TR EMERITUS

THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE OF MAE TAO The Saffron revolution in September had awakened the world to the brutality of the military junta in Burma . As attention of the international media on Burma fade away, little remain known to the outside world of the longest and largest humanitarian disaster in Southeast Asia . In 1949, a year after Burma gained independence from the British, civil war broke out between the central government in Rangoon and various ethnic groups in the outlying frontier regions. The Karens, who inhabited in the highlands along the Thai-Myanmar border were relentlessly prosecuted by the Burmese army; many lost their homes and fled to Thailand where they end up as refugees along the Thai-Myanmar border. Over 5 decades, the number of refugees swelled up to close to 1 million according to the United Nations High Council for Refugees. In 1988, after a failed uprising against the military junta, thousands of university students fled to the border. One of them is a Karen doctor -Dr Cynthia Maung. With a dilapidated building with bare dirt floors, a rice cooker, solicited medicine and food, Dr Cynthia Maung started the Mae Tao Clinic on the outskirts of Mae Sot, Thailand . Working tirelessly under harsh conditions with few supplies and less money, Dr Cynthia Maung managed to turn Mae Tao clinic into an oasis of hope for the homeless refugees stranded along the Thai-Myanmar border. Dr Cynthia Maung Today, the Mae Tao Clinic has grown to provide inpatient and outpatient medical services, basic surgical service, and mobile satellite clinics set up in Karen controlled war zone to assist those who cannot reach the clinic. There is a staff of 5 physicians, 120 health workers and 40 support staff providing basic healthcare to 300 to 400 patients who come to the clinic daily. Mae Tao clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand Dr Cynthia Maung has received many honors for the clinic's humanitarian work.  As we wept for the innocent lives lost during the Saffron revolution, let us do a small part for the forgotten people of Mae Tao. The homepage of Mae Tao clinic is at www.maetaoclinic.org.  The author is a participant of NUSSU Project Letpabya, a humanitarian mission to Myanmar in 2004.  Read More →

The Master-stroke of LKY policy of opening up its economy during the great golden era if Western consumerism, taking advantage of its unique and strategic entrepot location, had brought huge foreign capital investment, particular manufacturing which capitalized on the cheap manpower availability. Singapore flourished and rest of South-East Asian countries followed suit. It was miracle of western consumerism powering the raise of Asian Tigers. In economic context, Singapore surpasses achievement of other Tigers. However, the policy flaw of favoring MNCs and GLCs to the extent of relegating SMEs to “Second-Wing” status of economic growth has adverse ramifications. The onslaught of foreign SMEs supported by MNCs from same domicile of origin aggravated the marginalized environment for local SMEs. Local SMEs were left to fend for themselves and were forced to venture out without the period of protectionist nurturing of its strength and competitiveness. It short local, SME was “Second-Class” to the MNC unlike other “Tigers” who provide the opportunities and nurturing of own local SMEs, resulting in development of competitive own industries, technologies and conglomerates. Protectionism is an anathema to Singapore foreign investment policy except for MNCs and GLCs where “protectionism” is exhibited in various forms of incentives, special privileges and treatment to ensure MNCs stay and grow and GLCs succeed. After 3 decades of growth and foreign investment policy, where are we in the plateau of sustainable industrial and technological base that will spearhead to the next challenge of global growth once the current crisis is over? We built power plants in the past to electricity utility of the Nation. Where are our power engineers? Malaysia has YTL. This is just one simple example. Where are the technological transfers from MNCs to locals after three decades of growth? We cannot allow history to repeat itself on our true-bred citizens. Citizens can not be subject to same fate as the “Second-Wing” for SMEs. Whatever the policy which has good intention to create the competitive environment for the goodness of the nation, the citizens must come first in every aspect of nation-building. Citizens cannot be “Second-Class” as for the SMEs in the past. It must be the “First Wing”; FT, second. Policy must have in it protectionist elements to ensure employability of the citizens to nurture, learn and develop the skills and knowledge to face the next economic challenge. Protectionism must also apply to other avenue of citizen livelihood, welfare and housing. Protectionism is not an ugly word, not an anathema to success. On the contrary it is the way of life of nurturing a “child” during its formative years. The onslaught of many experienced foreign talents from the vast market of the world competing for limited pool of employment with fresh NS men is a skewed meritocracy at work with one certain fate similar to SMEs in the past-that of true-bred citizens. It is undeniably a “masterstroke” of planning of “Global City”, tapping the vast manpower outside for survival of the “Nation” and “elite bureaucracy and PAP hegemony”. It is a masterstroke of job creation based on competitive economic edge for each successive wave of foreign manpower. Some true-bred locals will benefit but many will eventually sink deeper into the sediment of manpower successive swamp. LKY was God Gift to Singapore. The once Nation prospered under him. However, LKY is not a perfect gift. He is characterized by “90% Saint-hood” and “10% Anathema”. This anathema need not be explained as every citizen knows what it is from politics to governing policies and law. This characterization is manifested in his party and government. Many good local talents have left as quitters because of this anathema. The present leadership scores worst. Many more good local talents have as quitters. PAP needs to introspect, look within itself else will be forever blinded by own self-conviction which is NOT the Nation CONVICTION-it was in the past, perhaps. If PAP now can welcome communist and drug junta, why cannot PAP change its policies to suit the currency of citizen thinking and views? The Nation now beckons for an new iconic leadership; one of nobility who will serve and love the people, a leader who will walk and work with the citizens, who will touch and rejuvenate the pained hearts, who will hear and empathize with the crying souls. The Nation needs badly a leader who forgives, who apologizes for mistake and who will listen to differing views, even those of opposition. PAP will not survive unless its “psyche” sublimes in sync with modern Singapore. PAP must now bow and acknowledge Singapore is larger than itself. Embracing opposition in itself is not a face-losing act. It is a nobility of highest order. It is time to work with citizens and opposition as ONE, make the Nation proud and revive the spirit of Singaporean First. Time has come for new beginning. We must vote wisely for more opposition.   voice of citizen  Read More →