Category: Politik

Malaysian Opposition Will Scrap High Speed Rail Project If Elected

Malaysia’s opposition alliance said yesterday it will scrap a planned High Speed Rail (HSR) line between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur if it won federal power, and replace it with a railway connecting two key cities in East Malaysia – Tawau in Sabah and Kuching in Sarawak.

The proposal to ditch the HSR project and pump the estimated RM35 billion (S$11 billion) saved into East Malaysia was presented by Pakatan Harapan (PH) on the sidelines of a Parliament session, ahead of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s tabling of the 2016 Budget tomorrow.

The opposition claimed the HSR line would largely benefit only those working in and around Kuala Lumpur and in Singapore, and that the project is unnecessary at this point because Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are already served by excellent air and road links.

Selangor MP Ong Kian Ming, a member of PH’s Budget drafting committee, argued that the HSR would likely cost more than a rail network linking Sabah and Sarawak, and would significantly add to Malaysia’s debt levels if both were to be built together.

“HSR is not as important given that there are many cheaper and affordable options to travel between Malaysia and Singapore. The multiplier effects would be lower compared to a new railway network in East Malaysia and hence, the preference for the second cheaper and more necessary rail project,” he told The Straits Times.

Sabah and Sarawak have long been stronghold states of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. With Sarawak state polls to be called by next year, the move by the opposition is seen as a concerted play for East Malaysian votes. National elections are due in 2018.

Democratic Action Party chairman Tan Kok Wai said the new railway and other financial benefits to be allocated to Sabah and Sarawak in the opposition’s “alternative Budget”, are meant to develop the two states “long neglected” by BN.

The HSR plan has gained traction, with about 150 firms responding to Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Commission and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority’s Request For Information exercise this month.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

October 22, 2015
Would Myanmar Nationals Want A Government Like Singapore’s?

I read with amusement how Myanmar nationals are hoping for change and that the Myanmar junta would be replaced by a government like Singapore’s PAP.

People from third world countries like Myanmar, Philippines and Malaysia admire the Singapore government for the outer facade it presents: strong Sing dollar currency, non-corruption (we Singaporeans know better how truly corrupted the Singapore government is the legal way), safe (unless you offend the wrong group), ample employment opportunities, number of shopping centers (oh you be surprised they gauge how wealthy a country is by the number of shopping malls it has) and etc. These foreign nationals mistakenly believe that Singapore is a pride of Asia and that an “Asian” country can be as good as any first world countries.

Unfortunately, due to the vast gap in understanding democracy and the real definition of a first world country, they fell under the false impression Singapore is an ideal country which they wish their government would be like so. Perhaps in their eagerness against the very evils of their own governments, they sought relief from a new country where its government constantly lie about non-corruption, citizens-first and with-you-for-you war cries. They teared along when they heard Lee Kuan Yew died; knowing nothing of the evils the dictator did. Singapore is their utopia and Singaporeans who complain were told they are more than happy to trade their Prime Ministers for Lee Hsien Loong.

Blinded and frustrated by the sorry state of affairs in their homeland, foreigners who praise the Singapore government are honestly those with very shallow and backward mindsets, with their understanding of governance and societies at superficial levels and knowing nothing about macro-economics, political dynamics, sustainability, positioning and the very dangerous consequences of having the kind of leadership Singapore has. In their point of view, Singapore is on the right track and there is nothing to worry about Singapore and even so for the next 50 years. Including new citizens and PRs, they were not brought up through the Singapore system and were largely ignorant of the sacrifices and trade-offs of being a Singaporean.

After all, people who reached maturity do not make flippant suppositions like trading their Prime Ministers for Lee Hsien Loong. Take up the Singapore citizenship, Lee Hsien Loong will make sure you take back your words. Till then, good luck hoping for change in Myanmar.

Alex

Source: www.tremeritus.com

October 20, 2015
Singapore Citizen Cheated Of Money By Company Set Up By Young PAP Member

To Whom It May Concern,

Thank you for your emails even as the various other agencies (MAS, ACRA and SPF) have been passing on this buck one to another.

For the record, my friends and I were approached by 2 individuals, Mr Chan Wai Meng and MK Chin of Boss Singapore Pte Ltd and Cuffz Holdings Pte Ltd respectively on 12 May 2012 to contract a fix deposit with them for a maturity term of 3 years.

Hence, we headed down to their offices at then 52 Boat Quay and were given assurances by the companies that Mr MK Chin and Chan Wai Meng were their staffs and that proper licensing was being obtained by a Mr Harold Fook who is an assistant director of MAS and the chairman of some government internet regulatory in addition to hailing from Young PAP.

All these were being conveyed to us at the point of our contracting.

But in March last year, we were informed by fellow victims that the companies have absconded with our monies to reopen new branches in Indonesia and Philippines.

When we went to see Mr MK Chin and Wai Meng to give us an explanation, they told us that our monies were already “burned” by then and further challenged us to make police reports as they charged that loopholes in the current system protects their business interest and prevents any guilt from being administered on them.

As it goes, it turned out to be so with Mr Pritam Singh informing me at his MPS that CAD had informed his office they will be closing this case with no further updates, accountability or transparency throughout the process.

I also do not dream Mr Victor Lye who promised he will help me during the course of hustings but disappeared soon after as I cannot expect those who scratch each other back to be “checkmating” themselves too.

The only recourse according to my MP, is to go the legal route.

As it is more often than not a draconian and lengthy process coupled with my entire life savings wiped out, I have no other alternative but to turn to Legal Aid and I hope the ministry will be impartial and “compassionate” in light of the landslide mandate trumpeted by PM Lee.

I have previously seen Fatimah Lateef for help before moving into my current premises but her letter did not aid much either.

I hope the ministry will look into this with a fresh perspective, thank you.

Ms Lim

Source: www.transitioning.org

October 19, 2015
Goh Meng Seng: Good Opposition Performance Backfired, Don’t Blame Small Opposition Parties

From Goh Meng Seng

I cannot help but wonder why people cannot see through the plain attempt of some political leaders of shifting away blame when they come up with some totally illogical and even contradicting statements.

Half truth is thrown up to mask their flaw argument.

For example, people say opposition suffered a bad swing because of small parties and we contested all seats. This is because people fear PAP losing power.

One must first look at simple facts of comparison. In 2011, all but 6 seats were contested. You mean to say that PAP won’t face the same risk of losing power in 2011 if we simply look at the total number of seats contested?

There must be something more to make voters to fear PAP losing power. There are combined factors:

1. The show of an over confident of WP and SDP winning. This can only be effected when majority of media focus has been put on them, showing the huge crowd size of their rallies and suggestive reporting of potential GREAT victory. This also means that other small parties did not hog the news space and didn’t project any negativity to voters as a whole.

2. However, the number seats of WP and SDP added up will not Cross the 50% mark. It would be irrational for voters to conclude that PAP will lose power if Both WP and SDP win all the seats they contested. Thus, it also means that in voters’ mind, other smaller parties may also win seats! If that was so, it must be the case that voters also think smaller parties have good credible candidates who could potentially win seats as well .

Now, how can people start to say that other smaller parties do not have credible candidates if that was the case?

Thus, please don’t put blame on other smaller parties. Opposition as a whole has put up a TOO STRONG showing which Ironically backfired. It was too strong overall to make people frighten of the unthinkable, PAP LOSING POWER.

Contrary to those nay sayers, opposition wasn’t weak at all and it was Precisely due to this perceived strength, voters begin to worry about PAP losing power. Period.

Source: People’s Power Party – PPP

October 19, 2015
A Letter From Australia – Thank You SDP For Well-Run Campaign In GE2015

Dear Singapore Democratic Party,

I am a Singaporean living in Australia. I am married to an Australian and live here with our family.

I followed closely both GE2011 and more recently GE2015 from afar, which has been made possible by the Internet in current times. Needless to say, given that I am writing this letter to you, I am supportive of having strong and credible opposition voices in the current political climate in Singapore.

Since GE2015, 9/11/15, I have been left somewhat broken-hearted, and to be honest, a little shell-shocked. It is not my intent to go into a political analysis here – I am not a political commentator, neither am I au fairewith the intricacies of politics in Singapore – I am sure that you all would have done/ will do a post-mortem of the outcomes from GE2015 and are in a much better position to do so that I am.

However, I would like to give my gratitude to ALL OF YOU, candidates and volunteers alike, at the SDP (and all other opposition parties) for putting yourselves forward in a bid to secure an alternative, and equally as good if not better, future for the country and people of Singapore. Thank you. You are all courageous and progressive people that Singapore should be proud to call sons and daughters.

In my opinion, GE2015 saw the fielding of the strongest pool of opposition candidates that Singapore has seen since Independence. Not just in formal qualifications, but also in personality, character and voice. It was because of this that I was so heartbroken that the ground did not show the support that I had wished it to. It was never a question for me that the incumbent party would still form government at the end of this round of GE based on numbers alone (and dare I say, so should they as they are probably the most adequately resourced to do so at present), but I had felt that the opposition field this time would have been able to provide the much-needed alternative and credible voice in Parliament, to challenge both the incumbent and people of the nation to think outside-of-the-box, be more progressive and dare to dream beyond our backyard as a nation. I would have been happy even with a stronger margin for the opposition than what GE2015 delivered, for a more promising GE2020. Alas, that wasn’t to be so.

So it leaves, I guess, the opposition parties and their supporters to re-evaluate their positions, as they face the cross-roads post GE2015.

In any case, please accept my gratitude again for a campaign well-run for GE2015. Onwards and forwards to the next milestone!

With best wishes,
Elin

Source: http://yoursdp.org

October 19, 2015