TR EMERITUS

For those who may be interested, our techie will be admitted to the hospital for further medical checks and treatment, scheduled for the last week of November 2020. He is expected to be hospitalised for a week or more. Our techie, Andrew went for his routine monthly medical checkup last week and the results have been anything but satisfactory. Despite the medication prescribed, there appears to be no improvement in the clogged arteries and his brain tissues are continuing to fail and die, affecting mostly the region which controls memory. As a result, he is very forgetful and at times he can't even remember if he has taken his medication or breakfast for the day. Additionally, he is also experiencing on an almost daily basis, unexplained headaches and dizzy spells. As such, his attending doctors have advised that he should be warded for further medical checks. As his condition stands currently, there is no possibility of any surgery as a form of treatment as his family simply cannot afford the high medical costs involved. Although TRE did try to raise approximately RMB 200,000 for his possible operations, we regretfully did only managed to raise about RMB 15,000 of the amount needed. Given his current medical condition, it is very possible that he may not be able to remember to support Ms. Nicole Seah of the Workers Party or he may not even be around when the next General Elections is called (tic). On a serious note, Andrew has expressed that both his wife and he are very appreciative and greatful to all who have donated and contributed one way or another. He is currently taking things slow and easy, waking up daily thanking God for the borrowed time. Andrew's Medical Fund On a related note, TRE understands that Andrew's medical costs are approximately RMB 2,000 a month (excluding medical checks) and surgery to insert stents may cost RMB 100,000 onwards and probably double or triple if it is done in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai or Shenzhen. We are currently hoping that we can help to raise funds for Andrew's medical costs and possible surgery. So, if you would like to help and contribute to his medical fund, the options are below. The team@TRE would like to thank all for your continued support. How To Donate 1. WeChat: Scanning the QR code below (right) will make payment directly into Andrew's wife, Ivy's WeChat account in RMB (most effective and instant). 2. PayPal: Please use the PayPal form below (left). All payments will be credited directly into his wife, Ivy's Paypal account in USD. No existing Paypal account is required for Credit or Debit card payments. 3. POSB Everyday Savings Account: Ten Leu Jiun Jeanne-Marie 193-69702-0. Ms Ten has helped Andrew with the collection of donations in the past for his wife's sickness and has offered her POSB account again this time around. All proceeds will be remitted to his wife by the end of the month.       PayPal Amount Option A $25.00 USDOption B $50.00 USDOption C $100.00 USDOption D $250.00 USDOption E $500.00 USDOption F $1,000.00 USD   . * The above medical information are translated from Chinese to the best of our knowledge based on medical reports and information provided by Andrew and/or his wife, communicated to them in Chinese by the doctors.  Read More →

Please be informed that we will be putting TR Emeritus (TRE) on semi-hiatus status effective immediately, after consulting with the owner and our techie (who has been with TRE for over a decade). What this means is that articles from contributors, readers and those who have given blanket permission will continue to be published on TRE, but there will be no editorials during this period, unless it is absolutely necessary. Readers can continue to comment on these articles as per normal. This decision was taken after taking into consideration the following: 1. Some of our contributors and editors have expressed that they have lost the momentum to write and would like to take a break, mostly because: Seems like whatever we say, no use . . . PAP is still PAP... 2. The current situation in the local blogosphere is very explosive and unpredictable. Therefore it is important for TRE to thread carefully and cautiously, pending the outcome of various ongoing lawsuits against fellow bloggers. 3. We are in the process of discussion with person(s) whom have shown interest in taking over TRE as the current owner has expressed her desire to retire from the blogosphere. If the discussions are successful, then TRE will continue under a new ownership and editorial team. 4. Our techie has also expressed his intention to exit TRE completely before his next birthday. He hopes to visit places he has always wanted to see in China, while he can still walk and can still remember who his wife and friends are. We will make an announcement if there are any changes or updates on our current status. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers for your continued support. Please stay safe and may God bless all of you and your family.   Team@TRE      Read More →

We need an ombudsman office in Singapore. A definition of ombudsman - an official appointed to investigate individuals' complaints against a company or organization, especially a public authority. Here are some examples of how an ombudsman office can work: * It can hear complaints about sexual harassment - such as the the recent case in the National University of Singapore. * It can hear complaints about mishandling by the police, such as the prosecution of the maid in the LML case. The ombudsman office will handle the complaint differently from a disciplinary committee of the institution in the following way: * The disciplinary committee comprise of people in the institution. They will find it difficult to deal to deal with a colleague who is being accused. * The disciplinary committee is not trained in the process to resolve the matter. The ombudsman office is independent and is trained to handle the complaint. It will operate like a law court, but will follow a process that is less formal and legalistic. In the absence of an ombudsman office, the public has the option to lodge a police report. However, the police deals only with offenses under the law. It may not be suitable to deal with civil matters. It is better to have an ombudsman office to deal with complaints from the public. It can adopt the following approach: * Get the statement from the complainant * Get the statement from the other party * See if the two parties can settle the matter amicably * Escalate the matter to the next level, if it cannot be resolved at the ombudsman office. The escalation can be to the following channels: * Lodge a police report, if a criminal offense is involved, e.g. bribery or cheating. * Lodge a complaint to the institution for disciplinary action to be considered. * Refer parties to resolve the matter in a law court. The ombudsman office may be given certain power to direct the relevant authority to take certain action, similar to the power given to the court. Do you agree?   Tan Kin Lian      Read More →