A Little India Riot - really little.

A week ago, an incident of "epic" proportion happened in our Little India District: A Riot!

A significant event considering that it is the first riot in over 40 years since the 1969 racial riots.

As usual, for any sort of "mishaps" or "gossip-worthy" piece of news coming out of the little red dot, the netizens rushed in to give their opinions and commentary on the event while it unfolds. Interestingly, this is one event that got people getting emotional and agitated, that evolved into a series verbal skirmishes across the cyber landscape.

• There people berating the foreign workers
• There are people blaming the government for bringing too many foreign workers in
• There are people getting racist, with racist comments about a specific community's lack of "drinking grace"
• There are people blaming Singapore for this instant for being too dependent of foreign workers
• We have people blaming the police force for not acting fast enough (or violent enough)
• We have people being amused (like me)
• We have people defending our Indian and Bangladeshi brothers as they are the ones who tolled to build our nation (literally)
• We have people blaming our government or the system for not providing better for the foreign workers
• We have people deciding that it is because we are treating them like slaves, which is why it sparks off the riots
• We have people blaming Chinese Nationals for whatever its worth
• We have people blaming Little India for being Little India
• We have people blaming alcohol as the cause of the violence
• We have people asking people to stop blaming the world
• We have people asking people to be calm

So what's the problem here?

The problem is that we are all debating at different frequencies and different magnitude of things. Its like the saying, "Ask the right questions and you will get the right answers."

People aren't asking the specific questions and start diving into the sharing their opinions to people who aren't at the same frequency or having the same perspective of things.

Fact:
An Indian National who got drunk, try to board a bus. The bus can no longer accommodate him especially not when he is making a nuisance of himself. He got invited out of the bus, and the bus drives off without him. He, being drunk, chase after the bus (alongside the bus). And when the bus turns, he got drove over and trapped beneath the bus. 

So this is the first part of the drama. Nothing really special. Just another accident.

Fact:

The police and SCDF are notified and arrived at the scene promptly. Police control the crowd (and requested for reinforcement as the crowd is swelling), the SCDF personnels and paramedics tries to extract the body from under the bus. The crowd then starts to get rowdy (perhaps due to misinformation spreading among themselves) and started attacking the police and SCDF personnels.

This is the 2nd part, where the accident escalates into senseless attack on the people who are trying to save a trapped "kin" of the crowd. 

Fact: 

The mob started to riot, overturning police cars and ambulance; setting them on fire. Riot Police (SOC) forms up and disperse the mob. It took an hour plus for the mob to be fully disperse and the area under police's control. They also arrested 27 people during this operation.

The 3rd part, basically the riot itself. On its own, it also aren't very special.

Suggested Fact:

The foreign workers are underpaid, treated badly and living in poor quarters. They are frustrated and it is a because of this underlying issue that resulted in the "explosion" into a riot.

This is where a lot of contention came. There are NGOs fighting for these foreign workers' rights; and many people arguing and linking this perception (may be true, may be not) to the riot itself. 

And if you break it down as above, you may see, it is like a free-for-all for people to make up their own conclusions and stories. 

I can even imagine: "Living like a slave in this prosperous country, the victim had little to smile about but to drown himself with the little money he earn in beer and hard liquor. He cant even be treated like a human being, being kicked out of the bus who he have the money to pay by some Chinese pigs despite there is plenty of space for him to squeeze in. Chasing the injustice, he fell to the rolling wheels of an uncaring society! Fellow kins saw his death, and their pent up frustration boils to the surface awakens the vendetta in them! Down with the Society!!! And they pelt the lackeys of their uncaring society with their fervent anger and fire. We shall make a statement, they cried. And all of Singapore shall be cursed upon these flames...."  

And seriously, the story above sounds really legit. 

But as pragmatic citizens of Singapore, please, look at the facts again. We have one drunk guy, being drunk, making a nuisance and got himself kill trying to run alongside a bus. A handful of people (probably drunk too) got pissed and takes the opportunity to vent and make trouble (which could explain why they attack the very people who are apparently saving their "kin"). 

What is a true riot? What is real boiling issue? A true boiling issue would have triggered a much bigger and objective-focused riot. Even if the accident is a trigger to some underlying problem, its apparently only big enough to trigger a handful of people (which in numbers would not even have been bigger than the gangs we have in our heartlands).

IS A HANDFUL OF MOB = SERIOUS ISSUE?

I have to clarify, I am not turning a blind eye as to the possible plight and definite hard life these people are living (they probably would live just as hard a life back in their home land); but are we looking at this in the correct perspective?

I am absolutely against linking foreign labour's living standard to this riot. This riot is not 400 people strong. Its probably 25-40 people with 300 over people having fun looking at the spectacle. 

If the issue is truly serious (to a boiling point), the riot would be way into the hundreds and thousands. And the riot will be better planned, with a specific objective they would like to achieve at the end of the riot after negotiation with whichever authority that is handling their issues.

The Riot IS significant (as its the first riots in decades); but it is NOT important. 

Fight for the rights of the foreign labours? Go ahead! 

Fight for the rights of the foreign labour and speaking for them because of this riot and the fear that it will spark more riots? Forget it, dun waste your pretentious and self-righteous time.

If you cared, you would have cared way before their riot, whenever you passed by a construction site or their accommodation. 

I personally always wondered how hard their life must be, living in those container-like dorms, working in the mud and the blazing sun; every single time I walked, jogged and passed by their accommodations on the bus. I reflect it upon my army days and decided that these guys are really having a hard life. But its definitely better than stories I have heard of the foreign labours being REALLY treated like slaves and have their wages owed by the rich Arabs whom refused to pay (many of them trapped in foreign lands).

The issue of whether the life provided to these foreign labours are really not good enough or humane enough, is one hell of a complicated and difficult issue to resolve. But this riot? Just forget about it, I doubt it will happen again that easily (if it does, then I will perhaps stand corrected and write another opinion post on it)

ANSWER TO WHY HDB SO EXPENSIVE

The biggest problem is that while HDB thinks that they are pricing to the market price, the market is actually looking at HDB prices to price their Real Estate.

Imagine I am the real estate company, and my condo is priced at 125% of what a similar size apartment by HDB (meaning HDB would cost 80% of the condo). And then HDB happen to decide that HDB apartments will be priced at 85% of the price of the condo. <--- so who win? both will just keep increasing their pricing to match their reference price.

Developer: Okay, my condo will cost 100k since the HDB apartment is 80k
HDB - 80k
Condo - (new) 100k

Garmen: Wah, market price increase liao. Cannot cannot cannot, we need to peg to market price!
Condo - 100k
HDB - (new) 85k

Developer: Wah, cannot lah... HDB already at this price liao. We need to adjust accordingly.
HDB - 85k
Condo - (new) 106.25k

Garmen: Wah, market price increase again. No choice.
Condo - 106.25k
HDB - (new) 90.3k

Developer: CCB.... this HDB want to push us out of business is it? HIKE HIKE HIKE!!!
HDB - 90.3k
Condo - (new) 112.9k

Garmen: We are very concern abt the housing situation, and we will be monitoring the real estate prices closely. (hiu lan lah, set to the market price!)
Condo - 112.9k
HDB - (new) 95.9k

Fiance to Fiancee: I think we can call of the wedding liao...

Developer: wah lao eh... HDB very tmd.... keep increasing, my show room no one come liao. But we cannot degrade our brand and lower the price. CHIONG AH!
HDB - 95.9k
Condo - (new) 119.9k

ChannelNewsAsia: The Singapore Property Market had yet raised for the 8th straight months since the start of the years. Market Analyst are expressing deep concern with the possibility of the housing bubble developing in Singapore.

Garmen: We will be implementing various cooling measures to control the housing prices, and we will continue to monitor closely in the coming months (must do something liao, set the HDB price to 84% of the Condo)
Condo - 119.9k
HDB - (new) 100.7k

Developer: We will not surrender! HDB 100k, we must go higher!
HDB - 100.7k
Condo - (new) 125.9k

Singaporeans: lets vote for the Opposition... cannot tahan liaoz.....

ChannelNewsAsia: PAP had lost Aljunied GRC to WP. This marks a new beginning in Singapore politics, and for the first time in donkeys years, we have more than 5 Opposition MPs in the Parliament.

Garmen: Law by Law.
Condo - 125.9k
HDB - (new) 105.7k

Singaporeans: ..........

A Prostitute Story (quoted from HWZ)

This is an interesting story I read in the HWZ forum.

BuiBui wrote:
Once, there lived a south-east asian girl. She was beautiful and petite, much more attractive than many of her neighbours, who were ugly, lazy or even violent.

Many men loved her deeply, most even offering years of their lives to work as her bodyguard, protecting her from her neighbours.

One day, her grandfather called her into his room. “Ah girl, for the sake of our familee, you have to do this. There is no other choice.”

From then on, she became a changed person. She opened the gates to her house wide, allowing all kinds of people to cum inside her. These people come from the north/south, white, yellow, black, all nationality, large numbers (thousands) of them.

She worked hard to serve these customers, doing everything to appease them, to make them feel good, so they can tip her better. All this time ignoring the pleadings of the men who loyally protected her.

It was useless. In the house the grandfather makes all decisions. Who else can be more qualified? Not even the father can do anything, much less the lowly, lesser bodyguards.

Soon, her house became overcrowded with customers. There was no choice but to chase some of her bodyguards out. The remaining ones suffered a pay cut, with the hope that they will leave by themselves.

Overnight, her familee became very rich. Easily the richest familee in the whole region. Some people despise this method of making money, but it doesnt matter to the grandfather. Money is money.

It slowly dawned on the girl that all the people who cum inside her dun actually love her. For them, once they benefited from the short-term encounter, they leave. No obligations, no responsibilities need be answered.

After several months, the bodyguards who used to love her, who protected her, became really turned off by her love of money and promiscuity. She was no longer pure, no more beautiful, just a cheap tool of her grandfather.

Right now, they are reading this thread and wondering, should they continue to protect the girl and her grandfather, or should they give up?

Pretty extreme but it made the point.

disclaimer: i have no part in the writing of this story nor i endorse anything suggested from this article. Copyrights and credits remains with the original writer. DO NOT SUE ME. =X

Singaporeans underpaid?

For those whom had followed Majulah! (this blog) closely, you would have noticed that I am very concerned and conscious abt the lack of "development" in the amount of our pay for the past 10 years+...

This issue had become glaring in the latest survey by UBS on wage levels and living cost in major cities across the world.

Read abt it here: http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/news/story/0,4574,346842,00.html?

Singapore is the SECOND MOST EXPENSIVE CITY IN ASIA after Tokyo. But workers in Tokyo are earning MORE THAN TWICE of what we earned in Singapore. And this is happening while Singaporeans are working longer hours (2088 hours per year) than people of Tokyo (1997 hours per year).

Thats is pretty astounding.

So even when Tokyo people are facing the most expensive living cost in Asia, they can easily deal with it because of their pay. But in Singapore, the case is extremely different. While we had to work harder, pay more for our daily expenses or for entertainment; we are actually "enjoying" only 50% of what the Japanese are enjoying.

And no wonder Singapore ranked so low for happiness and people in "The Online Citizen" hates PAP so much... = \


But for those who read: Dun start criticizing. Think of solution. Complaining is like solving an algebra by chewing bubble gum. So dun comment without thinking thru how can we make it better. Thanks.

Childish Saga of Aware.

AWARE. So are you aware now? Of AWARE? Or AWARE being aware?

=X

The EOGM (Extraordinary General Meeting) of AWARE at the SUNTEC had became the national sensation and talking point. The fervent crowd opposing the allegedly "Un-Aware" ppl who won in their election to become the new Exco (executive committee) is probably the next most incredible scene of Singaporeans voicing out, after the Worker's Party's Election Rally.

Ppl were discussing and arguing, are the supporters of the Old Guards (the previous Exco) being ungraceful in the way they boo and disrupt the speeches of the "New Guards"? Or are the "New Guard" conspiring something that will hurt the reputation and meaning of AWARE? "SHUT UP!" and "Feminist Mentor" trash talk?

In my opinion, the entire saga resembles just like children's quarrel; simply childish. In fact, if the "New Guard" have ideologies of anti-gay rights and such, and thus joining AWARE to prevent, the alleged pro-gay education materials from continued used, are they going to prevent gays and lesbian from appearing in our society? I doubt so...

[side tracking warning] if in our conservative society, gays and lesbians can continue to appear, I dun see the point, going anti-gay or not mentioning of gay-ism, is going to change anything.

Somehow, the booing and discrediting on the ground of the EOGM reminds me of what i did during football matches at the stadium. LOL~ Just find it hilarious happening in a General Meeting. To say the truth, if the New Guards get their way, and speak all their hearts all, without interruption, about their Feminist thingy and ting-tongs which I apparently dun understand much (gender equality is already is tip towards the fairer sex in our law already anyway): are the ground going to cast confident votes for them? NAH!

Its already over even before it started, so why bother talking all the 大道理 （Big Meaning “literally”），all their philosophy and watever, when ppl already discredited them beyond repair. What's worse is the Thio Thio whom self-styled herself as "Feminist Mentor".

Being successful in your own life doesnt make you a "Female Rights Leader". Abuthen, who is the "Masculinist Mentor" then? Maybe in Singapore is our dear, All Singaporeans Fav: MM Lee Kuan Yew. He made Singapore from nothing to really something. He can be the true "Masculinist Mentor" thus also MM. So he can be MM&MM Lee. =D (sarcasm)

You cant just start to call yourself something which includes other ppl, without other concurring with you.

Wat the hell is Feminist Mentor anyway? Girl are already female; you cant make a female more female right? And if my gf is going to mentored by that Thio Thio, I going to be very afraid....

----

At first, I was in support of AWARE to respect their electoral result, for the same reason, why we must support the PAP as long as they are in power, because they are whom majority had voted in.

But when revelation of most of the New Guard are from the same Church, and their Senior Pastor Derek Hong urged the women in his flock to ‘be engaged’ and support new president Josie Lau and ‘her sisters’ at AWARE; its apparent that it is something that was being said or probably instigated by their Pastor or in their sermons, or maybe someone whom is also from the same church, maybe that Thio Thio, that resulted in the sudden surge in membership of AWARE before the election and thus the surprise result in the election. And because of this, I agree with the supporters of the Old Guard that this Exco had to be replaced.

AWARE despite being well-reputated, isnt exactly a big organisation despite their great contributions to the society. So, to cause such a "problem" in election is quite easy, given the fact that a Church can have easily more members than a NGO like AWARE.

And thus, the voting of no-confidence vote in the EOGM can be seen as a more true reflection of the views of Singaporean women who cares.

So AWARE, pls add a new line to your "Constitution" - you cannot get elected without joining AWARE a year prior to the election, and must be involved in at least 1 "AWARE activity".



For those interested in how this Saga can become a lesson for PAP, read here: http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_2009/yax-1018.htm
Yawning bread's view is something i concur with~ =}

NTU Tragedy Review.

Apparently, if anyone does read this blog, or you happen to chance upon the current post; I had previously posted regarding certain suspected cover up regarding the bizarre NTU tragedy where a Indonesian student was allegedly accused of stabbing his lecturer before "committing suicide", as well as the suicide of another guy whom are related to the two fore-mentioned person.

As I had predicted, there is a media blackout on this case ever since the initial reporting for the first week of the 2 incidents. Subsequently, in anti-tabloid style, the case had suddenly disappeared off the subsequent editions of ALL local newspaper. 

With this case being more bizarre than Huang Na or the SAF Medical Officer's death, its unusual that it is no longer covered by the press or chased upon for more newsbreaking information by any of the reporters.

Neither did any of this conspiracy theories or flare ups online made it to any papers...

Bizarre case indeed.

p.s: I am not suggesting anything of controversy, just stating facts as it is. Dun sue me.

political disillusioned...

Although we cant be sure if the conspiracy abt the NTU case is true or not, but somehow, I got a sense of disillusioned as regards to politics; the fakeness and wayangness of it...

This even which most likely going to cause a big stir is the trigger, but the thought is a result that had laid layer over layer over a period of time. Somewhat similar to my disillusion with SAF's wayanging routine; but this is worse, because i cant quit it. Its part of my heritage in fact.

Somehow, i kindda understand the frustration behind some infamous opposition dudes like JBJ, Chee Soon Quan, Low Thia Kiang and those frustrated ah peks(still i am no sympathizer with Chee Soon Quan; i still think he is an idiot); the feeling of seeing injustice or crappiness, but you have no power to change or stop anything.

Like how our ah pek and ah mm started digging the rubbish bins for aluminium cans; how living cost had been rising non-stop while the basic pay remain largely the same; how nurses are underpaid even when their course in poly is so much more demanding than most of the other course, which ironically pays much higher; how town councils can have so much money till they can go do investment on their own while at the same time still can collect even more money; how useless our oppositions are; how elitism is practiced to unassailable levels; how the fuck can certain officers can even become officer; how certain great guys have to salute those fuck up officers; how officers pay can keep increasing while specialist remained stucked; how our minister suggested that we should send the people who helped to build this country to what it is today, to the slums of Johor to see out their final years; how money-minded our government had become; how Mr Lee Kuan Yew isnt stopping and changing all of the above i mentioned; etc...

I ever thought of going into politics, but also discouraged myself from doing so, as it does not really serve much of a practical purpose; because i believe that if you want to serve, you do not need to be a minister or a MP, as long as you can have the money, you can do your part in improving the society...

But now, i cant even see the point of going into politics or even staying in Singapore...

To be able to see what many cant also means to see more crappy stuff than most ppl can.

I want to make Singapore a better place, but I just cant see Singapore surviving for another 100 years... Greed will probably consume our nation one day. And that day, no one in Singapore would want to pick up arms and defend the elites that are enjoying the privileges of being up there, and the country they called home. Because home do not seem to fight for them, thus the lack of the need to fight for home as well.

When we have so much money, and yet our ppl have to work till 65 in order "have enough money to retire"; come on... something must be wrong somewhere. And I still cannot pardon the thought by a certain elite that our old folks should be sent to Johor's old folks home because its cheaper....

THEY ARE THE ONES WHO BUILD THIS NATION. and this is the way we pay our gratitude...


Fuck off....



I dun believe in our leaders anymore. Not PAP, not WP, not SDA, not SDP.

I believe its up to the new generation to CHANGE what is wrong. I dun question the need to be financially power; but not at the expense of our old folks whom build this country and pledge their loyalty to PAP and Mr Lee K Y, for those puny amount of money and land, that is PEANUTS to the elites.



Dear Government, Ministers, MP, and leaders: Please ask yourself why you serve. And if its money and power with no regards for Singaporeans; Pls quit and go into the private sector.

For now, i will just blame myself to be so poor and powerless in changing my country.

The Gods are angry!!!

The Gods are so furious with Singapore, for losing so much tax payers money as GIC and Temasek failing spectacularly in their investment; that they took their anger out on our National Icon - The Merlion.