With all noble and good intention, the PAP went out of its way to change
the Constitution, gathered some of the most prominent citizens in a
Constitutional Commission to sanction the need for a Malay President and
how important and critical this is for a multi racial Singapore.
Unfortunately this whole scheme is looking to go astray and turning
sour. The ground is so uncomfortable and the only people that did not
see any problem with this whole thing are you know who.
The constitutional change is to ensure that a Malay will be elected as
the next President, or an ethnic minority, after a lapse of 5 terms. And
in this coming election it is loud and clear that it is the turn for
the Malay community to elect one of their kind to be the next President
of this island.
The change brought along high hopes in the Malay community that at last
another Malay would be the President after a long lapse since Yusof
Ishak was the first and last Malay President. There was exuberance in
the community but with some reservations that the crutch mentality is
going to plague them once again. But never mind, it is not their fault
as the community did not ask for it. It was all the initiative of the
govt of the day that wants to provide this crutch to give the community a
lift.
All seems well and good until the search of a Malay candidate begins.
And to the horror of the Malay community, they could not find an ethnic
Malay qualified to stand for this election, at least till now. And all
the three candidates were not Malay ethnically or were more dominant in
their ethnic lineages in other races.
How would this EP go along when it is reserved specially for the Malay
community, to be represented by a Malay, other ethnic communities not
allowed to compete in this race, but in the end no Malay candidate is up
for election? An election reserved for Malays but no Malay candidate
except mixed blood Malays or even Pakistani!
How pathetic can this be? How ludicrous! How farcical! The whole scheme
is to appease the Malay community, to make them feel that the community
is not left out in the cold, they are not forgotten. Would the outcome
of the EP election bring comfort to the Malay community if the elected
President is anything but a Malay?
8/07/2017
Foreign powers are pressurizing Singapore to do their will
A few days back Chan Chun Sing was quoted to have said that some foreign
powers are putting pressure on Singapore to undermine Singapore’s
interests. When asked, Chan Chun Sing said it was inconvenient to
mention who was that foreign power. This was what he said,
“Singaporeans must be vigilant about any potential attempts by foreign
parties to influence local politics and undermine the democratic
process.
Foreign interference in domestic politics and electoral processes cannot be underestimated and must always be factored into our social and psychological defence. History has shown that bigger and more powerful states will seek to advance their interests by projecting their influence on usually smaller or less organised ones via all instruments of power.”
Foreign powers are not only undermining our domestic politics but also to advance their interests by projecting their influence and power. On 4 Aug, it was reported in the main media that the Americans were ‘pressing Southeast Asian countries to “downgrade diplomatic engagements and exchanges” with North Korea as it seeks to build a “chorus of condemnation” ahead of the Asean Regional Forum(ARF) in Manila.”’
And just not too far in the recent past, the Singapore govt had made public statements that it would speak out against big powers on grounds of principle and our national interests when they sought to bully small countries into acquiescence. Would Singapore stand up to this pressure by the Americans bullying and pressuring small states to do its will? Or this American action is in line with Singapore’s interests and instead Singapore should support the American position?
Last Friday Singapore opened its card to expel Huang Jing and wife for trying to influence its foreign policies. While influence the policies of nation states is part and parcel of diplomacy, there are OB markers that should not be crossed. All govts and diplomats are involved in influencing policies of other states to favour them. All the superpowers are doing the same except in different ways. The Americans and its intelligence services have been doing this for ages even to the extend of espionage, assassination, regime change and war. The flurry of belligerent activities against the North Koreans is a case in point when the resort to war is on the table as far as this outlaw Empire is concerned. China on the other hand is talking about negotiation and peaceful settlements of differences.
Asean and China has just concluded a foreign ministers meeting in Manila and agreed to seek peaceful negotiation on their difference. The South China Sea dispute has returned to sanity with Asean telling the Americans to get lost and not to meddle with issues that do not concern the Americans to the ire of the Americans. For good riddance, peace has returned to the South China Sea and the region with the nation stakes ignoring the agitation for war in the region by the Americans.
The Americans are not giving up and will continue to push and coerce the Asean countries to be embroiled in a war they are cooking in the Korean Peninsula. How many Asean states would be dragged into this war that has nothing to do with them and their national security?
Foreign interference in domestic politics and electoral processes cannot be underestimated and must always be factored into our social and psychological defence. History has shown that bigger and more powerful states will seek to advance their interests by projecting their influence on usually smaller or less organised ones via all instruments of power.”
Foreign powers are not only undermining our domestic politics but also to advance their interests by projecting their influence and power. On 4 Aug, it was reported in the main media that the Americans were ‘pressing Southeast Asian countries to “downgrade diplomatic engagements and exchanges” with North Korea as it seeks to build a “chorus of condemnation” ahead of the Asean Regional Forum(ARF) in Manila.”’
And just not too far in the recent past, the Singapore govt had made public statements that it would speak out against big powers on grounds of principle and our national interests when they sought to bully small countries into acquiescence. Would Singapore stand up to this pressure by the Americans bullying and pressuring small states to do its will? Or this American action is in line with Singapore’s interests and instead Singapore should support the American position?
Last Friday Singapore opened its card to expel Huang Jing and wife for trying to influence its foreign policies. While influence the policies of nation states is part and parcel of diplomacy, there are OB markers that should not be crossed. All govts and diplomats are involved in influencing policies of other states to favour them. All the superpowers are doing the same except in different ways. The Americans and its intelligence services have been doing this for ages even to the extend of espionage, assassination, regime change and war. The flurry of belligerent activities against the North Koreans is a case in point when the resort to war is on the table as far as this outlaw Empire is concerned. China on the other hand is talking about negotiation and peaceful settlements of differences.
Asean and China has just concluded a foreign ministers meeting in Manila and agreed to seek peaceful negotiation on their difference. The South China Sea dispute has returned to sanity with Asean telling the Americans to get lost and not to meddle with issues that do not concern the Americans to the ire of the Americans. For good riddance, peace has returned to the South China Sea and the region with the nation stakes ignoring the agitation for war in the region by the Americans.
The Americans are not giving up and will continue to push and coerce the Asean countries to be embroiled in a war they are cooking in the Korean Peninsula. How many Asean states would be dragged into this war that has nothing to do with them and their national security?
8/06/2017
Ground breaking events on 4 Aug
Five days before Singapore celebrates its National Day on 9 Aug, two
ground breaking events hit Singapore on Friday. The first was the PNG of
Professor Huang Jing of the LKY School of Public Policies headed by
Kishore Mahbubani. Huang Jin and his wife Shirley Yang had their PR
status cancelled and banned from entering Singapore for life on charges
of trying to influence Singapore's foreign policies by working with
foreign intelligent services and govts.
The second ground breaking event was the AG's decision to charge Li Sheng Wu for contempt of court for his facebook posting commenting that the Singapore court is pliant.
In Huang Jing's case an unknown superpower was hinted to be behind his actions. There are two big superpowers that are likely to be associated with this case, the USA or China. Huang Jing and wife are US PRs. But he is said to be pro China in his writings. The guess is that the power to be behind him is either the USA or China. What is important here is that Singapore is living up to its principles of not allowing any country or superpower to influence its policies or be pressured to bend its policies. In this case Huang Jing is representing a powerful country to influence Singapore's foreign policy. Does his expulsion got to do with another power pressuring Singapore to expel him?
The expulsion of Huang Jin and wife is a hardening of Singapore's position against the superpower behind Huang Jin, be it the USA or China. And Singapore is prepared to take on the superpower come what may to establish its principled position and to protect its national interest. The price is high for making this tough decision and there will be consequences. It is kind of calling a spade a spade, no more disguises and innuendoes. You are enemy. And the enemy is exposed and embarrassed and the ball is in the enemy's court now.
The case against Li Sheng Wu is bridge burning, a declaration of war with Lee Hsien Yang and family. Li Sheng Wu is no sibling, one generation down the road. Taking him to court is different from taking siblings to court. But nonetheless he is family and Hsien Yang and Wei Ling would take this as open warfare, everything goes. The truce has been broken. The family feud is alive and burning.
Li Sheng Wu has said that he would not return to Singapore to face charges. It is as good as self imposed exile, like his parents. Would he be applying for political asylum like Amos Yee? The only thing to remember this young man for his brief moments in the annals of Singapore's history are these words spoken in his eulogies for his grandfather.
'It is often said that my grandfather built great institutions for Singapore. But what is an institution? It is a way of doing things that outlives the one who builds it. A strong institution is robust, it is persistent. It does not depend precariously on individual personalities. It places the rule of law above the rule of man. And that is the sacrifice of being a builder of institutions. To build institutions is to cede power – is to create a system that will not forever rely on you. That this occasion passes without disorder or uncertainty shows that he succeeded in this task. We are bereft at his passing, but we are not afraid. The pillars that he built stand strong, the foundations that he dug run deep.'
It is ironic and sad that he has to run away from his grandfather's institutions and the home he grew up with and full of fond memories.
The second ground breaking event was the AG's decision to charge Li Sheng Wu for contempt of court for his facebook posting commenting that the Singapore court is pliant.
In Huang Jing's case an unknown superpower was hinted to be behind his actions. There are two big superpowers that are likely to be associated with this case, the USA or China. Huang Jing and wife are US PRs. But he is said to be pro China in his writings. The guess is that the power to be behind him is either the USA or China. What is important here is that Singapore is living up to its principles of not allowing any country or superpower to influence its policies or be pressured to bend its policies. In this case Huang Jing is representing a powerful country to influence Singapore's foreign policy. Does his expulsion got to do with another power pressuring Singapore to expel him?
The expulsion of Huang Jin and wife is a hardening of Singapore's position against the superpower behind Huang Jin, be it the USA or China. And Singapore is prepared to take on the superpower come what may to establish its principled position and to protect its national interest. The price is high for making this tough decision and there will be consequences. It is kind of calling a spade a spade, no more disguises and innuendoes. You are enemy. And the enemy is exposed and embarrassed and the ball is in the enemy's court now.
The case against Li Sheng Wu is bridge burning, a declaration of war with Lee Hsien Yang and family. Li Sheng Wu is no sibling, one generation down the road. Taking him to court is different from taking siblings to court. But nonetheless he is family and Hsien Yang and Wei Ling would take this as open warfare, everything goes. The truce has been broken. The family feud is alive and burning.
Li Sheng Wu has said that he would not return to Singapore to face charges. It is as good as self imposed exile, like his parents. Would he be applying for political asylum like Amos Yee? The only thing to remember this young man for his brief moments in the annals of Singapore's history are these words spoken in his eulogies for his grandfather.
'It is often said that my grandfather built great institutions for Singapore. But what is an institution? It is a way of doing things that outlives the one who builds it. A strong institution is robust, it is persistent. It does not depend precariously on individual personalities. It places the rule of law above the rule of man. And that is the sacrifice of being a builder of institutions. To build institutions is to cede power – is to create a system that will not forever rely on you. That this occasion passes without disorder or uncertainty shows that he succeeded in this task. We are bereft at his passing, but we are not afraid. The pillars that he built stand strong, the foundations that he dug run deep.'
It is ironic and sad that he has to run away from his grandfather's institutions and the home he grew up with and full of fond memories.
8/05/2017
Tit for Tat against the Americans
In a tit for tat reaction against American sanctions and expulsion of
its diplomats, Russia has ordered hundreds of American diplomats out of
its Embassy in Russia. Below is a report in Channel News Asia.
'MOSCOW: Russia on Friday ordered the United States to cut hundreds of diplomatic staff in retaliation for a new round of U.S. sanctions, and said it was seizing two U.S. diplomatic properties. Moscow's decision, which had echoes of the Cold War, was announced by the Foreign Ministry a day after the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved new sanctions on Russia. The legislation was in part a response to conclusions by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and to further punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea in 2014.'
The rest of the world must not let the world's number outlaw to dictate to them, setting the agenda of confrontation, sanctions and threats. The BRICS nations and the smaller countries in the UN must do the same, hit back at the Americans when they throw bricks at them. Do not be bullied by this outlaw forever. It is time to set the agenda instead of being led by the nose and be constantly threatened by this big bully.
It is time to stop this outlaw from ruling the world and bully the rest of the world. They are creating troubles all over the world to incite unrest and wars. They are in Venezuela, in Eastern Europe, the Baltics, the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Korean Peninsula, in the South China Sea, in the Philippines, in Malaysia and more. All the troubles in the world is the credit of this outlaw.
Russia should also freeze the assets of American companies to tell the outlaw that what it can do, Russia can do also. Other countries should do likewise. Malaysia, what are you waiting?
This tit for tat diplomacy can now be played by every country. You make the first move, you tit and they will tat. Countries that are not careful would see themselves embroiled in bigger problems and wars. With the Russians forming a military alliance with China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan, there will now be many more ICBMs aiming at the American homeland. America would be a waste land should a nuclear war breaks out. So would be its closed allies like Japan and South Korea. Once an ICBM is fired, all would be fired with no time to loose. Any country that hesitated would have no chance to fire their ICBMs and would be turned into Stone Age.
This is a zero sum game when the end result is a big zero for all the nuclear powers.
'MOSCOW: Russia on Friday ordered the United States to cut hundreds of diplomatic staff in retaliation for a new round of U.S. sanctions, and said it was seizing two U.S. diplomatic properties. Moscow's decision, which had echoes of the Cold War, was announced by the Foreign Ministry a day after the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved new sanctions on Russia. The legislation was in part a response to conclusions by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and to further punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea in 2014.'
The rest of the world must not let the world's number outlaw to dictate to them, setting the agenda of confrontation, sanctions and threats. The BRICS nations and the smaller countries in the UN must do the same, hit back at the Americans when they throw bricks at them. Do not be bullied by this outlaw forever. It is time to set the agenda instead of being led by the nose and be constantly threatened by this big bully.
It is time to stop this outlaw from ruling the world and bully the rest of the world. They are creating troubles all over the world to incite unrest and wars. They are in Venezuela, in Eastern Europe, the Baltics, the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Korean Peninsula, in the South China Sea, in the Philippines, in Malaysia and more. All the troubles in the world is the credit of this outlaw.
Russia should also freeze the assets of American companies to tell the outlaw that what it can do, Russia can do also. Other countries should do likewise. Malaysia, what are you waiting?
This tit for tat diplomacy can now be played by every country. You make the first move, you tit and they will tat. Countries that are not careful would see themselves embroiled in bigger problems and wars. With the Russians forming a military alliance with China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan, there will now be many more ICBMs aiming at the American homeland. America would be a waste land should a nuclear war breaks out. So would be its closed allies like Japan and South Korea. Once an ICBM is fired, all would be fired with no time to loose. Any country that hesitated would have no chance to fire their ICBMs and would be turned into Stone Age.
This is a zero sum game when the end result is a big zero for all the nuclear powers.
8/04/2017
PAP’s standard on impropriety
Chok Tong’s famous quote that any PAP minister or MP that were accused
of impropriety or misconduct must clear his name by suing the accuser or
the accusation be deemed to be true. In today’s media, Hsien Loong has
added a condition to Chok Tong’s standard of impropriety by saying that
any minister accused of improper conduct must clear his name publicly. I
quote, ‘Any minster accused of improper conduct must clear his name
publicly and “should not allow the allegations to fester and affect the
reputation of the Govt.”’
Notice the missing part about suing the accuser. Hsien Loong added, ‘if the allegation is serious, he would expect the minister to take court action for defamation, “unless there are other special considerations….He may also need to render account in Parliament, particularly if the matter concerns his discharge of public duties and is of public interest. These are not mutually exclusive options. In all cases, there must be public accounting.”’
Here is the difference in the two positions. The second position of Hsien Loong is that suing may not be necessary, but public accounting is mandatory with or without suing. His justification or exceptions for not suing is that the party could be family, siblings and may besmirched their parents’ names, and the process may take years , creating distraction and distress to Singaporeans.
Of course Hsien Loong is referring to Lee Kuan Yew’s reputation. The question is whether this ruling is applicable to other ministers and MPs as their parents were not Lee Kuan Yew or Mrs Lee Kuan Yew. Would the ministers and MPs quote this as the new standard and they need not sue their family or siblings when they were accused of impropriety or this is only applicable to Hsien Loong’s case? My reading is that this is for general application to all ministers and MPs or else it would be too stark an exception that would not look too good. It can’t be an exception just for himself.
Also, ministers and MPs that are being accused by their family or siblings could clear their names in Parliament, a public accounting without being sued. Is this the new standard for PAP ministers and MPs to abide by? Also, does it mean that should Hsien Loong’s siblings continue to make allegations against him and immunized from being sued?
Notice the missing part about suing the accuser. Hsien Loong added, ‘if the allegation is serious, he would expect the minister to take court action for defamation, “unless there are other special considerations….He may also need to render account in Parliament, particularly if the matter concerns his discharge of public duties and is of public interest. These are not mutually exclusive options. In all cases, there must be public accounting.”’
Here is the difference in the two positions. The second position of Hsien Loong is that suing may not be necessary, but public accounting is mandatory with or without suing. His justification or exceptions for not suing is that the party could be family, siblings and may besmirched their parents’ names, and the process may take years , creating distraction and distress to Singaporeans.
Of course Hsien Loong is referring to Lee Kuan Yew’s reputation. The question is whether this ruling is applicable to other ministers and MPs as their parents were not Lee Kuan Yew or Mrs Lee Kuan Yew. Would the ministers and MPs quote this as the new standard and they need not sue their family or siblings when they were accused of impropriety or this is only applicable to Hsien Loong’s case? My reading is that this is for general application to all ministers and MPs or else it would be too stark an exception that would not look too good. It can’t be an exception just for himself.
Also, ministers and MPs that are being accused by their family or siblings could clear their names in Parliament, a public accounting without being sued. Is this the new standard for PAP ministers and MPs to abide by? Also, does it mean that should Hsien Loong’s siblings continue to make allegations against him and immunized from being sued?
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