‘We should be more outspoken in speaking up on issues, not just in Parliament but also separately in our constituencies. Each MP would have to raise his own profile; we need to be more politically astute rather than just being implementors on the ground.’ - Baey Yam Keng
The above is the feedback from Baey Yam Keng on the last GE and what went right and wrong and what needs to be changed. What he said is the need for an MP to be himself, to be noticed as an individual leader, to have a voice and a view. So far, the political system under the PAP has been putting the PAP first and the rest of the MPs subsumed under the brand and become nondescripts. They have not much of an identity, not much of a view except those of the collective view or position of the PAP.
Perhaps the current state of affair is a legacy of the past, when anyone can become an MP, literate of illiterate, donkey or genius. In those situation, it was better that they be shut out and said nothing, just towed the line before they confused everyone and talked nonsense thinking that they were immortals.
Today the whole game has been changed. The PAP MPs in particular, are the best of the best, the best that the PAP can find in the island. They are the most talented and with leadership qualities in their blood. Many were even scholars with the best academic report cards comparable to the best in the word. It is a pity and a waste to keep them in the bottle, not allowing them to speak up and prove that they are really great leaders, with an ability to think independently. With their qualifications and the stringent selection criteria, every one of them should rightly be good enough as ministers if needed be.
I agree with Baey Yam Keng that such great talents must be allowed to shine and be seen and adored by the people. The only slight problem is that if they speak too freely and express contrarian views to PAP’s official position, it may be a bit difficult to swallow. And it could be worst when they are expected to vote for policies which they spoke vehemently against in public only to tow the line. It can undermine their integrity and sincerity or look hypocritical.
By all means, it is still a good suggestion to have these great talents speaking out more freely and more often instead of ‘no comments, it is party policies’.
6/17/2011
6/16/2011
Stop visiting Malaysia
The current episode of two women driving to JB in the wee hours of the morning for a cup of tea and the adrenalin sapping adventure they experienced is a hot topic on both sides of the causeway. Hishamuddin, the Home Affairs Minister, is setting up an inquiry into the case.
Many Singaporeans are angry and crying foul. Some are calling for a Stop Visiting Malaysia campaign to protest against the ill treatment of Singaporeans. The thinking is simple, why visit a country to be abused and harassed, not only by robbers and crooks, but also by the authority there to protect you? This is a double barrel risk to take.
This kind of reaction is quite natural in the heat of the moment. But with the complex relations between the two countries and people, this is just not possible. There are many people on both sides of the causeway that have all the good reasons to cross the causeway. The fact in this case, which is a genuine mistake with the errant parties walking to the immigration to correct the mistake but was hauled up and badly treated, like criminals, and with the authority throwing the books at them for immigration violation, has sent fears to innocent visitors to the country.
There was no attempt for discretion, to acknowledge a simple, honest mistake which many visitors to any country can make, and to subject visitors to such an ordeal cannot be taken lightly. Can’t the immigration officers see the difference between a genuine mistake and a criminal offence to arrest innocent visitors? The Immigration Authority is still claiming the high ground, that they were doing their duties when any normal thinking person would have handle the case differently.
Perhaps for Singaporeans who feel like protesting as a show of unhappiness, they could advise Singaporeans who have nothing important to stop visiting Malaysia for a month. Those casual visits, holidays etc, can be put off temporarily and would not cause any pain to anyone. It is just about sending a message. After that, hopefully the message is taken and visitors are treated a little courtesy as a show that they are welcome to visit Malaysia. It is basic hospitality and human decency to make your guests feel welcome, and to assist them when they make little mistakes because of unfamiliarity in a new environment.
Many Singaporeans are angry and crying foul. Some are calling for a Stop Visiting Malaysia campaign to protest against the ill treatment of Singaporeans. The thinking is simple, why visit a country to be abused and harassed, not only by robbers and crooks, but also by the authority there to protect you? This is a double barrel risk to take.
This kind of reaction is quite natural in the heat of the moment. But with the complex relations between the two countries and people, this is just not possible. There are many people on both sides of the causeway that have all the good reasons to cross the causeway. The fact in this case, which is a genuine mistake with the errant parties walking to the immigration to correct the mistake but was hauled up and badly treated, like criminals, and with the authority throwing the books at them for immigration violation, has sent fears to innocent visitors to the country.
There was no attempt for discretion, to acknowledge a simple, honest mistake which many visitors to any country can make, and to subject visitors to such an ordeal cannot be taken lightly. Can’t the immigration officers see the difference between a genuine mistake and a criminal offence to arrest innocent visitors? The Immigration Authority is still claiming the high ground, that they were doing their duties when any normal thinking person would have handle the case differently.
Perhaps for Singaporeans who feel like protesting as a show of unhappiness, they could advise Singaporeans who have nothing important to stop visiting Malaysia for a month. Those casual visits, holidays etc, can be put off temporarily and would not cause any pain to anyone. It is just about sending a message. After that, hopefully the message is taken and visitors are treated a little courtesy as a show that they are welcome to visit Malaysia. It is basic hospitality and human decency to make your guests feel welcome, and to assist them when they make little mistakes because of unfamiliarity in a new environment.
Stop selling Singapore
Today’s big news is that property sales have fallen, and prices may be falling. Is that good news? Even if the prices have fallen 50% it is still too high. Like the minister’s pay, the current property prices are outrageous.
The more important issue is to stop selling the few square feet of land that are still left for us to call this rock our country to foreigners. When the world is our customer, we don’t have enough land to sell. They will just buy up everything, every square inch if they are allowed to. And stop the myth about selling to foreigners who called themselves new citizens. This policy is as good as an open door policy to sell everything as there will be enough rich foreigners to come in and buy up everything. In the end we will have nothing left to call home.
The lunatics out there who still thing we have plenty of land to sell, just remember that any freehold land sold is as good as gone. There are still some left and it is time to take stock and keep what we have for the future generation. Please do not sell Singapore away. Please leave something for our children. We can only continue with this reckless policy of selling land if we don’t regard this as home, and plan to make all the profits and scoot to somewhere else. Even then, it is a silly thing to do as money will be withered away by inflation. The land is still there, as good as forever, unless sold.
The more important issue is to stop selling the few square feet of land that are still left for us to call this rock our country to foreigners. When the world is our customer, we don’t have enough land to sell. They will just buy up everything, every square inch if they are allowed to. And stop the myth about selling to foreigners who called themselves new citizens. This policy is as good as an open door policy to sell everything as there will be enough rich foreigners to come in and buy up everything. In the end we will have nothing left to call home.
The lunatics out there who still thing we have plenty of land to sell, just remember that any freehold land sold is as good as gone. There are still some left and it is time to take stock and keep what we have for the future generation. Please do not sell Singapore away. Please leave something for our children. We can only continue with this reckless policy of selling land if we don’t regard this as home, and plan to make all the profits and scoot to somewhere else. Even then, it is a silly thing to do as money will be withered away by inflation. The land is still there, as good as forever, unless sold.
6/15/2011
It was a common mistake
The Johore Immigration Director Nasri Ishak has clarified that making detainees to do squatting was not a normal procedure. But making them strip was necessary in case the detainees were hiding weapons in their bodies. He was referring to the two Singaporean women who went through a wrong immigration lane by mistake and returned to inform the immigration officers of their error.
In this case the officers were dealing with two innocent visitors who came to them to rectify a mistake. They were not someone picked up for suspicious activities or criminals. Why can’t the officers treat the case as an innocent mistake which happened very often, but treated them like dangerous criminals, stripping them, slapping them, checking for weapons, and putting them in detention?
Now we can see that the officers themselves have made an innocent mistake by making the two innocent women doing squats that were not proper procedure. In fact the whole matter of the two women reporting to them need not become such a big issue. They were not illegal immigrants that were caught sneaking into the country, but motorists who went into a wrong lane. Didn’t the officers have any commonsense to deal with the case as it is?
So, should the public demand that the officers be investigated, put under detention, be stripped, slapped, etc etc? Why can’t simple mistakes be handled simply and resolved expeditiously to avoid any unpleasantness? There were no indications that the two women were out to do mischief. They went back to the immigration officer to correct a mistake and what followed was a nightmare. The emotional and psychological stress and pressure imposed on them were unnecessary and uncalled for if Malaysia wants to be regarded as a first world and civilized country. They were not illegal immigrants in all counts even if the officers wanted to throw the book at them.
Come on Malaysia, when are you going to treat your visitors with some graciousness, respect and dignity?
In this case the officers were dealing with two innocent visitors who came to them to rectify a mistake. They were not someone picked up for suspicious activities or criminals. Why can’t the officers treat the case as an innocent mistake which happened very often, but treated them like dangerous criminals, stripping them, slapping them, checking for weapons, and putting them in detention?
Now we can see that the officers themselves have made an innocent mistake by making the two innocent women doing squats that were not proper procedure. In fact the whole matter of the two women reporting to them need not become such a big issue. They were not illegal immigrants that were caught sneaking into the country, but motorists who went into a wrong lane. Didn’t the officers have any commonsense to deal with the case as it is?
So, should the public demand that the officers be investigated, put under detention, be stripped, slapped, etc etc? Why can’t simple mistakes be handled simply and resolved expeditiously to avoid any unpleasantness? There were no indications that the two women were out to do mischief. They went back to the immigration officer to correct a mistake and what followed was a nightmare. The emotional and psychological stress and pressure imposed on them were unnecessary and uncalled for if Malaysia wants to be regarded as a first world and civilized country. They were not illegal immigrants in all counts even if the officers wanted to throw the book at them.
Come on Malaysia, when are you going to treat your visitors with some graciousness, respect and dignity?
To cry or not to cry?
We are a full fledged first world country, prosperous and well endowed with the best of everything. These cannot come about with half baked no brain citizens. They are called daft today, but nevermind. The fact is that we crowed of the best education system in the region, comparable to the best in the West. And parents invested heavily on their children, given them the best education money can buy.
Our children, many, went through the best childcare and kindergartens with facilities and education systems that the parents were willing to pay good money for. The same kids went through the best primary and secondary educations and tertiary educations with exceptionally good grades. Including the pre schools, most would have spent 20 years of good guidance in the education system.
Then what? They are not good enough when competing with the products of third world countries coming from less well equipped education system, lowly ranked relative to ours. Many have hard times applying for jobs and lost out to foreigners. And many top posts were given to foreigners because our local products were not good enough.
What is wrong? The gene pool has retarded? The education system is flawed despite the accolades? Or is it that a prophet has no place in his own home? Or really, the foreign products are much better than the daft locals?
Maybe it is all a myth. Our miraculous growth is a myth, our education system is a myth, the quality or ability of Singaporeans is a myth. What we are today is all the contributions of foreigners. We need more foreigners to replace the daft Singaporeans. All the tuitions and best kindergartens and best schools, and straight As are all myths, maybe fakes! I am referring to the straight As for Singaporeans. The straight As of foreign talents are real. In fact foreign talents with less than straight As are far better than locals with straight As, imported models.
Our children, many, went through the best childcare and kindergartens with facilities and education systems that the parents were willing to pay good money for. The same kids went through the best primary and secondary educations and tertiary educations with exceptionally good grades. Including the pre schools, most would have spent 20 years of good guidance in the education system.
Then what? They are not good enough when competing with the products of third world countries coming from less well equipped education system, lowly ranked relative to ours. Many have hard times applying for jobs and lost out to foreigners. And many top posts were given to foreigners because our local products were not good enough.
What is wrong? The gene pool has retarded? The education system is flawed despite the accolades? Or is it that a prophet has no place in his own home? Or really, the foreign products are much better than the daft locals?
Maybe it is all a myth. Our miraculous growth is a myth, our education system is a myth, the quality or ability of Singaporeans is a myth. What we are today is all the contributions of foreigners. We need more foreigners to replace the daft Singaporeans. All the tuitions and best kindergartens and best schools, and straight As are all myths, maybe fakes! I am referring to the straight As for Singaporeans. The straight As of foreign talents are real. In fact foreign talents with less than straight As are far better than locals with straight As, imported models.
Returning to sensibility
The policy of enforced consumption is starting to give way. Though it was hailed as the logic of the day that people must spend according to how much money in their pockets, some sanity is returning. In the first place, why should people be forced to eat sharksfin when they only want to eat ikan bilis? How many restaurants out there insisting that their rich customers cannot order cheaper meals?
This mean policy was implemented in the hospitals as well as the HDB. Minimum ceilings were set to force consumers to buy bigger flats or stay in more expensive hospital wards. It was really cock policy. Instead of encouraging thrift and prudence, to save and spend within your means, the policy forced the consumers into over spending, to empty their pockets literary.
In the news today, 43 young couples have wisely chosen to buy smaller HDB flats when the restrictive income ceiling was raised from $3000 to $4000 to qualify for 3 room flats. Under the old policy, they have no choice but to buy the more expensive 4 room flats that they could barely afford. They are careful and responsible young professionals who think ahead of their financial commitments. As young couples, the bills are going to get more and bigger when they set up families.
How many young couples were forced against their wills, to buy bigger flats? How many people were forced to pay for more expensive hospital wards against their wills? And how many young couples were forced into the private housing markets and forced to take up big housing loans against their wills?
Freedom of choice, downgrade if one cannot afford it, was the official slogan. Why no freedom of choice to buy cheaper flats or stay in cheaper hospital wards? Why the need for mean testing? I did not misspell. It is mean testing and not means testing as far as the victims are concerned.
Even how much people are willing to spend and consume is dictated by cock policies. Can you beat that? Will real freedom of choice be returned to the people? The crap about people who have a few dollars more adding to the housing queue or Class C ward queue is a big bull. Just increase the supply to meet the needs of the consumers. Turning off the tap and blame the consumers is a lame excuse.
This mean policy was implemented in the hospitals as well as the HDB. Minimum ceilings were set to force consumers to buy bigger flats or stay in more expensive hospital wards. It was really cock policy. Instead of encouraging thrift and prudence, to save and spend within your means, the policy forced the consumers into over spending, to empty their pockets literary.
In the news today, 43 young couples have wisely chosen to buy smaller HDB flats when the restrictive income ceiling was raised from $3000 to $4000 to qualify for 3 room flats. Under the old policy, they have no choice but to buy the more expensive 4 room flats that they could barely afford. They are careful and responsible young professionals who think ahead of their financial commitments. As young couples, the bills are going to get more and bigger when they set up families.
How many young couples were forced against their wills, to buy bigger flats? How many people were forced to pay for more expensive hospital wards against their wills? And how many young couples were forced into the private housing markets and forced to take up big housing loans against their wills?
Freedom of choice, downgrade if one cannot afford it, was the official slogan. Why no freedom of choice to buy cheaper flats or stay in cheaper hospital wards? Why the need for mean testing? I did not misspell. It is mean testing and not means testing as far as the victims are concerned.
Even how much people are willing to spend and consume is dictated by cock policies. Can you beat that? Will real freedom of choice be returned to the people? The crap about people who have a few dollars more adding to the housing queue or Class C ward queue is a big bull. Just increase the supply to meet the needs of the consumers. Turning off the tap and blame the consumers is a lame excuse.
6/14/2011
Time for a Malay President
Since Yusof Ishak, we have Sheares, Wee Kim Wee, Nair, Teng Cheong, and Nathan on two terms as president, I believe many Singaporeans are looking forward to a Malay president. Though there is no constitutional provision for a system of rotation, it will be nice to have a Malay president after such a long while.
I also think that PAP is planning for a Malay president this time round, and Abullah Tarmugi seems a likely candidate. But with the ire against anything PAP at the moment, Abdullah may have a problem in a contest. And to make matter worst, there are two irritants in Tan Cheng Bock and George Yeo coming into the fray. Then Tan Kin Lian will take away all the votes for those who do not want to see a PAP mark on the presidential candidate, no matter how faint it is.
Now it is unlikely that a good Malay candidate will be elected to be the next president. The only possibility for it to happen is for all the other candidates to be disqualified, and a walkover like Nathan did before takes place. Don’t think it is easy to do that.
The GRC is not working to the PAP’s scheme of things. This elected presidency is turning into another big headache.
I also think that PAP is planning for a Malay president this time round, and Abullah Tarmugi seems a likely candidate. But with the ire against anything PAP at the moment, Abdullah may have a problem in a contest. And to make matter worst, there are two irritants in Tan Cheng Bock and George Yeo coming into the fray. Then Tan Kin Lian will take away all the votes for those who do not want to see a PAP mark on the presidential candidate, no matter how faint it is.
Now it is unlikely that a good Malay candidate will be elected to be the next president. The only possibility for it to happen is for all the other candidates to be disqualified, and a walkover like Nathan did before takes place. Don’t think it is easy to do that.
The GRC is not working to the PAP’s scheme of things. This elected presidency is turning into another big headache.
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