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In his zeal to impress foreigners on how efficiently and smoothly he can run the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan has been quite happy to sacrifice the daily necessities of Singaporeans. Take, for example, the temporary closure of bus-stops. The Land Transport Authority has ordered that buses cannot stop outside the YOG venues such as the one at the Toa Payoh Stadium. Two SBS bus inspectors are stationed at the stop to wave buses on and prevent commuters from getting off. Is such a measure necessary? Could security concerns be the reason that the LTA is doing this? The answer is no because anyone can walk into the vicinity of the stadium and competition halls. There is no security personnel to check visitors. A likelier reason is that the organisers don’t want the entrance of the carpark jammed by vehicular traffic which would prevent YOG athletes and officials from coming and going with ease. But how can this be? Buses typically stop for no more than a minute or two to allow passengers to alight. Can the YOG coaches ferrying the young athletes not wait momentarily for the SBS buses to pull clear before proceeding? Alternatively, could the traffic wardens on duty not halt the SBS buses to let the YOG coaches leave the vicinity first? Why the need to shutdown down the bus-stop for two weeks? Has Dr Balakrishnan considered that there are elderly persons and pregnant women who might have difficulty walking from the next bus-stop back down the road to their destinations? What about parents with infants and toddlers? Grandparents escorting their young charges to take the bus to school were seen arguing with officials at the bus-stop. Were alternative arrangements made to ensure that they are helped? Were residents given adequate notice that the stops would be closed? Apparently not because even the bus drivers had to be cued not to stop. If the drivers don’t know that the bus-stops are closed, how would residents be expected to know? The LTA couldn’t even be bothered to explain why the bus-stops needed to be closed. Such callousness is unacceptable especially in light of the fact that the minister spent $7 million on chartering an executive jet just to ferry the YOG flame and $9 million to publicise the Games. Could he not allocate a tiny portion of the budget to ensure that bus passengers, especially the elderly and the young, are taken care of? Then there are reports that students who were “selected” to attend the games were not given refreshments and were instructed to bring their own money to buy their own food and drinks. The Government can build elaborate stage sets which cost millions of dollars to set up to hold concerts that attracted hardly any audience, concerts that were not even central to the Games. And yet it cannot even buy our students drinks? And while the athletes were treated to buffet spreads, our local volunteers were given meagre portions of rice, fish and green beans. Why such a gulf in treatment? Because they are talent and we are not? To add injury to insult, volunteers now find themselves suffering from food poisoning. Thirty volunteers were reported to have come down with diarrhea and abdominal pain after they ate the food provided during the triathalon competition at East Coast Park last Sunday. (The incident happened on 15 Aug 10 but was not reported by the Government media until three days later. Even then, the news first broke on the Internet. Were the journalists asleep? Probably not.) Recently, Mr Goh Chok Tong took another swipe at Singaporeans, saying that they liked to gripe, that is, to complain about things trivial. It’s another indication how removed from the real world PAP ministers are. The YOG failings which Singaporeans are pointing out are not gripes. They are serious shortcomings of a Government that has long ceased to pay attention to the grievances of the people. Singaporeans are not an unreasonable lot. They will put up with and suffer inconveniences if they know that these inconveniences benefit our nation. But many know that the YOG was staged as a PAP-glorification exercise – one, it must be added, that has gone horribly awry. Dr Balakrishnan wants to show the world how well he takes care of an international sporting event. While he is at it he should perhaps think about taking care of Singaporeans too.   By the Singapore Democrats  Read More →

Four tickets of the Youth Olympic Games closing ceremony on 26 August 2010 have been auctioned on Ebay with the bid at the time of publication of this article at an astonishing $143, which is more than twice its price: According to the official Singapore 2010 YOG website, tickets for the closing ceremony are all "sold out". It is not known if the tickets have been bought by genuine fans or sold to schools and state agencies. One of them is the Civil Service Club, which will be giving out 400 FREE tickets to the YOG closing ceremony to its members: [Source: Civil Service Club] As some of the students and employees may be coerced to attend the events, they may not turn up on the actual day itself or leave before the closing ceremony is completed, leaving rows of empty seats at the venue. The organizers have come under heavy fire of late from Singaporeans who are unable to obtain tickets to the games though the venue is only partially filled as the tickets are all "sold out" technically in a sense. The ticketing glitch or rather fiasco has greatly embarrassed the minister in charge of the YOG Dr Vivian Balakrishnan who tried to put up a brave front when asked by the media on the queues of people wanting to get into some sold-out YOG venues. "This is a sign that Singaporeans have caught the Olympic bug," he said rather unashamedly to Channel News Asia.     [Please sign the petition demanding a public apology from Dr Vivian Balakrishnan for mismanaging the YOG here.]   EDITORS’ NOTE: Singaporeans, please feel free to email us to share your frustrations, anger and grievances against the YOG. Your views matter alot to us. You are a citizen of Singapore and as a citizen, you have the right to speak up. Let us be your uncensored voice and fight for your rights.   Related articles: >> Thomas Bach concerned about YOG's spiraling cost >> Jacques Rogge: YOG is perfect promotion for Singapore >> Countering Straits Times ‘hogwash that YOG has caugh the “eyes” of the international media >> Jacques Rogge: YOG is a resounding success >> YOG volunteer: not much improvement in food >> Dr Vivian: YOG glitches unavoidable >> Petition demanding Dr Vivian to apologize >> YOG food poisoning scandal: Open letter to Dr Vivian >> Live maggot found in YOG food >> Ng Ser Miang: YOG gets positive reviews >> Kuo Chuan Primary School principal admits to blackmailing students >> Parents should pull children out of YOG >> No apology from Dr Vivian on YOG food poisoning scandal >> Massive outcry over screw-ups in YOG ticketing >> Why Ng Ser Miang should resign as Chairman of SYOGOC >> Dr Vivian: probe into YOG food poisoning scandal will take time >> PRC photographer fell down from temporary platform at YOG venue >> Cover-up of YOG food poisoning scandal? >> NEA, MOH to probe YOG mass food poisoning outbreak  >> Singaporeans “enslaved” by YOG organizing commitee >> Kuo Chuan Primary School students forced to pay $5 to attend YOG >> Singapore students forced to welcome YOG torch rally >> Mass food poisoning outbreak at YOG venue yesterday? >> YOG! What YOG? >> Canvas roof at YOG fell apart >> Zaqy Mohd defends MCYS >> Singapore students “invited” to attend YOG event >> Singapore volunteers forced to work long hours without rest for YOG >> PM Lee caught napping at YOG opening ceremony? >> Disaster at YOG opening ceremony >> 8 reasons why I am disappointed with YOG opening ceremony >> Netizens lampooned YOG opening ceremony >> No news of YOG opening ceremony in rest of the world >> MOE teacher: How students can stay out of YOG >> YOG Webcast server crashed >> SFI promises to improve “DOG” food for volunteers >> Primary school students stand in the rain to welcome YOG torch >> Plight of Singapore volunteers at Youth Olympic Village >> JC students forced to attend YOG events >> Dr Vivian: Singaporeans are proud of YOG >> PM Lee: YOG has struck a “chord” with our people >> Dr Vivian: YOG venues will not become “white elephants” >> Online pressure forced SFI to provide better food for YOG volunteers >> Improved “DOG” food on 14 August 2010 >> PAP provides three daily buffet meals to YOG athletes and officials >> YOG volunteers complain about being given “DOG” food >> Civil Service Club offering free YOG tickets >> Journey of YOG flame costs Singaporeans $7 million dollars >> Corny YOG propaganda in Straits Times >> Tharman: YOG enthusiasm is real >> Polytechnic student: I don’t care about YOG >> JC students being “volunteered” for YOG >> YOG: What the HELL is that? >> PAP provides YOG athletes and officials three daily buffets >> YOG students being given “dog food” >> Singapore students forced to volunteer for YOG >> Poor ticket sales forced closure of YOG gallery section >> PM Lee calls on Singaporeans to support YOG >> Young Singaporeans hurl vulgarities at YOG >> Dr Vivian wants Singaporeans to celebrate YOG >> NTU students complain about YOG >> Dr Vivian: Sports is not about “petty politics” >> More than 300 Singaporeans joined “I hate YOG” Facebook >> CNA poll: 90 percent of Singaporeans “not interested” in YOG >> Slovak YOG Ambassador slams YOG venues of “school standard” only >> Two Facebook groups calling for boycott of YOG >> Free condoms for YOG officials and athletes >> Singapore helping to repair Jamaica’s stadium in return for YOG marketing >> Former stripper to choreograph opening ceremony of YOG >> Desperate PAP wants Singaporeans to get “passionate” about YOG >> PAP to Singaporeans: Give way to YOG vehicles or get fined $130 >> PM Lee wants Singaporeans to do their part for YOG >> Only six teams in YOG soccer tournament Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to create awareness of the current affairs affecting Singaporeans. 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To all critics whom are saying TR is not fair and bias, Let us compare and see. TR basically allows you to offer opinions on both sides whether negatively or positively. They publish what you write. Whether you are for or against the govt’s policies. Everyone here has his or her opinion, you can choose to share. No one ever pointed a gun asking you to surf here or not. You have a freedom to come and go. You have a right to input in your comments as and when you are unhappy with the issues published by TR. How about our ‘local’ media then? Comparing Straits Times, Newsweek or Today, do you not think that the media is bias? Try commenting something negatively about the policies and also the implementation of some rules, see if it will ever get published, of course alternatively, if you praise the govt, see if it does not get published. Yeah sure you can mentioned that we are providing unconstructive comments. But on 2 accounts, who are you to judge whether what we said are unconstructive? On another account, some comments like asking our minister VB to account for the cost, Ho Ching to account for the lost of our taxpayers money is unjustified? Try writing in to our beloved local media to query and see if it gets published. You want fairness then please ensure that the local media is not bias in the first place. TR may not be an ideal media but its the closest one that we get towards it. Always take life with a pinch of salt. I am also surprise at how some could mentioned that we only grumble and complain, oh come on what you want us to do? Go for a demonstration or follow quietly without any doubts about our government? Being able to voice our voices means we are unhappy, resenting the current situation. Stay naïve and hope for a better future promised by our govt? You think we all got so much time to complain about something rather than earning our keeps? Being a singaporean, these issues by TR are very real and also affects us. Please ask yourself if you are concern about you and your children’s future. Whether the issues raised or discussed positively and negatively, at least you have the options to see both sides. I think TR is doing a fine job in creating awareness to the people here in Singapore and also providing more avenues for individuals to realise where their next vote should be place to secure their own future. For all its worth, at least TR provides an avenue and forum for unhappy Singaporeans to complain and grumble which is heard by thousands of other like-minded Singaporeans. Which other forums can boast of TR's readership and promise such exposure? I for one, visit TR everyday before going to the office instead of the Straits Times and hate to imagine waking up with TR gone. So for those who share the same thoughts with me, lets support TR and keep it going (please read: Temasek Review needs a new server).   Takumi  Read More →