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作者:吴明盛 (国民团结党秘书长) 国民团结党对人民行动党只对现有的战备军人表彰而对以往对我国国防和稳定做出贡献的老兵置之不理感到震惊。 行动党可以轻易地说这钱不太重要。但行动党并不了解如此刻意的把老兵之置于这奖励表彰制度之外已经伤了他们的感情，而这并是那$9000的奖励可弥补的伤害。 当总理宣布会对每一位战备军人付与$9000以表彰他们为国家的贡献时，很多新加坡人都为执政党能正视人们对国家的牺牲感到非常高兴。就算我们当中有一些会得到比较少的表扬金，我们也可理解这是政府对我们象征式的奖励。 然而，我们万万没想到行动党会把两三代的老兵给完全忽略掉！这批四十岁以上的男性公民肯定会对如此对待感到气愤。这是不是意味着当人们因老了而再也没有“利用价值”时，这国家就会遗弃他们，对他们以往的贡献完全置之不理吗？这也暴露了行动党那种以实用主义治国的冷酷无情。 不要遗弃任何人。这是军官训练营所提倡的精神，也是国民团结党所坚持的。行动党也附和这口号，但它并没真正履行它自己所提倡的信仰。  Read More →

Despite the best of efforts of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to appease angry Singaporeans during his National Day Rally speech over his ultra-liberal immigration policies, Singaporeans remain unconvinced by his argument that Singapore needs foreigners to continue growing. Two days after his speech, a Facebook group was set up to say "No" to foreign talent and it has attracted more than 80 fans in a single day. Started by an anonymous netizen SMS Tan, the Facebook calls on Singaporeans to give feedback about abuse and racial discrimination by foreigners in Singapore: "Singapore-born citizens should be VIP Very Important People in this country but we are being treated as 2nd class citizens. This party though unofficial hopes to protect our Singapore-born VIP citizens against Foreign Talent, Foreign Labour and Foreigner abuse, bully and racial discriminations in your workplaces and homes. Group helps you to give the feedback to relevant authority. Your case stories with the anonymous names are to be listed in group's wall so our VIP citizens can learn from such experiences. Your details are private and confidential, won't be disclosed to anyone globally." [Source: Singapore says "No" to foreign talents] There is a wide gulf between what is reported in the mainstream media and the views expressed by Singaporeans on internet forums and blogs. While the former heaped generous praises on PM Lee's speech, many netizens are unconvinced by his sincerity. The PAP may be doing itself a disservice by being over-dependent on the mainstream media and official feedback channels while ignoring the genuine concerns, frustrations and angers expressed by netizens elsewhere. The foreigner issue may be the PAP's Achilles Heel in the next general election and it remains to be seen if it is in for a rude shock like what happened to Malaysia in its 2008 election.   DISCLAIMER: Temasek Review does not endorse, support or promote the above Facebook. Please join it at your own discretion.   Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to create awareness of the current affairs affecting Singaporeans. Please use our online web form to contact us.  Read More →

On 30 August, Lianhe Zaobao published a critical commentary asking the government to review its scholarship system which is being abused by some foreign students who broke their bonds upon completion of their studies without returning to Singapore. (read article here) The exact number of foreign scholars who broke their bonds yearly is not revealed by the Ministry of Education which is sponsoring an increasing number of them to study in Singapore polytechnics and universities using taxpayers' monies. The PAP's rationale for offering scholarships for foreign students is to "catch" the "talents" when they are young in the hope that they will settle down here and contribute to Singapore in the future. However, it is pretty obvious that quite a number of these foreign students are more interested in using Singapore as a platform to immigrate to other countries like U.S., Canada and Australia. Over at "Baidu Answers", a popular Chinese internet portal, Chinese students asked how they can wriggle a free education out of Singapore without having to serve any bonds. Attached below are two questions posed by Chinese students interested to further their studies in Singapore: [Source: baidu.com] Question: I want to study in Singapore and take the "O" levels there before enrolling in a Singapore polytechnic to complete my studies while enjoying 80 percent financial assistance (for my studies from the Singapore government) at the same time. However, I will need to work in Singapore for at least three years if I accept the scholarship. Considering that I need to spend a year preparing for the "O" levels, three years in the university and three years working, I will have to spend seven years (in Singapore). The time is too long though I can return to China midway, I will be away for too long. Is there any way for me not to work in Singapore for three years? Just take away that 3 years will be good enough. Can those who know help me? Please be detailed. Thanks so much. This is urgent! Answer: There are four ways: Two ways which are not encouraged: 1. Pay up the bond upon completion of your studies and return home. 2. Break the bond and return home without paying the bond, never to return to Singapore again. Two feasible ways: 1. Register a company in Singapore. It's fine so long that the Singapore government thinks you are working in Singapore (though you may be physically elsewhere) 2. Work for a multi-national company in Singapore and request to be posted overseas.    [Source: baidu.com] Question: How much do I have to pay if I don't want to serve the 6 years bond for the SM3 scholarship? If I don’t pay the penalty, can I still apply for other country’s graduate study, and come back to serve the 6 years? Answer: I think not, but you can run away and don't return to SG. After all, they can’t go everywhere to look for you. As we can see from the above, these two prospective PRC "scholars" have no intention of staying in Singapore upon graduation. Even before they arrive in Singapore, they are already making plans to further their careers elsewhere. Why are we then sponsoring their studies at the expense of our local students? Are we suckers or what? It is not surprising that some PRC students harbor this type of attitude with no sense of belonging to Singapore even after spending a number of years in Singapore. Though Singapore is a predominantly Chinese society, the majority of them prefer to relocate to western countries like United States, United Kingdom and Canada. In an authoritative poll conducted last year by Gallup, the top three immigration destinations for bright Chinese college students are United States, South Korea and France. Singapore was not even featured among them. [Source: Gallup] The Singapore government should conduct an in-depth study to analyze why PRC and other foreign students are not interested in staying put in Singapore, a number of whom are simply here to take advantage of our education system and citizenship as a stepping stone to greener pastures elsewhere. A graduate from a Chinese university will find it more difficult to obtain a scholarship to study in the United States or a green card to work there as compared to a Singapore graduate or citizen. Till today, the Ministry of Education has yet to reveal the actual number of bond-breakers among foreign scholars each year and the number who eventually become Singapore citizens. What is the percentage of foreign scholars who leave Singapore upon completion of their studies or their bonds? Are we getting a reasonable return from our investment on them? When Singapore scholars break their bonds, their names get splashed over the papers and they are shamed publicly. Why should foreign scholars who break bonds be spared the humiliation? A place for a foreigner is a place deprived for a Singaporean. We should stop throwing money at ingrates who will never regard Singapore as their homes and spend more on nurturing and grooming deserving Singapore students. It is irony that some Singapore students have to go overseas to further their tertiary education and their places taken up by foreign students who have no qualms turning their backs on us after they succeed in life. The primary duty of the elected government of the day is to take care of the interests of Singaporeans first and not foreigners. Charity begins at home. It is about time we revamp the obsolete scholarship system which is flagrantly being abused by some foreign students to serve their selfish agenda.   Related articles: >> Scholarship system abused by foreigners >> Blogger published blacklist of "academic poison"   Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to create awareness of the current affairs affecting Singaporeans. Please use our online web form to contact us.  Read More →