TR EMERITUS

By Yoong Siew Wah This is what is called astroturfing by the mainstream media, especially the Straits Times. The Straits Times in its editorial today was nauseatingly sycophantic in calling on the government to "turf out of consideration astroturfed views when determining policies". But does the Straits Times genuinely believe that its propagandist organ is above astroturfing? The editorial described astroturfing as a manufactured product masquerading as the real thing: fake mail, phone call or digital campaigns orchestrated to appear like spontaneous "grassroots" responses. Is not the Straits Times answering to this description in its pro-government propaganda to the exclusion of constructive opposition and concerned critics' voices? The Straits Times seems to be aping the Prime Minister in disparaging online criticisms of the government as fakes orchestrated to appear like spontaneous grassroots responses. Is not the echoing of his master's voice cringingly a form a astroturfing? Right-thinking Singaporeans have seen through the obsequiousness of the Straits Times. There are regular readers of the Straits Times who are digusted with its spineless character and give up reading the trash in the paper going instead to the internet for their local and international news. It is precisely because of the dearth of genuine news about the political and financial mismanagements of the government which the mainstream media are covering up that there is a healthy growth of the new media to counter this journalistic abberation of the mainstream media. For example it was the new media which provided the news of the recent heavy financial loss of over US $1 billion by the Government Investment Corporation (GIC). True to their obsequious character, there was not a word in the mainstream media about this GIC financial disaster to the public. Although the public were apprised by the new media, there was very little they could do with no accountability by the "democratic" government. Would the Straits Times describe the dramatic disclosure by the new media of the financial loss of GIC as astroturfing? Hovering over the mainstream media like a sword of Damocles is a body called the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). It is hardly a benevolent organ but a tightly-organised body that supervises closely any piece of pro-government propaganda that goes out from the mainstream media. Woe betides any exuberant journalist who does not toe the line. The next thing he knows is that he will find his rice-bowl dancing (a Chinese slang for dismissal). To ensure absolute obedience to its draconian policy, the government has installed a former deputy prime minister, who is also the government spin doctor, at the head of SPH. So how can one expect anything but astroturfing from the mainstream media, especially the bombastic Straits Times.   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: >> The Somnolent DPM >>  Lim Swee Say: The Consummate Joker >>Is MM Lee adding value to Singapore?  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent In other countries like Australia and New Zealand, foreigners are employed only in certain sectors where there is a shortage of local workers. In Singapore, they are allowed to compete directly with Singaporeans for jobs which can otherwise be taken up by them. PAP leaders have been insisting that Singapore needs to recruit large number of foreign workers for positions shunned by its own citizens. The state media for its part has largely echoed the PAP's stance while portraying Singaporeans as "fussy" employees. Customer service staff are jobs which Singaporeans are interested in, but are increasingly being crowded out by foreigners.  According to a Shin Min Daily report yesterday, a jobless Singaporean who went to a Bread Talk outlet for an walk-in interview was told by a Malaysian HR manager to back off:  “We don’t want to hire Singaporeans. We look after our own first.” The Singaporean felt slighted and walked away in anger. When contacted by the media, Bread Talk claimed that they hire more "locals" than foreigners and is currently "investigating" the matter. It is not uncommon for HR managers who are foreigners to bring in their "own kind" at the exclusion of native Singaporeans, e.g. Indian HR managers recruiting Indians from their own hometowns in India. Under Singapore's weird manpower statistics, citizens and PRs are lumped together under the same "local" category thereby obfuscating the real employment figures for citizens. Though companies have the dependency quota to fulfil before they can employ foreigners, the restriction can be easily circumvented by getting earlier arrivals to apply for PRs which are usually granted within a few months. The Home Affairs Ministry revealed that every two out of three PR applicants are successful, an astonishingly high success rate for a developed nation. There is no minimal period of residency in Singapore before a foreigner can apply for Singapore PR which is given out liberally like toilet papers to construction workers, masseurs, cleaners and even freelance prostitutes. While foreigners cost much less than local workers and have no reservist obligations, the PAP continues to exhort Singaporeans to be "cheaper, faster and better." A recent Wall Street Journal revealed that the relentless influx of foreign workers into Singapore has depressed the wages of ordinary Singaporeans, increased the cost of living and led to an overall decline in the standards of living. Official statistics from the Manpower Ministry showed that the real earnings of Singaporeans have decreased by 3.2 percent last year even as PAP ministers reward themselves with another 8.2 percent pay hike this year. It is the duty of the elected government of the day to take care of Singaporeans first and not foreigners who should never be permitted to compete with Singaporeans for jobs at all. The above Singaporean will not end up in such a predicament in his own country of birth had the government taken active measures to safeguard the interests of Singaporeans. Perhaps it is time for the PAP to consider changing its name to "Phor-eigner Action Party" ("phor" meaning to please in Hokkien) to better reflect its mission statement and vision for Singapore - that it is acting more in the interests of foreigners than Singapore voters.   EDITORS’ NOTE: Please join our Facebook discussion on this article here and invite your friends to do so as well to raise awareness among fellow Singaporeans.   Copyright © 2009 – 2010 The Temasek Review (If you are going to reproduce this article on your blog or forum, please provide a link back to ours)  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent Former Romanian diplomat to Singapore Dr Silviu Ionescu continues to take pot shots at the Singapore government after embarrassing it earlier by accusing it of "framing" him in a road traffic accident in December last year. The Singapore Coroner's Court has fingered Dr Silviu as the driver behind the wheels of a black Audi A6 from the Romanian embassy which was involved in a double hit-and-run road traffic accident at Bukit Panjang, killing a 31 year old Malaysian in the process. For some inexplicable reasons, the usually efficient Singapore police allowed Dr Silviu to escape the security dragnet in a case similar to the one-eye dragon and Tok Leng How's audacious escapades when he flew off to Romania three days after the accident. Though the authorities kept insisting that there were nothing they could do as Dr Silviu was covered under diplomatic immunity, the Foreign Affairs Ministry did not bother to apply to the Romanian government for a waiver when it had more than sufficient time to do so. In an interview with Romanian radio station Antena 3 which was broadcast across Romania yesterday, Dr Silviu accused the Singapore government of setting him up after he made several reports about "corruption" in Singapore without substantiating his claims. He also criticized the legal proceedings of the Singapore Coroner's Court: "The most important part is the one where the Coroner's Court did not take the legal measures to keep the dead body until in accordance with the penal code........The decision to release the body immediately, without waiting the Coroner's Court decision and like this to give to the judge and also to me the chance to see if the diagnostic and the death was really the cause the accident, is showing me that Singapore law was not respected. More than that, bringing my name in this court was against the Vienna Convention, which is making two times more delicate the position of this Court." The Foreign Affairs Ministry has since summoned the Romanian Ambassador Mr Neagu back to Singapore to demand that the Romanian government lifts Dr Silviu's diplomatic immunity. In the unlikely event it does so, there are no ways to compel Dr Silviu to return to Singapore to face charges since there is no extradition treaty between Singapore and Romania. The Romanian government has maintained an eerie silence on the case so far with the Romanian media largely taking the side of Dr Silviu Ionescu. Adevarul ('The Truth'), a Romanian daily published an article beginning with Dr Ionescu's sarcastic comments on the Singapore Coroner's Court: "Everything was a circus; the deceased person was not even subjected to an autopsy." Dr Silviu's remarks have made a mockery of Singapore's judicial system which has no qualms jailing Singaporean for "contempt of court." It appears that the PAP government is only good at bullying its own citizens, but when it comes to a foreigner like Dr Silviu, it "lan lan" has no choice but to keep its mouth shut.   EDITORS’ NOTE: Please join our Facebook discussion on this article here and invite your friends to do so as well to raise awareness among fellow Singaporeans.   Copyright © 2009 – 2010 The Temasek Review (If you are going to reproduce this article on your blog or forum, please provide a link back to ours) Related articles: >> Dr Silviu on guilty verdict: "This is bull****" >> Dr Silviu Ionescu doesn’t think much of verdict >> Subhas Anandan wants $100K compensation for widow of deceased accident victim >> Quietor”wayang”diplomacyintheescapeofDrSilviuIonescu >> Confirmed: Dr Silviu Ionescu is the driver >> Email interview with Yenny Young, wife of Mr Tong Kok Wai >> Dr Silviu Ionescu: fact remains that I was not in the car at the time of the accident >> Investigating or procrastinating: Dr Silviu Ionescu still holidaying in Romania >> George Yeo on Romanian embassy car crash: What happened is “very bad” >> Online petition calls on Romanian govt to make ex gratias payment >> Dr Silviu Ionescu: I took cab to notify car theft >> Eye witness saw driver quarreling with a young girl in the car >> Dr Silviu Ionescu: I have no connection with the case >> Dr Silviu Ionescu flagged taxi at Sungei Kadut >> From Romania with love: The Great Singapore escape of Dr Silviu Ionescu >> Singapore police has not ruled out Dr Silviu Ionescu as a suspect in its investigations >> Romanian diplomat suspected to be driver of Audi in hit and run accident at Bukit Panjang  Read More →