Category: Singapuraku

SCDF (NS) Officer: Leaders Need To Inspire Men, Ensure Their Well-Being

As an NS officer in the SCDF, I am not embarrassed to say that men from my unit were not the cream of the crop. Many of NSFs had family problems, children, pregnant girlfriends and financial problems. They were nevertheless my men. When they came with their problems, I made them mine. I may reprimand them but I also ensured they got out of trouble and never fall again. They must understand the gravity of their actions and at the same time learn of other alternatives to their life choices. If they deliberately fail to comply, they must understand that there are consequences. They may dread my lectures on life decisions after morning CA drills but I would regret not sharing if anything would happen to them. Likewise when they perform, they are recognised and rewarded.

As leaders it is our duty to inspire our men and ensure their well being is uplifted. They are not just equipment or vehicles that can be managed and left alone. They are humans with needs, motivations and ambitions.

In return, I only hope that they become better men than they were before and better than me. In fact, I believe they helped me more than I probably have done for them. Thanks guys.

Officers and enciks, show your men that you are human too – have empathy and compassion. You are not just puppets of bureaucratic systems. Just because you are in one does not mean the same should apply to the way you lead ypur men. Let them see that you are trying your best to make their short 2 years here as fulfilling as possible. They will understand that you have a job to do too.

I understand it is not easy trying to meet the expectations of our superiors who sometimes do not bother to understand the men. I for one cannot live with this hipocrasy. Officers who try their best always seen as never doing enough. I’m disappointed that they let two of my excellent unit commanders go. Be brave and be the first one to break the ripple that has been haunting the men all their lives and be their window of escape. Feel privileged that God has led them to you so that you may impart your knowledge and experience unto them.

After I ORD, my men would call me, instead of their current officers, for advice and help. I am glad that in their difficult situations they can at the very least reach me and not take easy way out. One of my man’s parents texted me during Hari Raya a few years back thanking me for taking care of her son DESPITE sending him to dentention barracks. So yes, it is possible.

At the same time, sometimes men can also be mischievious and malicious. We cannot save all of them nor can we believe every story we hear. After I left, it was sad to hear that some of my men went AWOL. I tried reaching out to them but we can only do so much. So as officers, we must also be aware and identify the men at risk.

We are a life saving force and it has to first begin with us and our men.

Source: Muhammad Fahmi Hussaini

August 20, 2015
SCDF: Saddened By Death Of PTE Shek Salmin, Ready To Assist His Family

We refer to the online posting in the Hardwarezone forum “NSF commit suicide after being charged”.

The SCDF is saddened by the demise of PTE Shek Salmin Bin Murad and extends our condolences to his family. PTE Shek was a Full-time National Serviceman (NSF) at 1st SCDF Division HQ. Personnel from the Division, led by the Division Commander, attended his funeral yesterday.

The SCDF stands ready to render assistance to the family members during this difficult time. The Division Commander met the family members to offer our support to them during this time of bereavement.

All uniformed personnel in SCDF including NSFs are subjected to the Civil Defence Act which stipulates our Code of Conduct and decorum. Anyone who is subjected to formal disciplinary proceedings will appear before an appointed disciplinary officer. The officer will review the case, including taking into consideration mitigating factors, before imposing disciplinary actions. In doing so, the officer is guided by established disciplinary guidelines.

Any personnel who is encountering personal problem or in distress is encouraged to approach his/her immediate supervisor or Head of Unit. There are also other available avenues for such individual, which include a 24-hour counselling helpline and face-to-face engagement with counsellors.

Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force

August 20, 2015
NSP Reopens Spat With WP

The National Solidarity Party (NSP) re-opened its spat with the Workers’ Party (WP), with its central executive council (CEC) member Steve Chia accusing WP of not showing respect in a Facebook post yesterday (Aug 19).

Justifying NSP’s decision to contest in the MacPherson Single-Member Constituency (SMC) — despite earlier saying it would not — Mr Chia pointed out that at the first round of talks between the Opposition parties earlier this month, the WP had not given a deadline on its offer to give up contesting in the MacPherson ward in return for the NSP to stay out of Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

WP’s representatives at the discussions also agreed to attend the second round of talks to finalise the discussion, Mr Chia said. However, WP was a no-show. WP chairman Sylvia Lim subsequently told the media that WP skipped the meeting because it “would not (have been) productive”.

Nevertheless, Mr Chia said WP left his party “in a very unreasonable state”.

Mr Chia, who served as a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2006, added: “Our calls, emails and WhatsApp message to them all went unanswered. There is no respect for fellow comrades in the (Opposition) cause… We can only hope WP will respect us and give up the single SMC as they had initially promised.”

The WP, however, was not drawn into a tiff. Commenting on the matter, Hougang MP Png Eng Huat would only say that his party was “surprised” by NSP’s U-turn. He reiterated that WP will contest in MacPherson SMC, and NSP’s latest decision would have no bearing on WP’s choice of candidate there.

Associate professor Alan Chong from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies said the latest twist was a result of “petty politics” that was typical of the opposition landscape.

“Much as people think the opposition has turned a corner by forging what’s called an informal agreement not to produce three-cornered fight scenarios, there’s still the same old characteristics that wrought the opposition in terms of strategy — the reluctance to give up a window of opportunity as soon as it appears,” he said

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 20, 2015
NSP To Contest Macpherson SMC, Acting Sec-Gen Hazel Poa Resigns

The MacPherson single-seat ward is set for a three-cornered fight after the National Solidarity Party (NSP) yesterday reneged on an earlier promise to stay out of the constituency and allow the Workers’ Party (WP) to take on the People’s Action Party in a straight contest.

The NSP’s announcement exposed cracks not only within the Opposition ranks, but in the party as well: Its acting secretary-general Hazel Poa quit the party — only two months after she returned to her old role on an interim basis — after disagreeing with the central executive council’s (CEC) decision to support CEC member Steve Chia’s request to contest in MacPherson.

“It was a decision I strongly disagreed with and, hence, not one I can implement. As the direction that the party has decided to pursue deviates greatly from my own, I see no choice other than to resign from the NSP,” Ms Poa said in a press statement issued less than one and a half hours after the NSP made its announcement.

On Aug 10, the NSP said it would not contest in the Marine Parade and MacPherson constituencies — which were both eyed by the WP. Ms Poa had said then that the NSP was looking at the “bigger picture” and a three-cornered fight would make it less likely for an opposition party to win.

But the NSP said it changed its position on MacPherson after lengthy deliberations, to “keep faith with our supporters”. “In recent weeks, NSP leaders have been receiving feedback and pledges of support from many residents in Marine Parade and MacPherson,” the party said, noting it had received about 43 per cent of the votes when it contested in Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the 2011 General Election (GE). MacPherson has been carved out from Marine Parade GRC for the coming polls, following changes to the electoral boundaries.

The NSP said: “We have decided to give up contesting in Marine Parade on the merit that Joo Chiat has previously been contested by the WP. As for MacPherson, the CEC strongly supports the decision to proceed with contesting in the SMC where considerable outreach has been done before the 2011 GE.” The party said this decision is “final”. “(It) reflects our view that maintaining opposition unity requires mutual respect and a spirit of compromise on the part of all parties,” it added.

The party reiterated that it had reached out to WP after talks to resolve conflicting election plans among opposition parties failed to yield a compromise between the WP and NSP over Marine Parade GRC and MacPherson. The WP, which did not attend the second round of talks, also did not respond to the NSP’s subsequent attempts to open discussions.

Opposition watcher Wong Wee Nam, who contested in the 1997 GE on the NSP ticket, said the NSP was “destroying itself”. “First of all, you never keep your promise, then your acting secretary-general has resigned because of that,” he said.

He felt that the NSP’s move would backfire, even in other constituencies where the party is contesting. “It just shows that they don’t keep their word … People won’t trust the party anymore,” he said.

Associate Professor Alan Chong from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies noted that there is a rational explanation for the NSP’s U-turn. “You don’t give up what you cultivated on the ground in 2011,” he said. As to the impact of the NSP’s move, Assoc Prof Chong felt that while some voters could lose trust in the NSP, others in MacPherson might actually be really grateful that the NSP has not forgotten them.

In June 2011, Ms Poa was first appointed NSP secretary-general, becoming the first female secretary-general of a political party here. About two years later, she resigned because of health reasons. In June, she reprised her old role on an interim basis after Mr Tan Lam Siong resigned as secretary-general after only five months in the post. Ms Poa’s departure means the NSP would be looking for its fifth secretary-general since the 2011 GE.

Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said the resignation of Ms Poa would weaken the party’s “A” team slate for Tampines GRC. “The leadership musical chairs continues. This points to the party being in a state of flux … They urgently need to be cohesive and with clear directions going forward or their campaign is going to be ineffective,” he said.

While Assoc Prof Chong said Ms Poa might end up with the WP or the Singapore Democratic Party, Ms Poa made clear in her statement that she would not be contesting in the coming GE.

Wishing the NSP well, she reiterated that the leader of NSP is its president Sebastian Teo. She added that she respected the right of the CEC as the decision-making body of the party. “I apologise to all whom I have disappointed. My own disappointment is no less. For me, the coming months will be a time for reflection,” she said.

Mr Teo told TODAY that he was also of the initial opinion that the NSP should not contest in MacPherson: “Personally, I think to avoid three-cornered fights should be the way, but we got to respect the majority.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 20, 2015
M Ravi Should Reconsider Decision To Not Run

There was some speculation last week that human rights lawyer, M Ravi would run in the upcoming General Elections as a Reform Party candidate. However he poured cold water on that idea issuing a statement announcing his decision not to run. In most cases I would have left it at that – a candidate wishes not to run for personal reasons, however after reading that statement, I think otherwise.

In it he cites 2 things – a calling and service. Indeed politics like lawyering, is a calling and similarly it’s about service. Mr Ravi may want to focus on his legal duties and service to his clients, but I do believe that he should also consider a greater calling and service – to the nation. If he had stood as an independent candidate in of all places – AMK GRC, I would not support the idea. I think to be an MP in Singapore, you need the support of a party behind you. There’s a lot of things behind the scenes that one must have or need to do. From the logistics of an MPS, to identifying residents’ problems and even gathering data to speak in the House – you can’t do it alone or with limited resources of an independent candidate.

M Ravi has extensive experience as a lawyer – 18 years in fact. He’s handled the most serious of cases – ranging from those involving capital punishment to those that involve the rights of persons. He does not shirk from asking tough questions and raising arguments. I think there’s a shortage of politicians prepared to ask tough questions especially on the issue of our Laws. Far too many Laws have been enacted that are restrictive and unnecessary – the latest being the island wide alcohol ban after 10.30pm. Is it really necessary to have such a prohibitive law when the problem was basically restricted to Little India and parts of Clark Quay?

What about Laws on basic freedoms? What about Laws on sentencing? Or even the system of justice and composition of the Legal Service and appointment of judicial officers? Is it prudent to have District Judges jumping back and forth from the AG’s Chambers to the Bench? A prosecutor can of course become a Judge and vice-versa, but that should be that. You choose 1. This frequent interchanging of roles in my view tends to produce legal officers with narrower leanings or gives an impression of retaining ties to the AG’s Chambers. We need someone to ask hard and relevant questions.

Next we have to look at upbringing and interaction with the common man. Although he’s a lawyer, M Ravi has always been associated with the common man. He isn’t aloof, he lives his life in a HDB estate, dresses and talks like a common man and crucially mixes with them. He doesn’t need to put an act. He takes public transport and witnesses the plight of ordinary Singaporeans daily. He can speak well, can ask questions and is not afraid to, he has the qualifications and places a premium on the value of service to his fellow man and nation. He ticks all the boxes that 1 should look for in a candidate.

I understand that the Law Society will press on with some charges they have laid for him. But the charges are so ridiculous to begin with. He was diagnosed as having another episode of bi-polar disorder and has apologised for it. Moreover why should the Law Society get involved in matters where 1 person says things about another? The legal recourse to those parties is of course to commence a lawsuit, why is the Law Society playing judge? If the Law Society itself cites that it does not have any standing to deal with PAP MP Alvin Yeo for over-charging, that is a matter solely for a sub-committee, then pray tell why are they going after M Ravi, where evidence exists that this is a personal matter between 2 parties and that he has a solid statement from Dr Winslow that he was suffering from a major relapse at the time?

I also understand that Dr Winslow has implemented a strict regime to ensure that such relapses will become a thing of the past or occur very very rarely. He has the support, he has the ability and he understands the issues facing the ordinary Singaporean, because he’s always been 1 of them. He will champion the cause of his residents, fight for them, serve them and most of all, he’ll be an MP who’ll go to the House, unafraid to speak up and ask the tough questions.

I strongly urge him to reconsider his decision and to give it his all in the campaign. His service to his clients will not be affected, rather it’s a calling to serve the larger interests of community and nation. Finally we have so few Indians in Parliament prepared to ask questions and raise issues that the community are facing. When have we last seen a Tamil MP asking questions or speaking in Tamil? The influx of Indian nationals have severely affected the community – it’s time someone from their community spoke up for them and for other minorities in the resident Indian population in Singapore. M Ravi can be such a champion for them and for Singaporeans as a whole. The time is now – the calling is now – your nation needs you – you must run, M Ravi.

Source: http://anyhowhantam.blogspot.sg

August 19, 2015