Huffington Post Responds to 'Kee Chiu' Minister

What can I say, Minister 'Kee Chiu' Chan Chun Sing?

After your 'failed' attempt to discredit Dr Chee Soon Juan via writing to Huffington Post (link here), you've gotten the whole social media's attention...

... in a very wrong way. You should have let sleeping dogs lie.

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.

Then Dr Chee did a brilliant master stroke of rebuttal (link here and here).

Singaporeans 1 PAP 1

With the 6.9 millions white paper endorsed by Parliament yesterday, I have only one sentence to say -

Singaporeans, you guys are 'screwed'!

Enjoy your sardine-packed and claustrophobic lifestyle with human bodies everywhere. I literally mean everywhere.

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.

Imagine. Just imagine.

Now go ahead and cringe.

Singaporeans 1 PAP 0

I gave a whooping shout of elation when I heard the results on the television last night.

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!

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.

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'.

China 2 Singapore 0

Happy 2013 to you and your loved ones!

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This entry has been in draft for quite some time. About time I publish it.

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.

SMRT bus drivers refuse to go to work
Monday, Nov 26, 2012 AFP

SINGAPORE - More than 100 mainland Chinese bus drivers in Singapore refused to work on Monday.

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.

After talks with SMRT management with police on standby, the protesting drivers said they would report for work on Tuesday.

China 1 Singapore 0

That is one sentence that sums all of my thoughts of the bronze Olympic medal.

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.

As a player representing the Singapore team, I will NOT 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.

But then who will be dumb enough to reject quarter of a million? Surely not me - I'll keep every single cent.

Seriously, MP Chen's proposal a Nigerian scam?

Here is MP Chen Show Man's parliamentary speech (link here).  He was lambasted by MP Vikram Nair who called it a Nigerian scam.

Now that you have heard his speech, you tell me - is this a Nigerian scam as claimed by MP Vikram Nair?

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.

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.

Hammered by the Hammer - MP Yaw

Latest update: MP Yaw Shin Leong got the hammer, er boot by the Workers' Party (link here).

Mixed feelings for me. Good call by WP to uphold integrity, transparency and principles. Bad call because he is a good MP.

Who says Singapore politics are boring?!!

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Something I had in mind but never blogged when the case was brought up. Thanks to Redbean's blog that I have put my thoughts in his comments. I'd share it here:

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.

Anyway...

Why don't you be the first to 'kee chiu'?

I read with bemusement at what Acting Minister Chan 'Kee Chiu' Chun Sing had said (see article below and in Today).

This is my response to him:

It is so easy for you to waive away the real 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.

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.

Sick joke?

I read the recent article by ChannelNewsAsia "Smaller flats do not mean lower quality of living: HDB CEO" (link here).

The first question that popped into my mind was why are we always told what is good for us?

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?

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.

What is your agenda, Dr Cheong, seriously?

Thanks for the memories

For the oldies and goodies, here is an article (link here) 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!

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 (link). Photos coming soon.

Address: 40 Kandahar Street Singapore 198895 (near arab street)

Totally disconnect

Recently I read a blog titled "PAP: Stay Arrogant, Stay Clueless" (link here).

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.

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:

• Singaporeans are arrogant. We should not take the current government for granted.
• Don't just criticise but provide alternative solutions.
• Flippant choice of first or third world countries, depending on subject discussed

This is your second chance, Singaporeans

GE2011 is passed. Whomever we have voted, we live with the results of our votes for the next five years. The elected person(s) hopefully will stand for you and represent you in parliament.

That is your concerted declaration. That is your majority decision. That is your collective voice. We, Singaporeans live with the result.

I can only remind ourselves - do we remember the promises made before the elections? When the elections were over and the din settled, did we see the changes we desired? Or are we now beset with a transport hike and utilities increase in a looming uncertain time? Where is the salary review and justification that seems to take ages to announce? Yet hikes were dish-out as if they had decided before the elections had begun, or were they all for show these reviews?

Long working hours but also happy

Since the 2011 Election I have not had time to blog. The usual personal and family commitments and also the switch to a new job with a new role in a completely new industry took most of my time.

Anyway I came across this article posted in 24/7 Wall St (read here) which was written quite some time back in June. The title was 'The 10 Happiest Countries In The World'. The Better Life Index is based on 11 measurements of quality of life including housing, income, jobs, community, education, the environment, health, work-life balance, and life satisfaction.

Don't provide us with more ammunition

These days PAP seems to provide free ammunition for the opposition, netizens, online community and bloggers. The more they try, the worse it seems. Many of us have to work, mind you. We can't keep on blogging.

We are having a field day online seriously. I have never seen so many online postings. Go check out the 'Other Reads' links on my right.

You know you are second-class citizens when...

...my Prime Minister gives credit to foreign workers instead of locals. I was peeved by this sentence when I read his speech during the opening ceremony of IMFlash, a high-tech electronic plant (read here).

"For every one foreign worker, we have created 1.5 local jobs in this project" Should it not be "For every 1.5 locals, one foreigner has a job"?

You, sir, have put the cart before the horse. And that shows a lot about your respect for our citizens. You have no respect and bonding kinship with us. No wonder people lamented that PAP is totally 'disconnected' from the ground.

A mystery unto itself - advice to young readers

Let me share with you, especially to the young readers. This is a real scenario. If you are a Singaporean, you might want to chew on this:

Many Singaporeans I know who had left Singapore to work overseas in Western countries (Australia, US, etc) took huge pay cuts. Some were paid less than 50% of their previous salaries. One of the main reasons cited by the recruitment firms and potential employers was that they did not have enough local experience. I am sharing from my interviewing experience when I migrated to Australia. Though I did not have a pay cut, I knew many did.

Wake up to the new media

Read this online (link here).

New faces flamed online
But they say they will focus on working the ground for elections
By Rachel Chang & Robin Chan 

NEW People's Action Party (PAP) candidates may have been prepared beforehand for a frosty reception in cyberspace, but the speed and malice with which some of them are being picked apart online have come as a shock.

Within days and sometimes hours of their introduction to the media as PAP candidates, private pictures and even court documents have been dug up and disseminated online, and forums lit up with debate and speculation.

Although the new candidates admit that the sound and fury of cyberspace has taken them aback, they say they are trying to tune out the most vicious comments and focus on working the ground for the coming general election.

About time for a change

You know you need a new political climate change when you smile while watching it. This classy video took a dig at the so-called 'clean, white' image of the PAP. The intended pun was subtle yet it drove a strong message.

This is way better than the usual 'I have been around for the past 20 years' slogan that every PAP candidate and member had been practicing and regurgitating... like a pathetic broken record.

Looks like this GE is gonna pose a real challenge to the PAP with this kind of campaigning. About time for a change, don't you think?

We were in Japan when the earthquake hit!

There are two parts to this post - the first one is my personal account experiencing the earthquake in Japan. The other is a reflection of how the earthquake experience surfaced my true loyalty for my country.

----- Earthquake experience in Japan -----
I am still in Japan, Kyoto. My family is with me. This is our ninth day of our first holiday trip to Japan. I had more than I bargained for.

We experienced the effects of the earthquake on our first day. Having touched down at Narita Airport, we took the Narita Express train to Tokyo. We felt our first tremours when the train stopped at Chiba station, 45 mins away from Narita Airport.

The carriage we were in rattled quite violently. I seriously thought that we were changing lines but it became clear when I looked out the windows and saw lamp posts swaying to and fro! People we all scrambling out of the buildings nearby and there were loud siren sounds.

I think I cracked a toenail

The Straits Times reported (link here):

PM: Lower hurdle for opposition parties
Smaller GRCs and more single-seat wards offer more scope for contest
By Elgin Toh and Li Xueying

POLITICAL parties planning to contest the next election have to clear a lower hurdle than at previous polls, the Prime Minister declared on Friday in his first comments on the new electoral map.

He pointed to key changes in the way electoral boundaries are demarcated this time round, in line with guidelines he announced in Parliament in May 2009.

As a result, the average number of MPs per group representation constituency (GRC) has come down from 5.4 to five. The number of six-member GRCs has been whittled down from five to two, while that of single-member constituencies (SMCs) goes up from nine to 12.

'This should lower the hurdle for parties intending to contest the elections,' Mr Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday in comments to the media.