PAP Out, WP In

The facts speak for itself and Punggol East voted with their hearts! WP won and won big! WP grabbed 54.52% and PAP clutched only 43.71%.

More than 10% difference! More showing of the re-alignment of the political stars in future and WP's ascendency, is comparison with the Aljunied GRC contest, the other big battle that could go either way. In that epic 2011 battle, WP had 54.72% and PAP had 45.28%. From comparing the results yesterday and in 2011, PAP's was less popular than before while WP maintained prestige more or less.

Despite all the criticisms against WP, some fair, some unfair, some serious, some trivial, WP won by about 10% over the incumbent PAP despite a multi-party fight. Yes it was a by-election and chance of WP winning are much higher, coupled with the unpopularity of PAP in housing, inflation, transport and what not, PAP had skid marks and crashed into the wall.

Congratulations to WP, a win is a win and that is all that matters in politics. And it is also a win for Singapore truth be told as after all, it is not any party like SDP, but WP. LOL Will there be AIM-like problems when WP tries to take over the town council, especially when Punggol East town council is under the PAP GRC? Scratch head.

WP's Lee sets out immediate priorities for Punggol East
By Hetty Musfirah | Posted: 27 January 2013 1122 hrs

SINGAPORE: Member of Parliament-elect for Punggol East, Lee Li Lian, said her immediate priorities are the town council and meet-the-people sessions (MPS) in the ward.

The Workers' Party (WP) candidate told reporters after a thank-you parade on Sunday morning that she will be working on the logistics for the MPS.

She said volunteers from the single-member ward of Hougang and the group representation constituency of Aljunied, which are held by WP, will help out during the transition period.

As for the town council, Ms Lee said WP will give details on the handover some time next week.

For now, she will work closely with the relevant parties and ensure a problem-free transition.

Turning to Parliament, Ms Lee said she hopes to highlight issues raised during her by-election campaign.

She also hopes her win will spur more women and younger people to come forward in the political arena.

Will WP Get a Black Eye?

In 2011, WP won Aljunied because they were so close in 2006, Low Thia Khiang was leading from the front in Aljunied GRC, and WP had underdog status in the GE. In Hougang BE, it was WP homeground and HQ, no way PAP could penetrate it and turn it from Blue to White. Punggol East 2013 is different. Much different.

WP's is not really an underdog in this By-E.  Some ways yes, others, no. The underdogs in the internet are PAP (gasp, believe it), RP (yup) and SDA (super yup) in no particular order. PAP, RP and SDA are all so poor thing and pathetic in their own self-pwn ways. Anyway, people like to support the underdog. Especially when the underdog is made fun of. Png Eng Huat, HUAT AH, crossed the imaginary civil line that WP never crossed before by making fun of Dr Arse's name, saying that the Dr would "Koon" or sleep. Not sure if he meant sleep like Palmer sleep around or Ah Teo "sleep" on stage on first day of PAP rally. Orrrrrrr BTW we nobodies can mock Dr Arse. Not a politician on stage, don't stoop so low like the PAP like when they mocked a politician's O level grades.

I don't have problems with WP arrogance or not, accusations hurled from its jealous fellow opposition party critics. WP is leading and they can do what they want strategically in an election as they are their own captains of their political destiny. All these pleas by other parties about unity and whatfuck is just trying to hitchhike on WP's success so far. Spineless freeloaders IMHO.

However, I do have doubts about WP's intellectual clout to see through its policy reforms.WP has been quite convincing on its promise to moderate immigration and having foreigners here as long as they benefit Singapore. The devil is however in the details and WP has not shared what these little nitty gritty criteria are for allowing foreigners in.

Similarly, their policies on housing and transport, I'm not so swayed. Pritam Singh is as usual a powerful orator on stage but his views on housing and the stress on supply is simplistic, assuming it reflects WP high command's thinking. The cooling measures, 7 in total, are not meant to shock the market and bring prices down. Bringing prices down drastically would piss off investors and the construction industry, although buyers would be happy. BTW construction is mostly keeping Singapore from falling into recession. The cooling measures are to slow down the increase in property prices. Killer measures to bring down prices are dead easy but politically costly. Would WP dare to push for a policy that MAS should somehow jack up interest rates to 4-5% to kill off demand for property, and thus push property prices down? And if interest rates go up, how would it affect SME borrowing to survive in this uncertain economy?

I don't doubt WP's heart. I doubt their head. I don't doubt PAP's head. I doubt their heart.

All this said and done. I think WP might lose this BE simply because at the end of the 3rd and final rally, WP did not lead the audience there in reciting the pledge! They broke that special special tradition and therefore will break their winning streak. I pantang. WP should too.

Boring Watchdog WP

WP is not doing that great so far. Yeah sure it is still popular, but put it next to another opposition party like RP, you can see how different it is. WP started the campaign sluggishly with the flimsy mantra that they should be voted in so that PAP can work harder. Yes, yes, yes. With the lost of a GRC, PAP is shaking and worried about their little Risk board of Singapore slowly being carved out into WP blue areas. Let me repeat that mantra - so if we vote WP in, the PAP would work harder.?!

So that means the WP MP does not need to work hard and just sits around slapping the PAP once in a while. In that case, why vote WP in? Why not vote RP's secretary-general, KJ, who actually brought the government to court over the $4 billion loan to the IMF. Did WP bring the PAP government to court over anything? In fact, WP did not file any motions in parliament at all since they fought tooth and claw into it after 2011. Actually, maybe voters who are different from WP and PAP politically, like those who support SDP, should think of supporting RP. Dr CSJ was the one who shouted at then PM Goh over loans to Indonesia remember? It is like deja vu except that KJ is smarter and by the book, and looked better as a result. RP and SDP are closer than we think, just like PAP and WP are closer than we think in terms of their rather conservative ideology.If KJ decides to canvass for the LGBT vote these last few days, then he is after the SDP voters too.

WP is a great party, but they lost the drive for this By-E. They were energised in 2011 but in these few days, did not really follow up in the rallies on transport or housing, recent fuckups by the PAP. Or revisit their manifesto winners like healthcare. WP looked like it either ran out of ideas or steam, or both! Despite saying they would not bring it up until after the government issued a report, WP brought up the AIM issue during its second rally and that was the most creative rally point they had, which should be kept for later. Or more wet markets in Punggol East. What about something bold like WP kindergartens to rival that of PCF?

WP's mantra of voting them in to make PAP work harder is as boring and flat as the PAP's shitty fear-mongering during GE. PAP would threaten - vote us in or else investors would run away, vote us in or else property prices in the area would dive, vote us in or else upgrading would take forever to come.

WP is also coasting along, even claiming credit for everything so far as their reasoning is that if they were not in parliament, PAP would not have done anything to improve our lives. Err OK some merit but... And if we want more improvements, we should vote more WP MPs in. OK well. But not too many since they are not ready to take over the government yet. WTF! First world parliament my ass. Remember their MPs who plagiarised? Remember them telling the other parties that they choped Punggol East?

Still, WP has 2-3 more days to go and they might pick up the ball they dropped. Like I said, they are a great party but so far, they are just sadly stumbling along and if not careful, waste the chance of getting this SMC.

From Death Threats to Hope Family Action

Kenneth Jeyaretnam blazed away with complaints about a death threat to his son! WTF! You know who the death threater was ???? It is that stupid parody troll, SMRT (Feedback)! Facepalm. KJ is the son of JBJ and he contested in court to stop Singapore's $4 billion loan to the IMF as he interpreted it as unconstitutional. Still, all that comes to nothing with his petty quarrel with a well known retard troll and interpretation of that trolling as a death threat. BTW I hope police arrest that troll! Oh! Desmond Lim the other small-timer candidate in this By-E also said he received intimidating calls! Being threatened to gain sympathy and votes? Come on KJ and Desmond Lim, you guys can come up with better political stunts? At least provoke them and then be threatened with a lawsuit from them!

KJ Threatened his own Campaign Instead!

Unless what KJ is going to next is after making the police report on the so-called death threat, he will raise a copy of the police report during his rally speech and repeat his father's infamous line "And now I have here in my hands a police report"! If he does that...

While KJ shot himself with a badly executed election stunt to gain sympathy votes, PAP shot first with a lukewarm rally on Friday night. The crowd at the rally was not huge, maybe a few hundred people, and thinned even more when it began to drizzle.

The most impressive thing about the first PAP salvo was that they catered to the hearing-impaired audience, OK the deaf, can I say the word "deaf" instead of these meaningless empty political correct words? OK the other impressive thing was that Dr Arse Koh like DPM Ah Teo before him, delivered speeches in Malay. Right away the Malay votes goes to them for effort. And fuck, I know my Malay accent when I hear it, Ah Teo's Malay was better sounding than Nicole's Malay speech back in GE 2011.

Besides the form of sign language interpretation and Malay language speeches, let's give it to PAP, Dr Arse speech was so-so and kinda lame in content IMHO although his delivery was not bad. He talked that he was a Punggol boy, yawn, and that he was going to build childcare centres, coffee shops, look into feeder bus services, start a job placement centre, and Rivervale Plaza would be up by July. Plus his slogan of Hope Family and Action. All are important BTW but zzzzzzzz Errr OK, so what the fuck did Palmer do after he won in GE 2011? So what makes Punggol residents think this Dr who just popped into the scene would make a difference if another old bird PAP MP with his supposed PAP insider connections did not meet the needs of Punggol residents? Punggol residents would try someone new right?

WP you are up next. Don't disappoint and be complacent as you allowed the PAP to start first. The PAP candidate fired the first shot with local municipal concerns. Are you going to match it plan for plan, or try to regain the lost initiative and surprise Punngol and the rest of us with a with a different and bold theme. Go for WP kindergartens and clinics?

Local or National Issues?

Punggol East By-Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! What issue would Punggol East voters want? What is the demographics there?

Act One is over and the players have made their appearance already. SDP was supposed to get up do their soliloquy but had second thoughts - obviously stage fright or did not prepare despite the claims of RDA pedigree whatever.  Act Two starts from now where the 4 candidates and their party make their rally and off-rally speeches. Act Three would be the contention over imagined and real concerns of not only Punggol East residents, but Singapore as a whole!

Rivervale Plaza works? Transport network? Childcare centres in the neighbourhood? Or inflation? Or COV and the runaway property market? Or low quality of public and high cost of private transport concerns? Healthcare? Education? Foreigners as boon or bane to local SMEs and the economy? Let it roll! Who is going to punch first and set the pace of the fight?

Any Secret Squirrel this time? LOL If yes, disgruntled whistle-blowers, please make the yarn real juicy to make this By-E exciting.

SDP is Kaput as a Political Party!

Like I said before, SDP would withdraw. The next thing is going to happen if WP loses Punggol East, choy choy I'm not cursing WP BTW, is that SDP Chee Soon Juan will come out, shake his head and point fingers that it was all WP's fault not to cooperate otherwise SDP's MP would have won that SMC! Seriously?

Chee is mad - mad to think that his plan of conning WP into an lopsided alliance with him would work, mad to think that his and SDP's credibility would not be gutted by his limp dick pull-out. Participating in the By-E stubbornly would have won stud accolades from die-hard SDP fanboys. Pulling out after all the bravado, even those same SDP fanboys would be disappointed and frustrated by the about-turn flaccid retreat.  Isn't democracy about giving people choices and isn't that what SDP hyped about?

SDP would surely lose some of its groupies. Even resignations from SDP is expected after this comedy. By lamely going back on its word, it is worse than entering that multi-corner MMA ring. Well done SDP for screwing yourself in the arse, even arse specialist Dr Koh Poh Poon can't save you.

Pullout won't hurt credibility: Chee
Updated 11:51 PM Jan 15, 2013
by Neo Chai Chin

Was the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) genuine in its intention to contest the Punggol East by-election?

If its reason for pulling out of the race was to not dilute the Opposition vote, why not step aside last Saturday after the Workers' Party (WP) rebuffed its overtures to field a joint candidate?

Would the pullout from the race hurt the SDP's credibility?

Fielding these questions from the media yesterday, SDP Secretary-General Chee Soon Juan said the party had been serious about contesting in Punggol East, having done walkabouts and distributed flyers in the ward in the past week.

It even had printed posters - delivered yesterday evening - of its two potential candidates, Dr Vincent Wijeysingha and Dr Paul Ananth Tambyah.

"It was not just a matter of… turning a switch off and on, it was a process we had to go through. We had to weigh out all the pros and cons, and the fact that we had put in already so much work in the constituency," said Dr Chee.

He does not think the shock move will hurt the SDP in future. "If anything, it would signal that we are concerned about the people's voices, the people's views," he said.

Asked to clarify his comments made on Monday that he "knew all along" its unity candidate proposal to the WP would be rebuffed, Dr Chee said he was referring to the period from last Saturday, when the WP had said it had "noted" the SDP's proposal and would offer a choice to voters in Punggol East.

"We could not have known all along, before WP responded, how they would respond. I was referring to Saturday morning after WP made the statement. After that, we had three long days to deliberate on what we were going to do," Dr Chee said.

On the party's plans going forward, Dr Chee said it would continue coming up with policy proposals and explain them to Singaporeans. It will also do ground work and identify potential candidates for the next General Election, due by 2016.

SDP Shows its Stupid Cards in the By-E Poker

Unfuckingbelievable. SDP was both cock and crazy enough to suggest this absurd joint proposal to WP as a spirit of cooperation of win-win in the approaching By-E. Yeah, right. SDP would offer its candidate instead, suggesting that its man is more capable as a political icon than anyone WP can propose.If the coalition wins the By-E, WP can run the town council, suggesting that WP can do the heavy lifting afterwards while SDP dumps Punggol East voters after the initial courtship and fling. Are SDP and Chee Soon Juan snakes or not you think? Hisssssssss

SDP thinks its proposal is reasonable and clever. SDP is deluded that it is in the spirit of gentlemanly cooperation. SDP has been whining that it sent letters to WP to open up cooperation. Really, with these sort of proposals and conditions, what do you think WP would do - of course reject it as any political party with dignity would do. SDP then thinking itself smart would later say that WP rejected a perfectly honest and friendly proposal that was beneficial to Singaporeans. Oh SDP and Chee Soon Juan, what big fucking bullshit you have!

This is all a SDP farce and when nomination day comes and no SDP candidate steps forward, you bet that shameless SDP would give the excuse that for the benefit of Singaporeans and with a heavy heart, they decided to generously bow out and let WP take on PAP. WTF. And if, if, if, WP loses Punggol East, SDP would then sadly say that WP should have listened and allowed SDP to use their man. Facepalm.

Hopeless SDP should just shut the fuck up and  take part in the By-E. They are always yelping about democracy this, diversity that, freedom of choice for citizens this and level political playing field that. So why don't they man up, and let the people choose on the 26th. If they are so confident of their popularity and prowess, they would be cock-sure about their victory in this By-E, and there is no need for this song and dance courtship of WP.

SDP proposes joint campaign with Workers' Party

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has proposed that it run a joint campaign with the Workers' Party (WP) in the Punggol East by-election.

"In the spirit of compromise and cooperation, we would like to propose that our two parties run a joint campaign and field one candidate from the SDP. If victorious, the SDP candidate will enter Parliament and the WP will run the Punggol East Town Council," said SDP Secretary-General Chee Soon Juan.

He termed it a "win-win-win situation" where there would be another seat for the Opposition in Parliament and it would lay the ground for "bigger Opposition representation" in the next General Election.

Dr Chee noted that the WP would have "added clout" in their Town Council management and the SDP would have the opportunity to "table and debate the Government on our alternative policies".

The SDP has emailed the WP on the proposal and sought a meeting with them tomorrow, he said, adding that this was the "answer" to preventing a three-corner fight.

"I assure you, we are very serious about contesting in this by-election. Our campaigning started way before the by-election was called," he added.

Separately, the Singapore People's Party, citing erroneous media reports, has issued a statement to reiterate that it will not be contesting in the Punggol East by-election.

By-E is Here! Woohoo!

So soon! I thought it would be after Budget when all the angpows are handed out, during the March school holidays and the AIM saga buried. The PAP is instead stormed head-on into this election. Good for them, good for Punggol East SMC voters!

I watched news earlier and Jufrie from CMI SDP said that it was too soon and they were not fully prepared yet. Sounds like clearing their throats and giving excuses that they would back out from this By-E! Well, at least his boss Chee Soon Juan said they were ready for the fight. Desmond Lim the fat dick from also-CMI SDA who did not even get his deposit back in 2011 is confident though that he is surely getting into the brawl. Good for him! Hope he doesn't mind losing his deposit again, and should see it like the $100 fee for locals to enter the casinos and try their luck with the dice.

Is Reform Party walking the talk and also getting into the game? Kenneth seemed less confident than earlier and might also u-turn on his earlier bravado about the high stakes game with PAP and WP.

Is there a point for the opposition parties to talk before nomination day about so-called splitting of anti-PAP votes and thus giving way to WP to stand alone against PAP? WTF IMHO pointless as parties like SDP and RP already committed to the adventure and to back off now is 100% no-balls. May the best party win and this is the start of an experiment in democracy in elections. 

With AIM still stinking, with high COE, high COV, high inflation, high resentment, plus a by-election tactic mindset that Punggol East SMC residents should take advantage of unless they are ignorant voters, the chances of PAP performing better than 2011 are pathetic. Whether WP would win I think is a done deal - they would win, just a matter of how much. Nonetheless, SDP might be the wild card during the rallies if they eventually follow through with their rhetoric about giving Punngol East voters a choice and Vincent submits his papers for nomination. If the PAP decides to stupidly bully SDP with more law suits, public sympathy might swing from both PAP and WP to SDP. Who knows how the plebs think and react?

WP ready to contest by-election: Low Thia Khiang
SINGAPORE - The Workers' party Secretary General Low Thia Khiang says the party is ready to contest the by-election in Punggol East SMC.

Speaking to the media before the start of his Meet-the-People Session this evening, he said the party will announce the candidate in due course but the logistics are ready for the by-election.

When asked about the timing of the by election, Mr Low said that it is good that the prime minister has decided to call a by election as soon as possible.

He said it is fair so that residents of Punggol East SMC can have a representative.

Asked about his party's confidence in contesting the ward, Mr Low said he does not want to speculate on the results but that the party has contested there before and is thankful for the support from voters.

He said the voters have seen what the party can offer and it will be up to them to decide.

He did acknowledge, however, that the PAP has an advantage as the incumbent.

He said so far, there are no plans to have a joint meeting with other opposition parties who have voiced interest to contest. CHANNEL NEWSASIA

Palmergate in Pictures

Some of the funnier grabs from the Internet. Still no naked pictures of Palmer and his fling. Half-naked ones also don't have!

The Sketch Times

WP to start the year, PAP to end the year and it has been a fucking great year! Woohoo.

Cartoon Press 

It's all about how to own up and milking the rhetoric, without letting people know you are milking the rhetoric otherwise it just curdles quickly and yucks. PAP did a good job by pressuring Palmer take one for the team and resign. But they overdid it in their spinning.

EDMW 

Karma, and revenge is a dish of big sweet mangoes. WP's rhetoic was sublime, and Low's display of gracious understanding pat on Palmer's back, good showmanship. They sat back and watched the parade.

Xiaxue

Xiaxue unloads a splendid point and wins the wife votes, and the hubbies next to them as the hubbies must nod and openly agree with the wives here if they are smart. Politicians should have high moral standards, or at least as high as possible. Or least don't be stupid to get found out even if have low moral standards.

Good Game, Michael Palmer

Who is Palmer?

He is the former Speaker in parliament, former MP in Punngol East SMC, former PAP member and man who screwed Laura Ong, someone from PA. Didn't everybody say PAP and PA are bedfellows! Wonder if she is prettier than the woman that former WP MP bonked!

Still, one thing about this Palmer, this guy had balls. Balls to stand alone in a SMC in the last GE when all his other PAP comrades hide with the big boys in GRCs. Balls to bonk around after the Yaw Shin Leong scandal earlier this year that led to the Hougang by-election. Facepalmer!

Obviously didn't learn that lesson from Low Thia Khiang's protege that these sort of private sordid things cannot be kept under the covers for long when one is a political figure with enemies of all colours. Private tho affairs may be, the game is to make it public interest when one is a politician. Stupid cockhead, also not thinking ahead!

And to match and even surpass WP's standards of transparency set a few months ago, the PAP is putting Palmer on a donkey cart, parading him around town with a self-flagellating press conference and even naming the woman who led to his fall, outdoing WP in openness and decisiveness on who can shame its own more. Karma is an equal opportunity bitch who just squeezed PAP's balls after the PAP preached about MPs setting high moral standards a few months ago. LOL

You know what,? While we snigger about Palmer and make snide remarks about PAP's karma, Low Thia Khiang is ever the graceful politician-gentleman in his comments about Palmer. He did not kick mud into Palmer's face like what the PAP did when Yaw was crawling away in the mud. Low Thia Khiang has class.

Michael Palmer's resignation 'unfortunate': Low Thia Khiang
Updated 09:58 PM Dec 12, 2012

SINGAPORE - Workers' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang today said it is "unfortunate" that Mr Michael Palmer has resigned as Speaker of Parliament.

Describing Mr Palmer as a "well balanced Speaker", Mr Low said Mr Palmer "managed Parliamentary affairs very well and very efficiently".

"He's well balanced giving both front and back benchers sufficient time to debate. He also has given members of the Opposition sufficient time to engage the front bench, said Mr Low. "Personally I quite like him as a Speaker so it's unfortunate that he has resigned."

Mr Low was speaking to the media at the sidelines of his Meet the People Session this evening.

Mr Palmer, who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Punggol East SMC, today announced his resignation as Speaker and as a member of the People's Action Party (PAP) after admitting to having a relationship with a member of the People's Association staff.

Asked about what this episode showed about the PAP and its selection process for candidates, Mr Low said that no selection process is foolproof.

Declining to compare this with the WP's experience earlier this year - when then WP MP for Hougang SMC Mr Yaw Shin Leong's infidelity was revealed - Mr Low said it would not be fair to do so as "every case is unique". Mr Yaw was subsequently sacked from the party.

He said, however, that he hoped the people "who have been critical of the Workers' Party", including the media, would "display fairness and integrity in their comments and their sincerity in what they have said during the episode of Yaw Shin Leong".

"I think we have done our part and my conscience is clear. Other than that, it's always unpleasant to know, to learn of such things happen(ing) whether it's in the Opposition or the PAP. We hope to have a good public service," he said.

Earlier today, the WP issued a press release urging the Prime Minister to call a by-election in the Punggol East constituency as soon as possible. The party said it was ready to offer a choice to the voters of Punggol East SMC again in the by-election.

Asked who the party would field as a candidate, Mr Low said it was "premature" to speculate on the candidate. During the General Election last year, the WP fielded Ms Lee Lilian.

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.

PAP is So Screwed

This By-E is quite horrible. All smears, little style, even less substance, hmm unless substance and style relates to how the PAP tries to undermine WP and, how the WP walked into PAP's traps the past few days.

Firstly, it stinks that the PAP is going on, and on, and on about alleged WP dishonesty over Ah Huat's NCMP jostling. There is nothing dishonest. If there is anything, he is a blur fuck to be caught in this distraction. Is there anything wrong that he is against the NCMP scheme? Does it mean he thinks lesser of Sylvia Lim who took up the NCMP post in 2006? No and no. I hope I don't sound like a prissy girl who presses her thighs close together on a first date.

The NCMP nonsense is just political fart. One should just pinch one's nose, frown and walk quickly away. It bears no real relevance to the Hougang By-E, albeit the Secret Squirrel leak by a disgruntled former or current CEC bloke was quite entertaining for a while. Political fart, unless one is a complete idiot more interested in such bullshit and smears than about covered walkways, LUP, selective intake of foreigners as talent and as scholars blablabla. Read Choo Zheng Xi's TOC article (finally, a TOC article worth reading after all the apologetic WP crap by the WP Internet army during this period). BTW, if one is interested in bullshit politics and rumours, just watch the coming Malaysian elections. Its an art up north ever since they brought in the mattress into court, almost like the smearing in US politics. Or if you can't wait that long for an idiot fix, just read Temasek Times and Temasek Review. Remember, remember, whether Ah Huat's was WP's first or last choice as a NCMP in 2011, whether Ah Huat supports or slams the NCMP system, it does not fucking mean shit except that it is PAP distraction in the style of Gomez in 2006.

Secondly, why did WP go there waiting to be pounced by the PAP. Why? Don't go there, don't bother. WP probably saw that it would be damned if they do, damned if they don't respond to the PAP. If they don't respond, the PAP hounds would yelp and bark that WP is trying to hide by being silent. If they do respond, then, they would be dancing to PAP's tune as PAP would nitpick WP's explanations, finding a strawman here and there.

OK maybe a response was expected as there are lots of dumb Singaporeans who think it is a big deal - the same dumb Singaporeans who think YSL or some PAP ministers fucking around has anything to do with their abilities in office, or think that Nicole Seah is much more than a shallow drama diva. Don't dignify the PAP with such a response by the Sec-Gen. Ok, maybe a response by the Chairman (chairperson, power to feministspeak!) someone high up but not that high. Just smile, move on and focus on whatever humdrum local or highbrow national policy debates you think Hougang voters like to hear. If WP has to resort to such explanations on why how what the WP NCMP selection process is about and blur fuck Ah Huat talking about ballot this and ballot that, it is just wasting speech air time. LTK wasted his Tuesday rally time on this NCMP bullshit. Many, me included, know too well the PAP, jealous of WP's popularity and support in Hougang, is just trying to derail WP's already less-than-smooth rallying so far.

I pity Desmond. Not only is he going to lose, his probably genuine claims of a clean fight is being rubbished as his PAP comrades are dirtying the contest for him - using distraction and insinuations. After TCH moves on come 28 May Monday, Desmond is stuck there in Hougang as he promised to and the residents would blame him for the smears his party carried out in his name.

Well, I was initially confident of Desmond's defeat but surprisingly getting 45-40% of the votes. However, with some PAP members thinking it worthwhile to bring up YSL and now hang the NCMP mess around Ah Huat's neck, the rebel scum at Hougang would again be defiant and vote in spite and resistance in favour of Ah Huat. Nevertheless, there is one day more and the last chance for redemption by the PAP, and for spurting ahead instead of losing ground by the WP before cooling off day.

Poor Silly Choo, Can Change Carrots Can?

Sad silly Desmond Choo, still talking about promises to upgrade Hougang. The very fact that he keeps talking about Hougang needing upgrading means that Hougang has been neglected for upgrading for a very long time already! Self-pwn!

Just yesterday the WP keep parroting the same boring rallying cry that Hougang is not for sale and Hougang residents cannot be bought. Yes, since the more PAP threatenedHougang, the more Hougang resisted and voted for WP instead. They would even vote for Ah Huat, HUAT AH, who does not seem like a strong performer. If he goes to parliament, he sure gets eaten alive as he is not witty like Low Thia Khiang, brains like Sylvia Lim or Chen Show Mao, or articulate like Pritam Singh. But he represents WP and if WP picked him, that means he is OK? OK.

Choo still has not realised that he needs to change tactics. Or maybe he has but people like PM or other old timers like that Rear Admiral told him to play tough, not to act soft like the porridge he is giving out, apparently the Hokkien porridge and not the Teochew muei according to the WP Internet Brigade.

Choo, Choo, tsk tsk, please don't always talk about upgrading and hard concrete and metal facilities for Hougang. It is the soft services that Hougang people can be bought over. Free legal clinic is actually an excellent idea as a start. Free TCM. Free tuition for underprivileged children, although other loyal PAP wards would rightly complain that rebel Hougang got these goodies first instead of them! These are PAP services, not HDB so these types of pork-barrel politics are easier to package and sell. Did you and your PAP grassroots listen to the people when you do your market walks or house visits? Probably not. The PAP just talks, hears but does not discuss, listen.

Choo to lobby for more facilities in Hougang
Published on May 20, 2012

The lack of covered linkways and drop-off points is a source of major inconvenience to Hougang residents and PAP candidate Desmond Choo intends to 'fight very hard' to secure these facilities for them.

Mr Choo, 34, said residents' feedback on the lack of such facilities struck a chord with him.

'If you walk the ground, you will find that a lot of residents are hampered by the fact that there are no linkways, no sheltered drop-off points, really insufficient coverage, causing inconvenience not only to the elderly but young families with kids. 'Try pushing a pram and carrying an umbrella at the same time. It is not easy,' he said.

Mr Choo is also lobbying for a new market to be built in Hougang Avenue 3, to replace the one torn down five years ago. On Saturday, he said he was waiting to hear from the Ministry of National Development on the matter.

The By-E in Funny Pictures!

Nothing like funny pictures purposely taken out of context to set the By-E mood.PAP naturally bore the brunt of the jokes since many in the online world just dislike the PAP. Who doesn't? LOL

 Where are you Desmond? Where?

Who said the media is always friendly to the PAP? I suspect that someone from CNA saw this as an opportunity to take a dig at Desmond. Unless someone was really stupid enough to upload it right away without understanding the very loud joke that picture tells, which is hard to believe. So thumbs up to that unknown media guy!

Then the funnier one is this, the "Desmond Choo ignored Ah Huat's handshake" photo spread by Occupy Singapore and TR, from TOC, and then exposed by the famous GE 2006 mee-pok seller Mr Brown as a Fail smear campaign.

Who Pwned Whom?

TOC was so embarrassed by being involved in the fail smear that they issued a statement that the photo by Chan Zhijian, Jeremy did not capture the true picture on the ground. Hmmmm BTW is Chan Zhijian, Jeremy a WP or opposition party member?  LOL

Ooops sorry regret statement

It was a good smear campaign while it lasted and it is part of the political MMA going on - if the referees doesn't call it, a hit below the belt is not a hit below the belt.  LOL BTW also, conspiracy theory disclaimer, were TOC and TR working together on it i.e. TOC selected and quietly handed that photo of Desmond Choo looking aloof and not wanting to shake hands supposedly, to TR? TR and TOC did have an agreement that stuff that TOC got might be shared with TR for TR to push further? LOL that is working together against the common foe.

TOC TRE ad hoc alliance for the common good against common you-know-who enemies LOL

The Boring By-Election is (Finally) Here

While M Ravi and his woman puppet or proxy waiting for court to give expert legal advice on when a by-election for Hougang SMC is to be held according to the constitution, the government went ahead earlier to announce a by-election on 26 May. What would lawyer M Ravi and cleaner Vellama say proudly while eating prata supper to celebrate? They were the ones who pressured the PAP to call for a by-election! Yawn. Yeah, right, you win. Like a boss.

Is it a two-corner fight in the Teochew kampung? PAP Desmond Choo from PAP vs whoever WP wants to send into the ring? SDP and NSP have chickened out of this round. SDP said already they would not play but NSP wanted to hint earlier that they might. SPP and SDA might join in still, but they are the weakest. SPP could have stood a good chance as the 3rd party if not for the recent resignations of its stronger members. Hougang is seen as WP territory and nobody from another opposition party dares to go in and get a bad reputation from Singaporeans. However, in the name of democracy, why should WP hog, and PAP try to hog Hougang? Maybe the residents there want to choose someone else? From the PE, we voters can already get the sense that politics is more real and more representative if as many candidates as possible put their bets on the table.

Who else dares to go in if the other parties dare not? The independents might be the ones as they don't need to kowtow to a party secretary-general. However, who could it be. Tan Kian Lian was BBQed in the last PE and learnt his lesson. Andrew Kuan has been a no show for some time. Tan Cheng Bock also seemed quiet since August last year after his disappointing defeat. Only Tan Jee Say might be deluded enough to try it as he was so egoistically optimistic about his chances in 2011 and then became shocked over his defeat. He already set up shop in high rental Dhoby Ghaut - where he got his money from and why he must open up his political office in an elitist central area instead of a heartland is a mystery.

So one unknown is whether independents want to jump inside the pool. The other unknown is how big PAP's defeat would be.  Of course WP would win as this is a WP heartland being contested. Desmond Choo might be good, can speak better Teochew and prepare the best oh-ni to win over the Hougang uncles and aunties, but he would never be good enough for Hougang because he is White, and Hougang since 1991 likes light Blue. In May 2011, horny WP YSL gathered 64.8% and PAP snatched only 35.2%. If PAP gets more than 35.2% this time, it is a WP victory, but also symbolically, a PAP victory.

One Year After GE 2011, So What?

If only we can throw all the parliamentarians into the bin!

Last year, the opposition finally won a GRC since the GRC ploy was conceived in 1988. Since then, we placed lots of hope on the WP really shoving the PAP aside in parliament. There was some shoving, but more like the PAP shoving the new WP MPs and NCMPs around. There were accusations of plagiarism (Pritam Singh and Chen Show Mao) and unsubstantiated facts in speeches (Gerald Giam). PAP bullies! - The WP crowd would shout.However, that's life in politics, that's life in parliament. WP to their credit, took it standing up and did not cry like pussies. The experienced WP members Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim didn't face the problems their newer guys did. The worst WP fracas was actually outside parliament. Hougang slipped into a by-election mode because its horny new MP Yaw screwed around and got kicked out of WP and therefore lost his MP seat. WTF. Should we thank him for a by-election and another public holiday? Yes, unless you are a Hougang resident as it is just a waste of your time. Anyway, the new WP cadres in parliament are just not as smart as we hoped they are and I bet Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim are smacking their fellow MPs and NCMPs to shape them up to avoid another self-pwn that the PAP would take advantage of. One year on, WP still has promise but it is not up there yet. If they keep this shoddy performance up, they might lose their GRC in the next round.

The PAP are just as bad as usual. Vikram Nair is the curly haired bad boy and he can sure bite, making parliament interesting at the very least. His infamous comment that Chen Show Mao's welfare and empowerment of the needy was like a Nigerian scam promised to make parliament more exciting and biting.  However, the thin-skinned folks in the internet want PAP to play nice, especially with specky nice guy Chen Show Mao. Frankly I want to see Pritam Singh and Vikram Nair go head to head. Nothing like seeing stereotypical eloquent Indians fencing with each other and accusing each other of political swindling and scams. Politics without the bitching rhetoric is just boring! One year on, the PAP still prefers to belittle and intimidate whenever they can. Sure, they have not sued anyone yet for defamation, but that bullying style does not sit well with the pussy Singaporean crowd who think that politics is made up of nice sincere smiles and cute bunnies with floppy years. Bring on the knuckledusters! - I can hear old Harry whispering and lifting feebly his two fists into the air, boxing style.

One year after the GE and promise of good times ahead, the PAP is still doing a shit job of most things. The optimistic exception for the moment is housing as Khaw Boon Wan is cranking up supply with new flats etc and cooling demand with ABSD. Right on top of my complaint list, the MRT system is literally falling apart, and PAP is going to give bus companies a jab to improve the public transport system. I don't know whether the jab is in the arm is to boost the bus companies or a jab into the eyes of taxpayers.

That is the biggest fuckshitbrains PAP policy in the past 12 months. Transport is the main pain in the ass and don't get me foaming at mouth about COE yet, not foreigners, not healthcare with means testing, not the cost of new flats. The government is still not deregulating public transport and allowing the re-entry of small private (pirate-like) bus companies to compete and complement the existing MRT and bus systems. Instead, they want to use taxpayers money and hand it over to shareholders of SMRT and SBS, no doubt some of them are retail investors like some of us but so what it just does not make sense. IMHO, now that is the ultimate PAP-fuck-you-you-voted-for-us salute. They want to show they are doing something, but in the end it still stinks because they are doing a shitty job of it.

The Cleaner, the Court... Part 2

The court earlier said they would reserve judgement and just this week decided to move on and have an open court hearing on April 16. AGC, peeved, appealed that Ravi and his proxy, Vellama, had no case.

Cynical me might say that the court is damn good at wayang so far! Why? There is no separation of the executive, judiciary and the legislative they would say in unison. Like in some cheesy Hong Kong show when all the characters hilariously try to emphasis a point. However, today I'm not in a cynical mood and generously see this whole drama, although it is not Korean sob story standard yet, as the expected court independence. At least in showing why Ravi has no case. Frankly, I think Ravi would be mocked in court and that cleaner will be put to the stand and shown how clueless she is about the constitution.  16 April. Watch ...The Cleaner, the Court and the Constitution!

AGC appeals against ruling to hear Hougang by-election application
By Ng Jing Yng | Posted: 04 April 2012 2142 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has lodged an appeal against a High Court judge's ruling that there are sufficient grounds to hear, in open court, an application by an Hougang resident to order the Prime Minister to hold a by-election in the constituency within three months or within a "reasonable time" deemed by the court.

A closed-door hearing will be held on Thursday before the Court of Appeal to consider the AGC's application for an urgent date for its appeal.

The AGC, represented by Chief Counsel David Chong, had argued before Justice Philip Pillai that Madam Vellama's application was "wholly misconceived" and "is legally unsustainable and is unarguable in law and fact".

Madam Vellama had filed an application on March 2 for the Prime Minister to be held accountable for calling a by-election in Hougang, following the sacking of former Member of Parliament Yaw Shin Leong from the Workers' Party.

The Cleaner, the court...

The court's reaction is unexpected. Instead of announcing their ruling now and throwing it out, they want to delay now and then throw it out later. Why the cleaner bother also I don't know. Maybe because she didn't read the debate on the by-election and that the constitution did not cater for a expiry date on when a by-election should be held.

Why waste time go and apply for the court to force a by-election? She think with her court application, backed by her infamous lawyer Ravi, would make a difference? All the more with Ravi as her lawyer, the court is unlikely to budge. Tragic that Ravi, her lawyer, would not understand that nowhere in Article 49 of our Constitution, there is a provision of a time frame for a by-election.


"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."

Court reserves judgment on Hougang by-election hearing
By Amir/Claire Huang | Posted: 30 March 2012 2050 hrs

SINGAPORE: The High Court reserved judgement on an application by a Hougang resident for a by-election in the single-seat constituency, after lawyers presented their arguments in chambers on Friday.

Madam Vellama Marie Muthu, a 42-year-old part-time cleaner, filed an application on March 2 for the Prime Minister to call a by-election within three months.

Lawyers from the Attorney-General's Chambers argued that the application was "wholly misconceived" and "unarguable in law and fact".

They added that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had "stated unequivocally" in Parliament on March 9 that he intended to call a by-election but had not decided on the timing yet.

A judgement will be delivered at a later date.

The Hougang constituency was left without a Member of Parliament (MP) after Mr Yaw Shin Leong was expelled by his Workers' Party, following reports of his personal indiscretions.

One Event, Office Politics, Many Versions of Truth

Ok this interesting incident at NYC is not entirely related to Singapore politics, or is it?

An executive director at Goldman Sachs resigned on a bad note and shot out a stinker of a public explanation about how Goldman Sachs was an evil empire and the usual bad mouthing. Consequently, there was a Bloomberg editorial response, a funny cynical one, giving the hard truth impression that the Goldman Sachs quitter was just not cut out for the job. What we did not hear were the views from Goldman Sachs management on their reasons behind the bitter resignation. Were they being proper gentlemen not wanting to be drawn into the fight directly, or silence was guilt. Who is telling the truth? Everybody! Nobody! This thus leads me to talk about people who left their organisation after some years of loyal service, and then like suddenly spun around to ominously explain that they left because the organisation is not what it used to be.

Former PAP MP turned presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock is one example. Bringing back a past issue, what were the exact nature of his departure such that instead of quietly fading away like other PAP MPs, he beat his own drum and waved his own flag to challenge the PAP in some ways during the election?

Why I am leaving Goldman Sachs
The failure of belief in doing right by the client is the most serious threat to its survival
by Greg Smith
04:45 AM Mar 16, 2012
Today is my last day at Goldman Sachs.

After almost 12 years at the firm - first as a summer intern while at Stanford, then in New York for 10 years, and now in London - I believe I have worked here long enough to understand the trajectory of its culture, its people and its identity. And I can honestly say that the environment now is as toxic and destructive as I have ever seen it.

To put the problem in the simplest terms, the interests of the client continue to be sidelined in the way the firm operates and thinks about making money.

Goldman Sachs is one of the world's largest and most important investment banks and it is too integral to global finance to continue to act this way. The firm has veered so far from the place I joined right out of college that I can no longer in good conscience say that I identify with what it stands for.

It might sound surprising to a sceptical public, but culture was always a vital part of Goldman Sachs' success. It revolved around teamwork, integrity, a spirit of humility, and always doing right by our clients.

The culture was the secret sauce that made this place great and allowed us to earn our clients' trust for 143 years. It wasn't just about making money; this alone will not sustain a firm for so long. It had something to do with pride and belief in the organisation.

I am sad to say that I look around today and see virtually no trace of the culture that made me love working for this firm for many years. I no longer have the pride, or the belief.

DECLINE IN MORAL FIBRE

But this was not always the case. For more than a decade I recruited and mentored candidates through our gruelling interview process. I was selected as one of 10 people (out of a firm of more than 30,000) to appear on our recruiting video, which is played on every college campus we visit around the world.

In 2006 I managed the summer intern programme in sales and trading in New York for the 80 college students who made the cut, out of the thousands who applied.

I knew it was time to leave when I realized I could no longer look students in the eye and tell them what a great place this was to work.

When the history books are written about Goldman Sachs, they may reflect that the current chief executive officer, Mr Lloyd C Blankfein, and the president, Mr Gary D Cohn, lost hold of the firm's culture on their watch. I truly believe that this decline in the firm's moral fibre represents the single most serious threat to its long-run survival.

Over the course of my career I have had the privilege of advising two of the largest hedge funds on the planet, five of the largest asset managers in the United States, and three of the most prominent sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East and Asia.

My clients have a total asset base of more than a trillion dollars. I have always taken a lot of pride in advising my clients to do what I believe is right for them, even if it means less money for the firm.

This view is becoming increasingly unpopular at Goldman Sachs. Another sign that it was time to leave.

ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

How did we get here? The firm changed the way it thought about leadership.

Leadership used to be about ideas, setting an example and doing the right thing. Today, if you make enough money for the firm (and are not currently an ax murderer) you will be promoted into a position of influence.

What are three quick ways to become a leader?

(a) Execute on the firm's "axes", which is Goldman-speak for persuading your clients to invest in the stocks or other products that we are trying to get rid of because they are not seen as having a lot of potential profit.

(b) "Hunt Elephants." In English: Get your clients - some of whom are sophisticated, and some of whom aren't - to trade whatever will bring the biggest profit to Goldman. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't like selling my clients a product that is wrong for them.

(c) Find yourself sitting in a seat where your job is to trade any illiquid, opaque product with a three-letter acronym.

Today, many of these leaders display a Goldman Sachs culture quotient of exactly 0 per cent. I attend derivatives sales meetings where not one single minute is spent asking questions about how we can help clients. It's purely about how we can make the most possible money off of them.

If you were an alien from Mars and sat in on one of these meetings, you would believe that a client's success or progress was not part of the thought process at all.

It makes me ill how callously people talk about ripping their clients off. Over the last 12 months I have seen five different managing directors refer to their own clients as "muppets", sometimes over internal email.

Integrity? It is eroding. I don't know of any illegal behaviour, but will people push the envelope and pitch lucrative and complicated products to clients even if they are not the simplest investments or the ones most directly aligned with the client's goals? Absolutely. Every day, in fact.

It astounds me how little senior management gets a basic truth: If clients don't trust you they will eventually stop doing business with you. It doesn't matter how smart you are.

A WAKE-UP CALL

These days, the most common question I get from junior analysts about derivatives is: "How much money did we make off the client?" It bothers me every time I hear it, because it is a clear reflection of what they are observing from their leaders about the way they should behave.

Now project 10 years into the future: You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the junior analyst sitting quietly in the corner of the room hearing about "muppets", "ripping eyeballs out" and "getting paid" doesn't exactly turn into a model citizen.

When I was a first-year analyst I didn't know where the bathroom was, or how to tie my shoelaces. I was taught to be concerned with learning the ropes, finding out what a derivative was, understanding finance, getting to know our clients and what motivated them, learning how they defined success and what we could do to help them get there.

My proudest moments in life - getting a full scholarship to go from South Africa to Stanford University, being selected as a Rhodes Scholar national finalist, winning a bronze medal for table tennis at the Maccabiah Games in Israel, known as the Jewish Olympics - have all come through hard work, with no shortcuts.

Goldman Sachs today has become too much about shortcuts and not enough about achievement. It just doesn't feel right to me anymore.

I hope this can be a wake-up call to the board of directors. Make the client the focal point of your business again. Without clients you will not make money. In fact, you will not exist.

Weed out the morally bankrupt people, no matter how much money they make for the firm. And get the culture right again, so people want to work here for the right reasons.

People who care only about making money will not sustain this firm - or the trust of its clients - for very much longer.

Greg Smith resigned on Wednesday as a Goldman Sachs executive director and head of the firm's United States equity derivatives business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Yes, Mr Smith, Goldman Sachs is about making money
by BLOOMBERG EDITORIAL
04:45 AM Mar 16, 2012

Apparently, when Mr Greg Smith arrived at Goldman Sachs almost 12 years ago, the legendary investment firm was something like the Make-A-Wish Foundation - existing only to bring light and peace and happiness to the world.

Mr Smith, who was executive director and head of the firm's United States equity derivatives business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, does not go into details in his already notorious op-ed article in Wednesday's New York Times, Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs. But one imagines Goldman bankers spending their days delivering fresh flowers to elderly shut-ins and providing shelters for abandoned cats.

Serving clients was paramount. "It wasn't just about making money," Mr Smith writes. "It had something to do with pride and belief in the organisation."

It must have been a terrible shock when Mr Smith concluded that Goldman actually was primarily about making money. He spares us the sordid details, but apparently it took more than a decade for the scales to finally fall from his eyes.

He says that Goldman's culture has changed. "It revolved around teamwork, integrity, a spirit of humility, and always doing right by our clients."

And he warns: "Without clients you will not make money. In fact, you will not exist." It's tragic that Goldman is losing an employee who realizes that you need customers to stay in business.

We have some advice for Mr Smith, as well as the thousands of college students who apply to work at Goldman Sachs each year: If you want to dedicate your life to serving humanity, do not go to work for Goldman Sachs. That's not its function, and it never will be.

Go to work for Goldman Sachs if you wish to work hard and get paid more than you deserve even so. (Or if you want to make your living selling derivatives but don't know what a derivative is, as Smith concedes in passing that he didn't at first.)

Goldman and other investment banks do perform an important role in our economy, and Goldman bankers - most of them, at least - can hold their heads up high. But it is not charity work. Goldman's clients are mostly very well-off. Mr Smith's lament that the bank no longer serves their needs above and beyond its own does not tug at our heartstrings. BLOOMBERG

Hunting Sengkang Crocodiles and Hougang Buayas

 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.