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High-Speed Rail Link Between Singapore and Malaysia to Miss 2020 Deadline

SINGAPORE’S Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday it has not been informed by Malaysian authorities that the upcoming high-speed rail link project between the two countries will bust the 2020 deadline.

Mr Syed Hamid Albar, chairman of Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Commission, said in an interview on Tuesday that the deadline will be missed even after using government land as much as possible to avoid property-acquisition disputes.

The project may take six to seven years to complete once construction starts by 2016, Mr Syed Hamid told Bloomberg.

This would effectively mean that the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur high-speed rail link may not be able to meet the 2020 deadline.

Source: www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia

October 30, 2014
World’s First ‘Halal’ Whisky Goes on Sale

Scottish whisky manufacturers are in disagreement over an ‘alcohol free’ product, which is going to be the first of its kind to hit the market.

ArKay-Halal-Whisky

The whisky brand ArKay is said to have an exceptional taste of whisky without the ‘alcohol content.’

It is also being promoted as ideal for teetollars or those worried about drinking and driving.

More importantly, the new product has a possibility of huge sales around the world in Muslim countries and in the Middle East as it has been declared as Halal certified, reported Daily Mail.

However, the Scotch Whisky Association’s spokesperson said ‘it is not possible to make alcohol-free whisky.’

‘This company is trying to exploit whisky’s reputation with highly irresponsible marketing,’ added the spokesperson.

Real Scotch whisky is a simple creation of water and barley, which grows well in the cool climate and summer rains that are common north of the border.

Source: Tribune Online Report

October 30, 2014
Chiam See Tong Beat Mah Bow Tan at ‘O’ Levels and Other Revelations

Former Opposition MP Chiam See Tong’s reputation over the years has been recast to one of an elder statesman, well-respected by the ruling party and the opposition alike.

One observed how Chiam is respectfully treated by the Prime Ministers this year.

Chiam is indeed a politician of his time. As founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew observed in his memoirs, Chiam took the “shrewder line than Jeyaretnam, was more in tune with the sentiments of the population, that the PAP was doing a fair job, but could do better and should listen more to criticism”.

Now there is a book that will set his life on paper.

Let The People Have Him, a book by academic Loke Hoe Yeong that traces Chiam’s birth to his winning of the Potong Pasir seat in 1984, is a reminder that Chiam’s rise as a national opposition is no easy feat.

Below are ten revelations from Chiam’s biography that will interest every well-informed Singaporeans about 1970s/1980s politics.

1. Then PM Lee Kuan Yew compared the ‘O’ Level results of the two candidates for Potong Pasir – Mah Bow Tan and Chiam.

Lee said, “Mah Bow Tan, age 16, took his ‘O’ Levels – six distinctions, two credits.

Mr Chiam, age 18 – six credits, one pass.”

The residents of Potong Pasir chose Chiam. Chiam won 60.28% of the votes, compared to Mah’s 39.72% in the 1984 General Elections.

2. Staffers from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) apologised to Chiam for an error Mr Lee Kuan Yew made in a 1984 GE rally speech.

The PMO also conveyed an apology from Lee himself for the error. Chiam had gotten seven, not six credits in his ‘O’-Level results.

3. Chiam sued then Foreign Minister S. Dhanabalan and Defence Minister Howe Yoon Chong for defamation.

Then Workers’ Party Sec-Gen and MP JB Jeyaretnam represented Chiam in filing a writ in the High Court seeking damages for slander made in the election speeches by Dhanabalan and Howe.

Dhanabalan called Chiam “a two-bit lawyer orchestrating a three-piece band whose members only appear once every four or five years”.

Howe called Chiam “a twice unsuccessful lawyer” and “a lawyer who is not even very good at law”.

4. Both Foreign Minister S. Dhanabalan and Defence Minister Howe Yoon Chong apologised to Chiam.

Howe: “I, Howe Yoong Chong, hereby unreservedly withdraw all imputations against the professional capacity and competence of Mr Chiam See Tong made by me on December 21 1980 and published in the issue of this newspaper on December 22 1980.” Business Times, 13 Feb, 1981.

Dhanabalan: “I acknowledge that there was no foundation for any of the imputations and I sincerely apologise to Mr Chiam for having made them”. Business Times, 28, 1981.

Chiam accepted the apologies and withdrew his lawsuits against them.

5. The origin of Chiam’s name.

The name See Tong roughly translates from Teochew Chinese as “timely” or “punctual”, given to him by his paternal grandfather.

6. You are never too old for public life.

In December 1976, Chiam entered politics at the age of 41.

7. The distant family relationship between Chiam and Lee Kuan Yew

Chiam has never met Lee in person until he was sworn into Parliament in 1985.

However, other members of Chiam’s extended family were on cordial terms with Lee’s extended family. This relationship stemmed from the marriage of Chiam’s maternal grandfather Lim Liang Quee’s daughter to a member of the Kwa family, from which Lee’s wife was.

8. Chiam thought of giving up politics.

After losing three elections, Chiam entertained the thought of giving up politics. His friends and relatives had been coaxing him that he would be able to live a contented life as a lawyer.

9. Chiam successfully sued the mainstream media for damages.

Chiam sued the now defunct Singapore Monitor for damages when it ran a headline on its frontpage: “Chiam See Tong charged with criminal trespass”.

10. When Chiam first met Lee.

Chiam (extending his hand): “Mr Prime Minister, may I congratulate the PAP on winning the elections”.

Lee (firm handshake): “See you in Parliament”.

“Let The People Have Him – Chiam See Tong: The Early Years” is available for purchase online at Epigram Books. Check out Mothership.sg’ interview with author Loke Hoe Yeong tomorrow.

Source: http://mothership.sg/

October 30, 2014
Indonesia’s Chief of Defence Force Calls for Greater Regional Cooperation Against IS

Indonesia’s chief of defence forces General Moeldoko has called for greater regional cooperation in the global fight against the Islamic State (IS) threat.

He spoke in Singapore on Wednesday (Oct 29), at a lecture organised by the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies. These were his first public comments in Singapore since the appointment of Indonesia’s new President, Joko Widodo.

In a lecture titled TNI Future Challenges and Opportunities, the General sketched out the broad challenges for the Indonesian armed forces and the importance of regional cooperation. A key focus was the IS threat and the danger it may pose in the future to this part of the world.

“There have been several people from countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia who have gone to Syria and Iraq to join IS. We need to find a common understanding among the ASEAN Chief of Defence Forces, to anticipate the future risk, when these fighters return to their home countries. We need to think of concrete steps to deal with this threat,” he said.

The General said it is hard to predict the strategy of IS militants and this is why it is critical for regional forces to come together, consider future scenarios and come up with action plans.

To this end, he said he intends to propose a meeting of regional defence chiefs to discuss the IS threat, at the ASEAN Chief of Defence Forces informal meeting to be held in Malaysia next year. Indonesia hosted a similar meeting earlier this year for military and peacekeeping personnel from 33 countries, at its Peace and Security Centre in Sentul, West Java.

General Moeldoko emphasised in his lecture that the IS ideology does not represent Islam: “I am a Muslim and I can tell you that IS does not represent the Islam that I know. There will be no chance for IS to spread in Indonesia.”

He also touched on President Widodo’s vision of making Indonesia a global maritime axis. He said Indonesia plays an important role in maritime security and stressed the need to enhance regional cooperation, to protect the lucrative trade route along the Straits of Malacca.

The lecture was followed by a 30-minute closed-door question-and-answer session involving more than 100 people. Issues raised included Indonesia’s relations with a rising China, as well as territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the impact on regional security.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore

October 30, 2014
Response to the Supreme Court Ruling on 377A

Statement from Gary and Kenneth.

“We are deeply disappointed with the judgement of the Court and though it has ruled that it is beyond its judiciary function to help the lgbt community, we are thankful that the justices have taken the time to consider this appeal in detail. We hope that parliament will be able to do so as well.

While the legal road for us has ended, we believe and hope that this case has inspired Singaporeans – straight, gay, bisexual and transgender – not to keep silent in the face of prejudice and inequality.

We have been in a loving relationship for over 17 years and this past year has been an incredible milestone for us. We decided to embark on this journey because we felt that the LGBT community deserves to be recognized as equal to the rest of society in the eyes of the law and have been witness to the discrimination and unfair treatment of the LGBT community on the basis of S377A of the Penal Code.

Being a part of this historical campaign provided us the opportunity to show young LGBT people that there are gay and lesbian couples in Singapore who have weathered the discriminatory nature of our society and though we have to strive harder than heterosexual couples to be together, it can be done. We hope that we and the many other LGBT couples who are increasingly telling their stories will help others, and we hope that Singaporeans will see this as a minor setback for equality and fairness, and that we can as a country recognise the value of LGBT people.

We would like to thank the many people who have supported us on this fight. From the many who have donated funds to the legal case, to those who have contributed their knowledge and expertise. We also thank our lawyers Deborah Barker and Peter Low both of whom have been immensely supportive during the 2 phases of our legal challenge.

This particular journey may have ended for us but it continues for the rest of the community.

Thank you”

Source: www.indiegogo.com/projects/fundraising-for-s377a-constitutional-challenge

October 30, 2014