What is the spirit and intent of the minority EP election? I think it is very clear that this is to provide for a minority rep to be the EP after 30 years or 5 terms of EP and no minority candidate of a particular race is elected. We are talking about someone being elected under the EP system, not someone being appointed under the old system.
Why is this important? First, it must be a case that no minority candidate is being elected under the EP system as this system is an open election and no one can guarantee or foresee who would be elected. The choice is left open to the voters. No one can fix the result. OK this is a simplistic view of mine and I know many would disagree. I am just saying something that is politically correct.
Why Wee Kim Wee should not be counted even though he was acting as a nominated President with EP powers for two years? I am not going to quibble about the 2 years or 5 years as these are irrelevant. What is important is that he was nominated and appointed as the President under the old system. This means that during his time, a minority President could have been appointed if so desired by the ruling govt. If there was an intent to have a minority president then, this could easily be fixed by the ruling govt by putting up a minority president instead of Wee Kim Wee. His occupation of the Presidential seat should therefore not be considered in the calculation for the eligibility of a minority presidential election.
Wee Kim Wee was from a different system that allowed the ruling govt to appoint a minority president. In the case of the EP system, the ruling govt has no control, technically, oops, as to whether a minority president would be elected. That is why this minority EP system is introduced to overcome this technical flaw in this system. There is no such flaw in the nominated system.
For this reason alone, it is enough to rule Wee Kim Wee out of the computation.
What do you think? Logical or not?
PS: Singapore is reputed to have the best teaching method for mathematics. If the same question were to be posed to the children in schools, they would come out with 2021 as the year for the next EP election, ie 30 years after the law came to effect. None of them would think 2017 is the answer. Any student having 2017 as the answer would be marked wrong by the teachers for sure.
4/04/2017
US created the Korean problem and US alone has to solve it.
To understand the present Korean problem we must look at the problem retrospectively. Immediately after the Second World War both US and Russia ( Formerly known as the Soviet Union ) were engaged in a Cold War to control the world. Both US and Russia supported their proteges South Korea and North Korea respectively with the intention by both to eventually dominate the whole Korean peninsula.
US motive for creating a Korean War was to establish an American foothold in North East Asia as a counter to Russian Imperialism and communism. But we have to see Russian motive in a different light. Of course Russia would not want to have American imperialism at its doorstep. But the more insidious Russian Motive for instigating a Korean War was to eventually drag China into the conflict which it did. Bear in mind imperial Russia under the Zars had for over hundreds of years from 1689 to 1946 connived with other European powers to dismantle China as a country and divide Chinese territories among themselves. Russia benefitted the most from its unbridled aggression against a weak and decadent feudalistic Ching Dynasty and from that aggression it stole and occupied more than 3,5 million square miles of Chinese land. After decades of Western and Japanese aggression and long civil war China ( PRC ) was incredibly poor and weak. However US would not allow China to have peace because the PRC was a communist state and so it constantly and Illicitly sent 5th columns and KMT infiltrators and traitors to destabilise the country. Russia on the other hand would never want to see a rejuvenated and developed China which would one day definitely settle scores with the Russians regarding the vast territories of Chinese lands stolen by Russia. So Russia created the Korean War to wear down China and prevent her from rising. China was reluctant to enter the Korean War but eventually was dragged into it when US bombed Chinese territory across the Yalu River and also goaded by Russia with the mutual agreement that China would provide volunteers while Russia would provide arms and airforce cover to Chinese armies. True to its colours Russia played out China when it demanded total and complete payment from China for the arms it supplied and for not providing Chinese armies air cover from US airforce attacks .
The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953 and reached a stalemate and so an unstable armistice was signed. Attempts were made by China to bring the DPRK and South Korea to peace talks with a view to eventually sign a peace treaty to unite both Koreas. However both the Americans and the Russians for their own selfish interest and agenda have no desire to see peace in Korea.
America is very mischievous and insidious in claiming that only China can put pressure on DPRK to stop its nuclear armament and missile development. Why China, why not Russia? China unlike America does not control other countries. DPRK is an independent country It acts independently as a sovereign state. It is not under China's control or dictates. DPRK's actions is a response to US nuclear threats and bully. DPRK had seen how a non nuclear Iraq and Libya were being mercilessly attacked and destroyed and their legitimate presidents wantonly murdered by US and its unholy European alliances. US is trying to drive a wedge between DPRK and China . How sinister it is?
So the problem in Korea is entwined with insidious US imperialism and hegemonism and has nothing to do with China. US has always intentionally portrayed DPRK in a bad light and created crisis to lay a basis and excuse for its continual military bases in South Korea and Japan so that it can always snoop on China and Russia and to contain China's peaceful development. US has far too often sabotaged China's efforts to bring all concerned parties to the negotiating table to talk and achieve a peace treaty for a unified Korea.
The Korean problem can be solved easily if US withdraw its forces and wind down its military bases in South Korea and Japan and sign a peace treaty with DPRK.
However, if an insane Trump presidency were to unilaterally pre-empt a strike on DPRK it will lead to World 3 resulting in big powers nuclear exchange and ultimate destruction and annihilation of mankind.. If that is what US and the West want, so be it.
Southernglory 1
Tuesday, 4th April,2017
US motive for creating a Korean War was to establish an American foothold in North East Asia as a counter to Russian Imperialism and communism. But we have to see Russian motive in a different light. Of course Russia would not want to have American imperialism at its doorstep. But the more insidious Russian Motive for instigating a Korean War was to eventually drag China into the conflict which it did. Bear in mind imperial Russia under the Zars had for over hundreds of years from 1689 to 1946 connived with other European powers to dismantle China as a country and divide Chinese territories among themselves. Russia benefitted the most from its unbridled aggression against a weak and decadent feudalistic Ching Dynasty and from that aggression it stole and occupied more than 3,5 million square miles of Chinese land. After decades of Western and Japanese aggression and long civil war China ( PRC ) was incredibly poor and weak. However US would not allow China to have peace because the PRC was a communist state and so it constantly and Illicitly sent 5th columns and KMT infiltrators and traitors to destabilise the country. Russia on the other hand would never want to see a rejuvenated and developed China which would one day definitely settle scores with the Russians regarding the vast territories of Chinese lands stolen by Russia. So Russia created the Korean War to wear down China and prevent her from rising. China was reluctant to enter the Korean War but eventually was dragged into it when US bombed Chinese territory across the Yalu River and also goaded by Russia with the mutual agreement that China would provide volunteers while Russia would provide arms and airforce cover to Chinese armies. True to its colours Russia played out China when it demanded total and complete payment from China for the arms it supplied and for not providing Chinese armies air cover from US airforce attacks .
The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953 and reached a stalemate and so an unstable armistice was signed. Attempts were made by China to bring the DPRK and South Korea to peace talks with a view to eventually sign a peace treaty to unite both Koreas. However both the Americans and the Russians for their own selfish interest and agenda have no desire to see peace in Korea.
America is very mischievous and insidious in claiming that only China can put pressure on DPRK to stop its nuclear armament and missile development. Why China, why not Russia? China unlike America does not control other countries. DPRK is an independent country It acts independently as a sovereign state. It is not under China's control or dictates. DPRK's actions is a response to US nuclear threats and bully. DPRK had seen how a non nuclear Iraq and Libya were being mercilessly attacked and destroyed and their legitimate presidents wantonly murdered by US and its unholy European alliances. US is trying to drive a wedge between DPRK and China . How sinister it is?
So the problem in Korea is entwined with insidious US imperialism and hegemonism and has nothing to do with China. US has always intentionally portrayed DPRK in a bad light and created crisis to lay a basis and excuse for its continual military bases in South Korea and Japan so that it can always snoop on China and Russia and to contain China's peaceful development. US has far too often sabotaged China's efforts to bring all concerned parties to the negotiating table to talk and achieve a peace treaty for a unified Korea.
The Korean problem can be solved easily if US withdraw its forces and wind down its military bases in South Korea and Japan and sign a peace treaty with DPRK.
However, if an insane Trump presidency were to unilaterally pre-empt a strike on DPRK it will lead to World 3 resulting in big powers nuclear exchange and ultimate destruction and annihilation of mankind.. If that is what US and the West want, so be it.
Southernglory 1
Tuesday, 4th April,2017
Local employers struggling to attract talent
This is a survey conducted by an agency, Willie Towers Watson. Two out of three employers are struggling to attract talent.
Now I understand why the kopitiam towkay is complaining he could not find talents for his business. He is looking for a doctorate chemist to make his kopi better, a hygiene expert to clean his plates and cups and toilets. The ‘everything $2’ shop is looking for an internationally qualified and experienced marketeer to bring his business from Ang Mo Kio to Tuas. He is expanding to every corner of Singapore.
Heard got Town Councils looking for internationally trained sanitation engineers to raise the standard of sweeping floors. The wet market also looking for engineers to computerize the lighting and floor cleaning, to be automated but also could not find the talents they needed.
With all the local operators running local businesses going hi tech, to compete across town council boundaries for talents, maybe that is why there is such a big shortage of talent for hire. Even HRs must be foreigners, with foreign or international experience, to be good enough to do the job of hiring cleaners. Administrators also must have international experience and Masters or Ph Ds.
All this will add up to the pressure for the already dearth in talent city state. Of course the said survey was talking about a small specialized field, talents in a few specific and specialized professions, not all sundries. It is not that all employers are struggling for talents like the kopitiam owners, $2 shops and wet markets, the survey was talking about cloud computing, mobile app designing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics etc etc. Wait a minute, aren’t our NUS and NTU the best among the world’s best in engineering and science and technology? Why are they not producing the talents needed? Or these graduates are not better than funny graduates from funny universities in the third world countries that are now flooding Raffles Place and MBFC, or even worse, not better than scintillating degrees printed on genuine quality papers from degree mill universities?
This is progress when the kopitiams and wet markets are also looking for post graduate holders as employees. Of course this cannot be lah. Only stupid people will take this seriously. But it is serious when anything called foreign talent is a talent and better than the local PMETs and got hired over local PMETs.
Shit, I am also starting to confuse myself and instead of talking about Singaporean PMETs unconsciously started to think ‘local’ with no respect to Singaporeans and non Singaporeans. I must have been brainwashed after the daily bombarding from the media, that it is all about ‘locals’ not about Singaporeans. This is how powerful the media can be. All the media need to do is to keep repeating something until it becomes second nature, like it is the new truth, something unacceptable becomes acceptable. This is like the CPF, your money but if they keep repeating that it is not your money, the daft Sinkies will get used to it and give up asking for the return of their money in the CPF.
4/03/2017
Role reversal between China and the USA
It is like the invisible hand at work and unstoppable, the hunter is now the hunted. The Americans used to beseech China with all kinds of accusations, from human rights to trade protectionism, currency manipulation(they printed trillions of dollars not counted as currency manipulation), and anything the Americans could cook up to look morally right, to stand on moral high grounds and making China looking very bad or any other country for that matter.
The Americans were the most viled people in history, benefitting from their evil deeds but turning around to champion them as if they were innocent of all their crimes against humanity. They murdered, terminated the Red Indians by the millions, calling the Red Indians savages but turnaround to call themselves protector of human rights. They practiced slavery at a national scale and international scale against the Africans, racism against other races and claimed to be the champion of freedom, human rights and the free world.
They conducted wars everywhere, incited, provoked wars, created tensions and branded other countries as warmongers, as dangerous. They attacked China for polluting the environment after exporting all their dirty industries to China. They coerced China to abandon the use of coal for clean energy. They accused China of unfair trade practices and championed free trade and globalization. They accused China of selling arms when they were the biggest exporters of arms to the rest of the world. They accused other countries like Iran and North Korea of developing nuclear weapons when are hoarding the most nuclear weapons in the whole world and wanting to build more.
This treacherous and evil country could get away with its evilness by controlling the international media and their allies to sing along as if they were the whitest of the whites, the saviors of the world, the righteous leader of the world, of goodness and nothing else.
The table has changed. The ugliness of the Americas are exposed by themselves and the truly free media popping out everywhere to expose the truth, all the misdeeds and evil deeds of the Americans. The Americans of today openly defy the world in continuing to build more deadly nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction, continue to export weapons to the rest of the world, to raise tension, to incite and provoke wars. They are backing out on their agreement to protect the environment signed in Paris, to go back to coal to pollute the environment. They are abandoning free trade and globalization, going back to the days of protectionism.
China has now stepped into the American shoes, not by designed, to call on the Americans to practice and promote free trade and globalization, to abide by international law and agreement to protect the environment and climate change. China and the rest of the world must push the Americans further, to stop exporting weapons to the world, to stop raising tension, to stop inciting and provoking wars, to cut down on nuclear weapons, to totally ban nuclear weapons.
There is a role reversal and China must lead the world to stop the Americans and their evil Exceptionalism to do as they pleased against the interest of the world. A new leadership role has been cut out for China to lead the world for more economic growth, free trade, globalization, protection of the environment, reducing and banning WMD and nuclear weapons to create a more peaceful world for the good of humankind. China must be more aggressive in pushing for these objectives in the UN, to stop the Americans from destroying the world, from defying the nations of the world, from going against international law.
As the Americans retreat from being a responsible leader of the world, a role they had not been doing for the last few decades, actually being irresponsible for starting all the wars, China should assume the leadership to promote a peaceful world for freedom, for free trade and economic growth and development for the nations of the world.
It is time that China leads the world to put pressure on the USA to behave responsibly as a good citizen of the world community. No more American Exceptionalism to bully the smaller countries of the world. Stop the Americans from being a rogue and a scourge to the world.
PS. For those who have been brainwashed with a daily dose of American Exceptionalism, that they could do evil and not question, what I wrote must be very difficult to swallow. It is time to open their eyes to see the real Americans and the evilness and destructions they are causing to the world. In every war after WW2 the Americans are involved directly or indirectly. That is how belligerent this Evil Empire has become. And they are planning for more wars in Asia and SE Asia.
The Americans were the most viled people in history, benefitting from their evil deeds but turning around to champion them as if they were innocent of all their crimes against humanity. They murdered, terminated the Red Indians by the millions, calling the Red Indians savages but turnaround to call themselves protector of human rights. They practiced slavery at a national scale and international scale against the Africans, racism against other races and claimed to be the champion of freedom, human rights and the free world.
They conducted wars everywhere, incited, provoked wars, created tensions and branded other countries as warmongers, as dangerous. They attacked China for polluting the environment after exporting all their dirty industries to China. They coerced China to abandon the use of coal for clean energy. They accused China of unfair trade practices and championed free trade and globalization. They accused China of selling arms when they were the biggest exporters of arms to the rest of the world. They accused other countries like Iran and North Korea of developing nuclear weapons when are hoarding the most nuclear weapons in the whole world and wanting to build more.
This treacherous and evil country could get away with its evilness by controlling the international media and their allies to sing along as if they were the whitest of the whites, the saviors of the world, the righteous leader of the world, of goodness and nothing else.
The table has changed. The ugliness of the Americas are exposed by themselves and the truly free media popping out everywhere to expose the truth, all the misdeeds and evil deeds of the Americans. The Americans of today openly defy the world in continuing to build more deadly nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction, continue to export weapons to the rest of the world, to raise tension, to incite and provoke wars. They are backing out on their agreement to protect the environment signed in Paris, to go back to coal to pollute the environment. They are abandoning free trade and globalization, going back to the days of protectionism.
China has now stepped into the American shoes, not by designed, to call on the Americans to practice and promote free trade and globalization, to abide by international law and agreement to protect the environment and climate change. China and the rest of the world must push the Americans further, to stop exporting weapons to the world, to stop raising tension, to stop inciting and provoking wars, to cut down on nuclear weapons, to totally ban nuclear weapons.
There is a role reversal and China must lead the world to stop the Americans and their evil Exceptionalism to do as they pleased against the interest of the world. A new leadership role has been cut out for China to lead the world for more economic growth, free trade, globalization, protection of the environment, reducing and banning WMD and nuclear weapons to create a more peaceful world for the good of humankind. China must be more aggressive in pushing for these objectives in the UN, to stop the Americans from destroying the world, from defying the nations of the world, from going against international law.
As the Americans retreat from being a responsible leader of the world, a role they had not been doing for the last few decades, actually being irresponsible for starting all the wars, China should assume the leadership to promote a peaceful world for freedom, for free trade and economic growth and development for the nations of the world.
It is time that China leads the world to put pressure on the USA to behave responsibly as a good citizen of the world community. No more American Exceptionalism to bully the smaller countries of the world. Stop the Americans from being a rogue and a scourge to the world.
PS. For those who have been brainwashed with a daily dose of American Exceptionalism, that they could do evil and not question, what I wrote must be very difficult to swallow. It is time to open their eyes to see the real Americans and the evilness and destructions they are causing to the world. In every war after WW2 the Americans are involved directly or indirectly. That is how belligerent this Evil Empire has become. And they are planning for more wars in Asia and SE Asia.
4/02/2017
Cheng Bock, why took so long to speak up?
Cheng Bock, why took so long to speak up?
Cheng Bock held a press conference on 31st Mar to question how the govt compute the qualifying period for the election of a minority Elected President. The points he raised were sensible and logical as the way the govt calculate the 30 year/5 term to start from Wee Kim Wee is apparently controversial and kind of contrived. Even the brightest legal mind would have problems accepting the logic and trying to explain it legally as sound and constitutional unless one is prepared to content with funny explanations.
This move by Cheng Bock is drawing flakes from some quarters criticising Cheng Bock for being silent for too long, that the rice is cooked and it is now too late, water under the bridge. The question is that is this really too late and nothing can be done about it? Looking from another angle, what Cheng Bock has done, by waiting for all the nails to be struck into the coffin and then raised ruckus about it is a very sound strategy. It is a strategy that said, now that every is done it could not be undone except to pull down the whole scam.
Let me use the analogy of some foreign talents engaged to build a house using farcical or unsound formula for the foundation. If someone would have jumped the gun at this point to point out the glaring error, it could be corrected immediately, rectified and the building built on sound foundation subsequently. But if the questionable foundation was allowed to go undetected, no alarm raised, the whole structure built would not stand when the fault is pointed out and has to be demolished totally. You cannot fix an unsound foundation structure, say if the piling was shortchanged, or very poor material were used or inadequate support material was used. It must be pulled down, there is no two way about it.
Ok, back to Cheng Bock's objection on the computation of the 30 year/ term qualifying period, is it sound and logical? If not, if it is flawed, it must go back to the drawing board to start a new jiggle. How reasonable and logical was the use of Wee Kim Wee as the first Elected President, and from when? Is this another case of stuffing round pegs into square holes? And who is to decide whether it is sensible and constitutional if not the court of law? Some jokers said there is no recourse and if need to it should go back to Parliament. But Parliament also had a round of 'robust' debate on this issue, so everything cannot be changed. Really, is this what the legal fraternity thinks so?
I am not sure if Cheng Bock could take the case to the 'UN backed' Hague Tribunal, the one that ruled that island without its own fresh water is not an island, but surely Cheng Bock could file for an interpretation in our courts of law. This is not a lawless country. If a case like this cannot be heard in our courts of law, then it would mean that we are a lawless country, not 'boh cheng hu' but 'boh huat teng', Parliament is the law and above the law, the final say in making laws and changing the Constitution and no court of law can hear or challenge the Parliament?
My only misgiving about Cheng Bock's press conference is that it is just a press conference and the only outcome is for people to talk about it in the kopitiams. If the govt does not want to talk about it, does not want to engage, then what? Yes, Cheng Bock should do the necessary and bring the case to the courts of law for a decision. Period. If Cheng Bock's interest is only to raise awareness and start a round of public buzz, then it would be just a public buzz. The press conference is just that and nothing more and the EP would be held in September without him.
What's next Cheng Bock? Is this the end of the story? If Cheng Bock is serious and meant business, this must be a new beginning.
PS. I have a suggestion for Cheng Bock if he is not taking up the case himself. He can always ask a cleaner to take it up and have Ravi to represent her again.
Cheng Bock held a press conference on 31st Mar to question how the govt compute the qualifying period for the election of a minority Elected President. The points he raised were sensible and logical as the way the govt calculate the 30 year/5 term to start from Wee Kim Wee is apparently controversial and kind of contrived. Even the brightest legal mind would have problems accepting the logic and trying to explain it legally as sound and constitutional unless one is prepared to content with funny explanations.
This move by Cheng Bock is drawing flakes from some quarters criticising Cheng Bock for being silent for too long, that the rice is cooked and it is now too late, water under the bridge. The question is that is this really too late and nothing can be done about it? Looking from another angle, what Cheng Bock has done, by waiting for all the nails to be struck into the coffin and then raised ruckus about it is a very sound strategy. It is a strategy that said, now that every is done it could not be undone except to pull down the whole scam.
Let me use the analogy of some foreign talents engaged to build a house using farcical or unsound formula for the foundation. If someone would have jumped the gun at this point to point out the glaring error, it could be corrected immediately, rectified and the building built on sound foundation subsequently. But if the questionable foundation was allowed to go undetected, no alarm raised, the whole structure built would not stand when the fault is pointed out and has to be demolished totally. You cannot fix an unsound foundation structure, say if the piling was shortchanged, or very poor material were used or inadequate support material was used. It must be pulled down, there is no two way about it.
Ok, back to Cheng Bock's objection on the computation of the 30 year/ term qualifying period, is it sound and logical? If not, if it is flawed, it must go back to the drawing board to start a new jiggle. How reasonable and logical was the use of Wee Kim Wee as the first Elected President, and from when? Is this another case of stuffing round pegs into square holes? And who is to decide whether it is sensible and constitutional if not the court of law? Some jokers said there is no recourse and if need to it should go back to Parliament. But Parliament also had a round of 'robust' debate on this issue, so everything cannot be changed. Really, is this what the legal fraternity thinks so?
I am not sure if Cheng Bock could take the case to the 'UN backed' Hague Tribunal, the one that ruled that island without its own fresh water is not an island, but surely Cheng Bock could file for an interpretation in our courts of law. This is not a lawless country. If a case like this cannot be heard in our courts of law, then it would mean that we are a lawless country, not 'boh cheng hu' but 'boh huat teng', Parliament is the law and above the law, the final say in making laws and changing the Constitution and no court of law can hear or challenge the Parliament?
My only misgiving about Cheng Bock's press conference is that it is just a press conference and the only outcome is for people to talk about it in the kopitiams. If the govt does not want to talk about it, does not want to engage, then what? Yes, Cheng Bock should do the necessary and bring the case to the courts of law for a decision. Period. If Cheng Bock's interest is only to raise awareness and start a round of public buzz, then it would be just a public buzz. The press conference is just that and nothing more and the EP would be held in September without him.
What's next Cheng Bock? Is this the end of the story? If Cheng Bock is serious and meant business, this must be a new beginning.
PS. I have a suggestion for Cheng Bock if he is not taking up the case himself. He can always ask a cleaner to take it up and have Ravi to represent her again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)