Category: Singapuraku

Political Activist, Uncle Yap, Gives Up On Selfish Opposition Politics

A well-known political activist, he had been seen by the side of leaders of various opposition parties for almost two decades, from the 1980s to mid-2000s.

During the 2006 General Election, there was even talk of Mr Yap Keng Ho, better known as “Uncle Yap”, contesting under the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) umbrella.

But little has been heard of this colourful character — who had been in and out of jail many times for breaking the law while participating in some political activities — for the past five years.

In a recent interview, Mr Yap, 55, told TODAY that he gradually stepped away from the local political scene because he grew disillusioned with some of the personalities in opposition parties and the “selfish politics” that were increasingly being played out.

“What we are seeing now is politicking for personal interest and freedom, it is not for the good of the entire nation … I was expecting to see more valuable voices and ideas by reversing the fear (of the establishment) … But what came out was not what I appreciated.”

Mr Yap said he first entered politics in the 1980s with a desire to “lift the lid of fear” that many opposition politicians had towards the governing People’s Action Party (PAP) and Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

During the 2006 election, even though he did not contest as a candidate, Mr Yap took an active part in the hustings to express his support for SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan and veteran opposition politician J B Jeyaretnam, whom he described as the late Mr Lee’s greatest adversaries.

The late Jeyaretnam could not run as a candidate in the polls because he had been declared a bankrupt for failing to pay damages from defamation lawsuits brought by several PAP leaders.

While he still keeps in touch with SDP members, Mr Yap spends most of his time now caring for his elderly mother and drives a Chrysler limousine taxi at night.

Two months ago, he was highlighted in the newspapers as the cabbie who responded more than 20 times to cardiac arrest cases, among the highest number under SMRT’s AED-On-Wheels programme. Mr Yap, who was an instructor with the St John Ambulance Brigade in his school days, said he volunteered for the programme because he wanted to refresh the life-saving skills that he had learnt earlier.

Mr Yap is also interested in raising awareness about the rapid depletion of natural resources.

“The globe’s resources are not able to withstand our living and consumption habits … We need to convey the urgency (of this challenge), adjust values to correctly influence lifestyles,” he said.

Source: www.todayonline.com

December 1, 2016
Donald Low: Singaporeans Need To Get Facts Right On Singapore’s Role In China’s Economic Modernisation

The Singaporeans who think that the current kerfuffle with China shows that the Chinese government has forgotten that it was Singapore that inspired China’s economic modernization (beginning with Deng Xiaoping’s visit to Singapore in 1978) really need to get their heads (and their understanding of economic history) checked.

First, the Chinese do not forget easily.

Second, it is simply not true that Singapore’s development story was of great relevance for China. China’s development experience of the last thirty years has a lot more in common with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan’s experience: export-led industrialization through home-grown firms rather than MNCs, industrial policy aimed at developing indigenous capabilities rather than simply importing technologies from abroad, maintenance of tariff barriers (rather than the free trade that Singapore practised) for relatively long periods to benefit local companies, financial repression rather than a liberalized capital account, relatively weak rule of law, government-business relations that are quite cosy and corrupt, etc. All these practices are more reminiscent of China’s northeast Asian neighbors than of Singapore. So it’s simply not true that our development experience was an important role model for China; it’s delusional for us to think we are—then, or now.

To the extent that the Chinese were interested in the Singapore experience at all, it has more to do with how the state maintained law and order, political stability and one party rule in an ostensibly democratic environment.

Source: Donald Low

December 1, 2016
Syiok SG: Help Sponsor Umrah For Palestinian Orphans

Do your part in helping the orphans to fulfil their dreams in performing Umrah, after all they have gone through difficulties in Palestine.

other than providing food, water, education, medical care and welfare for their daily needs, we have launched a very special programme – sending Palestinian orphans on a blessed journey to Mecca to perform Umrah.

please help to spread this appeal for the Orphan.

our local NGO Global Ehsan and partners looks after more than 800 orphans in the Middle East as part our orphan sponsorship programme. we were given 30 palestinian orphans for sponsorhip from Singapore.

video for previous umrah orphan for your documentary will be released soon.

please tag your familu and friends 😉 we want to share the good deeds.

May Allah Bless You. Amin.

Source: Syiok SG

December 1, 2016
Myanmar Nationals: Singaporeans Don’t Understand The Rohingya Issue

The visit by Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has been widely covered by local media.

A video by Channel NewsAsia on Aung San Suu Kyi inspecting the guard of honour at the Istana generated much reponse from locals and Myanmar national alike.

Some locals pointed out that Aung San Suu Kyi was disrespectful as she did not acknowledge the state colours when she walked past them.

Others called on her to address the proverbial elephant in the Istana – the genocide of the Rohingya. They wanted Aung San Suu Kyi to learn from Singapore.

This elicited protestations from Myanmar nationals who claim that Singaporeans do not understand the Rohingya problem.

To convince Singaporeans, one even gave an impromptu lesson in Myanmar history.

This was followed by a concerted outpouring of love for Aung San Suu Kyi.

So there you have it.

Can the Rohingya genocide be resolved soon?

Source: www.facebook.com/ChannelNewsAsia

December 1, 2016
UN To Myanmar: Your Reputation Is At Stake Over Rohingya Crisis

UNITED NATIONS — The reputation of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in Myanmar is at stake amid international concerns over how it is dealing with violence in the country’s divided northwest, a senior United Nations official warned on Tuesday (Nov 29).

The conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State has sent hundreds of Rohingya Muslims fleeing across the border to Bangladesh amid allegations of abuses by security forces. The crisis poses a serious challenge to Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, who swept to power last year on promises of national reconciliation.

In a statement, the U.N.’s special adviser on the prevention of genocide Adama Dieng, said the allegations “must be verified as a matter of urgency” and urged the government to allow access to the area.

“If they are true, the lives of thousands of people are at risk. The reputation of Myanmar, its new Government and its military forces is also at stake in this matter,” he said.

“Myanmar needs to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law and to the human rights of all its populations. It cannot expect that such serious allegations are ignored or go unscrutinised,” he said.

Soldiers have poured into the area along Myanmar’s frontier with Bangladesh, responding to coordinated attacks on three border posts on Oct. 9 that killed nine police officers.

Myanmar’s military and the government have rejected allegations by residents and rights groups that soldiers have raped Rohingya women, burnt houses and killed civilians during the military operation in Rakhine.

The violence, the most serious bloodshed in Rakhine since hundreds were killed in communal clashes in 2012, has renewed international criticism that Ms Suu Kyi has done too little to alleviate the plight of the Rohingya minority, who are denied citizenship and access to basic services.

“The government needs, for once and for all, to find a sustainable solution to the situation of the Rohingya Muslims and other religious and ethnic minorities in Myanmar, a solution that is in full compliance with the international human rights standards that the government has pledged to respect,” Mr Dieng said.

Source: www.todayonline.com

December 1, 2016