TR EMERITUS

As the Olympic Flame at the Floating Platform slowly extinguishes, it symbolises the end of the 'money burning' process that Singaporeans witness in front of their television screen everyday since August 14, 2010. Whilst there were many calls by various platforms on the success of the YOG, there were a comparable number of voices who felt that the YOG is a failure. Locals vs Foreigners The local ministers were very quick to announce this event as a 'resounding success' and that it brought Singaporeans together. How true were the words of the Ministers as many Singaporeans were brought together to rally at 'I Hate YOG' Facebook pages, or the arrest of a certain Mr Malik who used the metaphor 'burn' the Minister, only to find himself 'burnt' by the Police Officers - who now apparently stick their eyes on the PC to look for any anti-YOG remarks. The foreign contingent were hardly present and many were uninterested in this 'prestigious event' which supposedly broadcast to the World, future sports personnel. IOC Chairman, Jacques Rogge sums it up the best when he proclaimed that the next YOG would gain more international exposure. 'Hidden Meaning' in Jacques Rogge's Statement? When IOC Chairman Jacques Rogge made a statement of such weightage, I would believe he was making an indirect snub on the arrest of Mr Malik. China is considered to be the most inaccessible when it comes to the internet and media wave. Look at the 2008 Olympic Games at Beijing and you would be able to compile a book on the inaccessibility of the Internet in the country. Yet, this same country is expected to generate more media hype for the next YOG than a country that is more internet-accessible and supposedly, freedom of speech. Does Mr Rogge feel that Singapore is ranked behind China in terms of transparency, PR duty as well as Citizens' right for him to make such a statement? By 2014 we will be able to tell. Teo Ser Luck: Singaporeans should be more supportive Surely Mr Teo should have know that Singaporeans were especially supportive of the YOG when they did not voice concern over YOG replacing their favorite television programme with some sporting events in which the commentator themselves are confused with. In addition, the fact that NO drivers were fined $130 for obstruction of YOG buses and taxis proved that Singaporeans played their part. However, the fact that only 350 drivers received letter of commendation for their gracious act is questionable. Considering that there are thousands of YOG buses and taxis on the road for the last 15 days, only 350 drivers were gracious enough to give way to this 'special' transport? Or are they family members or related to the drivers in anyway? Mr Teo should also capitalize on the fact that Singaporeans are so supportive of the event that even when a budget of more than $387 millon dollars was burst, there was no explicit call of audit was made by anybody, Opposition party or the Cabinet. Moreover, even when volunteers were served food that was more suitable for 'dogs' than human, only less than 5% of volunteers voiced their concerns. Conclusion The YOG was a resounding success to the Locals as it is a microsm of the impending problems that our country is facing and further showcase our ability to accept Foreigners more readily than helping locals who are given 'loose change' when it comes to welfare. As for the foreigners, it was also a success considering the kind of 'freebies' that was taken away by them after the event.     Fernando Fonseca   (P.S. Should Dr Vivian or Mr Teo or the SPF feels that this letter is offending and could "incite xxx" or threaten the peace of the society, maybe they should just "burn" me. But I believe that accountability is more important than anything else.)  Read More →

Beleaguered Singapore sports minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan who has come under heavy criticisms for mismanaging the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, now claimed that he has nothing to do with the arrest of young YOG critic Mr Abdul Malik by the Singapore police on Tuesday which made the international headlines. Mr Malik had posted a comment on his Facebook taking Dr Vivian to task for the YOG mass food poisoning scandal on 15 August which caused 21 YOG volunteers to suffer from diarrhoea after taking food provided by the YOG caterer. According to international news agency Agence France-Presse, Mr Malik posted a comment written in capital letters saying that the incident showed it was time to “burn” the minister and the PAP. In the same posting, he also called on the public to “rally together and vote the PAP out." He was arrested at his workplace two days ago by three plain-clothes police officers from Bedok Police Division whose Commander is DAC Teo Chun Ching and Head Investigator is DSP Goh Tat Boon. Mr Malik revealed on Facebook that he was questioned  on the charge of “inciting violence and public disorder” under Section 267 Chapter 244 of the penal code. His laptop was also seized. Below is a snapshot of the original comment posted by Mr Malik who got him into trouble with the police: Mr Abdul Malik, who is a Rafflesian, continued to maintain that he did nothing wrong: "I still state that I have done nothing wrong. It is my own critical opinion of the YOG and the SYOGOC (and related persons). How is this construed as “inciting violence and public disorder” is really beyond me, and I have re-iterated that to the police. I maintain that (to me), I am NOT GUILTY,” he added. The shocking news was published by international media agency Agence France-Presse and reproduced by major papers in the world, thereby putting the YOG on the world map, as so craved by Dr Vivian: “The August 14-26 event, held for competitors aged from 14 to 18, has generated limited public interest, with many events blighted by empty seats and the host country’s athletes faring badly. Vivian Balakrishnan, the minister for community development, youth and sports, has come under particular fire from online critics over the games," reports AFP which has billions of readers worldwide. [Source: AFP, 25 August 2010] When asked about the controversial case, Dr Vivian pleaded ignorance and said he didn't care about it. "I didn't know about it until I read about it in the papers. It shows that I almost didn't care. I had more important things to do." [Source: Channel News Asia, 26 August 2010] If Dr Vivian did not lodge a police report, how is the police able to launch a formal investigation into the case and arrest Mr Abdul Malik? Who is the person who makes the decision to arrest him? Bedok Police Division Commander DAC Teo Chun Ching should step forward and clarify to the public to allay anxieties among Singaporeans. Being paid for by taxpayers' monies, the Singapore police has to be held accountable to its actions. It cannot "suka suka" arrest a citizen like this without any strong grounds to do so.   Related articles: >> Arrest of YOG critic to squash dissent failed miserably >> Character assassination by Straits Times against YOG critic >> Netizens voice support for arrested YOG critic Abdul Malik >> Outcry among Singaporeans at arrest of YOG critic >> Singapore police put YOG on world map >> Did Dr Vivian lodge police report against YOG critic? >> YOG critic arrested by Singapore police >> Participant of “I hate YOG” Facebook arrested by police 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 →

OPINION The arrest of a young YOG critic for "inciting violence and public disorder" by the Singapore police three days ago not only put the YOG on the world map, but damaged Singapore's international reputation as well and reinforcing its image as a repressive police state intolerant of the slightest criticism and dissent. Mr Malik had posted a comment on his Facebook taking Dr Vivian to task for the YOG mass food poisoning scandal on 15 August which caused 21 YOG volunteers to suffer from diarrhoea after taking food provided by the YOG caterer. According to the New Paper, Mr Malik posted a comment written in capital letters saying that the incident showed it was time to “burn” the minister. In the same posting, he also called on the public to “rally together”. He was arrested at his workplace two days ago by three plain-clothes police officers from Bedok Police Division whose Commander is DAC Teo Chun Ching and Head Investigator is DSP Goh Tat Boon. Below is a snapshot of the original comment posted by Mr Malik who got him into trouble with the police: As we can see Mr Malik's original post above, he did not mean it literally to "burn" the minister. Taken into context, he is using the word "burn" as a metaphor or slang as he has explained himself: "I still state that I have done nothing wrong. It is my own critical opinion of the YOG and the SYOGOC (and related persons). How is this construed as “inciting violence and public disorder” is really beyond me, and I have re-iterated that to the police. I maintain that (to me), I am NOT GUILTY.” In a press interview two days ago, Dr Vivian claimed that he is not aware of Mr Malik's arrest till he read about it in the papers. In other words, Dr Vivian was not the one who lodged the police report. According to Mr Malik, it was the investigating officer (IO) who lodged the report leading to his arrest. Being paid for by taxpayers' monies, the Singapore police must be held accountable to its actions. It cannot "suka suka" arrest or call up law-abiding citizens for questioning on flimsy grounds for the sake of "fishing information" without any concrete evidence that a crime has been committed. The Commander of Bedok Police Division DAC Teo Chun Ching must answer the following questions arising from this case: 1. Who is the person who lodged the police report against Mr Malik? 2. Did the police receive any instructions from "above" to launch a formal investigation and if so, the identity of this person. 3. If an IO was the one who made the report, was he/she doing so in his/her personal capacity as a citizen of Singapore or as part of his/her work as a police officer? 4. Were police officers deployed to monitor the Facebook postings and if so, the number who did so. 5. Did the Head Investigator DSP Goh Tat Boon initiate the investigations on his own accord or was he directed to do so? 6. What are the qualifications of DSP Goh Tat Boon and his English grades in the "O" and "A" level examinations? 7. Is the police aware of the negative repercussions emanating from the arrest of Mr Abdul Malik just before the YOG is completed? 8. What are the grounds for the police arresting Mr Malik? Is he a threat to public order and security? The Singapore police is not above the law. The primary duty of law-enforcers is to protect citizens from criminals and NOT shield the PAP leaders from criticisms. Being civil servants on the payroll of the state, the police officers owe a duty of care to Singaporeans and not to the PAP MPs and ministers. In the absence of an independent body to check on the Singapore police such as a Public Complaint Bureau for Police Misconduct which is found in many democratic states such as United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and even Malaysia, Singaporeans will have to scrutinize the actions of the police closely themselves. The Singapore police has amassed too much power in its hands without having to account to anybody. Today, it is Abdul Malik who was arrested for criticizing the PAP. Tomorrow, it may happen to you, your friend or your children and you will have nobody else to turn to for assistance and support. We have only one another to count on. Even if Mr Malik is not charged in court in the end, his personal life and work will surely be affected by the ongoing police investigations which sometimes take years to conclude, if ever. Who will compensate Mr Malik and his family for their emotional trauma, anguish and suffering? What if Mr Malik is sacked by his boss because of his arrest? And if he is subsequently not charged in court, will the Singapore police compensate him for the loss of income? Errant police officers including the Head Investigators themselves must be taken to task for botched investigations and arrests and not allowed to get away unpunished. Not only do they deserve to be sacked from the Singapore Police Force for bringing dishonor and disrepute to its good name, they should be shamed publicly as well to send a strong deterrent message to other wannabes who are thinking of scoring brownie points with the PAP leaders. By and large, our Singapore police has proven themselves to be capable guardians of the people. Please do not allow a few black sheep to tarnish your reputation and erode public confidence in your impartiality, professionalism and efficiency. Singaporeans who have any queries on the arrest of Mr Abdul Malik and handling of this case by Bedok Police Division can submit their feedback to the following: 1. Singapore Police Customer Service Relation Branch: [email protected] 2. Ministry of Home Affairs feedback unit: [email protected]       Related articles: >> Arrest of YOG critic to squash dissent failed >> Character assassination by Straits Times >> Public support for arrested YOG critic >> Outcry among Singaporeans at arrest of YOG critic >> Singapore police put YOG on world map >> Did Dr Vivian lodge police report against YOG critic? >> YOG critic arrested by Singapore police >> Participant of “I hate YOG” Facebook arrested by police 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 →