Alex Tan, Not Hero, Still Zero

Alex Tan is a zero in so many ways. Every Day Party caught Alex Tan's The Real Singapore with its pants down, not only for faking news, but for faking originality and plagiarising an article, and even abused those who chided him.

A TRS and Alex Tan Fan Club - Every Day Party

Now, this former RP candidate for AMK GRC in GE 2011, is not only a cheat for faking news and taking articles without attribution and pretending it to be a TRS original, but actually was crass and dumb enough to send a profanity-filled complaint to SBS. Classy. Real style! SBS then made a police report. Alex Tan loves the controversy from stoking xenophobia to trolling people, and SBS bit the bait in this textbook David vs Goliath contest. Alex Tan is a loser, who talked about migrating but is still around. One thing for sure, he makes being a loser an art form.

One Tan talking about another Tan

Looks like it is a race to the bottom among TRE, TT and TRS. TRS is leading the pack. TRE with its increased collaboration with TOC and hoping that whatever is left of TOC's dwindling respectability is rubbed off on TRE, is trailing far, far behind in 3rd place. Kinda fun to see Alex Tan get sued and I'm waiting for that day as I'm sure many would be openly or secretly pleased. Come on Alex, don't disappoint!

More Universities More Hope or Despair?

Good with more universities! Depending on whether the graduates churned out are needed by industries or not though. If they get useless degrees like BSc Modernist Flower Arrangement for the local economy, then lots of unhappy unemployed grads around unless Singapore turns into a global decorative flower export hub. Even if there is abundance of jobs for grads in the market, these grads expect cushy high pays, to be advanced upwards fast, all hopefully with minimal and maximum office politics.

What should be in the works for courses in the universities? Easy to say have more unis but exactly what courses which the 6 universities each have their own niche and therefore customer-student base? NUS and NTU are increasingly so alike that they are just monkey see monkey do. If I'm a million $ salaried minister, I would say - technical and applied skills, those with logical degree extensions of current poly diplomas as an alternative of going to some bush university in Australia. Do you know that with the current AUD exchange rate, it might be cheaper to send your child to USA rather than Australia! Traditionally unglam skills like cooking, nursing, maritime and shipping, contracting and construction? Besides, 2 more universities in Singapore also not much use unless these unis are kept "affordable". SMU! With real estate like that, of course it is expensive!

Also, if 40% of each cohort is a grad, there would be more competition in the job market, like in Korea and China, and everyone wants to be a management associate or something equivalently glam sounding. While menial and technical jobs still need available are snapped up by hungrier and more desperate foreigners. Getting a degree does not guarantee that someone gets a job or raises employment rates. Might be the reverse!

Higher education participation rate to rise to 40% by 2020 – PM
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced that the proportion of young people attending higher education will rise to 40% by 2020 compared to 27% now, with two new publicly-backed universities slated for the city-state.

Education is “Singapore’s most important long-term investment in its people and it is a key response to the changing world”, Lee said during his annual National Day Rally policy speech, delivered at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) on 26 August.

Lee said that SIT and the Singapore Institute of Management University (UniSIM) would be upgraded to become Singapore’s fifth and sixth universities offering applied as well as part time degrees.

This would open up an additional 3,000 full time university places, offering 16,000 university places by 2020 against 13,000 now.

The Ministry of Education, in a statement on 28 August, described the expansion as “carefully calibrated”.

The figures include planned increases in enrolment at Singapore’s main existing universities, including National University of Singapore incollaboration with Yale University in the US, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, the new Singapore University of Technology and Design in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and two arts education institutions.

Panel review of university education

The prime minister’s announcement comes a year after he initiated a wide ranging review of university education, to investigate how to increase the number of university places available for Singaporeans.

Lee said the review panel led by Senior Minister of State for Education Lawrence Wong “concluded that we should create more university places”, but the “we should focus on applied practice-oriented degrees, for example, engineers, physiotherapists, social workers – skills that are in demand and which will help get graduates jobs, and we should not just churn out graduates regardless of the quality or employment opportunities.”

Pointing to some other countries, including Britain, the United States and China, with unemployment or underemployment of graduates, he added: "Singapore must avoid leading people up the wrong path, misleading them that if you spend three years of your life doing this, at the end you will have a happy outcome.”

"We must make sure that if we encourage people to go that way, that at the end the prospects are good."

UniSIM, a private college that is part of the Singapore Institute of Management, currently offers only part-time programmes but will add full-time programmes.

Meanwhile, part-time undergraduate students, including working adults at UniSIM, could become eligible for government grants and loans to enable them to “get the same support” as students at the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, Lee said – although UniSIM would remain a private university.

Providing more details, the Ministry of Education said UniSIM had a strong track record in providing part-time degree programmes in close collaboration with industry, and provided “a good balance of theoretical and real-world education”.

The review panel noted in its final report published this month: “UniSIM remains the only private institution to date that the Ministry of Education has assessed as being of sufficient quality to be accorded university status and degree-awarding powers.”

SIT, a multi-campus institution designed to allow polytechnic students to upgrade their qualifications, would begin to award its own degrees, the ministry said.

Instructive experience of other countries

The decision to increase university enrolment without expanding Singapore’s research-intensive universities further, or opening new research universities, was based on an examination by the review panel of higher education in the UK, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Canada and Finland.

The panel said problems with the UK university system had been “particularly instructive”.

In 1992 the UK government granted university status to polytechnics, which had been mainly teaching institutions

“This proved to be a double loss for the wider higher education sector – the vast majority of these post-1992 new universities still struggle with their new mission and are unable to rise in quality and standing; and the UK tertiary system is now devoid of a tier of institutions that was previously instrumental in producing a technically-skilled workforce,” the panel said.

“Therefore, it would be prudent for us to avoid this path while there are other more viable options.”

Singapore also has around 70 registered private higher education institutions offering external degree programmes of overseas university partners. They enrolled some 47,500 Singaporean students full-time and part-time in 2011.

Singapore National Day Rally: Home Hope Heart HDB!

OK not necessarily in that order and beating down our cynicism down like beat the mole for once, that was a pretty good theme for the Rally speech. The speech inspired more or less depending on how cynical one was at different parts of the speech, especially near the end I was super frustrated. I wanted to watch Super 8 as it started at 10pm and wanted PM to rush through his speech. In the end, this year's message to me was simple with the touch of nostalgia, plus Mediacorp's programme on old school shops and Labour bar soap from yesteryear inserted into the interval before PM started his rhetoric was great spin!

Ever since the GE where PAP lost a GRC, there have been many symbolic changes on power sharing. Last year, for the first time ever since 1965, opposition MPs attended the Rally. That is a a good precedent and this year was no different signalling that the Rally should be party-neutral as much as possible. Just like this year's NDP where the MPs discarded their whites and light blues, and wore hues of red when they took the grandstand seats and graced the parade party-neutral. Bravo, and I'm not sniggering, serious!

Home, heart and hope in the speech are all built up in the promises on new HDB rulings. As with last year's milestone policies on raising the income ceilings for BTO and ECs and raising hope for Singaporeans waiting to buy new homes, there is renewed hope for couples and singles for them to own new HDB homes quickly. The HDB home ownerships scheme stated in 1964 is now more inclusive about providing homes for Singaporeans even if they are single.

One of the likeable policy rethink was HDB's old-fuddy stand on singles buying new HDB flats. Until now, singles above 35 can only buy resales. Previously they could only buy 3-room resale flats but that changed from 2004. From the hints dropped, singles can hope to buy new flats soon. Maybe even if they are below 35! The question is whether it would be that simple and straightforward or would there be other conditions woven in like only certain types of flats (3BR) in non-mature estates, is 35 still the magic age, would they enjoy grants etc since HDB flats are for Singaporeans and their families according to the great social engineering manual from the 1960s. That manual is out of sync in this time and age of singles and single parents, who are also Singaporeans and need a home too. HDB is ultimately meant to provide homes for Singaporeans, young and old, single and not, families or not. As it should, the devil is in the details on priority and privileges when getting a new HDB flat. Not whether Singaporeans are allowed to buy a new flat or not.

Another HDB policy to change with the times is that families with children would have priority in getting new flats. Good move to encourage families to have kids, and early, for the calculative Singaporean couples who want to plan their lives like clockwork e.g. marriage+1year kids, marriage+6 years upgrade to condo near branded primary school as after MOP and rent out HDB flat in the meantime. LOL

However, there is still looking of the other way on these problems of HDB home ownership e.g. HDB flats are homes for Singaporeans only and currently, foreigners can buy resale while locals can still treat their HDB flats as rental income and not their home. This drives up HDB prices in the market, great for the smug sellers, awful for the potential buyers. WTF, can't please everybody all the time right?

Hurrah for the $3.1 million Wheelchair Cab Grant, More or Less

This is one of the feel good news, mostly. SMRT won a $3.1 million MCYS grant to have 30 cabs that can ferry those modern motorised wheelchairs.

BTW cabbing around in wheelchairs is not cheap. NTUC Comfort's Maxicab is a flat $45 fee while SMRT's Starex has booking fees of $8 (now) and $16 (advance) on top of the meter fares. These special cabs only take the traditional wheelchairs, and the motorised wheelchair users can call Wheelchair Mini-Buses which is the cheapest in town with a $20 flat fee. OK now comes the criticism.

Nonetheless as a helping hand for the underdogs, would have been better if Wheelchair Mini-buses operated by the Handicaps Welfare Assc got the grant to expand its fleet of 20. Not sure if they knew of and competed for the grant though. Why should all-for-profit public transport giant SMRT get the grant when a not-for-profit HWA deserved and needed it more?

Who could have qualified and applied for this wheelchair ferry service grant besides cab companies? I don't know. Another good recipient should have been town councils operating such special cabs for its residents, charging them at a nominal fee of course for this welfare service. This is an extension of and conjunction with the Central Singapore Community Development Council's 6-months Mediwheels trial where people who have difficulty walking can rent a mobility scooter for $10 a month! Yes, $10 a month and this is a fantastic plan except to the hardest and harshest of critics. However, I doubt these motorised scooters can be used as a means of commuting from Bedok to Bishan. WTF imagine a feisty Bedok uncle with cigarette dangling from his mouth, sitting on a motorised scooter with ERP unit installed, cruising at 5km/hr on the leftest PIE lane and then exiting into Bishan somewhere near Toa Payoh. Sure kena STOMP by the usual assholes there as a road hog!

Bedok to Bishan! Can means can!

Gays Happy Only

OMG would there be a repeal of 377A? There is excitement in the air for homos since the court of appeal says OK for gay lawyer Ravi to get the chance to challenge the constitutionality of 377A in high court!

Ravi super gay only at the news! Firstly in an earlier case a judge dismissed the interruption of a lawyer brandishing a medical report about Ravi going bonkers, and now another judge upheld his appeal for his client about guy-guy bonking. Hopefully Ravi doesn't turn mad again when he is stressed and dash the chances of the pink community's rights to fuck and suck like the rest of us. Let's be fair, and crude to get the point across. If heterosexuals can fuck and suck, homosexuals should also be allowed that fun. Nonetheless, Ravi's recent Speakers Corner epic fail installation art as an example of his mental health, if the pink community wants to win, another lawyer should represent them, not Ravi.

377A in the spotlight again: Court of Appeal overturns High Court decision, allows challenge of provision that criminalises sex between men
by Amir Hussain

SINGAPORE - Declaring the issue to be "of real public interest", the Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision and allowed an application to proceed to challenge the constitutionality of Section 377A of the Penal Code which criminalises sex between men.

In a ruling issued yesterday, which observers believe could reignite a heated debate on the provision, the Court of Appeal - comprising Justice V K Rajah, Justice Andrew Phang and Justice Judith Prakash - referred to Article 12 under the Constitution, which guarantees to all persons equality before the law and equal protection of the law.

Delivering the 106-page written judgment, Justice Rajah said: "We emphasise that we are not deciding here that Section 377A is inconsistent with Article 12 as that goes to the merits of the Application, but are instead merely deciding that it is arguably so, which suffices for the present appeal on the preliminary issue of whether the Application should be struck out."

The judge added: "The constitutionality or otherwise of Section 377A is thus of real public interest. We also note that Section 377A has other effects beyond criminal sanctions. One unwanted effect of Section 377A is that it may also make criminals out of victims."

The application arose after an unemployed man, Tan Eng Hong, 49, was initially charged under Section 377A with performing fellatio on another man in a public toilet at CityLink Mall in 2010. After the application was made by Tan's lawyer, Mr M Ravi, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) replaced the charge with one of committing an obscene act in public. Tan and his partner were subsequently fined S$3,000 under the replaced charge.

Tan's application to challenge the constitutionality of Section 377A in the High Court was struck out after the AGC applied to do so. Tan's appeal against the High Court decision was heard in September last year.

In the Court of Appeal judgment, Justice Rajah said: "Without going into the merits of the Application, we want to acknowledge that in so far as Section 377A in its current form extends to private consensual sexual conduct between adult males, this provision affects the lives of a not insignificant portion of our community in a very real and intimate way."

He added: "Such persons might plausibly assert that the continued existence of Section 377A in our statute books causes them to be unapprehended felons in the privacy of their homes."



'Threat of prosecution persists' under Section 377A



The Attorney-General's case is there is "no real and credible threat of prosecution" under Section 377A for private consensual sexual acts between two adult males, Justice Rajah noted.

But the judge pointed out that, as long as the provision "remains in the statute books, the threat of prosecution under this section persists".

"It is uncontroverted that Section 377A is a law which specifically targets sexually-active male homosexuals," said Justice Rajah.

The judge noted that, according to submissions by the Attorney-General, in instances where stern warnings under Section 377A were issued, "the police do not check for continued compliance with the warnings and the persons concerned are, for all intents and purposes, left alone".

But Justice Rajah pointed out: "A stern warning is a way of informing the individual who is warned that, if he continues to indulge in the type of conduct circumscribed by Section 377A, leniency may no longer be forthcoming in future and he may well be charged under Section 377A if he is found engaging in such conduct in the future."

Justice Rajah also said that ministerial statements made in Parliament indicating the law will not be "proactively" enforced can "comfortably bear a spectrum of meaning".

Not only do such statements not have the force of law, they also do not bind a future or even the same government, said Justice Rajah, adding that no minister "has gone so far as to state that there will be no enforcement of Section 377A".

When contacted yesterday, the AGC said it is studying the judgment. The date of the hearing for the application has not been fixed.

Constitutional experts TODAY spoke to noted the significance of the Court of Appeal judgment and expects it to reignite a debate that had erupted during the Government's review of the Penal Code in 2007.

Singapore Management University's (SMU) Assistant Professor Jack Lee said: "This will no doubt be seen as a significant step by the applicant and those seeking to have Section 377A invalidated as it's the first time the Singapore courts will have to decide this issue. However, we'll have to wait and see what the courts think of the substantive arguments in the case."

Assistant Professor Eugene Tan, also from SMU's law faculty, pointed out: "The non-legal question is whether the forthcoming litigation on Section 377A will galvanise the various stakeholders … to become engaged in the legal dispute."

He added: "To be sure, contestation and debate are to be expected. The key question is how will it be conducted this time. Will we reach a new consensus?"

Asphalt Darwinism and Roadkills

Cyclists are the sandwiched class in road use. They should keep off footpaths and be on the road as most cyclists on these paths are a dangerous menace to pedestrians. Some of the asshole cyclists zip by you and force you off onto the grass patch, or cycle close behind and then ding their bells loudly if they have one to startle old uncle or aunty pedestrians who did not hear them coming, onto the grass or worse onto the road. Cyclists don't belong on footpaths. The police should fine cyclists on pedestrian walkways like they do in London.

However, cyclists are the lowest on the food chain once on the road. Even lower than Malaysian death-defying motorbikes you see on all major roads darting in and out trying to knock into your car to and from Woodlands causeway!  This sad fact of asphalt Darwinism was seen in the tragic accident of Freddy Khoo. He was a triathlete and thus had community support from other fancy bikes pals in trying to bring road safety education to drivers - cyclists are not meant to be roadkill.

The death of fancy bike cyclists is fucking tragic, fuck, all deaths on the roads is tragic - the poor local uncle, or Bangla, or Tiong cyclist. The motorcyclist and his pillion, the car driver and his passengers, the bus and passengers on board, also the pedestrian who is at the wrong road or junction at the wrong time even if the poor fellow was obeying the rules and waiting to cross on the side of the road.

Now cyclists, mostly hobbyists and hobbyist-commuters, are jumping up and down and swinging their bike pumps angrily about 1.5m zone what fuck and dedicated cycling path. Some have taken a reasoned view of the situation nonetheless. Let me repeat, road accidents and fatalities are fucking awful. I grieve for road deaths caused by asshole drivers or bikers or truckers or even jay walking pedestrians. But if there is any widening of roads or special lanes, sorry fancy bike cyclists, wait in line. I would say the motorbikes deserve that special lane more urgently than cyclists. Not because they pay road tax and cyclists don't. But coz there are more motorbikes than cyclists and they should be taken care off first. UNLESS we are saying motorbikes and cyclists share a lane, which defies West European concepts of cycling lanes but it's fine by me as why must follow the Ang Moh colonial style?. Or maybe it is a bus-bike-bicycle lane! However, a deadly cocktail IMHO when buses squeeze into the lane.

Besides, WTF has a special lane for cyclists got to do with their safety seriously. If it is a asshole, drunk, sleepy or lousy driver, she or he is going to mow cyclists down anyway even if there is a bike lane or 3m safety zone or not! You seen some of those blurfuck tai-tai or aunties driving their Q7? Or those young think bigfuck drivers in their Swift or WRX? And it does not help that some asshole recreational Amstrong-wannabe cyclists cycle 2-3 abreast on the fucking road. They don't deserve to get run down of course, nobody deserves to get injured or killed on the road. Cycling lanes won't help, neither would the whining of some me-me-me cyclists as this guy puts it fairly accurately. It is just basic road safety and sense that can prevent accidents from cyclists to drivers to pedestrians. It's not about cyclists, it's about not being a dick on the roads.

Teachers Now are Different from those Before

Not between a male teacher and a female (or male) student, but between a female teacher and her teen male student. I'm still waiting for the day when it is a female teacher doing a female student case, man, that is progressive! If anyone has sordid details, please email Gutter! Or if there is a video better but give me first! LOL When I was a teen, there was this chio maths teacher Ms Lee, fresh out of NIE mmmmm but she was smart enough not to do us - we were pimply scrawny horny teens eagerly waiting to be sexually abused by her. Male students nowadays are so lucky! LOL

Who is this female teacher? Chio or not? She is a fat cow and demanded sex from the fit strong teen athlete dumb jock that unless he rides her, she would fail him?
Teacher: Give me a F, or I give you an F! 
Student: F you! I mean it! 
Hey! That's corruption! CPIB must act! LOL Rumours and bets are that the duo are from an elite institution in Bishan.  I'm wondering how they got busted. Must be some of the other boys didn't get a piece of the action and complained!

And then there is this other story, about a trainee teacher who has nice racy topless Facebook pictures and bitching about kiasu parents and dumb kids. Now there is a witch hunt for her. Too bad she was dumb enough to think Facebook is super private and out of bounds of complaining parents and students. This is the new social media age - say what you think and it gets around to bite you in the ass at the workplace, family and who knows where else.

Ex-teacher, accused of having sex with student, likely to face more charges

SINGAPORE: A former teacher from a top school, accused of having sex with a student, is likely to face additional charges.

The ex-teacher, who is in her early 30s, currently faces one charge of having sex with a minor on the first occasion sometime in January this year.

The location of the alleged offence, however, was not stated.

Both the student and the accused cannot be named due to a gag order.

Earlier, the prosecution told the court that investigations were complete, but the Institute of Mental Health report has yet to be finalised.

So the prosecution has asked for a four-week adjournment, adding that the accused is likely to face additional charges.

The woman, sporting short hair and a black top, turned up in court on Thursday accompanied by two people.

She is now out on bail and is expected to appear in court again on September 13.

If convicted, she faces a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

Get Long Loan? Get Screwed!

Cannot afford means cannot afford WTF. When Mr Ah Beng next door who has monthly household income of $6,000 decided to buy a mass market condo, you also want to keep up with the Bengs since UOB gave this magic own a bigger property than you can afford genie lamp. Why people even consider thinking of taking 50-year loan just to make themselves feel smug and shiok that they can "afford" a damn fucking expensive 99LH condo in Bishan or Toa Payoh? If  people snapped it up because they think it makes monthly installments "affordable", then they should just use a simple online amortisation or mortgage calculator to have a good rough feel of how banks shove it up my ass and yours once we take up a home loan. "Afford" means to me is that you can pay for the home in full and you only take a loan since interest rate is so low now at less than 2%, and the money is spent earning something else in the meantime where there are better returns. OK you get a picture of how of conservative I am.

Simple calculation  - loan of $1 million at 2% fixed, impossible for it to be fixed at 2% but let's play along in this magic genie lamp world, over 50 years. Monthly payment is $2,633.34 and total interest paid at end of 50 years is $580,003. Interest paid is half the loan amount! WTF! Beware of the genie's wishes given to home buyers!

In contrast with $1 million loan at 2% fixed over a standard 30 years tenure, again let's pretend that we live in a nice fluffy world of flowers and low interest rates, the monthly installment of $3,692  is higher but total interest paid to the blood-sucking bank is $329,139 after 30 years! Simple compare and contrast of an oversimplified fixed low interest rate and the result is that the longer you take the loan, the higher the total interest paid! The home is not that cheap after all. Wake the fuck up, my fellow daft Singaporeans who want to afford a home by taking a 50-years loan.

Anyway, some analysts and industry players interviewed said that UOB's loan gimmick is because banks are competing for loans and not because the property market is in trouble. WTF loser explanation. Facepalm. The property market is in trouble and that is why banks want to compete for the shrinking pool of home buyers taking loans. Duh. Anyway, the property agents and developers have a vested interest to give the impression that their industry is still booming and point the fingers at the banks having loan competitions unilaterally instead.

Longer mortgage tenures could have adverse implications
By Linette Lim | Posted: 14 August 2012 2150 hrs

SINGAPORE: Longer mortgage tenures could have adverse implications for the property market, borrowers and banks if it becomes more widespread.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam gave the assessment in a written reply to Parliament on Monday.

He added that the government will continue to closely monitor the property market.

Stretching a home loan out over 50 years does translate to a lower monthly instalment. But this is just an illusion of affordability.

Mr Tharman said that the borrower ends up paying more interest. The repayment period could also stretch past the retirement age, when the borrower may no longer have a steady income stream.

According to analysts, the higher interest rate on a longer term loan would mean that loan repayment can be easily be 20 per cent more in the long run, compared to taking a 30-year loan.

The government said it will monitor mortgage tenure in the context of how banks structure their mortgage products, as well as banks' underwriting standards.

Still, analysts said the government is wary such loans could fuel speculative buying and undo its efforts to cool the property market.

Alfred Chan, director, Financial Institutions, Fitch Ratings, said: "Had property prices not been where they are, let's say (if) they were to be increasing at a more moderate pace, I think affordability wouldn't be an issue and banks wouldn't need to go out that aggressively to offer 50-year loan tenors."

Analysts added that the move to offer 50-year tenor loans also reflects the stiff competition among banks.

Loan yields in Singapore are at 2 per cent compared to emerging markets like Indonesia, with 6 per cent.

Timothy Kua, director, SmartLoans.sg, said: "I don't think the property market has cooled very significantly. It is still fairly healthy and UOB's 50-year loan tenor is probably more of an inter-bank competitive move to try and win over a bigger chunk of the mortgage market."

The government said its cooling measures in recent years have helped reduce the risk of a sharp escalation in property prices.

Still, it has cause for concern.

Fifty-year tenor loans first appeared six years ago in California, driven by sky-rocketing home prices.

California now has the second-highest foreclosure rate in the United States as of last July. According to reports, its foreclosure rate is one in every 239 households.

Aristocare's Great Bluff and a Singaporean Kiasu Dream

This is one random story that makes me laugh again during this national day period as I reflect on Singapore chionging ahead to get ahead. This is the story of Aristocare, which is more aptly named Aristofuckcare. This story is even more relevant now when Primary 1 phase 2C is over and some kancheong parents are feeling so left out in the game as they felt they are letting their kids off with a bad start at the blocks because they could not get their kids into a "good" school blablabla.

The Singapore kiasu dream - study, go enrichment classes and have tuition to get ahead of the pack. What's next is... cheating in exams. Don't shake your head. Because it is not about dishonesty, it is about winning! That's the motto for my tuition centre that I'm going to set up. After all, that is what Kelvin Ong from Aristocare is telling everyone.

Just so you get a rough idea,the fees for Aristocare's GEP class is $1,100 for 4 lessons, each lesson 1.5 hrs, ++ other fees. If there are 5 kids in a class, that's $5,500 in the pocket. If he does 10 kids, 20 kids, 30 kids, you get the picture. MOE already busted his ass, CASE is on his ass, IRAS should be next. If Kelvin Ong Wee Loong screwed some old frigid sex-deprived MOE staff to look the other way all these years, you bet CPIB is next asking him out for kopi.  LOL

How was Kelvin Ong dishonest? He said he graduated from NUS, was a gifted student at ACS, was a teacher at ACS - all untrue. Sexposed by NUS and ACS. He preyed on what Singaporean parents wanted - they believe in hothousing their average normal kids and magically making them geniuses by attending fancy overpriced elitist enrichment schools. By eagerly buying into the tuition centre industry, they get a bonus for their kids' social mobility. Right. Kelvin Ong must have felt that it was so easy to con Singaporeans. No wonder Ah Tiong businessmen like to do business deals with Singaporeans in China - we are generally gullible and want to part with our money buying magic stones. Facepalm.

Singapore parents want to believe they are doing the best for their kids. So watch out, be suspicious if your tutor from some branded United Square centre said he has a Phd from MIT, a photo framed on the wall with his arm around Tomas Transtromer's shoulders, and taught at Eton before. When he tells you that, quickly check and hold onto your wallet to make sure it is not pickpocketed already. Also check if MIT, the M is actually "Madras", the person has a Phd and is not some quack doctor, that photo of Tomas is not just some old random ang moh and Eton is really Eton College.


The saddest part about all his dishonesty as others before me have said and I need to repeat as it is so hilarious, is that he tried to blame his mother. He said that, wait for this champion lame excuse, his mother claimed to him "Boy boy, you are my smart boy boy, so gao that you were in the gifted programme in ACS". WTF Dishonest never mind, still so spineless and blame his mother! LOL

Ping Pong Pride and Prejudice!

Steady! Bronze medal! I cheered loudly when the team snatched the medal away from the kimchi team. It came nail-biting close at times that Kim-Park-Lee (oh, not their surnames, forgive my ethnic stereotyping) would roll up the Feng-Li-Wang trio in pickled spicy cabbage and bury them underground. However the Singapore team, imported they may be, but pink IC all the same to me, showed them prata spins and hot laksa volleys. And beat them.

What matters is that the little red dot got a bronze this time, ok not a silver like the previous Olympics, but good enough in my book. There would be those who celebrate Singapore wins like me and see that we grab what we can in sports. There would be those who bitch like the snapping dogs they are that it is a kelong medal, the players are not true Singaporeans, China won not Singapore, rather lose with pride than win with shame, or some worse mean things to utter. Whatever. They are entitled to their bitter myopic opinions and apple-orange comparisons to the other giant in Temasek's Olympics history, Tan Howe Liang, who was also born in China, a foreign talent BTW. The irony. Oh that time, almost every Chinese in Singapore was a foreign talent anyway, except for the Peranakan. Imagine how the babas and nyonyas felt then about these foreign Chinese coming to their sunny island set in the sea LOL

These foreign sports talent like the ping pong trio took up citizenship and settled down here like our forefathers as they saw opportunities here, not Canada, not America. WTF wrong with that? Smack Feng, Li and Wang's butts with their paddles only if they ungratefully run off and migrate to USA after their Olympic wins and open a Chinese takeaway in San Francisco Chinatown, the biggest in the world! I can't change the mean cynics' minds, while nobody can change my optimism that the win is a great gift for Singapore's national day, the 47th one. Team Singapore ping pong, FTW, all pride, no prejudice.

Foreign Sports-men-women FTW!

Feng Tianwei! You go grrl!

If it were not for the new citizens, 2nd rung exports from China though they may be when they left and lured by the promise of competing in the world stage which might be denied if they remained in Xian or somewhere, Singapore would not get even a medal. Not even if we increased the pledge to lend IMF US$10 billion instead of the US$4 billion.

Oh we keep hearing the line that Singapore has never gotten a medal since Tan Howe Liang blablabla. FFS, in 1960, we were not the Singapore as we know it. We had autonomy since 1959, but not independence. So in technicolour technicality, Feng Tianwei's FTW bronze in ping pong is our first ever Olympic medal. And give Feng and the other PRC talents a break even if they can't speak English properly to our liking.  As long as no steroids consumed to make Feng grow bulgy muscles and bushy mustache, no sabotage of the opponent like scheming to make Ishikawa eat bad sashimi the night before, or other grounds for disqualification like hiring a songkok and sarong bomoh to stand next to and spit at Ishikawa before and during the match, a medal won by a citizen regardless of place of birth and previous citizenship, is still a medal won! Xenophobic Singaporeans pissing on Singapore's Olympic medal, come on.

The new sports ministry whatever it is called, in the name of maintaining the current ethnic mix, should seriously bring in some Pakis or Indian sports talents next so that we can have a world class cricket team to boast about in 2016! Oh wait. Cricket not an Olympic sport. Waste money bring them in. Fuck. What about diving! Bring in Chinese divers to spring Singapore's inspiring diving ambitions! Diving is the new ping pong where Chinese imports are concerned.

Feng wins bronze for Singapore

by Philip Goh

Updated 11:03 PM Aug 01, 2012

SINGAPORE - The Republic opened accounts at the 2012 London Olympics tonight when Feng Tianwei defeated Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan 11-9, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 to secure the table tennis women's singles bronze medal.

Feng was imperious in the 26-minute encounter, especially after she edged a tense first game, and never allowed Ishikawa to get into any kind of rhythm.

Feng's bronze is the first individual Olympic medal for Singapore since Tan Howe Liang won silver in weightlifting in the 1960 Rome Olympics.

It was also Singapore's third medal at the Olympics following the women's table tennis team silver at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Feng with teammates Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu will begin their campaign in team event against Poland on Friday. PHILIP GOH

Judge and Lawyer Talking Cock

Now is the judgement a surprise? Yes? Did I hear you say Yes??? You also believe in Santa Claus and the Merlion legend! Did I hear you say No? Sorry, no prizes for you as there were 1001 cynics before you who thought so too.

There are 2 simple reasons why cleaner Vellama sure lose. OK, 3 reasons if you include this obvious reason - once she chose Mad Ravi as her lawyer, it is gone case. If she is crazy enough to take up crazy Ravi, then kaput is as certain as WP winning East Coast GRC the next time. The other reason is that in political cases where PAP's judgement, integrity and reputation is at stake and left to the court to decide, somehow, somehow, PAP always win. Always. Win. Maybe PAP's stand is so solid, or their lawyers always so steady, or other reasons you say, errr I don't know. Smirk. The house always wins!

The last reason is also very simple. Mad Ravi is talking cock. The constitution simply did not say that the election must be held within 3 months. The constitution says it is ASAP and what is ASAP only Tua Pek Kong, Allah, Jesus, Vishnu, and Harry Lee will know. Not a cleaner and a lawyer.

However this Pillai judge also a bit talking wild cock. He said that it is up to the PM to call the by-election, not that he has to call a by-election. Now, that is really shocking news. Article 49 of the constitution, others have pointed out clearly that an election is a must because of the modal verb "shall". English teachers from P1 to Sec 4 are relearning what is "shall" all about because of Pillai's "shall" as meaning "maybe if happy". Makes me wonder if Pillai passed his PSLE English! LOL Legal documents all over Singapore are being reinterpreted as we speak since "shall" loses its sense of obligation and promise and there is wriggle room for people to screw each other and break contracts.

Article 49 Filing of Vacancies
(1) Whenever the seat of a Member, not being a non-constituency Member, has become vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of Parliament, the vacancy shall be filled by election in the manner provided by or under any law relating to Parliamentary elections for the time being in force.

Hougang resident's by-election application dismissed by High Court Judge
Updated 03:25 PM Aug 01, 2012


SINGAPORE - A High Court Judge has dismissed a Hougang resident's application to declare that the Prime Minister does not have "unfettered discretion" over whether and when to call a by-election.

Madam Vellama Marie Muthu had also applied for a mandatory order for the by-election to be called in Hougang within three months or a reasonable time, after the seat was vacated.

Mdm Vellama, 42, a part-time cleaner, had filed her application on March 2, following the sacking of former Member of Parliament Yaw Shin Leong from the Workers' Party on Feb 15.

In his judgment released today, Justice Philip Pillai noted there was no requirement in the Constitution to call elections to fill elected Member vacancies. There being no such requirement, there arises no prescribed time within which such elections must be called, he added.

Under the Constitution, to call or not to call an election to fill an elected Member vacancy is a decision to be made by the Prime Minister, said Justice Pillai. Should the Prime Minister decide to call an election to fill an elected Member vacancy, he has a discretion as to when to call it, he added.

The Parliamentary Elections Act merely provides the mechanism to hold such an election should the Prime Minister decide to call one, said Justice Pillai. In the event that the Prime Minister decides to call an election to fill an elected Member vacancy, section 24 of the Parliamentary Elections Act requires that the President issue writs under the public seal to the Returning Officer to convene such election to supply vacancies caused by death, resignation or otherwise. "In so doing, the President is obliged to act in accordance with Article 21 of the Constitution," he added.