TR EMERITUS

Now that I have your attention with that rather silly subject line... I've been reading some journalism comparing the responses of different political systems to the COVID-19 global crisis, and so adducing the superiority of one system to another. Much of this journalism strikes me as lacking in facts, context, and nuance. It reads much more like instant ideology rather than patient analysis. It caricatures complex ways of life to score cheap points. It is the chattering class's equivalent of street-level xenophobia. Lawrence Wong: The fight will continue for many months, till the end of the year, perhaps beyond. We can't tell from this pandemic which political system is better for three reasons: 1. The crisis is not over yet. The results are not in. 2. Even when the crisis is over, the results will be evaluated according to different sets of social values. The raw numbers of infections and deaths, though tragic, are only a part of the picture. What have we gained or lost by moving so much of life on-line? by giving up our privacy to state surveillance? by abandoning the elderly when medical resources dry up? As the philosopher Karl Popper argued, you cannot logically infer values from facts. The same facts may support completely sets of values. Values must be debated in their own realm. 3. Even if a set of values can be agreed upon, should we judge a political system by its handling of crisis? A crisis, by definition, is an extraordinary disruption. A system built upon the management of crisis is not necessarily the system we want for ordinary life. And this is why Singapore makes for an intriguing case study. Singapore has been praised in some quarters for its handling of COVID-19. It can be justifiably proud of what it has done so far and will continue to do. I am personally very moved by the above video of the National Development Minister, who has been leading the country in its fight against the virus, as much as I have been disheartened by Trump's press conferences. Singapore's political system and culture outfits it well for crisis because the national narrative, challenged but not changed, has always been that Singapore exists in a state of constant crisis. We have the Communists, the terrorists, and global economic competition, to thank for it. Now that we are living through an actual crisis—the tragic loss of lives, livelihoods, and illusions—when it is over, and it will be over, will we learn to distinguish between rupture and the everyday? The danger lies in the continuation of political practices and norms necessary to managing a crisis into the management of the customary. The danger lies in the loss of space for silly pranks.   Jee Leong Koh      Read More →

Vietnamese patients who are staying next to a hospital in Singapore queue for a temperature check before entering their apartments. “From Singapore, we place our hands on our chests, directing our hearts to Vietnam, to the lands of our country, wishing everyone stays safe and the Government soon receives us back,” said Ly. Nearly 300 Vietnamese citizens are stranded in Singapore amid the Covid-19 outbreak, unsure when they’ll be able to return home. The group’s representative, Ngo Thi Thu Ly a 33-year-old mother of two young children from Hanoi, was supposed to board a plane back to Vietnam on 28 March after undergoing cancer treatment in the city-state. But air, sea, and land transport has been suspend as borders across the world close up to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Ly said her group mostly consisted of patients seeking medical treatments, students, and short-term workers in Singapore. The patients are unable to return home after their treatments. The laid-off and unemployed laborers have to be repatriated. Those with expired visas that have applied for extensions are sheltering in place as prescribed. Others whose visa is expiring or has expired may be denied extensions. They risk potential penalties from the host country for overstaying their visas, including fines, a permanent ban on entry to Singapore or even imprisonment. Ly and other people have sent a petition to Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore for help. “We are willing to pay for the return flight to Vietnam, or a connecting flight. Upon arriving in Vietnam, we will commit ourselves to quarantine and the epidemic prevention regulations of the State,” she said. The embassy noted that in Singapore, since March 23, the Singaporean Government has banned short-term visitors from entering or transiting and cancelled a number of flights to countries that issued similar entry bans. As a result, Vietnamese citizens transiting through Singapore during this time are trapped in the quarantine area of Singapore’s airports and many of them have waited in the airport for days without communication from the canceling airline. The Embassy has liaised with Singaporean agencies and notified the home country of the plight of these Vietnamese nationals. While waiting for support from the host country, the Embassy contacted authorities in Singapore to ask for help with visa extensions and residence procedures for Vietnamese citizens. Meanwhile, the Singaporean side has said that its Immigration and Checkpoints Authority will assist and consider the extension of short-term visas for Vietnamese nationals. Keeping the faith While exemptions from the punishments for overstaying would help the Vietnamese citizens, they wouldn’t alleviate concerns about food shortages and homelessness due to financial exhaustion. Not to mention, many of them do not know the local language so are unable to stay updated on the new regulations of Singapore, which may make them accidentally violate regulations and end up in prison. From 27 March, the Singapore Infectious Diseases Act states that all violations of "social distancing" rules to prevent the spread of Covid-19 may result in a fine of up to 10,000 SGD (more than 162 million VND) or six month prison sentence, or both. Singapore has also implemented control aggressive measures given the daily increase in positive cases in the country of nearly 700 as of March 27 and the occurrence of deaths. To stay safe in this country, Ly and the others keep each other updated on new regulations, encourage each other to be patient, and keep seeking help from authorities. However, on 28 March, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam issued an announcement warning its citizens not to travel or return to Vietnam at this time, and to comply with the regulations of their host country. Meanwhile, many countries and territories have used strong measures to prevent the Covid-19 spread such as bans on entry, exit and transit. A lot of airlines have cancelled flights. Vietnamese representative agencies have supported Vietnamese nationals stuck at international airports but are unable to solve all problems. “Honestly, I am feeling lost. Some people in the group have cried. Over the past few days, we have tried to seek help from agencies and never stopped hoping. Not everyone can afford to stay. But we understand the efforts of the Government and our folks. We listen and sympathize with all our heart. And we still continue praying in order to soon return to our homeland and to breathe in the atmosphere of our country, because we believe our country will not leave us behind,” said Ly. The waiting room in the NUH (National University Hospital) Singapore, where Ly has received treatment. Undying faith in their return While struggling for survival in a foreign country, Ly and the others can do little to support each other apart from keeping in contact via social networks, motivating each other and sharing news. They didn't know each other until they got stuck in Singapore. Each of them is staying in a different place to comply with strict quarantine regulations. Many are seeking a temporary shelter while waiting. Ly has tried her best to connect everyone, make a group list, contact the Embassy and find a shelter somewhere to, while finding the way back and waiting for the day to return home. “I never thought I would be stranded in a foreign country when I am mentally and physically exhausted. Although I can speak English, it’s hard to manage life in a foreign country. But we are glad that our plea from Singapore has been heard by the media. Exhausted and worried, we still feel warm and confident that the homeland will give us a helping hand.” After the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam advised citizens abroad not to travel to return home at the time, Ly wrote a "letter from Singapore", talking about her life while she is waiting to return home and encouraging others in similar situations. At this time, to have a bed to sleep on and food to eat is a blessing. They remind each other to have money ready to buy air tickets, prepare personal belongings in quarantine not to disturb others, and get everything ready in suitcases to be ready to leave as soon as the Government allows Vietnamese citizens to return home. “From Singapore, we place our hands on our chests, directing our hearts to Vietnam, to the lands of our country, wishing everyone stays safe and the Government soon receives us back,” said Ly.          Read More →

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced 66 new cases of Covid-19 infection in Singapore, all but 1 are local community-spread infections. As of 6th April @ 12 pm, the new cases are: 1 imported cases with travel history to multiple countries. 35 cases linked to previous cases or clusters. 30 cases currently unlinked, and contact tracing is ongoing. The 35 linked cases are: a)            One of the newly confirmed cases (Case 1335) is linked to two previous cases (Cases 1182 and 1294), forming a new cluster at Little Gems Preschool (3 Ang Mo Kio Street 62). b)            Twenty-five additional cases are linked to the cluster at S11 Dormitory @ Punggol (2 Seletar North Link), which has a total of 88 confirmed cases[2] now. c)            One additional case is linked to the cluster at Westlite Toh Guan dormitory (18 Toh Guan Road East), which has a total of 29 confirmed cases. d)            Six additional cases are linked to the cluster at Toh Guan Dormitory (19A Toh Guan Road East), which has a total of 14 confirmed cases now (Cases 963, 1079, 1106, 1148, 1150, 1195, 1254, 1273, 1262, 1263, 1271, 1274, 1276 and 1347). e)             Two additional cases are linked to the cluster at Sungei Tengah Lodge (500 Old Choa Chu Kang Road), which has a total of six confirmed cases now (Cases 1054, 1077, 1124, 1267, 1306 and 1319). f)            One additional case is linked to the cluster at a dormitory at 55 Sungei Kadut Loop, which has a total of four cases now (868, 972, 974 and 1356). g)            Four additional cases are linked to the cluster at Tampines Dormitory (2 Tampines Place), which has a total of nine cases now (Cases 1049, 1140, 1193, 1226, 1299, 1261, 1313, 1314 and 1327). h)             One additional case is linked to the cluster at Cochrane Lodge II (49 Admiralty Road West), which has a total of four cases now (Cases 956, 967, 1104 and 1240). i)             Two additional cases are linked to the cluster at a construction site at Project Glory (50 Market Street), which has a total of 16 confirmed cases now (Cases 956, 967, 1019, 1078, 1079, 1104, 1120, 1124, 1149, 1162, 1181, 1191, 1226, 1273, 1341 and 1346). j)            One additional case is linked to the cluster at a construction site at 6 Battery Road, which has a total of five cases now (Cases 1049, 1012,1183, 1184 and 1314). k)            Twelve additional cases are linked to the cluster at Mustafa Centre (145 Syed Alwi Road), which has a total of 40 confirmed cases[4] now. l)            Two additional cases are linked to the cluster at Keppel Shipyard (51 Pioneer Sector 1), which has a total of nine cases now (Cases 878, 898, 907, 1076, 1158, 1172, 1270, 1324 and 1336). m)            One additional case is linked to the cluster at Ce La Vi (1 Bay Front Avenue), which has a total of five cases now (Cases 540, 807, 856, 1094 and 1266). Among the new cases is a female medical worker (1322), who had been working as a therapy associate at the Institute of Mental Health until the 27 year-old was diagnosed to be infected on 5th April, after experiencing an onset of symptoms on 30th March. An additional 2 new clusters (32-33) were also announced, bringing the total number of known clusters on the island city to 33. The clusters are: Life Church and Missions Singapore, - 10 cases Yong Thai Hang health products shop, - 4 cases a business meeting at Grand Hyatt hotel, - 3 cases the Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site, - 5 cases the Grace Assembly of God church, - 33 cases Wizlearn Technologies @ Singapore Science Park, - 14 cases a private singing event at SAFRA Jurong, - 47 cases Masjid Al-Muttaqin @ 5140 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 - 3 cases PCF Sparkletots @ Fengshan, - 27 cases Dover Court International School, - 9 cases SingPost Centre @ 10 Eunos Road 8, - 8 cases The Wedding Brocade @ Yishun, - 3 cases S11 Dormitory  @  Punggol, - 88 cases the Wilby Residences, - 9 cases Hero’s Pub @ Circular Road, - 9 cases Westlite Toh Guan dormitory, - 29 cases Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home @ 1 Thomson Lane, - 13 cases, 1 death 55 Sungei Kadut Loop dormitory, - 4 cases Mustafa Centre @ 145 Syed Alwi Road, - 40 cases Keppel Shipyard @ Pioneer Sector 1, - 9 cases Maxwell MRT station construction site@ Neil Road, - 6 cases Ce La Vi @ 1 Bay Front Avenue (Marina Bay Sands), - 5 cases Singapore Cricket Club @ A Connaught Drive, - 6 cases, 1 death Project Glory construction site, - 16 cases Sungei Tengah Lodge @ Old Choa Chu Kang Road, - 6 cases Toh Guan Dormitory @ 18 Toh Guan Road East, - 14 cases Cochrane Lodge I @ 51 Admiralty Road West, - 2 cases Cochrane Lodge II @ 49 Admiralty Road West, - 4 cases The Orange Ballroom @ Tanjong Katong Complex. - 4 cases Tampines Dormitory @ 2 Tampines Place, - 9 cases A construction worksite @ 6 Battery Road, - 5 cases Little Gems Preschool @ 3 Ang Mo Kio Street 62, - 3 cases Kranji Lodge @ 12 Kranji Road, - 3 cases With the additional 66 cases announced, the total tally of Covid-19 infections in Singapore currently stands at 1375, of which 6 have died, 344 have been discharged while 25 are in critical condition.    Read More →