Is Singapore "Beggarless", "Buggerless" and "Secular" ? ? ?

Wahseh, now MOE cannot 'diam diam' anymore.

Josie Lau and Feminist Mentor Thio Su Mien kena lagi chialat leow! Being not careful with the way they drink, they now have to untangle the straws off the their noses and polish their rims! [youtube link]

"GET your facts right on what is happening in Singapore schools when it comes to sex education, and do not base comments on 'innuendo or information received on the fly'.

This advice, for those who have criticised the sexuality programme run by the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) in some schools, was given by Senior Minister of State for Education S. Iswaran on Tuesday."[link]

Following this, Dr Alan Chin, Josie Lau's husband, is alleged to have emailed other "prayerful" parents about ACJC teaching the wrong stuff. [link]

With Pastor Derek Hong's comment on a nation crossing the line drawn by God, will Singapore be getting less secular? Especially so when Buddhist monk starts commenting on action by Christian pastor [link].

Heaven forbids, I hope this will not bring in the ISA just like they did in 1987 to the so called "Marxist Conspiracy" conspirators [link]. Then again, if wearing kangaroo T-shirt [picture here] can land one in jail, anything can happen!

Guilty of subversion? Social, Racial? Religious? Political? Who knows?

Which brings me to the joke of a "beggarless" and "buggerless" Singapore.

With what's happening at AWARE and the 377a Act, I need not go further on"buggerless".

"Beggarless" Singapore comes from Lee Kuan Yew and Kishore Mahbumani. [youtube link].

Or are the heavenly ivory towers too high up for them to see the ground?

Happy Labour Day! (if you are still employed)

Being jobless is no cause for celebration.

feedmetothefish

Free Makan & Show for Quitters in London?

While most are getting excited over Aware exco members drinking with straws through their noses after the expose of the Feminist Mentor, I find the Singapore Day 2009 celebrated in London a thriller too.

According to CNA, [link] Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng was on hand, too, to explain why he thought it was important to hold an expensive event like this at a time of recession.

Pray tell: How expensive is it? And who is footing the millons of pounds for this bash? Wow, they even flew artistes like Mr Brown in business class of SIA Airbus A380! [link] Or did Swaku Brown pay for the luxury?

Mr Wong said: "Even though the times are not good, we should not just enjoy when we have good times but, I think, in bad times we must also hold up hope for a better future.... For Singaporeans here, some of them might be quite anxious about their jobs and anxious about their families back home because they might have members who lose their jobs. We want them to know that the government will put in place programmes to ensure that Singaporeans will be taken care of."

"We should not just enjoy when we have good times but . . . "

Bad times for the less fortunate Singaporeans (especially those who recently lost their jobs) living in Singapore is just that - Bad Times! They jolly well learn to be resilient, tighten their belts and tough it out! They are to live within their means, get help from their family members and not to borrow money from loan sharks [link] as our man in London will change the law and incriminate them for doing so!

If you still can't feed yourself, go queue at Buddhist Lodge at Kim Yam Road to fill your stomach [link] and [link] like they do in London on 25 April 2009 at Hampton Court Palace [link] and [yummy pics link]

Some say the Singapore Day (no, not Aug 9 National Day) celebrated since 2007, is to engage Singaporeans not living in Singapore (quitters?) emotionally. In so doing, they sent a contigent of the best hawkers rated by Makan Sutra to feed them. The organisers also send a contingent of artists and comedians like Hossan Leong, the Dimsum Dollies, Channel 8's Jack Neo and his kakies and, heaven forbids, Mr Brown! [link] to entertain them.

I have nothing against Singaporeans (quitters, students, foreign workers in foreign land) getting free food and entertainment at the expense of don't-know-who but compared to the government's 'cowpehcowbu' on welfare for the poor based on the parliamentary exchange below

Dr Lily Neo:

Sir, I want to check with the Minister again when he said on the strict criteria on the entitlement for PA recipients. May I ask him what is his definition of “subsistence living”? Am I correct to say that, out of $260 per month for PA recipients, $100 goes to rental, power supply and S&C and leaving them with only $5 a day to live on? Am I correct to say that any basic meal in any hawker centre is already $2.50 to $3.00 per meal? Therefore, is it too much to ask for just three meals a day as an entitlement for the PA recipients?

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan:

How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?

I think the Singapore Day Extravanganza is another example of misplaced heartware. Wouldn't it be nice if the lesser mortals were treated to such goodies? However, in the minds of 'please get out of my elite uncaring face', useless unproductive lesser mortals are a pain to society and only fit for euthanasia.

What I find amusing is, whether in Hampton Court (for the sikit atas) or in Buddhist Lodge (poor lesser mortals), Singaporeans queue for food!

I wonder if Goh Chok Tong's daughter was enjoying the Katong Laksa, Roti Prata, Kway Chap, Satay and other yummy Singapore food too?

I'm amazed that they get artists like Mr Brown to do jokes on Singapore and they even put up self-deprecating ERP replicas at the venue to show that they are lightening up.

Meanwhile they just did us in with the 'assembly of one' and 'move on' Public Order Act and the Films Act.

Tricky?

feedmetothefish

Be Aware: Every War Starts With Good Intention.

The great grandmother of my grandchild would kill me if I use the word 'catfight' to describe what's going on at Aware now. "Don't you grow up to be a male chauvinistic pig"' she'd say.

Why does every war start with good intention? The old guards had their good intention when they started Aware years ago. Now the newbies have taken over Aware's ExCo saying they have taken over with good intention.

Isn't it a shame that good intentions attract death threats?

The good intention of George W Bush to free the people of Iraq got tens of thousands of Iraqis maimed, disabled and killed. With his 'good intention', Bush brought deaths instead of freedom to the Iraqis.

For every public statement on any action to serve one's agenda, you will find politician, office seeker (some aka as glory seekers) use the self-sacrificing-snake-oil talk of "do good" and "for the best interest of the people/members" to sell.

If there is so much good intention(s?) going around, why is there so much bad vibes?

The answer is: The "good intention" of some always ends up as "bad consequence" for others.

The "good intention" of some can be interpreted as "evil intention" by others.

Or is one woman's meat another woman's poison?

Sometimes all this talk of "service to people, to mankind" gets a little cheesy, unauthentic and, truth be told, self-serving.

If we can use a 64-slice CT Scan to know the medical condition of our arteries and heart, can we get a 128-slice Scan to read the "good intention" hearts of office seekers?

Meanwhile it's nice to learn that apart from Minister Mentor, we now have a Feminist Mentor.

How I wish we can have a
Love Mentor or
Peace Mentor or
Happiness Mentor or
Justice Mentor or
Democracy Mentor or
Equality Mentor or even
A True Live Without Fear in Singapore Mentor?

With the current hullabaloo, don't be surprise if a Gay or Lesbian Mentor may just appear with a Homophobe Mentor to match!

That will be interesting!

While the shebang is getting louder with Aware, our liberty and civil rights are going to the dogs with the sound of silence on the "Public Order Act", the "Films Act" after they were so arrogantly passed by the lawmaker with such contempt.

Life Goes On while rights bite the dust!

feedmetothefish

Good Laws or Major FLaws?

MR SIN Boon Ann (Tampines GRC) asked if the Government had gone for the 'overkill' when it crafted the Public Order Bill such that even a one-man assembly would need a permit.

Nominated MP Thio Li-ann wondered if an assembly of one, or a procession of two, was 'too wide and extreme a definition, too restrictive of civil liberties'. In Hong Kong, the law defines a procession needing a permit as one with more than 30 persons.

Ms Irene Ng (Tampines GRC) felt that to label as 'assembly' a one-man show was to 'commit violence against the English language'.

The above came from ST[link]

For those who missed Siew Kum Hong's speech on his opposition to "Public Order Bill", please see the videos here:
[Part 1]
[Part 2]
[Part 3]

Our Law Minister, K Shanmugum has the perspective that "our police officers are fundamentally honest". I hope so. Just look at this video of Ian Tomlinson getting the stick of police power [Link] here.

Siew Kum Hong speaking in Parliament [here] shows that after AIMS, we have more bad laws.

The more they liberalise (mess with the laws), the less constitutional and fundamental rights we have.

Fooled again!

Thank you Mr Siew for speaking for so many of us. I am so grateful for your explanation of the new power-serving laws and how we are losing our freedom and constitutional rights.

Keep on keeping it up! If they do not allow you another term in Parliament, we can understand they can't take the pain :)

Meanwhile, readers might learn some in this BBC HardTalk programme [link] where freedom and democracy of Singapore is being discussed.

feedmetothefish

Dear Hsien Loong,

Dear Mr Prime Minister,

While you have your lymphoma, I have my share of heart attack and ventricular fibrillation.

While you are concerned about your mum's health, I had the greatest understanding of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death while taking care of my dad (as old as your dad if he's alive today) when he was down with his degenerative disease.

While you were growing up as the son of a prime minister in big but shabby Oxley Rise house (so said your sister [Link]), I was growing up with 8 other siblings in a $25-per-month-rented-one-room flat as the son of a Singapore Traction Company bus conductor moonlighting as a pirate taxi driver so that his family could survive.

You did Harvard and Cambridge and whatever you fancy, the best I did was Senior Cambridge Certificate (today's 'O Level' equivalent).

Today you are the highest paid politician in the whole wide world earning $3.7 million (excluding your BG and after-55-PM-pension), I'm making do with about $24,000 per annum hawking my skills as a self employed. I have no pension and I'm not entitled to any of the benefits which your PAP so often makes a song and dance about at every election and/or Budget Statement. Please do not tell me about my GST rebate as it's nauseating since the GST went the your salary too.

No, I'm not complaining of my state of being. Being rich and happy is where your mind is at, not what you can suck out of others! As my kids can take care of themselves, $2000 a month is enough for me and my wife to have a simple comfortable life. My family and I are blessed with what we are happy with!

How much is enough?

Enough for what?

It depends on the individual's sense of value, contentment, greed, sense of power and one's one-upmanship. Does it feel good to be paid 6 times the POTUS?

You tell me :)

Though we are of about the same age, we were made differently. I guess the only thing we have in common is that we are, born-in-Singapore, Singaporeans.

As much as I'm a pauper compared to your riches, I'm delighted that I do not have to bear the responsibilities that you do.

My wish for you is that you'd be blessed with grandfatherhood which I'm most grateful for when my child gave birth to another child.

When one loves life, when one truly cares and has the free will to do so without the hindrance of position, power and face value, one is always free . . . . . . . . even to blog until one is caught :)

I sincerely hope that the job you do now is the job that you love, not the job imposed by your father or whoever.

Though I have been told by those who know you that you are not as useless (ie. for the magic salary you pay yourself, people expect magic performance too) and callous as you appear to be, I still have my doubt.

From the pedigree that you were inseminated with (what with your dad laughing again at dummies like me for not having university education [Link]), I was shocked to hear of your "mee siam mai hum" and "fix opposition and buy votes". Which devil made you do that?

You were silent for many days when Mas Selamat jalan.

You were silent for many days when Singaporeans were hurt by the Lehman fiasco and toxic financial products.

You were silent for many days when Town Councils burned themselves with Lehman too.

I have never written to politicians especially ministers level as I know what I write doesn't mean squat to them . . . just another tiny voice in the wilderness.

However, I'm writing now to do my part as a Singaporean before I die from my next heart attack.

Yes, before I'm fedtothefish, I hope that as highest paid prime minister of the universe, you will do the gracious thing of investigating why your PAP MP Dr Ong Seh Hong is in such a fix right now with the Ren Ci CEO Ming Yi saga.

Silence may be golden but your reticence in commenting on the crucial happenings in Singapore lately is not helping you in your job. It is not helping people to "Staying Together Moving Ahead" It makes a joke of your PAP manifesto. If you are still at a loss on what to say, Singaporeans will be wondering, "WTF is he doing?"

Please say something worthy of your salary and position for the benefit of all Singaporeans on Ren Ci/Dr Ong's issue.

Even if you were to tell us that "it's not an issue at all as he became whiter-than-white MP only after he cleared the loan", we would still be happier than to have you keep your mouth shut again.

We look forward to it.

Thank you.

feedmetothefish.

"Bonus" need not be a dirty word in Kindness Month

"Mr Lim said people should not mistake a bonus as 'somebody getting something extra and undeserved and out of line with the current economic situation'. -- ST PHOTO: ARTHUR LEE CH." [Link]

Huh?

'We now operate differently from the past. So, let us not get overexcited whenever we see the word 'bonus' being used,' said Lim Boon Heng, Minister in Prime Minister's Office.

So what brought this about?

What has Singapore Kindness Month got to do with bonus? Especially bonuses paid to AIG executives in the USA?

Could it be certain CDC's 8 month bonus that's been hitting cyberspace lately that's eating up some PAP politicians? [Link]

Or could it be the latest Singapore embarrassment from Times on the highest paid politicians in this whole wide world? [Link - Times] and [Link - LittleSpeck]

I have almost given up bitching about ministers' obscene salary and wanting to give it a rest. However, with the latest from Lim Boon Heng on bonuses, I can't help but venture into my pet peeve again.

I must agree that BONUS is not a dirty word. It's as clean as the whiter-than-white incorruptible salary of the Singapore Mintsters which has been justified by the many receiving it.

I'm neither 'overexcited' by the word bonus nor am I having an orgasm over the mintsters' salary but I need some Viagra to understand why "public anger arose in the United States over large bonuses paid to executives of failed American corporations because of the economic downturn" has got to do with 'Singapore Kindness Month'?

Bonus like salary is not dirty.

It's only obscene when it makes a mockery of national service, nation building and civil service.

Or are we being 'unkind' to Mr Lim Boon Heng, his bosses and colleagues in highlighting their achievement of being the best paid in the world?

So who is the 'somebody getting something extra and undeserved and out of line with the current economic situation'?

Singapore minister?

Being honest is being kind.

feedmetothefish

Seng Can't Act?

If I did not have a sense of humour, the heart attack would have fedmetothefish years ago.

Apart from breathing, food, rest and work, humour has always been another pillar that makes my life meaningful.

With all the seriousness and zero tolerance for caricatures of PAP leaders in msm (of course we do see cartoons of neighbouring countries and their leaders poked at by our local press), I still find Singapore a laughing stock. I mean we can laugh at ourselves, sometimes.

Since there's been much serious comments in msm and cyberspace about the changes and shuffling of the Singapore cabinet, I shall keep mine short and lighthearted.

Has anyone ever wonder just how big the PM's Office is?

1 MM, 2 SMs, 2 DPMs plus 3 Mintsters in PM's Office to help the One PM do his job? I've come to realise that it's not the size of the office or the size of the job. It just that PM needs time in the Gym to keep his BMI in check.

That's not funny.

What's funny is he appointed Teo Chee Hean as DPM so that Admiral Teo can be Acting PM and jaga the Rear.

That's not funny.

What's really funny is why the sitting DPM Wong Kan Seng can't do the Acting PM job. Since he kan't sing, I guess he can't act too!

Thank God, he's not the replacement for Lee Boon Yang, the outgoing Minister for Information, Communications and The Arts!

And we are paying for top talents?

And the renewal to stay in power continues . . .

And I almost forgot to add, "Happy April Fools' Day"

Aren't we all?

feedmetothefish