TR EMERITUS

Photos contributed by Seelan Palay Hi WP, there was a human traffic jam at Ang Mo Kio MRT station this evening at about 7pm on 13 May 2009 plus due to a complete stoppage of train service from AMK station towards Yishun and Jurong East. The station annouced that it was caused by a track fault. Train after train arrived, and passengers were asked to alight. Hundreds were stranded on the platforms with each stopping train and thousands walked out after a station announcement advising passengers to leave the station and take other alternative transportation. Exterme congestation was caused as affected passengers tried to get through the few ticketing gates at the control station. A long line of passengers were seen queuing at the control station, asking if they would be refunded for thier ride. The human traffic jam flowed out onto the streets around AMK station, causing vehicle traffic problems as well. It was chaos, and a newspaper photographer was seen at the event taking photos, let's see how they report about it tomorrow morning. Attached are the photos I took tonight: [imagebrowser id=33]   Seelan blogs at http://www.seelanpalay.blogspot.com  Read More →

    I am sure many of you have come across this: Opposition to Siew Kum Hong’s re-nomination as NMP: Another “astroturfing” in process? Perusing through many of the comments; its easy for one to draw the conclusion things have got worse, people roll their eyes; they say what is the world coming too when even a NMP can support gays and lesbians – clucking their tongues some may say rightly or wrongly that its time for Botak Siew to call it a day.   I understand. Believe me I do, as I taken the trouble to read every single letter that comes to my mail box – it seems to me the divisions fall into 3 main categories (they could be more but since I am dyslexic, I can only claim to see only 3 and no more):   First, those who have a religious bent are inclined to believe Botak Siew’s direct support of the old guard in AWARE is nothing short of an effrontery that may even have tilted the balance in favor of gays and lesbians; again it is understandable how they have construed this as the beginning of an age when moral turpitude will reign unabated – they have real reasons to fear – I understand.   On the other side of the spectrum; many see Botak Siew as simply discharging his duties as a NMP his role is akin to playing the role of the “devil’s advocate” where it could it be said in his pesky manner of challenging everything under the sun, he serves the cause of liberalism by upholding a form of solidarity and a conception of the common good that is designed to respect differences – again, I understand.   Then there is a third group who may have felt (rightly or wrongly) Botak Siew may have exceeded his remit as a NMP when he decided to take sides instead of remaining neutral; this group hold to the idea if we are going to treat everyone as equals in a collective enterprise then we cannot exclude anyone segment from the outset – Again I hear you and I understand.   In summary what we have here is a collection of different views but what underscores their merit is every claim is legitimate, reasoned and even persuasive, that cannot be denied – and this begs the question which view amongst the three positions (or perhaps more which I may not have underscored) stated should be the deciding factor to determine whether Botak Siew stays or goes? Should Botak Siew be nominated for another term as a NMP?   This may appear like a counterargument; but what I am merely trying to illustrate is how encrusted the AWARE episode has become to even confound those who may have an avid interest in conflict management – here its conceivable, we may have to accept, we may never be able to reach consensus to satisfy everyone; neither can we reasonably expect to harmonize many of the differing objects of interest that accounts for the divisions.   A sensible starting point to try to work our way out of this thicket may be to simply accept the reality no real solution may even be possible to resolve these deep divisions - they are in every sense divisive, entrenched – the best we can all hope is to craft some crumbly compromise where no one party is able to promote their values above others i.e let us agree to disagree - detente.   This leads us to consider another question: how can a NMP like Botak Siew add value to this whole process of reconciliation? What is the rationale of creating a NMP role? Why did the government even conceive such an idea? How can it serve the greater good? And how can this be accomplished?   It seems much more profitable to begin this enquiry by first making it clear my intention is not to cause intellectual offence of Botak Siew – I harbor no ill will against him, but I do take extreme exception to the brazen manner in which he decided to openly support the old guard in AWARE while decamping to consider the broader implications of his actions – my feel is he made an error of judgment.   Given time, I am sure even Botak Siew must realize at some level that his ardent civil libertarians views are not timeless that can be agreed by all, since equally capable people who may not share his values on how civil society should progress can hold equally valid albeit opposite views.   The question now comes down to one issue – should Botak Siew be nominated as a NMP again?   Here there is a danger: if we pursue this idea of kicking out Botak Siew into the wilderness do not for one moment believe we could somehow magically return to that cosy era where we might all be able to banish gays and lesbians to some faraway attic where there is no danger without nor unease within – whether we like it or not, that idea of cosy insiderism can provide no solutions as not even the most ardent moralizer can explain how it is even possible to deny these fringe segments of our society a rightful place in the public square.   As every age true to it deeply held beliefs always thinks it is in crisis (I imagine we have to buy into this belief as no one likes to believe they are living in an age that offers them very little except the prospects of existence, as Emerson said, everyone believes they have a right to live and make a difference). And this is why I believe although I stand at odds with the likes of Botak Siew; I believe the real solution to a forging a better society does not lie in that great return where we may even be able to overcome many of the problems of our allegedly demoralized society – yes, I do not doubt, there are some out there who may preach from the pulpit or even on a soap box in Hong Lim park telling us all we should do as the Victorians did by embracing family, cleanliness and godliness, and making sure we sip and not slurp our soup for if we don’t the edifice will simply come crashing down – but how this utopian age might come about is never ever once explained by these charlatans, hucksters and carpet baggers.   For me there remains only one enduring way to make a better Singaporean society and it can only come from deep spirited discourse where it may even be necessary to support the likes of Botak Siew – as what he does fulfill is nonetheless an important function that can never be underestimated; as a pontificator, commentator and social critique he fulfils the important function of questioning the necessary lie of a regime that prides itself on the cult of infallibility; including asking the question whether the regime has made the world a better place. Why is this necessary? Because if these questions are never trained on the establishment then it preserves the recognition all improvements always come at a necessary cost; that nothing last forever; that if the good in the world outweights the bad, its only because we all followed that one reliable road laid down by only a few who may claim to see the world clearer than all of us - that of course is a crock of shit judging from how much money GIC and Temasek donated to the black hole of Calcutta.   Here history informs us if change is to come about then there is always a need for someone to write and speak out against big power, big government and even big corporations without fear or favor – the questions must come forth fast and furious, they must be relentless, if the system is to be nourished and kept on its toes -  if the system is left to its own devises unchallenged even the best political system runs the risk of calcifying and fossilizing rendering it worthless.   To many what I may have written may very well be interpreted as an endorsement of anarchy; but my point is conflict if managed wisely and judiciously offer us all the best means to fashion a better society – you could even say it remains our last hope of creating a truly inclusive society that reflects real form rather than simply aping the content ; if we are really serious about the whole idea of building a confident society then it doesn’t pay to play small or even shy away from conflict – we must learn to harness it in the way the seafarers once tamed the capricious winds to make headway and further their reach to discover new lands – history seems to support the idea nothing good can ever emerge when we shy away from conflict – the AWARE saga shows this only too clearly, a social narrative that excludes from discussion the cogent instead finds underhanded means of manifesting itself to the greater detriment of others through covert means – it stands the test of reason, where political discourse lacks resonance people just don’t pack their bags and go home and watch sex in the city on TV, they sit around drinking cups of coffee; yearning even to get back what was once “lost’ – in other words, everything goes underground and cloak and dagger galore becomes the order of the day on how here we need to consider is this the sort of society we want to fashion one where secrecy and hidden handshakes work mysteriously to make things happen or do we want the cut light of full transparency and cut light where ever thing is above board despite its warts and all? This I will leave to you.   For me the case is clear; if we are to stand any real chance of building a better society we should always be wary of creating a corrosive culture where instead of encouraging others from go where no mind dares to go; we end up endorsing more or the same with the likes of Teo Ser luck who can do nothing except impersonate a 19th century broken record of playing the trite tune of "let's not rock the boat, least we sink!"; for despite the capricious nature of how Botak Siew may have conducted himself in the AWARE saga, he did what he believed to be right and that may very well be what it takes to build a better Singaporean society –the spirit of daringness that says for better or worse, this is where I will plant my flag, stand and fight - I may not agree with him, but that I can certainly respect as it is true to the spirit of what the brotherhood has always encouraged - I hope he gets nominated as a NMP again. Besides if he goes who else is there to take pot shots at?    Darkness 2009     PS: I realize what I have written will anger many regular readers in the brotherhood press, but it has to be this way – we must try to make it work – we must – reason must prevail.      Read More →

By Mohd Haikal IsaJOHOR BAHARU, May 12 (Bernama) -- Not much is known how Mas Selamat Kastari, the Singapore Jemaah Islamiyah leader, evaded arrest in the republic after he slipped out of a maximum security prison on the island in February last year.   Bernama was told however that the Singapore's most-wanted militant had holed up in several places on the island, all the time eluding the massive manhunt going on around him. On the night of the fourth day after he slipped out of Whitley Road detention centre, he reached Woodlands in the northern coast of Singapore and swam across the Tebrau Strait towards Stulang Laut in Johor Baharu under the cover of darkness. "He used the buoy lights, which mark the border at the Tebrau Strait, as his guide to reach the place where he thought he could find a refuge," a source who is familiar with the operation to nab the fugitive told Bernama today. Mas Selamat's ability to evade arrest despite the massive manhunt, with thousands of security personnel combing the island and coastal areas, was still a mystery until today, the source said. Mas Selamat, who has a limp on his left leg and said to be an expert in using firearms and in making explosives, was the alleged mastermind of a plot to hijack a jetliner in Bangkok and crash it to Singapore's Changi Airport. His disappearance from the prison embarrassed Singapore, a country known for its modern security forces. Apart from launching an islandwide manhunt, Singapore had also tightened security in all entry points but found no trace of Mas Selamat even as days, weeks and months went by. The manhunt finally ended early last month with the fugitive's capture by Malaysian police in Skudai, more than a year after his escape in broad daylight. The source said that despite every possibility of bumping into security forces deployed to nab him, Mas Selamat managed to reach Woodlands -- a journey that would have taken him across densely populated areas. "It is still a puzzle how he managed to avoid arrest and travel up to Woodlands, which is not a short distance from Whitley Road. "Perhaps we will be able to know later whether he had walked to Woodlands or used public transport, and the route he had taken to reach Woodlands," he said. The security in Woodlands is no less tight because it is the main checkpoints for the hundreds of thousands commuters going to and coming from the Johor Causeway. He said the Singapore authorities had also tightened security in Tebrau Strait in anticipation of Mas Selamat making a dash across the narrow waterway. The Singapore coast guard, he said, stationed boats in every one kilometre along the sea border, a proof of how tight the security had been. But no amount of tight security managed to stop the elusive Mas Selamat from fleeing the island. In reaching Stulang Laut, Mas Selamat would have swam in between the patrolling boats. As reported by Bernama previously, upon reaching Stulang Laut, Mas Selamat met his trusted friends Abdul Matin in Ulu Tiram and Johar Hassan who lived in a village in Skudai, Johor Baharu. The source also refuted reports that the capture of Mas Selamat in Johor was the result of a joint operation between the Malaysian police and the neighbouring country's police. "Although we did exchange intelligence, the operation to trace and capture Mas Selamat was carried out fully by the Malaysian police. "Foreign agency cannot carry out any intelligence operation in the country," he said. Source: Bernama  Read More →