TR EMERITUS

Dear Straits Times,   I refer to the commentary by Ms Xue Shu Qin which first appeared in Lianhe ZaoBao on 24 Aug 2010 and reproduced by Straits Times on 28 Aug 2010.   Ms Xue laments the muddied state of her own country Malaysia while waxing lyrical on all that is good about Singapore.  If Ms Xue can broaden her perspective to include all first world nations, she will realise that the good of Singapore is commonly found in all first world nations.  Cleanliness, well-fed and well-dressed people and good salaries are basic characteristics of all first world nations.  The governments of other first world nations may not be as frenetic as ours in promoting their respective countries as tourist destinations because they have perennial crowd pullers that are modern day wonders of the world.   Ms Xue mistakenly believes that Singapore started later compared to Malaysia because it had achieved independence later.  The notion that a nation starts developing only upon independence is a mistaken one.  Singapore was already ahead of Malaysia long before independence.  It had been a British crown colony and an international port of call with a higher per capita GDP compared to Malaysia long before independence.  Thus, it was Singapore who had the better head start compared to Malaysia.     Thank you     Ng Kok Lim  Read More →

With the next election looming ahead, the PAP-controlled media has gone on a propaganda overdrive to weaken and split the opposition in a desperate attempt to promote its "endorsed" opposition party - the Workers' Party. The Straits Times Insight carried two glowing reports on Hougang today with even the losing PAP candidate Eric Low heaping generous praises on Low Thia Kiang, the WP MP. When asked on his chances in Hougang, Mr Low admitted that he faced an uphill task and praised Low Thia Kiang as a "worthy opponent." "Mr Low Thia Khiang has done well in Parliament and he doesn't take on the Government simply because he's the opposition," he quipped, perpetuating the PAP rhetoric that a "constructive opposition" is one which refrains from taking on the PAP regime. The mainstream media, especially the Straits Times, seldom cast the opposition in a good light. Mr Low is an exemplary "opposition" MP which the PAP has been subtly promoting because he doesn't bothered to ask its ministers difficult questions in parliament which may embarrass them. While Mr Low may have "served" Hougang residents well, his track record in parliament has been dismal to say the least. When asked by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong if Wong Kan Seng should resign over the Mas Selamat fiasco, he was stunned into silence and could only stared blankly in the air. The PAP regime will surely prefer as many "opposition" MPs in the mould of Low Thia Kiang who is "constructive" by being muzzled and helping it masquerade Singapore as a "democracy" to the international community. WP candidates such as CEC member Yaw Shin Leong had boasted of voting for the PAP previously even as they hypocritically begged voters to vote for them in electoral contests against the PAP. With public disaffection and disgruntlement against the PAP at an all-time high, the PAP and its media will try to sway the opposition votes towards the Workers' Party to lessen the opposition threat in parliament. Low Thia Kiang once said that the Workers' Party will not be able to challenge the PAP regime in another 50 years. Singaporeans yearning for change should not pin their hopes on WP to "wayang" for another few terms in Parliament. A vote for WP = A vote for PAP?    Jeremy AuYong Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to create awareness of the current affairs affecting Singaporeans. Please use our online web form to contact us.  Read More →

Netizens are getting increasingly irritated and peeved by the rampant censorship on the Ang Mo Kio-Yio Chu Kang Facebook launched personally by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last week which was given extensive coverage by the mainstream media. PM Lee has initially invited netizens to post "freely" on its wall, but appeared to renege on his word when its administrator from People's Association started censoring comments critical of the PAP regime and its leaders. Though it is a statutory board in name, the PA is actually a "part" of the PAP regime as admitted by PAP strongman Lee Kuan Yew who boasted to a group of visiting PRC officials last year that all "CCs, CCMCs and RCs" belong to the PAP. The Chairman of PA is none other than PM Lee himself. When confronted by netizen protesting against its censorship policy, the Facebook admin claimed that the page is for discussion of matters pertaining to the community only and comments of a political nature will be banned. However, comments critical of the management of the estate are surprisingly deleted as well as one irate Ang Mo Kio resident Pearline Foo discovered: Another netizen was enraged when his link to a STOMP article on a dirty void deck in Ang Mo Kio got deleted as well: It appears that any comment which may cast a bad light on PM Lee and the PAP regime will be deleted immediately on the Ang Mo Kio-Yio Chu Kang Facebook even if it is a apolitical one related to municipal issues. PAP leaders have proven time and again that they are not receptive to genuine feedback from Singaporeans and are only interested in hearing "ball-carrying" praises from their blind supporters and sycophants to stoke their fragile egos. As PAP minister without portfolio put it succinctly: "WE ARE DEAF TO ALL CRITICISMS" Singaporeans should not bother engaging PAP leaders anymore either in real life or in cyberspace. Just remember when the voting comes.   Related articles: >> Ang Mo Kio Facebook admin lashed out at netizens  >> Anti-PAP comments deleted on Ang Mo Kio Facebook >> PM Lee’s Facebook flooded with anti-PAP comments >> PM Lee invites netizens to post comments on Ang Mo Kio Facebook   Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to create awareness of the current affairs affecting Singaporeans. Please use our online web form to contact us.  Read More →