Tag: opposition

Grassroots Wars!

It is absolute nonsense that grassroots members are forced to go overseas.

Most grassroots members are volunteers anyway, so nobody can force them as they could just step down if they so wish. We all know they are there for a purpose.

These people are very greedy people and they engineer everything so they get unbeatable great deals for their personal enjoyment. They plot and mastermind everything and then blame it on the people just like their PAP master.

Let me relate a real life incident which shows how scheming these grassroots people can be.

There was a big notice at my friend’s housing block flat inviting residents for a big durian feast when they attend the meet your MP session. So my friend together with his “kakis” went to attend the session and could not wait to feast on those durians.

After the meet the MP session and a long wait, they were told to go home but they insisted they are also there for the free durian feast. Reluctantly they were told that the durian feast would be held in the evening which was five hours away. With no choice the gang dispersed. However my friend went back five hours later at the appointed time on his own just to find out that the durians were eaten an hour earlier by the grassroots volunteers. The air was filled with durian smell. No more durian, no one responsible. Gone.

It is common that for all good things these greedy grassroots members will try to pull wool over the public’s eyes and claim that the public is not interested and then reserve it for themselves and their family. Their tactic of blaming the public for disinterest is fantastic. Sometimes they even overprice to discourage participation.

All in all they can do these kind of things because they are not transparent and never reveal the cost and the subsidy to anyone except insiders.

After all we all know what kind of accounting mess they have. We also know their lapses and cock ups are pushed to the bogeyman and masses while they would never take honorable responsibility for any failure. It is the trademark practice of the PAP as you can see throughout Singapore.

silenceisgolden
* Comment appeared in TRE article: Grassroots people forced to go on overseas tour, reproduced below:

Lam Pin Min

I just want to remind the writer that grassroots people are volunteers who don’t get salaries for their services.

Many work for years and never get single cent salary. It’s not unreasonable to reward their many years of sacrifice with a Taiwan retreat, even if there is only a small subsidy for the travelling cost. This is one point, ok?

Ok, now another point, every constituency tries to organise group tour overseas for residents. Goal is to get residents gel together, esp now every constituency has many residents from different cultures and different social backgrounds. It is important to integrate them with our local residents.

Even opposition party constituencies are also doing the same. Their grassroots and MPs all had great time overseas tour, eating and shopping!

After all the sacrifice and hard work organising the overseas tour, not all residents may appreciate. Many residents don’t want to go, so how? The effort will be all wasted with so many empty slots!

So grassroots people get pulled in and forced to go the overseas tour! It’s not free you know! Must pay some money! Some time grassroots people must draw lot like “lucky draw” to see who the unlucky ones are, forcing themselves to join the tour!

The writer think grassroots working for PAP MPs is easy or what? Not true, man! PAP MPs expect high standard from their grassroots people!

You can’t sacrifice and can’t offer high standard then you can only join opposition party grassroots!

Source: www.tremeritus.com

December 23, 2014
Chee Soon Juan In Wall Street Journal: A New Vision For Singapore

Singapore has made great economic strides over the 50 years since independence. With a GDP per capita of $55,000, the island state is, by this measure at least, the most prosperous country in the world. Yet rather than being proud of their country’s achievement, measures of social harmony and happiness indicate that Singaporeans are far from pleased with the status quo.

Looking behind the numbers, it seems that Singapore’s economic success has wrought havoc on less measurable, but no less important, aspects of life: Freedom, compassion and equality. It is the degradation of these values that has contributed significantly to Singaporeans’ disenchantment with the current system.

Even before the Reagan-Thatcher era of neoliberal economics, Singapore adopted a market-driven approach in which even value systems and social life were commodified. When the government wanted fewer births in the 1970s, it paid women to undergo tubal ligation. When it changed its mind and wanted more births, it gave tax incentives to couples to have more babies. When it wanted the children to demonstrate strong character, it rewarded their desirable traits with cash.

Monetizing things that we shouldn’t—especially under circumstances where societal values are involved—leads to harmful outcomes. It causes citizens to abrogate moral responsibility and devolve decision-making to market norms set by the elite few.

We need to fundamentally rethink how we pursue wealth and, more importantly, to what end. We need to ask that all-important question that Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel so trenchantly posed: What price do we pay when we cede our values to market mechanisms?

Unfortunately, without democracy Singaporeans cannot have a national debate on the future direction of our country. Talk about political freedom and the rights of the people is eclipsed by government threats that democracy undermines GDP growth.

And yet Singapore is in danger of being left behind. A survey of countries around the world reveals a distinct shift towards more democratic forms of governance. Many such political transitions have yielded greater, not less, prosperity. Adaptation to change is necessary for societies to keep themselves relevant in the global community. Singapore is no exception.

The island republic needs an alternative vision, one that will confidently usher Singapore into the next phase of development: Privately owned small and medium-sized enterprises, instead of state-owned conglomerates, need to be the prime drivers of growth; the wage structure should ensure that the working poor don’t see their real incomes shrink even as the number of billionaires rise; the elderly should not have to work menial jobs just to feed themselves; the media must be free from state control; and, most importantly, the political system needs to change to allow truly free and fair elections, where the political freedoms of Singaporeans are respected.

Singapore is at a crossroads. How the country moves forward will depend on the choices that the people and their leaders make today. The incentives that those in power build into the system will determine whether the country progresses or stagnates. To that end, the ability of Singaporeans to question authority and to build a capacity for collective reasoning and debate is essential.

It is shameful that we live in a state where market values guided by an authoritarian system trump moral ones guided by a democratic process. The danger is that we become blinded by the things we want and ignore the things we really need. Ultimately a nation’s success is not measured by the size of its GDP but by the number of minds it unfetters, the number of young lives it gives hope to and the number of poor it empowers. It is this kind of wealth, the kind that really matters, that Singapore must accumulate.

Now more than ever, we need a genuine conversation about Singapore’s future. Indeed, we need a bold new vision for the country.
* Written by Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party.

Source: http://online.wsj.com

December 6, 2014
Osman Sulaiman: Malay Muslim Community Must Make A Stand As The Government’s Inconsistent Policies Continue to Divide

I believe the reason why some people still fear the Muslim women who wear the hijab is becoz they have little or poor knowledge on why these ladies put it on. And they most probably have not had the opportunity nor the exposure to mingle and make contact with them.

For 50 years, our gov has all of the necessary apparatus to assuage this matter but it has not done so and has in fact shown to be unwilling to do so. It continues to do this so that it can rule by division.

They continue to disallow any muslim child who wear the headgear from attending the mainstream school and thus segregating the mass of the population from these people and thus compounding the misconception about people who wear the hijabs.

Many studies have shown that the younger the child is exposed to a certain environment, the better these children will be able to adapt. Unfortunately, the people that rule us think otherwise.

How then do we integrate people of different faith together? Oddly enough, the Sikh community is given the green light to wear the turban in school if they choose to.

Dont get me wrong. Im not advocating for the gov to ban turbans in pri and sec schools becoz the muslim girls weren’t allowed to practice their faith but rather to apply the policy consistently for the greater good of the people as a whole.

For all of its time in power, our gov has continued with its iniquity towards certain segment of the society in particular the malays and/or muslims.

From time to time, we will also hear the ministers on record to give their skewed perspective of the malays and muslims, creating further doubts. I wonder how our malay/muslim ministers feel serving such a government.

I also find it hard to swallow that Singapore reproves its neighbour up north for their exclusion of talent based on race but at the same time doing exactly the opposite of what it propagates.

Other than disallowing the muslim girls who wear the headgear in pri and sec mainstream schools, many job opportunities (particularly in the uniform groups) are also not made available to them by way of implementing discriminating policies. This act has unfortunately spilled over to the private sectors.

Our gov is certainly not oblivious on the aspirations of the malay/muslim community to be treated justly and to remove any doubts on its loyalty towards the nation. It has come to a point where our fundamental rights are now treated as candies to be given at the pleasure of these people governing us.

If there are social faultlines that divide us, especially on race or religion, then i believe this gov is the main contributor of such matters.

It has been many years my community keep giving this current gov their support but have seen no change to this issue. I implore my community to rethink on their choices. The support should be given to people who believe in inclusiveness. Not the artificial ones that we are experiencing now.

Ask yourself this pertinent question. How many more years do we want to wait? If we have never contributed anything significant to our own community, this is the best chance to do so on a huge scale.

We cant have any success without a little sacrifice. We should not fear the unknown. No one will change our fate unless we change it ourselves.

We need to rally our family members and friends to do what is needed. Im afraid that with the influx of new citizens, our political voices will be diminished further. It might then be too late for any regrets.

Regards,
Osman Sulaiman

Authored by Osman Sulaiman.

December 2, 2014
Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council Found Guilty Of Holding Festive Trade Fair Without Permit

The Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC), run by the opposition Workers’ Party, was on Friday (Nov 28) found guilty of holding a festive trade fair, without permit, earlier this year.

At the heart of the case, is whether the town council, flouted Section 35 of the Environmental Public Health Act, by holding a Chinese New Year fair, without a permit. The National Environment Agency, prosecuting the case, said it did.

The town council, represented by lawyer Peter Low, challenged the charge. Among the defence was the argument that the event was simply a “mini-fair” which does not require a permit. It also took issue with the need to get a letter of support to organise the fair, from the area’s Citizens’ Consultative Committee, which is chaired by a People’s Action Party grassroots leader.

The judge ruled on Friday that since Section 35 of the Act created a strict liability offence, this means prosecution does not need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that AHPETC deliberately did not intend to obtain a permit to hold its fair.

As for the defence’s argument that AHPETC can hold events without a permit in common areas that it manages, the judge said it seems the town council’s objection was related to the suitability of the application form and not the fact that a permit was required. He said the court is not an appropriate forum to examine conditions tied to the permit application form.

Commenting on the decision, AHPETC Vice Chairman Pritam Singh said: “We’re disappointed with the verdict. We will take advice from our lawyers as to the next course of action going forward. We won’t rule anything out.”

He added that no town council funds were used with respect to this case, saying: “The MPs are contributing to the lawyers’ fees.”

The court was adjourned until Dec 24 for mitigation and sentencing.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

November 29, 2014
Epic Fails And Fashionistas Of The Singapore Parliament

Politics, while a dirty business, can be sexy too.

We round up some of the hits and misses in Parliament this year.

A for effort. Or is it E? – Tin Pei Ling

The bros at Hardware Zone are going crazy over this picture:

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It’s a pity that she has to make herself look serious with garb like this.

Let your hair down, Pei Ling.

Best hair – Lily Neo

No fight. Let these pictures speak for themselves.

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Not one strand of hair is out of place. Even during walkabouts.

Studious look – Lee Li Lian

Definitely rocking the motherly look too with that clean pixie cut.

Stuck in a time warp look – Fatimah Lateef

Not sure what you call this look. Throwback?

Second best hair – Rita Soh

New Nominated Member of Parliament Rita Soh making her first impression count.

The one with the most accessories – Amy Khor

Nice brooch.

Nice brooch and necklace.

Nice pearl necklace.

The Fashionista – Josephine Teo

Be it the little black dress…

A colourful whatchamacallit…

Or matching reading glasses with an asymmetrical necklace , Josephine Teo can rock any outfit.

So much so that Indranee Rajah tried to ~~copy~~ follow her look. Both wore similar blazers on April 14, 2014.

Uh oh. Someone call the fashion police.

The androgynous look – Indranee Rajah

Luckily, she bounced back with this very fashion-forward look.

Flower power – Sylvia Lim

Not bad. Not bad at all.

The guys, however, are less adventurous. They are usually in three standard styles.

1. The Shenton Way look

Tan Chuan-Jin and Khaw Boon Wan will not look out of place at Lau Pa Sat.

PM Lee in his signature pink shirt.

2. The I-didn’t-suit-up-but-hey-here’s-a-random-jacket look

Is that a NTUC jacket on Yeo Guat Kwang?

Here’s Faishal Ibrahim channeling the LKY look.

One would expect Football Association of Singapore President Zainudin Nordin to be in a Lions windbreaker, but he chose Ralph Lauren in this occassion.

3. The suits

Chen Show Mao with his white, flowy locks.

Vikram Nair looking spiffy after drinking that glass of water.

Pritam Singh with the best beard in the house.

K Shanmugam looking serious as usual.

Low Thia Khiang in his classic one-size-too-big suit.

Best dressed dude

Well, not everyone is the King of Selfies.

Source: http://mothership.sg

November 27, 2014