TR EMERITUS

Written by Our Correspondent Over the last few weeks, you have seen various job advertisements put up by Singapore companies seeking foreigners only on this site. Foreigners usually need to obtain work permits, E or S passes in order to find work in Singapore. Now it seems that even those on social visit passes are highly sought after too. A registered recruitment agency based in Singapore has put up a job ad seeking foreigners on social visit pass ONLY for graphic designers: According to the ad, the job type is "permanent" and is open to foreigners. This may be another ploy to recruit foreigners in Singapore on social visit pass first after which the company will apply for work permits on their behalfs. In other countries like Australia and New Zealand, foreigners need to get a work visa first before they are allowed to work there and even then, they are subjected to rigorous screening and examination including a compulsory English test - IELTS before they are granted one. Due to the PAP's lax immigration policies, it is not unusual to have foreigners seeking for jobs in Singapore on social visit passes. For example, many of the freelance prostitutes plying their trade along the narrow alleys of Geylang are on social visit passes. Despite the police conducting regular anti-AV raids in the vicinity, the "whore brigade" often reappear again out of the blue after a period of quiescence. The Manpower Ministry should clamp down on such discriminatory job ads which is making Singapore a laughing stock in the eyes of the developed world. A government should always protect the livelihoods of local workers first instead of asking them to compete with cheap foreign workers on an equal footing and issuing veiled threats that if "the spurs are not stuck in their hides", it is their problem.  Read More →

From The Age March 19, 2010 Age photographer Glen McCurtayne took this picture of a sleeping Peter Slipper. Photo: Glen McCurtayne EDITORS used to warn journalists that they could find themselves in contempt of parliament for reporting that an MP had slept through a parliamentary session. Thus, let's just say Queensland Liberal Peter Slipper was resting his eyes during Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's speech to Federal Parliament last week. That such a moment of glad repose could become the subject of an inquiry by no less than the privileges committee - the same body that could slap a reporter with a charge of contempt - seems a wonder to behold. But that is what the eyes-at-rest affair has come to. The camera-phone image of a sleeping Peter Slipper. Mr Slipper's period of serenity was captured on the mobile phone camera of a fellow Liberal MP, who thought it would be a lark to send it to the Sunshine Coast Daily, which circulates in Slipper's electorate of Fisher. And there ended any semblance of relaxation. The aggrieved Mr Slipper, snapping to attention at a reporter's call, protested that he had been as conscious as a Hansard reporter during the Indonesian President's speech and recited the main points to prove it. The phone camera picture, splashed across the Daily, begged to differ. But who could have taken the sneak snap? By yesterday, Mr Slipper was so roused he was all but prepared to name the camera cad. He said the picture was taken by someone on his right. And the fellow sitting adjacent to him on his right was Alex Somlyay. Mr Somlyay inhabits the electorate of Fairfax, which is right next door to Mr Slipper's electorate. A neighbourhood spat? Mr Somlyay is also the chief opposition whip, who is supposed to enforce discipline. Mr Slipper wasn't about to take this sort of dastardly discipline lying down, even if he had been lying down. In Parliament yesterday he declared straight-faced that the affair had ''seriously interfered'' with his work. Quite. Can't a chap spend an afternoon slumped on a bench without interruptions these days? It wasn't as if he was simply complaining about his own troubles. Why, he told Parliament, ''any of us could be caught in an unflattering position …'' He wanted a ''forensic examination of the photograph by a qualified person to ascertain formally from which seat [it] was taken and thus to confirm the identity of the culprit''. Yes, and he wanted the privileges committee to look into it. The Speaker, Harry Jenkins, agonised before deciding it didn't quite deserve the full gaze of such an august body. Not good enough for Labor's Anthony Albanese. Sympathising wonderfully with poor Mr Slipper, he moved that the privileges committee should study whether rules should be adopted to ensure the use of mobile devices did not interfere with Parliament ''or with the free performance by a member of his or her duties''. Which, of course, guarantees the eyes-at-rest matter won't be put to bed for some time yet. Source: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/snooze-scandal-stirs-slipper-to-demand-snap-judgment-20100318-qicy.html  Read More →

By Richard Lu I am not about to judge Jack Neo.  I too do not know the man.  Jack is a comedian and one whom I would treat with tepidness.   But this Lim Biow Chuan fella is a different kettle of fish altogether.  He is a MP; “Christian leader” and a lawyer.   MP Lim Biow Chuan has been a big let-down.  He does not know the hands are feed him.  Like other MPs and even MM Lee, he scolds his fellow citizens after they voted him. He thinks that Singapore is a nation of complainers and calls Singapore “"a society increasing reliant on the Government for help".   He, like his fellow MPs, is also careless with his remarks.   His recent guffaws are for all to see.     FIRST LET-DOWN   MP Lim was quoted as saying: “Over the years, to me, Jack Neo is a good son, father and also a good husband.  Since he is remorseful over this incident, he should be forgiven.  Actually, a man who has good career development would find such scenarios unavoidable,”   A day later he said that he had been “misquoted” by the journalist.   Why not extract an apology from the newspaper and save all the explanations?  Not so smart eh?     SECOND LET-DOWN   On March 16 at 12:07am, Mr. Lim Biow Chuan wrote to a female netizen Jessica Tan who posted on his Facebook questioning his remarks made in Shin Min Daily on the Jack Neo scandal.  (read article here) In the posting Lim Biow Chuan made several statements and in reviewing them again, some stupidity become evident:     Statement 1:  “For your information, the interview was done by the reporter in Mandarin and I replied part in Mandarin and part in English (as my Mandarin was not very good).”   Mr. Lim Biow Chuan is a lawyer by profession.   He now admits that his Mandarin is “not very good”.   He knows only too well what he is commenting on is a very topical subject and a 'hot' news item.   FM George Yeo was pilloried by netizens for his “rally around Jack” comment.   He should have stuck to the language he is most proficient in and be very exact with his choice of words in this instance.  Not so smart for a lawyer eh?     Statement 2:  “I do not agree with the behaviour of Mr. Jack Neo and am of the view that it is clearly wrong.   However, as a Christian leader and an MP, I do not feel that we should simply condemn the man for his misconduct.”   Mr. Lim Biow Chuan is a rather confused man.  He forgets that he is Singaporean first; an MP second and a Christian leader last.  He has his sequence totally “arse-about-face” (pardon the poor choice of words but it is explicit).   As he is writing in his Facebook and addressing a Singapore audience (and indirectly addressing the press), he should never ever mention that he is a Christian leader.   If he wishes to speak as a Christian leader then he should resign his Parliament seat.   It is politics.   You see, Singapore is a secular country and it is of utmost importance that national leaders keep their religious convictions out of politics.   If Lim Biow Chuan wants to remain a MP, he should not mention that he is a Christian leader in future in public.  Singaporeans (especially his constituents) may feel biased or intimidated by his religious leanings.     If he speaks as a MP, then the second sentence must be left out entirely and he should correct his Facebook post and apologize to Singaporeans for this mistake.  Careless?   (For this reason I have always felt that the question of race and religion should not appear in any official documents e.g. birth certificates and identity cards).      Statement 3:   “However, as a Christian leader and an MP, I do not feel that we should simply condemn the man for his misconduct.” As a lawyer Mr. Lim should know this statement is double-speak and a contradiction.    Mr. Lim had in an earlier sentence admitted that what Jack had done is wrong.     So if the law winds its course, Jack would have been convicted for his misconduct.   He should not be let off let alone “not condemned”.   Jack had shamefully preyed on young girls and asked for sexual favors as a movie director.  Soft corruption?  This guy may be a serial sex predator.   How many more girls had he taken advantage of that are too shameful to surface?   Mr. Lim, you are a Christian leader.  YOU OUGHT TO SPEAK OUT CLEARLY AGAINST JACK - no ifs and buts unless you are a coward and lack the guts to speak up.   And you should also openly condemn him otherwise you appear to condone the “misconduct”.   The community can forgive but after his apology and punishment.  This is the correct course as otherwise it would become a bad precedent.     Mr. Lim, will you then set the records straight and make the necessary corrections in your Facbook posting?     Statement 4:   “The reporter next asked me what was my impression of Jack Neo. My reply was that I don’t know him personally but I have heard that he was a good father, a filial son and a good husband.”   Mr. Lim Biow Chuan, the second sentence in this statement is entirely hearsay to make Jack look good.   You had mentioned that you do not know the man personally.   The only person to know if he has been a good husband is his wife.   She is now accused of complicity in Jack’s affairs – having knowledge of them and not stopping him.   So is this “good husband” statement a fact or a lie?  No two ways about this one, sir.  Otherwise you should have stopped at "I don't know him personally."        Mr. Lim Biow Chuan, please do not do a FM George Yeo i.e. “rally behind Jack”.   It is immoral - this whole thing.  FM George Yeo has conveniently forgotten about Jack's victims.   It takes much more than bravery and guts to come out to confront this bigger-than-life movie director and to tell-it-all.   It must have been the combination of guilt, hate and pangs of anger that overcame the shame.  Mr. Lim, you are a lawyer.  You certainly understand the meaning of 'mitigation'.   You have openly mitigated for Jack.  You have "soften" his 'misconduct".    What about his victims?  Some netizens, and I suspect that Jack's buddies, have openly called Wendy and Foyce 'sluts'.   Is this right and is this fair?   Where is the scale of justice?  Don't we have laws?     This “misconduct” has become a national shame.   Jack Neo has close ties with PAP MPs as evident from FM George Yeo’s statement.  He was awarded the PBM in 2004 and a Cultural Medallion in 2005 for his accomplishments in the movie industry.  Two-third of Jack's life is over.  Unfotunately for Wendy and Foyce, they are just starting-off in life.  Jack has ruined them.  They should sue for compensation.   Finally I feel very sad that Jack is is being "sheltered" by PAP MPs and his Pastor.  Once long ago Pastors were only seen at baptism, weedings and funerals.  Today, it seems fashionable to hide behind the skirts of the Pastors after a major crime has been committed.   Alas, the Pastor has one more job - blessing crimes.  Read More →