TR EMERITUS

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim has called on his country's civil servants to speak out against wrongdoings- CNA online 16 January 2023. What a breath of fresh air. I like what I have read. I do not know Anwar Ibrahim at all and whether what he said which is so correct was political showmanship or he really meant what he urged the Malaysian civil servants to do, it doesn't concern me. Here in my own country, Singapore, I would like to also strongly urge our civil servants to speak out against wrongdoings in government, against wastages, against official slackening, against unfairness, against superior's human weaknesses such as practising favouritism at work places, against unnecessary bureaucracy red tapes and/or against policy stupidity etc. I imagine myself to be a civil servant and I ask myself if I would do that and/or if I would put my country's interests first and risking 'being marked' or risking losing my ricebowl which must mean that my family will suffer because of my so called heroic acts. I fully understand the fear and the reluctance of speaking out against wrongdoings. It is only human. The odds are stacked high with many lickers, 'wag-ers', meek suckers and people with their own agendas etc. I am not naive. I know that it is not easy. But still, I am a dreamer and I believe that dreams can come true if we believe enough and work hard enough towards them. As citizens, our first and foremost loyalty and patriotism must always be to our country and not the government. Any government. If more of our citizens have enough love for their country, enough care and concerns for their children's and the younger generation's future in this country that we call home, enough brains, enough courage and enough conviction, then Anwar's call to his civil servants is also relevant to us in our country. Think.   Simon Lim      Read More →

Frontline nurses have to be vaccinated to keep their jobs so why did SGH terminate a nurse who suffered from severe side effects after taking her second dose? Her life is ruined and she has lost her ability to walk. SGH’s offer for her to reapply for her job is totally illogical and insensitive. They would not have sacked her if they think that she can recover. Her case would have been swept under the carpet and we would not have known about it, if not for the fact that she applied to court to stop paying child support to her former husband. What is the health minister doing to help her? How could he allow SGH to fire her when she abided by the rules to get vaccinated? Not once has he mentioned this case and he keeps telling us how safe the vaccines are and asking us to take more jabs. He should be ashamed of himself for not doing more to help her and for concealing this matter. Did she receive any vaccine injury payout and what else is MOH doing to assist her now that her life is ruined? Since OYK has so much time to make Tik Tok videos why not make one about her? He claims he is grateful to nursing staff, but talk is cheap if he allowed SGH to sack a nurse, who followed protocol to get vaccinated, and then lose her ability to walk as a result of the vaccination. Take the Bivalent at your own risk. You can be sacked if you suffer from severe side effects.   Ho Serene      Read More →

1. Members of the Swiss Parliament are elected through a system of proportional representation. This means that each political party presents a list of candidates, and the number of seats a party receives in parliament is determined by the proportion of the vote it receives. Voters cast a single vote for a party, rather than for individual candidates. The seats are then allocated to the candidates on the party's list in the order they appear on it. 2. Switzerland has a federal system of government, in which the powers and responsibilities are divided between the national government and the 26 cantons (member states) and their municipalities. The national government, based in Bern, has authority over matters of national importance such as foreign policy, defense, trade, and transportation. It also has authority over certain areas of taxation, social security, and immigration. The cantons and municipalities have a high degree of autonomy and are responsible for many areas of public policy, including education, health care, police, and local transportation. They also have significant powers over taxation and the administration of justice. This division of powers allows for a high degree of decentralization, and allows for a degree of diversity in policy implementation across the country. 3. In Switzerland, members of the local government, known as the "municipal council" or "city council," are elected through a system of proportional representation. This means that each political party presents a list of candidates, and the number of seats a party receives on the council is determined by the proportion of the vote it receives. Voters cast a single vote for a party rather than for individual candidates. The seats are then allocated to the candidates on the party's list in the order they appear on it. In addition, many municipalities also elect a mayor or a president, who is the head of the municipal government. The mayor or president is often elected by the members of the municipal council, and in some cases, the citizens of the municipality also vote for the mayor or president directly. It's important to note that the ways of electing members of the local government may vary between cantons and municipalities, and some cantons may have different system to elect the local government. 4. In Switzerland, the right to referendum is a fundamental part of the political system. The people have the power to vote on any changes to the federal constitution or any international treaties that the government wants to ratify. There are two types of referendum in Switzerland: the mandatory referendum and the optional referendum. A mandatory referendum is triggered when 50,000 citizens or eight cantons demand it, on any change to the federal constitution. This means that any change to the constitution must be approved by the people through a popular vote. An optional referendum, on the other hand, is triggered by a petition of 100,000 citizens or by the parliament. This type of referendum is used for laws and international treaties that do not change the federal constitution. In both types of referendum, if a majority of the citizens vote in favor of the proposed change, then it becomes law. If a majority votes against it, then it is rejected. It is important to note that, in Switzerland, the vote is mandatory and voter turnout is high, usually around 50% to 60%. This means that a large number of citizens participate in the decision-making process, which makes the Swiss referendum system one of the most direct democracy forms in the world.   Tan Kin Lian      Read More →