TR EMERITUS

Ripped from Sam's blog I refer to Ministry for Education (MOE) Press Secretary Jennifer Chan’s statement on sexuality education programmes conducted in schools across the nation. I am concerned with MOE’s usage of the rhetoric of ‘social norms’, and the label of ‘alternative lifestyles’. MOE should take more responsibility in addressing and engaging the term ‘social norms’ and its implications. I feel MOE should encourage an open and free-flow of information to empower our children, not use the rhetoric of ‘social norms’ to justify the omission of certain aspects of sexuality education. Social norms, to a large extent, perpetuate and legitimise division and discrimination in our society. For example, social norms cause the stigmatism of single mums and ex-convicts; arisen from these norms are also gender hegemony, ageism and racism. Social norms perpetuate ideas of men being tougher than women, of the elders being slow and economically worthless, and of ethnic minorities as generally underachieving. In this scenario, in leveraging the rhetoric of ‘social norms’, MOE is doing a huge disservice to youths who either identify as queer (non-heterosexual and/or non-cisgendered/non-cissexual) or struggle with their sexuality. The concerns and issues of queer and questioning youths become treated as irrelevant and left unaddressed. Read rest of article here  Read More →

From The Informant Network Team David Faber from CNBC: "A $4.6 billion loss on a $5.9 billion dollar investment. TPG lost $2 billion really quickly on Washington Mutual, but this one guys, is right up up there, as one of the worst investment during this period for one single investment fund." Now, what does the Lee family think of this latest investment loss? Ho Ching, Temasek's CEO, wife of Prime Minister Lee and daughter-in-law of MM Lee: "No. I think if you want to run life with regret, you will end up doing very little." (when asked if she had any regrets about leaving Temasek, Reuters 6 February 2009, source) Lee Kuan Yew, GIC's Chairman, father of Prime Minister Lee and father-in-law of Ho Ching: "When we invest, we are investing for 10, 15, 20 years. You may look as if you are making a big loss today, but you have not borrowed money to invest. You will ride the storm, the company recovers, your shares go up.” (CNA, 7 February 2009, source) Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, husband of Ho Ching and son of MM Lee: "Both Temasek and GIC are professional investment organizations, highly regarded around the world for their track record. Management hired all over the world. Boards are competent and experienced. They pursued sustainable returns over the long term, and avoided excessive risk-taking for short-term gains. Thus we have achieved good long term returns through ups and downs in the global economy and market cycles." (in a speech on 21 October 2008, source) Since we are investing for the long-term, why did Temasek sell of its stake in BOA so early and at such a low price? In less than a year, it lost 83% of its initial investment in Merill Lynch! Is Temasek pursing "sustainable returns" over the long term by pulling out so early from BOA? Does Ho Ching still have "no regrets" over such a disastrous loss? Of course she won't, since the money is not from her own pockets. Does Singapore still has a future when its SWFs are bleeding our precious reserves dry with such ill-judged investments? Imagine using the $4.6 billion dollars to help ordinary Singaporeans tide over the current economic turmoil by subsidizing medical bills, providing retrenchment benefits and paying for the education of needy students. The government kept telling the people that we should be self-reliant and not develop a clutch mentality. It is not as if it has no means to help the less fortunate in society. It is so filthy rich that it is able to blow billion dollars away in an instance without blinking an eyelid! In her latest speech as Temasek's CEO, Ho Ching said: "We must do things today with tomorrow clearly in our minds. The story of Temasek is likewise a journey, each generation doing things yesterday and today with tomorrow very clearly in our minds – to make a difference to our fellow men and women, to support and build a future where Asia and Singapore can realise their full potential for their people, and to put in place the foundation for a better tomorrow." (read her speech here) Forget about Asia, Madam Ho. Haven't you caused enough trouble in Thailand? Obviously the investment decisions made by you during your tenure did not take the future into account. How else can you explain the terrible losses suffered by Temasek from the purchase of Shin Corp, ABC learning and now Merrill Lynch? The Singapore government must account to the people immediately on the latest loss by Temasek since it is a corporate entity fully owned by the Ministry of Finance which is in turn financed completely by taxpayers' monies. It is a shame that the PAP pay only lip service to transparency and accountability and continue to demand us to pay them exorbitant salaries only to screw up big time, again and again.  Read More →

The aware saga like the Santa Maria may already has slipped beyond the horizon of our consciousness; it’s gone - but the question it leaves in its wake stirs the forth of discontent; as it centers on only one question of Should Botak Siew should be nominated for another term at a NMP? Here we could just as well throw a hundred issues into the medley, gays, lesbians, what was written in page 73, was the mike on or off; along with his brazen show of support for the old guard and total disregard of the broader landscape of issue – what it the final prognosis? Irrelevent! To paraphrase the sum of fuck all even.   I am here not to waste bandwidth - I am here to take on something diffuse and confused and hopefully, if I pull it off I can focus all the issues into a point no larger than the diameter of an intellectual pin head without confusing you and myself.   The question is this: Can Singapore do without a personality like Botak Siew? - to the preceptive reader the question is a "reverso," as its starting premise is not his suitability or even whether he has the metier to discharge his duty as a NMP. What is at stake is not only the broader question of how do we should go about fashioning a better society in the social political landscape? But how should we even go about crafting a way of understanding the spirit of an age and begin to make sense of things that would even divide and rile us and cope with the many dilemmas it throws out like the AWARE saga?   In my mind, whether such an event will occur again remains academic; what should ideally preoccupy our attention is if it occurs again - then, there must be a reliable roadmap to solve these dilemmas in a way that does not threaten the stability and legitimacy of the system.     The danger if we remain bovine about these question is we may end up playing nothing more than "happy families" where everyone can be counted to say and do the right things and not to rock the boat a la Teo Ser Luck style - in my view that has to be akin to slow acting poison - a kind of death, Cicero onced described as "a life of dissipation."    And this leads me to one of my main points this afternoon; all our intelligence informs us a smear campaign to undermine Botak Siew is currently on the way in earnest – but this should not be seen as abberation, as when one group finds itself disenfranchised and marginalized, then what did you really expect? They will certainly find alternative ways of squaring the accounts – in the days to come, we should all expect to see more sordid revelations throwing "doubts" galore on the suitability of Botak Siew along with plenty of reasons designed to stymie his re-nomination  as a NMP– many of these confections may hold some level of truth, not because they are true in the real sense, but rather they play on our fears that something is amiss - in other words, this has to be a form of psychological warfare;  some will believe it; many will not – but my point is simply this, the goal is clear the sum of all these efforts is to embellish, exagerrate, bend and confect with the sole purpose to undermine and character assasinate inorder to prevent Botak Siew from being nominated for another term.   And this should prompt us all to ask the question one more time again: what does it takes to build a better society that is able to make Singapore a better place to work, live and play? Granted may seem like a strange question to ask against the backdrop, I have just painted, but do bear with me.   If we are to understand what is the role of a NMP, then we may have to begin by shifting away from the self aggrandizing leitmotif that some of us have associated with Botak Siew that he is a jolly good fellow – a NMP who fights for peace and justice yada yada yada yada yada yada.   As some of you can see, I dont buy into that myth as it is futile I do not believe a nominated NMP can be anything more than a glorified sounding box - to me Botak Siew is simply a necessary product of our age - not so diffferent from Eunice Olsen or many of those shrunken heads we find hanging on the wall in the P-65 blog - in percise terms he is the equivalent of Kudyarada, a stray who was once chosen as the occupant of the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik that was launched into outer space sometime in the 50's.; in utilitarian terms every age needs to fashion their version or equivalent of Kudyarada; the Americans preferred Chimps - but let us be clear on the count; no one expects either puppies or chimps to pilot spacecrafts; we all know they were just there for the ride (and just because they happen to be the first species to be blasted into space doesnt mean NASA is employing monkeys to design space ships to journey to Mars - by the same logic, we should apply the guide to help us make sense of the what Botak Siew can and cannot accomplish - I cannot overstate the importance of keeping the whole debate in its correct scale and perspective)    But this less than optimistic take on the life and times of Botak Siew do not in any way detract from his contributions to society; as through the many questions he has raised he still manages to embody a language of hope that resonates in many - here is a story of sermon and of song that gives expression to the voice every society needs, if he or she is to remain gainfully engaged.   In this sense, I consider Bptak Siew an effective tool, not so different from a size 8 spanner which if used with care and attention can loosen or tighten many things and even improve the quality of life (in my case, it helps to with my coffee maker) - that is all he is a voice of our times - nothing more or less.   Here if we are to accurately appraise the worth of the NMP role; then we would do well to winnow the man who is Botak Siew from the many myths that is commonly associated with him - because the realities come encrusted with such distracting array of circumstances that if we do not keep scrupilously close to the evidence and we may develop a completely unrealistic expectation of what he can possibly accomplish - this observation is important as the role of the NMP is usually one that is not so different from the getai curtain call, it makes more noise and promises more to come when we all know most of it is the sum of pure entertainment - this has to be always borne in mind.   This may explain why if we conduct a lightning appraisal of Botak Siew he seems to make more noise than produce real and meaningful results (judging from his remarkable rate of failures like his support of 377A, he displays a remarkable lack in tactics and strategy, but that as I shall go on to prove this may not be an indictment as a validification of his role as an NMP)    It bears repeating only because it is so important -  again we may do well to readjust our expectations of what a NMP can reasonably accomplish given the obvious limits and constrains imposed on his corseted role by the custodians of power; for one he was never supposed to overshadow them anymore than Eunice Olsen can be expected to come up with some economic plan to save us from the ravages of a melting world economy - but somewhere in this confection - Botak Siew has managed to sort of alchemy - he has somehow managed to play a larger role than what even his masters once envisaged;    The "voice" which once seemed so benign to the custodians of power has suddenly morphed into a matter of faith ( I wonder did those who even conceive the idea of the NMP envisage that it could somehow manage to climb out of  sandbox politics and pay a role in shaping the social political landscape - unlikely - now you understand why there is a concern and even clear attempt to bring down botak Siew) ; as his "voice" is no longer a "voice," as it is a crie de couer that has even managed to acquire a razor edge for different ends which may even be at odds with the govt of the day.    I understand all this may sound like making a mountain out of a mole hill after all serving the role of NMP is purely cosmetic; for one it is loosely premised on the idea of giving people a voice (whatever that means) – for me the whole idea of a voice is reminiscent of how cosmetic manufacturers market gravity defying cream when they know only too well the only active ingredient to stem the ravages of time happens to be water – in other words, we should never expect too much of the NMP role; for one it can never be a substitute to real politics where MP’s need to be elected and accountable to their constituency; neither can it fulfill a function that is so extraordinary to warrant even its keep within the apparatus that makes up the political oligarchy – in short the role of the NMP is predicated on only one motif faith - faith that a voice alone can by itself fashion even a better world - faith that it may even be able to bring about great changes - faith that we may even not need to rely on superglue and ductape to prop up the things that so often go wrong with our lives– and faith has to be a wonderful alchemy as not only does it recruit the power of pantomime but in one crucial respect it also give us all the illusion our voice can really make a difference in this world – you could even without a such a thing as a voice (even one as muffled as a NMP) most of us may even be flaying.   As at a time when the world is besieged by conflict, enmities and loss of faith in the whole idea of how the economy used to provide for us – so many of the things that we once relied up is giving way to as Singaporedaddy would like to say: “like a river to the infinity of the sea.” In this sense Botak Siew does fulfill an important function and it may even serve the greater good that even he shows every indication, he has the power to effect change – as even if Icarus did not believe in the wings that he had so lovingly fashion how then could he have soared above the clouds – the issue of the wax undoing his efforts is best left aside for another essay.   My point this afternoon is to simply highlight how the NMP system fulfills a vital social function – as despite living in an age when everyone can now post his views online and tell the world if he doesn’t slouch he stands two inches taller or that the greatest thing in this world is to love and be loved – the internet has not really changed the world; it still takes 13 hours to fly to the heathrow and neither has the world gone smaller either.   Against this dystopian backdrop there is still a need for a real voice one that can at least cut through the internet noise and this may be why Botak Siew may yet be our best hope to fashion a better world. For one the idea of someone standing up and voicing our concerns soothes our fears and if done with panache it may even allow us all to believe we may somehow be even larger than our statistical insignificance – in this respect what is seldom discussed is the underside of this narrative that makes up the whole idea of the NMP system, it gives us a shared heritage, and therehy gives us a sense of belonging – whether that is real or not has to be mere commentary - what cannot be denied is it fulfils an important function.   My point is we will always need the likes of Botak Siew to challenge the apparatus of assimilation; the danger if we remain bovine about challenging it is the system dries up and something will die and what we may be left with may be something oppressive, defeatist, and decadent, trapping us all in obsolete attitudes and promoting xenophobia and blind nationalism.   On whether Botak Siew will be nominate again or not – or whether this is a good thing or a bad thing – my point is we must never ever forget, we may after all be just experimenting and even ambling like children to find that mythical line where we can craft a real way of looking at things, resolving problems and building common ground – here we are not looking at a new state of mind that we can even reliably trust that it make work well when we decide to turn on the switch – splutter, belch out smoke and even make swan gurgling noises it will – for if the truth be know, this whole idea of crafting a tao is never easy; it cannot so different from ancient workers who once had no understanding of molecular complexities of their steel, bronze or copper – yet despite their many mistakes, attempts and experiments they continued to operate the forges and wield their hammers.   This same hammer that allow humanity to progress must be given to NMP Botak Siew again for another term and my hope is he will continue to be make alot of noise - remember Botak Siew, as you can see I don't need to like you; let us just say, you are useful to us for the time being and that is really all there is - that I am afraid is also the beginning and the end to which we are prepared to go with you - but have no illusions you are no hero; remember, you are a number 8 wrench; that may seem like an insult, but if you think about it, its a compliment as both deny the infinite that there could be anything more in the role of the NMP and all we can really hope for is to keep everything in the right scale and perspective.   Darkness 2009   (I am sorry, I wrote this fast, please feel to spell check and correct - I typed this on my Nokia communicator, the key board is tiny)     You are reading the brotherhood press 2009   Special EAM note to Singaporedaddy sent at space log 7829-Alpha from the battle star cruiser les enfants du paradis:   Cancel the intellution  investigation Singaporedaddy/ send the experts back / I dont want this matter to be blown up further than it is - the first rule of war is we must have the wisdom to choose our battles under our own terms; we cannot fight everyone that comes our way in the way they pull us by our noses - do you understand! - this is a time to let things happen; not a time to make things happen - my friend the guilds are very nervous - many questions have been raised in the gaming confederation - we need to send a diplomatic delegation there to confect some happy story to allay their fears - when they are nervous it is bad for business - do you understand Singaporedaddy - I want you to send a delegation to the planet D'ni ASAP - I want to you soothe the nerves of those who may be unduly worried by this  event when this site can just go on the blink for no apparent reason (though I already have a good idea how this might have happened and even why. Only I issue this as a warning;  please dont do this again, we are reasonable people, but if you break our rice bowls, we have every right to defend our economic interest and foreclose on even every possibility to do so)- go and make up some story to the guilds, it matters little to me - only understand that most discipline is hidden discipline, designed not to liberate but to limit you to think in only one or two way - do not ask why the world is this way? It is simply this way my friend.  How may just as well produce no meaningful results  even if we manage to get an answer- as what is likely to happen is when we call in the guilds and so many experts to come down here and find out what once happened all it will do is cause the wayang people a nervous breakdown;  all  we would have done is trap ourselves in a universe of cause and effect - we will go round and round chasing our tails - do you understand - I want this whole matter to calm down; I want the temperture to be lowered; I want cooler heads to prevail  - I want you to see to this matter personally - Darkness 2009  END   (Comsat sent at 1100 hr GMT 16-5-09  (Dimitri class space station) From Darkness to Singapore daddy aka Liaison officer of the brotherhood - rated very important and must read)  Read More →