telling half truths?

Now, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wants Singaporeans to show their best side to the international financial community.

In June, he launched a `Four Million Smiles' campaign, urging Singaporeans to smile more during the IMF-World Bank meeting - though only a month later, a Friends of the Earth survey showed that Singaporeans ranked as the unhappiest people in Asia.

Since the start of the year, more than 10,000 taxi drivers have attended a three-hour training course on how to provide better service for passengers during the meetings.

An accompanying handbook instructs taxi drivers to keep their hair neat, avoid fidgeting, ensure they don't have body odour, and not clutter their taxi with too many accessories.

"They also told us not to talk about sensitive issues like criticising the government and racial issues," taxi driver Choy Kok Wai, 49, told Reuters.

The above is a report from AFP/REUTERS posted in littlespeck.com

Now, presenting a picture of 4 million smiles when we were found to be one of the unhappiest people in the world, show our best side, which means now showing our ugly side, taxi drivers used to criticise the govt but told not to, would my double here condemn these as telling half truths?

singapore 'appalled' by iranian leader's remarks

This is on the front page of the Straits Times today in response to his remark that Israel should be eliminated and removed from the Middle East. The Singapore statement added, 'Such irresponsible and provocative statements are obviously intended only to further inflame the conflict and not address either the immediate humanitarian needs or the longer term goal of a durable solution that will address the security concerns of all parties.' Israel has been our friend for a long time. We are grateful to the Israelis for helping us in times of need. But I am equally appalled by our statement which has the same effect as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comment, only sound and fury but not helpful to resolving the conflict and the humanitarian aid that is in need. Helping a friend, to be on the side of a friend is one thing, but our comments need to be measured and not be carried away. We are not the USA or the UK. We cannot afford to court trouble to ourselves unnessarily when other bigger allies of the Israelis are keeping quiet. And I do believe the Israelis will not demand that Singapore make such a statement and compromise ourself. That will be very irresponsible of the Israelis to ask for. We shall help our friend and reciprocate their assistance but we shall not get too drunk and get hit by a equally drunk and reckless driver.

myth 48

'Western democracy is good' Who says western democracy is good? Look at what is happening after the last GE? Sitoh is moving out and withdrawing his services to the people. The lamp posts that he put up for the benefit of the people are vandalised and no one is going to repair them. Chiam said it was not put up by him so not his business. Now if these lamp posts go into further disrepair and become an eye sore or public hazard, who is to be responsible? We cannot have this kind of democratic practices. We need a strong govt to 'just do it' and get it repair. To allow democratic processes to work will only lead to this kind of problem. Are Singaporeans mature enough to live under a democratic system where the people take responsibility and ownership of their environment?

unfinished business

If Chiam and Sitoh both abandon the lamp posts in Potong Pasir, they could quickly become a tourist attraction. STB should cordon them off and market them as our latest attraction on democracy Singapore style. The Malaysians also have something similar just across the causeway. The Unfinished Crooked Bridge. That was the first chunk of unfinished concrete mess, with rusty reinforced steel bars jutting into the sky that greeted me when I crossed over. They should quickly clear up the surrounding around the mess concrete chunk, put up some nice props around it and market it as, yes, The Unfinished Crooked Bridge! No fish prawn also good. No Crooked Bridge, unfinished Crooked Bridge also can. A new attraction, cheaper and more meaningful than any expensive DisneyLand that is at best a copy or an imitation. This is original and very fascinating. One of a kind in the world.

disqualification of justice woo bih li

There are many speculations as to the why's of Woo Bih Li disqualifying himself from the Chee siblings and Lee father and son case. We should not read too much into it. This is no more than a case of wanting justice to be done and to be seen to be done. He should make a good candidate for the next Chief Justice. A just, honorable and impartial man.

we will never have our own bill gates or warren buffett

Singtel still searching for CEO to replace Hsien Yang. Hsien Yang is a brilliant scholar, and a very able soldier. With these credentials, he went on to be the CEO of Singtel without any previous experience in the private sector or in the telecommunications industry. Singtel is now looking for a replacement with his resignation. There are two very experience and able CEOs in Chua Sock Koon and Allen Lew. Both have been in the industry and Singtel for many years. And both have proven their worth and risen to their present position. Though they are being considered for Hsien Yang's vacated position, the nuances are that they are not good enough. And Singtel is seriously looking for a foreign talent. Why are these two CEOs who have ample experience in Singtel and the industry not good enough? We will never have our own heroes and world beaters if we keep looking down on our own talents. World beaters need a chance. If we don't give our people the chance, we are doing injustice to our talents.

learning a little thing from the world bank

The World Bank wants the right to be criticised. What silliness! What an oddity of circumstance, for a powerful, respectable institution to lobby for permission to be granted to civil society organisations to have 'more opportunity to express their views', in a manner that will most certainly be non-complimentary to the World Bank. I copied the above from littlespeck.com. article was from blogger i-speak. When I heard that the World Bank was requesting the Singapore govt for permission to allow international demonstrators to demonstrate during the IMF meeting here next month, I found it rather strange. Why would the World Bank want to do that? It would only make life more difficult for them. Or is it a wayang that the World Bank is choreographing? It seems that the World Bank is serious in wanting to hear dissenting voices and views. The philosophy is simple. Criticisms and alternative views are healthy and provide another perspective which the World Bank can consider and may even help it to improve on what it is doing. It does not adopt the high and mighty 'I know it all attitude' and no one else is smarter than them and all dissenting views are unworthy or will undermine what they are doing. This is enlightenment of a very high level. And not only that the World Bank believes in it but also want to put it into practice. Other wise they will become a model of hypocrisy. Can Singapore learn a trick or two from the World Bank? Or we know it best. Nothing do learn anymore. We are the best.