Tag: Singapore

Commentary: No Need For A Contest? Reserved Election Promotes Multi-Culturalism? What Utter Nonsense!

*********** Not Par for the Course ****************

Over the weekend , the MSM was suggesting that perhaps there is no need for a contest in the upcoming Presidential Election and that the reserved Election promotes multi-culturalism .

What utter nonsense !

This reserved Election has already gone down as the most despised , ridiculed and discredited election in Singapore history . It has set back the Singapore identity and race relations by 50 years . It has laid to waste all the efforts at Nation building for the past half a century , all for the sake of political expediency by the establishment .

The Singapore identity meant amongst other things , that when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility , what counts is not membership of a particular class but the actual ability which the man possesses . That Singapore identity has been totally shredded by this reserved election .

The Establishment uses euphemisms such as promoting multi-culturalism to camouflage the racial ugliness of their stratagem . Multi-culturalism is always inclusive and never exclusive , which sadly is what the reserved election is all about .

Halimah Yacob says that the reserved election is still meritocratic because all the candidates have to meet the same qualification criteria . No Madam . A meritocratic system is one where other races are not excluded from being elected President . You are participating in a ” handicapped ” election where other races are excluded in favour of a particular race . It is comparable to the US Masters Golf tournament being reserved only for Black golfers in a particular year . Tiger Woods did not require such a handicap competition to win the Masters in 1997 or 13 other major championships , and countless other tournaments throughout the world . Neither did Barack Obama require a reserved Election to become the first Black American President in 2008 , an achievement which was thought well-nigh impossible just 2 years earlier .

For those who suggest there is no need for a contest , I have this to say . Whoever becomes the next President of Singapore has already become so diminished by this whole absurd saga . To even begin to salvage a modicum of respect for a hollowed out Office requires the person to win the command and respect of the Singapore people in a proper contest . If there is a walkover , there will be no mandate or respect from Singaporeans for this President , who will assume Office on 14 September as the lamest of ducks !

Source: Tean Lim

September 4, 2017
Damanhuri Abas: Reserved PE Is A PAP’s Ploy, Sadly A Compliant Malay Community Will Only Served Their Plan To The Tee

Today we are sadly living in times when values are mere rhetorical slogans thrown around with no sense of truth that it becomes meaningless.

Few years ago they said to attract good leaders in government, peg ministers pay to top private salary bracket. The assumption is that this would bring the so-called talent from private to the public sector. What it failed to explain is the logic of correlating two different positions and roles with two different objectives and responsibilities. Yet we seemed to swallow it. A dismal flow of ‘quality’ people from private to public since they up the salary is a damning exposé on its illogical logic.

Actually all this strange logic is only possible because the whole process only went to a parliamentary route which is already a biased one as the overwhelming power of one party would simply allow them to use it to push through their preferred decisions. The fair route would have been to allow thorough public debate which would have prevented this and other changes from seeing the light of day but alas we killed that possibility by allowing such a lopsided parliament to exist in the first place.

And the rest is history.

This PE being reserved is but another similar episode of the PAP simply using their power to get away with what they want. The full machinery of control is then used to validate a clearly unjustified ruling. A compliant Malay community do not help as they simply served the PAP plan to the tee.

This will not end and more crazy changes will take place so long as we the people continue to allow them to do so by our own failure to act according to our conscience.

Today the PAP has set the ground rules to ensure that the chance or possibility of a political breakthrough for the opposition to be minuscule if not impossible. With the GRC and the gerrymandering, they effectively already won even before election is called. If we factor in the exclusive access to public broadcast where they no longer even bother to hide their utter blatantness in utilizing the public media to propagandized and even bring disrepute to oppositions, the outlook and prospect gets only worst for the opposition.

This is the state of the nation today.

The fundamental role of check and balance, fairness and justice no longer exist in so far as political space and reality are in Singapore. We collectively are responsible for this situation. History has shown how this is unsustainable and will lead to abuse and suppression or even oppression on any segment of society that dare to challenge their dominance.

We had a window of hope in 2011 but 2015 showed how we chose to follow our emotions rather than our rational mind and logic. By the way things are, and the slew of changes to strengthen their almost absolute control, 2020 may be worst.

Without unhindered political space, unlike most other regional nations, we remained sadly behind the political maturity curve. This stagnation or even regression is taking place amidst a changing economic reality that are driven primarily by freedom and space accorded for dynamic social growth in which political freedom is key.

Therefore it do not augur well for our future that today we remained stuck in this clearly debilitating discourse over the highest office in the land not over the critical role and function that it meant but the secondary or even minor issue of racial equality totally misplaced and clouded with so much questions, half-truths to even strange redefinitions. It is really painful to see the acting by all parties to this national charade.

To think that with all the intelligent minds that we have produced as a nation and to see such outright dumbing down of the people for vested political interest of the PAP is a damning indictment on our ownself. No one else is to blame really.

Source: Damanhuri Bin Abas

September 4, 2017
This Is What Happens If You Don’t Vote In Singapore; A $50 Fee If Reason Is Not Accepted
Voting: is it a right or a privilege? The verdict’s still out on that, but in Singapore, you’d better believe it when they say voting is compulsory.

According to the Elections Department website, “Voting at Singapore’s presidential elections or parliamentary elections is compulsory for all eligible citizens. It is part of the responsibilities of being an adult Singapore citizen.”

So what really happens if you don’t vote?

Well, you don’t serve time in prison, that’s for sure. But the Returning Officer (that’s Ng Wai Choong, who took over from everyone’s favourite Yam Ah Mee) will pass the list of names who didn’t vote to the Registration Officer, who will then remove your name from the list of eligible voters. This means you won’t be able to vote in future elections. It also means that you’re automatically disqualified from running as a candidate in any election.

You can get your name back on the list of eligible voters, though, if you explain why you didn’t vote here or send in a form providing your reason for not voting. Take note that you will only be able to restore your name to the list before the Writ of Elections is issued (it’s too late now), and that only certain reasons may be accepted, such as:
1. working overseas (including being on a business trip) at the time of the poll;
2. studying overseas at the time of the poll;
3. living with your spouse who is working or studying overseas;
4. overseas vacation; and
5. illness, or delivering a baby.
(Source: Singapore Elections Department)
If your reason is deemed invalid, you will have to pay a S$50 fee in order to get your name restored (no, this is not an SG50 joke).

So to avoid having to go through the trouble of getting your name restored, cast your votes next Friday, and vote wisely, Singaporeans.

Source: https://vulcanpost.com
September 4, 2017
Of The 3 Insults In Reserved PE For Malays, The Biggest Is That Candidates Have No Malay Written In Their NRIC

After being insulted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong by having the coming Presidential Election reserved for them, the Malay community might be further insulted with the Election Commission allowing the contests of Farid Khan and Salleh Marican – both which do not meet the financial requirements.

The first insult came from reserving the Presidency election. The Chinese and Indians were made to feel ashamed for being “racists” for their tendency to vote for their own race in a state media survey – a guilt trap designed by the Prime Minister. Worst, Malay Singaporeans are relegated to be politically “unpopular”, and seen as not being able to win an election on their own, no thanks to the Prime Minister.

The new Constitution written by the dictator Prime Minister stated that one must be an executive who have led a company of S$500 million shareholder equity, or having held one of the few top posts in the government. Halimah Yacob automatically qualifies without any other requirement, according to the Lee Hsien Loong-edited Constitution. However, the other two businessmen will need the Election Department to lower the standards for them to qualify – a double insult to the Malay race after the reserving of the election.

The third insult came from the blatant disregard for the Malay race. Halimah Yacob is Indian, it says so on her NRIC identity card. Neither are the other two candidates who also have Indian fathers, have “Malay” written on their NRIC. The three as are in fact “minority” race to be precise, “Indian” by hereditary and nowhere “Malay”. Lee Hsien Loong bent the rules further by defining a Malay as “someone who is a Muslim belonging to the Malay community”. Halimah Yacob refuse to acknowledge in public that her father is Indian, implying that her heritage is something she is ashamed of. The PAP MP went all out calling herself a bona fide Malay, where the Election Department gladly accepts.

How much more concessions, or more insults, will the Malay race need for this farce of an election to appoint a puppet president for Lee Hsien Loong?

Source: https://statestimesreview.com

September 4, 2017
The Bitter Insult: Singapore Malay Community Would Have Been Insulted Multiple Folds When Result Of PE Comes Out

The Bitter Insult

When the results of the Reserved Presidential Election are announced in the weeks to come, Singapore Malay Community would have been insulted Multiple Folds…

1) That Malays would stand no chance of being elected in an open contest in this land of Singapura

2) That Malays are no where near the league of qualifying for the Presidential Candidacy criteria apart from the passage of political office… Such that meticulous engineering spanning years may even be needed to ensure the minimum stint in office is achieved.

3) That on all other official matters such as the Census, HDB flat application Ethnic Integration Clause, Primary School Application, NRIC registration, Malay Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy, etc… The patrelineal CMIO model is applied strictly… But in the political arena especially this Reserved Presidential Election, the highest official public office… The patrilineal CMIO model is waived thus allowing cultural affinity and acceptance or the kampung way of determining whether someone is ‘orang kita’ or ‘pendatang’.

4) That members of the Malay community are longing to be given the chance to have a Malay President after so very long… After Yusoff Ishak… such that seeing his face on the Singapore Yusoff Ishak series notes is not enough… Such that having ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, a premier research institution named after him is not enough, such that having a Yusoff Ishak mosque – a community center symbolic for doing good, piety and humility without desire for earthly rewards… Is NOT enough… Such that to appease a deep unawaken unrest that is threading in the hearts and minds of Malay Singaporeans, a decision of surgical precision has to be made a short few months prior to the departure of President Tan from office that Singapore Must have a ‘Malay President’… One that has an image appealling and representative to the pious modern Malay Muslim women and men.

5) That the Malay community is very supportive of this ‘affirmative action’ although it was not a request.

However, the most bitter insult will be when the portraits of the Reservedly Elected President and spouse are the only Malay faces to be seen in public institutions, institutions that stand on National platform for national interest and not simply an institution of private ethnic community interest that have been deemed unsuitable for Malays such as some Military Units and all Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools… Such that regardless a Malay is smart enough, is fit enough, is capable enough and is supported enough… the faces of the Reservedly Elected President will be the only Malay faces gazing over the activities in those highly funded, highly resourced institutions of elite development.

This to me is an insult, the most bitter insult to the face of smart, capable and quaified Malay students and youth past, present and future… Where by virtue of race, they can only have potraits of the Reservedly Elected Malay Presidential couple hanging silently as representatives of the whole communities in such institutions.

But Malays known for being peaceful, forgiving and always optimistic for the ‘hikmah’ that is not easily comprehended to show itself.

Thus perhaps a prayer is appropriate that given the chance to choose, we are guided with making a the right option that will soften the blow of the many insults that we are about to receive…

May the Reservedly Elected President be someone of humble from a humble background so that we can teach our children that humility has its rewards;

May the Reservedly Elected President be someone that is determined and have persevered through struggles of success and failures so that we may teach our students not to expect favours and shortcuts to earn your worth as a contributing member of society;

May the Reservedly Elected President be someone that is a credible leader that not only holds titles and appointment but have demonstrated capacity to make, rational, weighted and wise decisions where it matters such that the followers are motivated and secure in good times and in situations of economic turmoil and crisis, so that we teach our children what it means to walk the talk and leading by example;

May Reservedly Elected President be someone who is charitable yet not a celebrity of charity who yearns millions of Pahala or its equivalence, someone known to have given generous donations and have pledged to give much more so that we can teach our children that to care for those who are not as fortunate is a responsibility for social good but not personal gain… It is one of the tenets of piety such that if right hand were to give, the left hand doesn’t know;

May the Reservedly Elected President be one that is sincere. Yet we can gauge sincerity impossible so perhaps as a proxy to sincerity, May the Reservedly Elected Malay President be someone who is self sufficient without the need to receive and rely on lucrative annual salary from public funds and if given, would return it back to the public especially those who need that extra help, so that we can teach our children, our parents, our siblings, our friends, our relatives, our neighbours, our community members, our fellow Singaporeans that fair remuneration fuels the quest to serve… Excessive remuneration fuels greed and it is possible to serve without milking dry public funds paid for by the people from the GS Tax, Income Tax, Property Tax, Fuel Tax, etc. Etc… Not forgetting the upcoming sugar tax.

May the Reservedly Elected Malay President be someone that will be a trustworthy person who will preside to ensure the well being of Singaporeans and growth of the nation, regardless of Race; as symbolic champion the abolition of unfair affirmative and preferential race policies, regardless of language; as a symbolic champion of honest communication guided by the language of hope, understanding and love, regardless of religion; as a symbolic champion to the free personal preference and choice of faith, believe systems and all its associated practices without denying rights to peaceful dialogue as long as principles of preserving human dignity is respected always… Such that despite being only a symbolic champion… will inspire the recovery of a Singaporean society that is harmonious and caring with a strong gotong royong and quanxi spirit that in the pirsuit of wealth, growth and excellence, No Singaporean… Be they friends, neighbours, family, schoolmate, colleagues, neighbourhood uncles, aunties, women, men, children… will ever slip and fall through the cracks due to greed and inconsiderate actions/inactions.

May the Reservedly Elected Malay President be someone who was not one with the system that contribute to the predicament we are in and the insults we are about to receive.

May the hikmah be clear upon us for the choice we are about to make and the future passage we are about to take.

Rafiz Mohyi Hapipi
Singapore Citizen,
Parent to 3 wonderful children
& A Malay

Source: Rafiz Hapipi

September 4, 2017