TR EMERITUS

By Clara Chooi from The Malaysian Insider Former MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today confirmed he would join the presidential race this March 28, paving the way for a fiery three-cornered fight with estranged incumbent Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and former president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting. Dr Chua, who was in the very eye of the storm that had started the party crisis last year, made his expected announcement amid much pomp and pageantry at the Corus Hotel here this afternoon. As expected, he was flanked by former vice-president Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, confirming speculations that the duo had teamed up as partners to vie for the party’s top two posts. Kong had yesterday announced his bid for the post of deputy president and will compete with fellow former vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who made his intention known this morning. A large crowd of hundreds of party delegates and supporters from various states had earlier gathered outside the lobby of the hotel, armed with large banners, chanting and blowing whistles as a show of support for Dr Chua. “We do not want a hero. We want a leader for all. We will fight to the very end,” they chanted. One party delegate shouted that Dr Chua was the best choice as he was a leader for the grassroots and not a person who was just hungry for power. Read rest of article here  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent The incoming United States Ambassador to Singapore Mr David Adelman appeared to have distanced himself away from his earlier remarks made at a Senate nomination hearing two months ago that he "would use public diplomaccy to promote political freedom in Singapore." The Straits Times tried to add a spin to it by portraying that his remarks had "stirred some controversy among Singaporeans" who felt that Mr David Adelman has no right to interfere in Singapore's politics when they were welcomed by the majority of Singapore netizens who have long given up hope of voting out the despotic PAP regime through the ballot box. When asked by the Straits Times on the "criticisms" levelled at him by Singaporeans, Mr Adelman replied: "There's no question. I want to make it very clear that those issues are for Singaporeans to decide for themselves." He was careful not to repeat his criticisms of Singapore made during the hearing in the United States and promised to promote friendship between Singapore and the United States. "The US has the greatest respect for Singapore and we highly value the great friendship between the (two countries). The most important thing I would say in response to that is that my goal is to ensure the continuation of the excellent friendship between the United States and Singapore," he added. Mr Adelman had earlier pointed out that Singapore is not a multi-party democracy and that "democracy and press freedom were the two areas where Singapore needed the most improvement." As expected, the Straits Times was mysteriously flooded with letters from "angry" Singaporeans "protesting" against Mr Adelman's purported "interference" in Singapore politics while those applauding his gesture were censored. While the United States have always voiced its concerns about human rights and political repression in China, Iran and Burma, it is surprisingly mute on Singapore. Singapore's ruling PAP is no different from China's Communist Party, Russia's United Russia Party or North Korea's Workers' Party which control all state institutions and use them to curtail the political and civil rights of their citizens. U.S-based NGO Freedom House classified Singapore as a "hybrid regime" (not a democracy). Another NGO Human Rights Watch described Singapore as a "textbook example of a politically repressive state" in its latest annual report. The Singapore media is nothing more but the propaganda mouthpiece of the PAP. All the printed papers, radios and broadcast stations are controlled by the PAP indirectly in one way or another. Singapore Press Holdings which own all the papers in Singapore is a government-linked company headed by Dr Tony Tan, a former PAP minister. Reporters without Borders ranked the Singapore media 133th in terms of press freedom in 2009 below the likes of Cambodia, Romania and Kenya. Mr David Adelman has surely mastered the PAP's art of "wayang" even before he stepped foot onto Singapore. They will surely forge a great "partnership" together.  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent Jumping onto MRT tracks to be hit by an incoming train is fast becoming a favorite suicide method for Singaporeans after leaping from high-rise HDB flats. 5,000 passengers were stranded yesterday when an eastbound train service was disrupted after a passenger had jumped onto the track at Tanah Merah MRT station and was hit by an incoming train. The nationality of the suicide victim was not revealed. Singapore was rocked by a series of high-profile "MRT suicides" in the past, but its frequency had declined after half-height platform screen doors had been installed at Pasir Ris, Jurong East and Yishun stations. Two years ago, a man killed himself by flinging himself right in front of an incoming train at Yishun MRT station. He later left a suicide note saying that he did so out of financial distress. His children revealed that he gave them $3 to buy chicken rice for lunch just before he committed suicide. Suicide rates in Singapore dropped to their lowest level in nine years to 8.76 per 100,000 residents in 2009, well below that of South Korea (24 per 100,000), Japan (23.1 per 100,000) and Hong Kong (18.6 per 100,000). While the chief reason for these suicides is unknown, a number of Singaporeans committed suicide out of financial stress. The Chinese media carried frequent reports of elderly committing suicide due to worries over healthcare and living expenses. Though Singapore is the second richest nation in Asia after Japan, its citizens receive few social welfare benefits from the cash-flushed state. Only 11 Singaporeans qualified for public assistance last year which the government attributed to Singaporeans wanting to remain as "self-reliant" as possible. Perhaps suicide is also an option for those who have no way out and yet want to be "self-reliant" at the same time.   EDITORS' NOTE: Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to help us exceed the number of fans on the YPAP Facebook page.  Read More →