TR EMERITUS

I was a Malaysian and became a Singaporean in 2001.   I am intrigued by the unflattering comments and articles on your portal about the Singapore government and how the country is run.   Being an ex-Malaysian, I am able to compare and contrast my life in Malaysia and now, in Singapore.   I feel so safe and happy living in Singapore.  I had a good education and hold a good job in Singapore which I will probably not have had if I remained in Malaysia.   I worked hard for what I have achieved thus far in Singapore.   4 things I am so afraid of about living in Malaysia are:   a) High crime rate: The police are not able to contain the crime and citizens feel unsafe.  Their homes broken into, ladies are snatched of their handbags in broad daylight, kidnaps and thefts are frequent.  You can read about them on Malaysia Today, Malaysian Insider and the likes.   b) Corrupted government and its agencies alike, from top to bottom: You can't get anything done unless you pay a bribe.   The public service is slow, inefficient and all you do is wait and wait.   c) Corrupted police who prey on innocent citizens: They do not protect the citizens.  Citizens are so scared of the police.  Look at the almost 2,000 deaths in police custody and still counting.  I read it from the news portal of Malaysia.  Innocent citizens are locked up and beaten up for no apparent reasons, including Indonesians, China students and tourists.   d) Low education standards and admission to local Universities is not by merit:   You can see how/what the Malaysian cabinet ministers say daily and they almost contradict each other.  They give the impression they are "fighting" against their own citizens daily. I find the Singapore government clean, efficient, smart and with foresight and cares for the citizens.  I am very happy living here and am proud to be a Singaporean.  I feel safe to approach the Singapore police for help should the need arises and I feel confident that the police will help me.   I can get things done from the public agencies in a systematic manner and there is law and order here.   It may be a good idea to ask those unhappy Singaporeans to live in Malaysia for a while to have a taste of what life is like over there.  In fact, I posed this suggestion to a complaining taxi driver before and he said, "Of course, you cannot compare with Malaysia." and went silent thereafter. On my business trips all over, I feel so "at ease" the moment I touched down at Changi Airport.  I feel so at home.  I will miss Singapore if I was away for a long while.   Siebel, a Singaporean who was an ex-Malaysian until 2001   EDITORS' NOTE: The Temasek Review welcomes more such letters from PAP supporters and new citizens to add diversity to the range of views expressed on this site. You have the power to change our editorial content and stance. Please feel free to email us at [email protected]. Your article will be published in full prompting with absolutely no editing. If possible, we will appreciate you use your real name to add credibility to your contribution.  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent According to a recent Bloomberg report, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings has set up a global investment company run by its Chief Strategist Charles Ong. Seatown Holdings Pte Ltd,which will manage billions of dollars will "target absolute returns", said three people with knowledge of its plan, but asking not to be identified because the information is private. When asked by Bloomberg, Charles Ong refused to divulge more details except that "Seatown is a global investment company wholly owned by Temasek" which in turn is a "commercial entity" owned by the Ministry of Finance. It is not revealed where Seatown will be getting its funds from. Temasek Holdings' global reputation has taken a battering following a series of dubious investments which saw its portfolio dropped by 30 per cent in the financial year ending March 2009 resulting in the loss of billions of dollars. Its CEO Ho Ching initially indicated her desire to step down but was "reinstated" after Temasek's CEO-designated Chip Goodyear left under a cloud of controversy due to "strategic differences". As expected, the Minister of Finance Tharman declined to explain the real reasons behind Goodyear's departure on the grounds that it will not serve any "strategic purpose." While the Singapore media has been quick to publicize Temasek's latest foray into hedge funds, it failed to reveal the background of the man in charge - Charles Ong, who was the Chief Strategist behind the sale of Thailand's Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings in 2006. China Economic Review claimed that the purchase of Shin Corp by Temasek was engineered by both Charles Ong and his brother Richard Ong, then the co-head of investment banking of Goldman Sachs in Asia: "But can we glean a clue by examining Richard Ong's resume? According to the FT again, Ong was "instrumental" in Singapore government investment vehicle Temasek's purchase of ousted Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra's Shin Corp last year. But just how instrumental was he? The Nation, a Thai paper, noted that Richard's brother, Charles Ong, is Temasek's head of overseas investment strategy and "right-hand man" to Temasek chief Ho Ching. According to Goldman's website, its Singapore office counts Temasek as a "key client". The Temasek-Shin Corp deal went through, but triggered a series of events that led to a military coup against Thaksin's government and an US$820 million paper loss for Temasek at one point. Because Temasek is seen as a proxy of Singapore's government (although ostensibly independent), with close links to the ruling People's Action Party (Ho Ching is Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's wife), the purchase of Shin Corp caused alarm in Thailand. Thais saw the deal as Singapore's government getting too close for comfort." [Source: China Economic Review, July 2007] The extent of Temasek's loss in Shin Corp was not revealed to this very day. Singaporeans should not be too worried if Seatown Holdings may end up like another "Shin Corp" under the charge of Charles Ong, who was appointed probably because he is the "best person" for the job as is Temasek's CEO Ho Ching. After all, Temasek Holdings is responsible only to the Ministry of Finance and not to the people of Singapore.  Read More →

By Jumong Details: Title: 바람의 나라 / The Kingdom of The Winds Episodes: 36 Broadcast network: KBS2 Broadcast period: 2008-Sep-10 to 2009-Jan-15 Opening themes: Version 1: Version 2: Historical context: The story was cast during the beginning years of the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo (高句麗) in the first century from which the present day name of "Korea" was derived. Goguryeo was an ancient East Asian kingdom founded by Jumong or King Dongmyeong, a prince from Buyeo, another rival Korean state situated in the county of Tumen in China's northeastern province of Jilin. At the peak of its power, it occupied a large part of present-day Liaoning and Jilin provinces and two-thirds of the Korean peninsula beyond the Han river till Seoul. (the other two Korean kingdoms are Baekje and Silla). The protagonist in "Kingdom of the Winds" - Prince Muhyul who later became King Daemusin (大武神王) was the third King of Gorguryeo. He greatly expanded Gorguryeo's territory and chased the Han Chinese out of the Liaodong region. His greatest accomplishment was in defeating the rival state of Buyeo in the north and extending Gorguryeo's reach to Manchuria and parts of Russia's eastern maritime province today. Synopsis: About the life story of Prince Muhyul who was abandoned by his father King Yuri after he was born due to a prophecy that he would kill his parents and siblings and destroyed the kingdom of Gorguryeo. He was brought up by a lover of his elder brother Hae Myeong and subsequently became his right-hand man. Hae Myeong was forced to commit suicide after a failed assassination attempt on King Dae So of the rival state of Buyeo and Muhyul was captured. Not knowing his identity, he joined Buyeo's "black shadow" assassination squad to take revenge on King Yuri whom he blamed for not saving Hae Myeong's life. He eventually discovered the truth and ascended the throne to become King Daemusin (18 - 44 AD) who conquered Buyeo and slayed King Dae So. Cast: Song Il Gook as Prince Muhyul and later King Daemusin: He had previously played the role of King Daemusin's grandfather King Dongmyeong in the 2006 hit "Jumong". Brought up as a wall painter in the tomb of his grandfather King Dongmyeong, Daemusin eventually fulfilled the dreams of his grandfather and father by annexing the rival state of Buyeo. Choi Jung Wan as Princess Yeon: A Buyeo princess who saved Prince Muhyul's life on several occasions and eventually fell in love with him. The ill-fated love between the duo was doomed from the very beginning due to the deep-seated enmity between Gorguryeo and Buyeo. Park Gun Hyung as Do Jin: A Buyeo prince who was banished to become a "black shadow" assassin due to his father's treason, he befriended the young Prince Muhyul and was his best friend till rivalry between them for the love of Princess Yeon turned them against each other. Jing Jin Young as King Yuri: The second king of Gorguryeo, King Yuri was a wretched figure living in the shadow of his father and founder of Gorguryeo King Dongmyeong and under constant threat of invasion from the more powerful Buyeo. Against all odds, he managed to keep the kingdom together before he passed it to his third son Prince Muhyul. Availability in Singapore: Chinese version with both English and Chinese subtitles ($60 - $70) Average ratings in Korea: 16.3% Awards: 2008 KBS Drama Awards: Best Couple Award with Song Il Gook and Choi Jung Won 2008 KBS Drama Awards: Top Excellence Actor (Song Il Gook) 2008 KBS Drama Awards: Mini Drama Excellence Award - Actor (Jung Jin Young) 2008 KBS Drama Awards: Mini Drama Excellence Award - Actress (Choi Jung Won)  Read More →