TR EMERITUS

Below is an email from MOE's operations centre of YOG, sent to schools. I copied the whole email, but check out the last paragraph on brand protection. It made me laugh in a mixture of disgust, disbelief and amusement. Now schools have to send kids to watch the games for hours and are prevented from providing water to them? They can only drink coke? Subject: YOG Advisory from SYOGOC From: MOE OC YOG/SINGOV |--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | THIS EMAIL HAS BEEN BCCed TO ALL PRINCIPALS AND VICE PRINCIPALS TO AVOID | | A LONG LIST OF NAMES FROM APPEARING. | | FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND ACTION PLEASE | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------| Malfunctioning Prepaid Cards (PPCs) SYOGOC informed that the use of the PPCs at the MRT stations have encountered some problems as a result of software issues in the system. If students/teachers encounter such problems, please instruct them to follow the procedure stated in the attached file. (See attached file: prepaid card circular_13 Aug10.doc) If the problems cannot be resolved with the staff at the MRT station, please call MOE OC hotline 65703940. Bag Checks at Competition Venues SYOGOC reported that during the first kick-off competition at Jalan Besar Stadium on 12 Aug, a long queue was formed at the entry gates due to the stringent bag checks. Please remind your students to travel light and avoid bringing big bags whenever possible. This is to prevent delay and unnecessary waiting during entry to the competition venues. Brand Protection SYOGOC fedback that groups of spectators brought into the competition venue cartons of mineral water of brands (e.g. Ice Mountain) that are not related to the official YOG sponsor, Coca Cola. This is regarded as a conflict of interest by the Games Organisers. Schools are advised to remind their students to use their own water bottles whenever possible.   Thank you. MOE OPS CENTRE YOG on behalf of SYOGOC 1 Kay Siang Road, Room S3.2, Singapore 248922 Tel: 6570 3940 Web: http://intranet.moe.gov.sg/eduprog/YOG.htm Operating Hours: 6am to 12am daily Source: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=106184679437182&topic=24  Read More →

The lawyer for Yong Vui Kong, the Malaysian prisoner on death row across the causeway, is asking prison authorities to confirm that it will not execute his client until his rights are determined by the Court of Appeal. M Ravi (right), a human rights lawyer, said he has sent a letter to Changi prison referring it to the recent High Court judgment by Judge Steven Chong. In the judgment meted out last week, Chong had invited the prison authorities to extend the time limit (for hanging Yong) so that his lawyer could file a clemency appeal and until the court reaches a decision. “So I have asked the prison to confirm that it will not execute Yong on the scheduled date of Aug 26,” said Ravi. The 22-year-old Yong, who is from Sabah, may face death on Aug 26 as his clemency time period expires, if not for the recent court judgment. He was only 18 years old when arrested under Singapore’s harsh anti-drug laws. On Aug 13, the Singapore High Court rejected Yong’s review application, thus paving the way for his hanging. Chong had ruled on Ravi’s application for a judicial review of the president’s powers in granting clemency, to ascertain where the powers lay. Ravi had also requested the courts to decide on certain remarks by then-attorney-general Walter Woon in March and Law Minister K Shanmugam’s comments in April, that Ravi said were highly prejudicial to Yong’s case. Denied due legal process Meanwhile, the Malaysian-based Lawyers for Liberty expressed shock that the High Court ruled that the president has no powers to grant clemency, and that it is the cabinet that makes the decision. “In one fell stroke, Yong has been denied due legal process. This young Malaysian will now be executed illegally by Singapore against all known international norms,” said its representative and lawyer N Surendran (left). “Law Minister Shanmugam has already blurted out that they will not pardon Yong; the clemency process is thus another Singaporean farce,” added the well-known human rights lawyer. Surendran also criticised Malaysia for not doing anything to save Yong, apart from sending a letter requesting a pardon. Lawyers are requesting that the Malaysian government raise the case at the International Court of Justice in order to obtain a stay of execution for Yong, pending the outcome of the case. However no steps has been taken in this direction by the latter. “No diplomatic protest has been lodged by Malaysia despite the denial of due process to Yong. For this, the Malaysian government will be answerable to the outraged sense of justice of the Malaysian people,” Surendran added. Seemingly hopeless Despite the seemingly hopeless situation for Yong, Malaysians have been stepping up their campaign against the death penalty and for Yong’s prison sentence to be commuted to life. Human rights NGOs and several other organisations have been making the rounds in night markets and other venues to collect signatures and raise awareness about the death penalty and Yong’s case. Lawyer Latheefa Koya (right) said that Malaysians have planned to rally next Thursday at 11.30am at the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, to show their solidarity with Yong and his suffering family. “The protesters will demand that Singapore spare Yong from a cruel, undignified and unjust death,” said Latheefa. “Singapore must show the world that they are not a hanging nation, impervious to the pleas of compassion and the demands of our common humanity,” she added.   Source: Malaysiakini Latest: On 13 August 2010, the High Court dismissed the application of Yong Vui Kong for judicial review. In the judgement, the Judge stated that there was no meritorious ground on which judicial review can be sustained. The Court ruled that the clemency process is not justiciable, and also made the following rulings: (a) the power to grant pardons under Article 22P of the Constitution is exercised by the Cabinet, and not the President, who has no discretion in the matter; (b) apparent bias is not an available ground on which to review the clemency process; (c) there is no evidence of a pre-determination of Yong’s imminent petition of clemency; and (d) there is no basis for a substantive right to the materials which will be before the Cabinet when it advises the President on any clemency petition.    Read More →

I'm one of the forced volunteers. Other than doing my job as either the  mascot or mascot minder (Which is pretty fun actually) i find it  frustrating that there was NO instruction given to activate our  accredited card at MRT control stations before we can use them for our complimentary bus and MRT rides. Even my supervisor wasn't sure how to activate it. I had to contact a classmate who then  told me you need to have it activated at a control station, and he  himself did not know this at first. So did the rest of my  friends. A week later they sent out an email to all informing us that we need to activate our cards at the control station. Isn't that a little too late? The food on the other hand reminds me of the food you  are given in the army because it tastes just as bland. Nevermind the  slightly smaller portion, but i would expect the food to be at least  decent. Hell, even the food given to me at all my Chingay rehearsals and OBS were much much much better than this! Timothy Source: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106184679437182&ref=ts  Read More →