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Supporting Chee Soon Juan's caféSupporting Chee Soon Juan's café I refer to The Independent Singapore’s news, “Singaporeans urged to support Chee Soon Juan's café despite their political preferences” (July 16). The underlying objective of doing any business is to ensure it is viable and profitable. Otherwise, there is no point of undertaking risk for it. It is natural for...

Will PM Wong address the astronomical ministerial salaries?Will PM Wong address the astronomical ministerial salaries? I refer to The TR-Emeritus opinion article, “Will PM Wong address the astronomical ministerial salaries” (June 14) by Mr Yoong Siew Wah. It has always been a controversial topic which concerns about our top political leaders who receive their salaries that are many times higher than those foreign political leaders. Our...

Steering with stability in transition timesSteering with stability in transition times I refer to The Straits Times’ Editorial, “Steering with stability in transition times” (May 16). Let us analyze and interpret this specific subject from a broad perspective, how Singapore should respond and adapt to the evolution of the entire international situation and formulate its foreign policy that is extremely...

We will lead in our own wayWe will lead in our own way I read with interest The Today’s report, “'We will lead in our own way': : Lawrence Wong takes office as 4th prime minister of Singapore” (May 15). We can get some inspiration or enlightenment from the story of the 108 heroes in Water Margin: they originally had their own abilities, aspirations and ambitions. They...

Chinese villagers living on cliffsChinese villagers living on cliffs In the Liangshan Mountains of Sichuan Province in China, there is a small isolated village on a cliff 1,400 meters above sea level. This is the village of Atuler, known as the Cliff Village with 72 families who has been living there for almost 200 years. All travel is by a ladder that leads to the sky at almost right...

Ukraine will cease to exist thanks to the westUkraine will cease to exist thanks to the west Scott Ritter is a former Marine intelligence officer who served in the former Soviet Union, implementing arms control agreements, and on the staff of General Norman Schwartzkopf during the Gulf War, where he played a critical role in the hunt for Iraqi SCUD missiles. From 1991 until 1998, Mr. Ritter served as a Chief Inspector...

Bride's family asked for RMB 500,000 in bride priceBride's family asked for RMB 500,000 in bride price Contrary to popular beliefs, many couples in China are unable to afford to get married. With the exception of rural villages, those in the cities mostly asked for hundreds of thousands in bride price (聘礼/彩礼). According to our techie who has been in China for over a decade, the bride price may include monies intended...

Higher salaries lead Singapore to become top pick for Asian workers looking to moveHigher salaries lead Singapore to become top pick for Asian... I refer to the Independent Singapore’s Featured News SG Economy, “Higher salaries lead Singapore to become top pick for Asian workers looking to move” (Feb 22). In this era of rapid technological advancement, all countries are faced with the dilemma of being hungry for talent. Therefore, top talents in respective...

Where Romance Meets FinanceWhere Romance Meets Finance Sugarbook was launched by Darren Chan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a luxury dating website designed to resolve financial issues through emotional support. It provides a platform to grow your relationships through mutual benefits that are not restricted to mentorship, companionship, wealth and emotional support. It...

Marriage, children and practical concernsMarriage, children and practical concerns A couple bows before their parents and offers them tea, as is traditional in Chinese weddings. I refer to The Straits Times’ Editorial “Marriage, children and practical concerns” (Feb 5). Since the history of human civilisation, the formation of individual family and the issue of procreation have become two...

Not in my backyardNot in my backyard I refer to the TODAY’s Commentary, “'Not in my backyard' — when some groups can protest more loudly, the most vulnerable ones suffer” (Jan 25, 2024). A few good points from the article are worth to be probed further and discussed. In December 2023, the announcement of plans by The National Environment Agency...

Opposition parties seek to strengthen parliamentary presenceOpposition parties seek to strengthen parliamentary presence I refer to The Independent Singapore’s SG Politics column, “Opposition parties seek to strengthen parliamentary presence” (Nov 29, 2023). As we know, Singapore political scene has been firmly dominated by the PAP since 1959. Thus, the opposition parties in Singapore have to face and withstand many challenges ahead...

Educating the next generationEducating the next generation I read with interest the Straits Times’ Editorial, “Educating the next generation” (Jan 5, 2024). Any form of spontaneous learning should provide you with a happy, positive, and memorable experience. However, only a small number of children are in exception. Therefore, based on this, parents should realize the...

GST increase in 2024GST increase in 2024 On 1 Jan 2024 GST rises 1% from 8% to 9%; this is a 12.5% increase in GST. I am not convinced that this is necessary. It will contribute to inflation, and cause economic hardship. The handouts to mitigate this are temporary and the increase is permanent. In 2015, when the possibility of GST rising was an election issue...

Race relations in SingaporeRace relations in Singapore I refer to the Today’s “Commentary: In 1954, David Marshall spoke about race relations in Singapore. Have we made real progress since then?” (Dec 15). For any country to be prosperous and powerful, it must first achieve political and social stability, and its people must live in harmony and be united. Only in this...

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Editorial
Rare typhoon-like storm hits Singapore

Rare typhoon-like storm hits Singapore

Strong winds that people called a mini typhoon hit Singapore on Tuesday evening, September 17, toppling...
Super typhoon Bebinca hit the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu...

Super typhoon Bebinca hit the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu...

After hitting Shanghai on Monday (17th Sept), Typhoon Bebinca hit the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu province....
Why storms and typhoons are wrecking havoc in Asia...

Why storms and typhoons are wrecking havoc in Asia...

Typhoon Bebinca has made landfall in China on Monday (16th Sept). Shanghai has been slammed by the city's...
Super typhoon Bebinca wreaks havoc In Shanghai

Super typhoon Bebinca wreaks havoc In Shanghai

The mega city of Shanghai was brought to a standstill on Monday (16th Sept) as residents at home had...
Severe flooding wrecks havoc in Europe

Severe flooding wrecks havoc in Europe

Severe flooding continues to wreak havoc across central and eastern Europe, following days of torrential...
Iran poised to launch mega-retaliation against Israel

Iran poised to launch mega-retaliation against Israel

Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a high-ranking IRGC commander, has announced that Iran will soon...
Super typhoon Yagi batters Hainan island in China

Super typhoon Yagi batters Hainan island in China

Heavy rains and strong winds swept through Hainan province Friday as a powerful typhoon, dubbed Yagi,...
Putin visits Mongolia despite ICC arrest warrant

Putin visits Mongolia despite ICC arrest warrant

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Mongolia for a visit, despite the risk of arrest under...
Axis of Resistance vows to escalate attacks on Israel...

Axis of Resistance vows to escalate attacks on Israel...

The Axis of Resistance groups in Iraq have escalated their threats against Israel and the US. They have...
Russia pounds Ukraine for the second consecutive day

Russia pounds Ukraine for the second consecutive day

In one of the biggest air attacks launched by Russia, hundreds of missiles and drones were launched targeting...
Russia pounds Ukraine in retaliation for invasion of...

Russia pounds Ukraine in retaliation for invasion of...

Russia unleashed a massive missile and drone assault on NATO-backed Ukraine amid rising tensions over...
Houthis ready to strike Israel

Houthis ready to strike Israel

Houthi-installed defence minister in Yemen has warned that his forces are ready to strike Israel. Major...
Israel imposes restriction on media to hide damages...

Israel imposes restriction on media to hide damages...

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is set to present proof or videos of attacks near Tel Aviv. Israeli...
Hezbollah hints at 'full response' after major rocket...

Hezbollah hints at 'full response' after major rocket...

The Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones towards Israel on...
How strong is Singapore's fighter jets?

How strong is Singapore's fighter jets?

Singapore's fighter jets are supposedly the most advanced force in the entire Southeast Asian region. What...
Major escalation fears as Hezbollah pounds Israel with...

Major escalation fears as Hezbollah pounds Israel with...

Hezbollah and Israel both have announced large-scale military operations against each other. Israel is...
WHO Declares Global Health Emergency

WHO Declares Global Health Emergency

Covid Done, New Virus Emerges: 100s Killed, WHO Declares Global Health Emergency. The World Health...
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to step down

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to step down

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was seen as a safe pair of hands when his party installed him three...
Opinions
A random thought on the comedy of error

A random thought on the comedy of error

The comedy of error that is circling around in Singapore although mind-boggling but amuses Singaporeans...
The Great America, No More

The Great America, No More

America was propagated as the Great Nation in the last century when I was born, even though the world...
A glimpse of the obscurantism of Singapore society

A glimpse of the obscurantism of Singapore society

This is not an attempt at self-exaltation but to give a glimpse of the obscurantism of the Singapore...
Excess Deaths in Singapore

Excess Deaths in Singapore

I applaud ST journalist's effort in pursuing this issue of Excess Deaths in Singapore (which is one of...
Throwing out the baby with the bath water

Throwing out the baby with the bath water

Mr Shanmugam says Singapore has laws and policies to prevent riots like those seen in the UK recently...
Let dead dogs lie

Let dead dogs lie

Alas, Pritam should have let dead dogs lie. I am surprised that he is making a bid to have his case...
Total Policy Reset

Total Policy Reset

Lawrence Wong talked about "reset" but up till now, I am still not quite sure what is installed in his...
The divination of a self-exaltation myth

The divination of a self-exaltation myth

The euphoria that accompanied the appointment of Lawrence Wong as prime minister is understandable.because...
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's (LW) National Day Rally

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's (LW) National Day Rally

I have more praises than criticisms for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's (LW) National Day Rally. He...
Build Our Core

Build Our Core

On this very day of celebrating our 59th National Day, we as a people, a country and the Singaporean...
More Singaporeans eligible to vote in next General...

More Singaporeans eligible to vote in next General...

More Singaporeans eligible to vote in next General Election (GE)- CNA online 22 July 2024. There are...
Excess Deaths Comparison Chart

Excess Deaths Comparison Chart

This is the Excess Deaths Comparison Chart that MOH has neither disputed nor commented on. It...
Focusing on frail, senior patients

Focusing on frail, senior patients

Tan Tock Seng (TTS) focuses on frail, senior patients as it celebrates 180th anniversary- ST online,...
Who is replacing us?

Who is replacing us?

My fellow Singaporeans,we face an existential threat,that is exacerbated by PAP policies. The number...
Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump

Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump

We first thought the attempted assassination of Trump was a "Lone Wolf" incident. However, there are...
Allianz offers to buy a stake in Income Insurance

Allianz offers to buy a stake in Income Insurance

Allianz offers to buy a stake in Income Insurance- 18 July 24, Straits Times. Allianz has done its...
I am not a 'woke'

I am not a 'woke'

I am known to be a Democratic Socialist. Democracy comes before Socialism. Traditionally, people regard...
Assassination attempt on Donald Trump

Assassination attempt on Donald Trump

I strongly condemn the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the United States Republican presidential...
Letters
Supporting Chee Soon Juan's café

Supporting Chee Soon Juan's café

I refer to The Independent Singapore’s news, “Singaporeans urged to support Chee Soon Juan's café...
Will PM Wong address the astronomical ministerial salaries?

Will PM Wong address the astronomical ministerial salaries?

I refer to The TR-Emeritus opinion article, “Will PM Wong address the astronomical ministerial salaries”...
Steering with stability in transition times

Steering with stability in transition times

I refer to The Straits Times’ Editorial, “Steering with stability in transition times” (May 16). Let...
We will lead in our own way

We will lead in our own way

I read with interest The Today’s report, “'We will lead in our own way': : Lawrence Wong takes office...
Higher salaries lead Singapore to become top pick for...

Higher salaries lead Singapore to become top pick for...

I refer to the Independent Singapore’s Featured News SG Economy, “Higher salaries lead Singapore...
Marriage, children and practical concerns

Marriage, children and practical concerns

A couple bows before their parents and offers them tea, as is traditional in Chinese weddings. I...
Not in my backyard

Not in my backyard

I refer to the TODAY’s Commentary, “'Not in my backyard' — when some groups can protest more loudly,...
Opposition parties seek to strengthen parliamentary...

Opposition parties seek to strengthen parliamentary...

I refer to The Independent Singapore’s SG Politics column, “Opposition parties seek to strengthen...
Snippets
Singapore Tightens Casino Regulations to Combat Money...

Singapore Tightens Casino Regulations to Combat Money...

In a move to strengthen its position as a well-regulated financial hub, Singapore is set to implement...
The All-Time Top Singaporean Poker Players

The All-Time Top Singaporean Poker Players

Poker is one of the world's most popular games with games being played recreationally and professionally....
How to Increase Image Size without Compromising Quality

How to Increase Image Size without Compromising Quality

In our digital world, crisp, top-notch images make your content pop, whether on a website, social media,...
Chinese villagers living on cliffs

Chinese villagers living on cliffs

In the Liangshan Mountains of Sichuan Province in China, there is a small isolated village on a cliff...
Ukraine will cease to exist thanks to the west

Ukraine will cease to exist thanks to the west

Scott Ritter is a former Marine intelligence officer who served in the former Soviet Union, implementing...
Bride's family asked for RMB 500,000 in bride price

Bride's family asked for RMB 500,000 in bride price

Contrary to popular beliefs, many couples in China are unable to afford to get married. With the exception...
The fall of Alibaba's Jack Ma

The fall of Alibaba's Jack Ma

The story of how Jack Ma betrayed everyone that helped and gave him what he has today. The video also...
中國唯一的一妻多夫制的地方

中國唯一的一妻多夫制的地方

A land enshrouded in spirituality, Tibet is home to distinct cultural traditions and astounding natural...
Sticky & Recent Articles

President Erdogan: Turkey is ready for war

President Erdogan: Turkey is ready for war

As expected, Israel has completely ignored President Erdogan's final ultimatum to stop its attack on Gaza. Emboldened by the US's unwavering support of its actions, Israel has dismissed all calls for truce from hundreds of nations, determined to annihilate Gaza. In his latest statement, President Erdogan reportedly warned Israel that Turkey is ready for war and pledged to "take care of Palestine". "We can come suddenly one night", he said. Turkey reportedly has intention to send more warships to the Mediterranean, which may include its latest Aircraft Carrier, setting the stage for a full-blown war. Iran, in the meantime, has reiterate that should Israel continues its attack on Gaza, the opening of new fronts for war is "inevitable, the consequences of which, Israel would regret". Hezbollah based in Lebanon has also reaffirmed its threat to attack Israel, should it decides to invade Gaza.    Read More →

Israel is committing genocide in Gaza aided by the US

Israel is committing genocide in Gaza aided by the US

What Hamas did in Israel is totally inexcusable and murder, but what Israel did is ethnic cleansing and genocide. A very interesting and emotional debate to watch. The lone woman in the team has put up some very convincing arguments on the events that are unfolding in Gaza. Part 1   Part 2   The US is continuing to abet and encourage Israel to commit genocide. If this is not war crime, then what is?    Read More →

7 hours from victory to victimhood for Hamas

7 hours from victory to victimhood for Hamas

Any discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will see three sides locking horns, two with extreme views having no middle ground, and a third with some semblance of balance but always a hidden bias. One single bone of contention that stands in the way of a resolution is Palestinian statehood is mutually exclusive to many Muslims. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is a battle cry that calls for the annihilation of Israel. This is repeatedly announced publicly by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. Who in his right mind would expect Israel to accept a two state solution with the Sword of Damocles over their heads? Yet all those who push for two state solution at the United Nations have made no attempt to get Hamas, Hezbollah and 28 UN member countries that do not recognise the State of Israel, to do so. The two state solution seems like the only viable one, and the immovable block is not Israel. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is very complex. Some base their arguments as if history began in 1948 when it is actually a 3,000 year old story. Yet others freely throw up catchwords of Zionists and Apartheid against those with sympathies aligned with Israel but have no idea of what they are talking. Zionism simply refers to the movement to bring Jews back home in the areas that used to be called Israel, Judea and Samaria. So those who are anti-Zionists deny Jews the right to return to their homeland, but fight for Palestinians the same right. Those who brand Israel an apartheid state do not want to believe 30% of Israelis are Arabs having universal suffrage and representation in parliament. 2 million Arabs live in Israel compared to maybe 100,000 Jews living in all Muslim countries taken together. I lock horns with Critical Spectator over many issues, but I feel his 2 recent posts on the Palestinian matter offer some good perspectives. Incidentally, Madam Ho Ching, an avid fan, never share these 2 posts. Just as well, for it’s a hot potato and from her perch, she ought to be circumspect. The conflict is complex and reactions of many are often emotional bothering on hysteria. It behoves on any public figure making a comment to be very careful and yet coming across as fair. PM Lee Hsien Loong offered his views in a recent interview which I thought was very well articulated and unbiased. (Read here.) Non-Muslims are perplexed why Muslims are overtly sensitive and react so passionately with over-the-top emotion whenever fellow believers somewhere in the world suffer any form of perceived injustice. To understand this, one refers to the Koran and Hadith which have several verses like this one : "The believers, in their mutual mercy, love, and compassion, are like a single body; when any part of it suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever." Some interpret it as teaching of ‘eye-for-an-eye’, others say it’s about universal compassion for fellow Muslims. The fact is this is deep in a Muslim's psyche. I remember very well a survey in Malaysia some 50 years ago that tried to determine the priority in the Muslims’ frame of mind, what comes first. Turned out it was Islam, Family, Country, in that order. It is impossible to argue against apathy and compassion. Unfortunately, they don’t sit well on the high moral horse of humanitarianism with the absence of Muslim indignation of ISIS atrocities against Christians in Iraq and the Yazidi genocide, or the ongoing slaughter of Christians in Armenia and Nigeria, or the recent barbaric Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on October 7. We all saw a celebration instead. Hamas atrocity? Deny, deny, deny. I get annoyed when online commenters ask me to show proof. The barbarism perpetrated by Hamas is too gruesome to show and out of respect for the dead, I will not display any images or videos here. Deniers must understand Israel has surveillance cameras on every street. Evidence is overwhelming. Understand too that captured and killed Hamas fighters all have mobile phones. A treasure trove of self -incriminating evidence there. Israel has vowed to go after all those who carried out the Oct 7 attack ala the Munich Olympics 1972 where all the terrorists were eventually hunted down. All those mobile phones will lead to the killers ultimately. In a Tiktok or Whatsapp connected world, the audacity of Hamas’ well-coordinated attack on Israel Oct 7 was celebrated all over the world by supporters within hours. That it was an attack on civilians, which is a war crime, and the barbarism, bothered no one in this crowd. The blog title conveys my feelings on Oct 7. I knew immediately one side of the aisle will celebrate the attack as a victory, up till when Israel reacts, they will then play the victimhood card. It played out right on cue. Now many members of parliament have tabled questions for discussion in next parliamentary session. A strange coincidence to my preceding blog where I mentioned members of parliament are sleeping and not discussing excess death issues. There is now a sudden interest when it involves the death of foreigners. (That blog has been taken down today at the behest of certain parties for breach of community standards. I maintain there was nothing objectionable, nor was there any misinformation or disinformation in that blog. Why not POFMA but take down? Similarly you can judge for yourself about this blog which I have a feeling may suffer a similar fate. It is an opinion piece, but nothing objectionable.) As this is a complex and sensitive matter, members who put up their questions have been as diplomatic as possible. Some wanted to understand the government’s position on the Palestinian issue, some asking for provision of humanitarian aid, some wanted condemnation for breaking international laws in warfare (apparently directed against Israel). Let’s not kid ourselves. These are pre-determined questions that the government wants to discuss. They are just farmed out to a few members to file the questions in a faux display of independence Singaporeans call wayang. None of these members condemned the barbaric Hamas attack on civilians that precipitated the outbreak of full-fledged war. In my opinion, anyone that condemns not the Oct 7 attack forfeits the right to talk about restraining Israeli rights to obliterate Hamas in Gaza. So is it a good thing for parliament to discuss the Isreali-Palestinian problem? I think it is good for Singapore as a sign of maturity to be able to discuss the politics in a calm and collected manner and be able to agree to disagree. This seems to be a break from long held tradition – that public discussion of politics of other countries is voodoo. However, religion should remain a no-go zone. It is of course very difficult to separate the two, after all, Islam is both an ideology and a political organisation of a way of life. I am all for talking about humanitarian aid. But here we also need to be careful. Whether it is privately funded initiative or tax payer dollars, we must know where the money goes. Hamas is both a terrorist organisation and the government of Gaza. Where will the aid money go? To the government and the people or to terrorists? It is impossible to prevent humanitarian aid money being diverted to military use by Hamas. Notice in Lee Hsien Loong’s interview, he referred to Palestinian Authority even though that is the government of West Bank and not Gaza. LHL cannot recognise Hamas as government of Gaza. It is easy to assume a Liberal bleeding heart talk about aid, but the brutal reality is the problem is complex. The world now says Israel has the right to defend itself (as if there are countries which do not have this right), but the IDF must observe the proportionality doctrine. It is a demand never imposed on any army in the world, what more on an army that drops leaflets or sends out notifications to its enemies to vacate buildings targeted to be bombed, or give adequate time to move out of designated fighting zones. But the world does not want to hear Hamas fired more than 5,000 rockets on Israel. The fact Israel’s Iron Dome was able to take out most of these rockets and spare the country of untold suffering, somehow also spares Hamas the criticism of carrying out a disproportionate act. Hello World, Israel is no longer reacting to unarmed youths throwing stones, but a full-fledged militia firing 5,000 rockets at them. Where is the proportionality? Hamas rockets have a high failure rate. Israel’s missile launch tracking system says in the current conflict, about 400 Hamas rockets dropped within Gaza. When Singaporean bleeding hearts see the destruction in Gaza and the death toll, are they able to partition blame on Israeli precision bombs or Hamas faulty rockets? Including the bomb on the Orthodox Church. Of course we now know the Baptist Hospital was not bombed by Israel. An Islamic Jihad rocket misfired and fell on the carpark near the hospital. Casualty count was about 50, not the media lie of 500 that went around the world. That is not to say Israeli bombs caused no civilian casualties. Of course in a war, casualties there always will be. The test is it must not be indiscriminate or intentional targeting of civilians. As Western liberal media take Hamas press releases without care for authentication, it is clear Israel will win the battlefield war but not the propaganda war. Anti-semitism once again rears its ugly head all over the world. So when Singapore parliament sit to discuss, members should weigh the issues fairly. Since I suspect much of the discussion will be centered on what role Singapore can play in terms of humanitarian aid, I like to share something that has no traction with Western media. Did you know Israel issued at one time 70,000 work visas for Palestinians from Gaza and West Bank to help improve their economic situation? Just like Malaysians working in Singapore, Palestinians treasure the Israeli work visa because the pay is substantially much higher. These Palestinians have an entirely different mind set. They care about their employment and work hard to build a life for their family, to save and build a house and invest in business back in Gaza. In other words, these are the ordinary folks that will help build the economy of Gaza. But in the propaganda world, no one hears about stuff like this. Read about the visa here. It is important to have a proper perspective. One side has an unappreciated humanitarian streak, not all Palestinians are terrorists, and Israel is not the enemy. Hamas is.   Patrick Low * Article first appeared on Down The Rabbit Hole.      Read More →

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