TR EMERITUS

Written by Our Correspondent The poor human rights record of Singapore's ruling party has come under intense international scrutiny again with a damning report published by Human Rights Watch, a New York-based NGO in its World Report 2010. (read article here) The 612-page report, the organization’s 20th annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizes major human rights trends in more than 90 nations and territories worldwide. Mr Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch said: "Singapore remains the textbook example of a politically repressive state. Individuals who want to criticize or challenge the ruling party's hold on power can expect to face a life of harassment, lawsuits, and even prison." The chapter on Singapore criticizes the failure of the ruling party to "meet human rights standards in a number of critical areas, including freedom of expression, association, and assembly." The recently implemented Public Order Act which gives the police powers to compel a person to move on and refrain from returning to a designated spot for up to 24 hours, was singled out as a repressive law to limit the freedom of expression in Singapore. Breaking the Public Order Act carries a maximum fine of $20,000 or jail of up to 12 months, or both. Singapore Law Minister K Shanmugam said earlier that the law is "aimed not to prevent cause-based activities, but to avoid disruptions to the public." The law is highly selective in its application and is employed solely to deal with activists who are engaging in legitimate political activities such as protesting against the ruling party. Less than a week ago, a PRC couple and family "hijacked" a SBS bus for 6 hours due to a dispute with the driver over the bringing of their wheelchair up the bus, causing much public nuisance and disruption. (read article here) About 10 passengers on the bus had to be "evacuated" to another and it was parked along the roadside thereby interfering with the flow of the traffic. The police was called to the scene, but did not evoke the Public Order Act to compel the family to move on away from the scene. In fact, the police officers were seen to be "escorting" the family down the bus and carrying their wheelchair to a cab called later by SBS to ferry them home free of charge. They were not charged for any offences. The fiasco sparked a massive outcry in cyberspace with many netizens lampooning the Singapore police for their double-standards and hypocrisy. It seems that there are two sets of laws in Singapore: one for locals and another for foreigners. As expected, Mr Shanmugam defended the laws as "necessary" for Singapore. "We have to do what we believe is right for Singapore and leave it to Singaporeans to judge our actions without worrying too much about the transient views of the international media," he was quoted saying in the Straits Times. Mr Shanmugam is wrong on three counts: 1. The ruling party does not represent the will of Singaporeans. We did not urge or petition it to introduce such a repressive law. 2. An increasing number of Singaporeans are speaking out against the law as well as other repressive laws put in place by the ruling party to protect its own partisan interests judging from the articles and comments posted in cyberspace. 3. The views of the international media are far from "transient". NGOs like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are highly regarded and respected in the world and the international media has far greater reach and influence than the Singapore media. Their constant attacks on Singapore's poor human rights record is likely to have a detrimental impact on us in the long run. Given the "track record" of the ruling party, Singaporeans will have no choice but to register their displeasure against the ruling party at the next election to make their voices heard, but then again dictatorships are seldom voted out through the ballot box.  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent Former Singapore citizen and lawyer Gopalan Nair has lashed out at Mr Philip Jeyaretnam for "betraying" his father, the late opposition leader Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam. Mr Philip Jeyaretnam was in the headlines recently over his appointment as a member of the Public Service Commission, an organization closely linked to Singapore's ruling party. The elder Jeyaretnam, or JBJ, as he was fondly remembered by Singaporeans, spent his entire political career fighting the archaic and repressive political system of the PAP for which he was jailed once and bankrupted several times by ruinous defamation lawsuits brought onto him by PAP leaders. Mr Gopalan Nair was a close associate with JBJ during his time with the Workers' Party. He took part in the general elections in 1988 and 1991 before he gave up his Singapore citizenship and migrated to the United States where he currently lived in Califonia. True to his combative style, Mr Nair pulled no punches in attacking Mr Philip Jeyaretnam: "Simply put, he is a man lacking the slightest of loyalty and integrity that one would expect a son for his father. What is even more disgusting in this case, is the fact that he is a lawyer, and he knows the law, and how it was abused to destroy his father." He criticized him for not doing anything to defend his father: "He knew all along the litany of prosecutions and defamation actions by this Lee Kuan Yew government against his father had not the slightest of merit. He knew all along that ever rule in the book was being broken and bent to harass, intimidate and destroy his father. He knew that the Constitution protected his father but yet was blatantly violated. He knew all along that his father was the punching bag of Lee Kuan Yew's shameful excesses. Yet he did nothing. Nothing at all to defend him. Not a word." Mr Philip Jeyaretnam is a well-known and respected senior lawyer in Singapore. Though JBJ once persuaded him to join politics, he decided as early as in the 1990s that he is not "suitable" for it. Mr Nair felt that Mr Philip was only being made use of by the ruling party to portray itself as being "magnanimous" to its political opponents: "They use him by giving him honors and accolades, such as "Cambridge educated lawyer" "son of the late opposition leader JB Jeyaretnam", implying they are fair minded towards the opposition, which in fact they never were. With him they are able to argue that they are not out to destroy the opposition, as many accuse them of, which he is permitting them to do it with his collaboration." Mr Philip's joining PSC has drawn mixed responses from the online community. While some accused him of "betraying" his late father by allowing himself to be "co-opted" into the establishment, others applauded him to step forward to serve the nation. When asked whether his father would have supported his move in an interview with The Straits Times, Mr Philip Jeyaretnam said he has "no doubts" that JBJ would be "proud" of him. His elder brother, Kenneth Jeyaretnam is currently the Secretary-General of The Reform Party, founded by JBJ in 2008. If both brothers joined hands and stand for elections, there is a good chance they are able to gun down a GRC given the brand name of "Jeyaretnam" in Singapore. Despite the ruling party's frequent denouncements of him and the blatant attempts by the state media to demonize him, JBJ remains a widely respected leader in Singapore. More than 200 Singaporeans, many of whom are in their 20s and 30s turned up for a candlelight vigil at Hong Lim Park to mourn his passing in 2008. It is highly unlikely that anybody will bother to do that when JBJ's arch nemesis finally passes on in the next few months or years.  Read More →

OPINION If you are a foreigner and you are finding hard to survive in your own country, then Singapore is the right place for you to earn a quick buck and perhaps to become rich in your lifetime. Unlike other developed nations who discriminate against foreign workers, the ruling party of Singapore is extremely pro-foreigner and amendable to your interests. In Singapore, you will enjoy essentially the same rights and benefits as the Singapore citizens without their accompanying responsibilities such as serving two years of mandatory National Service in the army. You will be welcomed as a "talent" with the red carpet rolled out for you whether you are really talented or not. Here are 10 top reasons why Singapore is the best place to work in for foreigners: 10. Getting a social visit pass or work permit is relatively EASY: You can go to Singapore under a tourist vist (Social Visit Pass) and you will be allowed to stay in the country for up to 30 days. This can even be extended for another 30 days so that’s almost 2 months in total. Use that time to find work and chances are, you will find one. Many women from China came to Singapore to work as freelance prostitutes and they can earn a year of their salaries back home within a month. If you have the right connections, getting a work permit to work in Singapore is very easy as it is in desperate need of cheap foreign workers. As long you are willing to work long hours for a pittance without asking for too much, you are sure to get a job in Singapore which pays more than what you are getting in your country.  9. Safe place protected by citizens serving NATIONAL SERVICE:  Singapore is one of the safest place in Asia. All Singapore male citizens have to serve two years in the army followed by another 10 years of reservist. They will be  mobilized during times of unrest to protect your lives and properties. In the event that war breaks out which is highly unlikely, you can always return back to your own country with your money and let the Singaporeans do the fighting and dying for you. Singapore's ruling party has no qualms sacrificing its citizens to protect the interests of foreigners. Every year, there are unknown numbers of Singapore citizens who are killed, crippled or injured during National Service, yet there is no outcry among Singaporeans. 8. Easy to ADAPT to local culture and language: Singapore is a multi-cultural immigrant society. Regardless of where you are from, you will bound to find your fellow countrymen in Singapore. If you are mainland Chinese, you will realize that certain parts of Singapore resemble some small towns in China like Geylang and Chinatown. One can find Chinese from all the 23 provinces of China congregated along the narrow alleys of Geylang between Lorongs 4 and 22. If you are from India, you won't feel lost in Serangoon because so many of your kind is there! You can find Indian cuisine from all across India in Singapore itself! For Filipinos, Thais, Burmese and Vietnamese, you have enclaves of your own such as Lucky Plaza, Golden Mile Complex and Peninsula Plaza where you can hang out with your friends during the weekends. 7. No need to INTEGRATE into Singapore society: Unlike other countries where you belong to the minority and may be pressurized to conform to the resident population, there is absolutely no need to do so in Singapore where 36 per cent of its population are foreigners. Of the remaining 64 per cents so-called "citizens", a rising proportion are new citizens born overseas like you. There are large number of mainland Chinese in Singapore and it is likely that you will be able to find your own clique there without bothering too much about the locals. The Indians have their own gang too and they are now branching out into HDB estates like Punggol, Sembawang and Seng Kang. In Singapore, foreigners are the kings and you call the shots. The timid locals will not dare to step on your toes so long you assert your rights and they will give in to you like sheep, as they were called lately by a Senior Minister. 6. PREFERENTIAL treatment for foreigners: Racism is rife in some countries like Australia which saw a spate of protests against Indians lately, but not in Singapore where the ruling party is extremely protective of foreigners to the extent of dishing out preferential treatment to them. Singaporeans will never dare to attack foreigners openly or protest against their presence because they will be arrested immediately by the police under the new Public Order Act. However, foreigners are free to campaign for their rights and interests without much interference from the authorities. When over 200 PRC workers protested outside the Manpower Ministry last year over unpaid wages, they were allowed to block the traffic to its entrance for hours. The employer was eventually forced to repay the workers. In a recent case, a PRC couple together with 3 others "hijacked" a SBS bus for six hours and was given a free cab ride home in the end. The police was called to "escort" them from the bus down to the cab. 5. Get PERMANENT RESIDENT status easily: Getting a PR means you get almost the same benefits as Singapore citizen without necessarily giving up your native citizenship which enables you can reap the full benefits offered by both and enjoy the best of the two worlds. If you are a Singapore PR, you are allowed to stay in the country over a long period of time, you can sponsor your family to come over and stay legally, you can set-up a business here, and many other benefits. You do not have to be a professional or world class talent to qualify for PR. Singapore's ruling party is so desperate to boost its flagging population via immigration that they will accept any Tom, Dick or Harry. Even cleaners, masseurs, construction workers and prostitutes are able to become PRs and citizens. Two out of every three applications for PRs are successful and you do not have to wait very long for it. On average, if you are a professional like doctors or nurses, you will get your PR within half a year of application. A China national and Singapore PR Zhang Yuanyuan who worked as a teacher in a private school received her PR in just 2 months. 4. Take up Singapore CITIZENSHIP as a springboard to greener pastures elsewhere: One good thing about the Singapore passport is that it enables you to travel around the world without a visa to most countries. If you have made up your mind to leave your country for good and wishes to emigrate to other countries like Australia, Canada or Britain, the easiest way to do it is to take up Singapore citizenship first and use it as a springboard. A Filipino nurse worked in Singapore for a 5 years after which she obtained its citizenship. Within a year, she applied to work in Britain and was accepted immediately. She is now a British citizen and has brought her entire family from the Philipines to Leicester where she now works in a local hospital. Since Singapore has already offered you a stepping stone to a better future elsewhere, it will be a waste not to make full use of it. 3. There are MANY jobs available: There are plenty of jobs available in Singapore and foreigners are usually preferred to locals as they cost less and do not have reservist obligations. It is easier to get a job in Singapore than in your own country. That is why your leaders are all turning to Singapore to solve the rising unemployment back home Philipines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sent a delegation to Singapore last year to explore possible job opportunities for migrant Filipino and they were offered a cool 5,000 jobs by the Resort World Sentosa. (read report here) As long you are willing to try your luck, you are assured of getting a job in Singapore. 2. The pay can make you RICH: Though you will earn less compared to Singapore workers, you will still earn far more than what you will back in your own countries due to the strong Singapore dollar. As of now SGD$1 = RM$2.4 = RMB$4.9 = PHP32. Even if you earn only SGD$500 a month, you will be able to set up a business in your homeland, buy a property and send your children to school if you use your earnings wisely. 1. Easy chance to become a MILLIONAIRE in Singapore:  It's easier to become a millionaire in Singapore than in your own country. Just get a PR, buy a HDB flat and wait for a few years for its price to go up before selling it off at a hefty profit. Though this may seem shocking to you, it is true that the ruling party allows PRs to buy HDB flats meant for citizens in the open market liberally and to pocket the profits upon selling them later absolutely TAX-FREE! With the prices of HDB flats set to continue rising due to limited supply of new flats and increased demand contributed by the relentless influx of foreigners, you will surely stand to make a profit when you invest in one now. In other countries, you will have to either rent a place to live in or buy an expensive flat from the private sector, but in Singapore you get to buy public housing at affordable prices and somemore can make money out of it. Where else can you get such a good deal in the world? Two case studies in point: 1. A Malaysian and Singapore PR bought a 5-room HDB flat in the prime district of Bishan for $150,000 in the early 1990s. He sold it recently for $600,000 thereby making a profit of $450,000 which amounts to more than RM$1.1 million dollars! He became a millionaire in Malaysia after working for 2 decades in Singapore. Do you think he can earn that much money in his lifetime had he remained in Malaysia? The best part of it is, after his children completed their secondary and college education in Singapore, he packed them off to Australia with his earnings to further their studies so that they can evade National Service. They are now Australian PRs and he is going to retire in Australia together with them. 2. A Chinese national and Singapore PR bought a 4 room HDB flat in Bukit Merah for $250,000 in the early 2000s and sold it for $460,000 at the peak of the market last year, pocketing $210,000 in an instance which is more than RMB$1 million dollars when converted to Chinese currency. She has since returned to her hometown in China where she built a luxurious 3 storey mansion for herself and family. She can live on her earnings made in Singapore for the rest of her life without lifting a finger to work. So if you want to become a millionaire in your lifetime, come to Singapore now and you will not be disappointed by its extremely pro-foreigner government! Adapted from this article posted on sugarpinoy.com    Read More →