LKY’s hard truths outdated

There are many thoughts of LKY but not many are outdated. Many are still valid and would be valid for a long time to come. I am just referring to a couple of his thoughts or hard truths that have been superceded by recent events, proving that they are no longer valid.  The first is the belief that Singapore is not ready for an Indian Prime. This is no longer true. From my observation, Singaporeans are ready for an Indian PM plus an Indian President simultaneously. Singaporeans are even ready for a cabinet filled with minority ministers on the principle of meritocracy. As long as they are meritocratic, that is all that Singaporeans want to know and will accept them. Black cat white cat, can catch mouse, good cat.

The second thought, that Singaporeans would vote based on their racial identity, the sole justification for the need for GRC, is coming to question as well. In this case, LKY is partially right, or his thought is still valid to some extent and circumstances. I will use the Bukit Batok by election to support my case.

Let me start with voting by race. How could a minority candidate win an election competing one on one against a majority candidate in a constituency that has 75% of the majority race? This simply says that the majority did not vote by race. Otherwise Murali would at most be left with 25% of the votes presuming all the minorities voted for him and the majority voted for Chee. And throughout the election you could see how popular he was with the Chinese voters, from Hsien Loong down to the grassroot leaders and ordinary voters.

In this by election, very likely the Chinese votes were split 50:50 or 60:40 in favour of Murali. If this was not the case Murali would have no chance of winning. In the case of the Malay voters, it could be the same pattern. The only part of LKY’s thought that is still valid is that the Indian voters would likely vote along racial line, ie more would vote for an Indian candidate. This is the only portion of the thought that is still holding true.

The most important thing, the by election dispelled the basis for the continued existence of GRCs. The majority Chinese would vote based on meritocracy or on party track records. They are colour blind. So, this LKY thought is not wholly true today. And the same argument should also be applicable to the Elected President.

The reasoning and voting on merits among the Chinese is now the dominant force in their thinking or no thinking. The Chinese have embraced meritocracy like it is the golden truth. Race is no longer an issue. They are only capable of thinking on one single factor, nothing more. They are incapable of thinking of other factors like social and political considerations. They could not see anything further than today. What is going to happen tomorrow with the full force of meritocracy is beyond their grasp. Look at how they accept the huge influx of foreigners into the country, how Singaporeans are conveniently being replaced by foreigners in work places for all the wrong reasons? As far as the Chinese Singaporeans are concerned, their mindset is already stuffed with the word meritocracy, and if they are replaced at work or forced to leave this country, it is meritocracy.  They would not think that they have been cheated. Some even concede that this island belongs to anyone that comes here, and everyone and anyone has the right to take over this country as long as they are ‘good’ or ‘betterer’ than the daft Sinkies.

With this kind of mentality, to be generous, one can say the Singaporean Chinese are politically naïve. To be honest, the Singaporean Chinese are political idiots. On this ground, I conclude that the Singaporean Chinese are ready for an Indian PM plus an Indian President at the same time and with minority ministers in charge so long as they are meritocratic. I am not sure if the Malays would think like the idiotic Chinese and accept the same development.

So, the Bukit Batok by election has confirmed two things or thoughts of LKY. The Chinese would not vote on racial grounds. The Chinese are ready for an Indian PM and more. Having an Indian or minority President is not an issue. Many minority Presidents have been appointed and ‘elected’ as well.

The USA continues to raise tension in the South China Sea

The Americans continued with its third ‘freedom of navigation’ provocation a couple of days ago, this time sailing a warship within the 12 nautical miles of a Chinese island. This is an aggressive act, intruding into another country’s territorial waters, and would be expelled if not for the restraint the Chinese were exercising on their troops. It was an intrusion into another country’s territory by a warship without permission.

It is a matter of time when an impatient Chinese soldier will pull the trigger ‘accidentally’ and sink one of these warships and all its naval crews, just like the American ‘mistake’ in striking the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade with a cruise missile, in time of peace and under no provocation. The Chinese will not forget this hostile incident, an act of war, and will wait for the opportune moment to return the compliment. American naval military personnel on such ‘freedom of navigation’ or aggressive intrusion into Chinese waters must be prepared to be buried in the South China Sea, a matter of when. The Chinese must be calculating when would be the best time to commit a ‘mistake’ by a low level gunner that doesn’t normally think too much.

The crazy and belligerent Americans must be warned, the families of these sailors must be warned, it is a mission waiting to happen, and their fathers, sons and daughters, and husbands, may not come home, or if lucky, come home in black plastic bags. American exceptionalism does not confer the Americans the right to infringe and violate other country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. And the Chinese have all the good reasons to make such a ‘mistake’. 

With Belgrade vivid in their minds, it is a convenient target to avenge the humiliating attack on their Embassy. A tooth for a tooth. When China is ready militarily, an American tooth would be extracted to pay for the Belgrade Incident.

The American people must send a message to the crazies in the White House and the Pentagon that the game has changed and China is about to take a tooth back from the Americans unless they stop their hostile acts in the South China Sea. You cannot go on provoking another big power in their homeland and think you can get a way with it. The whole world is watching this American provocation and military adventurism in the South China Sea. Aggression will not pay, will no longer pay, especially when the other side can hit back.

The USA must repent, now before it is too late.

Why is Singapore educating, feeding and enriching foreigners?

We built universities to be staffed by foreigners and the places to be filled by foreign students. We brought in foreign lecturers academic staff, paid them handsomely and housed them in very good accommodations. All paid by tax payers’ money. We brought in foreign students, gave them scholarship to live better than Singaporean students who either laden their parents with debt or themselves in debt for borrowing to pay their own tuition fees. The foreign students got it all for free, paid by our taxpayers. We rejected our top students in medical and law schools, forcing them to go overseas, many ended not returning, but in their place recruited half past six foreigners to be doctors and practicing lawyers here.

We created two supposedly ‘think tank’ institutions on top of ISEAS, to be staffed with many foreigners, to be paid handsomely by tax payers money, for what? What are the returns or benefits?  Justifiable or for show? Or are we doing charity or do we owe these foreigners a living, to pay for their education, to pay them damn well to work here? Are we responsible for the well beings of foreigners or to our taxpayers and their children, the citizens of Singapore?

We keep giving generous grants and scholarships to foreigners to improve their qualifications, to gain experience and expertise, to gain credibility, from taxpayers’ money but neglected our own talents. The grass in the neighbours’ lawn is greener? Sowing wild oats and forsaking our own children? No need to grow our own timber, take short cut, no need to nurture our precious seedlings?

Hope Leong Sze Hian could do a compilation on the billions wasted on training, educating and feeding foreigners instead of our own children. Wastrel? Anyone know the meaning of wastrel? Or profligate, squanderer?

The so called elite realm of existence is now filled by foreigners with doubtful credentials when they should be filled by our very own citizens, paid by our taxpayers’ money. We keep paying the foreigners to be better but not to our own, preferring to force our own away to foreign shores.

Historically anti people policies were prevalent during the reigns of a ‘hun jun’ or 昏君, marking the end of a dynasty, for forsaking the interests of the people.

Bukit Batok By Election – The day after

To those looking at the result of the by election superficially, there will be despair, the cursing of the voters for being silly and selfish, and the gutter politics that got another PAP MP into Parliament. But there are several positive trends developing and clearly evident in this by election and a confirmation that the trends would continue and change will come, a matter of when.

The first trend that is getting more serious today and reflected in this by election is the ‘absence’ of spectators at the PAP rally.  The few hundred attendees were there for all the wrong reasons. What is very important and evident is that the people are tired of the PAP narratives and no longer listening, not wanting to listen, nothing to listen anymore. It is all the same.

The fact that the people were crowding and flooding the SDP rally is a sign that they were hungering for change. They wanted to hear something new, they wanted to see something new, they were looking and hoping for change, hoping for a messiah to lead them to freedom. The forces are building up for an exodus. Do not foolishly write off the crowd at the SDP and opposition rallies. They took the trouble to be there. They were serious people wanting change and the crowd is growing.  As long as they are listening they will be converted and more will be converted in a matter of time. As long as the people are listening, willing to listen, coming all the way to the hill where he spoke, taking time and effort to be there, they will become believers one day, if not already.

The other major trend is the coming together of the professionals to join the opposition camp. In this by election, more professionals are stepping forward to be counted. The trickle is getting stronger and more will join this flow. The result of the by election may not be something to gloat about for the opposition camp, but for those looking for signs of progress, signs of positive change, they could be comforted. The effort is starting to pay off. It is not total despair.

The build up to the next GE in 3 to 4 years’ time is now, to build on the momentum gained in the by election. The SDP and serious opposition parties must jump onto this trend, go out to invite the professionals to join the camp. They are coming and waiting for the right time. The time is now.  There is a 3 year grace and reprieve to build up the strength of the opposition camp. Do not go to sleep. The work has started, starting from the by election it should continue towards the next GE. Winning the professionals will raise the interest and confidence in the opposition cause.  Change is on the way.

Who knows, there could be more miracles coming the way of the opposition camp.

American politics – No fear, No Sue

The Americans are giving the world a taste of what mature democracy is all about. Donald Trump, the maverick Presidential candidate for the Republican Party is as good as breaking ranks and convention and protocol and policies and everything, and is the top choice to be endorsed by the Party. His controversial stance drew a lot of flaks and opposition even from his own Party, but he would be nominated by virtue of the popular votes of the people.

Democracy is of the people, from the people and for the people.  American democracy is personified in Donald Trump and the American public. They are the voices and the people to decide who should be the president of America, not an elite entrenched by years of corrupting the system to their advantage. Would there be any call for a change of the Constitution to prevent people like Trump from becoming the President and upsetting the aristocrats and the vested rich and powerful in the establishment?

No way, the power is not only divided and diversified, power is not vested in one person or one party. This is the strength of the American Constitution, that no one can suka suka change the Constitution on his whims and fancy. The American Constitution is sacred and a piece of wisdom that would not allow fools of the day to change as they like to their advantage. The Americans protect their Constitutions zealously to ensure that power is separated and would not be abused by any one arms of the govt or an individual.

The right to oppose and disagree is part and parcel of the American democracy. Party members and leaders of the Republican are free to express their opposition to Trump and vote against him or abstained. They cannot be herded like sheep with a whip to do the callings of a small group of elite in the Party.

And most important of all, the power is really in the people. The people decide, not a few elite or aristocrats. It was like that for a while until Trump stood up and trumps them to their proper places. And Trump could do it protected by a strong and endearing Constitution and an educated people that would speak and vote for what is best for them, not to be dictated by a few elite or aristocrats.  And don’t forget the extremely independent and powerful judicial to uphold the Constitution of the USA, to protect the rights of the people against the abuses of the elite and aristocrats. The judicial will not be little office boy to do the running for the govt of the day without questioning the right and needs of what they are doing.

There is no Sue and no fear in American politics, and freedom of expression is a guarantee that cannot be violated by the power of the day. The world is getting a lesson in democracy, the rights and freedom of a free people who know that they are the real master of their country.