by | § ¶ | trackbackCapital G gloat
Here's something you'll never see here. :)
by | § ¶ | trackbackTransfer of reserves: Singaporeans in real trouble
Quoted from http://www.singaporedemocrat.org/news_display.php?id=485[begin quote]
The SDP has learned that Parliament has amended the Constitution to allow the transfer of reserves from the Government to statutory boards and government-linked companies.
If true, this step has ominous implications for Singaporeans and our future. The Government must come clean and unambiguously explain to the people what it is trying to do with this latest change of the Constitution.
The fact that the ruling party continues to amend the Constitution at will (four other amendments were apparently passed at the sitting) to suit its own needs is troubling enough. But the present amendment to allow the transfer of our nation’s reserves to government bodies and businesses is in a category all on its own, and signals a dangerous level into which the state-management of Singapore’s economy has descended.
With a system that is as non-transparent and unaccountable as the PAP’s, this opening up of the vault to our reserves may yet be the latest sign of the desperate financial situation the government organizations have found themselves in. Without proper accounting and a transparent system where the opposition, civil society, and media can probe the propriety of these financial transactions, how can the people be assured that the reserves, which include the life savings of Singaporeans, will not be misused and abused?
It is equally vexing, but unsurprising, that the issue has received so little publicity in the media. Apparently, news of this constitutional amendment was buried in the 15th paragraph of a report entitled “More foreign-born kids to get citizenship” in the Straits Times.
And yet questions abound: How much is allowed to be transferred to any one company? Who will determine/approve the transactions? Under what criteria will the transfers be deemed to be necessary? Will it be guaranteed that the money will not be lost through ventures, business of otherwise, conducted by the statutory boards and GLCs? Most important, do Singaporeans agree for the Government to make these
transfers in the first place?
As usual, the PAP as manipulated politics to the point where it can do anything and everything it wants. Nothing and no one in Singapore can prevent the Government from abusing the system.
Some may say that, given the deteriorating political and economic situation in the country, Singaporeans will send a message to the PAP and vote for the opposition at the next elections. Singaporeans must realize that at the present rate we are going under the present system, hell will freeze over first before the PAP allows Singaporeans to hold it accountable through elections.
Chee Soon Juan
[end quote]
by | § ¶ | trackbackWhy do you think Singaporeans are defensive?
I was in a group meeting when a topic popped out. Is Singapore a boring place?One guy pointed out that Singapore has no exciting places of interest. Oh yeah, the whole country has only a tiny area of 650 square kilometres, is virtually a flat concrete jungle and it doesn't invest in powerful neon lights to add colours to its night scene. The people are plain looking and many speak in Chinese-accented English. Boring indeed.
He mentioned that places like New York, Scotland, Amsterdam or even Hong Kong are very interesting. The Empire State Building is supposedly one of the seven wonders in the modern world. And oh, Isle of Skye is a place you must visit before you die. In Netherlands, you can order marijuana hash brown openly in any coffee shops. Hong Kong is every girl's shopping paradise. Not forgetting to mention, everywhere else's TV programmes are of better qualities.
Alas, Singapore has nothing to be proud of. What this small country and its 65 offshore islands can offer is nothing significant really. Another colleague wondered where do the tourists go usually. Mandai Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, Sentosa, Chinese Garden, and the Japanese Garden, I replied. "Sounds thoroughly boring. You shouldn't go back to your communist country. Stay here in England instead".
Boring fine. But I hate it when people say Singapore is no good. I hate it even more when they associate Singapore with China. You started the cultural difference shit, I tell you what I think about the cultural difference.
What's wrong with Singapore? People enjoy good local food. Laksa, Mee Goreng, Mee Rebus, Nasi Lemak, Nasi Goreng, Mee Siam, Char Kway Teow, Chee Kway, Chee Cheong Fun, Goreng Pisang, Bah Guk Teh, Tow Suan, Tow Huay, Bah Chor Mee, Bah Kua, Bah Hoo, Curry Fish Head, Curry Chicken, Indian Rojak, Chinese Rojak, Stingray, Fish Head noodle, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Hakka Yung Tow Foo, You Teow, Fishball noodle, Char Siew Fun, Shao Rou Fan, Roti John, Mutabak and etc.
Singaporeans enjoy efficient medical care. Singaporeans do not have to wait an average of 8 hours or 2 days to see the doctor. One can have all his/her medical problems carefully diagnosed without the doctor goes "I'm sorry, I can only attend to your cough this appointment. Come back again tomorrow and I will attend to your runny nose". And the dispensary is just outside the doctor's room; the sick patient doesn't have to walk another kilometre to the chemist's.
In Singapore, the women are no doubt downright plain looking. No formal suits, no fanciful dresses and no makeup. Just a lot flat facial features and spaghetti straps. Why not say they have a lot of self-esteem? Well at least I think they are more comfortable with how they look, as compared to girls who can't go out of the house without a full makeover. I wonder what is scarier, plain haggard faces wearing street fashions or heavily powdered faces with cracks and lines carrying 'are-they-fake-Gucci?' bags?
Singapore is such a small place that shopkeepers do not have to rush to catch that 5pm last train/bus home. As a result, Singaporeans enjoy the benefit of doing some shopping after work. Some said the sale assistants have some attitude problems, but that's probably because the customer who has been trying 30 pairs of shoes makes a big fuss, saying the shop's collection is different from what she has seen, erm, ten thousand miles away. And when the shops close at 10pm, there's no hurry to rush home. Catch a midnight show. You don't have to spend bomb on cab fare, there always the Night Rider!
As much as I dislike the 'gahmen' and the transportation system, I'm proud of the same 'gahmen' and the transportation service providers who do their best to provide for the people with limited resources. I'm really not sure where else have Night Rider service, but definately not those places that comes to your head.
As much as I hate the amount of stress I face both in school and at work, I'm being treated as a first class citizen. For those who are born or raised outside your home country, I'm not being sarcastic but face it, no matter how much you try to integrate, you are neither here nor there. Poor you. Wait a minute, if you usually hang out with people of the same colour, then you are not even trying to integrate in the first place.
Now that I'm here in England, all I can eat for supper is fish and chips and kebabs. *Yawn*.
And I hate falling ill. Not only I have to make an appointment to see a doctor 2 days later, I have to walk at least one kilometres to the nearest chemist to get my prescribed cough drops. And the day after, I have to repeat the same whole procedure again to get the prescribed medications for my runny nose.
You think English girls are prettier? Well, only Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Kate Winslet really. Even Elizabeth Hurley needs a jaw job and Botox. If you ask me, I would rather have flat facial features than to have a bulging waist.
When you think nothing can get worse, try to imagine at 6pm, your lecturer tells you to come in formal suit tomorrow at 9am for your project presentation when you are just a penniless international student with nothing but tshirts and jeans in your closet. Even if you have the money to spend, no shops are opened after 5pm!
Before you assume that I hate England. Nope I do not. I like England. And I love my English friends. I do not hate a place or a person just because they are different from what I am used to. I'm merely stating the major differences.
"Then why are you Singaporeans so defensive?"
Yes I am defensive because Singapore is not as bad as you think. Certainly not to the extent that you could condemn Singapore altogether. If you are looking for mountains and hot springs, sorry we don't have. If you are looking for pure British or American accent, sorry we don't have. Our accent is as incomprehensible as the Scottish, Brummie and Geordie accents. Did I mention that our accent is as irritating as yours? If you are looking for pretty girls, our best looking girls are either on TV, or travelling around the world to serve you coffees, so you won't see them on the streets.
But do drop by for the sun and a few nights of exciting 'supper-crawlings'. Especially you, you, you and you! You are too skinny and look too pale.
by | § ¶ | trackbackPhotos from Amsterdam trip
Here are some photos we took in Amsterdam, they are of varying sizes because some photos looked awful when I tried to shrink them.Panorama 1 - Taken from the top of a building called 'Nemo' (New Metropolis), which was created by the famous Renzo Piano. On the left is the Maritime museum
Panorama 2 - Another one from Nemo, this one shows from right to left, the central train station, the Botel (Boat Hotel), the floating chinese restaurant, the old town square behind that and the rest of the old town and harbour.
Boat Houses - Amsterdam has thousands of these boat houses scattered all over its canals and harbour. No fear of flash floods here.
Canal Tour Boat Entering Lock - One of the few (4?) remaining original locks that were built in the 17th Century. We were to later pass through that very lock in one of those touring boats.
Our Beds at Hans Brinker Hostel - It's a stretch calling this dump a hotel. Probably my last time in a hostel, I'm getting too old for heavy metal music at 4am in the morning.
Paint Them Green and You'll Have An Army Camp - Uh huh...
Peanut Car - A nice whatchamacallit? A trimobile? We spotted this at the market in the Jordaan district. Wonder what the words say.
Night Watch On Shutters - Compare with the original and countless other spoofs. The painting is the most valued art treasure in the Netherlands. By the way, this shop is located right beside the Rijksmuseum sells really expensive "seafood inna bun" stuff.
A Typical Canal Scene - Ahh what a sight!
View From The Rijksmuseum - Nice open field what else?
Waterpoolien Flea Market - Your typical Pasar Malaam minus the sweat
The Only Windmill Left In Amsterdam - I think its now a mexican restaurant. We did see many more outside Amsterdam though.