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.

The very ROOT of our problems.

Jose Mourinho recently commented about local football and the lack of competitiveness in the Sleague.

He mentioned the need for promotion and relegation to improve the competitiveness of the league and more to be done in youth development in order to unearth the next Fandi Ahmad.

While many, like me is excited abt The Special One commenting about local football and Fandi, some do questioned the logic in being excited abt such "obvious" stuff advised by Jose himself.

Of course we know abt the need for promotion and relegation, the need for investment in youth, but as far as what i had noticed, it is mainly circulating within this forum. No press or big shots had been talking abt such "basic" stuff regarding local football.

thus, rather than being "enlightened" by the Special One, i prefer to interpret the reaction of excitement/delightfulness/pseudo-enlightenment by most here as simply, the feeling of relief that our thoughts are "acknowledged" by a person of great reputation and influence. Or Him "joining our cause" in pushing for greater change in our local football.

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but seriously, its more than what Mourinho had mentioned is required. The true root of the issue is the lack of a sporting culture in Singapore. Look at the USA. They had a great sporting culture; parents play sports with their kids, bring them to watch games (whatever the sport), strong recognition of the sport competitions among the colleges and institutions, strong work and professional ethics by those competing athletes (including the high sch and the college students, many of them probably worked harder in the gym and their training than our sleague footballers)

When there is a strong base in sporting culture, then more attention will be given to local sports competition including the sleague; also to say, spectator numbers will also increase tremendously towards sports of all kinds. And with all this attention and interest, media coverage will increase, sponsors will increase, funding will increase, sportsmen's pay will increase, standard of infrastructure as well as standard of local sports will increase as well.

Savvy?

Thus, i am not enlightened by Mourinho, since making Sleague more competitive and having more youth potential being tapped doesnt really equate to improvement to local football as a whole.

Just like Sleague standard had improve tremendously compared to the year when it started. So what? The attendance actually dropped compared to the first year. Sleague had become nothing else but a joke to most Singaporeans: "huH!? watch sleague? You siao ah~" - i am sure you heard this before... I suspect even the Sleague coverage in the papers are paid for by FAS to ensure Sleague "appears" in those papers.

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First step SSC should do to create that sporting culture in Singapore - STOP ELITISM and MEDAL HUNTING.

Only when people (the common ppl) can play sports without being mindful of failure, worrying abt results; can then allow us enjoy a life full of sports or even consider career as a sports person if they excel in any of them. Foreign Talent Scheme in most part only discourages the average Singaporeans to pursue a career into sports of any kind; why should anyone risk failing in the light that the NSAs would simply bring in Foreigners anytime and put them in front of the pecking order?

SSC and probably the Government failed to understand that FTS kills off the desire of most ppl to pursue sports as a career, given that a career in sports is a very short affair, and the potential of being cast as a reserve to a certain few foreign talents is simply no prospect at all for anyone sensible. Career in Sports in not the same as career in the business world: i can go on staying in the shadow of a foreign boss for maybe 10 years, but i know that one day, i can grow strong enough to start my own company or prove myself as the more capable guy; but how long can a person in sports last under such circumstances? 10 years? Then the prime would had been over....

FTS in team sports, i can accept, as the FEW foreigners can help raise the bar for the rest of the team. but in individual sports? Sorry... I dun see the benefit other than short cut to success.

Internet "not an effective self-regulated regime"

Recently, RADM(NS) Lui Teck Yew, Senior Minister of State in MICA, made some interesting comments in Parliament about the internet not being an effective self-regulated regime.

I agree with him on one point, the mean-spirited comments about the MP who got burnt were uncalled for and cruel.

But to take one incident and draw such a big conclusion to it? Well, he might have been a tad hasty. Here's some of my rebuttals.

1. He doesn’t seem to understand the culture of forum users. The reason why most didn’t respond to their mean-spirited comments? Because most ignored it. In the internet forum culture, it’s not what type of responses you get. It’s HOW MANY you get. If it’s stupid, most wouldn’t want to help “publicise” the stupidity by bumping up the post.

2. Next, in forums, the replies are not linear in response. One reply doesn’t mean it’s in direct response to the one before. And sometimes it doesn’t make sense until you read the FIRST post and then link to what replies were talking about, or the post before it (much easier than it sounds).

3. This also brings up the issue on HOW Lui is reading these posts. From my experience, usually the tracking software comes up with a lot of hits, say 1000. A lower ranking staff member sieves through it to extract what he/she deems appropriate or useful. Then the next level person does the same. Eventually, after 3 or 4 rounds of sieving and narrowing it down, the “best” posts, maybe only 50, are sent to the top level guy to read. In this long process, things are lost, contexts are lost. Results? The top guys sees what his staff what him to see. Maybe that’s why Obama fought so hard to keep his blackberry. The higher up you up, the more alienated and closed-in you are from the ground. You need to be personally savvy and pro-active in following the news / trends by yourself, without depending on others to pass you selected information, without the big picture.

4. The internet is a place for people to vent, especially in countries where the mainstream media is so “buddy” with the government. So they vent, saying stupid things that they wouldn’t dare to say out loud. And most of the time, they don’t mean them or they know they are just talking nonsense. No one puts much weight into these comments… well, except the government or people who take everything too seriously.

5. I ask the question, how does Lui define self-regulation? Is it when it benefits them? When the main party gets attacked online, it's a lack of regulation. When the opposition is attacked online, they keep quiet. This seems to indicate that regulation is whatever suits them, what helps them. This isn't how the internet works.

In a subsequent speech, Lui said that others had "misconstrued my (earlier) remarks as “a desire for more regulation on the Internet”". He pointed out that bloggers were the one who brought up this issue. It sounds like a "he started it first" finger-pointing excuse to me. Bloggers, in their everyday interaction with the internet, understand how it works, and how group-regulation actually happens on the internet. They were mentioning something they saw everyday. Yet, Lui took one incident and turned it against them, as proof that it doesn't work. I'm more liable to trust the bloggers compared to someone who probably never reads a blog unless he has to.

"Perm Sec, Tan Yong Soon Scandal" in perspective.

http://wayangparty.com/2009/01/08/senior-civil-servant-boasted-about-spending-s46500-to-learn-french-cooking/

So, there is this damn rich civil servant spending silly money on silly stuff (at least to the common man) and tio slammed silly on national papers....

Seriously lah, its his damn money, he can spend whatever he wants. This is my thinking. In fact, i can't be bothered even if PM Lee drives a Ferrari around Singapore. He got the money, so why cant he spend it?

So ppl, do you really want all those on top of us, be hypocrites, acting like they are all honest and thrifty, like as if they are god-like, money is not impt kindda thing? pls wake up your idea.

This world is ruled by money, and like the saying goes: Money makes the world goes round.

So just admit it, a Perm Sec is equivalent as a one or 2 star General in the SAF. Their pay per month is 5 digit. At least 10k+++. So why cant they spent they kindda of money to enjoy their life.

YES, its a bad time, recession in Singapore and around the world. But thats the lure and good thing about public service or government job, your pay continues to come on time. So when some of you guys get 6 months or 1 year bonuses, we civil servants continue to get stucked with the most 3 months bonus (usually dun have so much). Civil servants are also usually paid lower than outside jobs. So dun complain when they seem rich during bad times, because thats the trade off.

And just in case you dunno, its the civil servants that continue to keep consumer spending at a certain level when times are bad, so the economy dun crumble when everyone stop spending. There is benefits for civil servants to be paid quite well.

So just get on with it. Not happy with their high pay? Try increase your earning more, or swallow your pride and forget it.

Without those high pays for top jobs, no talents wants to serve in the civil service job liao...

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Or lets see it in this perspective:

When you are eating good, sleeping good, got cable vision, got car, got credit card, got proper roof over your head, got maid; did you consider what your maids or the construction workers' thought?

Did you care about their feelings? They earning meager pay to do super tough and demanding jobs, while you shake your leg reading newspaper and slam our civil servants for spending silly money on silly stuff with caring about your feelings?

Come on.

Dun even compare these top civil servants life and those who choose to sleep in the streets. If those who strayed in the streets arent getting help for the 10k++ earners, you arent helping these folks either. I bet, you would be finding ways to even avoid these "liu lang hans" (vagabonds).

Want me to go on? I wont go so far as Africa, lets just say Indonesia or even Cambodia. They are plenty of ppl living poor life in poor environments. Can say its beyond their control to even improve their life any better than its already is. Did you help?

Until the common man attains god-like generosity and grace; dun blame all the shit on rich ppl. (i am not rich just for info)

Singapore, singapore.... haiz...

Bush's final day in office. Hail Obama!

just blame it on Frodo... [above, Bush with The One Ring]

finally....

after 8 years of decline and disruption by Mr. George W Bush, life is going to return to the better; because today is the last day, President Bush jr will be in office, as the President of the United States of America.

Under his reign, Afghanistan is smashed, Iraq is messed up to the brink of civil (luckily Al Qaeda got to the nerve of the common man, and resulted in the civilians fighting the terrorists), sub-prime crisis, credit crisis, global financial meltdown, closure of Lehman Brothers, deteriorating relations with N.Korea, Iran, EU, in fact, almost everyone. Reputation as the protagonist of the world turns into public enemy no.1 ; USA suffered under the rule of the Bush.

With the end of his reign, the world hails the 1st african-american President, Barack Hussein Obama with joy and celebration, amidst great hope and anticipation of a better future.

In matters of hours, the now, President-Elect Obama will be sworn in as the President of the most powerful country in the world. The entire recession and crunch originated in the U.S, and they being the biggest consumer market in the world, its really up to this remarkable man, to turn the fate around for the entire world.

And when USA recovers under the ambitious policies and plans of Barack Obama, so will the rest of the world. 

And thus, the world awaits: for the new President of United States of America : Barack Obama.

Town Council use our money to invest???

The fall of Lehman caused lotsa revelation throughout the world; from regulations to the over-deregulations, as well as what the mini-bond is all about. A few days ago, something new is revealed by the crash of the giant: Town Councils investments.

I am totally caught off guard that the money we paid to the Town Council is used to do investment.

What does that means? That our public fund is actually more than what they really need to service our town needs? Then why collect so much at the first place? Why arent we paying for what we need than always paying more than what is required, as a result, having enough surplus to do huge investments (one of the town council is actually a major share owner of Creative).

Come on... What is the job of the Town Council. We must be very clear here. No matter how you look at it, investment with people's money is never their job. We have CPF, GIC, even Temasek, not withstanding insurance, personal investments etc... Not to forget, the Government already collecting tax from GST, ERP, Income Tax, COE, etc... Still not enough money to serve Singaporeans???

I always wondered how the Worker's Party's Town Council able to collect so little money from their people while PAP's need to collect so much more. And eventually, Hougang under Worker's Party actually looks more beautiful and cleaner as compared to the other half of Hougang New Town.

Town Councils should collect just enough for the upcoming projects and planned projects. If there are surplus, then they should reduce the amount collected thus not putting additional pressures on the people, especially those who are earning hardly enough to save.

I had enough of seeing those Ah Ma and Ah Peks digging rubbish bins for used aluminium cans. The Government is formed to serve Singaporeans, not to make profits after profits without giving back to the people in substantial ways. (not by giving cash that you would eventually tax back)

If got excess money, keep it or invest it (on 100% guaranteed safe investments) until the next collection, and reduce the collection for the next round. There should not be over-collection on the part of the Town Councils, and if there is any ad hoc need of additional funds, it should be gotten from the Government or relevant ministries. 

Ridiculous.

"Is S'pore ready for a minority PM?" - HELLO!? Open Your Eyes.

3 Lessons from the US Elections

IS S'PORE READY FOR A MINORITY PM?

Can we see beyond the colour? Not yet, but young are more colour-blind

By Tan May Ping - November 07, 2008  

OVERNIGHT, American voters put us to shame.

They voted in a black president, while Singaporeans will still baulk at accepting a non-Chinese prime minister, say some political top guns and many observers.

In the evolution of democratic politics, Americans just took a giant step forward.

Meanwhile, Singaporeans are still lumbering along like Third World tribes, dragging our baggage of racial hang-ups.

Of course, not all Americans are enlightened voters.

Half of the country's population, who are older and mostly white, are still living in the past and might well view President-elect Barack Obama as an 'uppity nigger'.

As one academic commentator noted: 'Today's radical Republican Party represents a large segment of the population that believes that abortions and same-sex marriages are immoral, God sent America to Iraq...'

So while Mr Obama was the favourite in polls, many expected whites to reveal their true colours when put to the test.

Well, they did the right thing by putting race in the background. Can they continue to do so as America attempts to heal itself after bruising campaigns?

And could Singaporeans do the right thing and ignore the skin colour of a future prime minister?

The leaders of the People's Action Party believe that Singaporeans do vote on racial lines, said Dr Gillian Koh, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).

Dr Koh said: 'They feel that there are social faultlines that divide us, especially on race, so Singapore is no where near to being a de-racialised country.

'And that is the whole basis of the GRC system.'

The GRC or group representation constituency was introduced in 1988 to protect Parliament's multiracial composition.

The need for such a scheme shows clearly that we're still tribal folk, flocking together like birds of a feather.

But the immediate post-65 generation, said Dr Koh, would probably be more ready for other ideas as to who the PM can be.

'They were brought up to think One Singapore, One Nation, and would probably not be averse to the idea because of the political ideals of their time,' she added.

The young and the cosmopolitan are likely to be even more colour-blind, say some observers.

They will let the best man lead.

Political analyst Terence Chong from the Institute of Southeast Asia Studies said: 'Many Singaporeans, especially younger ones, are ready because the ideologies of multiculturalism and meritocracy have become part of the Singaporean myth.'

Singaporeans are very pragmatic, and will look for leaders with management ability and people-skills, IPS' Dr Koh said.

Citing an IPS post-2006 election survey, Dr Koh said respondents indicated they voted their members of parliament based on whether they thought they would be effective, fair and have a heart for the people in general.

Another survey last year by two academics at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) on race and religion also produced surprising results.

It found that over 91 per cent of all races polled said they would accept a prime minster of another race, while at least 92 per cent said they would vote an MP or a Singapore president of a different race.

Among the Chinese, 94 per cent did not mind if the PM was an Indian, and 91 per cent, if he was a Malay.

Referring to the topic of race as an old issue, Workers' Party's organising secretary Yaw Shin Leong said: 'If we truly believe in merit and capabilities, then so long as the person is Singaporean and can do a good job, there should be no reason why the person can't be given the top job.

'To say that certain ethnic groups are not suitable or ready for top office is regressive'.

All that debate might be purely academic given that the electoral system here is focused on political parties, not individual candidates.

The party which has the majority forms the government and chooses the prime minister.

Dr Koh said: 'I think we would need a fully functioning two-party system before we ever reach that scenario.'

The question of race and prime ministership was on then-PM Lee Kuan Yew's mind back in 1988.

He publicly said then that he would have considered then-National Development Minister S Dhanabalan for the PM's job if not for his Indian ethnicity.

Singapore, Mr Lee said, was not ready for an Indian prime minister.

Mr Dhanabalan himself did not think Chinese Singaporeans were ready to accept a non-Chinese PM. In a Straits Times report in November last year, he said that such cross-racial acceptance takes time.

Referring to the RSIS race survey, Mr Dhanabalan felt that the respondents probably gave 'politically correct' answers that did not reflect their real feelings.

He said then: 'I'm not quite convinced. It will take a bit more time. You look at the United States. How long, how many years were they a nation before a Catholic could be elected?

'Let's don't even talk about blacks. Now Barack Obama is the first one. Well, he may not even make it through the primary, right?

'So these are very deep feelings. I'm not saying it's not possible, but I think it will take some time.'

Fast forward a year later.

Mr Obama has done it, despite the widespread fears of voting along racial lines.

Commentators even spoke openly of the prospect of his assassination by a white supremacist group.

But, as in Malaysia's general election, many voters surprised even the experts by rejecting race to 'do the right thing'.

All this gives Singaporeans good reason to gaze in the mirror and ask ourselves how deep runs a tribal instinct and how far we want to evolve as a society.

extracted from The New Paper :http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,182629,00.html?

Seriously, I feel like giving the writer a slap first before I start.

I am seriously angry and felt insulted the very first line of the article.

I want to question you, Ms/Mdm Tan May Ping, how did you get the impression that Singaporeans are not ready for a non-Chinese Prime Minister? And how does that going to put Singaporeans to shame?

First, lets talk facts. The United States took more than a hundred years to arrive at this stage. The African Americans were first brought into the continent as slaves and labourers. They are forced labours. Badly treated and discriminated. The hatred between the 2 races goes beyond you and our understanding. So on this first context, you are already making a very bad assumption or presupposition that the different races in Singapore are hostile against each other, or at least in the state of serious racism.

Singapore had lasted the past few decades based on meritocracy, and equality among all. I have Indian friends, I have Malay friends, not to mention Indonesian, Burmese, PRC nationals... Do I have any issues with them? No! 

2ndly, you are neglecting the fact that, despite the country is governed by the Prime Minister; It is the President that is the head of state. The President is above all and is the only one who can grant a 2nd chance for a person of death sentence. So by choosing PM as the topic of contention, you are making a big mistake, out of context, and insulting our President. And talk about the President, all 4 races were represented throught the rotation of Presidents. So when President S.R Nathan became the President, do any Singaporeans complaint or resented? In fact, we cheered for him every National Day Parade. Thats Singapore for you.

3rdly, while the U.S President is, may I emphasize?, VOTED IN by the citizens of United States, but our Prime Minister aren't. The choice of the Prime Minister is based on who the Cabinet and the incumbent PM choose, based on one's ability to carry out the important task of leading our country and care for the people. So by this context, YOU cannot imply that Singaporeans REFUSED to have a minority to head the nation. And again, this previous sentence is still wrong, because the President IS the head of state, not the Prime Minister. 

So after the 3rd point, that brings us to the 4th point that I want to make: The President IS voted in by the People of Singapore. And we had been representated well by former Presidents of all the 4 races: prominently, President Yusof bin Ishak, President Benjamin Sheares, President Ong Teng Cheong, and the current President, S.R Nathan. Despite I understood that the Presidential election only began with Mr Ong Teng Cheong, its still without doubt that they holding the highest position in the Government of Singapore.

So now, I come to the next point, about practical steps a minority lawmaker should take, in order to "convince" the general public, especially the majority Chinese that you make out to be "colour-bias".

First we should look back to Mr Lee Kuan Yew's early political life. If you realised something, while he is a Chinese, he spoked in Malay. Big Hint.

If one minority wants to command respect among ALL races, especially from those Chinese aunties and uncles, those Ah ma and Ah peks; they need to learn to speak Mandarin. Its not a must seriously, but if you notice that Mr Lee Hsien Loong speaks in Malay during the National Day Rally, you should understand that I am not joking. 

To connect with the people, especially those less well off and less educated, you MUST speak their language, to let them know that you understand them and know their need. Imagine the impact of a Malay politician or an Indian politician speaks fluent Mandarin or even Hokkien to the crowds during the Rallies before the election. Can you imagine the impact, especially on those Ah ma and Ah peks whom only understand Mandarin? But of course, this works best with the Opposition since that commands the biggest and easily impressed crowds. Those Ah Ma and Ah Peks might very well voted the minority in...

So, stop making false accusations at your fellow Singaporeans. If JBJ can be voted in at Anson against a Chinese PAP politician, there is no reason why we are still at this question of Racism and Biasness.

After all, the Prime Minister is not of our choice. If Mr Lee Kuan Yew, then thinks that after him, Singapore is not ready for an Indian Prime Minister, then so be it. We should look forward and see how is the best capable person to "memberi kita kepada masa depan yg lebih baik". 

K?

Understand what I meant?