TR EMERITUS

Last Thursday, a Indian man visited Ms Rachel Zeng's home in the evening. Ms Zeng was not home at that time. The man asked Ms Zeng's parents for her mobilephone number, saying that he wanted her to sign an insurance form. Her parents declined. When Ms Zeng returned home later that evening, she spotted an Indian man standing at the lift lobby staircase, balancing an opened laptop on one hand and talking on his cellphone with the other. She was with Mr Seelan Palay at that time. Both Ms Zeng and Mr Seelan are actively involved in the anti-death penalty campaign in Singapore. The moment he saw Ms Zeng, the stranger started to react in an awkard manner, gesticulating frantically. The two activists went up the elevator but decided to come back down awhile later. When he saw them again, he immediately took out his cellphone to make a call. He started to walk around the block, casting glances to make sure that his spotters couldn't see him. He then sat down by the walkway, placing himself at a spot when he could look up at Ms Zeng's flat. He remained there for some time. The two went to a coffeeshop where they called their friends to relate the strange happenings. After about 30 minutes they went back to Ms Zeng's block and saw the man at the same spot. When he saw them, he cursed and walked away before getting on his phone again. The following evening Ms Zeng spotted another man, this time a Chinese, also with a mini-laptop opened on his palm at the same spot she saw the first man the night before. This time, the stranger was less nervous. He smiled at Ms Zeng. As she entered the lift to go up to her flat, the man came to the lift door as it was closing and waved to her.   Rachel (sitting) and Seelan organising the book lauch Did the incidents have anything to do with the fact that Ms Zeng was the organiser for Mr Alan Shadrake's book launch that was held on 17 Jul 10? Mr Shadrake was arrested and is being investigated for criminal defamation and contempt of court. Bookstores have been ordered not to sell the book Once A Jolly Hangman. Ms Zeng thinks so. "I'm suspicious because it came just two days before Alan's book launch which I have been organising," she tells the SDP website. "The first guy may have been just a weird stranger who just happened to be there. But there was this second guy who was carrying the same laptop and waved to me. How coincidental is that? That's when I think they were trying to send me a message."    Source: Young Democrats  Read More →

It may seem pretty weird for someone to send you an email for advice ; But there are always Singaporeans out there, left out by the government. The government only cares about the rich and not the poor. I'm, is one of the poor ones that are being discriminated by the government. Nope, its not about taxes, not about GDP growth, not about the corruption. They started because of one small matter. I don't even have the basic needs that everyone need : A house. If you don't mind, take 3 mins or so to read my story. It started when loansharkers starting splashing paint on my door. My father had owe loansharks thousands in debts, because of his gambling. It continued for months. For exactly 1 year to be specific. My mother left me as a result of my father's gambling and my father often went to Vietnam. On May 23 2009, a loanshark called my house and threaten to lock my door, smash my windows and burn my whole family down if my father don't pay up. So I went to the void deck and informed by grandmother. When she knew about it, we immediately started packing our bags, to escape. We would be putting our lives at risk if we don't pack our bags ; But we didn't had any place to go. We went to our cousin's house as it was an emergency. A few days later, the loansharks really locked our door. It has been 1 year 61 days after we left our house. (BTW the "we" i was referring was my grandparents). The first 3 months of my stay was a well warming one I say. But then, my grandparents will usually do the house chores. But then, my aunt and uncle became more lazy, my aunt refused to help my grandmothers with the chores and just sit right in front of the laptop all the day. And my uncle? Calculative and selfish. We help them do the house chores, take care of their childrens, buy their dinners and yet they expect us to pay $100 as "rent". Being just 12 years old this year, I feel helpless. I could not help my grandparents anyway. As my grandparents bought 2 HDB houses in the past (1970s and 1980s), they could not buy a flat from HDB. My grandparents were rich in the past, they had at least hundreds of thousands of dollars from their lucrative clothes-making shop. Where did the money went? To the house that we left. It was a resale flat. We paid a deposit of $70 odd-thousands. A pretty huge amount huh? Now that my parents are divorced, they now want to sell the flat. They don't even want to give the $70 odd thousand that they paid as the downpayment to my grandparents. My grandparents put their life savings into the flat and its all down the drain because of my parents. Now, we can't buy a 2-room HDB flat which i can pay the downpayment if i work part-time. I started asking my grandfather to go to the HDB branch office to rent a rental flat instead. But then, he was turned away. They said he had owned and sold 2 direct-HDB flat already. We can be classified as "homeless". Taking PSLE this year and have no proper study table, no proper bed. Fighting with two tenants with the bathroom in the morning. My aunt once sarcastically said that," The bathroom is so smelly, I wash clean already" in Chinese. In the first place, my grandmother was always cleaning the two toilets. My grandparents and I don't wish to live in this "living hell" anymore. We can't even make ends meet because of my cousins, my grandparents' daughter family. They splurge on coloured drinks and drink coloured water like running water. When we eat out, my aunt and uncle expect my grandparents to be the one paying the bill. My aunt and uncle are both earning at least $5000/month combined and yet they expect my grandfather who earn less than $1600/month to pay for the bill. Can Temasek Review help in anyway? This is the ugly side of the poor, homeless and discriminated Singaporeans.   Best wishes, Shawn, 12, Telok Kurau Primary School   Editor's Note: The identity of the writer have not been verified. Readers who would like to contact her please use our online form and send us an email so we can forward it to her. TR have replied asking for her contact number so that we may refer her case to the relevant department.  Read More →

A massive outcry has erupted in cyberspace over YPAP leader Jack Lin Xinli's callous remarks on Singaporeans being "3rd class citizens". Mr Lin made the comment on the PAP Facebook:                 [Source: PAP Facebook] Currently majoring in Economics at the National University of Singapore, Mr Lin is also the Secretary of Joo Chiat Youth Executive Committee. More than 80 comments were posted on the Temasek Review's Facebook in response to Mr Lin in one day alone. Anthony Goh wrote: "He is rite partially. 3rd class pple in the govt bodies. Tat why mas selamat escaped, sg economy has to depend on other countries, flooding non stop, and without pap policies of taking care e local grad, how they gonna compete with others from china n India in real world. I can see my country Is slowly decaying. A person of substance will not speak in tis manner." Salihin added: "So what his definition of first class citizenry? Sit passively while misinformation is fed to you by the Government and accept unfairness? If that is the case, most of the citizens of the world are worse off than us cos if something screws up in their part of the world, they will riot, loot and burn just to get their point across. Maybe Singaporeans should go to that stage just to prove this idiot's point." Lee Mei Li did not mince her words: "Jack Lin Xinli epitomise the narrow mindness, arrogance and elitism that the PAP has become. A pity. It is time we consign these people and their failed ideology to the dustbin of history!" This is not the first time that a YPAP leader has publicly humiliated Singaporeans. In January this year, YPAP leader Eric How blamed the plight of poor Singaporeans on their "karma". He later lodged a police report on the advice of YPAP Chairman Teo Ser Luck that he had been "impersonated" on Facebook. Two months later, YPAP leader and new citizen from India Mr Sinha Shekhar called Singapore NSmen "DOGS": [Source: YPAP Facebook] Mr Sinha Shekhar did not serve a SINGLE day of NS. He later promised to "clarify" the matter in the media, but has yet to do so. A few netizens have written to YPAP Chairman Teo Ser Luck and his deputy Zaqy Mohamad on the arrogant behavior of YPAP leader Jack Lin Xinli. They are unlikely to obtain a reply from them as in previous cases, they appeared to endorse and support the remarks of their subordinates.   Related articles: >> YPAP leader Jack Lin: We are free to fix the opposition >> Complaint letter on YPAP leader Jack Lin   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 →