TR EMERITUS

Seah Chiang Nee A generation of Malaysians and readers around the world have grown up with Seah Chiang Nee’s columns on Singapore. Illness, however, has forced him to ease up and he has decided to stop being a columnist in The Star. In this farewell interview with Soo Ewe Jin, Seah gives his readers an insight into his illustrious career as a journalist. FOR the past 28 years, readers of this newspaper have been given a weekly analysis of the goings-on in Singapore through the column of veteran journalist Seah Chiang Nee, Insight Down South. Seah began his career in 1960 as a Reuters correspondent based in Singapore. During that 10-year stint, he was in (then south) Vietnam for 40 months to cover the war. He joined the Singapore Herald in 1970, as Malaysia bureau chief and later as news editor, before it was forced to close after a run-in with the Singapore Government. From 1972 to 1973, he worked for The Asian, the world’s first regional weekly newspaper, based in Bangkok, to cover Thailand and Indochina – Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. He then moved on to be news editor of the Hong Kong Standard before returning to Singapore in 1974 to serve as foreign editor with The Straits Times. From 1982 to 1985, he served as editor of the Singapore Monitor. And in 1986, he started writing for The Star. Seah also became the first South-East Asian to undergo a heart transplant at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital back in 1985. And he already belongs to that rare club of those who have lived for more than 20 years as a heart transplant patient. Because of age and health reasons, Seah will no longer be writing his column. In an email interview, he reflects on this journey with The Star. > Can you share with us your thoughts about being a columnist in The Star? With a heavy heart, I have decided to end my column in this newspaper. I am grateful to The Star for the writing platform it has provided me all these years, and you readers for making it possible. Nearly a generation of Malaysians who were interested in Singapore trends – including current affairs, politics, business, education, and healthcare – have grown up getting their information here. When I began writing, very few Singaporeans knew about it. This soon changed with the arrival of the Internet. The reason: within hours of The Star Online appearing, many social websites had reproduced the article, crediting The Star but often rewritten. I launched my website, Littlespeck, on my articles in The Star to ensure people get the original version. > Can you share with us some of the key moments, which article generated the most response, and also whether you had any trouble writing about your own country for another? The most significant story was the first loss of a group representation constituency in 2011, the five-member Aljunied GRC that could open the door to further losses in future elections. That changed the face of politics in Singapore. The second was the forthcoming Singapore-Malaysia high-speed train that would only take 90 minutes to commute between Singapore and Malaysia. This would change the lives of many Singaporeans and Malaysians in terms of jobs, businesses, education and shopping. The third was Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s crackdown on the Internet which has significantly reduced the amount of anti-government comment. The crackdown on my writing has been less severe during the regimes of Goh Chok Tong and now Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong than under Lee Kuan Yew’s rule. Several times I provoked angry retorts from the authorities, once when I quoted Devan Nair, for years Lee Kuan Yew’s comrade, on why he was moved from the National Trades Union Congress to be Singapore’s President in 1981 and why he resigned in 1985. Lee told Parliament it was to get treatment for alcoholism. Another was when I once wrote that the government had begun practising pork barrel politics during an election. This provoked a strong denial from the Singapore High Commission. Several days later as the nine-day election campaign period started, the pro-government main newspaper published a large front-page photograph showing a long queue outside a POSB bank of people cashing out their cash, given for the first time. Until then the government had dished out top-ups to their Central Provident Fund or reductions to conservancy changes. The way to reduce official complaints here is to make sure you get the facts right. Use refined language, with no exaggeration. Accuracy, objectivity! When it does well, give it credit; if it does badly in the eyes of most people, say so. > As an old-school newsman, what do you see as the future of journalism, with the advent of social media when everyone thinks he can be a citizen journalist?  Frankly, I am not a techie. When something goes terrible wrong, I still scratch my head and get a friend to help. The World Wide Web is the wave of the future, but it will take a very, very long time to completely take over from print. The reason is a general news reading habit. You take the paper to bed or the toilet. Housewives and many seniors are still not familiar with online news. Of course, managing a news website objectively and with balanced reporting has its benefit, though it has nothing to do with money. The knowledge that I can put up a website in this north-eastern part of tiny Singapore that can be read anywhere in the world – from Alaska to Zambia – 24 hours a day, every day is reward enough. > Share with us your health journey, especially your record as being the longest surviving heart patient in the region. Last Nov 12, I was reminded by my wife Pat that it was 28 years ago I had a heart transplant. Since then, I have become one of the longest surviving heart transplant survivors in the world. When my heart went bad, it affected several organs – eyesight, hearing and of course, the kidneys. Although the new heart gave means extended life, it did not change the other organs. On the contrary, the anti-rejection drugs had caused the kidneys to worsen despite the doctor’s efforts to slow down deterioration. Two and a half years ago, they collapsed and I began my peritoneal dialysis four times a day at home through a rubber tube through the stomach. Each session lasts about 30 to 40 minutes. > Is there anything you want to say to your readers as you say goodbye to your column? My renal failure also causes anaemia, a shortage of red blood cells and their oxygen-carrying capacity. It is called Erythropoietin, which results in fatigue, weakness, dizziness and drowsiness, all of which have impacted my writing capacity. As a result, I have to bid goodbye to my column’s readers in Malaysia rather than provide below par work. Thank you all for your support I wish all of you and Malaysia the best of luck and happiness. Source: www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/05/10/Littlespeck-downs-pen-in-The-Star  Read More →

After decades of authoritarian-style government and relentless propaganda from The Shit-Times, Singaporeans have been molded into an apathetically subservient lot, believing that they live in the best country in the world but actually they are only guests in a hotel. Singaporean cabby James Lim Soon, with hordes of foreigners coming in to depress their wages or even displace them at the workplace and reduce them to second-class citizens, how much more loyalty can we expect from local-bred "Sinkies", let alone migrants? So, if "Sinkies" loyalty is in doubt, who will then fight and die for Singapore? Sadly, not many will do it willingly. This sad paradox is a result of this Government pursuit of economic growth numbers by embracing foreigners as EQUAL to "Sinkies". They forgot the intrinsic value of loyalty and violated the sense of belonging of Singaporeans. Recently, our Prime Minister loudly proclaimed: Singaporean, new arrivals, people who are on permanent residence here, people who are on employment pass here, all participating in one big Singapore family.....this place is special and it  belongs to all of us". As a local bred Singaporean, with parents who have sweated and toiled all their lives to build this country to what it is today, do you feel a sense of betrayal by this pathetic leader after reading his proud proclamation?  Do you feel that strangers are sharing your flat and you've lost your space and privacy? Is your years serving NS a waste? One day and soon, these very new arrivals, PR, employment pass holders and others will be given easy citizenship and become "Sinkies". Naturally, they will happily vote for him and that's his open secret. You can call me xenophobic or whatever, for I'm disgusted at his treacherously hidden agenda. He's not fit to be my leader and Mr. William Lim's petition is a small move in the right direction. While comparisons with foreigners in the past were intended to spur Singaporeans to work harder, faster and better, it created pent-up frustration among Singaporeans who feel demoralized and unloved in their own home. Will you fight and die for your country if you have no feeling of belonging or love for her? The many wealthy ( MPs included ) have already bought an oversea residences to flee to in case of war but the average Sinkie has no choice but to stay put and surrender, as there's absolutely no reason to waste your life for this country that you don't belong to. Look, when a country is overwhelmed and diluted with millions of foreigners, how can you find a common denominator of patriotism and loyalty among the local born and foreigners? As it's already an almost impossible task to forge a common loyalty to Singapore among the many ethnic races of Chinese, Malays, Indian and others, how much more difficult it is to forge the same with foreigners who don't share our cultures. The Filipinos, PRCs, Indians and other foreign nationals are here for better economic opportunities but their hearts always belong back home. No matter how corrupt, chaotic, dysfunctional or dangerous home is, the strong sense of belonging to your birthplace always entices you to return to roots, family and community. Here is a quote from my buddy, Gintai: Even the sea turtles knowing that there are predators waiting for them, they still go back to Trengganu beach to lay their eggs. It’s a built-in innate instinct for those sea turtles from the deep South China sea to 落叶归根 (luò yè guī gēn) and lay their eggs there when the time comes. It’s programmed into their genes. It just can’t be logically explained. It is rather naive to assume that getting 25,000 new citizens yearly over the next 5 years will bind them here? No amount of money you pump in on ‘social integration’ programmes will alter this fact. It’s akin to those instant trees found all over the island where their roots are not deeply entrenched. They easily got uprooted in a strong tropical storm!" Today, Singapore is nothing more than a business hub. She was born as a trading post and has never grown up to become a nation in the true sense of the word till today. She will never become a nation and never will, just like how can you grow pearls in cockles! The closest she can become is a mere city-state! Now, don't be mislead by the many displays of "patriotism" on National Day Celebration. The many flags flying at HDB blocks are the work of RC stooges and the thousands of "Sinkies" at MBS are there only to enjoy the show. When it comes to an acid test at war, many of them will display the "white flag" and hope for the best with a new master. At the first sign of trouble here, foreigners can fled to their native lands where they still have connections and the wealthy will settled comfortably at their overseas pre-purchased houses. Where can an average "Sinkie" go? If you're a young and educated Singaporean family, I would encourage you to be "FT" of another country. There is nothing to live for in this authoritarian led country! Migrate if you can or if not, at least change the "G" or get the "G" to change! James Lim * The author blogs at Diary of a Singaporean Cabby.  Read More →

We refer to the article “Manpower crunch a challenge for SMEs but foreign worker limits to stay: PM Lee” (Straits Times, May 7). Inflow of foreign workers is reduced? It states that “Manpower is a major concern of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) here especially as the inflow of foreign workers is reduced, but the Government cannot ease up on the foreign worker limits, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday. “We are still allowing in more foreign workers, so the number of foreign workers here is still growing, although not as fast as before and not as much as employers and companies would like. We know that even this is still not enough, and that SMEs have to turn away business because they don’t have workers to service the business,” said PM Lee. “But unfortunately we cannot ease up on the foreign worker limits and we hope companies understand. Because we have to manage the inflow, manage what we can accommodate in Singapore, manage the total numbers,” he added.” The “rhetoric” vs the statistics? This consistent rhetoric of curtailing the influx of foreign workers has been going on for years. Let’s look at the statistics. 260,000 jobs to locals vs 470,000 jobs to foreigners?   From 2007 to June 2013, we increased jobs to locals (Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs)) and foreigners – by 260,000 and 470,000 respectively. 450,000 new citizens and PRs? From 2007 to December 2013 – we granted 450,000 new citizenships and permanent residencies (PRs). So, how many of the 260,000 jobs go to locals, actually went to “true blue” Singaporeans? Let’s look at the latest available labour data to put the remarks “We are still allowing in more foreign workers, so the number of foreign workers here is still growing, although not as fast as before and not as much as employers and companies would like” – in the right perspective. More than 50% of workers not “Singaporeans”? The percentage of non-Singaporeans in the total workforce has increased to 53%. If we make an adjustment for the 133,000 new citizens in the last 7 years, and foreign spouses working on letters of consent from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and foreign university interns/foreign student interns studying in Singapore – which we believe are not counted in the total workforce statistics – the percentage of non-Singaporeans must be more than half of the total number of workers. Foreign tourists looking for jobs? If we are really serious about curtailing the influx of foreign workers – why do we still allow foreigners to come to Singapore on tourist visas to look for jobs? Schemes to attract Singaporeans to work? As to “To address these manpower concerns, said Mr Lee, the Government has put in place various schemes and grants to make SME jobs more attractive to Singaporeans and to raise their productivity. He pointed to programmes such as the SME Talent Programme to match polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education students to SMEs, and schemes like the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) which gives companies tax grants and deductions when they invest to boost capabilities” Arguably, most if not all of these schemes in the recent years, have failed to raise wages, particularly for lower-income workers. Let’s look at the statistics. Third World wages? Why are we still paying Third World wages – of as little as $5 plus an hour to Singaporeans, and as little as $18 a day to foreign workers, when the cost of living is one of the highest in the world? So many lower-income workers? There were 207,100 residents earning below $1,000, 416,900 below $1,500 and 627,800 below $2,000. Since the total workforce was 2,004,600 in 2012 – it means that about 1 in 10 earns below $1,000, 1 in 5 earn below $1,500 and 3 in 10 earn below $2,000. As to “worker shortages” and a tight labour market – why is it that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of Singaporeans has increased from 2.8% to 3.0% in the last quarter? Shouldn’t the unemployment rate be coming down if we have a tight labour market, instead of up? With regard to “increased wages” Negative real total wage change? According to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) web site, the real annual total wage change (excluding employer CPF) from 2008 to 2012, was -2.4, -1.0, 2.7, 0.1 and -0.8, respectively. This works out to a cumulative real decrease in wage change of about -1.5% or -0.29 per annum, from 2008 to 2012 – A negative real total wage change for the last 5 years. Real income growth? Real median income change from 2008 to 2013 was only about 1.0 per cent per annum for the 20th percentile – the real change per annum for the last 10 years was only about 0.3 per cent Real growth in graduates’ starting pay negative? The real growth in university, polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates starting pay has been negative in the last 7 years or so. Go to Malaysia because of lower costs? With regard to “Mr Lee pointed to Iskandar Malaysia – a growing economic zone in the state of Johor – as an option for SMEs to expand production facilities or sell their products and services. “There are opportunities for companies. You can take advantage of lower costs, take advantage of more space there, more land there and at the same time stay close to Singapore,” he said” Suggestions on helping SMEs If we are serious about really helping SMEs - government landlords like the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) should reduce rents we should reduce the taxes on commercial vehicles Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) for SMEs should be moderated as a special category or rebated in some way to SMEs to offset their overall business costs foreign worker levies in the multiples of billions a year should be used to help SMEs pay higher wages to Singaporean workers, particularly to lower income workers, etc. No wonder so many workers are stressed? Looking at all of the above – is it any wonder that so many workers are stressed? (“One-quarter of workers report high stress levels“, Straits Times, May 7). SY Lee and Leong Sze Hian  Read More →