The end days for social media

First they came for therealsingapore, then thestatestimes. Then they went for the TOC, and the latest is theindependent. Every social media provider would now be wondering who is next. There are only a handful social media websites that are producing local political news other than the political parties. With the major sites now under investigation and possible prosecution, only one or two of such sites are left.
When all the websites are taken to task, it is so easy to find faults when one wanted to do so, Singapore’s social media scene would be bleak and blank. An eerie silence. What’s next?
 
Would the personal blogs also be targeted? How long more could mysingaporenews continue to exist before calling it a day?
 
Some commentators are saying that this is just a pre GE phenomenon, to clear the field before the GE. This means that things would get back to normal after the GE. Is that so? Is it so easy to set up a website/blog and attract followers and readers to the new site/blog? Many may be so discouraged to call it quit completely.
 
Would this be good to Singapore and Singaporeans? Would Singaporeans be turned into frogs living in a well, with a sky that is as big as the well opening and knowing nothing and seeing nothing else beyond that well opening?
 
Would the day come when there is no socio political discussion in the social media in Singapore except for those operating from far away, outside the jurisdiction of Singapore’s long arm of the law? Oh, in today’s news, Malaysian sites are also blocked.
 
Maybe I shall write about hawker food, health, littering, accidents, dogs and cats that Singaporean reporters are good at and leave the political news to foreigners that are so clever in this matter.

Mat and his half truths

After the new govt came into power in Malaysia, Mahathir was seen removing all the curbs on freedom of the press disguised as controlling fake news and half truths. Malaysia is the new beacon of truth, not fake news and half truths with lesser control of the media. Or is it because of this freedom of speech or the media that more fake news and half truths would be the talk of the town?
 
In thenewpaper I saw this article ‘Dr M: M’sians don’t want to work, expect handouts’. As I read more of what Mahathir was saying I could believe that these were the truths but more of half truths that bordered on fake news. I will quote a few of his comments and see if you guys can tell whether it is fake news or half truth, starting from the title of the article above.
 
‘Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned that Malaysia would soon be overtaken by its oorer neighbours because its people exect handouts rather than to work hard.’ Truth or half truth?
 
‘In Malaysia, people don’t want to work because the govt gives them money.’ Truth or half truth?
The Malaysian govt decided not to ratify the International Convention on the elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination(ICERD) ‘because the govt was aware that the people did not agree with the ratification’. Truth or half truth?
 
‘I deny that we made the decision to not ratify the ICERD because of politics, or because we were worried that we would lose support in the upcoming Rantau by election.’ Truth or half truth?
How many truths and half truths are there in the above quotes?
 
M’sian PM says his country will be overtaken by Vietnam soon. I must agree that this is a truth, a few of the truth among the many half truths he spoke. And here is another truth, ‘Even some of our own (ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan) MPs were not in favour of it.’
 
Many govts like to blame social media and bloggers for telling fake news and half truths. What about the half truths above, if any, that were spoken by a PM? Does it mean that the govt can speak half truth and the social media cannot?

Taiwan – Why the DPP lost?

The DPP has been playing the independence card since it came to power, since the Lee Teng Hui and Chen Shui Bian’s term and Tsai Ing Wen’s present term. They kept referring to themselves as Taiwanese, some even identifying themselves as Japanese, instead of Chinese. They looked down on the mainland Chinese as poor and backward country bumpkins. They were so blinded by their own delusion that they could not see the changes in China. The new China is a rich and powerful nation, economically, scientifically and military. Today, the new China and the Chinese are the ones that would be throwing money at them to keep the Taiwanese economy afloat. Without the Chinese market Taiwan is doomed.
 
Last weekend’s country and city election was a wake up call that the world has changed. The rhetoric to deny the emergence of a new China is futile and pointless. Taiwan’s future lies in a strong and prosperous China. The decades of calling themselves as Taiwanese, not Chinese is like a bad dream. More and more Taiwanese are again calling themselves Chinese, identifying themselves with the new China, a super power that is going to be number One soon, to eclipse the Americans in all fields.
 
Would the DPP be able to avoid the defeat if they have woken up to the new reality of a new China? Would they be able to do anything to stay in power and rule forever? Maybe, maybe not.Despite all the dirty tricks, corruption of power, abuse of power to suppress opposition parties, it did not work and they were routed in the latest election. An after thought, DPP could possibly learn from Singapore. They could import more foreigners to boost up the economy and at the same time boost up political support. They could do this if they start on an open leg policy to invite the Japanese to migrate to Taiwan. If the Japanese are allowed to become Taiwanese citizens or PRs, they could increase the productivity, and more connectivity with the Japanese economy. And the most important part of this, the Japanese new citizens would vote for Taiwan to be independent of China, and perhaps be a part of Japan, become a semi colony of Japan.
 
The Taiwanese do not care about being semi colonized or being overrun by the Japanese. They do not mind being the pawn of American world domination, to be used against China and to be killed in the process. They have no real identity and would be happy to become Japanese as long as they are not called Chinese. Oops, I mean some Taiwanese, especially those in the DPP. Those in power only care for themselves, to stay in power and be rich. The loss of Taiwan’s independence and sovereignty, to become a vassal state of another country, to be taken over by the foreigners, do not matter to them. They are only self serving, even to turn traitors to their own people. How nice to become Japanese.
 
For their own interest, they would not want to see the new reality, that China is the future, the major power of the 21st Century. They still think that Japan is the super power, the rich country, the future. They deserved to lose the election that would pave the way for the KMT to return to power and a return to China. The Chinese people would reunite as the new force of the 21st Century. Think about it, a reunification would mean the Taiwanese people would become part of greater China, or greater China becomes part of Taiwan. China would belong to them, instead of wallowing in self pity in a tiny island and hoping that the Japanese or the Americans would be there to protect them when they could be protecting themselves as proud citizens of the most powerful country in the world.
 
Would the people in Taiwan choose to become the people of the world’s number one super power or remain an American or Japanese crony, constantly risk becoming a war zone? A rising China means opportunities for growth and for the people of Taiwan to find their pot of gold in China. There are now more than 2m Taiwanese working and investing in China and growing.

Wildlife went on a rampage in Sin City

Almost seven years ago, 4 wildlife went on a rampage in this very safe and very low crime city state. Four Sarawakians turned this peaceful and safe city into a night of violence. They attacked pedestrians on their way home near a MRT station in Kallang, slashing and robbing them in full view of people around them as if it was a free for all in a jungle. The clueless pedestrians did not see it coming, stunt and were mercilessly taken down, defenceless and did not know how to react.
 
The scene could be the same as the hapless pet birds in cages hanging outside the windows of HDB flats when attacked by the hornbills. It was something out of the normal. Who could expect the hornbills to be so audacious and lawless, to think that it was alright to eat the pet birds for lunch? Who would ever think that the foreigners here to work, to make good money to send home, would turn violent against the peaceful, friendly and carefree Singaporeans just living their normal life?
 
The last wildlife, Donny Meluda, was sentenced to 33 years life imprisonment for a supporting role in the violent attack and robbery on a peaceful night in Sin City. Two of the wildlife were convicted for murder. Michael Garing who wield a parang during the slashing crime was sentenced to life imprisonment. Tony Imba, the leader, also got life imprisonment and 24 strokes of the rottan. Another, Hairee Landak, was also given 33 years of life imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane.
 
During the slashing attack, one victim was killed and another 3 seriously injured with a NSman losing several fingers, with half of his palm chopped off. The dead victim was brutally stabbed and slashed all over his body, his head and neck and died on the spot.
 
The High Court judge had this to say about the attack. It was ‘likened to a safari hunt.’
What is the moral of this violent crime by the wildlife? Do not think wildlife are peaceful, friendly and harmless. There is wildness in wildlife. Be careful, be very careful when dealing with wildlife or close to wildlife. Singaporeans are so comfortable with the safe and almost sanitized environment and have taken safety and security for granted. They have let down all their guards against wildlife and would regret only when it happened to them directly, or too late.
 
Be alert all the time. Recently some young children were bitten by the otters in the Marina area. Just keep a safe distance from them. You would not know when they would strike. I am astonished at how comfortable Singaporeans are in inviting wildlife into their homes.
 
On the other hand today’s newpaper has a good coverage of otters being witnesses to a marriage proposal and otters having a siesta in Marina Bay. It seems that news of otter’s presence in little Red Dot has gone viral. The otters have grown familiar with the locals and growing more confidence to be seen around people.
Would they be culled just like the wild boars and wild chicken when their number grew too big? Would they run riot and attack the hapless and timid locals that have lost their instinct to defend themselves against wildlife? Or would they chase out the locals and turn the little Red Dot into Otterpore, a paradise for wildlife?

Mahathir confirmed that Singapore does not need F35s

Some weeks back I questioned the need for Singapore to buy the super expensive toys branded as the most advanced fighter aircraft when the pilot just flies and the aircraft would do everything on its own, finding enemy aircraft and targets and shooting them down. You may even put Ah Meng in it and it would not make any difference, the enemies would be destroyed just like that. My contention is that we do not need such a super clever aircraft for air superiority. Our F15s and F16s would be more than adequate even if our enemies buy the best aircraft like the F35s. These super aircraft are no threat to Singapore even in the possession of the enemies. Why so? How can any aircraft be more superior or effective than our F15s and F16s when their area of operation is on the ground, in the hangars?
 
Mahathir has indirectly said so during his meeting with Putin recently. He asked putting to send his aircraft technicians to help put the Su 29s that the Malaysian purchased back into the air. The Malaysians may have such aircraft but they could not service them and thus the aircraft could not fly. There is no point buying the best offensive aircraft when they remained on the ground, unserviceable, unable to fly because the ground crew could not maintain them.
 
What is important to Singapore is to make sure that the F15s and F16s can fly and do the job they are supposed to do. Have no fear in our enemies having the best and most advanced aircraft when they cannot put them in the air, and have no pilots that are good enough, clever enough to not only fly them but to optimize the capabilities of the avionics and weapon systems in the aircraft. If not the best aircraft would only be for show, good on paper, go to have but no cannot be put to use.
 
On this matter, if Singapore were to buy these super expensive beasts, it would also face the same difficulties as our enemies, to service and maintain them and to have clever pilots that could utilize the aircraft and its weapons systems to do what it could do in the air. The promotional articles saying how easy it is to fly the aircraft and the pilot could actually be flying on auto pilot or even have kopi in the air while the aircraft flies like a robotic war machine with AI and doing everything by itself is an illusion. You need very clever pilots to fly the F35s if they are going to be useful. And you need very clever technicians to keep them flying and not grounded on the tarmac or in the hangars, not knowing what is wrong with the aircraft or waiting for spare parts.
 
Our train system is teaching us a good lesson. You may have the money to buy the best trains or fighter aircraft. That is only the first step. You have to make sure that you can keep them in working condition to do the job, not breaking down now and then. Engineering today is a very sophisticated hard science. You need to know the stuff and you need the papers to prove that. It is no longer a case of can do the job no paper also can. Failed but given a degree or dilploma also can. When your engineers are not engineers, technicians are not technicians, how to keep the aircraft flying?
 
If you still have any doubts, ask Mahathir on why he was asking Putin to send Russian technicians to Malaysia.