TR EMERITUS

In another blow to the pride of the embattled PAP, a YOG Ambassador from Slovakia had lashed out at Singapore for having "school standard" venues for the YOG: Ms. Danka Bartekova is one of the 30 selected YOG Ambassadors from Slovakia; her job like any other ambassadors are to promote YOG. When interviewed by Slovak media, she said: "I’ve heard that some of the athletic fields in Singapore are no better than the standard school facilities, nothing special. Maybe Slovakia does have the potential to organise YOG, but I cannot imagine that our country would be able to accommodate the thousands of athletes and officials that would come to the games. That would require huge investments by any host country." She also pour scorn on Singapore spending its way to beat Moscow in organizing the inaugural YOG. "Singapore knows that they cannot organise and hold a "Big" Olympics, so they invested a lot of money to hold a "small" Olympics instead," she added. Her unusual outburst against the YOG is likely to exert pressure on the PAP which is facing a massive public backlash over the YOG exceeding its initial budget by more than two times to a whooping $387 million dollars. An embarrassed PAP Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Youth, Community and Sports Teo Ser Luck was forced to issue a public rebuttal of Ms Danka's accusations. He claimed that the venues in Singapore used for the YOG have all been inspected by the International Olympic Committee whose members have expressed "confidence" in the facilities. 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 →

Embattled YPAP leader and Secretary of Joo Chiat Youth Executive Committee Mr Jack Lin Xinli has clarified his infamous "3rd class citizen" remarks which sparked a massive outcry in cyberspace on Channel News Asia. The callous remarks were made on the YPAP Facebook a week ago:   [Source: YPAP Facebook] Besides insulting Singaporeans, Mr Lin also made defamatory remarks on opposition MP Mr Chiam See Tong in the same exchange. He insinuated that Mr Chiam "bought" his 'O' levels from a degree mill, prompting one angry netizen to write a complaint letter about him to his MP Chan Soo Sen. Mr Lin's remarks remain posted on the YPAP Facebook suggesting that the entire YPAP including its Chairman Teo Ser Luck endorsed them. In his interview with Channel News Asia, Mr Lin explained that "his intention was to relay the fact that certain people, hiding behind the curtain of anonymity, posting irresponsible comments and insulting others, were having the conduct of '3rd class'." (CNA stated yesterday that a more extensive report will be published on TODAY, but the article could not be found) However, it was clear from the above exchange that he did not refer to any specific group of people and the comments were directed at Singaporeans in general. YPAP Vice-Chairman Zaqy Mohamed said it could be "damaging" when people associate personal views as representing the party, but declined to take further action against Mr Lin. This is not the first time a YPAP leader has gotten into trouble by making disparaging and humiliating comments about Singaporeans on its official Facebook. In January this year, another YPAP leader Eric How blamed the plight of poor Singaporeans on their “karma”. He later lodged a police report on the advice of YPAP Chairman Teo Ser Luck that he had been “impersonated” on Facebook. To prove its sincerity, YPAP should sack Mr Lin together with another YPAP leader Sinha Shekhar from the party. A new citizen from India, Mr Sinha Shekhar, who was ironically awarded an "Outstanding Contributor award" by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for his "regular" postings on REACH Facebook, caused a stir when he called Singapore NSmen "DOGS" on the YPAP Facebook in March this year. [Source: YPAP Facebook] Mr Sinha Shekhar did not serve a SINGLE day of NS. He later promised to “clarify” the matter in the media, but has yet to do so. He was not reprimanded for his comments. Being important leaders of the YPAP, Mr Lin and Mr Shekhar's comments represent that of the party. Since Mr Teo and Mr Zaqy Mohamad have blatantly refused to distance YPAP from the duo, we can only conclude that they endorse their views that Singaporeans are indeed "3rd class citizens" and "DOGS".   Related articles: >> Massive outcry at YPAP leader Jack Lin's remarks >> YPAP leader Jack Lin: We are free to fix the opposition >> Complaint letter on YPAP leader Jack Lin   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 →

Free condoms will be distributed to officials and athletes of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) at the medical clinic of the Youth Olympic Village (YOV). The bizarre move was agreed upon after discussion between the Singapore YOG Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee with UNAIDS providing the condoms whose brand is not revealed. "We have to be mindful that the athletes coming to the Youth Olympic Games are minors and in accordance to Singapore's law, the age of consent for sexual activity is 16 and allowing free distribution of condoms within the Youth Olympic Village may be misconstrued by the young athletes," the organizers were quoted saying in Channel News Asia. It is not known why the condoms are still being distributed to the young athletes when they may lead to indirect promotion of promiscuous sexual behavior. It is also not mentioned if the condoms are reserved for YOG athletes only or freely available to all Singaporeans as well. There were earlier reports of Singapore volunteers being sexually harassed by the visiting YOG delegates last year who pestered them to spend the night together in their hotel rooms. The YOG has drawn much flak from Singaporeans lately for its excesses. It has already exceeded its original budget by more than twice to shocking $387 million dollars. Many Singaporeans feel that the money can be put to better use by helping the poor and needy. A Facebook group has been set up calling on Singaporeans to boycott the YOG here. In contrast, the PAP allocated only $92 million to the ComCare and Social Support Programme for needy Singaporeans in 2010. When asked to increase the monthly allowance for Public Aid (PA) recipients in 2007, PAP Minister for Community, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan retorted: "How much do you want? Do you want three meals a day at a hawker center, food court or restaurant?" Despite the extensive media publicity given to YOG, the response from Singaporeans has been lukewarm so far, prompting PAP MP Zainudin Nordin to admit that "more support" is needed from Singaporeans. "It is now about coming to action, coming to converge at the Olympic venue to support our athletes and also for us to show how much we are interested in sports and promote the sporting culture in Singapore, not just for the Youth Olympic Games spirit also the future of Singapore," he was quoted as saying in TODAY. Besides distributing free condoms, the organizers may consider sending experts to teach the youth basic sex education and techniques and to provide on the spot HIV testing at the clinic. A study may also be conducted to see if there is a spike in Sexually Transmitted Diseases at NTU after the YOG.      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 →