tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313483342024-03-14T13:00:25.795+08:00Kaffein-natedAn equally bitter yet satisfying aftertasteLiquidfuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15103464049669227595noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-5603485815819342592021-10-28T14:58:00.001+08:002021-10-28T15:19:41.806+08:00Trusting God<p>Trusting God can be one of the most easiest and hardest thing in my walk with Him.</p><p>I hear it in various forms: "Put your trust in God", "Surrender your all to Him", "God is in control and have faith in Him", etc.</p><p>In the Christian circle, it is an often-used cliché to encourage a brother or a sister who is struggling for a breakthrough, or has had a major disappointment or setback in life.</p><a name='more'></a><p>The easy part is because there is no effort required from the person quoting. It is easy because as Christians, we know God is always in control and He has allowed the situation to take place. I mean if God is God, when is He ever out of control? </p><p>For someone like me who has received "Trust Him" encouragements from well-meaning friends, it often feels like a motherhood statement.</p><p>Invoking these words will somehow magically consolidate every bad thing I have experienced or am struggling through into a ball and it will be tossed into His hands... at least far away from me.</p><p>Poof! The ball then 'magically' disappears, and I am not supposed to feel disappointed or hurt anymore. Does it?</p><p>The truth is it bloody hurts! Knowing that I don't have the answers or when I can see the end results frustrates me. And for already known bad endings, I feel - resigned. </p><p>Yet I'm supposed to believe in a God who loves me. Conflictingly, I have this deep spark of hope that things might turnaround for me because He loves me.</p><p>I often ask two questions (which I'm sure you too):</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Is God a loving God?</li><li>If He is so loving, why is it happening to me?</li></ol><p></p><p>The first question is easy - I know He is a loving Father. God is love. For God so loved the world that He gave Jesus to us.</p><p>The second question is the hardest. Please don't tell me I need more faith, or quote me bible verses, or recount how you received your breakthrough.</p><p>The reason I am going through the second question is because I don't have much faith left, the bible seems 'dry' to me and I jolly well haven't received my breakthrough.</p><p>That's why I say "Trusting God" can be the easiest and hardest thing.</p><p>The first question is about knowledge - easy. </p><p>For me, the second question has two parts - knowledge and believe. If I know He is a loving God, do I believe He loves me enough to allow it to happen to me? Interestingly we often forget that in John 3:16, it says "...whomsoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life".</p><p>To put it another way, do I believe God is a loving God?</p><p>When things are rosy, it is easy to proclaim God is good and loving. It is in the mire of doubts and darkest moments that I cry out to Him - do you really love me?</p><p>In Jesus' time, the Jews knew God and His ways. Yet He called them to believe. Believe what? The Jews saw God as God, but Jesus saw God as a loving Father.</p><p>There is a difference - head and heart. Knowing that God loves me and believing that He really loves me.</p><p>Then suddenly all these pent-up frustrations and disappointments get rolled into a ball and poof! magically appears in His hands. A peace settles.</p><p>Ask Jairus about his daughter. Find Peter in his denial and restoration. Interview Thomas about his doubts.</p><p>The most difficult becomes the easiest when we believe and trust in Him.</p>Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-80494136455870916672016-08-17T12:56:00.001+08:002016-08-19T13:05:44.445+08:00Joseph Schooling - my heartiest congratulations to you!<div>
Joseph Schooling, you did Singapore and your parents proud. Finally an Olympic gold medal!</div>
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Now readers, read this (<a href="http://kaffein-nated.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/china-1-singapore-0.html">link</a>) ... again. And go figure where most of our hearts lie.<br />
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Now if opportunity comes a-knocking to leave Singapore and place your talent elsewhere, my advice is go for it. Seriously you have nothing to lose and all those who called you 'quitter' and 'betrayer' don't pay your salary after you are past your prime.<br />
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If you are still pondering, look no further than what Singapore nation did to our footballer son, hero and icon Fandi Ahmad.<br />
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Bet Fandi must be kicking himself now when Dutch FC Groningen wanted to extend his contract with a migration move. But he decided to return to Singapore because he listened to those labeling him 'ungrateful'.<br />
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Where are these people now that his footballing career is over and he has a family to feed?</div>
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<i>Side note: I correctly predicted in 2012 that Lee CW of Malaysia will be the No. 1 badminton player in the world. Yay!</i></div>
Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-76251068787277783022015-08-17T09:54:00.001+08:002015-08-21T14:13:32.699+08:00Spoken Straight from the HeartThis article by another blogger (Think For Me, Singapore) spoke my heart out.<br />
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I am a Singaporean and will always be proud of my country of birth. But I really dislike how the country is run currently.<br />
<br />
The PAP policies, the yes-men, the group-think mentality, the cold-heart attitude, the elitism, the meritocracy, the aristocracy, the controlled media, rising prices, paying their own million-dollar salaries, lack of transparency and accountability, etc. The list goes on. </div>
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I'm not finding fault - we all know there is no perfect government in the world.</div>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>When the man-on-the-street and general public have been giving you PAP valued feedback and ample time to change your thinking and policies, you gave us the 'shaft' and thought you knew better how common folks should live their lives. And we needed 'spurs in their hides'.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Seriously those PAP leaders helming the country need a hard kick in their a** to wake up their ideas. Nothing beats a major loss in General Election and fall from the ivory-tower heights to be the ultimate wake-up call.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Lest they become 'deaf frogs' immune to criticism and feedback (<a href="http://www.fivestarsandamoon.com/politicians-seem-tok-cck/">read here</a>).<br />
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Reproducing the article here (or <a href="http://thinkformesingapore.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/new-pap-vs-old-pap-contribution-from.html">read the article from his site</a>).</div>
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<blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000;">I came across this article (<a href="http://singaporeelection.blogspot.sg/2011/05/new-pap-vs-old-pap.html">link</a>) (I know it's old) a few days ago and it prompted me to write this.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000;">Some twenty odd years ago, I had the privilege to attend a US University for both my undergraduate and graduate studies. When I first got to the US, I was so proud to be a Singaporean that I never shied away from explaining that Singapore was not part of China, talking about Michael Fay and talking about the chewing gum ban.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000;">Today, I am back in the US, not particularly by choice but because of work. Today, it is slightly different. I am not longer interested in telling people I am a Singaporean. I am no longer interested in explaining Singapore is not part of China (are we?). And I am definitely no longer interested in discussing Michael Fay nor chewing gum nor anything Singapore.<br />During a recent visit by a relative, I was asked if I was ever going back to Singapore. My reply was "I don't know". Not that I have a choice but the answer is actually yes. I am only a citizen of one country, Singapore, and therefore, eventually, I would have to return to Singapore. Like it or not.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000;">The next question was: "why do you hate Singapore so much?"<br />My answer was: "I don't."<br />I was not sure why till I thought more about it later that evening.<br />I am not very politically inclined and maybe that's why it took a little longer for me to process why I wanted to stay away from Singapore yet I still considered myself to be proud to be Singaporean.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000;">And the answer is basically outlined in the article referred to above.<br />The old PAP, the Lee Kuan Yew's, Goh Keng Swee's, S Rajaratnam's, Lim Kim San's, and the rest of the old guard, they were all convicted. Economically, we were a third world country with no natural resources, and they were heavy handed when it came to dealing with people who stepped out of line. But it was all for the good of THE PEOPLE. It was not about money. It was not about fame. It was not about status. It was about building a country, a society where people from different backgrounds would survive and succeed. There were some missteps along the way (two is enough to name one), but if we looked at the big picture, it was always about how Singapore could survive (given all our disadvantages). Policies were made with the people in mind.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li><span style="color: #7f6000;">HDB was created to provide housing to as many people as possible.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f6000;">CPF was to ensure that the people would retire comfortably.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f6000;">NTUC was created to prevent workplace related issues. To ensure they were swiftly taken care off and not till it was too late.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f6000;">SBS was created to provide, well, a reliable public transportation system.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f6000;">AND, "two is enough" was a governmental program created because, if we did not curb the population increase, our lack of resources might actually be our doom. BUT, again, if we look at why the program was created, it was because of THE PEOPLE. </span></li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000;">The NEW PAP, is not in it for THE PEOPLE. If their salaries doesn't tell you what they are in it for, nothing else will. Today, it is not about YOU and I. It is only about YOU and I when elections are around the corner. It is about THEM. It is about GDPs because that's what their bonuses are tied to. Bonuses? For a government servant? For an elected official? Now, that is Uniquely Singapore. You reward yourself with my tax money, WITHOUT asking me first. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000;">Today,</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="color: #7f6000;">HDB is about making profits (while quality of the homes built declines and let's just not bring up space)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f6000;">CPF… I will leave that to Roy.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f6000;">NTUC is a business. Just like the rest of the country. NTUC is in every business imaginable and not sorry it is killing locally owned small businesses.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f6000;">SBS… well, they still provide public transportation but I don't know about reliable. Throw in SMRT here.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f6000;">AND, policies are made to ensure the quality of life for the elites, not for THE PEOPLE.</span></li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<b><span style="color: #7f6000;">The next morning, at breakfast, I told my relative: "I do not hate Singapore. I hate, really hate, the people who are running the country today."</span></b></blockquote>
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Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-11614803928197247442015-07-13T16:08:00.001+08:002015-08-21T10:48:41.540+08:00New Disease called 'SHEEPLE-CITIS' discovered in SingaporeConfirmed new disease discovered and already rampant in Singapore.<br />
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See it happening here (<a href="http://redwiretimes.com/singapore-in-brief/man-stands-up-for-singaporean-teen-bulllied-by-angry-ang-moh-on-the-mrt/">link</a>) during a confrontation in an MRT train.<br />
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<i><b>Disease: </b><b>SHEEPLE-CITIS</b></i><br />
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New disease commonly found in Singapore where people turn into sheep and refuse to think for themselves or for good of others unless the government tells them otherwise.<br />
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<b>Symptoms:</b><br />
Keeping mum about an unjust event happening before one's eyes with the sudden urge to whip out one's mobile handphone to film it.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>References:</b><br />
Directly related to <i><b>AMOS-SOMIA</b></i> (see below) and closely related to <b><i>NUTS</i></b> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_U-turn_syndrome">No U-Turn Syndrome</a>).<br />
<br />
Also affiliated to <i><b>Group-Think</b></i> disorder and <i><b>Sore-Thumb-Need-to-Put-Down</b></i> virus.<br />
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---<br />
<b><i>Disease: AMOS-SOMIA</i></b><br />
<br />
A recent disease was discovered when a person lusts after the image drawn by Amos Yee's obscene caricature of two leaders engaged in a sexual act. Largely affects only youths.<br />
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<b>Symptoms:</b><br />
Keeping mum about an unjust event and the sudden urge to whip out one's mobile handphone to google 'Amos Yee' or replay Amos Yee's video.<br />
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Or maybe it just means one cannot get enough of Famous Amos cookies.Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-35373902101656393382015-05-29T11:10:00.003+08:002015-06-01T13:30:45.020+08:00Smearing Campaign?I am commenting on the article in Channel NewsAsia (<a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/dbss-residents-query/1877006.html">link </a>or read below). There are a few gaping loopholes in this article that are so alarming.<br />
<br />
Without clarifications, it can skew a reader's understanding of the situation. Goodness can some investigative work be done before publishing?<br />
<ol>
<li>Were there handover issues from DBSS that put AHPETC into a risky situation in the first place?<br />- This is akin to TOP date in Singapore where the developer has certain obligations to fulfil.<br /><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">"Temporary Occupation Permit(TOP) is a temporary permit to allow owner to occupy the building when the key regulatory requirements are met as it may take some time to obtain the Certificate of Statutory Completion(CSC). However, application may be made directly for a CSC when all the requirements have been complied with."</span></i><span style="color: #7f6000;"><i><br /></i></span>- Without fulfilling the agreed handover items, how can any handover-takeover even happen?<br />.<a name='more'></a></li>
<li>From my understanding on any house and land maintenance, gas pipes, electrical lines, sewerage pipes drawings and specifications are crucial to the maintenance team.<br />- Were these items specified and required to be produced during handover and in the transition documentation?<br />- How can any operations team (in this case AHPTEC) takeover if one does not know where to begin a root cause analysis in a scenario of an underground water pipe leakage?<br />- Just like when a solution has been implemented, the vendor hands over operating manuals, system manuals, technical specifications, etc so as to ensure that the team taking over can continue operating in BAU (business as usual).<br />- Once the handover document is signed, any future calls/help required from the developer will highly likely incur fees and additional costs to AHPTEC.<br />.</li>
<li>HDB said DBSS developer had to pro-actively help clean up the estate.<br />- Does this mean DBSS under HDB as main contractor is supposed to be cleaning up the estate until handover is completed but has failed to do so?<br />- There is always a contractual handover date whereby both parties agree on the handover items completed and to sign-off the handover. Failure to do so may void or delay the date. Onus is still on the team handing over to continue the support work.<br />.</li>
<li>Was this ever brought up to WP MPs, AHPTEC or DBSS/HDB? What were their responses? Can someone please produce correspondences with them?<br />.</li>
<li>Are we sure residents of Parkland Residences took it upon themselves to clean? Or did DBSS failed to do so thereby having residents to clean up their estates?<br />- Reporting this is so important in this article but alas this is missing.<br />.</li>
<li>AHPETC has been collecting for HDB on the S&CC fees.<br />- This needs an answer with proof of receipts of collection from AHPETC to the residents.<br />- Likewise when HDB says it has not received any of the S&CC monies from AHPETC, HDB needs to provide such proofs to the residents.<br />- Should AHPETC be able to show proofs that HDB had in fact collected the fees, can residents sue HDB?</li>
<li>Assuming it is DBSS-HDB who failed to provide cleaning or to complete the agreed handover items, then this is not the fault of AHPETC.<br />- To address the resident interviewed - just because one subscribes to Singtel but has never made a phonecall does not exempt one from not paying the phone bill.<br />- Of course whether he/she receives a good or poor connection is an entirely different matter which needs to be brought up to the service provider.</li>
</ol>
But if what CNA reporting is accurate and it clearly shows AHPETC is at fault in failing to perform its duties (which I believe highly unlikely), then AHPETC needs to quickly address them and answer to the residents.<br />
<br />
But the way this article is reporting, it kinda reeks of a smearing campaign.<br />
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---<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">"<b>DBSS residents query AHPETC collection of S&CC charges (28 May)</b></span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">TODAY reports: Developer Kwan Hwee Investment is also seeking reimbursement for performing the maintenance of common areas since November last year, after an impasse involving the AHPETC and the HDB.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">SINGAPORE: For more than seven months, the residents and the developer of a Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) project at Upper Serangoon Road had to clean and maintain the common areas themselves, because of an impasse involving the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) over maintenance documents.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Following discussions, the standstill at Parkland Residences was recently resolved and from next month, the town council will fulfil its duty to manage common property in public housing estates as stipulated under the Town Council Act.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">However, as far as the residents and the developer are concerned, the matter is not fully resolved: Residents, several of whom had moved in as early as October last year, said that during that period, some of them continued to pay service and conservancy charges (S&CC), even though others had stopped paying as a matter of principle. Meanwhile, the developer, Kwan Hwee Investment, said it hopes to seek reimbursement for the expenses it had incurred for taking care of the common areas between November and this month.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">The situation came to light after TODAY reader Julia Ng wrote to the newspaper last week about the problems she and her neighbours face at Parkland Residences.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Among other things, Ms Ng wrote about how residents were billed for the S&CC upon collecting their keys but “there were no subsequent reminders, and many of us have not been making payment”.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">She added: “It did not seem required, since there was no maintenance as evidenced by the dirty corridors and surroundings, especially in the earlier months when many residents took it upon themselves to clean the corridors.”</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Ms Ng said the residents understood that the development had not been handed over to the town council and that the S&CC “were collected on behalf of the HDB, which the latter denied”.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Replying to Ms Ng’s letter, HDB director (land administration) Koo-Lee Sook Chin clarified that the S&CC collected by AHPETC “are not collected on behalf of HDB”. She revealed that AHPETC had “refused to perform its duty until the developer handed over a list of documents and items specified by (the town council)”.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">“HDB has clarified that these documents and items were not required for AHPETC to carry out its day-to-day cleaning and maintenance,” Mrs Koo-Lee said.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">She added that as AHPETC had “refused to maintain the common areas”, the HDB asked the developer to clean the estate in the interim, “to ensure that the hygiene of residents’ living environment would not be compromised”. The developer has been cleaning the estate since Nov 12 last year, Mrs Koo-Lee said.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">“Pending AHPETC’s execution of its duties to maintain the estate, HDB will work with the developer to ensure that the estate is maintained in the interim, for the benefit of all residents,” she said.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Speaking to TODAY, Mr Philip Tan, Kwan Hwee Investment’s project manager for Parkland Residences, confirmed that the AHPETC wanted HDB’s endorsement for maintenance documents - such as drawings of water supply and gas pipes and lift maintenance schedule - but the HDB disagreed.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Mr Tan said these documents are needed to assist a town council in taking over the maintenance of services. He added that the developer had deployed cleaners on a daily basis. “We hope to seek some form of reimbursements for the cleaning work that we have done since November,” he said.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Responding to TODAY’s queries, an AHPETC spokesman said the town council “agrees that there is room to improve the handover procedures between the developer, the HDB and the town council with regard to DBSS developments”. He added that the town council was “exercising its due diligence in the handover”. Nevertheless, the town council has since reviewed its internal process, he said.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">The spokesman did not reply to questions on the S&CC, including which period was the AHPETC collecting the S&CC and what it intends to do with the S&CC collected. Residents at Parkland Residences said the situation has improved, but they recalled their frustrations in the initial months.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">“There was a rat infestation at my block,” said resident Joyce Wong, 27. “The bins at the lift lobbies just started piling up because no one was clearing them. When residents complained, the developers took away the bins, but then we didn’t have anywhere to discard our rubbish at.”</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Another resident, a homemaker who only wanted to be known as Mrs Chan, said: “We asked the HDB whether we should pay (S&CC), but they said they hadn’t handed over to the town council yet and were not collecting. When we approached the town council, they said they were collecting on behalf of HDB, but the HDB said they didn’t know anything.”<br />Human resource manager Sim Bee Lay, 39, said she has not paid the S&CC since she moved into her flat.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">“We only received one letter and there were no reminders following that,” she added.</span></i></blockquote>
Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-9135722526101414802015-05-18T10:38:00.002+08:002015-05-18T11:28:33.731+08:00Founding Father?I don't have time to go digging through our National Archives to ascertain what Singapore was like in the 60s.<br />
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This pro-LKY supporter had claimed that LKY had turned a backward fishing village into the modern day Singapore as we know of today. He challenged me to prove otherwise and that he had read up extensively and I was well... wrong.<br />
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Basically I got lambasted for challenging the notion that LKY was Singapore's 'Founding Father'. <i><span style="color: #7f6000;">I have been repeatedly told that I was disrespectful (and unfilial?).</span></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I was pretty certain from articles and photos from my history books of a very modern (in the 60s mind you) and exciting and vibrant Singapore - buzzing with trading activities, roads filled with cars and a loadful of rickshaws, prestigious clubs and elite joints and all those funky stuff and events we have in a modern city.</div>
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See video -> <a href="http://redwiretimes.com/singapore-in-brief/video-singapore-in-1964-what-we-looked-like-before-independence/">here</a>.</div>
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Tell me what you see - a backward fishing village or a modern Singapore with cars and bustling commercial activities?</div>
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Well here is how <u>modern</u> Singapore was in the 60s...</div>
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...and you can shaft your 'Founding Father' godhood-title up yours where the light don't shine.</div>
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Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-80746467783858308122015-05-04T11:40:00.000+08:002015-05-04T15:43:12.984+08:00Critical and critical voices - we need bothWe all kinda figured out that the Singapore General Elections (GE) is near when the PAP starts:<br />
<ul>
<li>Dishing out goodies and freebies,</li>
<li>Having widespread newspaper articles crowing about the PAP success stories,</li>
<li>Threatening us that with a bad dose of government and our mums and sisters will end up as maids,</li>
<li>Reminding us with knuckledusters and spurs that we will need to repent, etc.</li>
</ul>
Or come on an offensive approach to clamp down alternative or dissenting voices.<br />
<br />
The latest victim of such 'culling' is the suspension the The Real Singapore (TRS) (link at http://therealsingapore.com/).<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Update: I can no longer access the site :(</span></i><br />
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I reiterate - dissenting voices are actually both <i>critical (<b>fault-finding</b>)</i> and <i>critical (<b>essential</b>)</i> feedback to any organisation and country. Without which it will be hard for any progress or break-away from the norm and think out-of-the-box.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>How can any organisation or country progress when surrounded by yes-men and group-think mentality?<br />
<br />
Interesting to note that the TRS administrators are non-Singaporeans.<br />
<br />
But does it really matter? Does one have to be a Singaporean to comment or be critical about how Singapore is run? What about other international media that have been critical about Singapore? Why TRS?<br />
<br />
What about hosting the site on Facebook groups? Will MDA be able to clamp down on such groups? How far is the policing arm of MDA?<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Unbeknown to many the current CEO of MDA </span></i><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Mr Gabriel Lim was</span></i><i><span style="color: #7f6000;"> actually the ex-principle press secretary of PM Lee. Duh?</span></i><br />
<br />
When we pause for a moment to ponder about the charges on TRS administrators, it wasn't because the TRS administrators were non-Singaporeans, nor was it because the articles were seditious (which in my opinion were nothing seditious).<br />
<br />
It's because the PAP has got <b><u>nothing</u></b> to counter the online aggregated media except to either shut these sites down or get them registered under their controlled policies of publishing.<br />
<br />
Where is the real power then?<br />
<br />
It lies with every individual. Yes, each online reader is given a tremendous power...<br />
<br />
Power to read what is published. Power to form our own thoughts, beliefs, assessment and conclusions.<br />
<br />
Power to decide with all the massive information out there, what to believe and carve out a course of action.<br />
<br />
Therein lies the power. But a risky one per se as one can believe a misguided truth.<br />
<br />
On my personal experience - if it wasn't for TRS, I wouldn't have known many underlying issues. More often I have found such sites to have very insightful articles for reading.<br />
<br />
Do I believe everything written and published?<br />
<br />
Nah, but sites like TRS usually give me a different perspective. We have to often remind ourselves - there are always two sides to a coin.<br />
<br />
Just as much as these sites have their agendas, government policies equally have their usual share of political agendas. <i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Usually hidden ones.</span></i><br />
<br />
By and large, I have benefited from TRS. As much as I miss TRS and I know there will be other new sites coming up...<br />
<br />
The truths hurts for the PAP. They can't handle the truth. <i><span style="color: #7f6000;">And they are definitely not on my side.</span></i>Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-60619290712191776622015-04-27T11:54:00.004+08:002015-04-28T07:28:08.795+08:00Lesser of two evilsWhich is of a lesser evil?<br />
<ol>
<li>Employee faking an academic qualification, or</li>
<li>Employing company dissing the fake qualification as not required for hiring entry criteria</li>
</ol>
Allow me to state this clearly - I am <b><u>NOT</u></b> on a witch-hunt with regards to the recent degree mills saga. Neither am I 'bashing' the Foreignt Talent (FT) Immigrant Policy.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>For whatever reasons the IDA employee in the spotlight (Nisha Padmanabhan) had chosen to obtain her MBA from dubious degree mills.<br />
<br />
Is she is aware of the risk of being found out resulting in jeopardising her citizenship and employment contract?<br />
<br />
I am certain she must be totally stressed out now - her greatest fear coming to reality. <span style="color: #7f6000;"><i>Don't we all have secret closet skeletons which we hope never to see the light of day?</i></span><br />
<br />
Does it matter if Nisha is a diligent and committed employee to IDA? What about her good ideas and suggestions to improve processes and seeing many successful implementations? Does her being a law-abiding resident and committed Singaporean mean much?<br />
<br />
Does her successful attempts to integrate with Singapore culture and people account for anything? Assuming she has a son and her family is committed for him to serve NS. Does it mean anything to Singaporeans?<br />
<br />
What is going to happen to her and her family now? We are talking about lives at stake and future livelihood.<br />
<br />
Let's pause here to pull you into another story.<br />
<br />
Weekend news in Australia shared that Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran (also known as the remaining Bali 9 drug traffickers) will be executed tomorrow, 28 April.<br />
<br />
We all know that drug trafficking in Indonesia (and Singapore) serves a death penalty.<i><span style="color: #7f6000;"> I'm sure Andrew and Sukumaran knew about it and the risks associated when they tried to pull the drug job.</span></i><br />
<br />
Do their years of reform while awaiting their death sentence account for anything? What about their changed lives? I have heard of them becoming Christians and their testimonies have blessed to fellow inmates and prisoners. Doesn't it all mean something?<br />
<br />
What about their hopes and dreams to help lives if they get released? Won't they be very effective voices to save drug traffickers and users in the dark world of substance abuse?<br />
<br />
You see, it is easy to justify a cause and yet be torn by conflicting mindsets and realities. We can all take the easy path of:<br />
<ul>
<li>Nisha deserved it. Kick her out of the country.</li>
<li>The Bali 9 knew the death penalty. They deserve their 'Meet the Maker' destination.</li>
</ul>
Really?<br />
<br />
Back to degree mills and falsifying qualifications. There are subtle, underlying tones underneath the surface that have brought conflicting (and confusing) messages to me. <i><span style="color: #7f6000;">And the government had better wake up to them!</span></i><br />
<ol>
<li>If the fake MBA is not an entry criteria to Nisha's employment, does it mean that IDA employed her on the basis of her Bachelor Degree?<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">If so, does this mean that IDA was unable to source any Singaporeans with a Bachelor Degree to fill that job scope? I hope not!<br /><br />What does it say about entry criteria and employing FTs? Did the FTs have special experience that edged out our local graduates?</span><br />.</i></li>
<li>IDA employing Nisha on her University of Mumbai Bachelor Degree, does it mean that IDA see a Singapore Bachelor Degrees ranking worse?<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Pretty sure there are lots of Singaporean degree-holders waiting for IDA to offer them employment.<br /><br />With the ever-rising cost of NUS/NTU (or other Singapore university) qualifications and the spending on international publicity and exposure by Singapore universities to be on good international ranking and prominence, I'm pretty sure we are highly ranked among many countries. Or so claimed by our Education Minister.<br /><br />Will this issue also impact Singapore's standing as an education hub and integrity?</span></i></li>
</ol>
Actually it is not so much as Nisha's fake MBA, or IDA's employing her based on her Bachelor Degree.<br />
<br />
To me it simply means the government (by and large) isn't on our side any more, so much so that anyone can be a Singapore citizen and anyone can fill your job. <span style="color: #7f6000;"><i>So why bother to be a Singaporean citizen and why bother with serving NS?</i></span><br />
<br />
And your Singapore degree? For all the monies spent and years toiled on it, it has as much value as toilet paper.<br />
<br />
That is the greater evil.Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-42190300186099961572015-04-14T14:01:00.000+08:002015-04-14T14:29:34.744+08:00Worse of two evilsShort and sharp for today's post -<br />
<br />
How come we are 'crucifying' and charging a school-dropout and a rebel teenager who published his 'I hate LKY' video online with no threats of death and with the public braying for his blood (Amos Yee)<br />
<br />
vs<br />
<br />
Attempting to understand and even showing sympathy to a scholar sponsored by taxpayers to study in Stanford University (mind you, it's Stanford!) with a predestined career to be a future CEO of a government-linked agency (Ouyang Xiangyu) but had tried to poison her schoolmates.<br />
<br />
One no matter how many hate videos published can't make the dead come back to life; the other if poisoned successfully will make a live person dead.<br />
<br />
One was not condonable, the other forgiveable.<br />
<br />
One with pitchfolk mob and shouts of 'crucify him', the other 'let's understand what happened and the situation she was in'.<br />
<br />
Hmm... Singapore, have we gone cuckoo?Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-28745867922221321872015-04-01T12:09:00.004+08:002015-04-02T11:36:29.161+08:00It's never been about Christianity, it never didC'mon it's never been about Christianity.<br />
<br />
In regards to the infamous Amos Yee's insulting video about LKY and the disparaging remarks on Christianity (<a href="http://therealsingapore.com/content/afp-singapore-teen-faces-three-years-jail-anti-lee-kuan-yew-video">link</a>), it never has been.<br />
<br />
I am a Christian. It has never bothered me about people's criticism about Jesus or Christians.<br />
<br />
My opinion is it is about insulting LKY and these pro-LKY and PAP supporters can't take it sitting down. Who is this young punk who dare insult our Founding Father. <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">But please don't go chasing the rabbit trail and make a piecemeal about insults on Christians and creating religious disharmony. It never has been.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></i>
<a name='more'></a>If you want to make it a big deal, the movie Noah is a worse insult and blasphemy than this Amos Yee ever did by Christian standards. By the same token of charges, should not MDA ban the movie for causing religious disharmony and disrepute to the biblical event which Christians hold dearly?<br />
<br />
Who is Amos that I should be bothered about? He didn't even die for me as Jesus did. And he's just a kid, mind you!<br />
<br />
Now the whole world and media (even Asian media) know what kind of legacy LKY has left behind...<br />
<br />
...an iron-fisted rule who cannot condone different views and the need to silence his critics.<br />
<br />
The arrest by SPF is like a kick in LKY's posterior end. It confirmed without doubt this deeply entrenched legacy that will continue in Singapore to put down any dissent and different voices.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Thoughts:</b><br />
LKY's passing must have awoken something in me. This is like the <u>fourth</u> post in a week considering I was on hiatus for more than a year!<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Truth be told it's not that I stopped writing. There were saved drafts; however I just didn't feel like publishing them. On the hindsight I would not attribute the recent posts entirely to LKY's passing.</span></i><br />
<br />
When I looked deep within myself, I realised there still exist embers of the once burning fire and fervour to want to see a change in Singapore by penning my thoughts and sharing them. Yes, a positive change.<br />
<br />
It's not just about changing the majority rule of the incumbent party. And people keep mistaking me as anti-PAP or anti-establishment. <span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>I may have a rebellious streak but I am not anti-PAP. To put it plainly the current PAP is no longer the same pioneering one whom I had so much respect for. I attributed the current failure to 'group-think' and being surrounded with yes-men.</i></span><br />
<br />
My deeper desire is to see Singaporeans to be able to apply critical thinking at the right time, to challenge the norms and status-quo, and with a thirst to question objectively without fear of repercussions - especially on the current policies that have large impacts to our future generations.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">For example the 'Stop at Two' policy was a good policy at that time. However if we had more critical thinkers with different views to challenge it, we will uncover the long-term implications of stagnant population growth.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Likewise in our open-door foreign talent policy. I understand the government's concern on our ageing population and the need for better economic-drive. But having yes-men to support the policy will not help us to implement it well, and so we are now faced with social integration issues, transport woes, housing shortages and high prices, general hygiene, bad characters (Yang Yin?), increase in crimes plus many other factors. If only we had more voices.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Shall we continue further with casinos, GST, etc?</span></i><br />
<br />
More often when I was living in Singapore, I feel we (including me) are just running programs for an end result or performing activities with a predefined outcome. There are hardly opportunities to cater for an 'out-of-the-blue' experience or unexpected result. It's all the same re-hashed 'don't try to rock the boat' methodology.<br />
<br />
This 'been there, done that' itself is not a bad thing. But if we keep defining the boundaries and limiting our scope just to sustain or achieve the same expected result, how can we progress and witness something completely different. Or even experience the extraordinary, or have a life-changing journey?<br />
<br />
We can be deep thinkers but can we also be broad and lateral thinkers? Do we have the capacity to embrace unexpected results without so much as tinkering the process with constraints to achieve a desired outcome?<br />
<br />
The arrest of Amos Yee was never about Christianity, it never did.Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-5196026230688974732015-03-31T08:39:00.003+08:002015-03-31T10:28:41.817+08:00Heart-felt story shared by daughter of political detainee<div class="tr_bq">
Heart-felt account of the daughter of a political detainee under ISA. This is an excellent piece of sharing and kudos to her father Ong Bock Chuan for forgiving. There is so much healing in forgiveness.</div>
<br />
My words to her:<br />
It's not easy for all of you and I'm glad you spoke up. I have always been intrigued by the aftermath and impact of the immediate families of these 'wrongful' political detainees. There is a 'dark' side of LKY that needs to be shared and looked at objectively.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>LKY did what he thought best for Singapore at that time and at the expense of detaining his rivals. Whether it was wrong or right no longer mattered. What matters is how we learn and avoid the same mistake thereby suppressing voices and categorising them as dissent just because we disagree.<br />
<br />
Just as LKY has led and prospered Singapore, we must know he is afterall still a human being - fallible and not a 'saint' as so many just wants to acknowledge him by. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">By this I mean perspective - so please don't flame me or start lambasting me for stating objectively. </span></i><br />
<br />
Thank you so much, Joanna, for your courage and insights. I will put a link here to my blog and also reproduce your article entirely in this post.<br />
<br />
Wish you and your family well.<br />
---<br />
<blockquote>
<b><span style="color: #783f04;"><i>The Harder Truth</i></span></b></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04;"><i><u>The Quiet Aftermath</u></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04;"><i>This morning, as I made my way to work, there was an air of stillness about me. Everyone I met, at the bus-stop, in the bus, along the streets were quite quiet and simply trying to go about their usual day, but without uttering a word. A nation grieved yesterday at the final farewell of its founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew. So much tears were shed as the cortege journeyed through the streets of Singapore, lined with thousands of people. Today, I feel an air of emptimess and lingering sadness. The nation moves on, never forgetting a legacy left behind by an extraordinary leader.<br /><br />Everyone had been discussing his passing throughout the week of national mourning. I have got friends and colleagues who queued for hours in the sun, just to bid their final farewell in person where the body was lying in state at the Parliament house. My entire Facebook timeline was plastered with newsfeeds about the man and the legacy he had left behind. However, all this while, I kept quite silent because I approached the entire issue with ambivalence. I needed time to step back and recalibrate my thoughts about the man, having lived through an era when my own family was impacted by some of his more autocratic policies.<br /><br /><u>My Father’s Past</u></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04;"><i>I thought it was time to come clean and write this blog post about how I truly felt, without disrespect to my own father.<br /><br />In 1978, I saw Dad handcuffed and led into our home by a team of officers from the Internal Security Department. I was 8 years old. And the entire episode unfolded before me like an extremely bad B-grade movie that did not seem to have a proper beginning or an ending. The sketchy storyline went like this for an 8 year old. Dad was involved in “political discussions” with a group of lawyers who took a pro-Communist stand. He had to be punished for having an opinion that was not aligned to our government’s stand. He then spent months incarcerated behind that famous big blue gate at Thomson road which was where my Dad and his bunch of friends were detained under the Internal Security Act.<br /><br />I remembered the months that ensued were a flurry of activities, where my Mum was trying to hysterically make sense of what had happened. I was the fire-cracker in the family and I went through a phase of childhood rebellion attempting to re-enact Guy Fawke’s Day with my marbles at any government officials that I had come across during those months. I was trying to “protect” Mom. I remembered Mom attempting to keep the family together, so she marched up to Dad’s boss at that time, the late Mr Khoo Teck Puat and said, “Bock Chuan had worked for you with such selfless commitment and treated you like his other father. The most compassionate thing you can do as his boss, is to keep that job for him, and wait for his release from political detention. Meanwhile, please continue to transfer his salary into his bank account so that his family can get by.” Mr Khoo did just that, and I would be eternally grateful to him for that.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Mom and I struggled by without Dad. Mom suffered from hallucinations and I was subjected to the cruel talk amongst schoolmates who pointed their fingers at me while whispering, “Her father is in jail you know? So terrible.” The cruelest thing that had happened for me then was having thoughtless journalists camp out at our gates to take statements from Mum and I. <br /><br />One day, there was a live telecast of Mr Lee Kuan Yew on TV getting a public confession from the political detainees including Dad. A journalist visited Mum and I and made us sit next to the TV. I could not remember much of that apart from waking up the next day with a picture of myself in my pyjamas, and a quote from an 8 year old me saying, “Daddy was very naughty.” Looking back, that was probably the beginning of my training as a Communications and PR professional. I never trusted the media ever since, and I hated the establishment even more for turning my family’s life into a circus. I grew up bearing that anger in my heart.<br /><br /><u>Growing Up</u><br /><br />However, living through the last 4 decades where I saw how Singapore had evolved to what it has become today, where there are roofs over our heads, we feel safe when we walk the streets and our children have a good head-start in life with sound education, and the medical bills of our ageing population is heavily subsidized, I realized that Mr Lee had to do what he had to do at that time for the good of our nation. Sure, some of his policies were unpopular and my family was a victim of it, but as a child of Singapore having lived through the economic growth and political stability of the 70s through to today when I see my parents enjoying the benefits of the Pioneer Generation package, I cannot help but have to admit that the man had truly done a great job. <br /><br /><u>Doing What He Had To Do</u><br /><br />Even he admitted, “I stand by my record. I did some sharp things to get things right – too harsh – but a lot was at stake. But at the end of the day, what have I got? Just a successful Singapore.” For a nation that went from survival instincts to protecting its economic and political security, this man would do anything for it. As he had declared, ‘Because my posture, my response has been such that nobody doubts that if you take me on, I will put on knuckle-dusters and catch you in a cul de sac...Anybody who decides to take me on needs to put on knuckle dusters. If you think you can hurt me more than I can hurt you, try.” Sure, some of his decisions were tough, but my Dad would have made the same decisions if he was in the shoes of Mr Lee. Ultimately, when he gave his entire life for nation building, he was in it for the nation and its people, not himself. He said, “"I have never been over-concerned or obsessed with opinion polls or popularity polls. I think a leader who is, is a weak leader. If you are concerned with whether your rating will go up or down, then you are not a leader. You are just catching the wind ... you will go where the wind is blowing. And that's not what I am in this for."<br /><br /><u>All Forgiven</u><br /><br />I asked Mom if Dad had tuned to the TV channels to watch the crowd lining up to pay their last respects as the body was lying in state at Parliament House. To my surprise, she answered, “ Yes he did, and he even cried. I think after all these years, all is forgiven and forgotten and Dad has seen the good that the man had done for Singapore.”<br /><br />That was all I needed to hear, so that it gave me that go-ahead to write this blogpost. <br /><br />When I saw Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong giving his eulogy to the “Papa” that he loved so dearly, I was reminded that our late founding Prime Minister, was someone else’s father too. So yes, I spent much of my younger years hating the man, but as I grew up, my emotions grew up with me. I am still my father's daughter and I love and respect him for having boldly taken a stand no matter the risks involved, standing by what he had believed in then. However, I am also my nation's daughter and I respect Mr Lee for also having boldly taken a stand, no matter how many had felt about him then. He too, stood by what he had believed in.<br /><br />Without any disrespect to my father, and with every respect to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, I am eternally grateful for his efforts in turning this country into a safe haven for my family and I.</i></span></blockquote>
(Also can be found <a href="http://thecrazyangmoandhisangrywife.blogspot.sg/2015/03/the-harder-truth.html">here</a> from her blog "The Crazy Angmo and His Angry Wife")Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-90868906576262666412015-03-30T10:26:00.003+08:002015-03-30T15:03:06.932+08:00What's next, Singapore?<div>
I had left my opinions and comments in various reads:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>"What LKY's death tells us about the culture of Singapore" in LIFT blog (<a href="http://limpehft.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/what-lkys-death-tells-us-about-culture.html">link</a>);</li>
<li>Attested to similar kinship to state-controlled media propaganda (<a href="http://therealsingapore.com/content/i-used-live-mainstream-media-fairy-tale-and-see-lee-kuan-yew-god">link</a>); and</li>
<li> Writings about my stand that we need to attribute LKY's contributions and not some fishing village story (<a href="http://kaffein-nated.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/the-man-of-moment.html">link</a>)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div>
After which I feel I have been on trial - lambasted by 'good-natured' friends, online readers and LKY mourners.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Like it or not, LKY had always been a person whose statements can be conflicting direct and peppered with 'contradictions'.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>He challenged the Western ideology, their 'free-speech' media, the current norms and his own people - the citizens. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">There are already countless examples and stories of how he dealt with each category and made a 'mockery' of them and 'put spurs into their hides'. I need not rehash them.</span></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
LKY is a person whom you can trust to pull a team together to fulfil a vision or objective. Or he can tear them apart when he feels the members are over-shadowing his objectives, or are too 'cuddly' with each other and 'sitting on their laurels'. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">An example is the SIA Alpha team. Nuff said.</span></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He is that kind of leader - invoking a response from us, both inspiring that commands an unquestionable forte in leadership and vision, and yet in that same person to instill 'fear' and awe at the same time, and always making one feel 'at the edge of seat' in front of him. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">I would really dislike to have to conduct an interview him.</span></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
LKY has indeed left a strong legacy - <u><i>to invoke a challenge or invite a dispute in our mental realms strong enough for us to take a snapshot of our current standing today and prepare us that today's norm can be a past in near future</i></u>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But truth be told in all my writings and comments, never once did I discredit LKY nor did I put him in a bad light.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In fact I accredited him to Singapore's success when he took over independence, provided a hard-stance required in that era, enforced sanitation, hygiene and compulsory education. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">I really liked the no-nonsense punishment of drug trafficking and holding firearms policies.</span></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I just put a true perspective of LKY - what he did and what he did <u>NOT</u> do. Was that a crime? Is this dissent or disrespect? <i><span style="color: #783f04;">To do otherwise in my opinion is actually to discredit him.</span></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To put it more broadly - do we have a 'herd' and 'group-think' mentality, hiding behind respect and social norms? If not why all these 'quirky' and somewhat angst/angry responses from people all over - from friends to online media readers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You don't have to agree with what I said or read my blog or validate my comments. This is the beauty of social media. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">In fact I see more pro-LKY or pro-PAP supporters scrounging the anti-establishment sites and chiding commentors for their disrespect and reminding them they were nothing if not for LKY.</span></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
No wonder Jeraldine Phneah was aghast with the furious comments in her blog (<a href="http://www.jeraldinephneah.me/2015/03/lee-kuan-yew-death.html">link</a>). <span style="color: #783f04;"><i>I kinda felt like her - on trial for voicing my perspective.</i></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And for Amos Yee's viral video (<a href="http://therealsingapore.com/content/17yr-old-sporean-actor-rejoices-over-death-lee-kuan-yew">link</a>), if he really rejoiced over LKY's death, <b>what is it to you</b>? <i><span style="color: #783f04;">Not that I supported his rejoicing and it is 'distasteful' for the matter - to gloat over someone's death. But please people, look beyond the ramblings and see the underlying message - he is either joking, or he's f*king pissed with LKY.</span></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do you ever think that LKY is capable of 'evil' - like imprisoning innocent people and wasting decades of their lives to secure his power? <i><span style="color: #783f04;">Did you just cringed? What if you were one of the children of these political detainees - would you respect LKY for what he has done to your father, robbing him years of his life?</span></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Get a perspective, people.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The MAN of the moment has left his legacy - his words of wisdom (challenging, albeit sometimes contradicting and conflicting) and his visible contributions in a progressive Singapore in terms of peace, prosperity and entrenched values. That era is gone unfortunately.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do we throw our support for the sake of a legacy or past establishment, or do we progress forward for the best people to lead Singapore?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The more important question is what's next, Singapore, post-LKY?</div>
Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-50317356271252985142015-03-23T10:26:00.003+08:002015-03-23T10:31:19.702+08:00The MAN of the momentToday all Singaporeans mourned the loss of a great leader, our first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. I too am saddened by his passing.<br />
<br />
For all the disagreements I have with LKY's iron-fisted rule and putting down his opposition, he was the MAN of that moment to bring Singapore to where she is today. With his pioneering leaders to the likes of Goh Keng Swee, Devan Nair, Rajaratnam, Toh Chin Chye etc, they have transformed Singapore to the modern, blessed and prosperous island nation we love.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I served and contributed with great pride as a full-time National Serviceman (plus all my years of reservists) and I am glad to be part of this nation building towards a safe and peaceful Singapore.<br />
<br />
Without his vision and hard stance, nothing would have moved forward. One thing democracy is weak in is seeking the majority vote. In my opinion we would still be stuck in MRT discussions if democracy had its way at that time.<br />
<br />
In an era where the Singapore citizens' education level was low and the new independence status with neighbouring threats of war erupting, we needed a leader - a strong, hard-handed leader with a bitter medicine for Singaporeans to swallow. He was that man...<br />
<br />
His pioneering team rallied behind him and his leadership put forth strong (sometimes bitter) policies needed for the nation to progress. He was that MAN of the moment to set course in Singapore history.<br />
<br />
May that MAN live on in our hearts and may we remember his contributions to what Singapore is today.<br />
<br />
You've run the good race.<br />
<br />
RIP LKY, 23 March 2015.Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-3995644014494646622015-01-21T16:19:00.002+08:002015-01-21T16:23:12.864+08:00Transport Fares got increase or not? Make up your mind!<div class="tr_bq">
Seriously once I start writing it is hard to stop.</div>
<br />
Let's look at the title of the article and the last paragraph of this ridiculous report in Today Online (<a href="http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/public-transport-fares-may-drop-next-year-lui">link</a>) below.<br />
<br />
Title -<br />
<b><span style="color: #783f04;"><i>Public transport fares may drop next year: Lui</i></span></b><br />
<br />
Last Paragraph -<br />
<b><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">"But because the remaining 3.4 per cent was carried over, the fare adjustment quantum in this current exercise will be 2.8 per cent instead, he (Lui) added"</span></i></b><br />
<br />
Are you confused? Is there a decrease or there isn't?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Say if I were to increase the price of my product from $10 to $12 and then tell you I'm giving you a discount of $0.50, did you think for one moment you will have an orgasmic feeling that you came out better?<br />
<br />
This is gutter reporting and trying to pull the wool over people's eyes!<br />
<br />
Let me tell you my elation about the DECREASE in transport fares for Melbourne. You can read them here (<a href="http://ptv.vic.gov.au/1-january-2015-fare-changes/">link</a>).<br />
<br />
1. From 1 Jan 2015, there are FREE tram zones. Yes pay nothing while travelling in the city.<br />
<br />
2. I used to pay AUD7+ for the Zone 1 and 2. Now I pay AUD4.62.<br />
<br />
Now that's what I call an orgasmic feeling.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Public transport fares may drop next year: Lui</b></span></span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: xx-small;">PUBLISHED: 8:11 PM, JANUARY 19, 2015</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">SINGAPORE — Commuters may see a potential drop in fares next year, given the drop in energy prices last year.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew laid out this possibility in Parliament today (Jan 19), pointing out that the decline in last year’s energy and fuel prices “could possible translate to a negative fare adjustment”, to the tune of around negative 1 per cent, based on available data thus far. </span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">The 2015 fare review exercise, which will occur at the end of this year, will use indices in 2014.<br />Apart from the fare formula, the Public Transport Council (PTC) also takes into account other factors, such as affordability and the public transport operators’ applications for fare increase, in deciding on fare adjustment, he said.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Mr Lui was responding to a question by Mr Gan Thiam Poh, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, on whether the ongoing fare review exercise will consider a reduction in transport fares due to the fall in oil prices. The exercise began last November and its results are expected to be announced by the first quarter of this year.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">The fare formula is pegged to changes in the Core Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Wage Index and the Energy Index and is based on changes over the preceding year.<br />Mr Lui said the ongoing fare review exercise had yielded a negative 0.6 per cent fare adjustment quantum.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">“Supposing we had implemented the full 6.6 per cent fare adjustment quantum in the previous fare review exercise (in January last year) and we did not carry over the 3.4 per cent, then indeed we would have a fare adjustment for this year that is negative 0.6 per cent this time round.”</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">But because the remaining 3.4 per cent was carried over, the fare adjustment quantum in this current exercise will be 2.8 per cent instead, he added</span></i></blockquote>
<br />Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-24001810874945272422015-01-20T13:38:00.002+08:002015-01-21T15:55:47.237+08:00Huffington Post Responds to 'Kee Chiu' MinisterWhat can I say, Minister 'Kee Chiu' Chan Chun Sing?<br />
<br />
After your 'failed' attempt to discredit Dr Chee Soon Juan via writing to Huffington Post (<a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/chan-chun-sing-rebuffs/1592396.html">link here</a>), you've gotten the whole social media's attention...<br />
<br />
... in a very wrong way. <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">You should have let sleeping dogs lie.</span></i><br />
<br />
Everyone was buzz-ing with your petty thoughts on life's failures and elitism, your underhand mud-slinging through character assassination, and your low-down politicking when you threw your weight signing off as Minister for Social and Family Development in your letter to HuffPost.<br />
<br />
Then Dr Chee did a brilliant master stroke of rebuttal (<a href="https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-minister-hits-out-at-chee-soon-juan-in-letter-to-huffington-post-023744714.html">link here</a> and <a href="http://yoursdp.org/news/chee_soon_juan_responds_to_chan_chun_sing/2015-01-16-5938">here</a>).<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Not only did Dr Chee portrayed himself as the underdog to identify himself as a Singaporean commoner by highlighting PAP's self-righteous practice in "stigmatising failures", he was able to bring forth humility, self-control and a quiet assertion in his response.<br />
<br />
Yes the quiet type of assertion found in war veterans who fought real tough wars and bled, bearing battle scars.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Why do you think Dr Koh Poh Koon failed and lost the Punggol East by-election? It attributed to elitism and inability to identify with common Singaporeans. Minister Chan, you aren't far off down that road.</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px;"><br /></span>
Dr Chee has been bankrupted, jailed, wrongfully terminated from his job, hounded by policemen and 'crucified' by our state-owned media. What battle scars do you have, (Paper) General Chan?<br />
<br />
As far as I can see you are nothing compared to Dr Chee.<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"> And you don't even have the balls to hold a live debate with him. Dr Chee threw down the gauntlet in your face.</span></i><br />
<br />
If you still cannot understand what I am saying, simply put:<br />
<br />
<b>*You just got PWNED!</b><br />
<br />
Of course in your smart-ass letter, you unwittingly dragged Straits Times through the mud. It was already soiled while poorly ranked 154th media in the world. But you had to drag it through another round of disgrace.<br />
<br />
For one Straits Times refused to publish Dr Chee's two articles which Huffington Post did. Isn't it amazing some other country's media published them while the local media didn't? Whether the articles were 'rubbish' articles, HuffPost deemed it fit for readers' consumption. And left the readers to ponder and decide about those articles. Nanny-state, anyone?<br />
<br />
Secondly Straits Times deemed it fit to want to edit a portion of Dr Chee's response which he rejected. By that token you have confirmed to the world that the press is pretty state-controlled and 'not so free'.<br />
<br />
Thirdly when you rebuked Huffington Post, you have unknowingly 'stirred the hornets nest' and gave unwanted publicity to the articles and to yourself (in a negative way). Truth be told, I was not even aware of those articles. Now I do. Was your letter worth the effort, Minister Chan?<br />
<br />
Well, Huffington Post (by New Nation) has given you a response (<a href="http://newnation.sg/2015/01/huffpost-responds-to-minister-chan-chun-sing-chees-2-articles-represent-0-0001-of-content-we-publish-a-year/">link here</a>). And it poked fun at you in so many ways. Even dragging your colleague Minister Lawrence Wong into the picture.<br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Note: New Nation is a satirical site.</span></i><br />
<br />
You PAP guys keep tripping over and providing me with an itch to write. From Minister Lawrence Wong to Minister Desmond Lee to MP Dr Lam Ping Min to Minister Lui Tuck Yew, etc.<br />
<br />
Truth be told, you guys keep 'screwing' yourselves over and over again in your press statements.<br />
<br />
In case readers think I'm anti-PAP. Let me quote you the reasons you gave why transport fares will still increase in spite of oil prices dropping to super-low!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><i>"Mr Lui said that, "The fare formula is pegged to changes in the Core Consumer Price Index, Wage Index and Energy Index over the preceding year, and reflects the operating cost structure of the public transport operators."</i></span><br />
<br />
Releasing press statements that blame the indices which <b>you have set</b> is a total no-brainer. To a lay-person and commoner, it does not make sense if oil prices drop and your transport cost goes up.<br />
<br />
Another example by Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang:<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #783f04;">"The fuel component of pump prices is not determined by the price of crude oil, but the price of refined products like petrol and diesel."</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #783f04;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #783f04;">"Petrol companies also have to take into account non-fuel costs such as land and labour costs when setting their prices," he said.</span></i><br />
<br />
Australia pegs the petrol prices to that of Singapore - so how do you explain that the petrol prices as of this writing at an Esso petrol station is 102.9c per litre (Australia cents)? Who sets the land costs but your ministry? Go jolly well change it!<br />
<br />
Pushing the reasons in your press releases to everything from world prices, market forces, consumer index, etc... except pointing fault at your lousy policies and formula is <b>NOT</b> the way to go.<br />
<br />
And yes I broke my hiatus with this post.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #783f04;">*The term 'pwned' implies domination or humiliation of a rival, used primarily in the Internet-based video game culture to taunt an opponent who has just been soundly defeated (e.g., "You just got pwned!").</span></i>Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-76417968095671311852013-02-09T10:35:00.000+08:002015-01-21T09:55:41.638+08:00Singaporeans 1 PAP 1With the 6.9 millions white paper endorsed by Parliament yesterday, I have only one sentence to say -<br />
<br />
Singaporeans, you guys are 'screwed'!<br />
<br />
Enjoy your sardine-packed and claustrophobic lifestyle with human bodies everywhere. I literally mean everywhere.<br />
<br />
Imagine the social and health implications, imagine the challenges your next and next-next generations face, imagine the housing and transport woes, imagine the job opportunities given to 'outsiders'... to 6,900,000 humans on this tiny island, of which close to half of them are non-core or native-born.<br />
<br />
Imagine. Just imagine.<br />
<br />
Now go ahead and cringe.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>For a good past ten years especially during office lunches with my colleagues and friends, whenever we brooch on the topic of politics and whatever opportunities I had, I often told them -<br />
<br />
If they do not start to change their thinking about the current PAP and have good debates and voices FOR THE PEOPLE in Parliament, the PAP is gonna 'screw' their lives so badly that one day they will wake up fearing for their future. Otherwise migrate while it is still possible and choose a quality life.<br />
<br />
I think the day has come.<br />
<br />
Back then other countries' immigration laws were favourable towards Singaporeans and many of us were young and eligible. Fast forward ten years, it is difficult to migrate now considering the age, work and family commitments.<br />
<br />
In the end only one person took my advice. He is now in Sydney and his family will join with him very soon.<br />
<br />
Well, 60.1% Singaporeans, this is the future PAP has given you. This is the PAP answer to your mandate. This is going to be a hard lesson and bitter medicine for you and your generations to come.<br />
<br />
I am not sure if 2016 General Elections will make a difference.<br />
<br />
It may be too late.Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-81945104501430354262013-01-27T10:46:00.001+08:002015-01-21T09:55:50.570+08:00Singaporeans 1 PAP 0I gave a whooping shout of elation when I heard the results on the television last night.<br />
<br />
First of all - congratulations to WP and their candidate Lee Lilian. Your face of a true-bred Singaporean heartlander, your 'I am just like you, struggling with current issues' identity and your 'down to earth' personality' struck a memorable chord with most of us. Kudos to you and your party's hard work!<br />
<br />
Second - congratulations to Punggol-East residents for making a stand and choosing to voice out their discontentment through their votes. This is just a beginning.<br />
<br />
Thirdly - This is a second straight loss by PAP since Hougang By-Election. And by some margin of votes to 'slap and wake them up'.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The PAP bench was all somber with downcast defeated faces. All their 'hard-sell' and/or 'soft-sell' of their candidates were washed down the drain. All their 'goodies now but take back later' policies have pushed many of us to our limits of endurance.<br />
<br />
We are no longer patient with you after all these 20 - 30 years. And yes, we are 'repenting' as correctly mouthed by our great and venerable Leeder.<br />
<br />
This is so much of deja vu of Aljunied GRC when our ex-Minister George Yeo and his team of high-flyers came a tumbling-down to planet earth. We do not want 'angelic beings' who play their golden harps in heaven and people in ivory towers and riding high horses to represent us.<br />
<br />
Did you even listen to us? Did you hear what George Yeo said about how PAP must quickly change and adapt?<br />
<br />
When Dr Koh campaigned his person as a 'Son of Punggol' and 'I am me', I scoffed.<br />
<br />
How on planet earth or rather in Singapore of having a slew of qualifications under the meritocracy system, having at least 10 titles or directorships to committees and boards, having heavy-weight Ministers and the Prime Minister himself vouch for you, plus 'I own two cars' -<br />
<br />
Can you Dr Koh REALLY identify with us? Can you even be my mouthpiece in the parliament?<br />
<br />
My strong opinion is that I want the PAP to form the government. They still have a pack of punch under their belt. They do have good MPs and Ministers. But I do NOT want them to have the majority.<br />
<br />
It is akin to scoring an own goal when you turned a deaf ear to your once-faithful supporters.<br />
<br />
The people have spoken, PAP.<br />
<br />
Listen to them.Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-14270850114479522512013-01-01T11:21:00.003+08:002015-01-21T09:56:17.957+08:00China 2 Singapore 0Happy 2013 to you and your loved ones!<br />
<br />
---<br />
This entry has been in draft for quite some time. About time I publish it.<br />
<br />
I think China has just handed Singapore's ass to her when the SMRT bus drivers went on strike. China knows how weak our labour laws are. Like they care about our laws anyway.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;"><b>SMRT bus drivers refuse to go to work</b><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monday, Nov 26, 2012 AFP</span></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;">SINGAPORE - More than 100 mainland Chinese bus drivers in Singapore refused to work on Monday.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;">The drivers, disgruntled over their pay from state-linked transport firm SMRT, refused to board a shuttle that was going to ferry them from their dormitory to a nearby depot.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;">After talks with SMRT management with police on standby, the protesting drivers said they would report for work on Tuesday.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: #7f6000;">SMRT is 54 per cent owned by state investment firm Temasek Holdings.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;">Singapore has been hiring bus drivers from China and Malaysia because of a chronic shortage of manpower.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;">One of the Chinese drivers, who declined to be named, told reporters the dispute arose because they felt aggrieved over a disparity in pay between Chinese and Malaysian bus drivers.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;">Drivers from China earn a basic salary of S$1,075, while those from Malaysia earn S$1,375, the driver said.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;">The dispute was also about the lack of bonuses for Chinese bus drivers, he added.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;">The Ministry of Manpower issued a stern warning to the 102 drivers who took part in the stoppage, saying it "takes the workers' actions very seriously" and was closely monitoring the situation.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;">In a statement, the National Transport Workers' Union urged the Chinese drivers - who are not union members - to return to work immediately.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;">No major disruptions were reported during the work stoppage, which took place during Singapore's year-end school holidays, when demand for public transport is lower</span></blockquote>
So what if we deported those we thought are the masterminds behind the strike. For every one of them leaving, hundreds are waiting to take his/her place.<br />
<br />
Someone told me this is how China political landscape works.<br />
<br />
<i> Government < People < Police < Government</i><br />
<br />
In Singapore many believes the godfather has the first place and the Singaporeans are probably the lowest in the food chain.<br />
<br />
Your guess is as good as mine.Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-29090688740098020742012-08-06T14:40:00.002+08:002015-01-21T09:56:39.847+08:00China 1 Singapore 0That is one sentence that sums all of my thoughts of the bronze Olympic medal.<br />
<br />
Why? As an individual table-tennis player, Feng Tianwei deserved every praise and 'hurray' for her skills and prowess. It is no mean feat to get an Olympic medal albeit a bronze. Well done! You deserved the SGD250,000 given to you.<br />
<br />
As a player representing the Singapore team, I will <strong>NOT </strong>credit you anything. Zilch, kosong. If she were to say the SDG250,000 meant nothing as it is a national pride and returned the prize money, I'll call her true-blue Singaporean. It's not the money reward but she was 'bought' from the beginning. In fact she'll be in the China B-team or C-team and will never make it in her home country. <br />
<br />
But then who will be dumb enough to reject quarter of a million? Surely not me - I'll keep every single cent.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Back to the topic, you may ask if I am belittling her efforts or making hard for her. Or perhaps I was wee bit too harsh.<br />
<br />
In no way. I have already said she deserved every single cent to her as an INDIVIDUAL player but not a player representing Singapore.<br />
<br />
C'mon readers, where is the pride? I don't really care if other countries import players or not. This is Singapore - where Tan Howe Liang and Fandi Ahmad made it inspite of the odds. Even my netball 'auntie' Ivy Singh Lim deserves every respect if she represented Singapore.<br />
<br />
Truth be told, I literally cheered for Derek Wong (badminton) during his matches. Serious, ask missus. And I am deeply grateful for Jasmine Ser (shooter), Gary Yeo (sprinter), sailing team, etc for their Olympic contributions to this tiny nation.<br />
<br />
<em>Heck, I was cheering for Malaysian Lee CW (badminton) during his final match against Chinese Lin Dan! My prediction - Lee CW is gonna be No. 1 soon if he keeps up his form. Fantastic play!</em><br />
<br />
I admire a true-blue sportsman/woman who is a home-grown talent and has made it big in name internally. <br />
<br />
Does Roger Federer ring a bell? He hails from Switzerland, a country with a meagerly 7.9 million population size. What about Bjorn Rune Borg? A Sweddish by blood whose country is a mere 9.4 million in size. These are defintely not 'Goliath' countries of sports people but definitely 'Davids' in world tennis. <br />
<br />
I am proud when they represented their countries in Olympics. Not some imported players with the propaganda and hoo-har of the media crowing about them hailing from Singapore and winning a medal. Hey, I still have to reward her with SGD250,000. Tax-payers' money, mind you. It's not as if the government had the cheek to ask if I wanted to reward her.<br />
<br />
If you 'lofty ministers and elites' were to take a step back, you'll probably find the true-blue Singaporean spirit and loyalty to Singapore when we band up against your FT polices. Stop telling us to integrate with these imports, rather you should be telling them to integrate with us. If not, they can jolly-well crawl back to their origin countries.<br />
<br />
With all the ra-ra speeches by ministers including my PM on integration, they can shaft the medal up theirs.<br />
<br />
No offense, sirs.Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-4917117376455672282012-03-02T18:10:00.005+08:002015-01-21T09:57:31.663+08:00Seriously, MP Chen's proposal a Nigerian scam?Here is MP Chen Show Man's parliamentary speech (<a href="http://wp.sg/2012/02/budget-2012-csm/">link here</a>).
He was lambasted by MP Vikram Nair who called it a Nigerian scam.<br />
<br />
Now that you have heard his speech, you tell me - is this a Nigerian scam as claimed by MP Vikram Nair?<br />
<br />
Makes me wonder if PAP newbies are opposing for the sake of opposing, and are trying to make a mark for themselves to look good at the expense of the opposition.<br />
<br />
Seriously Vikram, I will not label you as mute if you had just shut your gap and sit there to take your SGD$15k MP allowances plus whatever directorships you hold.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I can see what kind of 'stringent' criteria the PAP has in selecting an MP - probably along the requirements of 'heartless', 'insensitive', and 'I hate very god-d*mn opposition against the PAP' will fit the bill. Erm, throw in 'foot stomping' and 'I don't inow what to say' criteria too. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">I gotta take a jab at Tin Pei Ling here.</span></i><br />
<br />
Let me share some of the 'real scams' in my personal view:<br />
<div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>$1.1 billion of taxpayer monies given to privatised transport companies who claimed to be public, and yet pay high dividends to their stakeholders. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">Duh?</span></i></li>
<li>"GST is to help the poor". <i><span style="color: #783f04;">Classic.</span></i></li>
<li>>$50 billion losses from two SWF entities without accountability. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">No heads were rolled.</span></i></li>
<li>A notorious limping terrorist escaped and no one knew how. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">No heads were rolled too. Oh my gosh!</span></i></li>
<li>"Housing is affordable". When pressed for land cost, it is 'state secret' and cannot be revealed.</li>
<li>A <b>P</b>e<b>O</b>ple'<b>S</b> <b>B</b>ank was given 'freely' to another bank on a silver platter. Thereafter a couple of fees were enforced which never happened before. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">People cried 'foul' and 'murder' but nothing happened.</span></i></li>
<li>Is CPF (in)directly linked with an investment house and a large conglomerate an urban legend? This is a black box because a minister first denied it and then backtracked to "It's not as simple as you think". <i><span style="color: #783f04;">Hahaha...</span></i></li>
</ul>
<div>
Oh well, I guess every Singaporean is a victim of Nigerian scams then.<br />
<br />
Bummer!</div>
</div>
</div>
Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-12839252341210561202012-02-16T11:59:00.002+08:002015-01-21T09:58:14.633+08:00Hammered by the Hammer - MP Yaw<i>Latest update: MP Yaw Shin Leong got the <strike>hammer</strike>, er boot by the Workers' Party (<a href="http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/breaking-news-yaw-shin-leong-has-been-sacked-from-workers-party/">link here</a>).</i><br />
<br />
<i>Mixed feelings for me. Good call by WP to uphold integrity, transparency and principles. Bad call because he is a good MP.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Who says Singapore politics are boring?!!</i><br />
<br />
---<br />
Something I had in mind but never blogged when the case was brought up. Thanks to <a href="http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/">Redbean's blog</a> that I have put my thoughts in his comments. I'd share it here:<br />
<br />
To put the matter straight, I will like to state that I do not condone infidelity. Affairs outside marriage not only affect both parties but immediate families and kids.<br />
<br />
Anyway...<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>It is funny how Singaporeans pick on 'yet to be proven' Yaw's infidelity and go on a witch hunt. Hmmm don't we have anything else better to do than to be judges? What crime did he commit?<br />
<br />
Again I stress that I am not condoning his adultery, if assumed he did commit it.<br />
<br />
Seriously if the affair had taken place in the past and he had since reconciled with his wife, what is the main issue to bring it up again? If his wife doesn't condemn him, who are we?<br />
<br />
This event clearly shows that:<br />
<ul>
<li>Singaporeans are generally not 'politically mature' enough to differentiate between political integrity and personal discretion.</li>
<li>We don't know what constitutes personal space vs public figures, and privacy vs rights.</li>
<li>We act no better than any paparazzi in digging past faults, and could jolly well end up like the ones who killed Princess Diana. We actually love to see 'blood spilled'.</li>
<li>We are deprived of good journalism with good insights and smart analysis. We have been fed too much with the MSM's style of dirty politics against oppositions and being the PAP's mouthpiece.</li>
<li>We have problems seeing our own shortcomings and sit on a high horse to sprout judging words or advice nobody cares. Sound familiar to a 90-yr-old man I once admired.</li>
</ul>
Stop this nonsense witch-hunting and fuelling useless talks of scandals.<br />
<br />
C'mon Singaporeans - we can do better than that!Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-81073722115477436842012-01-16T17:10:00.002+08:002015-01-22T14:05:23.270+08:00Why don't you be the first to 'kee chiu'?I read with bemusement at what Acting Minister Chan <i>'Kee Chiu'</i> Chun Sing had said (see article below and in <a href="http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120116-0000066/Political-salaries--The-key-is-to-find-the-right-balance">Today</a>).<br />
<br />
This is my response to him:<br />
<br />
It is so easy for you to waive away the <b><i>real</i></b> reasons for joining politics. You are after all on the winning side - the incumbent party that forms the majority of the government. And the grossly overpaid minister.<br />
<br />
In case you had forgotten your status, let me remind you - you are already in a position to command the astronomical sum of salary as a minister and receiving that sum of money every month. You are probably one of those who beams with delight whenever you receive your CPF statement.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Yet you trumpet exactly like someone who eats abalone daily and goes about boasting "I don't really need to eat abalone".<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">*sarcasm on*</span></i> Gee, you really are so full of humility. <span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>*sarcasm off*</i></span><br />
<br />
Here is my suggestion -<br />
Why don't you grow some 'balls' and volunteer "I <b><i>really</i></b> am into joining a team that is not in it for the money. I, hereby declare today that I will take a salary of SGD250,000 annually."<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>*muted silence*</i></span> Hello, anyone from PAP camp? <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">*muted silence*</span></i><br />
<br />
Why don't you be the first to 'kee chiu' and lead by example?<br />
<br />
Like the army lingo goes - don't just 'talk cock, sing-song'; talk also must 'walk the talk'. If not it is just NATO (no-action, talk-only). Talk is free and cheap.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Translate: Simply means 'walk the bloody talk', can?!!</i></span><br />
<br />
Frankly speaking Minster Chan, sir, no offence here -<br />
I lost a huge chunk of respect for you when I heard your maiden speech during the General Elections 2011 last year. I felt you were trying too hard to impress and you definitely did not grow on me.<br />
<br />
I was advised to give you time to prove your worth.<br />
<br />
With these words you had mouthed in the article, in one fell swoop whatever opportunities and chances of changing my perception were lost. I would not even want to mention your name after this post again.<br />
<br />
To me, you are just similar to many-a-mouthpiece I have been listening to all my life. You all come from the same cookie-cutter, 'manufactured source'.<br />
<br />
Tell me something new, Minister Chan. If you think I have erred in my words, prove me wrong.<br />
<br />
But before that, allow me to predict what the Salary Review outcome in Parliament will be:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Motion passed to accept the Salary Review Committee's recommendation</b></blockquote>
Is there anything new?<br />
<br />
Just like the Transport Fare Review Committee. Just like the recommended $125mil flood map system. Just like "GST to help the poor".<br />
<br />
Tell me something new and prove me wrong.<br />
<br />
Kee chiu, anyone?<br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">* 'Kee chiu' in Hokkien dialect means 'to raise a hand and volunteer'.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Point of note:<br />Spare me from your everyday examples like eating at hawker centres. Seriously you PAP suck big time at these because you sound so disconnected these days.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></i>
---<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Political salaries: The key is to find the 'right balance'</span></b><br />Monica Kotwani </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04;">SINGAPORE - Pay is not an issue for the team in government, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing said yesterday as political salaries took centre stage in the first ministerial community visit held since the General Election.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04;">This has been his experience, he said, when asked whether the expected cut in ministerial pay would make ministers less motivated.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04;">He said: "I don't think any one of them comes here for the money. They come here to provide a better life for the next generation ... One of the reasons I stepped forward was because I knew I was joining a team that was not here for the money."</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04;">The key is to find the right balance, he added.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04;">"Money shouldn't be the one (factor) to attract them. On the other hand, money should also not be the bugbear to deter them," he said.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04;">"(For example,) you go to Peach Garden, you eat the S$10 XO Sauce chye tow kuay (fried carrot cake), you can be quite happy, right? Because you're satisfied with the service and so on.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04;">"On the other hand, you can go to a hawker centre, even if they charge you S$1.50, you might not want to eat it if the quality isn't good." </span>(<a href="http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120116-0000066/Political-salaries--The-key-is-to-find-the-right-balance">read more</a>)</blockquote>
Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-15016400864956081102011-11-12T12:52:00.001+08:002015-01-21T09:59:08.019+08:00Sick joke?I read the recent article by ChannelNewsAsia "Smaller flats do not mean lower quality of living: HDB CEO" (<a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1164517/1/.html">link here</a>).<br />
<br />
The first question that popped into my mind was why are we always told what is good for us?<br />
<br />
I have always bemused - why are Singaporeans always told we are not doing enough for Singapore in spite of the sacrifices, and when will we be good enough for the country?<br />
<br />
Whenever the PAP or some ministries want to push a policy or make a new normal, there will always be reports of how good it is.<br />
<br />
What is your agenda, Dr Cheong, seriously?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>For example when the PAP wanted to implement GST, there were waves after waves of articles and reports from financial analysts, economic gurus and intellectual professors who will give their $0.02 worth of knowledge - why GST is good for Singapore.<br />
<br />
Ultimately it boils down to 'GST is to help the poor'.<br />
<br />
All my life in Singapore, it has never been the PAP's fault when something screws up. It has always been us, the surf citizens. To them, we are the big problem. They are the cure. We do not follow their policies well enough thus the PAP has to make hard-line polices and bitter medicine. For our good, they say.<br />
<br />
We don't pro-create, we put too much emphasis on our careers, we want good lifestyle, we want to own a car, we want to get a flat, etc.<br />
<br />
But pause a moment and think about it. All these issues we are currently facing can be traced back to bad PAP policies.<br />
<br />
Take for example, emphasis on careers. The drive during the 80s and 90s was to be No 1 in everything. When I say everything, it literally means everything. Second is not good enough.<br />
<br />
From education hub to financial hub to tourist hub, we had to be the best. Best airport, best seaport, best education system, best politicians (where we had the salary reviews and hikes) and best worker (increase of productivity, cheaper and better and faster).<br />
<br />
There were strong undercurrents by the powers-that-be to sell the top professions of doctors, lawyers and engineers. All these were to line graduates up to meet to the economic demands and growth. Every mother's son want to be some scholar, doctor or lawyer. <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Even my brother was not spared. Anyway I have always been the odd one out but that's a different story.</span></i><br />
<br />
Another example, owning a place to live. The PAP had a good and well-thought out approach. Every Singaporean will own a flat to live in. A very noble approach and aspiration. <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">At the back of my mind though, I always thought it was for them to take back the kampong lands to free up space.</span></i><br />
<br />
With the explosive escalation of HDB prices and long waiting queues before getting married (ROM first then ceremony later), our young couples had to work hard to put a down payment for flats they have yet to live in.<br />
<br />
Mind you, after a couple of years, who wouldn't want a more reduced pace and enjoy the finer things in life when they have achieved a certain level of income?<br />
<br />
With kids coming into the picture, this becomes a whole new ballgame. There is another set of challenges like who will mind the babies while they work, the increase of household expenses, the lack and difficulty to travel abroad and sit back and enjoy the finer things in life. These contribute to getting married later in life so as to enjoy a bit more before the challenges set in.<br />
<br />
Please don't get me wrong. I am not saying there are no joys in having kids. I have one daughter for the matter. But with the high cost of living expenses and housing prices, how does anyone expect these young couples to pro-create or start a family? <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Then we have this discrimination against pregnant mothers... gosh that's another lousy manpower policy that hardly protected expecting mothers.</span></i><br />
<br />
Not long after we have this ex-PM Woody who sold the Singapore dream of 5Cs. Let's all say together - Cash, Car, Credit Card, Condominium and Country Club membership.<br />
<br />
Now would not every young person want to achieve a status in life when my PM is encouraging young Singaporeans to pursue their dreams of 5Cs?<br />
<br />
Back to the Today article. We now have this CEO of HDB trying to tell us how to live. Smaller is better, she says, because family nucleus is small.<br />
<br />
I'm sorry, lady, I don't buy your bullsh*t. If it is so, why are we paying sky-high monies for a 20 or 30-year loan to get a smaller area that is only leased to us for 99 years?<br />
<br />
Is this a sick joke? Perhaps I can second-guess your underlying words and agenda.<br />
<br />
Basically this is going to be the new normal for HDB; this is your cue to build new smaller flats. With the justification of smaller area units, HDB can now build and squeeze more units into a block of flat and suck up more of our CPF monies.<br />
<br />
This is not meant to be offensive. But sometimes jokers do talk a lot of crap.<br />
<br />
Just like 'GST is to help the poor'.Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-61627151639584482522011-11-03T14:20:00.001+08:002015-01-21T09:59:18.587+08:00Thanks for the memoriesFor the oldies and goodies, here is an article (<a href="http://remembersingapore.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/100-things-we-love-about-the-80s/">link here</a>) which will definitely stir up nostalgic memories... memories of a bygone era where life was simple and slower with less 'noise'. Defintely not boring though!<br />
<br />
I recently visited a toy museum of the 60s and 70s near Arab Street. There is a small entry fee which I felt was worth every cent. I spent a good one hour there, reminiscing the past. I think it's called the Children Little Museum (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=68600929030">link</a>). Photos coming soon.<br />
<br />
Address: 40 Kandahar Street Singapore 198895 (near arab street)<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I remember we used to make games from ice-cream sticks, rubber bands, plastic bags, match-boxes, drink cans, etc. That was until Game & Watch and Donkey Kong came out.<br />
<br />
A few mentions which were not captured in the article:<br />
<ul>
<li>10 cents gum bottle (usually either red or blue) with a white cap and a glue stick underneath the cap.</li>
<li>Pencil boxes with Gundam or other Japanese cartoon characters. The pencil boxes comes with many hidden compartments and was overlaid with buttons that when pressed will either unlock the hidden drawer or pop a door.</li>
<li>Tube of gluey, sticky paste that comes with a short, yellow stick to blow. Cover one end of the stick with the paste to blow a balloon which looks like a soap bubble.</li>
<li>Skipping classes to go game arcades with prominent 'School uniforms are prohibited' signs. I had to steal away home clothes in my school bag and change into them at a nearby toilet. The games cost 20 cents to play.</li>
</ul>
Thanks for the memories.Kaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31348334.post-67363490854568519652011-10-28T14:39:00.005+08:002015-01-21T09:54:14.379+08:00Totally disconnectRecently I read a blog titled "PAP: Stay Arrogant, Stay Clueless" (<a href="http://politicalwritings.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/pap-stay-arrogant-stay-clueless/">link here</a>).<br />
<br />
It sums up my thoughts about the recent parliamentary session which led to a conclusion that either Singapore has super-smart ministers and PAP MPs whom we can never understand their polices or thinking, or I have smart-ass ones who are absolutely clueless about the man on the street.<br />
<br />
It gets even funnier when I read comments from die-hard PAP supporters. It always cracks me up. Usually these fall along the lines of:<br />
<ul>
<li>Singaporeans are arrogant. We should not take the current government for granted.</li>
<li>Don't just criticise but provide alternative solutions.</li>
<li>Flippant choice of first or third world countries, depending on subject discussed</li>
</ul>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>First and foremost, the general Singaporeans are NOT taking anyone for granted even less so of the PAP government. Most of us are grateful for what they had sacrificed and done over the past 20-30 years when Singapore was just a teeny weeny swampy island.<br />
<br />
But we have to learn to let bygones be bygones. There was an era where we survived the risk of isolation and rejection. That said, it is now futile to keep talking about the past when the very present situation has general Singaporeans struggling to survive or fuming about the high cost of living. All these racial riots and communism unrests have their places in in the 60s history.<br />
<br />
For the love of the country, I'd strongly suggest keeping those memories there. In the past. I agree we should (and rightly so) glean wisdom and learning points from these unfortunate events but hey, we really have to move on in restrospect of what the current present situation holds and looking ahead to what the future has in store.<br />
<br />
To put it bluntly I call this reminiscing of the past - fear-mongering. Time and time again, my PAP ministers use these historical references to bring about fear of what may happen. We are certainly living in a different time compared to our forefathers' era. The rehashing of our past cripples our forward thinking. It becomes blatantly clear whenever the public attempts to connect with the government on pressing issues or when the opposition members question the current policies, someone from the PAP club is certain to preach about our history.<br />
<br />
And this leads to one of the main grouses - we, the public, have been trying to reach out to you by voicing our concerns but you diss us with your 'I know it all due to our track record' attitude.<br />
<br />
Having said that, you throw in the spanner with 'don't just criticise but provide solutions'.<br />
<br />
Allow me to speak straight into your face. Pay me your million bucks and I'll provide you solutions. How often have you made a collaborative attempt to include our voices into your policies? It is always 'bad medicine is good for you'.<br />
<br />
In most solution-delivery processes, one must first understand gather the customers' requirements and needs before attempting solutioning.<br />
<br />
In simple basic English - LISTEN. Yet time and again, the PAP-controlled government trips up this simple step. We are often recipients of their high-handed remarks. Quite some time ago someone called us 'daft' and in recent times we need 'spurs in our hides'. Your often haughty, one-rule-applies-to-all policies are shafted down our throats with a 'listen up or ship out' statement.<br />
<br />
When we tell you large number of Singaporeans are migrating out, you call us 'quitters'. When we tell you the large foreign influx is affecting our lives, you chide us for not being inclusive and in dire need of a social integration mindset. And you kick off programmes to socialise or celebrate their festivals with our monies.<br />
<br />
Gee have you been listening? Your thrust of messages is always we need to do something or we are not good enough. This brings about resentful feelings and apathetic responses in our everyday lives. The icing? Your 'we know it best' attitude brings out the worst of you.<br />
<br />
Can you the PAP pause and listen to your citizens who are also your customers? For once take a step back and pay attention. Fundamentally we pay you so you had better 'shut your gap' and listen more.<br />
<br />
Yet I'm sure we have these 'die-hard' supporters who still swear by PAP even at the face of death with a gun pointing at their heads. I'd reckon the fart from the posterior end of my highly-esteemed godfather is perfume to their nostrils.<br />
<br />
So I give you these words mouthed by my 'smarter than thou' ministers and MPs before some moron start to write comments to give me their $0.02 worth of bullsh*t.<br />
<ol>
<li>Housing is affordable.</li>
<li>We are 'deaf' to criticisms.</li>
<li>How much do you want? Three meals in a restaurant, food court or hawker centre?</li>
</ol>
These are 'hard- to-swallow' statements. Reeks of arrogance that make me cringe and spit in disgust. Now you wonder why you had a sharp fall in your popularity ratings. You blame the social media, you blame the young generation for not being grateful to the PAP, you blame global economic crisis, you blame foreign newspaper trying to do you in, you blame oppositions for getting a better crop of candidates... You blame everyone except yourselves.<br />
<br />
Now don't go crying to the public asking for alternate solutions when you the PAP did not even bother take time to listen from the beginning.<br />
<br />
Last but not least, it never fails to irk me whenever a PAP leader or bootlicker flippantly choose between a first-world or third-world country to bring home a point.<br />
<br />
To support their million-dollar salaries, they point to CEOs and top leaders of large corporations when I have the US president earning ONE-FOURTH of your salary! And mind you, he has to handle a lot more than you.<br />
<br />
Firstly he manages a country many times over the size of Singapore. He deals with global crisis, implementing policies affecting millions of people and banks. His word moves or tumbles the world economy. He and his team handles catastrophic events of earthquakes and hurricanes. And my minister can't even handle minor flash floods.<br />
<br />
Gee I think the US president has a pretty bad deal. No wonder a spokesman from the White House once quipped that he would not mind working in Singapore as a government official.<br />
<br />
Then you PAPpies go about saying that the leaving presidents of US and UK have offers to give speeches and write books. Seriously apart from Lee Kuan Yew, I wouldn't give a hoot about my ex-president's book. <br />
<br />
Why? Because I have absolutely no idea what he has been doing in spite of his four-million-dollar annual salary. I kinda linked him to 'holding babies', shaking hands and taking photos. Pretty expensive job, eh?<br />
<br />
And the happiness index raised by the opposition member Sylvia Lim (fantastic speech by the way, God bless her soul). She aptly reminded the government to re-focus on the needs of the people.<br />
<br />
What do my PAP politicians say? They put third-world Bhutan country down and alleviate their status about how good Singapore is because of their efforts.<br />
<br />
Goondu or what? Are you opposing for the sake of opposing the opposition? You guys seriously ought to have your heads examined. <br />
<br />
After watching some clips of the parliamentary seating, some of you left a very sour taste in my mouthKaffeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11958784896341738588noreply@blogger.com3