Rilek1Corner

Category: Politik

  • Commentary: Retired Military Generals Are Only Familiar With Simulated Situations, But Not For Real Life Issues

    Commentary: Retired Military Generals Are Only Familiar With Simulated Situations, But Not For Real Life Issues

    The long time practice of putting retired military generals to take charge of public institutions that are vital to the social and economic lives of citizens – even if they had volunteered for the job – may not be the wisest thing to do after all. They may be scholars no doubt, but if they had spent all their working lives running military outfits, day in and day out facing simulated situations, they may not find it easy to adapt to real life issues.
    For example what technical experience does an ex general have to run a train system that is increasingly sophisticated and vital to the economic and social lives of the nation? What we need for the job is a first class engineer with good management experience who, if necessary, is prepared to even defy his political bosses with sound and practical solutions.
    The same thing goes for the management of our national shipping line which went to the dogs when a military general was put in charge. In spite of his scholar reputation I am quite sure he would have zero knowledge about shipping which is a world of difference from what he had been accustomed to.
    It is very easy to sit in your comfortable offices and earn big bucks but if you know nuts about the bolts (and nuts) of what makes the company tick, you are not the man for the job. Simple as that.
    If we see no change in the way appointments are made, be prepared for more cock-ups.
    Our selected president who is supposed to have the power to veto appointments should look into this.

     

    Source: Mohamed Jufrie Bin Mahmood

  • Victim’s Account: SMRT Train Collision At Joo Koon

    Victim’s Account: SMRT Train Collision At Joo Koon

    15 November morning, I was riding the MRT towards Joo Koon from Pioneer. I was at the front cabin of the train that almost reached Joo Koon MRT. At exactly 8.20 am, there was a loud bang, and a violent shaking threw everyone onto the floor. The lights also suddenly went out. I almost thought we were about to fall over.
    From the pilot cabin, we could hear the Driver speaking on the radio. He spoke to the control center that the train behind had collided with the train behind.
    A Bangladeshi or Indian man could not get up. He hit his head in the collision. A Caucasian man (possibly from Europe), rendered assistance.
    I tried pressing the comms button, but there was no response. The Caucasian man spoke to the driver through the opening of the door, informing that there is an injured person on board.

    An SMRT staff came from the other side to check on the casualty. He probably came from the rear of the train. We asked him if it was possible to open the train door to let the injured person out. The staff said that if the train door was opened, then all the train doors would be opened at the same time, which would endanger passengers walking on the electrified tracks. I asked him if it was possible to just open only a single door. He replied they cannot control it like that.
    After a long time, the front door from the driver side was opened. 2 passengers helped the injured man to his feet and got him out first. The rest of us then followed outside. It was 8.50, half an hour since the collision.

    At the control station of Joo Koon, people were forming a long queue. They were queuing to get the excuse sheet, as well as to cancel the overstay status, as they cannot tap out with their EZ Link cards. To my dismay, I realized that the gantry of Joo Koon was still deducting fares. The one thing that never breaks down. I approached the staff, explained the fare deduction should be cancelled. She told me that she has no power to make such a decision, and just referred me to another staff. After approaching 3 staff, the male SMRT staff opened one gate with no fare deduction. I told him the fare waiver should be for the whole station, not just one gate, but he said this was the best he could do.

    It was a bad experience, but I could say I was lucky enough to get away with just a few bumps. Others weren’t so lucky. This has already become the norm. And you can see the resilience of Singaporeans from the way we tap on our phones even as we were stuck on board.
    I would like to thank Mr Khaw for such an experience, because every time he opens his big mouth, an incident is never far behind. More to come. Maybe better not say what next or else our loved ones may be trapped inside. The families of the top ‘unaccountability’ not involved bcos they are elitistically and affluentably chaffeured !!!!!😎😎😎😎😎

     

     

     

    Source: Chen GJ

  • Commentary: Vote Wisely In The Next Election

    Commentary: Vote Wisely In The Next Election

    The train collision marked a new low for SMRT and our Nation. Louder comes the call for heads to roll from the very top. What is at the root of the SMRT failures?

    SMRT is a corporation (private) that is owned by the Government. Supposedly, this model of corporatizing public services serve to benefit all stake holders. We hear this idealistic scenario again recently in Parliament, when Mr Khaw Boon Wan made the same points in response to questions. But have all stakeholders benefited as claimed or only their select few?

    A private corporation exist for profit while a public service exists to serve the public. So there is a fundamental problem to begin with when the Government decides to run public services like a business. Try as you will but you cannot have the cake and eat it too.

    After more than 50 years of running the country like a business against all wisdoms cautioning the dangers of profiting off public services, Singaporeans are witnessing the inevitable happen. The so-called efficiency comes at a huge expense to the public. When public officers meant to serve public interest failed their fiduciary duties as the structure of check and balances are compromised by colluding conflict of interests producing a public/private self-serving mess that we now inherited.

    When the next election comes, we must correct this by voting our rights to take back this Nation and stop their failed projects (HDB, COE, ERP, CPF, 6.9 Million people, etc.) on their tracks.

     

     

    Source: Damanhuri Bin Abas

  • Commentary: Leaders Are No Longer Chosen On The Basis Of Merit

    Commentary: Leaders Are No Longer Chosen On The Basis Of Merit

    The image of a ponding MRT on its submerged track is iconic and deep with prophetic tell-tale signs of the state we are in as a Nation.

    The admission of a culture of complacency in SMRT by its very CEO has served to expose the parasitic cancer eroding all that we have build as a Nation, when we abandoned what we used to champion, i.e., meritocracy.

    Leaders are no longer chosen on the basis of merit, required expertise and capabilities for the core functions demanded. Political interests to maintain control and power dictates who gets any top jobs. The best gets sidelined for not being correctly aligned politically. The mantra of the best man for the job no longer applies.

    A pervasive culture of silence exist deterring anyone to speak up for the truth which in today’s high salaried pseudo corporate top jobs potentially means foregoing that politically laced iron rice bowl. We are doing everything that the best management gurus warned against. Never to compromise separation of powers to ensure adequate checks and balances as well as non tolerance to conflict of interest situations.

    Now instead, an elitist tight clique safeguards their own vested interest as they run the faltering Singapore Inc. The reminder and caution of pitfalls when government do business is simply ignored. Lessons strangely don’t apply of gross abuse that always happen when the sacred lines on separation of powers that must never be crossed disappears.

    Emblematic of this chronic malaise is the blurring between who is checking who. We are shockingly reminded again of this sickness with the reply Minister Khaw gave to Low’s question in parliament. The information of how checks and balances are ensured between Ministry, Stat boards and Operators are vital and valid and must be clearly answered. Simply brushing aside such queries in parliament with pathetic line of we know what we are doing and can be trusted will not do anymore.

    Singaporeans must remember all these moments and there are surely plenty now to list. Government must never be allowed to get away with excuses instead of explaining why things fail and must take responsibility for their failures which clearly is the case with poor judgement on top executive choices. Poor decisions and bad judgments must have consequences.

    Ultimately, the root of the problem begins in government. This government has abandoned all the lofty ideals of governance that our founding fathers stood for and defended. The government has no checks and in truth we the People made it so. With no real accountability by the government to the people, the inevitable will happen. Remember this image when we next go to the polls and vote wisely.

     

    Source: Damanhuri Bin Abas

  • 3 Tafsiran Ahok Atas Pepatah ‘Tuntutlah Ilmu Sampai ke China’

    3 Tafsiran Ahok Atas Pepatah ‘Tuntutlah Ilmu Sampai ke China’

    Jakarta – Gubernur DKI Jakarta Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) mengungkapkan dia punya tafsiran pepatah ‘tuntutlah ilmu sampai ke negeri China’. Ahok menyatakan hal ini saat menghadiri pelantikan Dewan Pengurus Wilayah (DPW) Badan Komunikasi Pemuda Remaja Masjid Indonesia (BKPRMI) DKI Jakarta.

    “Banyak sekali hadist nabi yang saya pengen tahu tafsirannya. Seperti ‘tuntutlah ilmu sampai ke negeri China. Saya penasaran tapi dulu guru SMP saya saat ditanya enggak tahu dan hanya bilang hadisnya kurang kuat dan masih diperdebatkan,” kata Ahok di Balai Kota, Jakarta Pusat, Jumat (5/12/2014).

    Tak puas, suami Veronica Tan ini pun lantas mencoba-coba membuat tafsirannya sendiri. Dia mengaku penasaran kenapa yang disebut harus negeri China.

    “Saya coba pikirkan, akhinya saya ketemu, ini tafsiran ala saya sendiri ya. Wajarlah dibilang sampai ke negeri China, lihat saja Tiongkok begitu maju budayanya,” kata dia.

    Dari perenungannya dan hasil membaca berbagai teori filsafat asal negeri Tirai Bambu itu, Ahok menemukan tiga keunggulan yang membuat Tiongkok layak untuk ditiru.

    “Pertama di sana ada ajaran Konfusius. Dia prinsipnya kalau bicara pendidikan tidak boleh ada pengkotakan. Tidak ada diskriminasi untuk pendidikan. Coba lihat kalau di kita, semua diskriminasi,” tuturnya.

    Menerapkan prinsip pertama itu, Ahok pun ingin menghapuskan diskrimasi antara si kaya dan miskin dalam hal pendidikan. Dia memberikan KJP bagi pelajar yang tak mampu. Mulai tahun depan jumlahnya pun akan ditingkatkan dari hanya Rp 200 ribu per bulan menjadi Rp 800 ribu.

    Prinsip kedua, yakni dewa dalam tradisional Tiongkok yakni Fu De Zheng Shen, yang dalam Hokkien dibaca Hok Tek Ceng Sin. Fu yang bersimbol kotak bermakna petak sawah. Dia menafsirkannya bahwa tiap orang harus punya lahan atau sawah agar bisa makmur.

    “Orang harus ada usaha yang adil, bukan hanya untuk orang kaya. Makanya kita mau bangun areal untuk menampung para PKL,” tambah Ahok.

    Tafsiran ketiga yang dipetiknya dari negeri Tiongkok itu yakni bahwa jika kepala lurus maka bawahannya juga pasti lurus. “Makanya kalau punya gubernur, bupati dan walikota yang lurus, bawahannya masih berani korupsi enggak? Pasti takut,” pungkas Ahok.

    “Nah kalau ini kita terapkan Jakarta pasti makmur. Ini tafsiran saya atas menuntut ilmu sampai ke negeri China,” kata Ahok sambil tertawa.

     

    Source: https://news.detik.com