TR EMERITUS

The Chairman of Singapore Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Organizing Committee Mr Ng Ser Miang has denied categorically online reports that Singapore children were forced to attend events ahead of the YOG such as the YOG torch rally. The Temasek Review published an article yesterday on students from Sembawang Primary School being forced to stand for hours under the rain to welcome the YOG torch rally on 11 August 2010 in the evening. (read article here) [More photos on our Facebook] [Get instant updates and discussions about the YOG on our Facebook page here] The scene was witnessed by a netizen who was driving along Sembawang Crescent on the way home. We had verified with staff from Sembawang Primary School that teachers did indeed bring the students out on 11 August 2010 to welcome the YOG torch rally. Despite the concrete evidence proving otherwise, Mr Ng said in an interview with Associated Press: "There will be stories flying around.....But just look at the faces of the children that are there, the sparkle in their eyes and the smile on their faces. Those are not things you can force. I don't think anyone will be forced to come to watch the torch relay or the games. So I don't think there is any coercion." Mr Ng failed to answer the key question whether students are indeed asked or coerced to stand by the road to "cheer" for the YOG torch rally. There are many reports on the internet on how students were forced to attend YOG games or volunteer for the events. One junior college even threatened its students with six hours of Corrective Work Order if they refused to help out at the YOG. Mr Ng also dismissed genuine concerns from Singaporeans about the YOG bursting its initial budget by more than three times to nearly $400 million dollars: "It's a first Youth Games. The scale and complexity developed as we started to prepare for it. So many things had to be on the fast track. We have a certain standard of doing things here, and there was an effort to promote Singapore as well," he said. Mr Ng has earlier drawn much flak from netizens for not acknowledging the contributions made by the Singapore YOG volunteers in his speech made at the YOG opening ceremony. We challenge the Ministry of Education to explain WHY hundreds of students from Sembawang Primary School were found standing along Sembawang Crescent in the rain on 11 August 2010 at 1710 hours. If it is unable to come up with an explanation, this means that they are indeed waiting to welcome the YOG torch rally. Would so many primary school kids spend the entire afternoon standing in the rain together voluntarily without coercion from their teachers? The credibility of the entire YOG Organizing Committee is at stake here. You can choose not to clarify matters and we shall leave it to foreign journalists here to draw their own conclusion which will cast further doubts on Mr Ng's initial claims as reported in Associated Press, read by millions of readers worldwide. EDITORS’ NOTE: Has your life been turned upside down by the YOG? Please share your views with us. We assure you that your identity will be kept strictly CONFIDENTIAL. We will be your UNCENSORED VOICE. We will publish your letter in FULL with ZERO editing, moderating or censoring. You do not have to suffer in silence! You have the RIGHT to speak up as a citizen of this country. Remember: you are a CITIZEN of Singapore, not a SLAVE of the PAP regime. Our mailbox has been swarmed by letters from YOG volunteers for the last few days. Unless you specifically want us to publish your REAL NAME, we will use a pseudonym instead. Please understand that due to manpower constraints, we may not be able to publish your letters immediately and we will have to stagger them a few hours apart to ensure that they get maximum exposure. Please keep your feedback coming! Singapore for SINGAPOREANS! Your interests always come FIRST. 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Associated Press, 15 August 2010 A towering flame was lit in the heart of Singapore on Saturday, signaling the start of the inaugural Youth Olympics. IOC President Jacques Rogge said the event would inspire young people around the world to take up sport but also teach them the importance of fair play, teamwork and living healthy lives. A jubilant crowd of 27,000 packed a stadium overlooking Singapore's Marina Bay to cheer on the 3,600 athletes from 204 countries as they made their way across a huge outdoor stage. The ceremony was filled with fireworks, towering puppets and colorful dance performances that emphasized the youthful theme of the games while showcasing Singapore's transformation from a dreary trading port to a modern metropolis. "We open a new chapter in the history of the Olympic Movement," Rogge told the crowd. "From this moment on, young people around the world have a chance to participate in a global event that combines sport, education and culture." Read rest of article here.  Read More →

I refer to the Review article dated on Straits Times dated 12 Aug 2010. It was said in the article that the government cannot dream for us but can only create conducive conditions that underscore certain cherished values. But the government has created conditions for property prices to suddenly shoot up by $100,000 over night. This hyper-inflation is hardly the conducive condition that allows the people to quietly work hard to achieve their dreams. How do you expect the people not to worry about something as fundamental as home prices when they climb so much faster than anyone but the richest can chase after? The incessant increase in prices leads to the never ending chase after price increases leaving little time or energy for all else. It was also said that 'complains drone' mainly online. That is because all paid, printed newspapers have been collectively grouped into one company, the shares of which are largely owned by government affiliated organisations and whose chairman has always been important, heavy weight ex-ministers. The online 'complains' are real voices by real Singaporeans while the brushing off of real issues by printed newspapers reflect the government's blissed ignorance of real issues. It was added that 'complaints' are 'cynical' and 'contemptuous' rather than being constructive and considerate. How do you expect the people not to be cynical if real issues are being brushed aside and never acknowledged nor properly addressed? Considering some of the remarks by MM Lee about Singaporeans, the contempt is probably the other way round. How can we move on to being constructive when we can't even get the government to see and acknowledge real issues? If the government keeps denying all problems, what else is left to do but to continue to emphasise that there are problems? Last but not least, if the government doesn't show consideration for the people, why should it deserve let alone demand consideration?     Ng Kok Lim  Read More →