Of foreign talents and imports

I have been reading and following these articles for a long time. I have also submitted my comments in the articles.

• The Whole Foreign Talent Debacle by Xtralicious
• Hate the policy, love the paddler by TheOnlineCitizen
• Have we won an Olympics medal? Really? by TheOnlineCitizen

While reading the article by Xtralicious, I felt a need to pen down my thoughts.

The first word came to mind:

Prostitute.

I don't know. Not wanting to sound crude but don't you think Singapore is a bit tad too desperate and 'opening her legs too easily' to get FTs?

And worse, throwing money and citizenships to entice them? At least a hooker gets paid. Yet my government gives money out to them.

Again I want to stress: I'm all for FTs and imports. But only when the job/task cannot be filled in by locals or maybe we have a major shortfall. So I'm all for hiring system administrators from India, developers and architects from China, etc to support the growing economy.

But table-tennis? Football? Aww, c'mon!

I'm very, very sure there are local athletes who want to be part of the Olympic team to represent Singapore but they can't get in because some 'Xiao Qiang' or 'Xiao Li' had been sponsored by our dear government and brought in instead.

Is this national pride, I ask you? Will it come to a stage where the highest salaries and perks will draw the best atheletes in? Isn't it like the English Premier League (or Geylang)?

BUT the difference is: a football club has stakeholders. It's all about money and success and delivering the results to be top of the table.

However this IS a country. My country. With common folks and citizens, our fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, ah-peks and ah-mas.

My country citizenship can't be so easily bought (or given out so easily for the matter) at the highest price (or sponsorship) available.

Can it? Does it even matter to the government how my citizenship is so valuable to me because I had served National Service for 2.5 years?!!

Anyway, where do all these stop at? More athletes from other countries? Isn't it running like a corporation now? Maybe the rot has set in already!

Now it feels so cold and clinical. No wonder the atmosphere is driving her own citizens in droves to other countries.

Yes congratulations to the paddlers! They did very well on an individual capacity at an international level. I applaud their skills in representing the Singapore team and getting a silver medal at the highest accolade - the Olympics.

But my heart does not share in their victory. My heartbeat does not sync with their achievements somehow. There seems to be a chasm and it's hard to explain.

I do find it difficult to celebrate their success at a national level.

The fall of Hitler: ERP gantries

Can't stop laughing! Chio-kar-peng (fall down laughing in Hokkein). Thanks to mrbrown once again.

Of course if you understand German or aren't a Singaporean, it will be hard to understand what the joke is all about.


(click here to watch from YouTube)

This... is... so... KEWL!

Rock on, mrbrown. Run for MP, we'll vote you in!

Listen here.

---
Love song for Singapore by mrbrown

The trains they come and go
Filled with faces I don’t know
Sometimes they don’t stop for me
I live near Woodleigh MRT

The city’s changing every day
I saw a new gantry on the way
That is why I sold my car
Why the bus-stop so damn far

You took so much from me
Got no cash to take taxi

But I’m still in love with you
But I’m still in love with you
(And) when I grow old, and don’t do what I’m told
I will still be in love with you

I can’t afford a holiday
Everything has gone up but my pay
Can’t go out with all my friends
Can’t afford the latest fashion pants

You promised me paradise
Overflowing with abundant rice
I used to go for lunch buffets
Now my breakfast’s half a yeow char kuey

You took so much from me
Got no cash to go high-tea

But I’m still in love with you
But I’m still in love with you
And when I grow old, and don’t do what I’m told
I will still be in love with you

You took so much from me
Got no cash to go high-tea

But I’m still in love with you
But I’m still in love with you
And when I grow old, promise me you won’t turn cold
Cos I’d still be in love with you

Took so much from me
Got no cash, but I’m happy

I am still in love with you
I am still in love with you
And when I grow old, and don’t do what I’m told
I will still be in love with you…

Happy National Day, Singapore

Like it or not, this video clip so reminded me about my NS days.


(link here if you cannot watch it)

I swear I felt a tear duct opening up. I'd be lying if I say it didn't stir up nostalgic feelings within me when I watched it. I felt patriotic. I felt Singaporean. A part of me wanted to embrace these youths and tell them, "Hey I understand. I've been through that sh*t. We all are kakis, abang-adek."

None of us who have been through the 2.5 years (that was the length of service during my time) can say the Army didn't change us.

Someone commented to me: "Why am I so bitter with the government?"

Read my lips: I'm NOT.

I'm sad. Disappointed that my birthplace is no longer my home. Or whatever is left of it. I no longer understand the policies. I no longer buy the 'carefully structured' speeches my politicians and most MPs make. I fail to understand the race to be #1, to be a rich nation with billions of economic worth with no heartware to understand the daily struggles of the low-income bracket families. Or the struggles of our past elderly generations who laboured for the country during their youths. It was as if they were robbed of it for somebody's cause.

To tell them they cannot enjoy the fruits of their labour, to work longer, retire later. To tell them their wage increases will cause inflation and to suck it up yet increasing their own salaries to astronomical sums.

These make me sad. And angry.

I feel patriotic when I speak up. As Barack Obama puts it, “Dissent does not make one unpatriotic.” - June 30, 2008.

Again, I will like to clarify - I believe FTs are important in a country. I, too, am considered an FT in Australia. However the policies that the .sg government has put in place do disadvantage our local youths.

Even for your death or disability in the Army, your family is paid peanuts. And not the 'peanuts' coined by our dear Mrs Goh CT to the tune of 60k/month (search "NKF golden tap Durai" in Google).

Happy birthday, Singapore.

PS. To all the gals who have wondered why your young men kept talking about their army days, it is for the same reason you go toilet together in pairs. We never outgrew the bonding we felt during those years of service.