Prata Politics

Budget "Cutted" for Reservists!

2012-03-08T02:30:00.000+08:00

Sure, sure, sure. NSF get more money. More money for them to spend on girls and drinks, or whatever is fun nowadays for horny, testosterone-filled guys. This Budget is actually quite pathetic if you are a reservist still stuck in your 10-year cycle, waiting for that gold watch and letter confirming your MR status!

Nobody has questioned - WTF do we reservists get? Those who voted for PAP, this is what you get. Just last year we were raving and bitching about foreigners here for a free ride, while most of us guys who have not sought a specialist yet for a downgrade in medical status, have to do ICT and IPPT.

This Budget, under a new defence minister, we didn't get more money if we pass our annual IPPT. I thought they wanted us to keep fit? Where's the incentive?

We also didn't get any one-off big income tax relief or better, an increase in the NSmen tax relief claimable from the current $1,500 and $3,000 for the non-ICT and ICT year respectively. WTF! We are not even asking for tax rebate, just a tax relief also don't have. KNS As citizens with responsibilities, I thought we were supposed to be more privileged than the PRs? Where's our reward for doing ICT?

There was nothing even for those who MRed. We complained before that the old soldiers should also be acknowledged when Mindef bragged 2 years ago that there would be CPF top-ups for those at the start, mid and end points of their ICT tour-of-duty. This is the 45th year of NS right? No CPF top-up or token tax relief either for those who unwillingly served till the end? Where's the appreciation?

Rank allowance up by S$60 for NSFs, NSmen
by Amir Hussain
04:46 AM Mar 07, 2012
SINGAPORE - The monthly National Service (NS) rank allowance will be increased by S$60 across all ranks starting next month, as part of efforts to recognise the contributions of national servicemen, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in Parliament yesterday.

The increase applies to full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) across the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force.

With the increase, a recruit will receive a monthly NS rank allowance of S$480, while a Lieutenant will get S$1,180. The last review of the NS allowance was in 2009, when it was increased by S$20.

Responding to questions from Members of Parliament as to whether the duration of NS could be reduced, Dr Ng stressed yesterday that "NSmen are not the second line of defence". "When needed, they are the first responders to protect Singapore when our survival is threatened. We need an adequate duration to train and prepare NSmen for their roles effectively," he added.

The reduction in NS duration in 2004 corresponded with the transformation of the 3rd Generation SAF, as well as a surge in NS intake between 2006 and 2015. But cohort size will fall from 2016, and Dr Ng said the effects of this transition has to be closely monitored. "Therefore, until further review, we should maintain the two years needed for full-time NS, and 10 years for Operationally Ready NS (ORNS), so as to bring our soldiers and units up to the level of operational readiness required to maintain a credible SAF," he added.

The Defence Ministry (MINDEF) is also looking at other ways to extend professional development opportunities to regular servicemen. For example, the SAF has joined hands with Nanyang Polytechnic to introduce a Certificate in Business Management programme for warrant Officers, specialists and military experts. The bridging programme provides these officers with a foundation in the study of business management and, upon successful completion, servicemen would qualify for direct entry into the Diploma in Business Management.

The SAF also plans to extend its online platform, LEARNet, progressively over the next five years to about 80 other units to allow servicemen access to learning resources through portable devices.

To commemorate 45 years of National Service, MINDEF will also engage Singaporeans to post their NS experiences on the NS45 website and through an online story competition, "My NS Story", which closes next month. Besides the online competition, MINDEF's mobile NS showcase will also tour the heartlands after May's Army Open House at the F1 Pit Building.

WP Chen Show Mao Bruised and Battered, Not in Kansas Anymore

2012-03-07T00:00:00.000+08:00

~~Mr Mao~~ Mr Chen, You're Not in Kansas Anymore!

WP Chen Show Mao was the star catch in last year's GE rallies, almost like Sylvia Lim was the star in the 2006 GE. He swooped in from somewhere, rapidly built up a cult personality around himself with his astounding credentials that would fit jolly well among the candidates in white, except that his colours were blue. Chen Show Mao could do no wrong it seemed. His GE rally speeches were above-average but neither awesome nor awful, not that witty as Low Thia Khiang, not that scarily rousing like facist-seeming Pritam Singh.

Recently, his speeches and his credibility have suffered an even greater dip as he was accused of plagiarism. Sharp guys who probably agreed with the former Davis Polk & Wardwell corporate raider, pointed out that Chen Show Mao's politicised ideas on government spending and economics were borrowed or stolen from this other guy, Donald Low, point by point, without attribution and credit given to the source. Those against the WP manned the guns and started firing at Mr Chen. WP defenders also jumped into their trenches and shelled back. Frankly, no big crap that Mr Chen copy/paste but some attribution was necessary since he is a big blue target for WP's critics. He should be street smart enough to avoid such ambushes. Maybe he is just not street smart as Low Thia Khiang, that's why.

The hypocrisy of those blindly propping Chen Show Mao up is laughable and predictable. Sometimes you wonder where the anti-PAP or anti-WP idiots come from. So much for our education system. If it was Vikram Nair that borrowed or stole ideas from Donald Low, you bet these same fellows defending the WP MP would hammer Nair senseless. Donald Low might do an 180 turn and instead of saying it is ok now, might insinuate ("insinuate" because if say outright he would get sued by PAP until no pants even) intellectual property piracy, the anti-PAP rabble would accuse the Sembawang PAP MP of zero originality at best and a thief at worst. Such is life!

It is not one year since the 2011 GE and already the internet rabble is excited that they can take shots at WP as well as the PAP. Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu, scream at PAP. Fri-Sat, shout at WP. Sun-rabble sabbath and rest day.

Politics is becoming more fascinating as people are beginning to realise that all parties in parliament are fair game. The fun and responsibilities of a cynical populace. The burden of the enlightened electorate! The PAP would get most of the slime since they control most of the seats in parliament, but some shit is also proportionately reserved just for WP as they are not the small underdogs that they used to be anymore. The bigger they grow, the more shit they would get. Justly so.

Update
Pritam Singh also accused of plagiarism since his parliament speech was based on a blogger's article and there was no attribution. Facepalm.

Don't Make Fun of Religion, Lots of Hypersensitive Zealots

2012-03-05T02:16:00.001+08:00

Be cool bros!

Sure, there are assholes who are rude and bigoted, and have white bedsheets hood and gown in their drawers. However, there are also thin-skinned monotheists who get all worked up. There is something about religion, especially monotheistic ones, being uptight that their religion being insulted. I'm not talking about the usual bearded AK-47 totting Taliban or Afghan running amok after stacks of the Quran were burnt by the US unbelievers-invaders in Afghanistan, I'm talking about uptight local Christians. Ask former NMP Siew Kum Hong and and he has a rough idea of being hounded by Christians when he recently uploaded something in his Facebook that got some hypersensitive Christians all constipated. He had to apologise. In the latest thin-skinned incident, the sexist FHM had to pull off its magazines from the shelves as Christians were supposedly mocked in an article. The FHM editor also had to apologise.

What exactly was the insult I really don't know, but I sure want to know now in both the Siew Kum Hong and FHM cases. Controversy fires up publicity. Maybe it was a cartoon of Jesus or Moses, or a film re-review of The Last Temptation of Christ. What it did was give FHM publicity and that article an underground status. People who have a relevant copy might scan the article and upload it in the Internet soon. Just wait for it to appear in a Facebook Wall or in your email soon for you to laugh, get upset or just feel indifferent.

The Christians if they wanted to be taken seriously have to get lawyered up and sue FHM. Or if they want to get really taken seriously, have to be more vocal like how Muslims were upset about Prophet Mohammad cartoons. I seriously don't think they should do that though.

FHM pulled off shelves, editor apologises

04:46 AM Mar 03, 2012SINGAPORE - The National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) has sharply criticised two articles published in the latest edition of FHM Singapore, describing them as "highly objectionable and deplorable". The criticism prompted an immediate apology from the senior editor of the men's magazine and the removal of the publication from newsstands islandwide.

In a statement yesterday, the council, which represents more than 150 churches across denominations, said the articles "make fun of the Lord Jesus Christ". The statement, signed by NCCS president Bishop Dr Robert Solomon and its three vice-presidents, added: "These articles appear during the holy season of Lent when Christians remember the sufferings and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and they cause serious offence and hurt the sensitivities of the Christian community."

The NCCS also urged the authorities to "look into the matter and ensure the material in question is removed", adding that "such offensive articles threaten the religious harmony that we work so hard to build and maintain".

Noting that it has become "fashionable" to depict religions in the media in ways that are offensive to religious communities, the council urged that "society must be on guard against such trends". FHM Singapore is a title produced by MediaCorp Publishing. The articles in question were entitled "Which of These Celebs Might Secretly be Jesus?" and "Jesus 2.0: What can we expect?".

When contacted, FHM Singapore senior editor David Fuhrmann-Lim said: "We would like to apologise for any offence caused ... We are always sensitive to people's religions and beliefs, and while the article was written with a tongue-in-cheek humour, we do realise now it was not done in the best taste or judgment. We will certainly be more mindful of such sensitive issues in the future."

"Furthermore, we will immediately remove all copies on sale in the newsstands; this process should be completed in the next two days," he added.

When contacted, a spokesperson for the industry regulator Media Development Authority said: "We are investigating this complaint for a possible breach of our content guidelines for publications."

Want Better Healthcare? Higher Tax!

2012-03-01T21:45:00.002+08:00

That is what Tharman said in parliament during the budget debate. If people want better healthcare, medicine and trained medical staff don't fall from the sky, and there would be higher tax!

Wow such a scary ultimatum man. Did it occur to the dear minister that we don't mind paying more tax if there is better healthcare? Wait! Mr IRAS, don't come knocking at my door! I insert caveat now. Although, depends on how much tax more also as I don't want to pay a health tax that is twice half my income tax, just to subsidise for another Mr fat diabetic always-eat-sleep-never-exercise citizen's healthcare bills.

With the population getting older and apprehension of inflation and rising health costs, the Budget promised medifund and medisave top-ups. Clap. There is more subsidies for patients in community hospitals of 20-50%. Clap clap.They would push out more hospital beds - 1,900 in the general (acute) hospitals and ,1800 beds in the community hospitals. Clap clap clap. To give a rough idea of the scale of the beds being pushed into the wards, Singapore General Hospital has about 1,500 beds. The new Khoo Teck Puat hospital has about 550 beds in comparison. So not a small number of beds, assuming that there is enough healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses, technicians to service the beds. Hand about to clap but stop. More beds so what, if there is not enough attentive doctors and pretty nurses. Nursing isn't something glam for locals as a career and Pinoys and PRC workers would continue to be around in the wards.

However, why didn't the Budget assure for me in healthcare despite the enhanced instruments? The simple fact was that Tharman promised healthcare spending may reach 3.5% of GDP in 2030. 2030, not 2020, not 2015. Also, I despair to think that the foreigners here might stress our healthcare infrastructure just like they stressed housing and transport. Yet, there was no populist gesture of a citizens-first healthcare. Maybe like the more subsidised B and C wards only for citizens? The PAP government just does not seem serious or sincere enough about assuring us in our growing healthcare worry.

Temasek as the Citizenship Transit Point

2012-02-29T01:43:00.000+08:00

To the naturalised citizens who tore up their pink IC in the end, good luck, good bye!

I don't bother much about locals leaving. They must have their own reasons, valid or not is subjective. Maybe because their banana kids cannot cope with Chinese, they find life is too stressful in Singapore and they want a slower pace, they are retiring overseas and want to enjoy quality of life, they are SPG and married foreigners and moved out, these are common stories we hear of why people leave Singapore. They would miss their heart-stopping add-hum-add-egg char kway teow, but they won;t miss it that much to stay here. I wish them the best in their greener pastures yonder, especially the guys as presumably they did their NS obligations.

My shitty comments on citizens leaving are reserved for the naturalised citizens. Supposedly about 300 a year according to the stats bugger off. About 300 of the average 1,200 citizens every year. About 25% of the citizens who tear up their pink IC every year in recent years.

Now is that an anger-festering fact or what. These foreigners come here, get citizenship, sumpah what "we the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves...". Then they have the privilege to buy HDB flats or landed property, make a killing in the recent bullish property market and then pack up and go. They managed to make money out of property, and the guys don't even have to do NS. Very galling man the idea. I very sour grapes, so what.

Furthermore, it is not a small percentage of freeloaders. It is about 25% of the people who threw away their pink IC. What I want to know is whether there is a pattern in this citizenship freeloading where Singapore is just a transit point or a stepping stone to citizenship in another country. What nationality are these people who come here, pledge allegiance to the red, white, stars and crescent, and then cash out their citizenship? PRC, India. Malaysia?

SINGAPORE - An average of 1,200 Singaporeans renounced their citizenship every year between 2007 and 2011.

Of these, 300 were naturalised citizens.

But the renunciation rates for both naturalised citizens and Singapore born citizens were low at 0.1 per cent or less, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, as he gave this update in Parliament today.

Mr Teo also explained why some give up their citizenship and assured members that every application for citizenship was carefully evaluated.

"Every application for permanent residence or Singapore citizenship is evaluated holistically on a range of criteria, including economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, and length of stay in Singapore," he said. "The reasons for emigration vary. Some emigrants leave for family reasons, because of marriage or to reunite the family members overseas, while others do so for a different living environment.

"All Singapore citizens and permanent residents who own HDB flats will have to sell their properties if they renounce their citizenship or cease to be permanent residents. There are no exceptions to this rule."

Hawker Centre Panel Recommendations Akan Datang

2012-02-28T01:19:00.001+08:00

The Panel, headed by towkay neo Elim Chew, went about to ask for feedback. But you know the same song, we Singaporeans complain that nobody listens to us but yet we don't give feedback to such panels, and then later complain that there was no consultation. BTW, I also didn't know there was such a panel as I don't hang out at Reach at all.

The panel talked about green hawker centres but not too sure if customers want to pay more for biodegradable plates, graciousness in hawker centres but I think hawker centres bring out the worst in many people like the chope seats with tissue packet mentality, about affordable nice food in hawker centres but we all know about Singaporeans' ai pee ai chee ai tua liap nee everything also want, but don't want to pay.

What I hope to hear is hawker centres making a big come back to the heartlands and beyond. Right now, there are 112 hawker centres in Singapore, managed by JTC, HDB and MEWR. Only 112, not 1,112. If they are indeed part of our culture and heritage, if they are needed to provide cheap food for the masses, and if they can give honest employment to those who want to strike out on their own, then one major recommendation for the renaissance of hawker centres is that more should be built. Furthermore to encourage more to enter the hawker profession, loosening the criteria for subsidised stalls (rental of max $320 / month) and not restricting it to the original relocated street hawkers of the 1970s, and phasing out the non-subsidised stalls and the tender scheme for hawkers are just as important. Let's wait for the panel's detailed recommendations.

Panel presents initial ideas for new hawker centres in Singapore

The way new hawker centre food stalls are run, priced and assigned could face major changes if recommendations put forward by a public consultation panel are adopted.

These changes, however, are aimed at ensuring that hawker centres continue to offer affordable food for Singaporeans.

Proposed changes unveiled by the 18-member panel at a press conference on Monday include lower than market-value rents, no subletting of stalls and joint-tenancies for stalls.

The preliminary proposal also recommends having a non-profit social enterprise operating the hawker centre with the Government providing guidance and financial support.

Hawker Food Soup Tulang, Hilang!

2012-02-27T01:51:00.000+08:00

Eating next to roads, drains, don't know how the hawker wash the dishes for the next customer but yummy dish...

Super interesting episode about hawker food, culture and heritage in Singapore over at Singapore Talking earlier.

The panelists, one guy from ieatishootipost, one from hungrygowhere and a food critic discussed that old hawkers sifu are retiring and there is nobody to hand their kungfu to, cos even their kids don't want to slog out a greasy, hot, blue-collar 12-hour day. That Singaporeans unrealistically expect hawkers to dish out great food at $2 or less although prices of ingredients has increased since the 1980s. That culinary schools in Singapore teach ang moh dishes and not focus on char kway teow, mua chi, hokkien mee. That hawkers who want to retire and have nobody to impart their skills to should sell their secret manual to culinary schools so that the dish does not die out once the hawkers go.

That guy from ieatishootipost talked a lot and quite yaya but his views were well argued especially that line of hawker food being cheap and no frills as that was where we came from as a society - poor migrants who slog it out here, who had to eat cheap food. It was an emotional appeal to our heritage err "our" means not those first-generation Singaporeans. He also suggested that "heritage hawkers" i.e. 2-3 generation hawkers should be given assistance in terms of grants by the government so that Singapore's hawker culture is preserved.

However, there is conflation of nostalgia, culture and heritage. They can mean the same thing, but should not always be so. Culture evolves through time because of changes in our society. Our hawker culture is changing. From unregulated illegal street hawkers to centralised regulated hawkers centres, now to kopitiams and food courts dominating the "cheap" food sector and sidelining hawker centres, the annex to the also evolving wet market.

Heritage is different slightly albeit it overlaps with culture. Heritage is one's past and we should generally preserve it for historical reasons and it is a story of where we came from and ideals of the past. However, spitting on the floor, illegal hawker stalls next to drains, squatting on stools at hawker centres, this is also our hawker experience heritage but nobody is that nostalgic about it as it is a turn off and offends our modern sensibilities on hygiene and social etiquette.

Whatever it is, there is truth that hawkers are finding it harder to survive and hawker food is evolving to a point that we don't like - the food is not tasty, the price is not right and "authenticity" is being lost. Hawking is a blue collar job and the younger generation don't see it as an art, or at least a lucrative career. Many of us don't want to pay $5 for hawker food as we cling on to the notion that hawker food should still be priced to that when we were kids. Hawkers can't survive if they don't increase the prices of their wanton mee, satay, soup tulang to keep up with inflation.

You know what is going to happen right as no local wants to carry on the hawker tradition although there is still a demand for it. The immigrants from PRC, Burma etc are going to take over the hawker industry. They already are. Hawker fare is the fare of immigrants - like our past, and our current.

DBS ATM CMI WTF

2012-02-24T02:35:00.002+08:00

DBSATMCMIWTF!

More news of more unauthorised withdrawals from DBS ATMs and more bitching about DBS is justified and expected. Previously, 700 over customers and close to $1million stolen from ATMs. This time about $23,000 was stolen from 17 unfortunate DBS-POSB customers over the weekend. Compensation is on the way for them though.

DBS was quick to assure its customers that it was not new skimming, just that it was the horrible thieves who stole ATM card info did not have time to steal all the money the earlier round. Right, very assuring. Now that the thieves had spent all the booty on booze, women, gambling, their kids overseas' education fund and God knows what other vices, they need more money and dug deeply into their bank accounts ahem... DBS customers' bank accounts, which are the same thing.

So! Some questions we should ask, while we decide whether we should move all our money into a competitor bank or just stuff the cash into Milo tins in the kitchen,

1) The skimming were from 2 ATMs located at Bugis Street some time in November 2011, and 2,726 people had used those dodgy ATMs. Simple maths meant that up to 800 people had their bank accounts broken into already from the news reports and close to 2,000 more are next in line. Did DBS earlier inform these 2,000 customers that they might be next and they should get a new card and change their passwords as a temporary security measure?

2) The police were quick to arrest 2 Malaysian ATM card skimmers soon after the big ATM heist last month. The latest ATM theft of $23,000 simply showed that the lads in blue did not nab all members of the ring. Or they snared a different ring last month, which is fantastic I really know, but unfortunately it isn't enough.

Hunting Sengkang Crocodiles and Hougang Buayas

2012-02-23T03:45:00.000+08:00

A monitor lizard! Not a crocodile senkangus, not a buaya yawshingleongus

Just today, I read news that some people are so stupid that they can't tell apart a monitor lizard from a crocodile in Sengkang. Those people panicked and wanted to call the zoo, police, PUB, HDB, SPCA and the SOF. Well at least they were not that stupid to try and catch it and put it on Stomp that they caught a Komodo Dragon in Singapore.

Similarly, from WP big chief Low Thia Khiang defensive indignation that he does not spy on his epic fail protege for Hougang SMC, some Singaporeans are dumb enough to think that Low Thia Khiang should resign even over Yaw Shin Leong being a horny buaya! Seriously? The wonders of PAP propaganda. If that is the case where the party's big chief must be aware and responsible of what his henchmen do in their private time, then what about Teh Cheang Wan.

The WP is under siege now, from CMI Yaw Shin Leong to his very exhausted mentor Low Thia Khiang. Others like Sylvia Lim would be next, fair targets for the PAP right up to the Hougang by-election. The only thing the WP did wrong was not responding well and fast enough when Yaw's horny rumours broke. But face it. They have redeemed themselves in principle and in popularity by kicking out Yaw.

The Facepalm of Increasing CPF Contribution Rates for Old Folks

2012-02-19T00:10:00.003+08:00

Tolong, tolong, don't retrench me even though I very old, expensive and not productive hor!

Come on, give the government credit. They actually want to help out the old folks by pushing employers to give employees above 50 years a higher CPF contribution rate than now. Currently, those 50-55 have their employer CPF contribution rate at 12% (a drop from the 16% before 50 years) and those 56-60 at 9% and those above 60 years at 6.5%.

From September 2012, the new tongkat for the old folks is that employer CPF contribution rates would increase in the 51-55, 56-60 and above 60 bands by 2%, 1.5% and 0.5% respectively.

Anybody who has a brain would know that this increases costs for businesses. It would now be more expensive to retain older employees, and SMEs, the backbone of Singapore's family businesses, would be affected more than others.

The government has good intentions to try stock up the old folks' CPF piggy bank so that these old timers have more for retirement, or at least more for servicing their mortgage as many in Singapore still have a housing loan to pay right until they retire.

The cruel irony is that this do-good policy actually screws the old folks more than support them. Already, employers are reluctant to retain old folks - more expensive due to seniority in the company and must spend more on retraining them, and less productive as these people just are less efficient than before. Only McDonalds hires old folks but sometimes I'm scared that the aunty or uncle falls down breaks their hip when they rush to serve me french fries. I won't be able to sleep at night if that happens.

From the cushy swivel armchair I'm sitting, if they want to increase CPF contributions and keep old folks employed, what the government could have done is actually increase the CPF contributions rates of those 31-50 (so that these lot theoretically have more for retirement but if they want to squander away their retirement savings on mortgages, their problem) and lower the contribution rates even more for those above 50 (so that these lot theoretically have more chances of being retained despite having lower productivity because of their age). Am I a fucking CPF policy expert or what.

Yaw Stupid Cockhead, Not Thinking Ahead?

2012-02-08T01:00:00.000+08:00

Shit! Why look at me? PAP MP also what!

Facepalm. Facepalm again.

Yaw ~~Shin~~ Sin Leong is a dumb fuck. Firstly, got married and then want to bonk around. WTF

Bonk around never mind as it is normal as men have the urge. Instead of seeking happy ending at spas and don't get involved seriously focusing on sex and not a relationship, he got involved in an extra-marital affair. KNS

Extra-marital affair never mind, of all the women who want to sleep with a married man, he picked someone from his own party - what's that about eating and shitting in the same place? WTF

Picked someone from his own WP never mind, that woman is also married. KNS

That woman married never mind, some more she is fat. WTF

Fat never mind, even got her knocked up. KNS

In the grand scheme of extra-marital affairs, picked a fat married woman from his same party to bonk and knocked her up never mind, he got found out. WTF

Not over! Still some more! He and WP kept hush for very long, acting blur looking at their feet and pointing at the sky. He didn't dare admit or deny his affair when the rumours broke, and the controversy almost faded away as people more interested in the temptress lau chio bu who bonked the chief of CNB and the head of SCDF. Then, WP after all the silence and acting blur as the dignified refusal to acknowledge the rumours, WP issued a statement that Yaw resigned from the WP CEC.

WTF people are not daft and can join the dots. Yaw should have just carried on as an MP and a WP CEC member as the matter closed. Resigning from CEC is a clear admission of his affair and there is speculation on why WP handled this crisis badly from the timing to the message. Although frankly if they go left people would bitch, or if they go right, people would also bitch. Might be the same people who bitch anyway regardless of the decision to go left or right.

Still, he should have just admitted, moved on and scored points for his humble apology. Or act blur and delay a response. This badly timed indirect apology by resigning is worst. What do you expect from a WP MP who confessed before that he voted for PAP. Time to keep quiet, he open his mouth. Time to open his mouth, he keep quiet.

Yaw quits Workers' Party leadership
11:14 PM Feb 07, 2012
Singapore - Member of Parliament Yaw Shin Leong has resigned as treasurer of the Workers' Party (WP), with immediate effect.

The party accepted Mr Yaw's resignation from party leadership today at the Executive Council's monthly meeting, the WP said in a statement released late tonight.

The Council has appointed deputy treasurer Yee Jenn Jong to take over as the party's treasurer.

Mr Yaw will focus on his responsibilities as MP for Hougang, the statement said.

"The Workers' Party assures residents of Hougang of the Party's commitment to the constituency and to supporting the work of their MP," the statement added.

Mr Yaw was recently alleged to have had an affair. Both parties involved have so far declined to comment on the allegations.

Mindef Gets It Again from AG

2011-10-20T02:35:00.002+08:00

Mindef was rapped on the knuckles for paying DSTA in advance, about $333 million in advance. Yes, $333 million. Sure, DSTA like DSO, is Mindef-linked and it is left pocket going into the right pocket. Still it is tax-payers money and we want proper mind-boggling red tape! You know what the real slap in the face is? In 2010, just last year, $289,499 was also paid in advance from Mindef to DSTA. So it is not the first time, and from 2010 to 2011, the amount of advance payment has increased significantly. WTF!!!

Mindef has earned other rebuke from the AG before. In 2010, the AG concluded that there was $22,000 worth of unnecessary expenditure on food. That's small change compared to $289,499 or $333 million, but $22,000 is a whole lot of food to be wasted anyway. Was it honest mistake or dodgy under the table deals going on? In 2007, Mindef fined some of its staff between $1k and $5k for personal failure and negligence over the awarding of contracts. So there were no kickbacks, and only bad books, so they say.

Auditor-General ticks off errant agencies
Advance payments improperly made and other lapses highlighted in report
By CHUANG PECK MING
Published October 14, 2011

(SINGAPORE) The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) has apparently failed to heed a government directive which says that, normally, payments should be made only after goods are delivered or services rendered satisfactorily - in other words, not in advance, unless it's an industry norm.

As at March 31, 2010, Mindef had made cumulative advance payments to the tune of $333 million to the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), says the Auditor- General's Office (AGO) in its report for the financial year 2010/11.

'This is a substantial amount of government funds being kept at DSTA,' it says. 'Advance payments could have been avoided if Mindef's arrangement with DSTA had been to pay DSTA based on actual materials cost incurred at the project milestones, which were available at the time of payment, instead of costs estimated at the time of project assignment.'

In one project, Mindef paid DSTA $6.41 million, or nearly nine times in excess of the actual materials cost incurred by DSTA.

'This translates to about 87.8 per cent of the total estimated materials cost being paid out by the fifth month of the 29-month- long project,' says the report, which has been submitted to the President and Parliament. 'It took DSTA 21 months to use up this excess payment received.'

Mindef subsequently reviewed the payment schedules, and the cumulative advance payments were reduced to $90 million as at March 31, 2011.

The report says Mindef also erred in not recovering $3.03 million in advances as at July 2009 from 358 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel who had left the service. Of this sum, about $1.78 million was outstanding for over two years.

After AGO's discovery, Mindef acted to recover or write off almost half of the outstanding cases. Improvements were also made.

AGO also detected lapses in the Ministry of Education (excess withdrawal from the Post-Secondary Education Fund); Ministry of Finance (weak access controls in the computer system); Ministry of Home Affairs (in administration of the INVEST Fund); Ministry of National Development (contract management); and Ministry of Trade and Industry (non-compliance with the Public Service Division's directive).

Statutory boards such as the Economic Development Board, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore and Info-Communications Development Authority have also lapsed.

Many of the errors found this year were in procurement, says Auditor- General Lim Soon Ping. 'They arose when the government procurement rules and principles of transparency and open and fair competition were not adhered to.'

Examples include waiving competition based on weak grounds; setting an unrealistically short time for submission of bids, limiting competition; not giving equal opportunity to tenderers to revise their bid price when requirements were changed; and accepting a tender which did not meet specifications.

'It is important that officers not only observe procurement rules, but also uphold the principles underlying public sector procurement,' Mr Lim says.

Hong Kong Maids become Honky Residents! Singapore How?

2011-10-06T23:58:00.001+08:00

Evangeline Banao. In the name of human rights, maids in Hong Kong can now become permanent residents in the SAR! The Hong Kong very scared and very angry government is appealing against the ruling - the wonders of the separation of the executive and the judiciary, where courts go left and government goes right (pun intended!). Hong Kong law allows foreigners who work in that former British colony to apply for residency if they had worked for at least 7 years uninterrupted. Except maids, even if the maids slaved 7 years non-stop, not only uninterrupted.

Just after Hong Kong introduced minimum wage laws of HKD 28/hr around May this year, the human-worker rights groups are on the roll. Maids there already have a minimum wage of HKD3,740 a month or about HKD 125 per day or in an 8-hour work day, about HKD 15/hr! Do you see where it is heading? Do you??? Maids would next ask for a revision of minimum wage of their HKD 15/hr to the new normal of HKD 28/hr! Just wait and see. The calculative money-face Honky employer would then charge food and room to their maids in return if maid wages go up.

What is the implication of Honky residency? Maids-turned-residents now have the right to bring in dependents to stay with them in Hong Kong. Daddy, mummy, sister, brother, hubby, uncle, aunty from Manila to Medan might turn up at Chek Lap Kok with huge cardboard boxes with raffia string wrapped around, as luggage. They jam into the MTR and place stress on healthcare, housing, education and all those services. These maids can then stop at being maids once they get residency, since nobody wants to be a maid forever.They would then compete for jobs with the locals in the service sector. Imagine the stereotypical polite Pinoy and the rude Hongky, which of the two is going to get the sales job at Giordano we all know. Well, that is according to the Hongky xenophobes who already have to deal with spitting, cussing and crass mainlanders.

Now the fun part. Would local do-gooders like Transient Workers Count Too shout for human rights for maids in Singapore too and lobby that maids are also allowed permanent residency in Singapore. Equality for foreigners and local without discrimination. However, I bet TWC2 dare not go into this area. There is already immense xenophobia in Singapore and it is hara-kiri for groups like TWC2, Maruah, TOC to defend maids to this extent i.e. minimum wage for maids and giving them residency. Better be a realistic hypocrite than an unrealistic activist they would quietly think.

Leticia Bongnino Happy Only

Denmark Tekan Mr and Mrs Ah Pui

2011-10-04T00:57:00.001+08:00

Denmark, famous for the 2005 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad Cartoons controversy and re-igniting Islamophobia and jihad-crazies globally, and also, Lego! Yes, that expensive but damn fun educational toy we played as kids for those lucky enough to have stolen them Emporium, Yaohan, Sogo, Seiyu (depending on how old you are) or got them as gifts. Now Denmark is again world leader in the fat tax! Yes, Denmark is going all out to tekan people who want to buy ice cream, butter and all the fatty tasty bits of modern makan. The top guys in Andersen's of Denmark are probably really pissed about this subtle discrimination fat Danes.

WTF! WTF? The tax is 16 kroner (S$3.75) per kg of saturated fat. The objective of the tax is to make Danes healthy and live longer by making them make healthy food choices. Not really happy if they are foodies, but healthier especially when the Danish government tax salt consumption next for sure if they think they can get away with the fat tax. Why is the outgoing right-wing Danish government being so intrusive, bordering on curtailing the freedom of its citizens. Frankly, apart from right wing as a reason by itself, for a country that prides its human rights and democracy, that fat tax is really a deal-breaker. Screw the individual to support the state.

Well, for one, the Danes are already used to pay ridiculously high tax to sustain their free healthcare, education and other privileges of a welfare state. No free lunch especially if you are a Viking and it is all about trade-offs.

Average income tax (income, labour market, pension components) are 44.4% (what a great number in Cantonese - die die, die!) and VAT, a consumption and therefore a regressive tax, is 25%. Hence, it totally makes sense from their government struggling to deal with an aging population and an inverted population pyramid to tax, tax and tax. The state does not want to pay for the healthcare of the indulgences of those who want to pig out.

Is the fat tax that oppressive in cramping individual freedom to do with what they want with their bodies and life? Depends whether you equate a fat tax with booze and ciggy taxes. Ciggy and booze are accepted as vices, and the Danes have entered new philosophical territory by announcing that saturated fat consumption is also a social vice. However, the incoming Social Democrat, Social Liberal and Socialist People's Party coalition might just throw out the fat tax as the first populist gesture from the centre-left government.

What's has this got to do with Singapore? That other countries also have ridiculous laws in the name of public good. And don't get me started on child seat belt laws in California.

"I am being singled out and discriminated coz I eat junk food.", says Dane Ah Pui

Man Eating Shark

2011-10-01T01:26:00.001+08:00

WTF Cold Storage not going to sell shark fin products anymore! One of their senior managers just came back from California and inspired by the recent shark fin ban there? Why? Why? Why! I don't eat shark fin but I support anybody who wants to eat shark fin. I'm very Voltaire in food politics BTW. Ang Mohs and their international lobbies trying to be imperialistic about what I choose to eat too! It is cruel to the sharks as the fishermen hack off the fin and dump the bleeding shark back into the sea. So cruelty to animals is the rationale? My ass. The root of this shark fin lobbying stinks of racism and double standards.

Foie gras, is a tasty Ang Moh delicacy pioneered by the Frenchies. The Frenchies BTW eat frog legs and throw the rest of Kermit away. Any similarity or references to double standards on shark fins is entirely coincidental. Back to eating duck liver and promoting "cruelty to animals". Foie gras is the liver of Donald Duck that is specially fattened, and pan fried usually. Yummy. For ducks to have fatty livers, they are force fed via a tube down Donald's throat. Now that is cruel right? So is Cold Storage going to ban the sale of foie gras in its 42 branches and Tanglin Market? I really doubt it.

Well OK, shark-huggers can have their say and do what they want to sleep at night, like pushing away the bowl of shark fin soup at a wedding dinner. I also want to do what I want to sleep well at night - after eating shark fin soup bowl after bowl until I'm full and happy. I paid $200 ang pow at the wedding and I better have shark fin.

The unsaid lesson in the Cold Storage ban is that they should not ban. What they could do is charge a shocking premium for shark fin items. Teach people not to eat shark fin via their purses and wallets. Cold Storage could have achieved greater corporate social responsibiility by giving customers a choice and educating them on the "right" choice as well. Educate and profit at the same time, like a tuition agency. Moreover, its decision to stop the sale of Jaws means NTUC and Shen Shiong are going to pick up what shark fin buyers whom Cold Storage has neglected. Tsk tsk Cold Storage.

Singapore's Population Reaches 5.1 Million!

2011-09-29T02:45:00.001+08:00

Holy crap! WTF! The breakdown:
- 3.79 million Singapore residents, (3.26 million are Singapore citizens and 530,000 are PR aka fake citizens)
- 1.39 million non-resident foreigners(the people who clear your tables, build your investment condos-BTO- DBSS, pick up your trash, try to be mistresses for husbands or KTV hostesses for your dad-hubby-son-bro-lesbian pal, drive your SBS buses, you get what I mean - they are bloody fucking everywhere)

You know by now right that more than 100 days after GE 2011, when we got ourselves a nice GRC at Aljunied and kicked out a nice PAP minister, although there was so much genuine worry as well as misplaced bitching about foreigners in Singapore, the PAP has done nothing so far to say that they are doing anything about it. They didn't even claim that they would slow down the barbarian hordes at the gate. Fuck. Not all of course, but many of these foreigners are barbarians. From the SPG-hunting ang mohs who wear shoes in their homes (fuck!), or the Ah Tiongs who talk loudly in the bus, train and lift (fuck! fuck!), they offend my xenophobia sensitivities with their barbarian culture imports.

Actually, the poor peasant from Chengdu or Chennai I can tolerate generously as they do jobs that most Singaporeans don't want to. Construction. Too hot and tough. Retail and FnB service. Too demeaning. Cleaning. Too dirty and demeaning. It is the rich and middle income foreigners here that I mind. Respectively, they buy up property, pushing up demand and prices, and the PMET are hungrier in keeping their jobs as they still have their ravenous immigrant instinct to succeed them. Crap.

How to compete with them when I lost my grandpa's immigrant instinct too. WTF, our grandpa's generation and earlier used to be the go-getter sinkeh, and the Malays and Babas the locals who resented the people who just got off the boats. How history repeats itself in a funny way. The children of the sinkeh are now threatened by the new sinkeh generation.

The Ang Mohs, Ah Neh and Ah Tiongs in Singapore 1800s and 2000s

PAP Internet Brigade is Back!???

2011-09-14T01:40:00.002+08:00

The PAP is presumably back again with another epic fail attempt to vindicate themselves! Retards. If it is not the PAP's invisible hand behind this, then for the PAP, who needs enemies when they have friends like those who created that FB? I just love it when the more they try to get up, the more the slip and fall down. Let's give these retards a big hand! Clap clap clap clap.

The End is Nigh!

2011-09-08T01:08:00.000+08:00

After the GE and PE, gloomy times are ahead as you, yes you, you and you voted the PAP in! OK OK export-oriented Singapore is helpless as the world's economy is going shit but I want to blame them anyway.

Inflation might be at least 5% this year, supported by ridiculously high car and property prices. The high carb black chai tao kway and char kway tiao you like to have for breakfast, lunch and even dinner are going to cost more. Singapore is expecting 5.3% growth, instead of the 6.2% growth predicted in the previous quarter. However, unemployment is a low 1.9% despite whatever xeno-bullshit-phobia ignorant people have been bitching about foreigners stealing jobs. If the Pinoys, Indians and Chinamen were stealing our jobs, unemployment would be fucking 19%, not 1.9%. Nonetheless dark clouds ahead. The Singapore dollar is fucking strong and therefore, our exports and manufacturing are screwed. MAS is going to leave a strong SGD - fantastic if you want to head to the USA for shopping at Premium Outlets. Despite the strong SGD, tourists are not bothered and it is doing its big part to prevent the economy from heading into a technical recession. Three cheers for the tourists from China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia, as they are not affected by the Eurocrisis for now. But when the PIIGS keel over onto its back with trotters in the air, gloomy days would be back.

Cablegate Singapore and US Embassy informants outed!

2011-09-04T15:22:00.006+08:00

Firstly, the leaks didn't really tell us something new. Take a look at the double-huh report JOURNALISTS FRUSTRATED BY PRESS CONTROLS where Lynn Lee was quoted for bitching about her ST being the the PAP newsletter. Huh? Huh? This old story who the fuck doesn't know, my grandma been telling me since I was a kid every time she used the ST for our dog poop. The US Embassy diplomat picked that old info and passed it on like some gem in a report to his HQ? Facepalm. I thought reports should be like along the lines of - WOW this is recent relevant information for Hilary to read for her plans for US' global domination! So now know all civil servants everywhere are jiak liao bee, even US ones.

Poor Lynn had to issue a clarification and she left her job because she was misquoted. Whatever.

Secondly, those who had shared their personal views with US Embassy staff might now be worried that their one night stand or long term relationship with the US Embassy diplomats here is exposed. And worse, their views deliberately misquoted by the US diplomats here as those guys at Nassim Road exaggerated or twisted their informants' views to score points back at DC. LOL So from Wikileaks, who has been exposed as the go-to for US Embassy for local coffeeshop gossip? Here's some names! Errr BTW There is nothing wrong with talking to US Embassy officials lah unless you are like Francis Seow who was supposedly egged on by US diplomat Hank Hendrickson, who to believe depends on which side of the conspiracy theory one wants to follow lor.

Ken Sun and Steve Chia - Singapore People's Party Mired In Distrust, Dissension

Siew Kum Hong - Singapore Tightens Controls On Public Assemblies

Martyn See Tong Ming - Singapore Toys With Allowing Political Films

Philip Jeyaretnam (protect) - Court Slams Dow Jones For Contempt But Imposes Negligible Fine

Chee Siok Chin - Singapore Tolerates An "illegal" Demonstration

Krishnasamy Bhavani MICA - Banned In Singapore - GOS Hits Far Eastern Economic Review

Sin Kek Tong - Singapore Election: Opposition To Make A Race Of It

Li Xueying and Siew Kum Hong - Culture War Roils Singapore's Feeble Civil Society

Cheah Sin Liang MDA and Cheryl Chan MOE - Burlesque and Billions of Dollars Later, Singapore

The Elected Presidency and the Candidates. BAH!!!!

2011-08-23T00:39:00.004+08:00

What a load of crap from the PE candidates during the TOC circus. Most of the audience, an attempt to have a cross-section of Singapore presumably, and half the candidates don't know fuck about what the president can do or not based on the constitution. (To be honest though, some of the usual suspects in the audience asked good informed and relevant questions). With that drunken cocktail of political ignorance and optimistic naivety, vote extortion and candidates' self-righteousness, it is a splendid formula for a SNL skit when TOC uploaded their videos for all to gawk, clasp hands in idol worship or facepalm last weekend.

Tan Cheng Bock was clueless, kept repeating himself. He said some good points, like his past record and he dared to say what he felt he had to say for the good of Singaporeans, but enough already as he kept saying them over and over again. Yeah, I don't doubt his grandfatherly patronising sincerity, but he sounded like a chauvinist pig and that joke about wives asking their husband's permission to enter politics is so going to hit him like a rolling pin into his balls by the women voters. His idea of the annual report from the Istana is nice nonetheless and raises the bar. Still, saying his name TCB makes me giggle though.. kekeke CB! The CB for president!!!

Tan Jee Say was a bloody joke since he got soooo upset sooo easily because Tony Tan the PAP puppet challenged Tan Jee Say about the latter's reference to political detention during the Marxist conspiracy and got all hissy when his understanding of English was challenged. He got angry... because of a puppet! Tsktsk How can he represent Singapore as the head of state if he loses his temper at the slightest of prods? Also, what is his horseshit about moral authority the president? Screw you don't act God. TJS, you think what? The president is like the Ayatollah? The president is the head of fucking state in our parliamentary system, like the Queen of England, not a fucking backdoor into parliament and a chance to behave like the alternative PM! WTF, he and his gang of 4 lost Holland and now they want to take over Singapore! Ahem. Talking about fucking backdoors and also this moral authority crap, he is going to allow gay sex. Now how is he going to sell that moral authority hypocrisy to the religious folks out there? Is he going to wag his finger at the mufti or the bishop to stick that gayphobia up their arse?

Tony Tan was smooth in his responses, deferring to parliament of the day the difficult decisions. Spineless pussy! Don't vote him! Clear to everybody who has half a brain that he acts as if he is running for a GE rather than the EP - his answers were full of slick and empty of sincerity if you ask me. Fuck, don't need to ask, me I tell you! He is a PAP man, and everyone in the audience assumed that he was part of the cabinet even if he is made a president. Himself too! He got it right though that the president can yak and wave his arms all he wants as long as it is within the confines of the constitution. Something that SDP man Tan Jee Say didn't get.

Tan Kin Lian, the poor guy trying to connect and be the voice of the people. He made a good pitch that he is neutral and non-partisan. He could have rode on that non-party agenda as an agenda all the way to the Istana except that he was fairly ignorant of issues other than insurance and investment. He had a good angle but he didn't have the intellect to follow it through e.g. He gave lousy answers on 377A as he didn't know what it was. Besides, he can't speak properly and he looked like an ah chek from the kopitiam across the road giving high-5 to anybody.

When 27 August comes, do your bit for democracy. Spoil your vote. Take that piece of paper and write fuck you mr president outside the boxes. Wait you write inside the box and they think it is a vote cast for one of the Tans. Workers' Party got it right all along, in a way. The EP is full of shit and true power (not fucking moral power) should be held in parliament. Not by an Istana grandpa, or Istana grandma as the feminists in the audience hoped.

Potong Minister Salary!

2011-05-23T03:34:00.002+08:00

What some Singaporeans might think about the minister pay and raiding the reserves issues :)

Or at least that is what they are promising!

Actually, a very good move to score points by the PM. Very smart. Nicole Seah better watch out as PM is also learning very fast to be like her to pull political stunts one after another. Just last week it was news of 2 retired but yet not really tired ministers who are paid millions, who are retiring. Confusing, especially when one of them changed his appointment from SM to ESM!!! Whatever lah. (Shake head) In the end still paid millions! Or maybe not millions because now there is a committee to Potong Minister Salary. PMS. PAP ministers sure feel PMS when they heard PM make his announcement on Saturday night. PMS like before when the PM spoil market and pledged to donate his increase in salary to charity for 5 years from 2007.

But seriously, slick move by PAP to make Singaporeans happy for now. They didn't need to make this show now, they could have done it 2 or 3 or 4 years later before the next GE and pocket the money in the meantime. But they didn't.

Also, let's face it and don't kid ourselves. How much they cut their pay also we think not enough, and it can never be enough. Life is like that as some want to think that politicians must be like Mother Theresa, poor and passionate about serving the people. What is "poor" is subjective and maybe the PMS committee would refer to WP's previous suggestion on pegging minister pay to the lower salaries in Singapore and given a bonus compared to the current model where it paces the higher salaries and given a discount! On WP, MP pay also might be cut to keep abreast with the idea of lowering the pay of politicians. So the 6 WP MP might now feel very PMS too - just when they join parliament, the PM gave such a commitment.

On whether ministers deserve a high pay where one person's "high" is another person's "peanuts"? If they meet our demands for better cheaper faster health, housing, transport services, why not? Let's not be cheapskate about this. But. But since they cannot meet our aspirations and they want to behave like CEOs in collecting big salary, then they should get pay cut or fired like COEs who under-perform when they show poor leadership in leading a big company. Only fair. Corporate world pay, corporate world rules.

So Long Farewell Auf Weidersehen

2011-05-18T23:35:00.004+08:00

First Goh Chok Tong and Lee Kuan Yew. After that more good news for the people! Hosay! Wong Kan Seng, who of course was not responsible for the Mas Selamat escape, but was accountable for it. Out. Then Raymond Lim, this guy who headed a ministry that got stupid public transport overcrowding and cock expensive COE because of shrunk COE quota, and like not enough, still got ERP! Out you go. Mah Bow Tan, the man who one person managed to screw up young couple's chances to buy HDB flats. Lucky Ah Mah kicked out now or by the time your children want to marry and buy HDB flat, it would cost $1 million but median income increase only to $3000! Out, out you go!

PM Lee keep saying these 5 guys already decided early early they wanted to retire. Yeah riiiiight. If earn millions in salary and yet can keep the job although make mistakes, or retired already still can earn so much money, YOU THINK THEY RETIRED VOLUNTARILY? YES? YOU MUST BE A PAP DOG TO BELIEVE WHAT EVER PAP SAY!

Of course these people were sacked as PM Lee finally cannot tahan and had to get rid of liabilities to his PAP. Not his papa's PAP, not Lau Goh's PAP, but HIS PAP. PM Lee is the only PAP man who increased his votes % in his GRC from 2006 GE so now he knows he can do what he wants.

Ministers who JLB, the NEW PM Lee is here! From 66.6% in 2006 and then drop to 60.5% in 2011, PM Lee is angry now and will sack, sack sack. But he will still give them face a bit and say they resign. :)

The GE Story in Pictures

2011-04-30T18:52:00.000+08:00

hahahaahahah a picture tells a thousand words they say. Well the GE pictures at least say more than one thing.

Stop the PAP! WTF PAP, get better volunteers or maybe these volunteers are actually opposition moles!

THOR THOR THOR! Those are great WP merchandising!

OMG look at that poor kid with hands around Danny. What is Danny the Pedobear doing to that kid!

The Brawl Begins

2011-04-28T05:36:00.001+08:00

So fun! All SMCs and GRCs contested. Except for Tanjong Pagar GRC which had "excused voting" because the bunch of independent clowns apparently arrived too late according to the media's version of the fiasco. Old Man Lee, all alone now, probably wanted a contest since he has nothing left to live for and a street fight at his home ground which he has held on since 1955 would be his last hurrah. The exertion of rallies might physically weaken the founder of 1965 Singapore though. The poor disappointed old guy looked like he was going to keel over the railing when he addressed the crowd about his walkover and that his opponents were pussies by pretending to come late and were thus deliberately self-disqualified.

On pulling out, PAP candidate Steve Tan bowed out for whatever personal reasons. He had cold feet probably. Nicole Seah the chio plucky NSP gem, obviously on the brink of burning out from her expression in the "why contest Marine Parade GRC" vid, is still at it while the fresh Steve Tan chickened out? WTF. The Online Citizen is telling the PAP that they must explain his pull-out? TOC clown. Why the fuck cares? There is CPF, housing, transport, healthcare to grill the PAP about. Not why one pussy PAP candidate pressed "eject".

Low Thia Khiang is heading over to Aljunied to settle old scores. The WP is doing a proper all-out Normandy this time as their team has Sylvia Lim and that over-achiever Chen Show Mao. The other 2 WP nobody candidates, frankly, are just there to make up the numbers to contest in the GRC. If I was George Yeo, I would think about a new career after May 7 as the chances of him losing his PAP seat in Aljunied are...high. PM Lee better think of who is going to be the next Foreign Minister also if he is smart to plan ahead. However, PM Lee has other things on his mind like whether the Reform Party kamikaze squad is going to have a better margin of the votes compared to the young punk WP squad that contested in Ang Mo Kio GRC in 2006.

Hougang is now defended by Yaw Shin Leong, a baby-faced WP old-timer. Hougang is a WP fort and even if you put a donkey in a blue shirt in that Teochew village, the loyal WP voters there would still vote it as their MP. Yaw can again decide to vote for PAP in 2011 like he did in 2006, what a loser, and he can still be in parliament after May 7. His career as a Hougang MP is confirmed, double confirmed, plus chop. However, whether he can have Low's charisma and personal touch as a Hougang MP is a big question mark. On determinism, poor Desmond Choo from PAP is obviously going to get smacked left right centre as he heads into Hougang to try snatch it away from WP. We know it is a lost cause, Desmond and the PAP also know it. Sorry Desmond, looks like you won't be a MP after May 7, you should have asked PM Lee if you could have hid in a GRC so that you can enter parliament via the backdoor.

Slime, Smears and Slurs

2011-04-26T22:55:00.002+08:00

Oh-oh, Vivian, Vivian, you can't run far and fast away enough from this!

So what if Vincent is bent, LOL that he couldn't straight during the CNA debate on TV should be a clue that he is a buttman. But low blows aside, oops, couldn't resist a bad pun, so what if Vincent is fucking gay. The minister with a girly name stuck his head out to give Vincent a bad name but in the end, it boomerang back into his face, cracking his bigot head.

The PAP perhaps felt a bit pissed that their candidates like Tin Pei Ling, Foo Mee Har and Janil Puthucheary
were tarred and feathered by the internet louts. Boo hoo hoo. Whether members of the opposition parties took part in the public ridicule of these PAP candidates, well, probably as this is politics and the opposition would try to get back anyway they can without being caught. But Vivian the blood-will-shed-if-bartop-dancing-allowed minister made a bad move by going down that dirty road and started openly a smear campaign even before nomination day. The PAP lost even more credibility.

Reminds me of 2006 when James Gomez threw the first blow about the PAP chucking away his nomination papers. The PAP flogged the dead horse and attacked James Gomez's character even after he apologised and when the issue was stale.

The PAP could have stayed on the high moral ground like what old Wooden Chok Tong wanted and be the big man, ignoring the slime thrown at them from the internet hooligans. But no, Vivian couldn't resist it and had to lash out at SDP' Vincent Wijeysingha. Aiyoh Vivian. Why like that?

Why Lim Boon Heng Cried (Real Reason)

2011-04-14T23:25:00.000+08:00

Because that minister in the prime minister's office, realised he is FINALLY losing his cushy job as he is going into "retirement"! Not the supposed hurtful groupthink allegations.

Ah Lim is not leading any ministry and is one of the lobos in the PMO, ministers without portfolio they say. No portfolio yet still has a big fat pay check of more than $1 million annually even! WTF! At least the other ministers get paid to do a bad job. Lim Boon Heng got paid despite not having a job! BTW the other 2 freeloading ministers without real jobs in the PMO are Lim Swee Say and Lim Hwee Hua (although to be fair, she is also 2nd minister Transport and Finance).

Epiphany moment! All the freeloader ministers in the PMO are Lims! I bet my always-never-enuff Grow and Share bribe that Lim Hng Khiang Minister for Trade and Industry is so very jealous that the other cabinet ministers who are Lims got an easy way out.

Sissy PAP minister sobbing as he lost his well paid day job sitting on his ass

PM Claimes No GST Hike after GE

2011-04-14T02:13:00.000+08:00

So said PM Lee Hsien Loong according to today's ST. Let me quote this very hard to believe claim,

I very much doubt that. Unless we go wild on our spending plans, then of course we will run out of money, and then you will have to raise GST. But if we have prudent budgets and we are careful in our plans, and if we grow the economy, I think we should be in good shape.

Excuse me Mr PM, I find it hard to believe that the PAP government would not raise GST like what it did after the 2006 election. This was what the PM said months after the PAP won that election.

"It will give us precious extra resources to implement social programmes like Workfare later on. Our aim is to help the lower income groups and the elderly, not to increase their burdens. When we implement the GST increase, it's not just the GST increase, it's the package which will fully offset the impact of the GST increase and begin to strengthen the social safety nets and tilt the balance in favour of the low income groups - we will not just raise the GST but we will have a comprehensive offset package,

The PAP would increase GST to 9% or higher from the the 7% now after the election - it is just a matter of when. To have a moral high ground, they would again cite the reason that the government needs more money to help the less privileged in Singapore and that money has to come from GST. In 2009, GST collected was close to $7 billion and the total tax revenue was more than $36 billion. Hence, GST formed a fat 20% of the overall money pocketed by the government. So, my point? Let's see if the PAP goes back on its words.

CNA Debate and Don't Trust Any of Them

2011-04-04T00:50:00.002+08:00

Anybody, instead of going clubbing and hanging out with friends, watched the CNA debate on Sat night where PAP, SPP, SDA, WP and SDP all got together to trade blows? Then you are like loser me, wasted one good night to party.

Lina Chiam from SPP really not prepared and cannot make it, tripping over her words and ideas. Krrrrh spit. Josephine from PAP was giving some bullshit we are all writers of The Singapore Story - yeah right, and PAP is the editor and in the end put in and take out what they please. Clear phlegm in my throat again and spit. Gerald from WP had good ideas, but damn nerd and boring. I can imagine him as a new PAP candidate. Nazem from SDA was super hopeless, neither had ideas nor charisma and the worst of the lot.

The two who talked the most were Tharman from PAP and Vincent from SDP. Both balding. Both Indian. I think being balding makes one argue better. ~~Or is it Indian?~~ The duo were the most yaya and smooth talking speakers. Don't take what they say at face value and read their body language to know what goes on in their minds. Words can lie but the body doesn't.

Tharman sneakily kooning while pretending to read notes! :)

Which one is the crooked politician you don't trust with our money? No, you think I meant finance minister Tharman right? It is Vincent, he can't even sit straight, how to trust? :)

Vincent even took out his SDP book to sell during the TV debate! Snakeoil salesman! :)

If this is the quality of election debates on TV Singaporeans have to expect from politicians who want to woo us to rule over us, we are screwed, so very screwed.

Just before GE, Property Prices Stabilised

2011-03-24T01:07:00.000+08:00

According to the PAP government. OF COURSE LAH! As if they would say NO, PROPERTY BUBBLE STILL GOING STRONG, JIALAT! Cooling measures like increased stamp duties, decreased loan to value did rock the private property market mostly. Still, sellers won't be so pleased as they cannot sell off at even higher prices. Cannot please everyone all the time.

Those who are in trouble and stuck as they entered before the cooling measures!

Singapore home prices “sort of stabilised”, says minister
Mar 23, 2011

Singapore home prices have “sort of stabilised” after four rounds of cooling measures, a senior government official said this week.

Peter Ong, permanent secretary at the ministry of finance, made the remarks at a conference on East Asia development, Reuters reported.

Ong’s comments are a hint that perhaps new cooling measures will not be introduced soon, despite transaction volumes remaining high and developers bidding aggressively at government land auctions.

Singapore private home prices rose 17.6 per cent last year despite attempts to cool the market in February and August.

Resale prices of state Housing & Development Board (HDB) apartments that house over 80 per cent of the population gained 14 per cent.

The latest measures, announced on Jan 13, included tougher borrowing limits and a hefty stamp duty of 16 per cent of the selling price for those who buy and sell within 12 months.

Lau Goh's Soggy Prata Rhetoric

2011-03-16T02:14:00.001+08:00

Former PM Goh Chok Tong, described as "Wooden" by former PM Lee Kuan Yew, really cannot make it as a philosopher-politician unlike the original hard truths orator, MM Lee. Wooden was successful in making himself look silly, regardless if he was misunderstood, misquoted or maligned.

“I am not saying we shouldn’t do anything about the flood. But the amount of noise you made with just sporadic flood compared to the Japanese. I saw them on TV. Very stoic looking. You don’t see them crying. This has happened, just get on, that’s the kind of spirit you want to have and you call it nation building.”

Contrary to popular belief that the PAP would woo people just before the GE, Wooden instead described his fellow Singaporeans are whiners and also quitters. Marine Parade GRC is in good hands with Wooden leading it.

PAP can Sell More Different Kinds of Prata than Others

2011-03-07T02:07:00.000+08:00

The opposition can have all the heart but as their talent pool is so small, the PAP is the party that will always field more "minority" candidates - women or non-Chinese, the PAP will win this numbers game. That is how the PAP can play their card in the rallies when they go blow by blow with the opposition as there is a female face, a Eurasian face or even now a new citizen face within the PAP. Someone who can represent their interests in parliament. Nonetheless, no disabled or gay PAP candidate so far it seems. The opposition can only sell prata kosong or with egg. The PAP can sell with cheese, with bananas or other fruit, paper prata, chocolate etc.

More women candidates for PAP?
By Sara-Ann K

FIFTEEN Members of Parliament turned up at a carnival at Toa Payoh Hub early Sunday morning to in celebrate International Women's Day.

Eleven of them were women MPs from the PAP, including Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon and Dr Amy Khor.

When asked if this was a sign that the PAP would be fielding more female candidates this election, guest-of-honour for the event Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said: 'In every election we try to bring in capable women. They are an important part of our slate in every election.'

When pressed to confirm how many women candidates PAP plans to field, Mr Teo was tighted-lipped and quipped cheerfully, 'All will be revealed at an appropriate time.'

Dr Amy Khor, Mayor of Southwest CDC and Adviser to the Women's Integration Network Council who organised the event, revealed little as well.

But she talked candidly about her ward Hong Kah GRC (now a single-member constituency), and her willingness to step up as a candidate to contest the ward, if appointed by the party.

PAP's Hopes of Returning to Power on Nomination Day Flattened Like Prata

2011-03-06T01:56:00.001+08:00

If the opposition parties keep their promises and stick to their plans, there would not be any walkovers in this coming GE. Hurrah! All the 27 wards would be contested and everyone eligible to vote would get to vote. The PAP would not return to power on Nomination Day as they do not form the majority of the wards because of walkovers this time.

In 2006, the PAP also did not secure dominance in parliament on Nomination Day. The previous time the PAP was similarly challenged was in the 1988 GE. With the 2006 GE and the expected 2011 GE contests in all the constituencies, it is two elections in a row that the PAP did not return to power on Nomination Day. Something that political watchers would take note of that the PAP's hold on power in Singapore is slipping.

Singapore GE: Opposition parties to contest all seats
05 March 2011 1847 hrs

SINGAPORE: Singapore's major opposition parties have come to an agreement to contest all 27 constituencies in the next General Election (GE), which is due before February 2012.

At Saturday's meeting, they also agreed to avoid three-cornered fights in Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), meaning most of the GRCs are likely to see a straight fight.

However, in the case of the 12 Single-Member Constituencies (SMCs), the party leaders said discussions are ongoing.

If the opposition parties keep to their declaration, the next GE is likely to see a situation where the PAP will not be returned to power on Nomination Day.

Going into the details of where they stand to contest, Workers' Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim said her party will be in the Aljunied and East Coast GRCs.

She said the WP is also interested in the newly-carved out Moulmein-Kallang GRC as well as Nee Soon GRC.

As for the SMCs, she said her party is keen on five. These are Hougang, Joo Chiat, Punggol East, Sengkang West and Whampoa.

When asked if the WP will contest the Ang Mo Kio GRC, Ms Lim said the party will not be doing so as it has to balance its resources according to its strategy.

But Channel NewsAsia understands that other parties may decide to take on Ang Mo Kio GRC.

The Reform Party's Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam said his party will be contesting in the West Coast and Chua Chu Kang GRCs and also the single seats of Radin Mas, Pioneer and Hong Kah North.

Meanwhile the Democratic Progressive Party's Seow Khee Leng said it will take on the Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade GRCs.

The National Solidarity Party intends to contest Tampines and Jurong GRCs.

As for the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), it plans to contest the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and also the single-MP seats of Punggol East and Radin Mas.

Sengkang West is also under consideration, it said.

Potong Pasir's MP, Mr Chiam See Tong, said he wants to contest Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC and his Singapore People's Party (SPP) also wants to run in Potong Pasir and Hong Kah North single-member constituencies.

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) meanwhile said it would go for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and the Bukit Panjang single-member ward.

Saturday's meeting was the opposition parties' second in a week and the last to decide on the seat allocation for the coming General Election. However some of the individual parties will continue to meet on a one-on-one basis to come to a bilateral agreement, especially for the single-member constituencies, to avoid three-cornered fights.

Independent candidate Andrew Kuan, who is eyeing the Joo Chiat seat, was also at Saturday's meeting. But he left the venue when organisers told him the discussion was not for independent candidates but opposition parties.

Prata in Lee Yi Shyan's Face

2010-11-09T18:54:00.002+08:00

This Joo Chiat Mr Lee is really cannot make it. Happy but reluctant? Why reluctant? Scared to stand in Single Member Constituency ward? Poor Mr Chan, he has to hold on in Joo Chiat as all his PAP cadres too terrified to contest in a SMC. The sleaze factor is not a big concern in Joo Chiat anymore supposedly so it should be easy to fight in this ward right? Also, if Mr Lee talks about being reluctant to fight in Joo Chiat and that means someone is taking over Joo Chiat, does it mean Mr Chan is shown the exit?

'Happy but reluctant' to contest Joo Chiat
Updated 09:06 AM Nov 09, 2010
by Lynda Hong Ee Lyn

SINGAPORE - Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Manpower Lee Yi Shyan (picture) would "be happy but reluctant" to contest in single-seat ward Joo Chiat, where Mr Chan Soo Sen is the incumbent Member of Parliament.

Mr Lee, 48, was appointed as second adviser to Joo Chiat's grassroots organisation in 2007 - about a year after he was elected to Parliament - a move which had then fuelled speculation that he would contest the ward in the next General Election (GE) due by February 2012.

Mr Lee was speaking to reporters yesterday ahead of a ministerial visit to his Kampong Chai Chee ward when he was asked about the possibility again. In response, Mr Lee cited his grassroots leaders as a reason why he would be reluctant to leave his current constituency - even though he would be "happy" to do so.

"I never had second thoughts about going elsewhere because I owe it all my volunteers here, and my residents here," said Mr Lee, who added that a new sports hub integrated with the community centre will be built in Kampong Chai Chee, while the Bedok bus interchange will also be revamped.

Contacted by MediaCorp, Mr Chan, 54, said he has not received any word from the People's Action Party if he will be contesting in Joo Chiat in the GE.

Said Mr Chan, who is in his third term as MP: "My attitude towards the decision is that of absolute obedience. If my party asks me to stay in Joo Chiat, I will put up a good fight. However, if my party asks me to step down and give way to new blood, I will graciously do so and do my best to support whoever is the next contestant."

He added: "I will get Joo Chiat ready as if I am standing for election - that is my duty."