Singapore wants to improve ties with Japan

‘Japan is an "important friend" to Singapore and a key contributor to the region, and Singapore hopes to take the relationship between the two countries further…In our early years, Japanese investment made a lot of difference to our economy….’ Hsien Loong said these in Tokyo.

He was polite not to mention that much earlier, in the 1940s, Japan invaded and conquered Singapore, colonized Singapore, and massacred hundreds of Singaporeans during the Occupation. But that was too long ago and Singaporeans have gotten that Singapore was once Syonan To, and many were forced to learn Japanese and to bow to Japanese or be slapped or kicked or even bayoneted.

During this 4 day official visit Japan had in a way apologised indirectly by giving a posthumous award to ‘the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew – the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulow nia Flowers - an award Mr Lee described as "a great honour".’ Hsien Loong and Ho Ching were also given an audience with the Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko and had tea with them. This is another rare honour.

With improving relations between the two countries, maybe the next person to be given a posthumous award in the same Order would be past President SR Nathan. Maybe next year.

A storm is brewing between Singapore and China

The Global Times, a China media, lashed out at Singapore for raising the South China Sea Dispute at the Non Aligned Movement in Venezuela. The hard hitting piece by Global Times pointed out Singapore as the agitator behind the move to include Asean’s view on the Dispute into 17^th NAM Final Document. The Global Times were cocksure who was the culprit behind the Asean proposal.

Singapore’s Ambassador in Beijing, Stanley Loh, protested with an official letter to the Global Times denying Singapore’s role in the last minute fiasco at the NAM. It was all an Asean’s joint stand on the South China Dispute. Singapore is absolutely innocent. Singapore had no part in pushing the Asean proposal. You can see the halo over Singapore’s representatives.

Is this a case of no smoke without fire? All the jockeying around behind closed doors among the Asean members, who said what, who wanted what, who was trying to fix China, were open secrets. Every Asean state must know that China had its Trojan Horses in Asean. And it is pure stupidity and dumb arrogance to take an anti China position behind closed doors and to think China would not know what was going on.

Stanley Loh is quoted in the media today to say, ‘We are disappointed that an established newspaper published this irresponsible report replete with fabrications and unfounded allegations with no regard for the facts’. This is a very strong comment that demands an explanation and a reply. If Global Times could not support its allegations against Singapore, it must apologise to Singapore. It must response and proves itself. Let’s hope Singapore is really innocent or else dirty linens would be aired in the open. The ball is now in the court of Global Times.

What I am sure is that both sides know the truth. Whether Singapore was the main culprit behind the Asean proposal must be crystal clear to both sides. There is no place to hide. The truth will be out. With the main protagonist, the Philippines refusing to pursue the matter, who is behind the drive to want to incite more attention in the South China Sea, to keep the flame burning? To whose advantage would the inclusion of the Asean proposal in the NAM statement be? Who has an agenda for this to happen?

Would Singapore be vindicated and clear of the smear put up by the Global Times? It better be or the consequences would be very ugly and very embarrassing. From the vehement retort by the Singapore Ambassador, Singapore must be innocent. It must be or his whole credential would be at stake and so is Singapore’s credibility in the eyes of the Chinese leadership.

On the other hand the Global Times would not go shooting at Singapore only to have to retract its statement and even to apologise to Singapore by publishing fabrications. The Global Times would not be shooting from the hips if they did not have concrete evidence to justify the attack. This was no error and not a rash act that could fall flat as falsehood, or would it be so?

Which truth is the truth? It is so funny. It is like two persons inside a lift accusing each other of farting.

Would there be a sequel to this storm?

Singapore’s philosopher king?

In the Republic, Plato talked about an ideal situation when a state is ruled by a philosopher king, a wise man king, a ‘knows all’ that is supposed to be good, virtuous, and with unquestionable wisdom. After more than 6,000 years of civilization, this ideal philosopher king has yet to be born. No kings, emperors, presidents, dictators or whatever heads of state has come near to such an unusual human bean.

Presumably under the rule of such an ideal philosopher king, he is the one that knows best and would do best for the people, and the people need not doubt his thoughts, his ideas and his actions and decisions. He is right all the time and will rule for the good of the people.

We have heard it all over the media what Hsien Loong has said about the need to have a minority Elected President and all the stringent criteria that came along. We heard him saying that this is something he has to do and he would not let others down the road to do it. He is taking responsibility for this idea. This is the idea of one man and the decision of one man, and a very good one for the people and country. And the people got to believe in him, that it is for their own good and to be grateful. Get it right, it has nothing to do with CB.

We are now going to change the Constitution all because of one man and his idea and wants his idea to be implemented as the one good thing for the people. I just hope that Hsien Loong is the philosopher king that Aristotle was talking about, and that his idea is good, virtuous, benevolent and wise, must be wise, and is the right thing for the country. For the people they have no choice but to go along with it. There is no option for the people to say no to this idea and all the changes that are going to take place.

Forget about the deliberation and voting in Parliament. The MPs are not going to ask the people what they think and how they want the MPs to vote for or against the issue. The vote is as good as done even before it is started. At best someone might sneak into the toilet when voting is called. Why, because it is the best idea for the good of country and people. The MPs and ministers know this and therefore would support it wholly with no objection. The ideas of a philosopher king are usually this way, unquestionable, unchallenged and undisputed. No one is up to it to challenge such a wholesome idea, not in this cabinet or Parliament.

Singapore will be blessed if Hsien Loong is the philosopher king and his idea is the undisputed way to go. This minority president idea is looking like the best thing to have happened to Singapore. So far it looks that way. All the wise men and wise women in Parliament, in the academia, in the elite circle, in the legal fraternity, in the medical profession, agree with it. No one thinks it should be questioned, doubting it or saying that it is flawed.

See how powerful and supreme this idea is! It is like the unquestionable truth. If it is not, all the great minds and thinkers in the island would have spoken up. The 8 wise men and one wise woman agreed, must be, or else they would have mentioned it in their report.

The political thinkers in the academia, both local and foreign, also did not say anything to dispute its goodness. Remember, they are foreign talents, the best foreign talents money can buy and also great believers of freedom of speech and expression. If they did not comment about this great idea, it must be their way of saying it is good.

This is the first time in the history of mankind that an idea is not questioned or disputed by the wise men of the time, of an era. Kpkb in social media not counted, just noises in the wilderness, from the daft and mindless peasants.

Singapore's future can only be better going forward with this great idea. This is the closest one can get to a philosopher king.

Jonathan Eyal, ST Europe Correspondence, wrote this yesterday in his article ‘Is this the era of post truth politics?’, ‘Politicians may be strident in misleading voters but professionals must stand up to expose the lies’. This is only true if politicians are just politicians. It does not apply to philosopher king.

Sports rewards – Equal for all sportsmen, including Masters Athletes

 

The one million dollar question is in everyone’s lips. Yip Pin Xiu’s gold medals in the Paralympics should stand shoulder to shoulder with Joseph Schooling’s gold medal in the Olympics. Both should be given the $1m cash award.

Paralympians faced greater odds because of their disabilities. And don’t blame them just because they are competing against a smaller pool of competitors. It is not their faults. They cannot determine how many competitors in the race. So don’t be sour grapes. Even though sports is not about money, but about competing, about sportsmanship, but if you give someone one million bucks, it is only fair to give the paralympians the same one million bucks.

The other argument for the Open Olympians is that they are competing in an open field, against anyone that chose to race, chose to compete, be it 10 year olds or 90 year olds, normal or with disabilities, it is an open challenge.

How about a little support for the seniors competing in such events? The seniors’ only handicap is their age and the ageing muscles that refused to behave like when they used to. They are in no condition to compete in the Open category with the younger guys. I tried, a 10 year difference, or even 5 year difference would mean a few seconds difference, unless one is super fit and running against an unfit younger man. How about allowing the seniors to compete in the Paralympics? Maybe the 35 year old Masters athletics would pack too much power. How about the above 60 or above 70 Masters athletics? Their physical conditions are very challenging.

I have competed in a few masters events in the 100m sprint for the 65 – 69 age group. Not many competitors but understandable. How many oldies could still run or do the 100m dash?

Oh, I am not asking for a million dollar reward in the World Masters Event. That would be asking too much. I have known Masters athletics that have been consistently attending and participating in international meets for more than 30 years but barely got a cent in support from the Singapore Sports Council. They have to pay every cent for everything, air fares, accommodations, food, supplements, training, medical assistance, all from their own pockets.

Would the Minister in charge of Sports, of Singapore Active, think about giving a little financial support to the Masters athletics to compete and to keep healthy. No need million dollar awards. These Masters athletics are doing it for sports, for the love of being active, and in the course of it, representing the country too. Oh, Singapore Athletics did provide the sports attire when the masters are competing in major international events. How about a little support in transportation/air fare and accommodation, for representing Singapore?

No need million dollar awards. But a little or small award would really be nice. What is Singapore Active waiting for when so much money are spent on other athletes and sports? The seniors need some encouragement in what they are doing, to stay healthy to compete in sports. The medicine and supplements to keep their bodies supple and functioning are not cheap.

China’s nightmare gone to passé

China was lucky to have Cambodia and Laos as the Chair of Asean in the last two summits. Without these two allies, China would be dragged into the mud by pro American Asean members with the US and Japan cheering them on. Those two years were really treacherous for China. Asean could have been manipulated by the Americans and Japanese to go head on against China precipitating in a war or high tension in the South China Sea. With the Philippines and Vietnam and a couple of little USAs conspiring against China, China should count itself lucky to get away unscathed.

But this could not last long as the Chair of Asean is in rotation and China’s nightmare was about to begin with the Number One Asean protagonist taking over the Chair in the Philippines. The Chinese must have had sleepless nights trying to walk out of this Gordian knot. The Philippines under the Aquino regime was the point man for the American and Japanese aggressive war machine, and a very willing one, supported by a few even more zealous and eager little USAs.

And now the Chair of Asean is in the Philippines. What the plotters and schemers did not bargain for, while they kept plotting and scheming against China, is that the mighty One up there would not let them have their evil ways. No, the Philippines must not be allowed to spoil the day and the rise of China. It must be stopped. The only way to stop this farce and to keep Asean on an even keel is for the Philippines to change course, to be at least neutral if not pro China.

And He did it by bringing in Duterte to replace Aquino and the whole picture changed. The damages planned for China in Laos was a washout, down the sewers when Duterte refused to be the point man to do the dirty work for the American Empire and Japanese conspiracy. It is unimaginable for China if the Philippines is still under Aquino and taking over the Chair of Asean.

Now, instead of stern faces and bracing for the worst, China is smiling while the hapless Americans and Japanese and their little USAs straggled into darkness, into oblivion. Without a willing point man, without the Philippines doing the dirty work for them, even the little USAs could not do anything.

China is safe for another year with the Chair of Asean in Manila. The nightmare did not come true and the day is bright and chirpy for China until the next little USA takes over the Chair of Asean. And the Philippines would be the Chair or Asean China relations for the next 3 years. This is a bonus that China did not expect. From the verge of being dragged into the arena to be bashed around, the new Philippines would just do the opposite to the chagrin of the American camp.

Man proposed, Heaven disposed, how true, how true. The rise of China is unstoppable with the mandate of heaven. When heaven is on the side of China, there is nothing the Dark Side can do to overturn the apple cart.