While Ser Luck is leading the race to becoming the 4th PM of the Democratic One-Party Republic of Singapore, Yam Keng is not giving up yet.
Luck: I swim, cycle and run.
Keng: But I can act in Charity Shows!
The Actor or the Athlete? Your choice.
=)
Harry & Meow
By Andrew P K Yap
The human mind, the linear time
Your first grandson the albino
What about the casino?
Another plane, the static time
You arrive but you do not know
You have no, yet, plan to go.
This NOW can be a good time.
The past the future the present
Is NOW in this moment.
Your spouse she does not have much time
Three stokes but cannot in peace go
We know she has lots of gold
Curse the casino, there is time
You will be like Pharaoh of old
Relenting only when he buries
His first born son in a hole?
This year 45th Independence Day celebration is almost hysterical.
Weeks before Independence Day, the state-controlled media, TV, radio and newspapers, have been saturated with images and symbols of nationalism replete with patriotic songs and an unabashed orgy of self-congratulation messages on how strongly we rebounded from the ominous global recession and how fortunate we are to host the maiden Youth Olympic Games.
But are Singaporeans really proud of their independence and what is the true meaning of independence?
Independence means liberty from the yoke of colonialism, the right to determine our own destiny, to make important political and moral choices as citizens of a new state where we would all be responsible for our own lives and actions.
Forty five years after breaking the bondage to a foreign power have Singaporeans been able to exercise self-determination and enjoy their freedoms? Mr Sim Kwang Yang, an opposition MP in Sarawak from 1982 to1995, made the following observations on post-Independence Malaysia which I think are just as relevant in Singapore:
“…. those laws and regulations that were enacted and used to fetter the freedom of Malaysians by our former colonial masters are now used to oppress dissidents and critics of the government.
In fact, freedom is now painted as a word with fearful negative connotations. Day in and day out, we are reminded by our elected leaders that freedom is equal to license the nihilistic idea of doing what one wants without responsibility and restraint.
Freedom has been equated with seditious tendency, with people going wild and violent because they have ultra-sensitive religious and racial nerves, and with riots and rampant killing on the streets that will destroy stability and economic development.
For 50 years, we may have said farewell to our former British colonial masters, but their colonial instruments for the oppression of the people and suppression of their fundamental liberties have been preserved, reinforced, and abused by the same group of ruling elite to ensure their hold on political power.
Like their former colonial tuans, the new ruling class in the new nation-state has monopolised all rights towards the articulation of national interest. In the name of that national interest, which only they can narrate, they – like their colonial masters before them – severely limit citizens’ right to free speech, free expression of ideas, freedom of the press, and freedom of association. Until today, an assembly of more than five persons is still considered by the police as an illegal assembly. What has our half century of independence achieved?”
Unfortunately in Singapore, just one person only can be considered as illegal assembly!
Many people will point to our remarkable economic progress as our achievement since Independence. But what is the use of living in a big nice house when you are not allowed to participate in the running of the house or worst still your voice is not even heard?
It’s interesting that the nation is divided over the Youth Olympic Games, which will commence tomorrow. While there are our party’s driven supporters, there are also the common people inspired protestors.
If you think the split is 50-50, you are being nice.
Well, we “PAP smear” are quite perturbed by the polls by CNA. 90% of how many are uninterested? 3% don’t know? Do you know how much we spent on the whole gala? The kind of good food we provide to the helpers are actually criticised to be worst than dog food??
And about the students queueing up under the hot sun during the torch relay… is it really that hot?
Ridiculously Diculous!!!
Hey people, give some some face to DPM Teo can or not? He is the President of the Singapore National Olympic Council wor… why can’t all of you just shut the mug up and pretend to like the YOG? Those jokers who actually set up the facebook anti-YOG groups deserved to be whacked on the butts. Be nice. Be obedient. This is the way we have to come together to make the Sports event succeed. There is no room for failure.
JJ Lin is a patriotic man. He came up with this “Hadoken” jingle so good and yet got bombarded by the fans…. you mean you don’t like the words? He said it’s not written by him. The melody is nice right?
Also, I bet all you you should like the Olympic theme song – Ken Lim’s “Everyone”. After we went through all the preliminaries, semi-finals, finals, and eventually came out with a winning song “Dare to Dream” by Najip Siddik, we finally gave Ken the inspiration to write the song we want! Isn’t it beautiful? EVERYONE should like the song!
And on the give-way thingy. Come-on, just do it like Nike. The fine is just to remind… we don’t actually mean to slap a fine on you drivers lah… just keep clear of the path and let the athletes arrive on time.
Anymore issues? Can negotiate with Ser Luck one. He is a nice guy.
=p
Harry & Meow
Gregory Rutledge is the man! BN should be ashamed to worship US democracy when even the guy from the States gets disllusioned about his own people’s attitudes and his country’s policies.
The two-party system does not work for our country, like MM Lee and SM Goh has reiterated many times. Think about it… the perfect one-party democracy! Isn’t it beautiful??? We Asians are different from the Caucasians and will not do well under a system where decisions are split. We need a good leader. We have PM Lee. We will soon possibly have PM Teo. And maybe PM Lee again then.
Think!
Yes, people, the one-party democracy is the choice for our nation. We the citizens of Singapore should stand together and united as not two, but one. See Tong and his wife can still be a good MP couple, representing the voice of the common. Thia Khiang will probably get his Hougang again in the coming GE. The system is Asiance – Beautiful and Majestic.
=)
Harry & Meow
“SINGAPORE DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS
PRESS RELEASE
HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN 2009 LOWER THAN IN 2008, Singapore Department of Statistics”
“In 3Q09, the Property Price Index, a national price index developed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority on residential stock island-wide, took a sudden upturn, jumping by an amazing 15.9 per cent, by Dr Chua Yang Liang 05:55 AM Aug 06, 2010″
Government by the rich for the rich
Dear supporters,
I am about to go through one of my ever greatest trials in life. Should you not hear from me for a continuous 3-month period or more, the following might have happened.
1. I am detained without trial
2. I am prosecuted and jailed
3. I am in a coma like Kwa Geok Choo
4. I am dead
Either way, I will no longer have access to the internet.
To all my friends and comrades in different sectors, especially that of the business and journalism, I implore all of you to continue to fight for a two party-system for our country. Only a true democracy like that of the US and Taiwan could bring forth a better life for the common people. Unless you want to see a Singapore which is meant for only the upper class to thrive and enjoy, and the people don’t really have a choice, the revolution must go on!
I love you.
BN
August 4, 2010 1800hrs
I understand that many people are upset about the floods. So do I. Let me pray for the nation…
PK lacks vision.
MM Lee as Moses of 2010, needs floods in Orchard Road, so he could do God’s will in parting the Orchard River and leading the people to the promised Casinos!
And PM Lee is David with the catapult. Poor Gohliath.
If you guys could figure out who SM Goh is, do let me know.
Harry Wow Wild Cats, meow meow…
Singapore, 23 July 2010
They sent billions to their rescue and lost billions in the process.
When Singapore is inundated, the excuses start to flow:
“MM Lee says no amount of engineering can prevent flooding. Channel News Asia”
“Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it would be very costly to keep the city state flood-free after the country was hit by two flash floods this month, including one in the prime Orchard Road shopping district. (Reporting by Singapore Newsroom -June 27 (Reuters)”
The one that heads the organisation rushing to Merrill and Citibank rescue in the USA happens to be the daughter in law / wife and the ones making the excuses happen to be the father in law / wife… oops, husband, respectively.
Go figure.
Singapore, July 13th 2010
I say let him win without contest.
Since he is so desperate to win absolute control that he was willing to do such despicable acts against his opponents; why bother now when he is breathing his last.
It is clear for all to see that his family suffered the retribution for the inhuman acts the man committed.
Let the curses his family suffers be a warning to all and let the bad karma count as justice and move on.
What I don’t get is why the man continues to heap more evil on his own head promoting the casinos.
I can only guess that some people do not believe in retribution and or karma even when it plays out in his own family.
Honestly, we “PAP smear” don’t think Thia Khiang got the guts to send a team to contest our IPman MM Lee at Tanjong Pagar. His Weng Chun skills will bring down your gu-niangs easily.
If you dare to send in the scouts, I will “Chop!!!”. =D
Harry from ESBN
and the wow wild cats
This GE might be our Our MM Lee’s finale GE in his entire life. He is probably hoping that there is some sort of challenge mounted when the time comes. So Thia Khiang, last election, you sent your boy scouts to AMK, this round why don’t you try Tanjong Pagar instead?
Who knows, it might be a draw followed by penalty shootout!
=)
Harry from ESBN
and the wow wild cats
As there has been a common spread that the GE could be in December 2010 as a result of that @#$ BN’s prediction, our Prime Minister is duely considering delaying it till 2011 unfolds. It might perhaps just be 2 Jan 2011 for Polling Day afterall, just to prove a point. Nevertheless, GE is near and the MPs and grassroots are all working round the clock. Ah Mee, the returning officer is a famous man now, in addition to his achievement in LTA. The instant noodles business is suddenly hot!
Let’s brace for an all exciting GE2011 ya! You know who to vote for, don’t you?
Btw, all ladies, remember to go for PAP smear.
=)
Harry from ESBN
and the wow wild cats
Our revered MM Lee rated himself A or A- at the 37th annual Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) dinner last friday for shaping the financial industry with the late Dr Goh Keng Swee.
He was too modest.
IMHO, he deserves an A+ just by coming out with a theory that Singapore needs only two banks. By right DBS suffice, and it would be a good monopoly for any businesses. But because banking is not any ordinary business and funds need to be circulated, at least two banks need to exist. May God bless him for striving hard to feed the three classes that he created. His one party-two banks-three classes ideology is indeed wise and benefacting.
I would like to add on to that …. four senior ministers playing Cardinals role to support the Prime Minister. That shall make the establishment almost impregnable.
We have hope indeed.
Harry from ESBN
and the wow wild cats
Our Minister Mentor is healthy and ready for the GE! Yeah!!!
Harry from ESBN
Singapore 23 June 2003
The economic stimulus programs started at the height of the great recession either has ended or are ending soon and as a result, the economic news that comes out of the USA is mostly bad or disappointing.
China is supposed to take up the slack, the slowdown in demand in the US. Indeed, she has, to a certain extent. The trade figures for March shows a deficit of almost US$8 billion. It is usually, almost always, in surplus.
It is becoming clear that the amount of money the communist government of China printed to counter the great recession is causing inflationary pressures. They printed vastly more than what the Americans did, the British did and the Europeans printed.
When the Euro currency tanked against the US dollar and because the Chinese pegged the renminbi to the US dollar, the Chinese yuan strengthened and exports to the EU, one can imagine fell.
In a desperate move, the communist government decides to widen the exchange rate band for the yuan and while in a knee jerk reaction the yuan strengthened against the US dollar, the likelihood is for the yuan to weaken against the Euro after the G20 meet.
China is becoming a bigger economy and the test will soon come whether the Chinese despots can run an economy that is so much bigger and so much more complex compared to when Deng opened up the country 30 years ago.
Ho Jinx is reportedly participating in the Great Chinese bank IPO (Agricultural bank of China). The track record of Temasek’s overseas investments, think Shin Corp, Merrill Lynch, Barclays to name a few is so jinxed, one cannot help but wonder if this is the beginning of the GREAT ECONOMIC COLLAPSE of CHINA.
Singapore, Friday June 18 2010
One of the expected consequences of strong economic growth is inflation. You would then assume that inflation would be tame when the growth is anemic.
An economic depression would lead to deflation. Other causes as in the case with Japan, property prices fell after the bubble burst and caused a decade of deflation.
In the USA and Europe, the present growth is tentative at best and the fear is of a double dip recession after the recent great recession. A double dip might lead to a full-blown depression. You would expect that to lead to deflation.
Sure, printing more money would lead to inflation, and that would counter the deflationary pressures if the affected governments see a double dip on the way. So why did the Japanese government not print yen to get out of the deflation?
The simple answer is that doing that would bring on other problems. If there were a run on the currency, the “other problems” would cause more harm than deflationary pressures. Think Zimbabwe.
Stoically, the many Japanese governments, or more accurately, the civil servants, simply refused to do that and that is why you have “many” changes of government because they are seen to be unable to address the “poor economic growth” issue.
You might correctly argue that the USA and the UK governments printed money (quantitatively eased) in the recent great recession. They apparently are getting away with it, so far.
Some would argue that they were “responsible” in their easing and it was a limited and controlled easing. Obviously, it will all spiral out of control if we were to see a double dip that might lead to a depression and they decide to print more and more.
What is happening in China now, at the moment, is the, as far as I can see, increases in wage demands. It seems like it will spiral out of control, as it would seem most bizarre for a communist government not to support the workers.
Because it is not democratic, the communist regime would face unimaginable consequences, if they are seen to be abandoning the (to put it in the words of the Swedish chairperson of British Petroleum) “small” people.
Property price increases leading to wage increases which lead to more property price increases, which lead to prices of everything else to increase, which lead to wage increases…. how can the communist regime stop it?
Wage increases in China. How can you stop that in a country, when if you cannot take industrial action, you, one by one, jump off the roof of the factory (in the case of Foxcon) to press your case.
So what does this all mean? When will it start to affect the markets? So what will happen to the commodity, financial, stock, foreign exchange markets? That is something you have to discuss with your personal financial advisor.
Make sure you have a good one that makes you money, protect your wealth, instead of losing it all for you.
The 2008 financial market crash was due to losses the banks suffered because of the sub prime loans tied to the Credit Default Swaps.
The 2010 market crisis was due to the “maybe” the PIGS will default.
“Maybe” the Europeans fixing the PIGS crisis will “maybe” derail the global economic recovery.
The markets dropped because of all these “maybe”/s.
“Maybe” its just all bull-sh!t
“Maybe” it is just time for the markets to have a healthy correction.
Edited 25th May 2010 to add: Out of the blue a report comes out that North Korea is preparing for war and send the markets tumbling.
The problem with the European Community is that some members are heavily indebted. Greece is insolvent. She cannot pay the money she borrowed without borrowing more, with virtually nobody willing to lend. The European Community has to do it to lend Greece the money; and maybe Portugal, Ireland, Spain.
Portugal Ireland Greece Spain, PIGS.
Just let Greece go bankrupt and let them default on their loans; is that possible? If that happens, a big bank that loaned them money might go under. Think Lehman brothers.
When the USA poured money into the system, ostensibly by printing money (so did the UK) it solved the problem to a certain extent.
The European Community cannot do it, print money to rescue the PIGS, for the currency does not serve only one country. When the USA prints, the benefits or consequences go to one country. Not so the EU.
People want to know whether it is feasible to ask the Germans and the Italians, for example to bail out Greece. Hey, even brothers living under the same roof find it hard to bail each other out.
What is worse is that there does not seem to be a long-term solution for Greece that would ensure the lenders would get their money back.
What then, give them all the one trillion?
Forget about the Germans and the Italians for a bit and we see that in Greece itself, the beneficiary, there are riots against the plan.
Sometimes, the fear is worse than the reality but in this case, the reality would cause a global depression.
The fear that it will fail and go awry has already caused a minor credit squeeze. The markets are plunging, wiping out trillions from the system.
It is fast becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Then there is China. Watch this space.
Edited to add: Spain announced that they will make deep budget cuts (there is hope yet)
