Unemployed Singaporeans – Mismatch, no skill, no experience?

The problems of Singaporeans losing their jobs and unable to find reemployment is reaching a critical point. The senior PMEs have long given up hope, resigned to their fate that the govt is not going to do much for them except telling them to go for retraining to take on low paying jobs.

What is frightening and unacceptable is to find out that under 30s are also unable find gainful employment, fresh from polytechnics and universities. In many countries there will be riots on the streets and the govt will be brought down. Here we have the govt trying to explain away the problems.  The reasons cited by the MOM for the unemployment of Singaporeans, ‘the belief that there is no suitable work available, employers’ discrimination or the lack of necessary qualification, training or experience’.

As a result 1,200 young and discouraged workers, under 30, were reported, up from 700 last year. This is only known statistics. How many more not accounted, not reported. And the total number of discouraged workers is 9,900, up from 8,700 last year. As if a consolation or an achievement, it was down from the high of 11,300 in 2009. What a relief.

If the reasons quoted by MOM are the real reasons, how come there are more than 500,000 foreigners here gainfully employed? They did not believe there is no suitable work available, the employers discriminated in their favour, they have all the necessary qualification, training and experience that graduates from our top polytechnics and universities did not have? Who is kidding? Or our polytechnics and universities are so hopeless, useless, cannot produce graduates with the right qualification, training and experience that third world rubbish bin universities and polytechnics and schools could do better?

Please, what is the real reason for such a big number of discouraged workers that are unemployed, not counting probably much more that were not in the statistics? If there are so many Singaporeans that cannot find employment or proper employment, why is the MOM still issuing so many thousands of WP, EP and SP  to the foreigners and they are still arriving in huge numbers daily?

Is the lax issuing of WP, EP and SP the real reason for Singaporeans being unemployed or under employed? Has CECA got anything to do with the plight of these discouraged Singaporeans and those that have given up all hopes?

This is what Gan Kim Yong said at the Teochew food and cultural Fair,

‘Speaking at the event in Mandarin, Minister Gan Kim Yong said that Singaporeans should understand their culture and stand united during difficult times. Below is a translation from States Times Review:

 

“The understanding of a common culture can unite Singaporeans during difficult times. Every Singaporean should promote the kaki lang (Teochew for my family) spirit to be united and overcome difficulties.”’

 

The first thing that came to my mind was the follow up phrase. But I need not have to waste time trying to figure it out. A James Bong replied,

‘Kaki nang, ka chern sair tang, pa see bor siang kang!’

 

Is this what is happening to the discouraged and unemployed Singaporeans?  ‘Kaki nang, pa see bor siang kang!’ Though the millionaire ministers are having a good time in all seasons, the discouraged or unemployed or under employed Singaporeans are really having a bad time. Anyone think these are kaki nang and need to be helped, deserved to be employed instead of the 500,000 foreigners?

Save ISIS, save ISIS

Now who is so mad to be shouting 'Save ISIS, save ISIS'? Not me for sure. Just a year back, everyone was shouting to destroy ISIS. The Americans were taking the lead, and many crony American countries were sending their boys to the Middle East to fight and die, fighting ISIS. Even today, our media are still daily reporting on ISIS bombing or threatening to bomb this country or that country. I am sure Singapore also have some of our boys in the Middle East fighting ISIS.

At the peak of the fight ISIS campaign, the Americans were seen leading the fight, and ISIS somehow got stronger and stronger, gaining more and more territories, victory after victory, and the Americans appeared to be hapless, the world's most powerful military force unable to contain a rag tag group of misfits called soldiers. How could that be? Were the rag tag soldiers, mostly untrained, half trained, badly trained and badly equipped, no air power, no big guns, were thrashing the professional Rambos, Green Berets, Special Forces and threatening to conquer and rule the Middle East? Their morale was so high, and this became their strong point to recruit more jobless kids from SE Asia, who believe they were on the winning side.

Then the Russians stepped in and the picture of the war against the ISIS changed. The Russians made the ISIS soldiers looked like misfits, rag tag soldiers as what they were supposed to be, incompetent, unable to fight and on the run after many were killed in battle. The whole image of supremacy, a victorious rebel fighter force collapsed. Rag tag meant rag tag and had no chance against the professional Russian army but triumphant against the Americans. Why, how could it be?

Then the Americans panicked and behaved like incompetent rag tag soldiers. They told the world they were attacking the ISIS but ended up shooting down Russian fighter bombers and bombing the Syrian soldiers. What was happening, what was going on? The Americans, the world best professional army, apologised. They made mistakes in attacking the Syrian soldiers just like they made 'mistakes' in sending a super accurate cruise missile into the Chinese Embassy from 1000 km away. The Russians and the Chinese knew the cunningness of the Americans. The Chinese then were militarily too weak to strike back and had to swallow bitter pill. The Russians sent in their anti aircraft missiles and all the attacks against the Russians and Syrians by the Americans stopped.

The Russians, Syrians and Iraqis continued to slaughter the rag tag ISIS soldiers daily and only a handful were left in Aleppo waiting for a total wipe out. Thousands of the ISIS soldiers have surrendered. Victory and a total annihilation of the ISIS soldiers were imminent. Now what? What are the Americans doing?

The Americans are pleading to save ISIS. Yes, save ISIS, save ISIS! This is now the American stand. They wanted an immediate ceasefire. They wanted the Russians and the Syrians to let the ISIS go to live and fight another day, to continue to create instability and wars in the Middle East and threats all over the world.

Why, why are the Americans pleading mercy for the ISIS?  Anyone still blur and did not know what was and is happening in the Middle East and ISIS? The truth that everyone has been talking about, ISIS was and is the baby of Hillary Clinton and Obama and the White House. ISIS is the Americans weapon of mass destruction, WMD. ISIS was created, fed, trained and financed by the Americans to destabilise the Middle East and the rest of the world, to keep all the countries in trouble, under ISIS threats and needing the protection of the Americans and needing to buy more weapons to protect themselves.

The Americans have pushed through a resolution in the UN to force an immediate ceasefire against ISIS in Aleppo. And all the silly American cronies that were fighting the ISIS in the Middle East and in their own countries were told by the Americans to vote to save ISIS. And they did, and still have their boys fighting ISIS in the Middle East. How delirious can this be?

The Russians and the Arab countries would not  have such nonsense. The continue to bomb the ISIS positions in Aleppo. The ISIS rag tag soldiers must either surrender to die. There is no two way about this. They would not be let loose, to run out from the tightening noose to live to cause destruction all over again.

The Americans are furious and desperate and John Kerry is threatening to charge the Russians and the Syrians for war crimes. He forgot that he should be the first to be charged for war crimes for feeding, arming and financing ISIS and all those involved in the White House.

Anyone on the side of the Americans wants the ISIS to be let off? The mother of ISIS cannot let her baby die. The baby is very useful to disrupt and destabilize countries and govts. Please help save my loving baby. All American crony countries must stop persecuting ISIS and let them live.

The American hypocrisy is exposed in broad daylight for the world to see. How many silly cronies would still want to send their boys to the Middle East to die fighting ISIS?

Thio Shen Yi - A rare breed

In a rare public display of criticism, outgoing Law Society President Thio Shen Yi said that his clash with Law Minister K Shanmugam over a case where police intimidation led to a suicide of a 14-year-old boy, was a  badge of honour....

“If Benjamin had a lawyer present to give advice during the course of the (police) interview, would things have turned out differently? We will never have certainty, but it is not impossible to imagine a different outcome, and if that is possible, then one more question: How then should we act?”

Law Minister K Shanmugam was enraged by the Law Society President’s comments and threatened that his comments may amount to Contempt of Court:

“His statements imply that Benjamin killed himself because of police intimidation. Where the police are wrong, we must and will take action. But we should not allow deliberate, dishonest attacks.”

The Law Minister also slammed online news site TheOnline Citizen for fabricating “deliberate falsehoods to tar the police”.

The government’s state coroner absolved the Singapore Police of all responsibilities over the boy’s suicide and even praised the police and school’s measures taken “commendable”....'

The above was posted in the statestimesreview. Now that the case is closed, would a discussion on the above statement be a contempt of court? How many of you agree with Thio Shen Yi's comment that if Benjamin had a lawyer, the outcome would be different? How many of you think his statement amounted to contempt of court?

My view is standard. I always agree with the govt, especially the Law Minister. When he said contempt of court, be very mindful that he is right. But is does not mean that I agree with the govt or the law minister.

Anyway, I like this man, Thio Shen Yi. You don't find such individuals in the little Red Dot any more, or rarely. I have written a post titled, 'The silence of the intelligentsia' and had posted it earlier. That might explain why I like Thio Shen Yi. I hope saying I like this man does not amount to contempt of court or any funny or contorted or distorted interpretations. Such individuals are admirable in a city devoid of free thinking intelligentsia.

‘PM’s gaffe is a case of bad diplomacy’

‘PM’s gaffe is a case of bad diplomacy’

The above is the title of an article posted by a ‘Apologise’ in TRE. I quote a paragraph from the article on the PM’s gaffe and Apologise’s position on the PM’s position as not reflective of the general population.

‘Regardless of our individual positions on the South China Sea dispute, we feel that our PM’s gaffe is a case of bad diplomacy because China did nothing to Singapore to warrant such a response. We categorically state that his remarks does not represent all Singaporeans. We feel that by making those remarks, he is acting against our interest and his actions puts in jeopardy our warm and stable relationship with China that former Prime Ministers, including the father of our current PM, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew helped cultivate over the years. Its understandable for China’s leaders to feel annoyed. We would like PM Lee to apologise to China and help restore our peaceful relationship, while supporting Singapore’s call for the speedy and safe return of our property.’

There are strong sentiments in the social media that were not favourable to what Hsien Loong had been saying on the SCS and relations with China. I once mentioned about the dichotomy in views and perceptions between Channel 5 and Channel 8 Singaporeans. The two groups are as far apart and divided in their views, aspiration, taste and likes and dislikes that no one should simply take them for granted as a homogenous group.  When reading the English media, there is this audacity among the Channel 5 that they represent the Channel 8 people and can speak on behalf of them. The truth is far from it. Channel 5 people must not think that they represent the Channel 8 people and that their views are the dominant views.  In reality, at this point in time, the Channel 8 people are the majority in absolute numbers.

Hsien Loong, though coming from Catholic High background, is more a Channel 5 than a Channel 8 type.  His world views and cultural biases are thus more western than eastern and his preferences and affections are quite obvious. His latest comment that there is no ‘middle kingdom’ came as a surprise as he jolly well knows what that word mean in Chinese even if he is more Channel 5. China written in Chinese is zhong guo or 中国。Yes, 中国 means exactly what it is, Middle Kingdom. What he said about being no middle kingdom can be interpreted differently by the Channel 8 people and some may not take it lightly.

Perhaps Vivian can explain that Hsien Loong spoke in his private capacity as an ordinary citizen and not as a PM. That may appease some of the Channel 8 people if they did not know what it means by saying there is no middle kingdom.

Is this a gaffe? Whatever, there is no need to demand an apology, especially from our PM. No need to be so childish, everything also demand an apology. It would be quite embarrassing if our PM actually said sorry and China came back saying sorry must also explain.

The situation is bad enough, it is water under the bridge. Let's move on. It is easy for me to say it but would be good if China is to say it, let's move on.

John Pilger - The Coming War on China

Let me thank Lycurgus80ofSparta for this lead on this coming movie by John Pilger, The Coming War on China. You can view a 12 minute interview by Afshin Rattani with Pilger at this link,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG7Bve0baPo

I strongly recommend everyone to spend 12 minutes to listen to Pilger about his movie based on the real situation surrounding the American pivot to Asia and the biggest and most dangerous build up of American military power in history around China, with more than 400 military bases in a tightening noose to contain and strangle China. And this is the best kept secret of the Americans and the western media, keeping a tight lip over this build up but screaming that China is building 2 or 3 airstrips in the islands in the South China Sea as a threat to the world. This is western hypocrisy at its peak but daft Asians would buy it as a natural development and a right for the Americans to have 400+ military bases surrounding China but China cannot have a few air strips in the South China Sea.

Listen to what Pilger said carefully, at the misinformation, the blackout and the hypocrisy of the Americans. Get some insight into the 32 military installations in Okinawa and the secret nuclear complex in Marshall Islands aimed at China. In the event of a war, Okinawa would be sunk and the innocent Okinawans would be buried with it as the sacrificial lamb just like the South Koreans in Cheju Island, another American military base.
Learn the truth about the real provocateurs of a nuclear war and how China has to react, to raise its nuclear alert state from normal to the highest alert in the face of this serious American encirclement and nuclear threat. Learn what the Americans are doing to contain China, to blockage China etc etc.

Look out for this coming movie just before Christmas, to be screen around the world and to be enlightened by the truth of what is going on around Asia and be well informed.

Thanks again Lycurgus80.

Redbean

Terrex Incident – The art of interrogation

The Singapore team met up with the Hong Kong authority over the Terrex Incident for 3 times, each lasting about 6 to 7 hours. The time is about right, could be longer, for such interrogation or investigation, or shall I call it meeting? With the wealth of experience learnt in Singapore, hopefully the team went there were well prepared, at least they should be in thick clothing in case the Hong Kong authority turned on the aircon to the fullest. Luckily the meetings were held during the day and not drag on to the wee hours of the morning. And they were not stripped to their underwear.

Altogether 19 hours have been clocked in the 3 interrogations or meetings and nothing came out of it. Maybe this is the norm and the Singapore team should be prepared for another 20 meetings or interrogation sessions before they could see some light in the darkened and cold meeting rooms.

I am not sure if the Singapore team brought along their lawyers to protect their legal rights. At least the lawyers could insist on food and drinks be provided or they be allowed to bring in their own food. Such long hours of interrogation or meetings can be very taxing on the side that is not the authority. The advantage is definitely on the authority side, the side that could set the temperature, set the tone, prolong or call off the meeting or interrogation as and when they like.

I could not believe that such a straight forward case of filing proper documents could take so long and yet nothing is resolved. Maybe the authority is just being the authority, just wanting to drag on and on and on. This is a common practice I think. The side that is not the authority would just have to bear with it.

The next step could be site visiting. The authority may want to bring the whole team to visit the site, open and inspect everything, including the canvas covering the vehicles. They may want to take some back for sampling test for dangerous chemicals or drugs. I just can’t imagine what the authority is capable of doing in cases like this when they are going to exercise their full rights and privileges being the authority.

The poor Singapore team is going to have a rough time, I think. And now is December. Better send them more warm clothing.

Pearl Harbour – The unremorseful Japanese

December 8, 1941, Japan conducted a sneaky attack against the American Pacific in Pearl Harbour, sinking almost every ship that was in the harbor.  Today, a Japanese is commanding the American Pacific Fleet. And there is another Japanese commanding the Japan Self Defense Force. And to mark the day of infamy, Japanese Prime Minister Abe finally paid a visit to the site of horror where thousands of innocent Americans were murdered in cold blood without knowing what hit them. Abe was not there to say sorry, to apologise for the dastardly attack against the Americans but just to commemorate the incident. Remorseful?

The Japanese have not heeded the lessons of Pearl Harbour. They are not remorseful and so were Abe and his ministers. They did not regret the death and destruction they caused to the Americans and the victims in Asia and South East Asia. In an article by a Kuni Miyake, a former diplomat, in the Today paper, he got the cheek to title it ‘China should heed the lessons of Pearl Harbour’. He did not think Japan should heed this lesson except regretting on the ‘hubris and miscalculation that led to the attack’, not the shameful and vicious killings of innocents in Pearl Harbour and Asia. Japan is rearming to the hilt, tore away their pacifist constitution and is ready to conduct wars once again.

Japan does not heed the lessons of Pearl Harbour.  China must. China must prepare for another ‘Pearl Harbour’ by the sneaky Japanese against Chinese ports and naval fleets. The Japanese have arrogantly returned to their Pearl Harbour days and mentality, eager to engage in wars. The Japanese so called Self Defense Force is as big, or even bigger than their WW2 fleet and the largest in Asia, second only to China.

When would Japan learn the lessons of Pearl Harbour? Is Japan waiting for a Pearl Harbour on Yokohama or one of its harbours before it learns its lesson not to conduct wars, not to engage in wars? Japan must know that the next lessons would be the end of Japan if it dares to conduct another war of aggression against is neighbours or against the Americans.

Would Japan learn the lessons of Pearl Harbour before it is too late? Neigh, they think they could conquer the world one more time.

PS. Is this Japanese warning and threatening China that Japan would do a Pearl Harbour on China?