the name Lee Kuan Yew, to be used with propriety or to be abused with liberty. I think a better way would be to copyright the name and his image internationally. The Tourist Board would have a new brand name and many souvenirs for sale to the tourists. LKY key chains, pens, beer mugs, umbrellas, this one very meaningful, to be protected by a LKY umbrella, little figurines. I think some creative people may have already jumped into the bandwagon. Yes, LKY T-shirts with his face on the front and back ala Che Guevara or Castro. Singapore Mint can also join the act with special editions of coins to commemorate him. The possibilities are unlimited.
 
But be careful and be sensitive with some items like footballs, punching bags, pillows or bolsters, bears, wheelbarrows, towels, and many other things that may not be suitable. The govt can come out with a list of the forbidden goods to keep things in control. They may want to introduce ratings of souvenirs and toys so that certain categories are only available to the public and children. The business people may get too creative. While on this, must ban portraits or toys of Margaret Thatcher as well.
 
Maybe the govt should set up a committee to do an in depth analysis on what are the things that can or cannot be done and must be banned. Yaacob would be the best man for this job. He is an expert in what is good or bad for the people to see and read. Off hand it is very difficult for a few individuals to think through thoroughly on all the funny things that could happen. Some of the funny people and their funny thoughts like urinating, throwing eggs, burning, tarring, graffiti, etc etc, so erecting statues and public portraits must be avoided unless well protected by fences and security cameras. There are people wanting to build shrines for worshipping. Can or not? It would need many super talents and creative people to fish out all the probabilities. A committee may not be good enough.
 
With the GE coming, the Party could follow the Taiwanese to use LKY as a Party mascot and designed things around it. Ah Bian had his cute soft dolls, caps and kopi cups. These would be hot selling items, including posters that people can buy as pin ups for the bedroom walls or the living rooms.
 
The royalties from these products could make the children and grand children very rich, like a pop star for many many years. LKY the Legend!.
 
PS. Unfortunately I cannot chop chop these ideas. Or else will be rich in no time. Want to take home a Lee Kuan Yew? Or you can buy a Lee Kuan Yew off the shelf for inspiration. No knuckle dusters please.

Fandi, the Singapore Boy made good

They wrote him off. He went away to fulfill the prophecy that a prophet has no place in his home town. He became a foreign talent away from home where he was appreciated. They did not give him much of a chance either. He is from a city without talent. And many still appreciate and think that foreign talents from Europe and the Americas are better.
 
Fortunately someone was stricken by guilt or felt that Fand is the best we have and deserved a second chance. There were lots of critics and disbelievers in Fandi. Should have another foreign coach if we are going to do well. Should have more foreign players if we are going to do well. And you can imagine the moral of this Singapore Boy and his charge..
 
He soldiers on quietly in his Fandi style. He let his legs do the talking. Fandi is back in the headlines. He has brought back the Malaysian FA Cup with his charge, the LionsXII. We are champions again and Fandi has done it again. Who says we need to do a global search for another foreign talent?
 
If we don’t believe in out own talents, if we keep throwing away good money to foreigners, when will our locals be given a chance to grow and make a name for themselves? We will be forever looking up to foreigners, for foreigners, even to be conned by fakes.
 
It is so pathetic. First Word daft that don’t believe in themselves but in trash? Would this mindset be changed and we start to grow our own timber? Well done Fandi. You have proven yourself and proved them wrong.

Double confirm, Singapore has no talent

After the SGX announced the resignation of its CEO, Magnus Bocker, it immediately announced that it was going global to search for a replacement. The speed in the announcement said many things. One thing for sure, they have not considered anyone internally or might have considered in those few hours that no one was good enough. And there is no succession planning, or it could be a case of starting to plan now and the new local CEO would be ready in 30 years time. They may be looking at the universities to recruit the young graduates to put into their succession plans.
 
‘Last week, the media reported that SportsHub has started a global search for a new CEO. SportsHub said that it was part of its “succession planning”.
 
SportsHub chairman Mark Woodhams told TODAY last Friday (22 May) that Mr Philippe Collin-Delavaud, the current SportsHub CEO, would remain in his post “until well after the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games” copied from TRE
 
The search for another foreigner to be the CEO of the Sports Hub is a double confirmation that Singapore really has no talent for anything except politicians. Our politicians are world class, world best, unbeatable, at least when pay is concerned. Never mind if they have to go to 3rd World countries or little villages to learn from some village chieftains about how to run a country or ministry where the joker is paid not even a day of their pay.
 
Singapore is one of the top cosmopolitan countries in the whole world. This means that the talents in the city must be as good as those in the top cities of the world. I bet you the next CEO is likely to come from some remote corners of the the world that may not even have seen a sports stadium of international standard, or be a young punk that have left school 10 years ago, but because he is a foreigner, he is deemed to be good and talented. Or maybe our graduates that went to the same foreign universities were taught a different syllabus from them.
 
Would this new CEO be from some countryside countries like New Zealand, South Africa, or from some American or European little towns of hill billies, or from great and cosmospolitan cities like Mumbai? A top world class city did not have the talent to manage world class facilities but talents from little towns or 3rd World slum cities have such talents with the relevant experiences, the skills set to do so? I bet some would not even have sat on a new modern toilet seat and did not even know how to flush it.

PRs are not citizens

Over the weekend the citizens were greeted by news of govt handouts, goodies and great discounts for the senior citizens. While the welfare state was a taboo topic in the past, the high cost of living, the premature termination of employment and the post retirement lifespan of 20 to 30 years will take a toll on the seniors with no escape. Without an income, with insufficient savings, only the super rich can live without worries that their savings would last them a good 30 years and ride the waves of inflation. Many would have no choice but to look towards the govt for handouts and subsidies. The conditions for a welfare state have been created and a welfare state is inevitable. Without govt handouts, life is not going to be affordable for the jobless seniors and retirees, and can be very miserable.
 
The goodies that were announced would be most welcome. But there is a sour taste in this deal with the inclusion of PRs. Who is a PR? What is a PR? A PR is definitely not a citizen, without the obligations of a citizen, can come a go, and will go when the going is not to their expectations. In a country where national service is a big responsibility to the citizens, and a big handicap, a PR becomes a preferred choice for many to enjoy the good life, the good jobs here without having to pay for their security and the needs of a nation. And now, PRs are accorded the same privileges, perks and handouts from a bizarre govt that treats them like citizens. What is going on?
 
PRs in most cases are economic refugees. They are here because things are good and betterer for them than in their countries or in other countries, or they could not go to betterer countries and this is the best for them. Many came with a simple goal, to get a good job, make as much money as they could, and would eventually go home or go somewhere else. They have no intent to be citizens and to share the obligations and responsibilities of the citizens.
 
There are those who genuinely want to be citizens, some fair weather citizens, but not given the citizenship for good reasons, that they are not people we want to be citizens.
 
Why are PRs given all the perks and privileges and handouts when they are already having a good deal here? No PRs coming here expects the govt to throw goodies at them. They know that they do not qualify, not eligible, not entitle to such goods that are reserved for citizens, the privileges of being citizens, and for paying a heavy price in our case, for being citizens. Why is the govt so willing to share the nation’s wealth with the PRs? The country does not owe anything to the PRs. If any, it is the PRs that owe it to us, to repay their debt of gratitude for being allowed here to work and to many, to go home rich.
 
Or is it that spending OPM is easy. Not my money, so can anyhow give. And in the case of PRs, no need even to ask. And some cocky PRs even think that they deserved all the privileges given to the citizens, because they got this crazy idea planted in their heads by crazy people that they are here to help the daft Sinkies to a good life. Many of these PRs would have no where to go, no country would want them, would want to give them good jobs and a good life. And many were here with fake qualifications.
 
What is worst, they are now getting this entitlement mentality. They are entitled to the perks and privileges like the citizens. And without having to be citizens to enjoy them, where is the pull to make them into citizens? They are having the best of both worlds. Such freebies are in a way encouraging them not to become citizens.
 
No, they are here to help the daft Sinkies and giving them some perks is only right and proper. In fact they should be given more and treated betterer than the daft citizens? So, being PRs have special privileges and entitlements? No need to be daft citizens.