TR EMERITUS

Written by Our Correspondent The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has taken a jibe at the proposed changes to the election rules announced in Parliament lately as a sign that the ruling PAP is getting "nervous" over the New Media. In a statement published on its website, SDP Assistant Secretary-General John Tan claimed that the changes are "just another ploy by the PAP to instill fear in the people." Under the new election rules, political websites will have to register with the Media Development Authority and they are banned from doing any sorts of election advertising for parties and candidates on cooling off and polling days. Offenders will be liable to be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to 12 months. Of particular concern is that the offences are now made seizable which means that the police can arrest bloggers who run afoul of the law without any warrant of arrest. As the PAP controls 82 out of 84 seats in Parliament, it can amend the Singapore Constitution as and when it likes to serve its own partisan interests without any opposition or interference from anybody. John felt that the “advertising guidelines introduced is clear indication that the PAP is running scared of the New Media and how it is a leveler of information flow." "The ruling party also knows that because of its control of the traditional media, more and more Singaporeans are turning to the Internet for information. The overwhelming sentiment in cyberspace is for the opposition and against the PAP. The Government is thus desperately trying to regulate cyberspace during the elections even though it knows that it is near impossible to do so given the nature of the beast," he added. The New Media is becoming an important battleground in public opinion with the proliferation of a dozen new socio-political sites since the 2006 elections, one of which already has a readership higher than that of some news sites belonging to the mainstream media. Of all the political parties in Singapore, only the SDP has established a presence in cyberspace with the others lagging far behind. Efforts by the PAP to engage the online community have faltered so far. A website set up by its young MPs in 2006 is now effectively defunct after the MPs quitted blog, citing lack of time to contribute articles on it. The YPAP, which is tasked with reaching out to the young IT-savvy voters has also failed miserably with its latest PR disaster over the "Eric How" saga making its members a laughing stock among Singapore netizens. The fast rising anti-establishment sentiment in cyberspace is a cause of concern for the PAP as it may trigger a political tsunami similar to Malaysia's in 2008 where young voters abandoned the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and voted for the opposition in droves. A Facebook started by a 22 year old project engineer to vote the PAP out has garnered more than 4,000 members in less than 3 months, the majority of whom are Singaporeans in their 20s and 30s, a clear sign that the PAP is losing ground among the younger generation of voters. For party used to winning nearly 100 percent of the seats and garnering more than two-thirds of the popular vote, the loss of a few more seats including a GRC and an expected drop in the percentage of votes to less than 60 percent will be considered a disastrous performance thereby destroying both its legitimacy and credibility as the only party with the "mandate" to govern Singapore. John ended his article by calling on Singaporeans to vote for the opposition in numbers "that will surpass the 50 percent mark". The PAP must be denied its traditional two-thirds majority in Parliament to prevent it from changing the Constitution repeatedly at its whims and fancies and to push unpopular policies down the throats of Singaporeans again without proper planning and deliberation. The next election represents the last chance for Singaporeans to reclaim ownership of their nation after which they will be swarmed by the hordes of foreigners brought in by the PAP to shore up its flagging support base. Read SDP's full press release here  Read More →

Reuters, 14 March 2010 Thousands of protesters gathered in Bangkok today and planned to give Thailand’s military-backed government an ultimatum: either call elections or face more pro-democracy demonstrations over the coming week. About 80,000 red-shirted supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a military coup in 2006, arrived yesterday, many traveling in pick-up trucks, motorcycles or vans from northern provinces, carrying red flags and blaring music about democracy and freedom. Thousands more were expected today, including hundreds who boarded boats in nearby Ayuddhutthya province. Investors are worried about violence, and about the government being distracted when it should be concentrating on nurturing the economy as it recovers from a brief recession. But Thailand is still benefiting from investment funds flowing into Southeast Asia and foreigners have snapped up US$500 million (RM1.7 billion) of Thai stocks so far this year, much of it this month. The stock market rose 1 percent on Friday. The protesters plan to maintain pressure on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve  parliament and call an election Thaksin’s allies would be well placed to win, or face more protests over a 20 km radius of their main protest site on Ratchadamnoen Road in the heart of Bangkok. “It is expected to get up to over 100,000 people today,” Thawil Pliensri, secretary general of the National Security Council, told Reuters. Protest leaders say they already had drawn hundreds of thousands to Bangkok as of Saturday night. “The security forces are on highest alert. The situation remains normal and we expect it to remain so today,” he added. “But it may get more volatile after a few days as the protest leaders step up their measures and people are tired and frustrated. We have to make sure there is no damage.” “We are here to ask for justice and for rule of law to be applied to all,” one protest leader, Weng Torirajkan, told supporters who responded with loud cheers. “Since the government cannot do it because it’s too busy serving the elite, we ask that it step out and call fresh elections so we have a government that represents the whole country, a government that represents us.” About 40,000 soldiers and police have been mobilised. The protests add a new chapter to a seemingly intractable political conflict pitting the military, the urban elite and royalists, who wear the revered king’s traditional colour of yellow at protests, against the mainly rural Thaksin supporters. The protesters say the Oxford-educated Abhisit came to power illegitimately, heading a coalition cobbled together by the military after a pro-Thaksin party leading the previous coalition government was dissolved by the courts. The “red shirts” chafe at what they say is an “unelected elite” preventing allies of twice-elected Thaksin from returning to power through a vote. Adding to their anger, Thailand’s top court seized $1.4 billion of his assets last month, saying it was accrued through abuse of power. On Saturday, a Reuters photographer counted thousands of pickup trucks streaming into Bangkok along a main road from Thaksin’s strongholds in the north and northeast of the country. Police briefly stopped them and searched for weapons. Thousands had gathered on Ratchadamnoen Road, a central Bangkok thoroughfare leading to the bridge that will be the main site for today’s rally. Armed guards stood at many banks and state buildings after government warnings of potential sabotage, including bombings. In 2008, a rival group sought to topple a Thaksin-allied government by seizing Government House for three months and shutting Bangkok’s two main airports for eight days, damaging the tourist sector and dealing a blow to investor confidence. The UDD insist they will not use the same tactics. Roberto Herrera-Lim, an analyst at Eurasia Group, said the “red shirts” recognised violence would be counter-productive and were now intent on building up public support for what they present as a pro-democracy movement. “Whether the ‘red shirts’ will accomplish anything at all depends on the numbers that they can muster,” he said. Thaksin fled Thailand in 2008 to escape a two-year sentence for graft. Woravat said he was in Dubai, now his main base, but would be flying to Europe soon to meet up with his daughters. Government House, which includes Abhisit’s office, has been cordoned off. The authorities have closed several other roads to prevent protesters from besieging government buildings. — Reuters  Read More →

By Novia Lim A jackass is a male donkey. From Wikipedia: In Arabic, حمار (ḥimar), meaning "donkey", is a derogatory term that refers to someone of very limited intelligence. In United States, the world had revealed Tiger Woods. In Singapore, we have our very own jackass (donkey) AKA Jack Neo. A cultural medallion winner, comedian, actor, director, and a local sensation in many other entertainment industry related accolades and achievements. It speaks for itself reflecting that Jack Neo is NOT a person of limited intelligence. Jack Neo is married to Madam Irene Kng for 27 years and has four lovely children, how can Jack Neo commit infidelity against monogamous marriage? David Buss, professor of psychology at the University of Texas reported that men crave sexual “variety.” Or could it be the primitive instinct that dates back to stone age where men are hunters and gatherers – only this time, they’re craving, hunting and gathering new women?  Madam Irene Kng, composed and supportive, walked in hand in hand with Jack Neo at the news conference on 11th March 2010. Madam Irene Kng expressed her graceful forgiveness and stood by Jack Neo. What if the scenario is now reversed? Will Jack Neo reciprocate the same level of support? I mean no disrespect to Madam Irene Kng and I sincerely admire Madam Irene Kng for her bravery, tolerance and love for her family. Should men or women get a free pass if their significant other cheats on them? In marital problems such as infidelity, reports have shown that women are more likely than men to forgive a cheating spouse, as they are more emotional and take into account their children and general survival. Men are just crushed and experience extreme anger over what happened to them and appears to be less willing to forgive. Are women providing too much leeway to cheating husbands? Madam Irene Kng had displayed generosity towards her family and magnificent devotion towards maintaining a healthy family nucleus. I am sure not all of us (including myself) will forgive the mistakes that Jack Neo had committed. But I strongly believe that we should give Madam Irene Kng and their four lovely children our support and blessings. The reasons for infidelity could be endless. Every individual and every family is different. We all have our own stories, struggles and happiness. May it be evolution, human nature or simple novelty, it is not rocket science technology and the decision on whether to cheat is still entirely in a person’s control. Are you in control?   About the Author: Novia Lim is a global data analyst by profession, honored with years of solid experience with multinational corporations. She is also a hobbyist model and food blogger striving to achieve lifestyle balance with proper prioritization between career, demands of life on one hand and pleasure, leisure on the other. Novia blogs at http://eatcookshoot.blogspot.com  Read More →