TR EMERITUS

Representatives from the Young Lions and Bejing Guoan met for the first time yesterday to put up another "wayang" for the media to show that they have now "reconciled". During a 90 minute lunch at Carousel restaurant at Royal Plaza at Scotts, Young Lions captain Hariss Harun gave Beijing defended Zhang Zhaohu a box of pastries to sue for peace, but there was not reciprocal gift from Beijing Guoan. The two teams were involved in a mass brawl last Tuesday which hit the international headlines. A video clip of the fracas showed the PRC players in various acts of "inciting violence and public disorder" such as head-butting, kicking and stamping on the head of a fallen Singapore player, sparking a massive outcry among Singaporeans. Despite the obvious acts of violence caught on video, the Singapore police force has flagrantly refused to take any action against the PRC players. When a Singaporean Tony Tan Keng Hong tried to lodge a police report at Toa Payoh NPC, he was told that it was not needed as he is not a victim. No apologies were offered by Beijing Guoan except a statement from its deputy manager Wei Kexing condemning the brawl: "Beijing Guoan is strongly against violent and unsporting behaviour. We expect our coaches to teach the players values, in addition to football skills. They have failed in that aspect and there will be consequences." He added that he hopes Beijing Guoan can remain in the S League next year. In all likelihood, the Young Lions are forced by the authorities to "kowtow" to Beijing Guoan to prevent the unhappy incident from escalating further. This is not the first time PRC nationals are let off the hook by the Singapore police for causing public nuisance and disorder. In January this year, five PRC nationals "hijacked" a SBS bus for five hours. The police officers dared not arrest them and spent five hours chit-chatting with them on the bus instead.   Related articles: >> Ex S League official: This is the end of our love affair with Chinese clubs >> Young Lions apologize but nothing heard from Beijing Guoan >> VIDEO: Big brawl between Young Lions and Beijing Guoan  >> S-League Brawl – Offending players to be sent home, PERIOD Please join our Facebook discussion on this article here and invite your friends to do so as well to raise awareness among fellow Singaporeans.  Read More →

作者：新加坡文献馆 李显龙在国庆的华语演说中提出新政治口号：新加坡精神。 新加坡华文报以青奥运为例子把新加坡精神概述为敢做敢当。对这样的诠释，香港一个新闻节目的评论员，以惊讶的神态与置疑的语气问道：一个怕输怕死的新加坡如今要提倡敢做敢当的新加坡精神？ 按李显龙的说法，新加坡精神是‘ 团结合作、不怕艰难、理智果断，并且让全民分享成果’ 。华文报则认为新加坡精神的真谛是：“把眼光放高、作好准备、齐心协力、实现成果”。 这两个看来各不相同的抽象描述，要如何接轨并进一步落实为敢做敢当的新加坡精神则不得而知；毕竟，这都仅仅是拿来喊喊的口号。 在新加坡的政治文化里，口号向来只是政治愿景，亦是一个不实际的政治目标；‘更多好年头’与 ‘瑞士生活水准’等口号都是没有兑现的先例。 不过，对于一个没有梦想的新加坡社会，要培植敢做敢当的精神，确实是一件非常阳光的正面想法，是一个值得向往的社会发展方向。 新加坡要培植敢做敢当的精神是绝对可行的，因为这原本就是新加坡曾经拥有，但后来却不幸丢失的社会精神。例如，二战后，敢做敢牺牲的精神成就了新加坡独立运动。马来亚华社那股排除万难，敢做敢当的精神创办了南洋大学。 李显龙期盼的‘团结合作、不怕艰难、理智果断，分享成果’新加坡精神早已存在于华社的宗乡组织，只是不知道这种牺牲小我完成大我的精神是否尚苟延一息？ 同样的，‘在逆境中坚持下去的毅力’ 的新加坡精神，亦早己经在谢太宝，林福寿，符树介，赛.扎哈利等等爱国人士在樟宜囚室坐穿铁牢的历史中，展现的一览无遗了。 丢失了敢做敢当社会精神的新加坡变了个什么模样？ 2010 年9月7日一则新闻报导：‘一项由新加坡国立大学商学院行销部副教授洪瑞云与学生，针对270名年龄介于19到23岁年轻人所做的调查显示，56.3%的 新加坡年轻人常常希望能赢；其中，3%特别极端，几乎每一次都要赢。…虽然新加坡年轻人求好、求胜心切，但却对学习上进缺乏热忱。 调查显示，尽管超过53%受访者认为学习是成功的关键，但54.1%不认为他们有学习的需要。’ 这一份社会调查报告证实新加坡年青人只要收获不要耕耘。新加坡变成了一个好逸恶劳的社会。这反映了一个敢拿好处，却不敢担当责任的社会。 2010年9月9日有关吴作栋的PR言论新闻，有这么一段文字：‘这位学者还指出，用不客气的做法留住人才，即使有一部分人加入新加坡国籍了，也会变得斤斤计较。正常人都会想，我因为选择了新加坡而放弃自己的国家，那么新加坡要给我什么补偿呢？’ 。 这反映了在务实主义的幌子下，唯利是图成为社会的是非标准；一切以利益为取舍。社会关系是建立在，你能给我什么好处？这是李显龙称之为‘没有人能够拒绝金钱’的社会。至此，敢牺牲的社会精神己消失殆尽；小我意识摒弃了大我认知。 新加坡演化为一个钱是人生目标的社会。这种没有精神文明的社会是不会滋养出大无畏的豪情壮志。自然而然的，不敢做不敢当，又或者是敢做不敢当，形成了物质社会的特征。 前不久，伦敦英石油公司的首席执行员因墨西哥海湾的漏油事件而引咎辞职。近日，菲律宾的一些大小官员也因骑劫香港旅游车事件而引咎辞职。 然而，在人民行动党政府的历史中，似乎还未曾有过高官引咎辞职之类的责任承当史迹。记忆犹新的事故有：地铁建筑工程的人命伤亡，跛足马越狱逃亡，近日则有，公共服务供不应求，乌节路大水灾，眼高手低庞大超支的青奥运。 这些社会现象展示了敢拿好处的务实大小官员，缺乏甚至于没有勇气担当连第三世界都敢担当的社会责任。 新加坡何以会衰落到敢拿世界第一的薪俸，却不敢担当责任的一种颓废社会？ 事出必有因。新加坡政治制度，其中超级高薪俸和集选区制席的弊病是侵蚀社会道德价值观的主要因素。 新加坡资深报人余长年的一篇时评指出：‘他们不缺乏头脑但很缺少能夠和人民建立密切关系或者能夠同情体恤人民的政治属性’；‘吸引了不适当的人士从政，这些人士之所以会选择加入人民行动党是因为可以稳操胜券并确保前途光明；他们缺乏加入反对党面对挑战的勇气与精神。’ 前 海峡时报新闻编辑Yeo Toon Joo有类似的看法：‘李光耀在确保他的人马跨越贪污的同时也一并收买了他们的灵魂… 寻找未来领袖不应该只局限在优越学术成绩条件；优秀学术表现不等同有效率的领袖素质…寻找那些具有善良之心能夠体恤别人，尤其是对不幸的新加坡人有恻隐之 心，他们必须有满腔的热忱去帮助自已的国人，愿意做出艰巨的个人牺牲和具有刚强的意志…。’ 显然的，高薪招揽了唯利是图之辈，集选区则让不入流的货色鱼目混珠。 这些不知从何而来，亦不知道要往何处去的政坛过客，缺乏为社会做出贡献的个人信念。那么，新加坡的国家未来与新加坡人民的幸福前途，可否托付给这群既不敢有所作为，亦不敢担当社会责任的功利务实主义者？ 当年，李光耀在物色权力接班人时感慨的说，他的候选人都没有在‘大海’接受过大风大浪的考验，只有在‘泳池’浸泡的戏水经验。可见，有所作为与有所担当的领袖素质考验是筛选新一代新加坡政治接班人的重要手段。 无庸置疑的，新加坡的新一代政治接班人都必须接受考验，而且只能让成绩特别优秀的考员进入政治接班人团队。那些考验不及格的高官有必要拿出勇气坦诚面对自已的失败成绩。 此外，人民行动党信奉用人唯贤，在此教条下，考验不及格的高官更有必要自动退出新一代政治接班人团队，以免祸国殃民。 一名退休的常任秘书指出：新加坡的利益大于人民行动党的利益。 诚然，一个有敢做敢当新加坡精神的人民行动党政府应该修正高薪俸政策和废除集选区制度，因为这些政策只对人民行动党有利，但却会危害新加坡共和国和新加坡人民的长远未来利益。 有说，知过能改，善莫大焉。为政者能不能知过能改，那就要看新加坡是否确实有敢做敢当的精神了。  Read More →

Speaking to the media during his stop at the World EXPO in Shanghai, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong used the example of the Singapore pavilion to sell his regime as one which take note of criticisms "seriously". The Singapore pavilion has come under intense fire last month for its design and few display items, prompting the organizers to "improve" it which won generous praises from PM Lee. "I read the criticisms in the papers, in particular earlier on, some of the shortcomings. And we took them seriously. I talked to the staff and I think they have put in a big effort to improve it. And they have progressively upgraded the display over the last few months, so I think we've got not a bad product now," he was quoted as saying in Straits Times. PM Lee is currently in China where he visited Chongqing and Changsha. Another 46 PAP MPs and activists are in Jiangsu province on a "bonding trip" with their fellow communist comrades. Contrary to what he said, the PAP regime only take kindly to "constructive criticisms" which do not question thege legitimacy of its rule. During an election rally in 2006, PM Lee raised eyebrows among many when he said rather nonchalantly that he would have to "spend all his time thinking of ways to fix the opposition" should more of them get elected into Parliament. A few months ago, PAP minister without portfolio Lim Swee Say caused a ruckus when he said in Parliament that "we (PAP) are deaf to all criticisms" in response to queries from PAP-endorsed "opposition" MP Low Thia Kiang. In the meantime, the cult-figure building of PAP strongman Lee Kuan Yew continues as the organizers added a video on Singapore's development narrated by him.   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 →