TR EMERITUS

PAP minister without portfolio and NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say now wants Singapore to develop a "cheaper, better and faster" economy after calling on Singapore workers to do so earlier. He stressed that "there is a need for both employers and employees to embrace the productivity drive and remove bottlenecks" in order to achieve the noble objective. Speaking to Channel News Asia, he added that "it's important to track the progress of the 'cheaper, better and faster' initiative so that companies and unions keep moving up the improvement ladder." According to NTUC, such initiatives had led to the breaking of three key bottlenecks over the past five years such high dependency on overseas technical support, low machine productivity, and low labour productivity. What was not mentioned is Singapore's chronic dependence on cheap foreign workers who has resulted in its low labor productivity compared to other developed nations. It is strange that while both companies and workers are exhorted to be "cheaper, better and faster", the same rule does not apply to PAP ministers. On the contrary, they are getting more and more expensive with an expected hefty pay hike this year thanks to the strong "rebound" of the Singapore economy. Despite the ever-increasing salaries of PAP ministers and senior civil servants, it is debatable if they are getting "better and faster" at the same time. Unfortunately, there is no way Singaporeans can remove non-performing ministers from the cabinet. Regardless of how they screw up, they will still be "voted" into Parliament somehow at the end of the day.   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 →

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal from The Malaysian Insider The sodomy trial of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took a graphic turn today when a government doctor testified that evidence of semen in the complainant’s anal region was sufficient to indicate penetration. Dr Mohd Razali Ibrahim, one of the three doctors who had examined Anwar’s accuser, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, on June 28, 2008, said the swab samples taken from Saiful’s anus showed signs of semen, but that there was no tear or injury to the anus. The examination was done two days after the alleged sodomy. “With all the reports before me now, I would say that there is evidence of penetration even without clinical injuries. “With presence of semen, there is evidence of anal penetration,” said Dr Razali in response to the prosecution’s questions in court today. Solicitor-General II Datuk Yusof Zainal Abiden had earlier asked Dr Razali about his own report dated June 28, which stated that there were “no injuries, no tear... no conclusive findings of penetration to the rectum.” The doctor explained that, at the time, he had no knowledge of the location of swab samples which were taken from Saiful. “I checked and found around anal anatomy appears to be moist, but I can’t find evidence of injury or trauma.” “I only found small haemorrhoids, which is not significant in this case,” he said. The swab samples, according to another report, had evidence of semen. The report was only made known to Dr Razali (right) today by the prosecution during questioning. This led Dr Razali to change his conclusion based on the new report, which shed light on the areas from which the swab samples had been taken. He read out the report which stated swab samples B5, B7, B8, and B9 as containing semen. It is understood that swabs B5, B7, B8, and B9 were taken respectively from the perianal region, high rectal swab, and low rectal swab. “I would conclude (now) there is evidence of penetration,” said Razali. Razali told the court that he was the surgeon on-call on June 28, 2008, from 8am-8am (June 29) and had examined Saiful at an emergency room of Hospital Kuala Lumpur at 9pm that night. “On 7pm, I was called... informed that there was a sodomy case. I went to emergency unit at 9pm,” he said. Razali said once there, he met a few people — two specialists as well as several police officers. The two specialists, Dr Khairul Nizam Hassan and Dr Siew Sheue Seng, were then brought in to be identified in court. Razali claimed he only saw Saiful in the emergency room after a briefing with police and medical officers who informed him of the case. “I examined the bottom part of victim, anal and rectal. Upon Saiful’s permission, I examined the internal part of anus using special tools,” said Dr Razali. A protoscope (a tool used for rectal examinations) was then produced in court. Judge Datuk Mohamed Zabidin Mohd Diah fixed tomorrow morning for Anwar’s team to cross-examine the doctor, after objections from Karpal. Karpal had wanted more time for preparation in light of Dr Razali’s testimony today. Another lawyer, Sankara Nair, agreed with this. “This is an ambush, unprofessional prosecution. I want time. What the doctor has said just now is merely an assumption during examination-in-chief. “He is just a general surgeon. He says he’s seen many [posteriors], [it] doesn’t make him an expert. We will ask him why he didn’t know (about the swab samples),” said Sankara. Anwar claimed “two or three semen samples” were found on Saiful.But Anwar said he was not surprised by the doctor’s testimony. The Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader claimed that there were “two or three semen samples” found on Saiful, but did not elaborate any further. “The question is, whose semen is this? You’d be surprised to know whose semen is it from,” said Anwar. Earlier on in court, Karpal claimed that Anwar was in unit 11-5-2 of the Desa Damansara Condominium during the time of the alleged sodomy, not in 11-5-1 as Saiful had claimed. This did not sit well with Saiful, who insisted that Anwar was with him in unit 11-5-1 at the time. “No, your honour, it’s not true,” said Saiful. Karpal also stressed that this would be the defence team’s strategy. “Our defence is alibi,” said Karpal. Anwar, the 62-year-old PKR de facto leader, is charged with sodomising Saiful at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara here between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008. The former deputy prime minister has denied the charge, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him. He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction. The trial is taking place 18 months after Anwar was charged in court in August 2008. Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences. He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife. He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 Parliamentary seats in Election 2008. - The Malaysian Insider  Read More →

前内安法扣留者演讲取消 作者：《独立新闻在线》 【本刊记者撰述】新加坡国大历史学会6月4日举办研讨会反思新加坡建国历史，原本请来前政治扣留者Vincent Cheng Kim Chuan参与主讲，但是消息传出不到几天，主办单位疑受压力而取消邀请Vincent Cheng。事件显示，该国对于过去的政治高压历史仍然忌讳莫深，难于公开议论。 新加坡异议导演施忠明（Martyn See Tong Ming）在5月27日于其部落格帖文表示，Vincent Cheng是被禁止出席演讲，主办单位历史学会已经向Vincent Cheng道歉，并且建议在研讨会上宣读他的讲稿。 施忠明称，Vincent Cheng在电话中向他表示对此并不惊讶，并等待下次有机会再演讲。施忠明称，去年他主办一项有关新加坡1987年大逮捕事件讲座时，警方还骚扰主办单位。 施忠明表示，他在历史学会的面子书户口提出质询，为何Vincent Cheng被禁止演讲，历史学会主席陈家喜（Bernard Chen Jiaxi）也立即回信解释。双方的来函都公布在施忠明的部落格。 施忠明质疑说，历史学会向来被视为“自我审查这段历史”，“到底谁打电话将Vincent Cheng从演讲名单中除去”，“为何禁止他演讲”，“他可以进场吗”。 主办单位否认检禁历史 根据陈家喜的解释，陈家喜否认历史学会主动撤销Vincent Cheng的演讲，并隐然暗示可能是新加坡国大图书馆理事会的决定，“请留意，是新加坡国大图书馆理事会提供设施与资源予历史学会”，“我不知道若 Vincent Cheng当天出席研讨会，国大图书馆理事会会怎么做”。 他说，批评该组织企图检禁该段历史是不公正的，正是领导该组织的学生诚意地邀请Vincent Cheng参与主讲。 他指出，历史学会是其中一个策划该研讨会的单位，意在让新加坡公民分享对于新加坡历史的不同史实与观点。 陈家喜说，他还在26日与Vincent Cheng见面，讨论如何完善地呈现他的演讲，以便更准确地传达他的角度的说法。 陈家喜说，他个人希望能够在研讨会宣读Vincent Cheng的讲稿，不过他还没有和历史学会其他理事商量。 主办单位邀请过程低调 主办单位历史学会在28日正式宣布，该研讨会照样进行，不过Vincent Cheng不会担任其中的主讲人，而“基于某些原因”，主办单位不会宣读Vincent Cheng的讲稿。 历史学会在5月26日于其面子书户口公布消息指，2010年的历史研讨会非常有趣，诚邀各界参加，不过邀请方式有些隐秘，参与者必须发电邮给主办单位，再由主办单位发出邀请函。 根据熟悉新加坡情况者表示，新加坡前政治扣留者与左翼人士近年纷纷冒起书写自己的历史，不过举办新书发表会时，当政者诸多干扰，甚至遭政治部盘问，因此都没有公开地宣传。 不过，Vincent Cheng将公开演讲的消息很快就传开了。《新加坡公民在线》是在5月27日贴出活动通告，表示前政治扣留者、所谓的“马克思主义阴谋案”领导人Vincent Cheng 将首次受邀公开演讲。 估计该消息曝光可能导致主办单位备受压力。历史学会于28日就在面子书公开研讨会详情，不过表示，Vincent Cheng不会参与主讲。 Vincent Cheng连同21人在1987年5月至6月“光谱行动”（Operation Spectrum）遭援引内安法令逮捕，新加坡当政者指责他们企图阴谋推翻新加坡人民行动党政府，以建立马克思主义国家。 Vincent Cheng被指为该阴谋行动的领导人，因而未经审讯被扣留三年。此前，他是天主教会运动的全职员工，是名神学学生。1983年起，任职“正义和和平委员 会”秘书，1982年6月至1983年6月，负责协调外劳与志愿者的活动。不过，1984年后，就不属于该组织了。 反思新加坡建国史 根据历史学会的介绍，该研讨会题为“新加坡历史：谁书写这个脚本”，主要讨论形塑新加坡历史的事件、议程与人性，并点明“也会讨论对于建国过程的另类叙事”。 研讨会讨论三个方面：反殖民、紧急状态时期（暴动、脱离、审判）、1950年代的社会政治形势。 会后，历史学会也会颁发2010年国家历史挑战奖。研讨会于6月4日下午2时30分至5时举行。详情可参考国大图书馆的布告栏。 研 讨会有三名主讲人：新加坡国大历史系主任Yong Mun Cheong、新加坡东南亚研究所（Institute of Southeast Asian Studies）客座研究员罗家成（Loh Kah Seng）、新加坡国大历史系助理教授Huang Jianli。 来源：www.merdekareview.com  Read More →