Singapore Watch

“Cancer cells grow in an uncontrolled manner. One malignant cell becomes two, two become four, four become eight, and so on, until a mass of cells (a tumor) is created. The tumor interferes with the normal functioning of healthy tissue and can spread to other parts of your body.” ^(source)

Long before you are even aware of it’s presence, it exists. When you realize the breach in security, it might already be too late.

There are some who choose to join the opposition party, hoping to create change. Ti Lik, a former Young PAP turn Worker’s party, who was recently voted into the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Worker’s Party had this to say: ”I realised that political competition is the best way to make the ruling party more sensitive to the needs of the people.” ^{(via commentary singapore)}

This is said, despite the fact that Opposition Parties currently hold only 2 of the 81 seats in Parliment, of which Chiam See Tong might not even be able to keep his at the next elections. The opposition is too small to provide the ‘political competition’. Change starts somewhere I guess, and I applaud them for wanting to make a difference.

“If you can’t beat them, join them.”

Roy Mustang in Full Metal Alchemist chose to rise through the ranks, and reach the top, where he could then advocate change. Getting to a position where he could create change was his source of motivation.

Sydney and Jack Bristow served as double agents in Alias - bringing down SD-6 was their driving force.

Or you could just create circumstances to be promoted into power, like Chancellor Palpatine in Star Wars, and then order your troops to do your dirty work, under the guise of an uprising.

With the state the opposition is in right now, I think they’re better off creating change from within the PAP itself. From cancer cells, much can be learnt.

“True change might come from within!”

Yeah yeah, I know it’s weird citing movies, anime and tv as examples. Shows you how much I watch. At least they can’t sue.

By BERNIE ZUCCARELLI
GUEST COLUMNIST

In August 1999 I spent two weeks in Singapore. Other than an occasional taxi ride and one ride in a car owned by a relative of my host, I got around the city in modes of transportation other than an automobile. I didn’t need a car because Singapore has one of the best mass-transit systems in the world.

Singapore is an island the size of Manhattan, with a land area of 265 square miles and a population of 4.25 million. It’s recognized as one of the most robust economies in the world and is a major force in Asia-Pacific economics. Hardly a day goes by without mention of Singapore somewhere in this newspaper.

Singapore is no third-world country whose people live in poverty. In 2004, the average salary for Singaporean workers (other than those self-employed) was $45,144 (in Singapore dollars; U.S. $1 equals $1.65 in Singapore dollars). Unemployment was just 5.3 percent.

Link to Article (via From a Singapore Angle)

Daniel Libeskind, master planner of the Freedom Towers (which are to replace the WTC), has been branded and “egghead” by Donald Trump. “It’s a terrible design. It was designed by an egghead architect who really doesn’t have a lot of experience of designing something like this,” said Trump in an interview with Chris Matthews.

Instead of responding with legal action, Libeskind took a jibe at Trump’s trademarked hair. “I am sure that all of us, whatever the shape of our head or its decorative accessory agree that security is the paramount concern for the new tower,” Libeskind wrote in his letter.

Perhaps there’s something we can learn from this.

New York Post Report: http://www.newyorkpost.com/news/regionalnews/46794.htm

A really well written article by Theresa Tan, on the issue of Child-Sex Tourism.

Excerpt:

In today’s Straits Times (17 May 2005, Page 3 and H4), Theresa Tan (my younger, brighter, smarter, better-writing, passionate young friend of the same name) reported on the issue of child sex exploitation by Singaporean men being brought up in Parliament.

I’ve been on the bandwagon since visiting the website of a US 501C organisation called Shared Hope International (www.sharedhope.org) that runs rescue missions of young women and children who have been forced into prostitution. The stories ripped my heart to shreds, as they would any humane, intelligent human being not possessed by satanic forces.

It’s new to me, but the trade is as old as the Bible. That doesn’t make it right. These are CHILDREN we are talking about. In villages around Surabaya, Indonesia, for example, parents wait till their daughters get their first period and gladly sell them off to “friends” and “farangs” who are going to give their daughters a “job”. These girls may be told their going to be doing sales. They just don’t realise they’re also the product they’re selling. In India, mothers are known to sell off their daughters that are eight or nine to be “dolls” in brothels. These girls, who if they were living in Singapore, would be pulling on their uniforms and getting on the bus to school and studying for their Primary Three streaming, are kept in cages, and every 15 minutes some FULL GROWN MAN is going to come along, tap them on the shoulder, take them to a room and rape them.

Link to Article

“Back to the Future” is a series of satirical articles anonymously posted on the UseNet newgroup “soc.culture.singapore”. The secret to be given away here is that it is really written by David Lin, author of the popular series “Moving to Singapore”.

Here’s an example:

SINGAPORE, February 29 (lint) - An eight-year old “arrested” his parents for littering into the Singapore River yesterday. Ever since the Environment Ministry empowered responsible residents to help police against litterbugs, the rate of arrest has dramatically increased. All residents are now living in fear now that they could get arrested for littering even by their close family members. According to the Straits Times, the results are cleaner streets and sacking of more than half of the Singapore cleaning force.

The eight-year old, Wu Poh Chi, was given citation for being a good model Singapore citizen. He boldly stated that “for the good of my country, I am willing to sacrifice my parents, or even my life for Singapore.” The parents will receive 3 canes each for their offense. They swear to take revenge at home.

If such an article really appear in the ST one day, someone please shoot me.