TR EMERITUS

The 20th congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is attended by 2,296 delegates. They elect 205 members into the Central Committee, 25 into the Politburo and 7 into the Politburo Standing Committee. The central committee of CPC meets at least once a year at a plenary meeting (also called the plenum). The full politburo meets at least once a month and its standing committee meets weekly. The constitution of China recognizes that the Communist Party provides the leadership to the country. The Politburo of the CPC provides the candidates to be elected into the National People's Congress (which is the legislature of the country) and to the key positions in the national and the provincial governments. The NPC appoints the President and the State Council (comprising of the premier and the ministers).   Tan Kin Lian      Read More →

It’s been reported by the Today Newspaper that Singaporeans are more open to online dating but four in ten singles have never been on a date. The report can be found at: [LINK] This news report reminds me of a meeting I had with an English lady back when I was still at university. She mentioned that she worked for what was then called SDU or the Social Development Unit doing what she considered the most unusual job – teaching young men and women how to approach each other. Her reasoning was this, in any other country, a gathering of 100 young men and 100 young women would lead to the entire hotel being booked out. From her experience, it was simply strange to teach people how to act on what their natural instincts should be. I will undoubtedly get a few brick bats for telling this story but there is truth to what she mentioned. Singaporeans have been strangely preconditioned into doing things that everyone else might find unnatural. As a matter of disclosure, I am not great with picking up women or seducing them. My mother has spent the last forty odd years complaining that I prefer to wait to be picked up rather than chasing what I want, hence many of my relationships have ended badly. However, I’ve always enjoyed the company of “players,” and I’ve had the good fortune of observing them. My “player” friends have one thing in common – they’re good company. These guys have found a way to be serious enough about life without being boring. As a rule, they have decent enough careers (you don’t have to top up their bus cards) but not the extent that the career defines them as people. These are the people that you can hang around with in any random setting without worrying that they’re going to engage any and every one they encounter with a monologue of their CV and inventory. Players have decent enough social skills and when they get flirtatious with the girls, they are not crude to the point that you worry that you might be called up in a sexual harassment suite (there is a difference between telling a woman she looks nice in a tank top and asking her to sit on your lap). If you at what I’ve just mentioned, you could argue that I’ve not mentioned anything particularly special. However, while I’ve not mentioned anything particularly special, the ground reality is that we have become so conditioned to deal with people in a certain way that what should be normal social skills have become unusual. As anyone who has studied overseas will note – Singaporeans are great academically. We come up top in exam tables. We outwork just about every other ethnic group in university. Yet, once we hit the real world, the highlight of every Singaporeans career is to work for the white boys who didn’t work as hard or do as well in their studies. While I don’t have hard facts, I do notice that many of the Caucasians tend to be socially more able than our local workers. How did this happen? I believe that a lot of it comes from the way our people have been trained from birth. Success, we are told, is highly dependent on your academic results and parents make it a point to see to it that their do nothing else except study. Parents will do whatever it takes to ensure that their kids mix with other kids from the same background and in the situation. It goes without saying that people brought up in this situation, will continue this behaviour when they go to work. We have a situation in Singapore where people brag about, they work the world’s longest hours because this is a continuation of their school days. This is compounded from external factors. Property prices are constantly rising as are car prices. Social messaging states that you need a bigger and better house and car if you are to be regarded as anything respectable in society. Hence, we have a population that do well when someone else gives them a job. It goes without saying that when it comes to things like “dating,” people don’t have time to date or to look at anything outside the text book. The common reason why you have people over 25 proclaiming that they’ve never had a girlfriend or still virgins, is that they are “concentrating on their careers,” and will settle down and have kids. Unfortunately, by the time they reach the stage of “established,” they’re usually too old to adapt to having normal human relationships. We shouldn’t need to have to “teach” people how to get along or to be able to act in social situations. Yet, this is precisely the situation that Singaporeans have been conditioned to do. It’s time that the people be allowed to do what comes naturally without being pressured into acquiring things that won’t make a major difference to their lives.   Tang Li *Although I’ve been based mainly in Singapore for nearly two decades, I’ve had the privilege of being able meet people who have crossed borders and cultures. I’ve befriended ministers and ambassadors and worked on projects involving a former head of state. Yet, at the same time, I’ve had the privilege of befriending migrant labourers and former convicts. All of them have a story to tell. All of them add to the fabric of life. I hope to express the stories that inspire us to create life as it should be.      Read More →

Late Lee Kuan Yew The PAP has been in power for a long time. There is no doubt in my mind that they started with the best of intentions. Under LKY and the Old Guard, we had great leaders who not only uplifted society but also put Singapore on the world map. Regardless of whether we agree with them, we had no doubt their decisions were for the greater good. But times have changed and so has the leadership. These days, I wonder if they even have a heart. Of late, we see the government making all kinds of nonsensical excuses to defend and justify their position. Some of these excuses are so blatantly untrue that they insult our intelligence. I honestly wonder why the PAP thinks we are stupid to invent half-baked stories and half-truths to try to convince us. Do not mistake criticising the government as being disloyal to the nation. On the contrary... Here are just a few recent examples: Louis Ng will not be charged...but Jolavan was for holding a placard. Indranee Rajah lecturing and belittling Leong Mun Wai for asking questions of interest to the public. Desmond Lee reported $270 million loss when Yeoh Lam Keong exposed land acquired at minimal cost, resold at market value passed on to HDB and recorded as "loss". Reasons given why $2.4 billion to SPH Media Trust and Sports Hub are unconvincing. Even DPM Wong who says he is a servant leader but won't abolish GST hike and says we can't simply raise lower-wage earners salaries. Not to mention CECA even after all the concerns voiced over locals finding jobs. And how they go after the opposition and dissenters with a sledgehammer, almost like "show me the man and I'll find you the crime". Their reasons or explanations are treading on thin ice and cannot hold water. It is as though they make lousy policy and decisions that do not benefit citizens, realise their mistakes and now have to invent some "reasons" to justify themselves. But in the process, they come up with absurd and ridiculous explanations full of holes. This is why it is so easy for anyone to "pitcha lobang" (poke holes in their logic). The cracks are beginning to show. The writing is on the wall. It is but a matter of time that they will be swept aside.   Singapore Patriot      Read More →