TR EMERITUS

By Clara Chooi from The Malaysian Insider With the strong probability that the MCA president’s post will be vacated in two days’ time, tension is brewing in the higher echelons of the party’s leadership over who would head the party. The two most obvious choices are vice-presidents Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha and Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai. Others include Datuk Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen, Tan Kok Hong, Datuk Wee Ka Siong or even Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun. However, should party elections be called, other former top MCA leaders like Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai or Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan are likely to join the race to fill the leadership vacuum. The endless possibilities, caused by the dramatic extraordinary general (EGM) meeting three days ago, has heightened the tension somewhat amongst MCA leaders. It is learned that a meeting at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur was even held between Kong, Liow and several others on Sunday night, to strike a deal prior to this Thursday’s central committee meeting. Apparently, the informal meeting turned into a face-off between Kong and Liow over who should fill the top post. Liow is touted to be the choice of MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat after he leaves but Kong, during the last party elections in 2008, had been the one to garner the most votes amongst all the party veeps. When asked to confirm Sunday’s “secret meeting” during a press conference here today, Liow repeatedly refused to deny or agree. Instead, he said: “Everything should be decided in the central committee (CC).” When the question was repackaged and repeated, Liow repeated, “Everything must be decided in the CC.” He also urged all quarters to quit their speculation on the issue and patiently wait for the results of the CC’s meeting the day after tomorrow. “Do not speculate. We only have about two days to go before the CC meeting. Be patient. We will be able to resolve this,” he said, after officiating the opening of the GlaxoSmithKline Global IT Centre in Menara Lien Hoe here this morning. Meanwhile, speculations continue to buzz over this Thursday’s CC meeting. An associate close to Ong confirmed to The Malaysian Insider today that the party president would pay heed to the EGM’s results on Saturday and resign. It remains to be seen however if his resignation would be followed by those of his men in the presidential council and the CC. In all likelihood, it could very well be a case of  ”every man for himself”‘ with Ong’s loyalists turning a deaf ear to his earlier public pledge that if he left, all would follow suit. Ong’s impending resignation would certainly return some of the pride and dignity the Transport Minister had lost over the past few weeks and months. The party’s “third force” especially would laud such a move and may even, finally, reveal its hidden face. Calls made today to former party president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting and former deputy Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, both of whom are said to be behind the third uprising within the already trouble-stricken MCA, revealed nothing. Ka Ting’s secretary Yong Kah Kah told The Malaysian Insider that her boss no longer dabbled in politics and wished to remain away from media attention. “He does not want to comment on this issue,” she said. - The Malaysian Insider  Read More →

From our Correspondent The Singapore Democratic Party has expressed doubts if the decision made by HDB to shelve Sheng Siong's plans to convert the wet market into supermarkets will be reversed after the next general elections. It also claimed that changes could be made to the running of the market that would increase operational costs which would then be passed on to consumers. SDP had called on Dr Teo Ho Pin, MP for Bukit Panjang, to assure residents that livelihoods of the vendors will not be jeopardised and that prices will not be increased as a result of the sale of the wet market to Sheng Shiong. In an interview with Lianhe Wanbao yesterday, Dr Teo remarked sarcastically that SDP should “do its homework” first before pin-pointing at others. SDP Chairman Mr Gandhi Ambalam sent Dr Teo a second email in response saying: "As an MP you need to assure residents that you will not allow the sale of the wet market to lead to increase of prices of food items and daily necessities." While Mr Gandhi had addressed Dr Teo respectfully by his name, Dr Teo gave a terse reply without bothering to exercise basic courtesy by addressing Mr Ambalam, avoided the subject altogether.  He simply said: [You have mistaken (sic). I have always supported my residents. This wet market was proposed by me in 1996 to serve my residents in Fajar area. Thanks Dr Teo Ho Pin] The wet market saga appeared to have ended with the announcement by HDB that the wet markets do not qualify for conversion into supermarkets (as of now). The announcement came abruptly last Friday two days after SDP published an article on its website urging Dr Teo to speak up on the saga. Though many residents have expressed happiness and relief at HDB's decision to halt the move, SDP continues to heckle Dr Teo over it: "If Dr Teo cannot give the assurance that the vendors and consumers will not be adversely affected by the sale, then the MP should state openly and clearly his opposition to the move, and call on the HDB not to approve the sale of the wet market to Sheng Shiong." Dr Teo has been reticient on matter so far. All he said is that he has been working with the residents to resolve the issue.  Read More →

By Michael Tan Over the weekend, the Sunday Times published two articles side by side which showed up the stark contrast between Singaporeans and mainland Chinese. While two contestants of the controversial Miss Singapore World, Ris Low and Claire Lee engaged in an open cat-fight with one another through the media, Chinese national and Singapore PR Zhang Yuanyuan was involved in the grueling six-hour parade to celebrate China's 60th anniversary. Miss Zhang came to Singapore to study and work in 2003, and got her blue Singapore PR identity card two years later. Despite a job with a multi-national company, which reportedly paid her some $4,000 a month, she returned to Beijing last year and worked in a state-owned enterprise. Months later, she heard about the chance to be part of the women’s militia contingent during a recruitment drive, she jumped at it. When asked by CCTV Channel 7 reporters why returned to Beijing, she proclaimed proudly in impeccable mandarin with a wide smile on screen that “repaying the motherland is her greatest wish!” One can hardly find any Singaporean who is confident enough to speak to reporters let alone announced one's allegiance to the nation publicly with pride. Watching the video clip again and again, I can't help admiring the pride displayed on Miss Zhang's face which is brimming with joy and elation, a sense of identity and patriotism seldom seen in Singaporeans. If Singaporeans already have ambivalent feelings about their nation, their identity crisis is further exacerbated by the relentless influx of foreigners in recent years. In a desperate bid to increase the country's population, the ruling party opened the floodgates to encourage mass immigration into the country indiscriminately without study the likely social cost and impact to ordinary citizens. As a result, we have many fine PRs like Miss Zhang who returned to serve their homelands after studying and working in Singapore. In the past, many Chinese nationals would have jumped at the chance of making Singapore their homes, but with the rising affluence of China, many of them are preferring to stay put there. Unlike local Chinese who grew up in a multi-racial society, mainland Chinese can never adapt to the way of life in Singapore no matter how much money the ruling party throw at them to beg them to stay. The push factors which will cause them to stay in Singapore for good are no longer that great with China's major cities enjoying a boom no seen in decades. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen now have a standard of living comparable to Singapore. That's why you will hardly find Chinese from these cities taking up Singapore PRs or citizenships. On the other hand, we have quite a number of Chinese from the poorer inland provinces of Hunan, Henan, Liaoning, Hebei and Heilongjiang. As the former head of civil service Mr Ngiam Tong Down puts it succinctly: "Today, migration is economics driven. The best and the brightest move around the world searching for higher paying jobs......Singapore will be left with the second tier of average people. Educationally, they would hardly measure up to the Singapore average. When they are given citizenship and the right to vote, they will use their new-found electoral power to demand equal access to social services as other Singaporeans. The difference is existing citizens would have paid for those social services over a lifetime of tax payments; the new citizens would not." [Source: Straits Times] The irony is, with China becoming an economic powerhouse, young and bright Singaporeans are flocking to work in China while we are getting the second-rated mainland Chinese to replace them. The creme la crop of the Chinese will not come to Singapore because they are either retained by the state or seek greener pastures elsewhere like Australia, Canada and the United States. According to a recent China Daily report, there are 20,000 Singaporeans are working in China and scores of joint ventures are underway. It is a huge question mark whether these Singaporeans will return to Singapore after they complete their stint. Today's China offers limitless opportunities to Singaporeans eager to make a mark for themselves in life. The cost of living is relatively low, the culture is similar to ours and in some ways, the government is less oppressive than Singapore's. To compound matters, China is now a favorite destination for retirees to spend their golden years simply because it has become so expensive to retire in Singapore. When I was in Dongguan last month, I came across a 60 year old ex-civil servant who sold off his HDB flat and bought a sprawling 5,000 square foot bungalow in the suburbs. His wife passed away 2 years ago and his two grown up children have their own families in Singapore. He now lives with his mistress, who is only 24 years old. According to him, more and more Singapore men are discovering the beauty of Chinese women and the country. "We are too late!", he lamented to me. "The Taiwanese and the Hong Kongers come before us. Now we are left with the crumbs. Look here, this place is a village only 10 years ago, now it is a metropolis. In another ten years time, Dongguan will catch up with Singapore." To those who can afford it, China is indeed a paradise on earth. Besides Dongguan, there are now a sizable number of ex-Singaporeans and Singaporeans living in nearby Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Zhuhai. Their numbers are expected to grow in the future. It is only human nature to want the best for themselves. Few will want to work till their twilight years in order to support themselves or service their mortage loans. With the exception of some, who don't wish to retire and enjoy life while they still can? As more and more Singaporeans leave for China and elsewhere leaving the government with little choice but to continue to import Chinese nationals to maintain the ethnic ratio, will Singapore end up being a backward second class province of China? National identity, pride and patriotism are intangible and necessary components of a nation which can never be inculcated through education, immigration or economic growth. Unless Singaporeans reclaim ownership of their country, the brain drain will inevitably continue to grow and we may end up as an ambiguous political entity which is neither a country proper or a dependency of China.   Related articles: >> Singapore PRC PR proud to be Chinese >> PRC resident hung China flag to celebrate its National Day >> PRC student in Singapore wants more scholarships for foreigners >> PRC prostitutes solicit for customers on Singapore’s cyberspace    About the Author: Michael is currently working in Hong Kong as a financial analyst. He is still proud to be a Singaporean and he hopes that Singapore will become a free society like Hong Kong one day.  Read More →