TR EMERITUS

Written by Our Correspondent After dragging its feet for a few months, the Singapore authorities have finally decided to press charges against former Romanian diplomat Dr Silviu Ionescu who is implicated in a hit-and-run road traffic accident in December last year. Four passer-bys were knocked down by a black Audi A6 from the Romanian embassy and one of them, a 31 year Malaysian, had passed away from his injuries. The 13 charges include "causing death by reckless driving, causing grievous hurt through a rash act, and failing to stop, help or lodge a police report after the accidents," the Straits Times reported. Despite being a prime suspect in the case, Dr Silviu was strangely allowed to leave Singapore for Romania three days after the accident. It is not known how Singapore is going to bring Dr Silviu back to face the charges. The Romanian government has not waived the diplomatic immunity for Dr Silviu and has merely suspended him from work. Singapore and Romania do not have an extradition treaty and Dr Silviu cannot be forced to return to Singapore even if his diplomatic immunity is lifted. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), which has remained mostly a spectator in the fracas, has now summoned Mr Aurelian Neagu, the Romanian Ambassador to Singapore, who is based in Tokyo, to a meeting next week to discuss the charges. Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo broke his silence on the case only after three weeks with a most regrettable remark that "what happened was very bad". There were no further press statements from MFA till Dr Silviu accused the Singapore government of "setting" him up during an interview with a Romanian TV station last month which greatly embarrassed Singapore. He alluded that he was "persecuted" because of his "political activities" in Singapore. When told of the verdict by the Singapore Coroner's Court two days ago fingering him as the culprit, Dr Silviu retorted: "This is bulls***" He also insinuated that he stood a higher chance of a fair trial in Romania, a "democratic" nation and a member of the European Union. An obviously peeved MFA was forced to reveal two international rankings to defend Singapore: "In the Global Competitiveness Report for 2009 and 2010, for instance, Singapore ranked 19th when it came to judicial independence, while Romania placed 84th." For a nation which prides itself in being the first in every ranking, 19th is an absolute disgrace.   Please join our Facebook discussion on this article here and invite your friends to do so as well to raise awareness among fellow Singaporeans.   Copyright © 2009 – 2010 The Temasek Review (If you are going to reproduce this article on your blog or forum, please provide a link back to ours) Related articles: 1. Dr Silviu Ionescu doesn’t think much of verdict 2. Subhas Anandan wants $100K compensation for widow of deceased accident victim 3. Quietor”wayang”diplomacyintheescapeofDrSilviuIonescu 4. Confirmed: Dr Silviu Ionescu is the driver 5. Email interview with Yenny Young, wife of Mr Tong Kok Wai 6. Dr Silviu Ionescu: fact remains that I was not in the car at the time of the accident 7. Investigating or procrastinating: Dr Silviu Ionescu still holidaying in Romania 8. George Yeo on Romanian embassy car crash: What happened is “very bad” 9. Online petition calls on Romanian govt to make ex gratias payment 10. Dr Silviu Ionescu: I took cab to notify car theft 11. Eye witness saw driver quarreling with a young girl in the car  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent The Reform Party will be conducting a joint walkabout together with the Singapore Democratic Alliance at Bishan Street 11 this coming Sunday at 9am. When contacted by the Straits Times yesterday, Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Secretary-General of the Reform Party, said that "the event will assess support for a possible Reform-SDA alliance in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC." According to a Straits Times report last year, opposition veteran MP Mr Chiam See Tong has expressed his intention of roping the fledging Reform Party into the SDA and talks have been ongoing between the two parties for quite some time. Mr Chiam, a MP for Potong Pasir for 26 years will be leading a team in neighboring Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC at the next general election. The GRC is a stronghold of the PAP helmed by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng and has not seen an electoral contest since 1988. With public disgruntlement and resentment at an all-time high against the ruling PAP for its discriminatory policies, the opposition stands a good chance of increasing the number of seats they won in the 2006 general elections, including a GRC for the first time since the scheme was introduced in 1988. The Reform Party was set up in 2008 by the late opposition leader Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam. Since then, it has seen an influx of young professionals joining the party including a former SAF scholar and a former senior civil servant. The other opposition parties have also witnessed an increase in the number of members with tertiary education, a sign that more Singaporeans are becoming disaffected with the PAP. Unable to stem the swing of votes among native Singaporeans to the opposition, the PAP has been busy wooing the new citizens to shore up their flagging support base. The electoral rolls were updated twice in the last two years with the last update adding some 400,000 eligible voters to the rolls, of which the percentage of new citizens remain unknown. As immigrants tend to vote for the ruling party which gives them the opportunity to start life afresh in Singapore, they will form an increasing influential voting bloc in future elections as the percentage of native voters continue to dwindle. Unless Singaporeans reclaim their nation in the next general election, they may end up as second class minorities in a Singapore dominated by the newcomers.   Related articles: >> AGC filed appeal against SDP 5's acquittal >> SDP five acquitted of charges of illegal procession >> Singaporeans charged for "walking"   EDITORS’ NOTE: Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so as well.      Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent The Public Utilities Board (PUB) has replied to an email query from a netizen about a "Water Festival" organized by Bukit Batok grassroots organizations using taxpayers' monies to welcome the New Year for the Thai, Burmese, Laotian and Cambodians living in Singapore: [Snapshot of website of Bukit Batok grassroots organizations, 21 March 2010] A netizen Kojakbt has since written to several government agencies including the Attorney-General Chambers and the Singapore Police Force questioning the legality of organizing such an event. Under the Public Utilities Act (CAP 261) 50(b), any person who wastes water “shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $1,000 for every day or part thereof during which the offence continues after conviction.” According to an unverified rumor circulating in cyberspace, a similar “Water Festival” held in the 1980s by a group of Thai workers in the Boon Lay area was stopped by the police for wasting water under the Public Utilities Act. Both the AGC and Singapore Police had refused to comment on the matter and “directed” Kojakbt to PUB instead. A staff from PUB's Water Supply Department has replied saying that "water splashing activity" like the "Water Festival" is similar to activities such as charity car wash events which do not require approval from PUB. She added that PUB have since "advised" the organizer that "no hoses or pails of water shall be used for the event and to ensure that water is used frugally." The event has sparked a massive outcry in cyberspace with many netizens lampooning Bukit Batok grassroots organizations for wasting precious public resources and prompting one Singaporean to write in to the Straits Times Forum questioning the discrepancies in messages sent to the people. It has since been "scaled" down to using "water pistols" without the "splashing": [Snapshot of website of Bukit Batok grassroots organizations, 31 March 2010] The funds for the organizing the "Water Festival" is likely to come from the mega $10 million Community Integration Fund unveiled by the pro-foreigner PAP last year to make the foreigners feel welcomed and accepted in Singapore. When asked by a netizen on the objective of the "Water Festival", Senior Minister of State for National Development Ms Grace Fu said that the it is a way of Singaporeans showing their "respect" to foreigners. In other countries, foreigners are expected to integrate into local society. Not only is it the other way round in Singapore, Singaporeans are expected to "bend over" to show our "respect" to foreigners under the constant exhortation of the PAP, or rather FAP (Foreigner Action Party).   EDITORS’ NOTE: Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so as well.   Related articles: >> Unhappy Singaporean writes into ST Forum to complain about “Water Festival” >> Netizen’s queries on “Water Festival” stone-walled by Singapore Police >> PAP MP Grace Fu: organizing “Water Festival” is a way of telling foreigners we respect them >> Netizens protest against “Water Festival” organized by Bukit Batok grassroots organizations >> Singaporean unhappy at grassroots organizations hosting Water Festival for foreigners  Read More →