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SDP Working The Ground In Sembawang GRC

“I thought Lee Kuan Yew said nothing is free?” an elderly resident pointed out when we visited the Sembawang GRC on Sunday. “Then why Lee Hsien Loong giving out this and that? Like he’s very scared like that.”

He was referring to the recent announcements of goodies that the Government made.

“Yes,” we agreed, “the Government is obviously feeling the pressure. But it’s important to remember that it is the opposition that is constantly speaking up that the PAP feels it has to react.”

It is certain, however, that after the elections the PAP will find ways and means to collect back what it gave out before the elections.

The only way to stop this is to ensure that the next Parliament has SDP MPs in it. We will ensure that the Government genuinely takes care of the people rather than employ such cynical and unworthy ploys.

The SDP will be vigilant and push for policies that will make life for the people less stressful and enhance the quality of life in Singapore.

The PAP must not continue to squeeze Singaporeans just so that it can boast that we have huge reserves and then pay its ministers million-dollar salaries.

The greater the strength of the SDP, the less the PAP will bully the people.

On the matter of the MPs in the GRC, a few residents told us that they hardly see their MP Mr Ong Teng Koon. “He’s not very involved with us,” one commented.

On the other hand, residents’ reactions to our work and presence has been encouraging.

This is because the SDP has been visiting these constituencies consistently in our walkabouts, house-visits and kopi sessions since the last elections in 2011.

The exciting news is that we will increase our tempo in 2015 as the next GE draws nearer. We will be announcing our plans soon.

Source: http://yoursdp.org

November 26, 2014
Former Bodyguard of Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong Allegedly Cheated Others In Sham Investment Schemes

A police report has been lodged against a former police officer, whose victim is alleging that he used his “high-level connections” during his time as a bodyguard of former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as well as an aide to former President SR Nathan to get people on board a sham investment scheme.

The report came to light after JMS Rogers, a debt collection firm engaged by the victim Sugendran Krishnan, issued a press release along with a copy of the police report.

Mr Sugendran alleged that he and his wife had been conned of S$50,000 by Mr Ananthan Thillagan, who is currently self-employed.

“He said that in the course of his work… he had met and known the inner circle of these politicians … He also said he and some of the powerful contacts he personally knows, including the Minister (for) Trade and Industry, had put in some of their money into this (investment) vehicle,” Mr Sugendran – a former policeman himself – wrote in the police report.

In its press release, JMS Rogers claimed that Mr Ananthan, 35, had “admitted his scam and even signed a promissory note on a repayment plan to our client for the monies owed”. It added: “He also pleaded that we do not report him to the authorities. Unfortunately, he has missed his repayment deadline and has since shown no remorse or sincerity in paying back what was taken.”

Responding to media queries, the police confirmed that a report was lodged on Monday and they are investigating. They added that Mr Ananthan resigned from the police force in July 2011. He was then holding the rank of Sergeant.

“Any criminal offence made out will be firmly dealt with in accordance with the law,” the police said.

When contacted by TODAY, Mr Ananthan would not confirm whether he had served in the police force and had been a bodyguard or aide to the VIPs, citing the Official Secrets Act. He added that his lawyers were looking into the matter. He declined to address the allegations, citing police investigations.

Source: www.todayonline.com

November 26, 2014
National Stadium To Get New Artificial Turf Permanently

After months of controversy and spending S$1.5 million on new lighting equipment to try to improve the quality of the National Stadium pitch, Sports Hub Pte Ltd (SHPL) is making a drastic U-turn: It will resurface the pitch permanently with artificial turf — the surface it had originally considered but opted against, TODAY has learnt.

This means that less than six months after the new stadium was opened, the S$800,000 Desso GrassMaster pitch — a hybrid of synthetic and natural grass— faces the prospect of being replaced with an all-new synthetic surface.

Sources said the cost will be borne by SHPL. For promoters of sports events who insist on natural grass, TODAY understands that SHPL will install it over the artificial pitch temporarily and this can be done in less than 72 hours. In response to queries, SHPL chief operating officer Oon Jin Teik said: “We are exploring several pitch solutions that can cater to our multipurpose sports and entertainment calendar at the National Stadium. More details will be released at a later date.”

The consortium already has a nursery that is used to grow grass to be installed outside the football pitch for cricket matches that require a bigger turf. In future, this will also be used to grow grass for the main pitch.

In March last year, TODAY reported that SHPL had been considering installing artificial grass for the National Stadium in view of a hectic calendar for the 55,000-seat arena.

The plan was abandoned later in favour of the Desso GrassMaster. Artificial turfs are approved for use in elite competitions by international sports bodies such as FIFA and the International Rugby Board. However, some teams, including several English Premier League football clubs and international rugby sides such as the Wallabies and the Maori All Blacks, are known to insist on playing on natural grass.

When the stadium was opened in June, it hosted the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, among other events.

The pitch failed to recover in time for the high-profile football friendly matches between Juventus and a Singapore Selection side as well as between Brazil and Japan in August and last month, respectively.

A series of hasty measures were taken to help the pitch recover for the ongoing AFF Suzuki Cup, including cancellations of a concert by Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou and an Asia Pacific Dragons versus Maori All Blacks rugby friendly match. However, sandy patches were still visible on the field when Thailand defeated Singapore 2-1 in Sunday’s opening match.

Speaking from Spain, Mr Paul Burgess, chief groundsman for Spanish football club Real Madrid, said laying natural turf over synthetic grass is not uncommon. For example, Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, which has a permanent artificial pitch, installed natural grass temporarily for the 2008 Champions League Final between English clubs Chelsea and Manchester United.

“It has been done in many stadiums and can be installed very quickly,” said Mr Burgess. “All you need is about three to four days to lay the natural turf over artificial pitch. If you maintain it properly, it can last at least a month. If you don’t maintain it properly, it will last a day.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

November 26, 2014
The Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) To Receive $250,000 Over The Next 5 Years

The Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) will receive S$250,000 over the next five years to help it operate more professionally, and to continue with its anti-terrorism efforts.

The money will come from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS). This was discussed during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday (Nov 25) between the group’s leaders and some Malay-Muslim MPs, including Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob and Minister-in -charge of Muslim Affairs, and Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim.

The group had requested for the meeting to share concerns on how to sustain its efforts going forward. For the past decade, the group has been rehabilitating terrorists and fighting terrorist ideologies.

It also wanted its Resource and Counselling Centre at the Khadijah Mosque in Geylang to be professionally managed, with full-time staff. The Resource and Counselling Centre was launched four months ago and is managed by volunteers.

Said Dr Yaacob: “They have done well. Of course, the continuing threat of terrorism will be there for them to challenge. But going forward, I think they see an expansion of their role going beyond just terrorism, but how they can promote religious and social harmony in Singapore. And I think as an entity, it is a question of what do you want to become in the future.”

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

November 26, 2014
Ngiam Tong Dow Not Only Insider To Criticise The PAP

This was not the first time Ngiam Tong Dow had critiqued the PAP leadership. In 2003, he asked for more competition for PAP elites. His retraction is a desperate play of power by PAP, it may even be LKY bleeding for retraction. Given what Ngiam had said earlier in 2003, his retraction cannot be sincere.

1. About political competition.

“It is the law of nature that all things must atrophy. Unless LKY allows serious political challenges to emerge from the alternative elite out there, the incumbent elite will just coast along.

At the first sign of a grassroots revolt, they will probably collapse just like the incumbent Progressive Party to the left-wing PAP onslaught in the late 1950s.

I think our leaders have to accept that Singapore is larger than the PAP.”

2. Spreading of top talents between government and private sectors.

“When ten scholars come home, five should turn to the right and join the public sector or the civil service; the other five should turn to the left and join the private sector.”

3. Economics.

“Take our industrial policy. At the beginning, it was the right thing for us to attract multinationals to Singapore.

For some years now, I’ve been trying to tell everybody: ‘Look, for God’s sake, grow our own timber.’ If we really want knowledge to be rooted in Singaporeans and based in Singapore, we have to support our SMEs.

I’m not a supporter of SMEs just for the sake of more SMEs but we must grow our own roots. Creative Technology’s Sim Wong Hoo is one and Hyflux’s Olivia Lum is another but that’s too few.

We have been flying on auto-pilot for too long. The MNCs have contributed a lot to Singapore but they are totally unsentimental people. The moment you’re uncompetitive, they just relocate.”

Ngiam Tong Dow is not exactly alone among the insiders to criticize PM LHL’s government in recent years.

a. Dr Tommy Koh had called the income inequality as socially unconscionable.

b. Professor Lim Chong Yah, had a dramatic proposal to narrow the economic gap – raising low-level salaries by 50 per cent over three years and freezing top-end incomes for a similar period.

c. Yeoh Lam Keong, former chief economist at the Government Investment Corporation (GIC) headed by Lee Kuan Yew:

“What we need to do is to be much more stringent on admitting such unskilled labour. We’ve really got no excuse to be so relaxed about this kind of immigration.”

At every level of society, nothing is quite right for PAP. Even the insiders who are closely related to PAP feel that the policies are alienating people from the government. And Ngiam has correctly pointed to the way a closeted culture without competition had made the PAP too comfortable.

Contrary to their insidious assertion that Singaporeans are becoming too ‘dependent’, PAP is the one that is uncompetitive, unimaginative and relying on a compliant citizenry to have an easy life.

Well, no more! No more.

BK

Source: www.therealsingapore.com

November 26, 2014