Wake Up Your Idea

Talk About Rubbish Journalism...

2008-10-06T17:22:00.009+08:00

It has been a sad start to October with Mr J B Jeyaretnam passing away suddenly. Although most of the population are mourning the loss, it does seem that the elites of this 'promised land' are quietly smiling to themselves - not unlike the relief of having a painful thorn removed after several decades.

Whilst we have seen very poorly crafted condolence letters from senior officials of the government - and notably nothing from the MM, at least the President has been more forthcoming with his genuine sympathy.

Nevertheless, my beef is with the 'breaking news' that was posted on the online Straits Times portal on Tuesday morning (30/09/2008). I was simply appalled at the implicit and explicit descriptions given as well as the unnecessary negative information that seems to have been deliberately included. Reproduced below is the entire article as it appeared. Note the grammatical error in the last sentence and the extremely harsh tone of a report that is informing the death of someone well-known. And Mr JBJ's name is spelt wrongly to boot!

Of course, when I saw it I knew it would be replaced sooner or later and hence saved the snapshot quickly. Subsequently, by the evening, the report had taken a whole new look - albeit under the same heading and title picture of Mr JBJ. Let the following be a permanent record of the shameful report as it appeared on 30/09/2008 at 9:32am.

Click on each thumbnail to see the original image
or download and read the PDF version that was saved

Li Changjiang Quits? How Irresponsible!

2008-09-23T10:43:00.008+08:00

I woke up this morning to discover that a top official in China had resigned (with the approval of the cabinet, some more) in relation to the Milk Scandal. (Side Note: A scandal might be a misnomer since they have practically made it a habit to do anything it takes to cut costs and increase profits immaterial of who dies.)

Apparently, more officials down the food chain have also been sacked. What kind of behaviour is this? I thought China wanted to learn from Singapore? One of the pillars of our governance is to NOT resign/quit/get sacked regardless of how big the calamity and in the face of the obvious. No matter what happens, according to our doctrine top officials are not supposed to resign and are instead required to close ranks and start covering each others' backs(ides).

Here, China's Premier Wen Jiabao should have immediately sprung forward to voice his unilateral confidence in Li Jangchiang and should have stated that he would reject any offer of resignation from him. Then Mr Li should have quickly followed up the wayang with his undertaking that he would see the problem through and not 'quit on the country'.

This is the way Singapore would have done it and FINE the manufacturers involved to kingdom come instead. The logic is of course that a hundred-and-one other entrepreneurs will come forward to fill the void but who can replace the god-like officials.

I am shocked and disturbed that China has not learnt this basic tenet of the incorruptible Singapore government. How can it even imagine to follow our hugely successful sheep-herding of the masses if it fails to adopt the fundamental steps to being invincible?

Someone pass Premier Wen a copy of the Mas Selamat case study please...

"Aiyah, small problem you resign? Wasted!"

Selamat Spotted at Mustafa Centre

2008-06-26T17:04:00.009+08:00

There I was minding my own business at Mustafa Centre one night when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted him. Staring defiantly at me, daring me to catch him, he just sat there. So, bound by my intrinsic patriotism, I went forward boldly and picked him up with gusto. There! I had Selamat in the palm of my hands, literally.

With 2 distinct flavours and a namesake that is fast becoming a legend in this hmble republic, watch out for the Selamat Wafer to become the next big thing. At least, unlike the Hello Kitty national catastrophe, here, we can tell the security guards and Police who try to stop us from bashing each other's head open over the wafers that we are actually 'fighting for the country'.

On closer inspection, the wafers are being brought in from Indonesia no less. I do wonder if 'Mr Good Gold' will be endorsing this product and whether he will claim royalties if the product were to pick up in sales. Anyway, do get your (Mas) Selamat fix when you're at Mustafa Centre the next time. At 80 cents, it is a small price to pay to have Selamat in your hands - and eat him, so to speak...

*click on image for actual size*

A Good Marketing Angle?

Earthquake in China = Fewer Bus Drivers for Singapore?

2008-05-13T10:26:00.007+08:00

I woke up this morning to the depressing news that probably tens of thousands of 'mainlanders' were killed in an earthquake that hit Sichuan yesterday. What bothered me though was not the loss of life in an already-over-crowded world but the fact that all that potential Foreign Talent was going to waste. Imagine how many bus drivers, cleaners at NTUC , beer promoters et al have been lost to this catastrophe. The Horror and Tragedy of it all!

Not to mention, the number of existing FT in Singapore right now who will heartlessly leave their well-paying (compared to third-world wages, that is) cleaner/promoter/driver jobs to attend to their families back home. Who will keep the aisles of our affordable icon of grocery shopping - FairPrice, clean in the meanwhile? What a Dilemna!

Perhaps the experience of our aged uncles and aunties can now be put to even better use and they can double up their tissue-selling/cleaning table day-jobs with second jobs involving these 'abandoned' duties. Maybe, just maybe, we can also solve the national problem of the increase in the cost-of-living for the poor at the same time by giving them these extra jobs at extremely menial pay. Wow, a silver lining!

I understand that many readers might be perturbed by my apparent lack of empathy to the plight of the people struck by this natural disaster, and to them I say - I am being patriotic and simply thinking like how my government/political party (not sure if there is a difference) would...

Still Hope: Enough Potential Bus Drivers Alive And Well

When Cost Goes Up, Wages Don't Need To?

2008-04-26T13:52:00.010+08:00

When I read the headline "Raising Wages To Address Costs Not The Right Solution" on CNA, I thought to myself, how else are we going to solve the problem? Intrigued to find out, I read the report - of which the first 3 paragraphs are reproduced below. After reading the report, I was left perplexed as I did not notice a solution being offered. I read it again and eventually realised that the heading and the article were mismatched. The article was talking about some inconsequential law that, unsurprisingly, will benefit employers, corporations and the like.

As the circled portions highlight, as far as the title goes, the question is framed (again) in the first paragraph and the answer in the third paragraph is simply 'Suck It Up' - ie. "..have a realistic expectation of wages...". Amazing how the solution can be purported to be living with it rather than expect an increase in salary.

Funny how such 'wisdom' on having "realistic expectations of wages" does not apply when it comes to the million dollar salaries of the highest public officials in the land eh?

What To Do, It Has Happened...

2008-04-24T00:32:00.009+08:00

We have a silly-looking icon which can't decide if it's a fish or a mammal. We also have a national flower with a salutation as its middle name. In addition, we aspire to be the biggest in everything we build or do - suspiciously as though obsessed with overcompensating for the lack of actual land size or population might. But what I love most about Singapore is our prodigal son [NOT Fandi Ahmad] and his wise words of wisdom.

In May 2006, he uttered the immortal words "...I'm going to spend all my time thinking what's the right way to fix them..." with regard to the opposition during an election rally. Shockingly, he still got re-elected.

Barely 2 years later, he's back with an irresistible reply to a national disaster where a 'dangerous terrorist' escaped, with a cool "...what to do, it has happened." The embarrassing incident was followed by an equally-embarrassing inquiry report worthy of only an 'O' Level pass at best, with amateurish statements from the PM (aforementioned prodigal son-of-a-...) and the Minister responsible for the fiasco that can only be described as insulting to the average sensible citizen.

Nevertheless, I have complete faith in the truest-of-the-true current 'face of Singapore' to provide timeless classics like 'Mee Siam Mai Hum'. I simply can't wait for the next pearl of insight to spew forth from his post-cancerous mouth.

I wonder if decades down the road, we will look back and say that it was this unrelated alleged terrorist - albeit indirectly - who sowed the seeds of impending doom for the ruling 'elite'. Will I be telling my children that a certain Mas Selamat changed the history of Singapore in February 2008?

New Illustrated SOP For Detention Guards

Steve Irwin, Nick Petroulias & Singapore = SCAM

2008-04-08T12:35:00.007+08:00

What Do Steve Irwin, Nick Petroulias & Singapore Have In Common? Apparently an elaborate scam involving millions of dollars. I chanced upon this on a tomorrow.sg post and the latest report on Reuters that was referenced does not specify the 'Singapore-based company' by name. However, digging a bit, I discovered that this issue has been floating around since late last year and the Irwin's are in fact involved in a scam to avoid paying taxes - either knowingly or unknowingly.

Nick Petroulias is apparently a disgraced former Assistant Commissioner of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) who was involved in some shady underhand work to give 'rebates' to some firms that he had a financial interest in between 1997 & 1998 and for which he was arrested in 2000. A trial is presently ongoing and he has been found guilty on some charges already.

The interesting thing to note is, in this current case involving 'Mr Crikey' and gang, the suspicious company based in Singapore is HQZ Argentum - supposedly an investment bank at 'Whitehouse' building located at Maxwell Road. The number given is 67228316 and, when called (I did), re-routes to a telephone operator in New Zealand where an automated service informs that the number no longer exists. Perhaps someone should see if the office is still there at 32 Maxwell Road #03-07 S(069115).

I wonder why a fraudulent establishment and/or scheme would choose (squeaky clean) Singapore as a base for operations? How did it manage to escape prosecution (or detection, at least) by our authorities? Oh wait, they let Mas Selamat go right? Oh wait wait, it's our fault for being complacent and expecting such extremely high standards of our not-so-exceptionally-paid government. And I am sure the fact that revenue from the taxation of the millions being passed through the republic goes to our national coffers have absolutely nothing to do with it.

Where's A Stingray When You Need One

The Rhys Thomas Affair

2008-04-06T10:23:00.003+08:00

A news report today informs that an Australian pilot who flew a plane into Singapore air space in January (earlier report) was fined S$5,000. Wow. Fly a plane without any communications into Singapore and you get fined. Simply TALK about flying a plane into Singapore and you get detained under the ISA indefinitely.

In the words of the typical Singaporean, "Ang Moh cannot be terrorist meh?" Perhaps it was colonialism at work...

JI Plan 'B'

Singapore's Happiest Person & Other Tales Of Fiction

2008-03-23T12:09:00.010+08:00

I came across this piece of news on tomorrow.sg regarding the 'search for Singapore happiest person' and thought it was quite interesting. On closer inspection though, I realised that the local media has sunk to a new low. Below is my reply as posted on the Tomorrow.sg entry regarding this distastefully disguised marketing strategy:

You guys do know that this is a marketing gimmick right? Apparently, this 'search' has been initiated by the 'Global Leadership Academy Pte Ltd' (doesn't have a website) which in turn was created by the Phillip Merry Consulting Group - owned by Phillip Merry with a staff size of 4 key persons (probably there should be other clerical staff members).
In reality, all this is just a marketing ploy for an event entitled 'The New Science of Happiness and Well Being' that will be held at the Singapore Expo on April 16 & 17. That's what you will see if you visit the competition's website, simply-happy.com. In fact, the link button to the actual competition takes up about 1% of the whole home page which just advertises the 'conference' and the speakers involved in the event.

It is pretty obvious that the organisers are the least interested in actually 'searching' for the happiest person and, in all probability, will be just choosing the first best candidate they come across in the pool of entries. Although the event was arranged much earlier, at least before January, the 'search' itself is only 2 weeks long from March 16 to 30 - for a nationwide search? Not to mention the 'results' will be out within a week (April 4th) after the closing date?

Of course, as a marketing idea, it is a success because the (stupid/blind/slow-news-day) mainstream media have picked up on it and made it sound like a national campaign. Well, If you're interested in paying between S$988 and $1,388 to sit down and listen to speakers who are probably going to tell you, "you're spending too much money, that's why you're unhappy and stressed", I have nothing against that.

But for those who think this is a great (independent/genuine) campaign and the 'winner' will be really 'the happiest person in Singapore', then please think again, because this is just another lucky draw...

I have nothing against a bit of enterprise and even concede that it may be a necessary evil, but I think in this case, the public is being misled.

This Is Real Happiness, By The Way

Further Description Of Mas Selamat

2008-03-17T16:22:00.006+08:00

After almost 3 weeks of the Mas Selamat image being burned onto our retinas, we have been alerted to a vital piece of information - he has a mole under his right eye. Yes, that tiny speck will certainly identify the fugitive clearly in the midst of a crowd; in the midst of the jungle; and definitely will be extremely obvious whilst he is on the move. Also, how enhanced our understanding has become from 'the mother of all instances in stating the obvious' - he has small lips. Really, you think?

In any case, for the benefit of all Singaporeans, let me release some of my own 'critical' information regarding the alleged JI leader - his left eye is lower than his right (take note he has only 2 eyes), there is one strand of hair growing too long on his right ear (take note he has only 2 ears located on either side of the head), and finally, he has one nose with 2 nostrils - I repeat TWO nostrils only.

Phew! I think with this added information, the person who is, most likely, putting up Mas Selamat under the mistaken notion that he's a vagrant will be able to identify him as THE fugitive easily. Furthermore, all these pointers that we would have failed to notice over the 3 weeks of over-exposure, would simply blow Mas Selamat's cover wide open.

Now, I wonder whether I qualify for a share of the reward for releasing this absolutely vital description...

How To Identify Mas 'The Limp that-isn't-necessarily-there' Selamat

What The Hell Is Wong Kan Seng Doing In Laos?

2008-03-13T16:09:00.007+08:00

First PM Lee was nowhere to be found. Then MM was noted to be in the Middle East. Now, we have dear Wong KS in Laos happily signing a MOU with the Laotian DPM? Wow. In any other country, the top official of the ministry that created such a faux pa as the 'Mas Selamat Limp-Away' will be sweating in the midst of the public outcry. But no, not in this 'first world' corporation, I mean country.

Here, we simply let the whole Police Force and possibly half the army run around the jungles chasing Mas Selamat's shadow whilst the personification of responsibility - Mr Wong, Minister for Home Affairs, has a time-out to celebrate Tiger Beer's foray into the Laotian market of drunkards. I remember that there were some initial (and very naive) suggestions of the minister stepping down in light of the embarrassing incident - clearly the person or persons must have been mistaken that this was a democracy.

I am sure that the good minister would have kept his eye out for Mas Selamat whilst in Laos - although there is no way the limping fugitive would have left Singapore, just like there is no way a fugitive can survive in the wild for 2 weeks without any help; just like a fugitive cannot outwit such a massive manhunt for 2 weeks continuously; and just like ministers cannot be paid exorbitant sums as salaries and get away with it.

Well, it's just one of those things that can only happen in Singapore... now let's Give That Man A Tiger!

"Tolong Lah Brudder!"

Excuse Me, Are You Mas Selamat?

2008-03-07T15:35:00.011+08:00

Mas Selamat is fast dropping from our consciousness akin to the US Dollar in recent weeks - evidenced by reports of our 'true idol' in ST dropping to Page 13 on this 9th day since he allegedly escaped. Obviously, there is going to be a lot of nice quality paper to line our cabinet drawers with - the Mas Selamat 'look-out' posters I mean.

And if you haven't deleted THAT MMS from your phone yet, I applaud your intrinsic need to hang on to the propaganda like a hungry medicinal leech, but the irony is that as more days pass, the less likely Mas Selamat will actually look like he does in those photo(s).

In any case, let me offer my bit in The Great Singapore Treasure Hunt 2008 (his name does translate into 'Good Gold' right). Following are examples in which you should ask the question 'Excuse Me, Are You Mas Selamat?' - no disrespect to Bonnie Hicks here, but the original 'Excuse Me, Are You A Model?' was definitely THE catch phrase of the 90's....

Ah Meng Dies & Mas Selamat Escapes - WTH?

2008-02-29T16:30:00.005+08:00

How things would be so different if it were the other way around? Anyway, the 2 'pictorials' below were sent out via email and the one on Ah Meng (et al) didn't make it up onto the blog due to time constraints. Therefore, it is being included in this post together with the infamous Mas Selamat escape that occurred on Wednesday.

There is a rumour that our friend was killed in custody and this is all just a cover up. Well, if it is the case, then this is an awful waste of time for all the Policemen and Soldiers who have been sent on this 'treasure hunt of the year'. But, after a search so thorough, you can at least be rest assured that there are no wild animals in Singapore - any found would have been sent to the zoo by now.

I also wonder how many illegal immigrants and/or other fugitives who were living in the 'jungles' would have been caught as a fallout of this fine-comb search. A good case for some serious spring cleaning eh?

Honestly though, with the way Singapore is structured, 24 hours should be more than enough to locate 'The Limp' via the extensive spread of sources and informants. After 48 hours of futile search, it really begs the question if there is indeed any truth in the 'theory' - could Selamat be already dead?

29th February 2008

9th February 2008

Excuse Me, Isn't This Littering?

2007-10-02T14:19:00.001+08:00

Straits Times 1st October 2007
(Home Section - Pg H20)

Apparently, OCBC has embarked on a marketing campaign to re-image themselves as new and trendy. The cost of this re-branding is a cool S$5 million. And what are some of the 'smart-money' things they have done? As the picture accompanying the report shows - they have been busy littering. Some other stunts include taking up a whole 2-page spread in the ST and only having text covering a mere fraction to say 'Stay Curious'.

All I feel is irritation at such irresponsible use of funds. Luckily, I am not a shareholder, so it doesn't directly affect me. I really don't understand why so much money needs to be invested for a branding exercise when it is not suffering from any major setback. I seriously doubt any major improvements in performance that would justify such an obscene expenditure.

I believe they could have simply used the money to fund 10 start-ups ($500K each) and that would have created much more positive vibe as compared to this silly exercise. And coming back to the issue of littering, I don't think our poor aged cleaners would have been none too impressed the next day - more like 'Stay Furious' for them - who would have been tasked to clean up the balls left behind.

I wonder what would have happened if a local opposition politician (who is fond of doing stupid stunts himself) had embarked on something similar? I bet the authorities would have swooped in and swept away all indications of this stunt before anyone can say 'New Paper'. Not to mention, the architect of the hare-brained scheme would have been slapped and hammered with anything resembling an offence in the Penal Code et. al.

I suppose it is all a matter of perspective - the government's being the correct one, of course...

Factoring Loans - Simply Brilliant

2007-10-02T12:02:00.000+08:00

Straits Times 1st October 2007
(Home Section - Pg H19)

"Demand will come mainly from firms dealing in construction, say industry players."

"DBS, say industry watchers, is the largest in terms of market share, with more than a quarter of the factoring pie."

This is simply ingenious - something that can only be mastered by Singapore Inc. The premise is so simple yet incredibly implicative. The biggest 'users' of this type of loan are from the construction segment of the economy (which I hardly believe are 'small and medium enterprises' to begin with). And where do the large proportion of construction firms source for projects and contracts? Yes, my friends, our good old government.

Next, DBS is the biggest lender for these users. And who is DBS' biggest stakeholder? Bingo, it's the government at 27% - albeit through Temasek Holdings with a direct 12.28% interest and an indirect 15.15% through Maju Holdings which is itself is 100% Temasek-owned (source: DBS Annual Report).

So, basically, companies get to tender and secure a contract from the government worth $XXX and then go to DBS where they will get only 80% of $XXX immediately - with the rest being interest due to DBS. Nowhere does it state how much the interest rate is actually but based on the example of a $10,000 invoice being worth a $8,000 loan as stated in the report, that will be 20% - 'loanshark' rates, by the way, for a duration that should be about a year or less.

Once again, Singapore Inc comes up with an amazing strategy to (ab)use the concept of 'what thy giveth with the right hand, shall taketh with the left'...

The Caning Story...

2007-07-17T18:41:00.000+08:00

CJ Expresses Deep Concern Over Extra Caning Case
"The Chief Justice has directed that the District Judge be formally cautioned and that after he has cleared his outstanding criminal cases, he will be taken off judicial work which involves the signing of warrants of commitment."
"Warrants of commitment will now be checked twice by another court clerk who is not involved in preparing the warrant. A second District Judge will also be involved in the checking system before the warrant is signed by the judge."

- Channel NewsAsia -

Isn't this a tad bit going overboard? Yes, the man was caned in excess. But was he an innocent man who was put to death? Basically, he's a checkered individual himself who deserves the 5 strokes to begin with. Bearing that in mind, what's another 3 strokes more? It was not like he was not to be caned, but rather, the number of strokes of the deserved caning was in error (the true crime would have been if he got LESS).

But this is not the point. Mistakes happen and, Yes, they are bad when they do occur - like in this case. But, No, it is not appropriate to get excited over the incident and start implementing inefficient things. As it is, it's good that everyone takes ownership over what has happened and it's good that apologies have been forthcoming. The problem is the excessive Soap Drama by the authorities.

The Court Clerk has resigned - for making a purely administrative mistake. The Judge has been 'quarantined' for the time being. What is all this smoke screen about? Eventually, (I estimate within 6 months) the Judge will be back to normal duties, or at worst, he would be in another position of equal importance. The poor Court Clerk, however, will probably suffer if his references are checked when applying for another job - and, oh, he can forget about getting a job in the Civil Service - EVER.

Once again, it's topsy-turvy in the land of Singapore Inc. The person who signed the document (ie. authorised/sanctioned the mistake) is none worse for wear whilst the clerical staff who prepared the document is the scapegoat who is skinned alive. In other countries, its the most senior official involved who offers to resign as a sign of remorse. In Singapore Inc, it's the least important party who is conveniently 'advised' to leave - as a misleading show of remorse.

And now, there's going to be a 'Hollywood Blockbuster' of checks and counter-checks for something that has been practised for years and years without incident. As it is, the court system is under-staffed (which statutory board isn't?) and having to do the same job twice is just going to take away time, effort and concentration from somewhere else. Therefore, this is just a case of moving problems around instead of genuinely solving them. In the first place, the fact that one staff prepares and another signs the document is SUPPOSED TO BE A COUNTER-CHECK. Now 4 pairs of eyes are needed?

Honestly, the better idea would be to employ assistants for the court clerks (perhaps at a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3) so that a fresh pair of eyes can go through the documentation. But I feel that even this is not necessary. All that is needed is for those who have made a genuine mistake to be forgiven and a general reminder to everyone to be careful.

Remember, none of us are free from guilt or free from mistakes. We are human, stop over reacting.

The Ugly Indian

2007-03-16T17:53:00.000+08:00

There has been a recent ruffling of feathers amongst the Singaporean Indian community due to the 'revelation' by an MP in parliament that expatriate Indians and local Indians do not gel in Singapore. Many theories and possible reasons were offered and the general thrust has been that the expatriates are not keen to mix the locals.

However, it is more possibly a case of the local Indians not wanting to be associated with these expatriates. Basically, these foreigners are not here because they like Singapore. It is more likely that the money is great. Once they've earned enough, they will return to their place of origin. This fact was recently highlighted by an expatriate Indian's response to the issue in the TODAY paper (dated 15/03/2007 - Pg 20). In it, he tried to be objective and humble but ended up proving the fact that expatriate Indians were an arrogant lot.

This invariably brought out the irate sentiments of the Singaporean Indians and many an email have begun to circulate amongst the community. One such email responded with the following:

... The author says that Indian nationals are more Indian than Singaporean Indians; I would like to ask how he defines this concept of being 'more Indian'. If 'more Indian' means having Neanderthal notions that women should stay at home while the men go to work, then yes, they are indeed more Indian.

He starts by stating that he doubts that he 'feels superior in any way' and then later talks about how his 'lifestyle is better, totally different and even enviable'. What a classic irony. The very fact that he feels that he has something 'better and enviable' already means he feels superior. Personally, I think the editor who allowed this rubbish to go into print needs to slapped silly with about 5 rolled up copies of yesterday's issue.

However, this particular arrogant-yet-ignorant, coconut-oil-invested monkey need not worry. We (Singaporean Indians) are definitely not clamouring to be nauseated with the extremely bad body odour of this group. Nor are we interested in living our lives based on an ancient and out-dated belief system with castes and status-consciousness.

Having got that out of my system, let me address some pertinent issues about the so-called expat Indian community. The real divide is not between Singaporean Indians vs Expatriate Indians. It's actually Singaporean Indians vs Malayalees from India vs Gujuratis from India vs Punjabis from India vs Tamils from India (ie. times 28 states). Whereas we can see different nationalities of Europeans and Americans mixing together as a single Singaporean Expatriate community, these supposedly-superior Indians can't even get around caste and language to be part of an Indian expatriate community, let alone be part of the larger expatriate community.

This group of disunited individuals (or individual families) are merely mercenaries, here to earn the money and pump it back to their village to build a big house and be a Big Person there. I am under no illusion that some of these true foreigners assimilate into Singapore because they love the place so much. Unless they have a real problem back home that means they have no other choice but to stay, they will be heading back to their villages to be The Big Person - sooner or later.

Also, did you ever realise that all the mocking imitations done by other races of Indians come directly from the behaviour of these so-called expatriates? Does any self-respecting Singaporean Indian talk with such horrendous accent? Because of them, Singaporean Indians have to suffer the indignity of the incessant teasing and mockery of the 'Indian' accent and behaviour.

In all probability, Singaporean Indians go out of their way to avoid this bunch simply because they give the rest of us a bad name and reputation, not the other way around. Ms Indranee Rajah shouldn't have brought it up, disconnect is good - for Singaporean Indians. ...

I believe a hornets' nest has been disturbed with this 'revelation'. It will be interesting to watch where we go from here. Hopefully, this will be an exercise where those in authority learn to let sleeping dogs lie and not get Singaporean Indians riled up unnecessarily. We were not waiting by the sidelines for these "God's gifts" to accept us into their folds. They were just another example of necessary evil in our lives and just a minor one in a host of other problems that we have deal with as a community.

Besides, the Ugly Indian is a well-documented phenomenon (Exhibit 1 & Exhibit 2) and one that needs no elaboration. It may very well be time for the Singaporean Indians to brace themselves and be prepared to defend themselves in the coming weeks.

Why The 2006 Budget Is 'SOOOO GOOD'

2007-03-06T15:56:00.000+08:00

Services with pay lagging significantly behind the private sector will get bigger adjustments, while those closer to the market will get smaller ones, he said. For example, pay in the Administrative Service has not been revised since 2000 and has fallen sharply behind private sector salaries in the past two years. Such civil servants are likely to get bigger rises to keep pace with the private sector.

Salaries of ministers, judges and statutory appointment-holders are pegged to the Administrative Service salary structure, so their pay is also expected to rise when the changes are announced.

ST Report 'Ministerial, civil service salaries expected to go up'
3rd March 2007, Saturday

Interesting to note that our 'poorly' remunerated ministers are going to be brought to par with private sector rates. This is yet another article that supports my theory of 'Creative Journalism'. Note how the 2 facts - a) Administrative Service getting the larger bulk of pay revision AND b) Minister salaries are pegged to this structure - were 'not so obviously' stated.

At least we can now understand why the MPs were all so 'over the moon' when the budget report was released. Parliament is starting to seriously look like a Soap Opera - overly dramatic, everybody knows about it and when its on, and, only die-hard fans will actually follow the story and believe it.

Report Central

2007-02-22T14:15:00.000+08:00

There is something different about the recent development of the fight against abuse of authority. Unlike other times when Singaporeans simply gripe about the frustration of it all and then get back to their 'protected' lives, more than a handful of people have started to actively participate in this 'fight'.

To play my part, I am attempting to organise a coordinated effort by offering a place to forward 'reports' so that I can consolidate those that are similar or pertaining to a single incident before proceeding to lodge a formal complaint to the relevant authorities or to the ST Forum as a representative. As a writer, I will be able to better articulate the reports and present a strong case to the authorities. It will also be better to coordinate the effort rather than have isolated cases by individual parties.

Interested parties can send their 'reports' here or post them with this entry as comments. If the response is good, I will start a new blog specifically for this purpose. This is just my small contribution to the process and I do hope that this 'tsunami of awakening' rises higher and travels further.

The Shaila Nair Scandal

2007-02-02T13:06:00.000+08:00

The 'Shaila Nair Scandal' has been making waves recently and surprisingly, it has caused more mixed feelings than outrage. Most of the responses on the net reverberate around pity and turns this 'scandal' into more of a fiasco. Even I felt sorry for her - and I hate her to my guts.

No doubt, it is going to take quite a while before this incident is put behind everyone, but the reaction is quite interesting to note. I guess everyone is embarrassed for her more than anything else because it' is something that can happen to any one of us and the scene looks more intimate than porn.

I have heard that she has gone into hiding; even that she has left her country - Malaysia. Another rumour was that she had committed suicide. Well, nobody seems to be looking for her and she is probably indeed hiding (who wouldn't). The fact that the press is not looking for her is another interesting sign that for all her hype and drama, she isn't that famous after all.

What I would really like to know is if 'the great' Vasantham Central will rely on her services again and how they will respond to public opinion if they do. I guess, only time will tell.

Creative Journalism

2006-05-10T12:41:00.000+08:00

I believe that the media in Singapore is getting more and more guilty-conscious. I think those who are in the media industry actually do want to do proper journalism and stay true to the profession by providing the full information to the public.

Contrary to what most people believe, I think that the media is trying its best to work within the present restrictions such as self-censorship, and yet, bring us the full details without stepping on anyone's shoes. This predicament has given rise to what I call 'creative journalism'.

Let me elaborate:
According to today's report on the Channel News Asia website,

"Singapore has scored high marks in a survey on tourists' perception of the local service quality. ... After breaking it down into its component parts, the survey showed that what tourists want most is courtesy, along with product knowledge. ... The visitors also rank the service levels in Singapore higher than where they came from except for Japanese tourists who think the service quality at home is still better."

However, according to a report in the Bangkok Post website,

"Visitors from India, China and Indonesia prefer shops in Singapore to those at home, while Japanese maintain they get better service in Japan, a survey said Wednesday. ... One of the city-state's biggest shortcomings is lack of empathy from retail staff, defined as the degree of caring and individual attention given to customers, the survey found. More than one-third of respondents said that staff are insensitive and pressure customers with hard-sell tactics."

Clearly, certain facts and findings of the survey were shielded from us 'for our own good'. The fact that the countries which rated Singapore shopping better were all lesser economies compared to us and that clear shortcomings were not indicated in the CNA report demonstrate the typical style of the Singapore media industry - selective journalism.

BUT, there is a slow shift towards true journalism and it was evident during the GE2006 when quite a number of gaffes by the PAP were highlighted readily by the media. My view is that creative journalism is more than just rebelling against the status quo and bringing the details to the public. It's about not stepping out of line and still doing the job.

This is one of the clearest examples that I have found thus far:
In an article titled "Singapore polls: WP can still contest Aljunied even if Gomez dropped, says minister" there was a crucial piece of awareness information inserted which had absolutely no relevance to the article and had no relation to the preceding paragraph or the one following it.

"PAP Chairman Lim Boon Heng said: "It is better if the WP...clears any doubt of transparency in the management of the WP. After all, this is a question they say of our government, that the government should be transparent. So one would expect the same standards of transparency that they're asking of the PAP to be imposed on the WP themselves."

Meanwhile an online petition has been started in support of Gomez. So far more than 300 people have signed it.

Mr Yeo also talked about the issue raised by some Singaporeans to Channel News Asia. They had said that they were concerned their identity card numbers could be purchased by political parties at the Elections Department."

This is a true example of creative journalism. Although it does not offend anyone by going into details, it gives the reader (the public) a chance to know there was an online petition which had a significant response. It is up to the reader to do a simple search which would lead him or her to the online petition itself.

In time to come, our local journalists would perfect this art of creative journalism and, in true Singaporean fashion, will be able to market this 'skill' to the world - way to go!

Charges And More Charges

2006-05-09T13:10:00.000+08:00

Section 182 Cap 224 (Penal Code)

Whoever gives to any public servant any information orally or in writing which he knows or believes to be false, intending thereby to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, such public servant to use the lawful power of such public servant to the injury or annoyance of any person, or to do or omit anything which such public servant ought not to do or omit if the true state of facts respecting which such information is given were known by him, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $1,000, or with both.

Section 503 Cap 224 (Penal Code)

Whoever threatens another with any injury to his person, reputation or property, or to the person or reputation of any one in whom that person is interested, with intent to cause alarm to that person, or to cause that person to do any act which he is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do any act which that person is legally entitled to do, as the means of avoiding the execution of such threat, commits criminal intimidation.

(Punishment under Section 506 - Whoever commits the offence of criminal intimidation shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both; and if the threat is to cause death or grievous hurt, or to cause the destruction of any property by fire, or to cause an offence punishable with death or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years or more, or impute unchastity to a woman, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both.)

- Singapore Statutes Online -

Criminal Intimidation is when a person makes a threat of some sort indicating harm or danger to the victim. In its loosest terms, this can mean anything and everything. Giving False Information means providing information to a public servant that would cause him to act in any other way.

I say let Gomez be charged and sentenced. Subsequently, he will get off with a fine as the circumstances are definitely not grave enough to warrant a jail term. Once the precedent is set, any civil servant can then choose to lodge a report against any customer or client who threatens to complain and any person who does not give the correct information.

For example, someone calls the enquiry section of a ministry and asks for some information obout their account. However, the person gives a wrong account number and the enquiry officer can't locate the information. Subsequently, the officer discovers that the caller had mixed up the numbers of the account (ie. instead of 123, he said 132). Based on the 'Gomez Precendent', the enquiry officer will have the grounds to lodge a report against the caller. Similar to the 'Gomez Incident', the caller would have 'seriously compromised the integrity of the ministry and, ultimately, the government' by suggesting that the officer could not find the information.

Another example: A MP (ie. member of public) rushes into the enquiry office of a ministry and demands that immediate action be taken on a certain issue. However, due to the procedures involved nothing more can be done at the moment. The irate MP then says, "Give me your name. I will make sure that you are taken to task!" In this instance, again, based on the 'Gomez Precedent', the civil servant can lodge a report against the MP for the criminal intimidation as the officer was put under tremendous worry and fear, not to mention his or her family.

So, you see, the 'Gomez Incident' will actually pave the way for our civil servants to be empowered against the unruly and the uncultured who think that civil servants are literally servants for the public (ie. "Because I pay income tax, you know!"). Gomez will become a martyr and will have to pay the price of not being able to stand in the next election but he would have given the civil service a much-needed 'weapon' to fend off the ugly Singaporean.