Category: Politik

Goh Meng Seng: Do Not Divert Attention From Real Issues In Benjamin Lim’s Case

I am utterly disappointed by the Minister for Home Affairs (who is also the Minister of Law, which I always feel is totally inappropriate as it may constitute a conflict of interests but this article is not about this) Mr. Shanmugam’s statement made in parliament with regards to the case of Benjamin Lim Jun Hui.

Instead of addressing the many valid pertinent concerns raised by the public, on and off-line, he has put up a barrage of fire attacks at The Online Citizen (TOC) and the President of Law Society, Mr. Thio Shen Yi with totally irrelevant petty details of bickering.

Whether there were 4 or 5 policemen went to the school, wearing police uniforms or plain clothes are really irrelevant to the pertinent questions asked by TOC, Mr Thio and the public at large.

It is even more ridiculous for the Minister to cast doubts on TOC’s intent by raising the fact that it has reported that the Police refused to comment on the matter when approached!

For whatever reasons the police refused to comment (such as those reasons presented by the Minister himself), it should just say so when TOC asked them! A good and competent Public Relations Officer from the Police would have made simple comment like “We cannot comment on this case as internal investigation is still ongoing.” or “We cannot comment on this case as there will be Coroner Inquiry, please wait for the result of Coroner Inquiry”…etc.

The total ignore or silence from the Police is smacked of either arrogance or complete incompetency in Public Relations communication.

The Police has its own Pubic Relations officers. If the Police refused to answer to TOC’s inquiries, then the Minister cannot blame the TOC for reporting so (the truth that the police refused to comment) and the public will have their own discretion to form their own opinion.

So my dear Minister, it is the FAILURE of Police Public Relations officers in responding to the matter in timely manner that created public perception, not TOC. TOC merely reported the NO RESPONSE from the police!

It is of course the prerogative of the Police in keeping silence but it must also understand that keeping quiet will have its consequences and implications.

By the way, the Main stream media also reported 5 officers went to the school! Please lah! Why not fire at the Main stream media as well?

As for the President of Law Society, the point made was the necessity of the police making the arrest at the school! So, don’t try to divert from this pertinent question by going into the irrelevant bickering. Do you think it is appropriate or necessary for the police to send 4 or 5 police officers to the school to make the arrest?

There are more important questions raised by the public and I expect the Minister to address them, instead of using diversion tactic to dodge from these questions and public anger:

1) Does the Minister think it is RIGHT (never mind if it is legal or not) for policemen to go to school to arrest students who are just suspects of crimes?

2) Does the Minster think it is RIGHT (never mind if it is legal or not) for the police to interrogate minors without the presence of guardian or legal representative? In fact, is it right for police to deny legal representation or aid to suspects, regardless of age, during interrogation?

These are the two important issues raised by the President of Law Society and they are valid questions to be addressed fully. These questions raised does NOT constitute sub judice but it is of GREAT PUBLIC INTERESTS.

I hope the Minister could address these real issues instead of wasting time trying to divert attention to inconsequential minor details and bickering.

Oh, by the way, the poor boy was just investigated but NO OFFICIAL JUDGMENT has been made about him just yet. I do not understand why the Minister would insinuate him as “guilty” in parliament just because, according to the police interrogation, he “confessed” to the crime. His confession could be contested in court if there was really a court case but unfortunately, he won’t have that trial now. So I would urge the Minister not to put judgment on the poor dead boy in parliament even though he is also the Minister of Law, but he is not the judge nor the case has been heard.

Goh Meng Seng

Source: People’s Power Party – PPP

March 3, 2016
Ironic That Hijab Is An Issue For Parents At Montessori School

I refer to the report “Employers should list dress code policies clearly, says TAFEP” (Feb 26). It points to a shocking social reality.

The notion that some parents might feel uncomfortable about women wearing the hijab handling their children is ironic. Parents pay top dollar to enrol their children in Montessori schools so that they, among other outcomes, are groomed with sound social skills. However, such a curriculum can evidently fail to impart tolerance, apparently because of parents themselves.

Preserving a tolerant society is not the sole responsibility of the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices, the Government, nor schools. We want various institutions to encourage tolerance towards issues that can potentially divide us, but as Dr Maria Montessori put it, “the child builds his inmost self out of the deeply held impressions he receives”. Home is where most of these impressions are unconsciously imitated then internalised.

We must realise it is imperative to prepare children to face uncomfortable circumstances, especially those at conflict with deeply rooted beliefs. Parents should strive to make every moment a “teachable moment”. That way, we nurture a generation that seeks the greater good in the face of adversity, instead of avoiding it.

As Dr Montessori said: “Preventing conflicts is the work of politics; establishing peace is the work of education.”

This opinion by Zakrie Abdul Manap, was published in Voices, Today, on 29 Feb 2016.

Source: www.todayonline.com

February 29, 2016
Sounding The Alarm: The PAP Needs To Face Up To Economic Reality

In his Lunar New Year message this year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong referred to the global economic distress, saying: “The Government is watching the situation closely. We do not expect a severe downturn, like the Global Financial Crisis in 2008.”

Finance Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat, likewise, played down the looming crisis, going so far as to say that Singapore’s externally oriented industries will experience a “subdued performance” and, even then, only for the short term, reflecting “modest growth” in the global economy.

A cursory review of the analyses coming out from the global business sector paints a picture quite different. Granted some of these reports are speculative and alarmist but there is a considerable amount of data pointing to a more severe, even alarming, picture.

China’s weakening economy, slumping oil prices, collapse of the commodities market, and signs of an economic slowdown in the United States are all contributing to an ominous outlook ahead.

The Baltic Dry Index, which measures the transportation cost of raw materials, has dropped to a record low and falling – the lower the index, the slower the global trade. In fact, demand has been so bad that ships are being scrapped faster than they’re built.

William White, the Swiss-based chairman of the OECD’s review committee and former chief economist of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) warns that the current situation is worse than what it was in 2007.

White, who had warned about the 2008 crisis before it happened, blames the situation on high debt levels. The debts, incurred through easy credit since the last crisis, have “reached such levels in every part of the world that they have become a potent cause for mischief.”

Much of this debt has been incurred by the corporate sector in Asia with Singapore leading the charge. As a percentage of GDP, Singapore has the highest private debt among emerging markets.

This has led analysts to wonder out loud whether these corporate debts are serviceable in light of the economic downturn. Law firms in Singapore are even warning that rising bond defaults are looking ominously like those in the crises of 2008 and 1998. Bad loans in the country reached a six-year high in 2015 with our economy facing “escalating risk on multiple fronts”.

All this has an negative knock-on effect for the rest of the economy. Our non-oil domestic exports fell nearly 10 percent in January this year – its third consecutive month of contraction. The oil-industry is doing even worse with petrochemical exports plunging 18.3 percent.

This has resulted in lay-offs; announcements of retrenchments from banks, IT firms, oil-companies, news portals, etc have become the staple in our daily news.

The downturn has inevitably caused much pain in the property sector. Dozens of real estate agencies have gone bust with thousands of property agents leaving the industry. A glut of undersold condominium projects with many more coming on in the pipeline have depressed housing prices.

Homeowners are also feeling the brunt of the crisis. Nearly 80 percent more financially distressed homeowners in Singapore are putting up their properties for auction. (This development is not surprising given that Singapore has one of the highest level of household borrowing relative to GDP in Asia.)

Bad as the housing market is, business is even worse for commercial properties. There is already excess capacity in prime office space with millions more square feet of new supply coming into the market this year. Rental, having fallen 15 percent in 2015, is expected to nosedive by a further 10 to 20 percent in 2016.

Clearly, with the way things are going, the economy is not, according to Finance Minister Heng, just “subdued”. It is time the government faces up to the increasingly dire situation here and, to the extent that its actions do not continue to dig a deeper economic hole, start taking steps to put things right.

Source:www.cheesoonjuan.com

February 28, 2016
Malay Lion Dance: Is This PAP’s Version Of Integration?

A reader Azman, sent us this video.

Click link to Watch Video

He said:

“The video shows the lion dance troupe, all young malay boys.

Integration indeed.

I am actually disappointed that during the recent CNY celebrations, i see a lot of our Malay youths doing the lion dance.

I know they are probably working for money the halal way, but is there no other good avenues to work?

Is this how integration is going to be like? Malay youths doing the Lion dance. We don’t see Chinese youths baca takbir raya during Aidilfitri or help sembelih during Aidil Adha.”

The group on the video are all Malay youths in their late teens to early 20s.

We have seen quite a number of Malay youths performing in Lion Dance and Chinese funerals.

Is this the type of integration Yaacob Ibrahim wants?

Source: Almakhazin SG

February 25, 2016
Modern Montessori Preschool Disallows Hijab Wear With Ludicrous Claims Of Fearful Parents

I was discriminated because I was wearing a hijab, I like to share my unfortunate experience with you. I went for an interview today at one of the modern montessori preschool in Kovan and my interview went well until my interviewer Mdm Sheela, Director of MMI told me….

Interviewer: Since you are wearing the hijab if you start working here you have to wear a bandanna to cover your just your hair.

Me: what is the reason for this policy in your company?

Interviewer: Because we have many incidents where Chinese parents are afraid to handover their kids to a staff who is wearing hijab. kids get scared too.

This is the most ridiculous reason I have ever heard for not allowing hijab in workplace.

Called ministry of manpower they refer to MUIS.

Called MUIS, they refer somewhere else.

MOM PUT ON HOLD……..

MUIS PUT ON HOLD………….

THIRD TRANSFER ——- SORRY OFFICE HOURS ARE CLOSED…

CLAP CLAP WOW SINGAPORE SO MULTIRACIAL!

Source: Sharifah Begum

February 20, 2016