Rilek1Corner

Category: Politik

  • Martyn See Tong Min Urges Lam Pin Min To Apologise And Retract Statements On Thaipusam

    Martyn See Tong Min Urges Lam Pin Min To Apologise And Retract Statements On Thaipusam

    OPEN LETTER TO MP DR LAM PIN MIN

    A happy new year to you Dr Lam,

    My name is See Tong Ming, Martyn. I am a citizen of Singapore. I hereby inform you that I will be filing a police complaint against you on the 26th of February 2015 for offences committed under the Sedition Act and Contempt of Court unless you remove and apologize for the following remark you made.

    On the 5th of February 2015 at 1836 hours, you shared a link on your facebook page to an article by ‘Lovely Singapore’ entitled “What really happened at the Thaipusam scuffle?” You had captioned the report in your own words :

    “An example of how alcohol intoxication can cause rowdiness and public nuisance.”

    The original statement by the Singapore Police Force, posted on the 5th February two hours earlier, had stated:

    “All three men were believed to have been drinking earlier as they smelt strongly of alcohol.”

    As such, you have deliberately distorted an allegation by the SPF into a statement of fact. I put it to you that you have :

    1. Incited enmity towards the Hindu community by stating as fact that devotees were intoxicated while participating in the holy festival of Thaipusam. May I inform you that devotees are required to undergo a strict regiment of fasting and abstinence from meat and alcohol. Members of the families of kavadi carriers are also required to undergo such a regiment, albeit for a shorter period.

    2. Caused ill-will and hostility between different races and communities. The responses on your facebook page show overwhelming hostility to your remark. Yet, you have allowed your offensive post to remain online, while you continue to publicly tout Christian teachings on your personal facebook wall. As a Member of Parliament, your lopsided attitude towards the religious sensitivities of Singaporeans, particularly against the Hindu community, is vexatious.

    3. Committed sub judice contempt of court by risking prejudice which may affect the final determination of the ongoing case against Ramachandra Chandramohan, Jaya Kumar Krishnasamy and Gunasegaran Rajendran, who are due to undergo trial for disorderly behaviour. The three men were charged in court on February 7th. Your facebook posting has remained online to this day. It has since been reproduced in online forums and blogs. A google search of “Thaipusam alcohol”, “Thaipusam intoxication”, ‘Thaipusam rowdiness” and ‘Thaipusam public nuisance” show up your statement as the top search result.

    This will not be the first time I have filed a police complaint against an elected person holding political office. In 2013, I filed a police complaint against Abdul Ghani Othman, the then Johor Menteri Besar, for canvassing for votes in Singapore ahead of the Malaysian elections.

    As this is the Chinese New Year season, I wish to offer you a grace period of 3 days to correct your facebook post and make a public apology to the Hindu community. Failing which, a police complaint will be filed by 12 noon on the 26th of February 2015.

    If you are so hung up in equating alcohol consumption with public nuisance, I suggest you speak up against the police’s approval of the St. Patrick’s Day street parade on Boat Quay slated for March 13 and 15. In Dublin, such celebrations have been marked by incidences of teenage drinking and street violence.

    See Tong Ming, Martyn

     

    Source: Martyn See

  • Have You Benefitted From PA Events?

    Have You Benefitted From PA Events?

    I will share about Peoples’ Association activities.

    Parties, celebrations, goodie bags, free buffet spread. Grassroots have it well.

    My question to Singaporeans, how many of you have participated or benefited from these? Little or none.

    Do anyone realize, its always the same old gang or participants? Why? Die hard participants who benefits from everything.

    One question we need to ask: Whose money are these?

    The PAP strongest point, to which the oppositions are generally very weak in, is public funds.

    Participants fear the loss of benefits. Volunteers shudder at the fact that their benefits run out (Free parking within this GRC or constituency, priority school application, HDB BTO after 3 years of service).

    Last year’s Grassroots retreat by Sengkang West brought about the question of cost. Grassroots Leaders are given a subsidy of S$100 from Peoples’ Association and perhaps, additional ‘out of pocket’ subsidy from the Member of Parliament.

    These are your money! Why are retreats overseas? Why not OBS? Or NTUC Chalet? Or cheaper locations like Batam or Bintan? Excuses like ‘Bonding’, ‘Appreciation’ etc. Do anyone realize these are the ground people for the PAP?

    Have they heard your voice? Have they represented your concerns to the Government? Aren’t Grassroots Leaders supposed to link the people and the Government together? Ask yourself this question, when was the last time you saw your Grassroots Leader, other then them walking around?

    Residents’ Committee are heavily subsidized by HDB and Peoples’ Association. Yet, we pay for the said courses. Ok, justified if they need to maintain the Center.

    However, do anyone realize these RCs and CCC have surpluses of tens and some hundreds of thousand dollars? How did these money benefit the residents? Or did it benefit just a core group of individuals?

    Singapore, there are many unanswered questions. No one to check on them, no one to question, no one to challenge. All these are kept away from the average Singaporean. Who justifies their balances? Will they be willing to display their accounts of each RC for residents knowledge?

    Obviously no.

    On the surface, Facebook post, media coverage on activities appears wonderful. My question would always be, how many residents actually benefited from it? In an average of 25,000 residents per constituency, an event that captures 100 participants is less than 0.5% of the population and the amount spent? A GRC event, say, 120,000 residents but participation figures? 1000? That is less than 1%!

    Well, Singapore, please spend some time to think about it. The media appears to display huge participation. Well, think again. Its your money.

    Singapore Son

    TRS Contributor

    Source: www.therealsingapore.com

  • SDP: Model For Implementing Minimum Wage In Singapore

    SDP: Model For Implementing Minimum Wage In Singapore

    Minimum wage (the lowest level of wages an employer may legally pay an employee) is an important policy tool that balances the needs of an economy with those of low-income workers so that economic growth occurs in a just and sustainable manner.

    A wage structure that is out of kilter with the cost of living and productivity is inimical to long-term growth.

    Under the SDP ‘s A New Economic Vision for Singapore, the government will establish a Wage Equity Commission (WEC) to recommend the minimum wage level.

    The WEC will comprise representatives from trade unions, chambers of commerce, professional associations, social work organisations, and academe.

    The determination of the minimum wage level will be based on a basket of factors including the cost of living index and inflation rate.

    Based on a wage level that would allow a worker working full-time (44 hours per week) to afford basic necessities, the SDP recommends the official minimum wage to be $7 per hour. This works out to be $1,232 per month for a full-time job of 44 per week. The amount would be subject to review by the WEC.

    Following the enactment of the Minimum Wage Act, the WEC will assess the impact of the policy on a basket of indicators (see box on right) and publish annual reports to monitor the situation.

    In addition, the WEC will be empowered to deal with complaints of wage manipulation and non-compliance by employers.

    The Progressive Wage Model recently introduced by the PAP targets only a small number of low-wage workers in the cleaning and security industries. What about workers in other sectors who are paid below a fair, living wage?

    There is also no mechanism to stop employees from manipulating the system by paying workers more but extending their work hours.

    Hong Kong implemented minimum wage in 2011 amidst much scare-mongering by the policy’s opponents that such a law would increase business costs to the extent that it would make the economy less competitive.

    However since its implementation, minimum wage has not adversely affected Hong Kong’s economy which continues to remain competitive and buoyant.

    Singapore is one of the few countries left in the world without a minimum wage law. The SDP will campaign for minimum wage, as we have in the past, in the upcoming elections.

     

    Source: http://yoursdp.ucoz.org

  • Maliki Osman: Malay Servicemen Have Progressed Significantly In SAF

    Maliki Osman: Malay Servicemen Have Progressed Significantly In SAF

    Minister of State for Defence Mohamad Maliki Osman has weighed in on the issue of Malays in the Singapore Armed Forces, saying Malay servicemen have made significant progress.

    “Our Malay servicemen have made significant progress in all the services in the SAF based on their capabilities and merits, and I am confident many more will do so in the future,” Dr Maliki said, in comments to Malay language daily Berita Harian published today.

    His comments came as Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said at a forum on Monday night that Malays now serve as sailors on board navy ships, and that the SAF does not discriminate against anyone and promotes men based on their ability.

    Dr Ng had been asked why Malays were previously excluded from the navy.

    The issue of Malays not being deployed in certain Singapore Armed Forces units and under-represented among the SAF’s top ranks has been an issue in the community.

    Yesterday, Dr Maliki – the first Malay political office-holder in the Defence Ministry – said the Malay community continues to make positive contributions to Singapore, including in the area of defence and security.

    “I have met many Malay servicemen in every service and formation in the SAF, including as fighter pilots, commandos, and naval combat systems operators,” he said.

    “Whether they are regulars, NSFs or NSmen, all of them serve with pride.

    Many have also contributed to the SAF’s overseas missions in Afghanistan and Timor Leste,” he added.

    Dr Maliki also noted that at the recent SAF50@Vivo exhibition to celebrate Singapore’s jubilee, he met several Malay servicemen serving in the navy.

    He said: “Together with their non-Malay colleagues, they play an important role in keeping our sea and shore safe, round the clock.”

     

    Source: http://news.asiaone.com

  • Malaysian Opposition Wants Police To Question Najib Razak Over Murder Of Mongolian Mdel Altantuya Shaariibuu

    Malaysian Opposition Wants Police To Question Najib Razak Over Murder Of Mongolian Mdel Altantuya Shaariibuu

    The police should investigate Datuk Seri Najib Razak over the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, ‎the PKR and DAP said today‎, after the prime minister rejected claims by convicted former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar that there was an order to kill the Mongolian woman.

    “Datuk Seri Najib Razak statement today that it was ‘utter rubbish’ for Sirul to have acted under orders to kill Altantuya Shaariibuu was premature, suspicious and must be investigated by the police,” said PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil in a statement today.

    Fahmi questioned how Najib could issue such a statement if he knew nothing about Altantuya.

    “And does he have more information than the public knows to make such a conclusion? His comments have raised the perception among the public that there is something not right in this issue,” he said.

    In a separate statement, Klang MP Charles Santiago said the judiciary should issue a stay of execution for Sirul and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, who was also convicted for the murder, until Najib was questioned.

    The DAP leader said Najib’s “strong reaction’ to Sirul’s claim implied he knew details of the case.

    He said that despite his denials, Najib had always been linked to Altantuya as she had worked as a translator during a defence deal involving Najib, then the defence minister, and his associate, Abdul Razak Baginda.

    “Although Najib has always maintained he does not know Altantuya, expose by a private investigator and the recent information leaked by Sirul have always looped in the prime minister,” said Charles.

    “And if necessary, this case should also be re-investigated in the interest of the nation as it involves a man who has the top job in the country.”

    He said the police should not attempt to protect Najib as Sirul’s threat to expose the details of the murder was explosive.

    “Malaysia’s internal security may well be compromised following Sirul’s statement as it raises suspicion that we may have a premier who could be involved in a criminal case,” said Charles.

    Najib today rubbished Sirul’s claims that he was under orders to kill Altantuya, but refused to elaborate further.

    “It’s total rubbish, total rubbish,” he told reporters after attending MCA’s Chinese New Year open house at Wisma MCA today.

    N‎ajib was asked on Sirul’s claim in a Malaysiakini report that he had orders to kill Altantuya.

    On Tuesday, Sirul (pic, left), now detained in Australia, said that the “real” murderers were still free.

    “I was under orders. The important people with motive are still free,” he told Malaysiakini in an interview.

    Sirul also said that his superior officer, then deputy superintendent Musa Safri, should have been called to give evidence in the Altantuya murder trial.

    At the time of the murder, Musa was the aide-de-camp of Najib, then the deputy prime minister.

    “He should have been put on the witness stand by the prosecution,” Sirul was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.

    The 43-year-old said he never knew Altantuya or even Razak, who was acquitted with abetting the Mongolian’s murder.

    Altantuya’s father Dr Setev Shaariibuu had previously claimed that his daughter had come to Malaysia specifically to meet Najib.

    In 2013, the Court of Appeal acquitted Sirul and Azilah, saying there was serious misdirection by trial judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Yasin, including the decision not to call Musa as witness.

    The three-man appellate court said the failure to put Musa on the witness stand was important to the prosecution to unfold the narrative of its case.

    On January 13, a five-man Federal Court bench led by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria sentenced the men to be hanged, overturning the Court of Appeal’s decision. – February 19, 2015.