TR EMERITUS

It was supposed  to be "un-floodable" and yet for the second time in a month, Singapore's prime shopping district of Orchard has been hit by "once in a fifty year" flood again, bringing much embarrassment to the beleaguered PAP. The first flood on 16 June reportedly caused millions of damages to retailers in Orchard. Soon after renovating their premises, they were hit by another flood again. When interviewed by Channel News Asia, one owner of a shop at Lucky Plaza expressed her unhappiness at the frequent disruption in her business. "This is very bad. I feel that the management should do something about it because this is not the first time. It happens almost every year." The previous flood was attributed by PUB to a choked drain which was supposedly cleared of debris. There were no official explanation of the latest flood yet. Photos of the flooding were uploaded and widely distributed on the internet, thereby exposing the PAP's gross incompetence and ineptitude in tackling the problem. As usual, PAP Environment Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, who is paid more than $2 million dollars a year, is nowhere to be heard, seen or found. Neither did PUB CEO Khoo Teck Chye who said that the June flooding was "unacceptable", but offer no public apologies for it, made any appearances or statements. It is as if the flooding has got nothing to do with them. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong chided Singaporeans lately for having "unrealistic" expectations. According to him, it is "impossible" to expect Singapore to be completely flood-free, yet the floods have been occurring on a weekly basis for the last two months or so. In Singapore, political leaders and senior civil leaders expect and demand to be paid astronomical salaries pegged at market rates, but refused to accept the same level of scrutiny and accountability. (Example: DBS Chief's public apology for the recent technical glitch this week) No matter how things screw up, they will never accept any responsibility or blame.     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 →

In anticipation of possible rise in sea levels caused by Global Warming and Climatic Extremity, Singapore engaged the services of Delft Hydraulics, a Netherlands-based water research and consulting organisation in 1997. Delft Hydraulics subsequently set up a research centre with the National University of Singapore and the Public Utilities Board. With their help, the Marina Barrage was built but it wasn't meant to be an effective solution against sea level rises. The Marina Barrage is more effective in keeping water in (as a reservoir) than keeping water out (rising sea level) considering that Singapore is surrounded by sea.   How Does The Barrage Work? The barrage comprises of nine numbers of 26.8-metre-long hydraulically operated steel crest gates built across the 350m wide Marina Channel to keep out sea water. Under normal conditions, the steel gates will remain closed to isolate the reservoir from the sea. During heavy rain, the steel gates will open as necessary to release excess stormwater to the sea when the tide is low. However, when it is not possible to do so during high tide, the Drainage Pumping Station capable of pumping up to 280 cubic metres per second will pump out the excess stormwater into the sea.   The experts at Delft Hydraulics have warned that, if the ice caps melt significantly as a result of fossil-fuel linked Global Warming, waters could rise up to 6 metres by the end of this century, which would spell trouble for Singapore and many other coastal cities. Hypothetically speaking, if NO solutions are found to tackle Global Warming, we'd be looking at carbon PPM levels of 450-660 by year 2050 (presently at 380-400). That would translate into an approximate 6 degree rise in Global Temperature and the meltdown of all polar ice caps sometime around year 2030 to 2035. With the majority of its population concentrated in coastal areas of less than 2m in elevation, the resulting rise in sea level (2m-5m) will flood most of lowland Singapore, (in particular, the east coast area) not to mention the switching off of the gulfstream, air and sea current circulation mechanisms. Even if singapore somehow manages to avoid becoming another Atlantis, the climate in Singapore will probably become even hotter and humid making life even more unbearable.   Forecaster Extraordinarie  * Carbon PPM level = Carbon Dioxide level measured in parts per million (ppm)  Reference: IOL  Read More →

According to a press statement from the Singapore police, Lianhe Wanbao photographer Mr Wu Qing Shun was handcuffed and detained by the police for his own "personal safety." Mr Wu was handcuffed by a police officer when taking photos of flooding at Upper Bukit Timah Road yesterday morning. He was later led to an outside condominium where he was detained for an hour. The police claimed that Mr Wu was handcuffed as he was posing a "danger" to himself and others. He was released after "assessment" which confirmed that he would not "hinder" the police's "rescue operations." The fracas sparked a massive outcry in cyberspace with many netizens lampooning the Singapore police for gross "misuse" of power. Public confidence in the Singapore Police Force has also sunk to a new low. Lianhe Wanbao did not buy the police's explanation as well and reserved its right to pursue further legal action against the Singapore police. However, the Singapore police is adamant that it did nothing wrong and sent a threatening message that anybody convicted of "interfering" with the police carrying out its "public duty" will be sentenced to a jail term no less than three years or fined up to $2,500 or both. The Singapore police is overwhelming powerful in Singapore with no independent bodies such as a commission on police misconduct to check on it.     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 →