Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Mas Selamat Found!

There's been so much of hullabaloo on Mas Selamat Kasturi that nobody actually knows what happened. Even the COI had so little facts and they only reported on what they believed.

So what actually happened?

After cracking my O level brain and researching for more than 2 months, I finally scored! EUREKA! I have the answer!
Please click and watch above 6min 24sec video, "Prison Break" to the end before you read further. Yes, this magic escape is worth watching till the end!

If you do, you will get your answer and the Eureka high too!








Answer:

Mas Selamat must be the Lacoste Alligator!

You think he's still stuck in WRDC? Oops, I mean the Lacoste T-shirt?

If I have brought a smile to your face or laughter to your heart, my life has been meaningful!

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for viewing.

Happy Holiday!

Happy May Day!

feedmetothefish

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

For every life, a little rain must fall.


If only I can 'tekan' the Chua sisters, Paul Jacobs of ST and Clarence Chang of TNP like Xenoboy and Andrew Low of TOC with such cool logic and precision.


If only. . .

Then fedupwithST who wrote in Xenoboy's blog said...

I wrote the following to the Straits Times , and as expected , received a reply that they have too many letters and sorry mine would not be published; lol !

I refer to your article (ST Apr 26 2008) titled "That escape: Crucial issues aplenty, so let's move on" by Ms Chua Lee Hoong . While I have found some internet postings blood boiling, they pale in comparison with the following points made in your article:

1) But the Mas Selamat escape? What loss has there been, except that of face - mostly?

I beg to differ with that point. Here is a man who was considered dangerous enough to be detained in a supposed high security detention centre (without trial since 2006) because he planned to fly a plane into Changi Airport and bomb the US Embassy. How then can his escape be just a loss of face ? Is the Straits Times suggesting that the Home Team was over-stating the danger that this man posed ? If so , then I'm afraid the Home Team and ISD have just wasted a lot of tax payers' money , not just with his detention but with the searches that caused traffic jams and resultant losses in time, manpower and money. Is Ms Chua not concerned that this man still poses a threat to Singapore's security ?

2)The escape has been a big stain on the reputation of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). But it has been a lesser stain on the reputation of Singapore.

Was I the only one who read the reports published in the International Herald Tribune and New York Times that cast Singapore in an embarrassing light over that escape? The following excerpts from IHT dd 21 April:

"His escape has been a major embarrassment for the government, which has not been able to capture Mas Selamat, its most-wanted man, despite a nationwide manhunt. Thousands of wanted posters hung around Singapore are a daily reminder of the failure.........The report described what appeared to have been a carefully planned but remarkably simple escape that took advantage of small errors in a fairly relaxed prison routine as the prisoner was being escorted to a weekly visit from his family. It seemed to substantiate the one-word analysis of the escape given last month by a former prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew: complacency."

And excerpts from New York Times dd 14 Mar 2008 :

"With each new empty-handed day the embarrassment deepens as Singapore confronts its Tora Bora moment, its most-wanted terrorist suspect melting into the urban terrain, as Osama bin Laden evaded American troops in Afghanistan. For some people here, this noisy, flailing search ¡ª even more than the escape itself ¡ª has cast Singapore in an unfamiliar light of haplessness...............

As a nation, Singapore is as lean and mean and flexible as the rapid-response military the Pentagon dreams of, and it reacted with impressive speed and agility to recent Asian outbreaks of bird flu and SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. But for the moment it seems to have met its match in Mr. Mas Selamat. His disappearance challenges the government's basic promise to its citizens that it will keep them safe and comfortable."

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said that Singaporeans needed a dose of bad government to appreciate that Ministers need to be paid top dollar. "That escape", as Ms Chua calls it, has proven that despite the high salary , we still can get a dose of bad government... and it is not helped by the fact that we have insufficient opposition members in parliament nor an independent press to keep the ruling party on its toes.

Who's been complacent ? The ordinary Singaporean ? The Gurkha guards ? I recall the Malaysian who walked across the causeway after murdering Huang Na and Richard Yong's "escape" after the NKF affair and I have to conclude that there has been complacency in the Home Team. Are netizens taking things out of perspective and forgetting all the good the Home Team has done ? Do sacked CEOs justify staying on because of past glories ?

The main stream media do no justice to Singaporeans by being the ruling party's mouthpieces. Your article lends further credence to Cherian George's article "The Other Casualty of the Great Escape - Mainstream Media Credibility". I liked his last line "Treating citizens as if they were brain-dead will not make them so; they will simply migrate to other media that take them more seriously."

Ms Chua and editors of the Straits Times - please treat the citizens of Singapore with more respect. We are not brain dead. And the more you write articles like this , the more you turn Singaporeans off the mainstream media.

Wow, looks like the vitriol is getting more vitriolic! So much so that this fedupwithST guy took the effort to write to ST which ST does not have the balls to print. Truth hurts?

I do not know if I "feed on other netizen's vitriol" as stated by Chua Lee Hoong of ST (which I found out to mean feed on sulphuric acid or bitterly abusive feeling or expression) but I do know that Xenoboy is right. This angry woman cannot defend her ex-boss and she is bitterly scathing and caustic (vitriolic?) to bloggers because exasperation and hopelessness has set in and blind faith and balls carrying is losing out to the light of truth!

Satisfaction lies with the fact that an 'O' level Kopitiam Ah Pek like me (who needs to look up dictionary so often) can make the ST's political editor's blood boil! I feel my "outrageous, snide, rabble-rousers" rants finally pay off! I feel validated. I feel good!

For what it's worth, I'm glad that Mas Selamat's saga happened. No, I do not wish any harm upon my fellow Singaporeans, my loved ones or myself. I just feel good that he can create more embarrassment and "what-hit-me" panic to the self proclaimed first world leaders than JB Jeyaratnam, Francis Seow, Chee Soon Juan, Martyn See and MrBrown put together!

For all their hubris, they must now learn that "for every life, a little rain must fall". Some had cancer, some had lymphoma, some got run over by car. Some get slapped big time by Mas Selamat Kasturi!

There is such a thing as Pay Back Time!

I know so.

I paid.

I paid with a heart attack, being flatlined and defibrillated when I refused to heed the advice of loved ones who told me not to burn my candle at both ends! My life almost expired in the middle! Yes, I was also ran over by a car!


After the Mas saga and the sneaky exploitative discount scams, they still have the audacity to wayang and waste $40,000 to change NTUC to"U". Acting like Supermen but looking like clowns will not help improve credibility!

Do they not know that:
When I lose my wealth, I lose nothing;
When I lose my health, I lose something;
When I lose my integrity, I lose everything.

When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the flowers gone?

Then again, like CPF, Mas Selamat may just be another mirage after all.

We can't touch our CPF and we (especially ISD and Ghurkas) can't see Mas Selamat!

Except for the brazenly callous, thick-skinned, power hungry and balls carrying cowards, all MIW must be trying very hard to believe and accept the COI and the presentation in parliament by both LHL and WKS. Those with a heart and a conscience must have smelled a fish.


feedmetothefish

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Has Complacency lead to Conspiracy?








Pegging Pay to Accountability & Responsibililty

In replying to Low Thia Kiang's question on matching accountability and responsibility with million $,$$$,$$$ ministers salary, Lee Hsien Loong was so agitated that he threw his notepad on the table when he stood up to answer the question. His tirade on "witch hunting" and "honest mistake" in defending Wong Kan Seng shows sense of desperation. The same old eleetist trick of answering a question with a question was used again when he asked LTK if his WKS "ought to resign". Before LTK could respond, LHL said "No answer, so that settles the point."

On the COI, for the life of me, I still cannot accept that security experts in ISD would allow a situation where current CCTVs are taken out before new ones are replaced. Simultaneously, to cut handle of ventilation window without grills to prevent it from being opened is so juvenile, so unprofessional. As much as I accept Murphy's Law, to have so many things going wrong at the same time is simply unbelievable.

It's so incredulous that Mas managed to climb through the ventilation window and jump over the perimeter fence with his limp. To squeeze through the window, he must be a contortionist too!

The latest joke of 'hanging trousers" and 11 minutes peeing marathon by Mas Selamat with water running is that he was having his weekly ration of a hand job!

With the wayang reaching this stage, I think the ‘dose of bad government' if ministers are not paid millions as promised by MM’ is “now showing” instead of “akan datang”?

So how huh? Must we prepare mother, wife, sister, daughter, grand-daughter to be maids soon or not?

Or is the cock talking Hen (who is now Education Minister) asking his minion to prepare a new compulsory training program on “Do Singapore Proud. Be Maid, Be Happy!” for all women of Singapore?

If the current trick doesn’t work, will the current eleetist leaders tell us that we may end up as prostitutes (males included) if they cannot continue to increase their million $,$$$,$$$ salary packaged with mediocre accountability and responsibility?

Well, they have started on the casinos. Now they are bending the rules so that smoking is allowed in casinos, what else will they not do next?

Si peh song leh, suka suka change laws, suka suka fix laws.

Of course, as we hear ad nauseam, it’s for the good of Singapore!

Viva Singapura!


Meanwhile, my thanks to Mr Brown for lightening me up again with
Mr Brown's "Blame it on Somebody"
BLAME IT ON SOMEBODY (from mrbrownshow.com)
Lyrics:

Whitley…

Whitley…

Window…
Toilet…
Escape…
Wah Lau Eh…

Manhunt…
Poster…
Limping…
Katek…

It started with a toilet
The Gurkhas didn’t guard it
Mas Selamat took his pants off
And ran away

They heard the water running
They thought that he was peeing
Overflowing bladder
Take all day

Don’t blame it on the big shots
That’s not where the buck stops
It’s never ever their fault
Blame it on somebody

Don’t blame it on the Dua Tao
They already very stressed liao
Find some other Ah Kow
Let some junior mati

The window, no grills on it
The CO said don’t need it
Just cut off window handle
It’ll be okay

The cameras were upgrading
That’s why they weren’t recording
Nobody knows the bugger
Run which way

Don’t blame it on the system
Don’t blame it on the gahmen
Don’t ask for resignation
Wait you left nobody

Don’t blame it on Lim Peh
Don’t blame it on the high pay
Wait you kena Lim Teh
Blame it on somebody

Push the blame
Push the blame
Push the blame to someone else

Let’s move on
Let’s move on
Let’s move on to something else

Not my fault
Not my fault
Not my fault, it’s someone else

Take the pay
Take the pay
Take the pay and nothing else

Don’t blame it on the leaders
Cos they clothe and feed us
It’s not as if they need us
We were just unlucky

PM say don’t blame him
Minister of Home Team
Everybody don’t steam
Just an honest mistake

Honest…

Mistake…

Honest…

Mistake…

feedmetothefish

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

With LKY, Who Needs COI?

I read Wong Kan Seng's COI findings of the Mas Selamat Kasturi saga at
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/annex/ms-wongkanseng.pdf
and the Executive Summary at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/annex/ms-summary.pdf

I believe for every drop of rain that falls a flower grows
I believe that somewhere in the darkest night a candle glows
And I believe for every one who goes astray someone will come to show the way
I believe yes I believe
I believe above the storm the smallest prayer will still be heard
I believe that someone in the great somewhere hears every word
Every time I hear a new born baby cry or touch a leaf or see the sky
Then I know why I believe
Sung by Glen Campbell

They had the power. They had the authority. That's why they sat in the Committee of Inquiry. After such a long wait, an ex-judge, ex-police commissioner and a current director of MHA tell us through the Minister of Home Affairs that they believe! After so much fact gathering, they believe that Mas Selamat this, they believe Mas Selamat that . . . . . I prefer Glen Campbell's version better!

Then I read below from CNA here.

MP Inderjit Singh, Ang Mo Kio GRC, asked: "Can I ask who audits ISD (Internal Security Department)? Do they audit themselves and therefore create the weaknesses within the system?"

In reply, Mr Wong pointed out that as with all systems, once they are operated by humans, the systems can only be as good as the people who operate them.

He said: "We can have all the systems in place. But if the people don't follow them, I think some day, something will happen."

However, the home affairs minister assured the MPs that all the lapses identified in the Mas Selamat case have been dealt with, and it is unlikely that the same lapses will recur.

"Audits will be in place, not just by ISD, but also by the Prisons Department. Every year, they will do a regular audit of the place and I'm sure for the senior management in the ISD, they will also do regular audits by a separate group of people outside the Whitley Road Detention Centre," he said.

Mr Wong also spent some time addressing rumours that have been circulating around.

Opposition MP Low Thia Khiang asked if there was any truth to a rumour that Mas Selamat died during detention and that the government has simply staged the escape as a cover-up.

"Instead of telling me about this groundless speculation, may I ask Mr Low if he believes that Mas Selamat has died?"

"No, I don't," answered Mr Low, which put an end to the question.

While he acknowledged complacency in the operations of the detention centre, Mr Wong dismissed suggestions that his ministry had been complacent in supervising its departments.

He said: "Within individual units, there could be some slackening in some ways. I can't guarantee that would not happen because in any human organisation, there would be human weaknesses displayed and unfortunately, things do happen that we don't want to see."

MP Halimah Yacob, Jurong GRC, said: "There are good things coming out of it. We now know that we just cannot be complacent... we have to be vigilant all the time."


I am so much wiser after this COI report and Wong Kan Seng's speech.

I am wise to the fact that:-
  • LKY knew everything before even the COI became COI.

  • the ones most guilty in Mas' escape are Mr Toilet, Mr Ungrilled Window and Mr Perimeter Fencing.

  • detainees in WRDC has more privacy than me when I was in NS. We did not have the luxury of having urinals within cubicles.

  • 7 rolls of toilet rolls can break the fall of a limp man. How high was was Mas jumping from anyway? Amusing!

  • attack is the best form of defence (exchanges of Inderjeet Singh, Low Thia Kiang and Wong Kan Seng is so hilariously audacious!) Question be answered by question? So clever :)

  • there will always be apple polishers who knows no shame in stating the obvious and parroting the parrot who parroted PAPa. The word "Complacency" has become a new currency since LKY said it on 21 April 2008 in Straits Times. Read here and here.

  • we Singaporeans are living in a "golden period" under a golden rule. He who has the "power and the gold" rules and the buck stops before ruler and/or his cronies get burn.

  • only some Gurkha guards, Special Duty Operatives and some poor souls in ISD will pay for this reckless wayang and"suggestions that his ministry had been complacent in supervising its departments" must be dismissed! How dare we blame the MHA for this complacency? Especially "in supervising its departments"
Let's see what's up with PM taking centre stage tomorrow?

And if the if it goes something like, "I thank Singaporean for their unity and effort . . . .Let's close ranks and do our best to recapture Mas . . . . let's give WKS a break . . .", I'll puke!

I hope no more pakat2 and wayang2.

Pakat pakat covering of Ministers' rear ends cheapens the integrity of the obscenely paid?

Then again, it's happened. What to do?

feedmetothefish







Sunday, April 20, 2008

Happy Mother's Day!

The conversation is worth more than a lesson in dialect. It's about warmth. It's about relationship. Even it sounds like an ordinary everyday exchange between grandma and grand-daughter, the love, the care, the sagely advice, the acceptance of the ways of the young. . . it's all there

Elderly ladies are interesting! My mum of 83 was a LKY fan until 2 GE's ago. For the life of me, I can never understand and I was shocked when she told her children and grandchildren that LKY was a nothing more than a "khim siew" [beast; animal]. Where she is concerned, LKY was a people's person until he got carried away with his power & money. His craze for immortality and dynasty after setting GCT up to warm the seat for LHL got Mum verbally ranting, "Arni lau, arni poo, arn chua mai pang leng? Thup pai ai oo say lat. Arn chua arni thum sim?" [So old, so rich, why can't let go? Want to have power all the time. Why so greedy?]

She's also very disappointed that founding fathers like Goh Keng Swee, Toh Chin Chye, Rajaratnam et al are not recognized as much by msm with LKY hoarding the limelight all the time. And yes, Mum was very very upset when late President Ong Teng Cheong was not honoured with a state funeral! Oh, Mum doesn't read nor write except in her younger days when she managed to scribbled numbers 1 to 12 in Chinese when she betted on "Chap Ji Ki" [Toto of the 50's & 60's) hoping to win some to add some nutritious meat dishes to our black sauced porridge. She gets her news from radio and TV. I'm proud that she manages to get the PAP wool out of her eyes when bombarded by Channels 8 and U. Of course, Chinese cable from HK and elsewhere helps her with a wider world view.

With my siblings (aged 40's to 60's) and our children avoiding msm and getting news from internet & blogs, Mum is the one with the latest news from PAP's mouthpiece (channel U & 8). Mum's rants on arrogance of ministers, their obscenely greedy pay and Longevity Noodles (aka forced annuities) during our weekly gathering got me started on my blog http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.com/2007/09/before-i-die.html Her latest dig on the Mas Selamat wayang and WKS. "Kar tan pai kar, kar tan bo pai kar. Suka ee nan kong" [limp then not limp, Up to them to say] was hilarious.

With Mum, I have been blessed with 57 years of love, joy and guidance and I look forward to more good years with her!

Hokkien sayings from Mum has grounded and guided me well, teaching me not to allow adversity to overcome my happiness.

"Chit kee chow, chit thiam lor [a blade of grass, takes a spot on the ground]
Piak pee chow, tan hwee hor"[ grass along the wall, waits for slant rain]

Another gem that Eleetists may learn from Mum is:
" Chiak pa mai buay kee yeow!"[ When stomach is full, do not forget the hungry years!]

Thanks Rachel for writing about your Grandma. You have delighted me in what you write and invoke my sense of humility and gratitude (in a big way) to all the ladies in my life whom I'm always grateful. To all mums and grandmas, "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY"

Thanks again Rachel, you have a Good One too!

Cheers,
feedmetothefish

Friday, April 18, 2008

Mr David Marshall

In view of the tribute paid to Mr David Marshall in Strait's Times recently, I think it's nice to re visit Dharmendra Yadav's interview with Mr David Marshall which they did on 5 May 1994.

Highlights of the interview includes:

"But I am seen as a critic and I am a critic. I am frankly terrified by this massive control of the mass media, the press, the radio, television, antennae, [and] public meetings. You can’t write a letter to the Straits Times; if there is a shadow of criticism, it’s not published. And the Chinese press follows suit. It’s a very dangerous position because experience proves that no one group of human beings has got all the wisdom in the world."

and

"You know $96,000 a month for a Prime Minister and $60,000 a month for a minister. What the hell do you do with all that money? You can’t eat it! What do you do with it? Your children don’t need all that money."


If only Mr Marshall knows it's even more expensive getting good help these days. It's no longer the measly sum of $96,000 of 1994 when Goh Chok Tong was PM. They are still at it and it's $308,000 a month for Lee Hsien Loong today!


I was a young boy when this exchange took place.

"Repression, Sir is a habit that grows. I am told it is like making love-it is always easier the second time! The first time there may be pangs of conscience, a sense of guilt. But once embarked on this course with constant repetition you get more and more brazen in the attack.

All you have to do is to dissolve organizations and societies and banish and detain the key political workers in these societies. Then miraculously everything is tranquil on the surface.

Then an intimidated press and the government-controlled radio together can regularly sing your praises, and slowly and steadily the people are made to forget the evil things that have already been done, or if these things are referred to again they're conveniently distorted and distorted with impunity, because there will be no opposition to contradict."

- Lee Kuan Yew as an opposition PAP member speaking to David Marshall, Singapore Legislative Assembly, Debates, 4 October, 1956


How true! The intimidated press and government-controlled radio and (now TVs) can sing PAP's praises and people are made to forget.


52 years later, it's same shit, different time!

Pot calling the kettle black?

feedmetothefish

Monday, April 14, 2008

Rated X


What I'm writing below is rated X.

If you cannot stand filthy language, you are advised not to read further.

I read Friday's 11 April 2008 Straits Times' report of NTUC helping poor workers with 'U Stretch' Vouchers. The example given by Goh Chin Lian of ST is that Mr Ahmad who spends about $150 a month at Fairprice Supermarket would save at least $7.50 with the help of NTUC. I thought, at last, they care.

Then I read OnlineCitizen's Mr Leong Sze Hian and Mr Andrew Loh of NTUC's exploitation of the poor and have come to the conclusion that NTUC is nothing but Congress Union National Trade. If what Mr Leong and Mr Loh wrote is true then the stinking CUNT is a national embarrassment that matches our Ministry of Home Affair's magic of Mas Selamat!

Bloody hell, why stoop so low to increase your business? Why put on an altruistic front when the goal is to increase sales and bottom line? So that management can get a bigger bonus? So what the FCUK is wrong with the CUNT?

Could it be that they have their sticky finger in too many pies? They screwed with supermarkets, healthcare, public transport, insurance and what else? Which industry will they fcuk next? I don't know.

All I know is if the CUNT is made up of MIW, the workers ends up with finger in the rear end. Yes U Stretched! Then again, MIW also have their sticky finger everywhere.

Do they care?

Do they really give a fcuk if we live or die?

Or are they only interested in their power and million $,$$$,$$$ salary?

Your answer is as good as mine.

Maybe Mick Jagger can be a better union head :)

Frustratingly reamed again,
feedmetothefish

Saturday, April 12, 2008

On being 2nd class citizens


Thought Provoker said...
It is truly sad that we are more or less second class citizens in a country where we were born and bred.

However, it is heartening to see someone of your experience having the individuality to see things as they are. Most from your generation are either hopelessly loyal to PAP or hopelessly disillusioned about the reality of living in this business organisation - Singapore Inc.

I remember reading about your despair regarding the CPF changes sometime back and I hope you have since found ways to make things better for yourself.

Take care and all the best - you are not alone...

Thought Provoker



Dear Thought Provoker,

It’s really nice of you to visit my blog and enquire of my well-being. I do not mean to sound maudlin, but your writing to me as a fellow Singaporean (whom I think you are) speaks volume of the concern, care, compassion and empathy which is so absent in the current leadership. Hot air manifesto like “staying together moving ahead” means nothing when you know of how mean and stingy they are when asked to help the poorest of the poor.

As much as we are treated as second class citizens (compared to FT's), we must not succumb to it by accepting and behaving like one. If we do, we would have lost ourselves and rightly deserve to be the morons that they take us to be. The ability for us to exchange and share our experiences in cyberspace (even it's considered inflammatory opinions, half-truths and untruths by some) is the best way to show that even self-proclaimed world class government can and do treat its citizens as underclass. In their scheme of hoarding power and wealth for themselves, they only want us to be mere digits at their disposal.

When will Singaporean learn that disagreeing with PAP is not a crime? Speaking up does not make you a traitor! If leaders are sincere about building an inclusive Singapore, they should welcome our honest feedback. If not, "Together, we can build a compassionate, gracious and inclusive society, and make Singapore the best home for all of us " is nothing but a load of crap and our country is just another 'hypocracy' - a unique democracy ruled by a bunch of hypocrites! Our daily pledge of "building a democratic society based on justice and equality" then becomes a bloody joke that doesn't mean squat. With due respect, it becomes an insult to our late Minister and founding father, Mr S Rajaratnam. I hope he's not turning in his grave with the upgrading fiasco of Hougang and Potong Pasir.

In fact, our experiences, rants and feelings in the blogs are helping overpaid elites and ministers understand the ground better. They should be grateful for our 'straight from the heart' blogs as their balls carrying sycophantic grassroots leaders are too scared to bring up unpleasant truths. Instead of being their "wicked problems", we can help them create new mindset with some humility, I hope :)

As much as PAP MPs (who are worth their salt) are doing their best to persuade the ministers to care and do more, I believe bloggers in cyberspace have contributed in making them come out of their ivory tower to do a little better. The increase of public assistance from $260 to $290 to $330 with effect from May 2008 may be an example. However, it may be too late and too little as the crazy inflation and GST will negate the increase.

If "Ah Long" Singapore has more than enough for GIC and Temasek to sink $billions into Shincorp, Merrill Lynch, United Bank of Singapore (UBS), etc. why can't they be a little nice and help our down and out? With so much fat to spare helping other first world countries, why make it so difficult for our own poor?

In Singapore we are expected to expire before our cash savings and Medisave expires. Do we become irresponsible garbage to be wasted when we outlive our usefulness? Or is it the government's sworn duty to avoid helping us when we are old and sick, and down and out? Maybe to them, Singaporean without sufficient cash or Medisave should never get sick and be hospitalised. They just want us to "pokkuri shinu. Pokkuri refers to the popping of a bubble. They want their lives to be fun and happy, and at some stage, just 'pop' and die in their sleep."! With the kind of overbearing government that we now have, how to be fun and happy? Instead of popping in their sleep, some desperate ones are popping prematurely - jumping from HDB highrise and into MRT tracks!


They talk so much about Medisave, Medishield, Medifund as if it is their gifts to us. The truth is it's our hard earned money and they are making an enterprise out of it. It's not even a social enterprise, it's their money making machine at our bloody expense! It's a shame that many Singaporeans have been so brainwashed that they have forgotten that CPF belongs to them and not the greedy government!

I was treated by my heart doctor at CGH as an outpatient recently. I was told that I could pay outpatient charges with my Medisave. However, I had to pay a co-insurance of $30 and a deductible of 15% of the balance. I must also pay them an admin fee of $3 plus to use this mode of payment. Because of my refusal to pay the admin fee (which is bloody daylight robbery!) they insisted that I pay cash. It really hurts when the government (through legislation) can take away my money and tax me when I want it back for my healthcare. For heaven's sake, it's money to heal my sick damaged heart! The irony is the admin nurse/clerk also advised me to pay cash as she said it's not worth paying a tax of $3 plus to take out $42.50 [total bill of $80 less $30(deductible) less $7.50(co-insurance)] from my Medisave as it works out to 7%! Or was she told to encourage me to pay cash so that CPF can hold longer to my hard earned savings? I don't know. Why make it so difficult for me? Why profiteer from me? Who's money is it anyway?


My concern now is the increase of premium for Medishield. I remember that there was to be no means testing before the election. However, means testing is coming. Or is it already here? Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said, "No medishield premium increase reported CNA on 29 January 2008 but increase is coming wrote Straits Times of 30 January 2008! Deja vou! And it's only less than $3 a month for under-50 stated Straits Times. Isn't that wonderfully cheap? Truth is those aged 80 and above will have to pay up to $1,185 a year! Frankly, I have been so dazed and confused by the ever spinning changing policies in CPF that I've given up asking just what they are doing with my money? All I know is it's not a social service. It's another immoral immortal goose laying golden eggs (like GST, ERP, COE) for them to mess around with. The saddest joke of all is I did not even claim my Medishield when I was laid up in Changi General Hospital as an inpatient for more than 10 days when I had my heart attack! And they are now finding new ways to bleed me with new exorbitant Medishield premiums!

Years ago, CPF outsourced Medishield to private insurance companies like NTUC Income or Great Eastern or AIA or whatever. I was flabbergasted as I thought it was not ethical for CPF to transfer and reveal my personal particulars to such corporations. With the personal particulars in the hands of those insurers, imagine the cold calls they could make to increase their business! So uniquely Singaporean but what to do, it's happened :)

Now old fogeys like myself are advised to slog until we die! You know the propaganda starts when you hear, "Retirement means death, don't stop working", MM Lee . To me, its another song and dance to ensure that the elderly poor do not bug the government for handouts. Tsk, tsk, how can Singapore afford such a dependency mentality! I wonder if the increase rate of suicides in Singapore is due to the fact that it is more honourable for one to jump from highrise HDB and into MRT tracks than to seek help from those elitist arrogant money vampires?

Hey, who wants to retire with an annual pay of over $3,000,000 per annum and having no boss to report to? Having the opportunity to screw the bosses as and when the fancy takes you is a fantastic bonus! Isn't it sweet to tell the bosses that they are "complacent" and "living in the make-believe world" when he's actually caught with his pants down after his subordinates have screwed up big time in national security.

Meanwhile, have a good read of Mr Leong Sze Hian's piece on CPF Medishield at http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/03/31/uniquely-singapore-2/#more-720

Thanks so much for visiting and no worries, Thought Provoker, I'm doing good. With your provocation of my thoughts to write more, I hope they won't detain me for being radicalised or trying to radicalise. Whatever that means :)

Cheers,
feedmetothefish

Monday, April 7, 2008

Country in trouble?

scb said...

Dear Feed Me To The Fish;
whether the Citizens or, and, the Government are complacent and negligent, the Country is in trouble.

The Citizenry and the Leaders are splitted right in the middle with acrimony. Over four decades of so-called nation building has yet to produce any sign of nationhood.

It is truly ominous!


Dear scb,

Thank you for your contribution.

Is our country in trouble? Maybe.

"The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the party that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections."
Lord Acton


4 decades of nation building? Yes, there was a sense of nation building in the 60's, 70's & 80's and even 90's. I must admit there was pride being a Singaporean. Even doing a manual job then to survive contributed towards the sense of nation building. Doing rugged national service in the late 60's to defend a Singaporeans' Singapore was worth the blood, sweat and tears. Yes, even worth the bitching hell and pain of "change parade" and "point drill" from the regular hardcore NCOs and officers.

We were proud of being Singaporeans and were united in defending ourselves. Life threatening Konfrontasi in the 60's was a good example of our cohesiveness, our togetherness. We were proud when leaders verbally stood up and replied to insults and snide remarks thrown at us, especially from up north.

Lately, it's all changed. For the worse!

Now when we are stung by our neighbours on issues like sand, water and monopolies of their telcos, I wonder if we are reaping what we sow? Has our so-called success, our arrogance, our money grabbing (sometimes money losing as in Suzhou, Shincorp, UBS, etc) ventures in their countries make them hate us so much that it brings them delight when harsh realities hit us. Oh, I am not surprise that the current magic escape of Mas Selamat is filling them with glee! What with our fist (first) world security system run by handsomely paid leaders who are always right!

I think Singaporeans' loyalty to Singapore went to the dogs the day the leaders decided to further glorify their positions by paying themselves obscene million $,$$$,$$$ salary.

The self-justification for their greed like:

makes a mockery of loyalty and of service to country. Worse, it makes NSMen and Reservists look stupid with their meagre allowance. When leaders serve themselves instead of the people, it marks the beginning of the end.

Btw, we are paying through our noses and Mas Selamat is still missing. We have become a laughing stock not because of the escape (which, if real, is serious) but because of the arrogance of our big money talk of buying efficiency and effective leaders with $,$$$,$$$!

Maybe current ministers and MPs should read Chief Minister David Marshall's interview of 1994 by Dharmendra Yadav to learn how to serve their fellow men with integrity by not going overboard with their crazy income. Just how much is enough and enough for what?

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." With what's happened in our regions since the 60's. I tend to agree with Lord Acton.

The other reason for our dazed state is the issue of so-called foreign talents. Instead of caring for its own Singaporean students, they let the dogs out by dishing out scholarships to foreign talents. The way they confused us with "residents" instead of "PR's" and "citizens" when questions on university's places were asked was another insult to injury! What is a Singaporean? Ask any red blooded NSmen now if they'd fight for Singapore and the answer is, "How much are they paying me to fight? Who am I fighting for? For the rich gahmen or the FTs who takes away my job and need not serve NS?" Interesting but true.

Another cause of concern is that the great divide mentioned by Catherine Tan is getting wider. The 3 meals in a hotel, restaurant or hotel joke for the poor people living with $290 a month takes the cake! The divide is so great that the leaders are so far off the ground that they do not realise when they are talking cock!

And we are treading on dangerous ground when we keep harping of our support for the American's presence in Afghanistan and Iraq. I watched Bush War at Frontline
and I wonder why Singapore still supports this sad war.

We are in trouble when we are treated like morons. When father always knows best. We are in trouble when the leaders refused to acknowledge that we are fed up with progress.

I also thank Vinyarb for his comments and like him, I sincerely apologise for my screw up in complacency.

While writing, I wonder which toilet Mas is in now and hope that current detainees at Whitley are allowed to visit toilets for urination and defecation :)

With lightness and laughter in my heart,
feedmetothefish

Sunday, April 6, 2008

COMPLACENCY - Finally Tsunami hits Singapore!


Finally Tsunami hits Singapore!!!

The shit finally hits the fan :)

You read what I've read below and you'll enjoy the joke!

http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_223845.html?vgnmr=1

Congratulations! We finally made it! I thought only Bush Jnr can come up with silly comments. Now Lee Snr is catching up with first world America!

Yeah, we are really in the groove of first world chutzpah!

80-year-old Granny says,"If you don't open your mouth, nobody will know that you're stupid" Was he stupid or practicing smart Taichi? Just where does the buck stops? I just hope that Lee Jnr won't lip sync his pappy on 'complacency' again. God forbids! It's so damn bloody embarrassing!

My money is not my money (where CPF is concerned) but Mas Selamat having selamat jalan (a safe journey) is my bloody fault!!! Holy shit, is this what's it's all about?

'Complacency sets in when a people have not suffered any shock or setback for a long time.' said MM Lee Kuan Yew. As far as I know, the ruling party has been sitting pretty for so many arrogant years that complacency has finally creeps in. Looks to me like there are too many deadwoods within the papland.

For the benefit of Mister MM, though I hate to make his life meaningless*, I must let him know that with so much power and money, I'm afraid that he has become complacent in not keeping his subordinates on their toes, doing the jobs that they are paid 'eat gold, drink liquid diamond' millions to do. Maybe MM should understand that the art of living is to let go and let others (including his son and subordinates) do their jobs and get on with their lives without hoarding the limelight and playing Mr KnowsAll all the time!

Poor me, I have to hoard rice (long enough not to let the evil weavils creep in) as even NTUC Fairprice has unfairly started hike essential items!

And pleeeeze do not say, “Even from my sick bed, even if you are going to lower me into the grave and I feel something is going wrong, I will get up.” 1988 National Day Rally, when he discussed the leadership transition to Goh Chok Tong in 1990. again. Enough is enough!!! I sincerely hope that he'd give his son and others a chance to justify their obscene million $,$$$,$$$ salary.

The smile on my face and the laughter in my heart when I read the stupidity of what's written in ST's http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_223845.html?vgnmr=1 is priceless!


*"Between being loved and being feared, I have always believed Machiavelli was right. If nobody is afraid of me, I’m meaningless." - Lee Kuan Yew, 6.10.1997

While you are at it, you may bring a smile to your goodself if you read the following:

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/04/05/mas-selamat%e2%80%99s-escape-%e2%80%93-
government-shifting-the-blame-to-singaporeans%e2%80%99-\

http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/04/very-poor-service-by-straits-times.html
http://udders.blogspot.com/2008/04/re-reading-mr-lee-vis-vis-pierre.html
http://insipidity.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/its-all-our-fault/

The times, they are a changing . . .

There's joy and meaning to the lives of Singaporeans yet!

Cheers,
feedmetothefish