Of TRE, back to the days of the Wayang Party Club?

A long time ago (circa 2004 - long is relative over the internet), there was an online socio-politicial site that used unorthodox means to create awareness. The site would report news that were meant to be the heartfelt sentiments of people like you and I, i.e. we the people that the other people high up in the ivory towers who will conveniently forget for 4 years until the general elections are due. The site would report accounts of hard truths that no mainstream and other socio-political sites would even attempt to report on.

What OB markers? If you and the other Singaporeans feel it, we will report it! They had walked the ground with video cameras to ask for the sentiments of voters and reported the shortcomings of Ministers. They were the unsung heros of the local blogosphere.

Oh boy, the popularity of the site soared! It was not difficult to see why. Anyone could lend their voice to the site and be a contributor, ergo, everyone could be heard. The site posted accounts in both English (think tabloid) and Mandarin (think Lian He Wan Bao). It did not matter if the contributor's grasp of language was not strong. What was important was that the articles contained key issues that struck a chord with people like you and I. On top of everything else, the owners of the Wayang Party site promised that all commenters are anonymous. The site was hosted outside of Singapore. According to the site owners, they were untouchable. This was also one of the reasons why the site had to ask the public for monetary contributions so as to sustain the site.

Of course, the site also had it's shortcomings. Because everyone could be heard, it meant that any sort of article could be published. For that same reason, it meant that most of the articles were taken as it is with minimal attempts to verify its content. All the other more established sites were quick to disassociate from the site. Wayang Party lacked accountability and transparency, the same issues that they were accusing the government of. There were little credibility in their reports. Their reports were based on sensationalizing one single detail which were often snowballed to attempt to inflict an avalanche on the people in white (surely they know that snow blends with white). Worse still, Wayang Party operated as faceless site. The other sites did not even know who they were up against.

In short, it became a populist blog. The people behind the site were quick to rename the site after each significant political progression. It started as Wayang Party, became Temasek Review, and then the current, Temasek Review Emeritus (TRE).

Eventually, The New Paper revealed that a certain Doctor Joseph Ong was behind the site. Next, Richard Wan, moderator of TRE was reported as being involved with other faceless people based abroad.

In a quick turn of events (circa August 2011), after Richard claimed that he was "harassed by TR" and swore to leave the site, Richard is actually still with TRE in a recent forum that was held in conjunction with Social Media week (February 2012). Apart from Richard, the rest of the team remains faceless. We do not even know if the other five editors exist. Currently, this attempt to have be "accountable" does not seem to be working out well at all for TRE. Given it's gureilla tactics, Richard has opened up TRE to several potential defamation suits. Also, it is difficult to ignore the fact that TRE's rebranding was somehow in time to expose the Yaw Shin Leong's affair. With a supposedly pro alternative voices site like this, who needs the men in white to fix the opposition? Some say, TRE is now part of the men in white.

So is TRE back to the days of the Wayang Party Club with all these nameless shadows lurking in the dark? I think so. But this time around, they have a fall guy. why are these people opening TRE up to possible defamation suits? Only time will tell how far an apology can take TRE.

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Of the tactless speech by Education Minister of State Lawrence Wong

Here is another instance of how our ministers are so out of touch with the ground as they look down on us from their ivory towers.

In a dialogue on further education at ITE College East, Education Minister of State Lawrence Wong said, "That's what happens when you have a sort of heedless desire to get a degree or diploma without understanding the broader issues," he noted.

Obviously, Lawrence Wong does not understand that Singapore has been shaped to be a city where paper qualifications matter so much more over skills. Whenever possible, who would not follow the progression from a junior college or polytechnic education to a degree? Is it wrong for people to want to better themselves with skills and knowledge? If there are insufficient places, why are there so many foreign students in the local universities? Why do so many locals have to study abroad when their grades allow them to enroll in a local university?

What Lawrence Wong seem to be saying is that if you are in the lowest rung of the social ladder, just stay there and do not dream of climbing up that elitist ladder. That ivory tower is not for us, peasants.

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Further education hot topic at ITE dialogue

The move to increase the intake of Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates at polytechnics is underway, but the topic of further education still weighed on the minds of about 100 ITE students at a dialogue with Education Minister of State Lawrence Wong yesterday.

Several students from the three ITE campuses at REACH's Kopi Talk dialogue held at ITE College East asked if opportunities for them to upgrade after graduating could be expanded.

Mr Wong said he understood their aspirations but not everyone would be able to pursue a diploma at a polytechnic immediately after obtaining their Higher NITEC.

This was due to limited places at local polytechnics and employers' demand for ITE graduates. "If everyone can move up, we will not have enough ITE graduates out there in the workforce," he said.

"At the end, it's the number of places we can provide … I don't think we'll be able to satisfy everyone, frankly," he said.

By 2015, one in four ITE graduates will be able to make it to polytechnic, up from one in five currently.

Mr Wong also cautioned against a scenario where the industry is unable to cope with the number of degree or diploma holders seeking jobs. He recounted how on a previous trip to Paris, all applicants for a receptionist job at the Singapore embassy were degree holders.

"That's what happens when you have a sort of heedless desire to get a degree or diploma without understanding the broader issues," he noted.

On why ITE graduates could not opt for polytechnic courses unrelated to their area of study, Mr Wong said the ITE is meant to be a foundation for polytechnic education.

Other questions raised were about the upcoming schools catering only to Normal (Technical) students and on keeping school fees affordable.

Mr Wong said the Government recently enhanced bursary programmes and would enhance them again if necessary.

Specialised Normal (Technical) schools, which open in 2013 and 2014, would have the same programme as other schools but its teachers and a curriculum would be better catered to the needs of students, he explained.

ITE College West Higher NITEC business administration student Seri Nur Haziqah found the dialogue "engaging" as it touched on the importance of character, and felt Mr Wong's replies were "lengthy" but "relevant".

Separately yesterday, the North East Community Development Council announced its North East Education Awards - which awards two students from each eligible school with S$400 to S$900 - would be extended to all ITE campuses here.

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Of Yaw Shin Leong's resignation as WP's treasurer

Yesterday, the Workers' Party announced that Yaw Shin Leong, MP for Hougang has resigned from his position as the Treasurer of the Party. This comes after Yaw was embroiled in an online scandal which suggested that Yaw, a married man, was having an affair with a member of the WP cadre, Angela Oon, who is also married.

Yaw has chosen to keep slient about his alleged affair. However, this resignation speaks louder than words. Yaw and WP should step forward to explain this incident. After all, in the 2011 General Elections, the residents of Hougang who had vested their trust in Low Thia Kiang, showed their unyielding support for the WP by voting for Yaw. Whether the affair did or did not happen (this resignation is clearly an admission of guilt), WP owes the residents of Hougang an explanation. The residents have given him their vote of confidence for a 5 year term and months into his tenure, this happens. Indeed, this is a private matter; a domestic affair. However, as a MP, he should be prepared for public scrutiny into this allegation. As an opposition MP, many of his political rivals from both the opposition camps and PAP alike would enjoy watching him fall from grace. Sure, we could all give him the benefit of doubt but obviously, this does not look rosy at all for Yaw. Even without any statements from Yaw, WP has to work on their public relations to counter this alleged scandal. Personally, I am not sure if a MP can be removed from his position due to personal misconduct and the procedures after.

Yaw's ex-wife, Ng Mei Sze has decided to step forth and say that their marriage did not fail because of infidelity. Instead of relying on people in association to Yaw to speak up to attest to his "good character (that all MPs and human beings should have)", Yaw should really face the public and offer a good enough explanation. To have one more person speak on the current scandal is creating more room for gossip. One could easily speculate that Ng feels guilty for not having informed Yaw's current wife, Wang Lin about Yaw's tendencies. The probable gossips could go on and on.

This scandal has without a doubt, sullied the good work that WP and the efforts of all opposition parties in Singapore alike. Even the Singapore People's Party (SPP) is having it's fair share of woes with the resignation of 6 of its Central Executive Community (CEC).

More importantly, it brings to mind that one should vote for the party and it's ideals and not for one person, because the actions of an individual could easily cause a party to fall apart.

Other references:
Straits Times: Yaw Shin Leong was a star who rose and rose
Straits Times: 'Workers' Party ought to be more transparent'
Straits Times: Yaw Shin Leong's ex-wife sheds some light on break-up

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Changes In Workers’ Party Leadership

The Workers’ Party wishes to inform the public that at the monthly meeting of the Executive Council on Tuesday, 7 February 2012, the Council accepted the resignation of Yaw Shin Leong from the party leadership. Yaw Shin Leong will cease to be Treasurer of the Party with immediate effect.

The Council has also decided to appoint the Deputy Treasurer, Yee Jenn Jong, as the Party’s Treasurer.

Yaw Shin Leong will focus on his responsibilities as Member of Parliament for Hougang.

The Workers’ Party assures residents of Hougang of the Party’s commitment to the constituency and to supporting the work of their Member of Parliament.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
WORKERS’ PARTY

7 February 2012

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Of the passing of Dr Toh Chin Chai

The funeral of the late former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Toh Chin Chye was held on Tuesday at 11am at Mandai Crematorium.

Of late, the internet has been a-buzzed with stories on how Dr Toh was like. This striked a chord.

He retired from Parliament at the 1988 general election and spent his last years generally away from the public eye. In a rare public radio interview in 1997, Dr Toh passionately bemoaned the lack of idealism and creativity among the young and its implications for the future of Singapore. He said:

“I would say the generation of the ‘50s and ‘60s took the plunge into politics without ever calculating the costs of the risk and the benefits to be gained. They were driven by ideology. Today’s generation has no culture and averse to taking political risk. Really, an interest in politics is very necessary for the future.

But I cannot blame the present generations, because they see the heavy-handed response by the government to dissenting views, even though they know that these matters involve their daily lives.

So the result is that we have produced a younger generation who are meek and therefore very calculating. They are less independent-thinking and lack in initiative. It does not bode well for the emergence of future leaders in politics and business. Robots and computers can be programmed or if you like, can be trained. But the trouble, of course, is that computers lack soul and what we need in Singapore is soul. Because it is soul that makes society.”

Rest in peace, Dr Toh.

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Of the real Cecilia Sue

Update: The alleged Cecilia Sue Siew Nang

The mysterious woman in the corruption scandal has been unveiled! The real Cecilia Sue has been mosaiced??

According to inSing.com, this is how the lady looks like. This does fit the description of a "36-year-old, tall, slim, vivacious, and with shoulder length hair" woman.

Strange how the people who leaked the photo chose to mosaic her face and not her expensive looking bag. Cecilia 1 - Tin Pei Ling 0.

While there has not been any confirmation if the photo shows the real Cecilia, I would not be surprised if more photos are leaked over the next few days.

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