TR EMERITUS

Here is one more reason why it is so difficult to defeat the PAP. It has systematically destroyed the inherent close and supportive relationships between people because it fears them, and having destroyed that bond, has developed a new but unequal relationship between them and the State. Let me explain. In the old days, people developed social networks in the neighborhood that they lived in. They had friends who would gather for mahjong sessions, drop by each other’s house to gossip, shared food, and their children played together and became great friends. It was as natural as sunrise and sunset. But now, people don’t develop social networks with the people in their neighborhood. They may exchange polite greetings but the relationships seldom go deeper than that. Instead, they develop a social network with the State! They join morning mass exercises organized by the State, outings organized by the People’s Association, enrichment programs in the Community Clubs, chase reward points on the Healthy 365 apps and fitness trackers courtesy of the State, attend Skillsfuture course, shop at NTUC, look to the government give out vouchers, send their kids to PAP kindergarten and thereafter to State-run schools and many work for the State. The PAP has very cleverly, nay, cunningly, broken up natural human bonds that form close-knit communities because it fears them. Instead, it has atomized the people and cultivated relationships with them that it can control and manipulate. The State should stay out of the private lives of the people otherwise we risk becoming a totalitarian society, if we are not already one. Many people complain about the high cost of living, the lack of work life balance, their stressful lives but would not hold the government accountable. On the contrary, will insist that it is doing a good job. But it is entirely understandable given that they consume State propaganda on a daily basis and that Big Brother has cultivated a strong and personal relationship with them.   Foong Swee Fong    Read More →

That’s what I learnt in the sentence of 6 months of SCDF officer, Kamil, 39, who was the highest ranking officer at the time of the fire at Block 91 Henderson Road in Bukit Merah. Edward H. Go was only 19 at that time. He was found motionless on the kitchen floor. He passed on thereafter. A bright student who aspired to go to med school, Edward’s autopsy had certified the cause of death to be "suffocation due to depleted air cylinder". At the sentencing, Judge Shawn Ho was seen choking up when he said: “I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Mr Edward H. Go. He tragically lost his life while serving national service as a brave firefighter.” Unfortunately, courage under fire exemplified in a young son all fathers could intimately feel for gave his life, which in my earnest view, could have been avoided, if not for a thumbs up to go in the unit to fight alone. It could even be that Edward didn’t know that he was left alone to fight fire. The evidence showed that “Kamil tapped (Edward) on his back, gave him a thumbs up and left the unit (on fire), leaving the NSF alone in the flat.” Kamil left because he felt dizzy from the engulfing smoke. It is reported that “Kamil did not verbally inform (Edward) that he was leaving, even though the fire had not been put out.” Kamil then went to the staircase to rest so that he would not be seen as leaving the unit so early. But what is tragic is that when another firefighter (LTC Hassan) met him at the staircase, Kamil did not even tell him that Edward was in the unit alone. Kamil also did not informed anyone else in SCDF about Edward during such crucial time where every second counts, which could have made all the difference. FYI, Kamil has 14 years of experience in SCDF. It is one thing to allow one fellow firefighter to confront the flames alone, it is really another thing to leave him there to fight by himself. There’s only so long a vulnerable soul can hold his breath, before the air in his tank runs out. For Edward, I believe duty came before personal safety, and in fulfilling it, he gave his life in the fight. While I can understand in the heat of the moment, you can’t expect one to think straight. Mistakes will be made. Kamil’s lawyer did say, “It was a real-life situation, and he made a mistake, under pressure and under duress, and unfortunately he will have to pay for it.” However, recounting the event based on what is reported, he had the opportunity to change course, to inform, to seek help, and most crucially, to consciously reflect for a moment how one man fighting against the engulfing flames and fumes is on a level that is no different from mission impossible, especially if the brave young man was determined to complete the mission. In real-life, if it cost you little to make such a huge difference in someone’s life, someone who has put his entire faith and trust on you, especially in a life-death situation, the least you could do is to turn back and reach out to him. And Kamil knew that the mission came in pairs so that one could always look after the other’s back. As a father who also has a son about Edward’s age, I can’t imagine the pain his father goes thru knowing how brave his son was, and at the same time, how the many opportunities were lost that could have snatched him from the swallowing flames. Alas, we all make mistakes, but sadly, the consequences of some of them are irreversible. And yes, we are all redeemable. But some redemption journey comes with such great price.   Micheal Han    Read More →

SM Lee missed the point when he said that we should help immigrants and foreign workers integrate and guard against xenophobia. The larger point is that Singaporeans are not replacing themselves; at 0.97 child per woman when the replacement rate is 2.1, born-and-bred Singaporeans will be extinct soon. But it is understandable why he brought up the sub-point rather than the main point; namely, that he can shift the blame to the people and that new citizens almost always vote the incumbent in their first election. But reproduction is the supreme mission of any living thing; that Singaporeans are not doing that clearly indicates that something is fundamentally wrong with our society, and his party played a major role, which, he rather forget - in addition to having made Singapore into one of the most expensive city in the world, and thus has become too costly for many to bring up a child; his party has also taken away the essence of human life by systematically conditioning our behavior, and worse, our thoughts, - which is evil as it dehumanizes; it is no coincidence we also have the highest suicide rate in South-East Asia. The fact is that Singapore will always have a manpower problem if the government places profits ahead of human dignity because businesses will always want more workers to drive down labour cost and to expand; and ironically, the harder we chase profits, the lower will be the fertility rate. But as the government, his party should remember that the development of Singaporeans to their fullest potential is the ultimate goal, not profits. As a developed country, we should now move on to the next phase, which is to develop human potential and human dignity, and not be stuck in the same old rut chasing material wants.   Foong Swee Fong    Read More →