TR EMERITUS

Written by Our Correspondent According to insider information, Jack Neo and his family are considering relocating to China or Taiwan as a last resort to prepare for the worst possible outcome from the fallout of the sex scandals he was embroiled in, Lianhe Wanbao reported yesterday. Since the saga erupted last week when a mistress of Jack Wendy Chong alerted the press of their adulterous relationship, Jack has been dropped by Mitsubishi Starmex air-conditioner as its spokesman and his latest production "Being Human" was reportedly faring badly at the box-office. Following a disastrous press conference and continued flaming by the local media and netizens alike at his insincerity, it appears that the public image and standing of Jack Neo has been damaged irreversibly beyond repair. If Jack is unable to produce movies locally, then he may have no choice but to continue his career in China and Taiwan where the people are more forgiving of such moral transgressions. News source: Lianhe Wanbao, 13 March 2010  Read More →

作者:天堂鸟13/03/2010 新马家喻户晓的梁婆婆遭踢爆外遇噬嫩草，自从跳出人证鐘佳燕大胆地坦白说开，竟然一个接一个的年轻美眉被指和星国大导梁兄智强有缘，惹来八卦娱乐记者穷追狂打，如剥洋葱般一件一件给剥开示众。 群众就是如此好奇八卦，对人家那么私隐的事情表现得异常关心，尤其是对名人的情史，就更加有兴趣挖个水落石出。 梁智强那齣《钱不够用》(Money No Enough) 以平民化的故事俘虏了广大新马群众的心弦，这趟爆发婚外情，而且被砸不只一个外遇，难免令粉丝观众大感惊愕，甚至还将之标签为东方老虎花心萝卜。 连日来各大媒体不厌其烦的追踪报道，使得梁兄与太太深受沉重的压力，对群众指指点点和负面舆论，坐立不安疲于招架。 名人或公众人物稍有行差踏错，不幸成为媒体的猎物被咬住不放，可真倒霉之极。 经过多日的沉淀隐居，主角终于鼓起勇气，要站出来交代并发表悔过的歉意，以挽回群众和粉丝的信心。 日昨梁兄行色匆匆出现在记者会，在历时短短3分钟的記者會上痛哭3次；梁太则两度痛哭，情绪崩溃，当场昏倒！ 可惜的，主角只有短短3分钟的发言时间，且不允许提问。因此狮城媒体狠批：沒诚意、沒交代、沒解决问题、浪费大家的时间。 最戏剧性的，竟然是轮到梁太发言不及1分钟，因触及伤心处而一时情绪崩溃哽咽痛哭，稀里哗啦异常激动，站起来后突然脚软跌下昏倒在地，现场情况乱成一团，记者会也即宣告结束。 在场的记者群对此下笔令人深思莞尔：当梁智強把不省人事的妻子扶到后台，戏剧化的是，梁智強和妻子进入休息间时，有人竟不忘把舞台的布帘拉起，感觉像是在谢幕，戏演完了。 八卦，原来就是人类的品性！ 来源：大马论坛  Read More →

Dear Radha Basu, I read with great concern your article "Life's a beach but it's no holiday" published in the Straits Times on March 9, 2010. It is an article that talks about an issue which is very important to Singapore, and yet is often side-lined in the rat race, or maybe an issue that the government does not want to admit, face up to, or address. I find it highly insensitive, irresponsible and inappropriate for you to suggest that "homelessness in Singapore is often the result of personal irresponsibility, stemming from avarice or divorce and dysfunction". With growing divorce rates in Singapore, you probably know someone who is a divorcee. Would you still say that that is a result of "personal irresponsibility" or "reckless misdeeds"? Divorce is the last resort for many couples, and whilst I may not condone it, I do not think it apt to blame it on the persons involved. There are the poor living in rental flats, and there are the poorer still, who cannot even afford rental flats. If you are prepared to say that those who are camping out on beaches are irresponsible, then by the simplest logical derivation, you will also be prepared to say that anyone except the richest few living in mansions or bungalows are irresponsible, albeit to a lesser extent. Why do you think people sell off their apartments? Because they want to splurge it on luxury goods? I think not! Whilst you may put it in that manner to suggest that these people are irresponsible, it does not paint the full picture as it neglects to study the underlying causes behind that move - be it rocketing costs of living, a poor job market, a job market skewed by a huge influx of immigrants, etc - causes which I will be very hesitant to blame on the victims of our government's ill-managed macro-economic policies. I apologise if I do come across unduly harsh, for I know not the extent of political or bureaucratic pressure under which you are. But I do appeal very strongly to your sense of professionalism to issue a statement of regret, and also to refrain from allowing yourself to be, consciously or otherwise, an automatic mouthpiece of the government - and in the true spirit of journalism, I hope you can explore and bring out to the public a facet of Singapore we are ignorant or apathetic about, and come up with impassioned opinion pieces that are not simply a rehash of government rhetoric. There is a very mistaken yet pervasive idea that even opinion pieces have to be "balanced" for the sake of it - but what can be more personal than an opinion? Some ideas for you to consider are why the government view HDB flats as an investment asset, instead of a necessity which provides a roof over the heads of citizens? Regarding your example of Britain's situation, is welfare not a matter of balance? Yes, the British government may have probably gone over, whilst our government is obsessively allergic to providing even the most basic of welfare to vulnerable groups - and maybe to help too much is better than to help too little. Maybe you could also consider whether the salary formula for our ministers are less-than-ideal, since their salary are pegged to the top earners in the country, and hence there is no pecuniary incentive at all for them to look after the welfare of the poor. Perhaps you could study how the government's policy of awarding generous bonuses to themselves based on economic growth would create a strong monetary incentive for them to bring foreigners in to grow the economy for its end, even if per-capita income or standard of living is not improved. I thank you for your kind attention and time in reading this, and I hope that you will consider my points.   Best Regards, Gordon Li  Read More →