Of high ranking horny people

Clearly, the year of the fire dragon has done some serious kicking of high-profile asses in the civil service early into its tenure.

[Left: Peter Lim Sin Pang, ex SCDF, age 51, Right: Ng Boon Gay, ex CNB, age 45,]

In case you have been caught up with the festivities and holidays and are lagging in what's happening in the local political scene, former Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) commissioner Peter Lim and former Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) director Ng Boon Gay are currently investigated by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) for "serious personal misconduct". Allegedly, a hot woman in her 40s from an American multinational firm is embroiled in this saga. "While Mr Lim and Mr Ng were both unaware of each other's dealings with the woman, they have both confirmed their relationship with the woman". She is assisting CPIB in their investigations. To make matters even more interesting, the investigations are being held separately.

Corruption through sex. Death by sex. Hmm...

Obviously, this indicates that even persons with good track records [1] [2] and high pay aside, one can never expect the dick other head to stay limp and contented. It seems logical to think that you cannot corrupt one who already draws a fat pay, but it doesn't mean you can withstand (for the lack of a better word) a pussy. One may laugh all the way to the bank, but who holds the other head? Oh by the way, a squeaky clean looking opposition MP Yaw was also alleged to be in an extramarital affair. Yaw, on the other hand has chosen to keep silent. In all honestly, mums hardly the word if one is truly innocent. The former SCDF and CNB officers have been advised to have a quiet, low-key CNY.

So what's with these horny people in high ranking positions? That money is not enough? That high pay and high rank do not suffice? That the other head prevails? Jokes aside, this issue must be really serious to warrant headlines on the second day of Chinese New Year. It does seem like no effort is spared in shaming these two former civil servants. On this note, at least CPIB or the Ministry of Home Affairs have taken the appropriate step in highlighting this matter to the public over a festive period. Hey, this is a good topic for CNY banter no? Did you hear about the commissioner.. Did you hear about the director....

What I do not understand is why the identity of the woman in the case hasn't been made known to the public yet. Even Jakarta Globe has reported that the woman is 36 years old. How is it that the local media do not have this information? Shouldn't all the parties get shamed?

Earlier this week, the Noose reported that the Army was considering to have a maid platoon to help its NS men cope with the daily stress of being a soldier. Perhaps, the civil service should consider a harem apart from the remuneration package to help them cope with the daily stress of heading a department. Well, everybody needs sex and Singapore doesn't need corruption since we might as well, compromise and score another world's first.

For the want of a pussy, respect was lost. My advice for all civil servants, and it comes free...
LOOK BEFORE YOU POKE!

It's going to be an interesting year of the dragon!

- ST Electronics steps forward to say that none of its staff has been called up by the CPIB.

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Of the SMRT disruptions. If you can't help, at least shut the f*ck up.

UPDATE: MP Seng Han Thong has since apologised.

On the SMRT issue, one wonders why an MP would say on air that some staffs are “Malay(s), they are Indians, they cannot converse in English good, well enough”.

Why did he just stop there? Did he listen to himself speak? He could have added on and said that his English was atrocious too. This is quite obvious the moment he opened his mouth to speak. Clearly, you don't have to speak well to be an MP and draw an obscene salary.

Back to the issue at hand... Why couldn't he have said that the ground staff were largely Malays and Indians and this led to mis-communications between staffs and non-English speaking commuters?

If he as an MP is so insensitive, how can he possibly help residents at the meet-the-people sessions without condescending? As a MP for Ang Mo Kio where train service was affected, he could at least empathise with commuters or say that he was looking to the review as well. MPs have to know that they are public figures, paid by their public and that they cannot simply say one thing today and retract it by means of an apology the next day.

This is what Halimah Yacob, MP for Jurong GRC has to say:
Several friends have raised their concerns over MP Seng Han Thong's remarks. I am also disturbed by the remarks which are inappropriate and unfair even though he may be repeating what someone else said. Having worked in the labour movement for 33 years before taking up my present post, I am reminded of how employers in the past sometimes try to pin the blame on the lowest elvel workers as a way of deflecting responsibilty from the management whenever a major problem occurs. Effective communication as we all know requires a properly thought out strategy and plan, putting a system in place, training of employees and testing whether the plan works, among others. It is not right to pin the blame on workers and, what is worse, Malay and Indian workers for the purported lack of English proficiency. So, I can understand your anger and frustration at such a simplistic and insensitive articulation of the probable cause for the communication failure that had occurred. But friends, lets also try to stay cool as we need SMRT to focus on the big, big issue of fixing the defects so that the trains can run smoothly and passengers are not further inconvenienced.

Perhaps Seng Han Thong, together with the SMRT management team should attend PR and public speaking lessons.

Oh, and if only would Straits Times quit making us angry, SMRT tops in corporate governance study.

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Of disrupted train service & income opportunity

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Of the mature rivalry between PAP and WP

Perhaps things are beginning to look up for the local political scene now that PM Lee has acknowledged that there are no longer any "sure-win constituencies". WP's Chen Show Mao has succinctly spelt out what it means for Singaporeans to have a voice for the good of the nation. We live in interesting times.

A mature rivalry between PAP and WP?

Singapore's ruling party for 46 years has sounded a warning to its followers that its era of easy election victories is over.

Future contests would be tougher, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who added that he no longer expected "clean sweeps" or "safe wards anywhere".

Lee appealed to 1,500 party activists to help him build a new People's Action Party (PAP) for a new phase.

This was its first convention since the poor election showing six months ago.

Last week, as PAP prepared for its crucial meeting, rival Workers' Party (WP) launched the biggest offensive in the East Coast constituency since May.

It lost narrowly to the government (45-55 per cent) and appears determined to win it in 2016.

While Lee was exhorting his party to work hard to regain lost ground, WP members — wearing blue — were out in force at hawker centres and markets to sell the party organ The Hammer to families.

The two events show the extent of Singapore's political intensity although the next election is still five years away.

Both sides have appealed to Singaporeans not to let the political divide create rifts in society.

After years of acquiescence to former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, who governed Singapore with an iron hand, a new generation of Singaporeans is beginning to assert itself.

As a result, politics is steadily becoming a passionate subject and quite unpredictable, with more people who stayed away before taking sides now.

Friendly match

Several opposition parties are emerging as challengers, but as of now only PAP and WP, the two oldest parties here, figure strongly in the contest.

Both are committed to pursue their politics with a sense of maturity and responsibility so far.

Lee had earlier surprised Singaporeans when he invited six Workers Party MPs to join parliamentary committees to play a recommendation role in policy- making.

With Kuan Yew no longer in the Cabinet, although still an MP, the younger set of MPs from both sides is trying to find a practical way to work together.

The political landscape is changing, but what the present House will do will leave its mark — good or bad - in history.

There has been video coverage of opposing MPs organising joint community functions for residents, their differences temporarily laid aside.

Last month, the MPs formed a football team, complete with red jerseys, to play a friendly match against a team made up of media representatives.

The politicians, among them two opposition MPs, lost the match 2-1.

The general reaction, especially among younger Singaporeans, was one of excitement and people want to see more of such matches.

"It was good to see them put aside their political differences and fight a common battle on the same side," said a Malaysia Cup fan.

He suggested the Singapore MPs team take on Malaysian politicians in a similar match as a prelude to the Malaysia Cup kick-off.

The younger generation is watching with interest to see how the two parties treat each other.

'Not the enemy of the government'

Unlike other Asian countries, Singapore has rarely had any real experience of intense Parliament debate since the left-wing Socialist Front quit Parliament and took to the streets.

A few sharp exchanges had taken place between Lee Senior and the late J.B. Jeyaretnam, but that was prior to the emergence of the Internet and mainstream coverage was minimal.

The newly-appointed Speaker Michael Palmer has urged MPs not to get lost in "the quagmire of party politics".

Writing in an editorial for PAP magazine The Petir, Palmer said worthwhile suggestions should not be attacked just because they were made by the opposition.

From the other side came utterances like the following from Workers' Party MP Chen Show Mao:

"Let me state quite clearly how I see myself as an opposition member of this parliament. I may challenge government policy in Parliament, but I do not by definition oppose government policy.

"It does not mean that I do not support the government in its work. I am an opposition MP and will perform my role to voice alternative and opposing views in the law- making process.

"As an opposition MP, I am not the enemy of the government; I am a Singaporean and a patriot."

PAP's behaviour towards its rivals has taken a sharp turn for the better.

Possible motive

Some observers see a possible long-term motive in why the two parties — whose ideological differences are not very wide apart — wish to compete without personal attacks or animosity.

Firstly, Singaporeans are by and large moderately inclined and dislike to see politicians at each other's throats.

The second reason is that both parties are pragmatic enough to realise that politics is entering an unpredictable phase.

Few can be sure whether one day one may need the other in a realignment of interests.

The ruling PAP is facing an uphill task trying to attract quality candidates from the private sector to stand in elections.

According to WikiLeaks, the leaked US diplomatic cables, PAP MP Charles Chong admitted that the party had to field "second and third-tier candidates" since the 2006 election.

Unless PM Lee succeeds in rever­sing his recruitment fortune, the next election could spell greater trouble.

No one really believes PAP will be overthrown but if it fares badly, having a workable relationship with the rival will be a very useful thing.

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Of freedom of speech & freedom to post

In a span of 5 days, the police have been called to investigate 3 cases of racist posts in a public domain. It first started with Jason Neo, a then YPAP member and Christian Eliab Ratnam, a NSF. In an earlier Facebook posting, Christian was reported to have agreed with a statement attributed to LKY. The most recent person to be investigated is Donaldson Tan, former member of The Online Citizen, founder of New Asia Republic.

Given that Singaporeans spend the most time on Facebook at an international level, it probably comes as no surprise that all three postings took place over Facebook. While the internet has been widely attributed as a tool to empower freedom of speech, people or in this case, Singaporeans need to know that they cannot simply tap on the phone or click on a computer to post something sensitive without repercussions. Yes, the internet empowers. It is also a public domain. Even without policing, what is sent out easily goes viral and you, yes you become a victim of your own posting.

I sincerely believe that Singaporeans are not racist by nature. Yet despite the government's attempt at schooling racial harmony, Singaporeans incline toward racial nonchalance. We are not tolerant but largely indifferent to the requirements of other races and religions. It is due to this lack of awareness that people fall prey to their own fastest fingers. All the same, regardless of my theories, I do not condone any such act.

Freedom of speech does not equate freedom to post. People have rights to freedom of speech and rights to live free from racial vilification.

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Of risque ads

Hi Singapore, if you think the Abercrombie ad was bad, look at this...

Sure pales in comparison doesn't it?

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Of the ISA. True abolishment or a facade of skull-duggery?

This post is a response to a very lengthy article posted on Channel News Asia here.

Since Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak declared that they (Malaysia) will abolish the ISA, local NGOs and political figures have also begin to adovcate / renew these calls.

It is unlikely that Malaysia will abolish the ISA. More likely, PM Najib is "doing the groundwork" before the 13th Malaysia general elections. Look at the recent Bersih protest in July this year. After talks with the King, the organisers of the rally agreed to change the street protest to the Merdeka Stadium, an indoor venue. Subsequently, the organisers were refused usage of the stadium and a permit to conduct the protest. On the evening of the protest on 9 July 2011, the police had confirmed 1,667 arrests, including 167 females and minors. Most of the arrested protesters were freed by the end of the day.

Of course the above factual information has little to do with Singapore. Yet it is precisely because of PM Najib's claim that has set off a chain reaction in Singapore. All calls to abolish the ISA from local NGOs and political figures have cited examples from the 1950s-1970s. Then, the ISA was used to detain persons suspected of agitating racial and religious discord, and persons engaged in espionage. The ISA was also controversially used in 1987 against alleged Marxist anti-state conspirators involved in several Catholic church and civil society organisations.

In recent times, the ISA has been used primarily to deter terrorism. This is where Mas Selamat and the suspected Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorists come in. Here, it is unfortunately hard to disagree with pre-president Tony Tan when he said that the "ISA is a blunt instrument". If there were no ISA, do the authorities only arrest the terrorists after Yishun MRT station had been bombed? After all, a terrorist is only a terrorist when an act of terror has been committed no? Like a suicide bomber can only be labelled as such after a successful act of self-immolation. I take it that the officers at the Home Affairs and Internal Security Department have done all the necessary security checks in confirming the terrorist links before detaining those suspects.

More importantly, could 911 have been averted if the Americans had the ISA?

Singapore has come a long way since the 1950s threats of communism. In present times, the authorities cannot simply arrest anyone under the ISA for "agitating racial and religious discord, and persons engaged in espionage". While Singapore doesn't score much on human rights, it is unlikely that they will do an "Aung San Suu Kyi". Even the outspoken Dr Chee Soon Juan has never been convicted under the ISA.

So what other laws can Singapore apply to deter terrorism? I suggest that the ISA be refined instead of totally abolished. Refined so that it cannot be used to benefit one political party and for all other petty reasons. After all, I would rather the authorities come clean and say "We are keeping the ISA" instead of saying that they will abolish it (and rebrand it as another law) for the sake of gaining populist points.

As for Malaysia, let's see how much more PM Najib has to offer. Elections in Malaysia are not due till 2013. Would the ISA be repackaged as XXX version 2.0? Only time will tell.

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