TR EMERITUS

作者:冀居·谢 喜欢种花的朋友都知道，你从超市或者花圃买回一些盆花、盆草，如果能够种到枝叶遭虫害，已经是属于相当的园艺水平，因为至少你已经知道花草的基本需要。而很多时候，你买回时的盆花精神奕奕，可是很快你就发现它好像停止生长，接着枝叶之间的空隙大了，浇的水都从盆底汩汩而出，不消多久整株就这样枯死了。如果你对它的死因进行深究，大多会发现泥土底下的根早就没了；所以根是最重要的，而根又往往在表面上看不到。 我常告诉朋友，花农为了满足你不切实际的消费欲望，用障眼法呈现一段美好时光，就能骗到你手中的钞票，年花就是最好的例子。那些把植物栽进泥土的花农算是有良心的了，而较通常是把植物栽在一些暧昧的纤维混合物里面，里面夹着催生、催开花的粒状化肥，还有就是方便摆卖期间的浇水、排水作用。这样的植物离开培植圃 时长着像网状繁密的白根，到摆盆贩卖时，就掉入一个滥用药品的温床，稍后来到你家，它更开始脱瘾的艰难时期（你表面看不出来），没能从根部吸收任何养分， 最后就落得：未若锦囊收艳骨，一掊黄土掩风流了。 行动党政府在七十年代尾、八十年代初关掉南大、消灭华校，是切掉华文的根，八十年代到九十年代的双语全盛时期是靠化肥在支撑，现在已经是进入接受它死讯的最后阶段，黄永宏告诉陈能端的只是autopsy的验尸报告。而还有人以为这只是 “节节败退”、 “不再重要”、 “仓促改变”，实在笑死我这个种花人也。 这些人都是在跪着进言，欠缺的是愤怒，甚至是时间观念。坤卦的初九系辞“履霜坚冰至”他们是无法理解的，这类人是“不见棺材不掉泪”的。 一个社会的组成，无论是财富、文化都是一个正三角形，所谓出类拔萃，“类”是底下的群众基础，“萃”得要从无数中“拔”出来的。一两个拔尖的样板，我只能类比为化肥作用，不是正常现象，皮之不存毛将焉附？虽然能够满足某一部分人的虚荣。现在早报的年轻记者群基本上都存在着一种自满的现象，很多都是外国长春藤大学的高材生却用中文维生，以为自己就是货真价实的“双语人才”，那当然是“比烂”的结果。他们写文章只是很巧地选择了华文这个媒介，有文化底蕴吗？ ～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ 还有就是韩山元写的 《救救文物》， 是由陈金声的后人要求收回捐赠所引发的。其实老韩写这类文章已经不止N回，可是有用吗？当然这次收回捐赠是因为整批文物原本以为可以估价1500万，而这 估价又跟政府的扣税奖励措施有关，双方都有一些利益考量，难免错综复杂。可是最重要的是凸显政府的文物管理没有一些“痴”，只有锱铢必较的官僚；缺少这些 一掷千金的“痴”们饥渴地去搜刮文物，这才是最大的问题。并且陈金声家人捐赠还是峇峇的文物，许多纯华文、华人文物的流失、被拆、流落邻国、海外，根本都 动不了他们的神经。这说明现时政府的组成只代表某一部分人的利益而已，有人因此而愤怒吗？ 来源：大马论坛  Read More →

OPINION Pre-marital health screening is a comprehensive package consisting of a series of tests designed specifically for couples planning to get married. The tests serve to detect underlying health problems, particularly sexually transmitted diseases and hereditary disorders which may affect subsequent generations. The results will enable the couple to make an informed decision if their health permit them to bear healthy children. There are three reasons why you and your couple should go for a pre-marital health screening before marriage which is just as important as pre-marital marriage counselling: 1. Detection of sexually transmitted diseases: With Singaporeans becoming more promiscuous in lifestyle, it is of paramount importance to make sure that you and your future spouse have a clean slate of health before marriage. Though you should have complete trust in each other, some things are hard to predict in life and it is always better to be on the safe side. HIV is transmitted easily via unprotected sex and patients can remain asymptomatic for up to 8 years. Either party can get the disease unknowingly from previous partners to no fault of theirs. 2. Detection of hereditary disorders: Thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder, is one of the most common hereditary disorders in Singapore and is detected easily with haemoglobin electrophoresis. Patients who are carriers of the disease usually do not exhibit any symptoms. The problem only arises when both you and you partner are carriers, meaning that there is a chance that your offsprings may inherit a particularly severe form of the disease which requires lifelong blood transfusion. Early detection of the disease and genetic counselling may enable you to make a decision if you should go ahead with the marriage or pregnancy 3. Early detection of fertility issues: Some clinics in Europe and U.S.A offer comprehensive tests such as chromosomal and sperm analyzes to detect potential fertility problems. These are relatively expensive tests and are not offered in the pre-marital health screening packages on offer in local hospitals though there is always an option for you to add on the tests and pay the extra cost. Let us compare the pre-marital health screening packages available in three Singapore hospitals: 1. Raffles Medical Group: Female: $450, Male: $360, Couple: $713 (exclusive of GST) 2. KK Children and Women Hospital: $268 (exclusive of GST) 3. National University Hospital: $450 (inclusive of GST) All three packages contain essential screening tests for HIV and Hepatitis B. KKCWH's package offers the best value for money while Raffles's package includes haemoglobin electrophoresis to screen for thalassemia as well as a hormonal profile which is a basic test for fertility problems. Couples who are interested to do a pre-marital health screening should consult their family physicians first who are in a better position to advise them on the package to take.  Read More →

By Yoong Siew Wah Politics in many countries in the world where elections are held every four or five years to determine which political party should form the government of the day has one thing in common. The incumbent government will try everthing in its power to ensure its return to power in the election. So in the period before the election, the government can be seen to be offering sweeteners to potential electors in order to win their votes. For instance in Singapore, reasonably-priced HDB flats are being built to deflect the ruffled feelings of potential flat-buying citizens who were intimdated by the frenzy of the overheated HDB flat market in terms of prices and availability. Another inducement is the upgrading of aging HDB flats both in the PAP constituencies and opposition wards. Currently, there is talk of the restoration of the employers' cut of the CPF to the workers. To complete the destruction of the opposition hope of ever coming close to capturing any PAP seats, whether single ward or GRC, will be the inevitable gerrymandering of electorial boundaries which will indicate how soon the General Election will take place. For the PAP it will be a case of head I win and tail you lose. In spite of all these vote-catching preparations, it cannot be said that the PAP is not worried about the ground situation which is favourable to the opposition and is likely to improve with the approach of the General Election. The internet is full of exhortations to Singapore electors, especially the young voters, not to vote the PAP. The mainstream media is not overly friendly to the oppositiion but it can be assured of robust support from the new media, especially the redoubtable netizens. Discomfited PAP leaders are scrambling to salvage the situation and to try to find a plan to break the spirit and solidarity of the opposition. Is it a co-incidence that a former president of the Reform Party chose this moment to pick up a quarrel with the secretary-general of the party Kenneth Jeyaratnam to present a sombre picture of disunity within the party? This is exactly what the PAP leaders hope to see happen to the opposition. Is this an act of providence to strengthen the hand of the PAP? Reform Party is the best bet to capture the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC in combination with the Singapore Democratic Alliance. Is there going to be a domino effect on the opposition whether by providence or otherwise thereby snuffing out opposition chances in the General Election? Whether by providence or not, the opposition, especially Kenneth Jeyaratnam, should tighten up their security to ensure that no mercenary is infiltrated into their parties to cause disunity. It is still not too late to do that now. There is a Chinese saying: To repair the pen after the sheep have escaped is not too late. (wang yang bu lao, wei wei wan yi)   About the Author: Mr Yoong is the former director of Singapore’s Internal Security Department from 1971 – 1974. He blogs here   Other articles by Yoong Siew Wah: >> Is the opposition capable of epoch-making? >> The Somnolent DPM >>  Lim Swee Say: The Consummate Joker >> Is MM Lee adding value to Singapore?  Read More →